by Tobias Roote
“Nothing quite so simple, RIGA, as you will shortly find out. There is more going on than making a few sol credits. Your arrival at the council chambers was, admittedly, a surprise. We had no idea that Terra and the Empirum were communicating. We thought we had more time to prepare things. However, it's not a problem. Your speedy return to Terra gave us what we needed, access to Osachi and the technology from his family’s research. So, we will soon have what we need,” he said.
RIGA’s efforts were still not breaking through the program’s defences. She redoubled her efforts recognising that she was running out of time before they entered hyperspace.
“Why would you help the Tochin, Pelon? They have an inbuilt hatred of Artificial Intelligence. They will destroy you,” RIGA said.
“Ah, but RIGA I’m not an AI, I thought you would have realised that by now,” Pelon smiled grandly, his arms opening as if enlightening her.
“I willingly allowed myself to be inserted into an artificial matrix so that I could infiltrate your world,” he explained benignly.
“Dammation! You are a ‘Trans'? A transhuman conversion?” RIGA was astonished. Pelon had truly surprised her and she hadn’t seen it coming.
With a long hard burst of effort, more in desperation than anything else, she was rewarded as the shield collapsed and failed.
Pelon looked alarmed and then stared at RIGA while he seemed to concentrate on something. He must be mentally linked to the ship, RIGA thought to herself. Had he realised yet, what she had done? She thought not.
‘Gossie, are you there? Get me off, we’re about to jump into hyperspace,’ RIGA called out on their frequency, hoping her call would get through.
“How did you?...” he started, then broke off as he realised that RIGA had somehow broken into his ship’s systems. Thinking she would go after the drive controls and stop the transfer to hyperspace he was mentally trying to shore up his defences.
‘Jumping you now, RIGA,’ Gossie answered.
“Fire on that ship before it gets to leave normal space,” RIGA called to Gossie as she re-materialised on the ship.
“Too late, RIGA. It jumped. Another two seconds and you would have been either atomic dust or on your way to wherever it’s going.”
“It’s a Tochin ship. Pelon is a Trans,” RIGA responded already logging the information for despatch to Bollida. He needed to know without delay. A response came back almost immediately. ‘Await further orders. Bollida.’
She wondered if Fregal had also been a Tochin transhuman, but if so would Pelon have left him behind? She didn’t think so.
A few days later the effect on Artis Prime, when the news broke that Pelon and Fregal were both being declared enemies of the Empirum, was electrifying. The Helis AI had been compromised by Fregal’s hacking and Kalla used the opportunity to manoeuvre herself into a position of control on the Council. So her ambitions, at least, were being fulfilled. The building at the centre of the momentous news, the Pinnacle, was being taken apart in an attempt to find the full details of the conspiracy. No news had been mentioned of the Tochin’s involvement, but suspicion had been allowed to fall on a transhumanist conspiracy, which in view of Pelon’s admission, wasn’t that far from the truth.
RIGA made no mention outside of Gossie and the ESSG, of transhumanism involvement. She accepted that the rumour had probably been started by the ESSG director deliberately to take away possible concerns across the Empirum. If it were thought that AI's had been blatantly breaking the PACT there would be immediate repercussions that would undo centuries of careful confidence building. It was one of those fragile paths walked to keep the Empirum operating and why RIGA was in so much demand.
Certainly, the few times RIGA had met with Kalla, she had seemed very nervous. RIGA felt the AI must be under tremendous pressure to provide adequate reassurances to the fourteen human worlds, that Artis Prime would still serve the Empirum. RIGA still had a nagging concern in regard to Kalla and made a mental note to come back when this mission had been resolved to track down the cause of it. Kalla, as if sensing she was on trial with RIGA, went out of her way to ensure that everything was seen to be above board. Even to the point of copying her in on all Council appointments to replace the three seats, that were now vacant.
All three were stooges of Kalla, ensuring that she maintained total control of things within sessions so that she benefited most out of any decisions. RIGA had no problem with that, it might be useful for a short period to help reset the balance of confidence. Her remit wasn’t to interfere in local politics so long as the Empirum wasn’t placed at risk. Her memo to herself, to return to resolve her concerns, would also serve to ensure she came back to look again at the situation. Until then she had more important things to do.
For RIGA, it was a time of clearing up loose ends. There were Councillors to investigate for further links to Pelon and the organisation’s manufacturing order records uncovered allowing them to trace virtually all of the shipments that had been compromised by Pelon’s subterfuge.
It was nearly a week before RIGA was summoned to Epsilon Gamma. It was a terse invitation.
22. The Enemy Within
RIGA paced the length of the corridor outside the Head of ESSG’s offices. Summoned after her report of the failure to apprehend Pelon was received, she had no doubt she was going to be admonished with a possible demotion.
She was certain she could not have wrested control of the ship from him. Knowing how sophisticated his personal controls were, coupled with his deep-seated paranoia, she was sure the only means of accessing the computers, would have been via his own manual procedures.
Deep down, RIGA knew that he probably would have succeeded in delivering her unto her enemy. Could she have overcome them? No, probably not. Especially since they had obtained the shield technology from Osachi. Had she let him down? Should she have done something to try and rescue him?
“RIGA,” the gentle voice called her.
RIGA turned, and saw the female administrative assistant beckoning her to the door of the Head of ESSG. She was a kindly woman, very much the soft gentle front of the ESSG, and Bollida was the hard-metal chassis, kept out of sight most of the time.
“He will see you now,” she said. Her demeanour suggested that it wasn’t for a medal ceremony. RIGA pulled herself upright from the slouch she had adopted while pacing, and prepared to enter. The assistant moved aside for her.
“Ambassador Rigel,” Bollida called out in welcome.
RIGA walked in. Bollida wasn’t alone. She could see two other men, recognising them immediately. Her mind raced to take in what she was seeing, and what it might mean. Councillor Talbeck was bad news and an enemy of ESSG. If he was here, it meant trouble for them, for her probably. The man sitting next to him was the clearest indication that it would be directed toward her, Captain Jennings of the Tesperadus. A trap then, she thought.
Bollida wasn’t smiling. His message came through to her on her personal frequency. ‘Run with this, RIGA. Explanations later. Watch yourself.’
“Ambassador Rigel, I believe you know Councillor Talbeck and Captain Jennings,” Bollida stated, using her official title rather than her personal name. As RIGA, she was agent and spy, as the Ambassador she was diplomacy and guile. He was telling her to be the latter.
“I do. Good to see you again Captain.” She nodded at Jennings then looked at Talbeck. A thorn in the side for ESSG, a pacifist who believed that the Empirum should reduce its military numbers in peace time. He attacked ESSG constantly, and had more than once come close to unseating Bollida to put his own man in.
“Councillor Talbeck, what a surprise. I wasn’t aware you indulged in inter-galactic trade negotiations?” RIGA referred to the fact he was here with Jennings, and therefore, should not be ‘officially’ aware of her investigations. How much had Jennings told him?
Talbeck leaned forward menacingly, no doubt comfortable in the belief he now had the means with which to strike at the heart of ESSG. “Ambass
ador Rigel, I understand you purport to represent the Empirum in your dealing with the Terran Empire. Yet, I don’t recollect the Council ever being informed of such negotiations.” He paused, turning to the man next to him. “Indeed, until Captain Jennings arrived with his story of recent occurrences in Terran space, the Council were unaware the PACT Navy was being used to provide ESSG with means to intimidate foreign powers,” he glared at her.
RIGA looked at the man, unimpressed, then at Bollida, who also seemed unconcerned. She knew he would be quietly calculating the moves well ahead of Talbeck’s little power play. RIGA needed to respond and she thought about how to present this. What did Bollida want of her?
“Councillor, I’m afraid you are misinformed.”
Talbeck sat back, his surprise plain. “Enlighten me,” he demanded arrogantly.
“Councillor, as you are fully aware, the Security Committee empowers the ESSG directly, and in the matter of Terra, I was simply doing what is considered to be the standard duties of its agents. I am neither required to seek permission of the Council, nor inform it.”
“But, that’s only for threats to the Empirum,” he spluttered.
“Precisely, Councillor,” RIGA bowed her head slightly, acknowledging his confirmation.
“So, you are implying that the Terran Empire is a threat to the Empirum?” Talbeck said, confident she was digging her own grave and that of the ESSG.
“I’m not at liberty to discuss ongoing missions with anyone outside the Security Council, Sir,” RIGA said, slipping the question aside.
“You will damn well respond to me when I ask you why you are forcing the Empirum to defend your actions in foreign space, Rigel. Or I will have you forced to explain it in front of a Council Hearing,” Talbeck threatened. “Dammation! You took Pact Warships into Terran space and threatened a Terran battleship within its own borders.”
Bollida intervened. “Councillor, the Security Council is the officially elected body to oversee the ESSG. Your threat is meaningless. However, I am interested in knowing why it is that Captain Jennings has approached you, and your reason for being here today.”
Talbeck was quick to respond. “We are here simply to order you to pull the teeth from your little avenging angel here...” indicating RIGA, “and avoid a disastrous confrontation between our two empires.” He glared at Bollida, his hatred of the man clearly showing.
“Councillor, I believe you are misinformed in your premise – ,“Bollida began, but was interrupted again by Talbeck, who was becoming very aggressive.
“Bollida, I’m ordering you to back off and pull in your horns before you bring about a border war between the Empirum and the Terran Empire. This man is here to officially warn us of the Terran’s intention to enforce their borders. If this little troublemaker goes back there with Pact ships, they will be destroyed on sight,” he said pointing at RIGA.
Jennings squirmed under RIGA’s scrutiny. She felt sure that he wasn’t as confident of the outcome as Talbeck implied. Suddenly, she knew how to play this meeting and interrupting Talbeck's tirade, she asked.
“I would like to hear from Captain Jennings on this matter.” She was rewarded with an angry glare from Talbeck who then had to halt his vitriolic attack on her and the ESSG. Bollida almost smiled.
“Ambassador Rigel.” Jennings looked almost relieved to have an opportunity to speak. “I’m sorry we got off on the wrong foot. However, after you departed our system, certain things became apparent that required that I try to recover the situation. So, I am here to do just that,” Jennings gushed more diplomatically than Talbeck liked.
“Go on...?” RIGA requested, ignoring for the moment her boss, who was directly behind, and Talbeck who was still pumped from his attack on her and Bollida. Bollida, for his part, seemed happy for her to confront them both. He always did like to watch RIGA interact with humans. He never failed to point out how ‘human’ RIGA actually was, when placed amongst them.
Jennings continued. “It was certainly not my choice to come here. However, Osachi’s family rule much of Terra and his father is influential in all matters pertaining to the Space Navy. His family finance much of our fleet and development of new technology. As such, he gets pretty much whatever he wants. At the moment he wants to know the whereabouts of his son. Osachi is missing, and the rumour mill has it that he is being held for ransom. I have been provided with a small battle force and sent to track him down.”
“Why have you come to us?” RIGA asked.
Jennings looked at Talbeck, then back to RIGA. “We intercepted a communication between you and Osachi just before he disappeared. We didn’t know what it said, or referred to, but it was the last message that Osachi’s comms service has a record of. You were effectively the last person to talk to Osachi, and we need to know what it was about,” he reasoned.
“I cannot tell you why I contacted Osachi, you’re not cleared for that information. However, I can tell you that both he, and I, were kidnapped by an unknown enemy. Whilst managing to escape, I became aware that he had been interrogated, then removed from the enemy ship before I recovered consciousness. I believe he may still be alive, and be the subject of further interrogation, or as you pointed out, offered for ransom,” RIGA explained, unprepared to tell him the truth because he was plainly part of the conspiracy somewhere along the line. To divulge critical information to Talbeck, who would then cause major problems pretending to be acting in the Empirum’s greater interest, would be a big mistake.
“I see, and you cannot tell me why you and Osachi were kidnapped?” Jenning’s anger showed his evident frustration at her evasion.
“Only that it happened on your Space Station and your Political Officer was present,” RIGA offered.
“Wright?” Jennings spluttered incredulously. “BUT... but, he’s a senior member of the government. He is chairman of the sub-committee that ordered me here,” Jennings coughed. “He’s Osachi’s uncle.”
Interesting, RIGA filed that away. Not only was Wright still active, he was also ordering a small fleet into Empirum space to divert attention away from their activities - to delay what - her investigations?
“I’m well aware of the relationship. Osachi told me the history of his uncle being missing; eventually reappearing and entering into the political arena,” she said, giving Jennings a clear indication he would find no support for his argument there.
“Are you saying Lieutenant Wright is behind Osachi’s kidnapping? That’s preposterous!” Jennings disbelief was written all over his face. “What proof do you have?”
Bollida nodded at RIGA, who placed her hand discreetly over his terminal nodes, as if she was turning them on, and not actually inputting from her own memories.
“This is an audio recording of my kidnapping moments after I arrived at Osachi’s place on the Space Station,” RIGA offered. “We have analysed the audio, and there is no doubt that it is the same voice I recorded of your Political Officer on the Tesperadus.”
Jennings watched closely as her hand interfaced with the two grooved slots on Bollida’s desk, distaste evident on his face. He looked at Talbeck as if checking he was seeing the action. RIGA knew that Talbeck, like many others, were used to seeing implants, it would not affect him in the slightest.
She pulled the subject record from her data-banks and played it through the office audio system. The sound of the kidnappers voices were replayed in full. Wright’s voice was clear, sufficiently high enough quality for voice identification.
The short recording stopped. RIGA withdrew her hand.
“Where did this occur, what was happening when you heard this?” Captain Jennings, now ashen-faced, stood facing RIGA.
RIGA glanced at Talbeck who was looking bemused. He had lost control of the meeting and was now trying to gather himself for a further attack. RIGA could see he wasn’t fully in the picture, and the recording had upset him too, for some reason.
Turning to Jennings, she replied, “Captain Jennings, this occurred on the
Space Station where I met Osachi. He was presumably captured before I got there and interrogated aboard the ship I was on. Until I escaped and saw the ship’s logs, I had not seen Osachi and had no idea he had been captured, let alone interrogated.”
“Yet, you survived and are here. So, what happened?” He looked accusingly at her as if she had deliberately left Osachi behind. Really, he was hoping to gain some insights into what knowledge she had of the DAN and the Tochin conspiracy. It was evident that all of this was an attempt to get her, and the ESSG to back off. How had Jennings known to contact the one man who would bulldoze his way into ESSG, and threaten all kinds of mayhem. There must be spies in the Council, she decided, making a mental note to investigate later.
She glanced over at Bollida for a moment. To Jennings it was only a second, but to the other two it was sufficient time for a complex and detailed exchange, one they rarely held because of RIGA’s cover as a human diplomat. They were also rarely in the same room and for security purposes could not converse outside of Bollida’s office.
Bollida answered. “We are not prepared to share that information with you, or your government, Captain Jennings. Let’s just say we have concerns enough about our own Empirum security, let alone an external agency.”
Talbot rose from his quiet fury and rallied his ire. “Bollida, it seems to me you are being the usual arrogant lump of asteroid, hell-bent on making trouble to justify your increasing expansion of a secret state. Why on Emporia can you not give out information that might help them recover this - kidnapped prince?” He waved his hands theatrically.
“Because, Councillor Talbeck, there are matters outstanding, that pertain to Empirum security and these override any release of information to you, or a foreign power, however well meaning the intention. That does not mean we won’t help the Captain search for Osachi, will it, Ambassador Rigel?”
RIGA nodded at Bollida, and replied, while continuing to watch, picking up the little physical tell-tale signs, trying to establish where this was all going. “Captain Jennings, am I to understand that you are here to elicit assistance in tracking down smugglers and conspirators operating between the Empirum, and Terra?”
