Flash

by L. E. Modesitt Jr.

  Jonat...

  If you find these instructions, and I am dead—or nowhere to be found, read them all the way through first. I realize that you've sworn off crusades and integrity, but if you're reading this, there's probably no one else left...

  Those words of Dierk's, truthful as they probably were, burned.

  DFR has ostensibly been bidding against Cornerstone Technologies and SteriNew ... both are in effect subsidiaries of PST, since they are headed by and operated by PST board members ... key figure is Tarn Lin Deng, director general of ISS ... myriad of groups involved, including the Health Policy Centre and the Centre for Societal Research ... Aliora has been most helpful... but I have worried about the danger of her becoming involved...

  The greater danger is that our children will live in a land secretly controlled by the PST. I discovered all this almost by accident. Several years ago, all of the DFR bids were being leaked. I had no proof, but we were being underbid by just enough that it wasn't coincidental. I put a false bid in the system, then hand typed a lower bid. We won ... I won't go into details, because there's no way to prove it all, but don't trust the person who was treasurer when I wrote this...

  I've tried, as best I could, to let others know, indirectly, what has been happening, and to block the PST influences in my field. So has Aliora, even more indirectly. It hasn't been enough, not if you're reading this...

  The more I looked, the more apparent it was that similar patterns were occurring in other industries, and that political figures were involved, either as unwitting accomplices or as willing aides. Senator Crosslin is one of them, as are Senators Kennison and Campbell. Bennon is just a dupe, but that's often the most dangerous type. He's too stupid to understand what he's doing and what damage his actions can cause...

  When they want to make a killing look like a random act of violence, it will be something like a smash and grab with excessive force. There are indications that the Kemal family—small-time trupps out of westside—may be handling such matters...

  You can't go to the Denv Safety Office with any of this, not with any assurance. Deng has his own people there, scattered through various levels. Most of the safos are probably honest, but I don't know enough to know which ones are and which ones aren't. Even if I did, how could I have kept the word from spreading to those who aren't?

  I kept reading through all ten pages. Dierk had named names, lots of them, and some I'd already guessed, like Abe Vorhees. Others I never would have guessed, like Senator Kennison, who had a clean-cut pilotlike sincerity. From what I could tell, the Centre for Societal Research was exactly what I'd suspected from the beginning, an absolutely clean front producing impeccable studies and research that served more nefarious purposes for other entities. So was the Health Policy Centre.

  For a time, I just sat there in Dierk's office, thinking it all over. Dierk had never said a word about it, and I knew why. He'd explained—I was done with crusades. And now ... there was no one left, except me.

  Dierk had possessed greater access to wealth and resources than I had ever had, and he'd done quite a bit, quietly, and, in the end, he'd been discovered.

  What could I do?

  I couldn't do a damned thing. I'd already proved that. But... perhaps Paula, Central Four, and I could. I had to try. Very carefully. From Dierk's notes, and from what I'd already received from Paula/Central Four, it was clear that I didn't have too much time before someone would be after me once more, and it looked liked I no longer had a choice of whether to crusade or not.

  At the same time, there were advantages to working with Central Four, and definite disadvantages. As I saw it, the biggest problem was that I was effectively limited to doing what was absolutely legal or to acting in self-defense. Somehow, I had to use Central Four's abilities in a way to force others to act both illegally and in a fashion that could be discovered. Or I had to act in a way where Central Four did not know what I did.

  Somehow...

  Chapter 57

  As almost always, when Yenci walked into the main Central Four briefing room, there were no other bio safos present. The projection awaiting and facing the safety officer was that of a rugged male safo.

  "You're not using the Athene projection anymore?"

  "You had suggested that using one projection too often was unwise," replied the projected safo in a solid baritone voice.

  "Are you still using that cydroid?"

  "All Central Four cydroid units are fully functional. Some are undergoing maintenance and their periodic appearance modification."

  "Appearance modification? Why?"

  "Continued use of the same facial appearances subjects the units to possible recognition and unnecessary risk. That could necessitate higher levels of replacement and higher medical and repair levels."

  "Makes sense," Yenci conceded. "DeVrai has reappeared. Is Meara going to charge him?"

  "Lieutenant Meara issued an order against any charges, Officer Yenci."

  "I'd heard that. Did she give any reason?"

  "She issued a statement. Would you like a copy projected?"

  "I read it. Did she say anything else?"

  There was a pause before the projected male safo replied, "In her media link-conference, she also stated that deVrai had only attempted to defend himself and that the deVrai family had suffered enough. She said that the Denv Safety Office would continue to investigate all leads involving the Forster and VanOkar murders and the illegal use of cydroids and clones. It was later mentioned in a staff session that she was concerned that some safos had greater access to Privacy Act level information than was proper and she would also be looking into that."

  "Did she mention names?"

  "No, she did not, Officer Yenci."

  "Are there any operations planned for follow-up?"

  "The lieutenant has not announced anything."

  Yenci's face was thoughtful as she turned and left the briefing room.

  Chapter 58

  Christmas Eve day and evening and Christmas itself were a blur, a generally pleasurable blur, and Charis and Alan only got teary a few times. Deidre had already bought a few presents, and I had one or two items I'd gotten earlier in the year. That was enough, I thought. Aliora had never been big on presents, and to overdo it on the first Christmas after the children's parents had died wouldn't have been right—or in good taste.

  Charis approved of my refurbishing the master suite; Alan didn't. This meant that whatever I'd done would have displeased one of them, but I felt better because I hadn't wanted to preserve the illusion that their parents would be back. I might have done it differently had I been required to move in right after their deaths, but after two months ... that was something else.

  Deidre and Rousel's twins were terrors, and I understood even better why Aliora and Dierk had insisted on my becoming guardian for Charis and Alan. The three of us were actually relieved when Deidre and Rousel and their offspring departed after dessert. I didn't even mind cleaning up later that night, especially in the quiet.

  It was the first time I'd really had to think over the seemingly insurmountable problems that faced me. I didn't get very far initially, but once everything was clean and generally neat, I retreated to Dierk's office, which I had begun to rearrange to suit my needs. There, as Christmas night faded away, I sat beside the console, just thinking.

  Vorhees was after me, or had been. So were the members of the Pan-Social Trust, or at least a number of them. Wong and the SCFA seemed to be opposed to the PST and the Centre. Likewise, the PAMD certainly didn't care for the LR, and neither did the Popular Democrats, but I couldn't see the PD wanting to get involved in anything that involved a direct shoot-out.

  What I needed was some way to turn the tables, some way to focus attention on the PST, and some way to track the flow of credits to less than savory aspects of the PST. One weak point was the cydroids used in the attacks on Forster, on Aliora and Dierk, and on me. There had to be some track, somewhere. The problem in deali
ng with a cabal or hidden oligarchial group like PST was that short of tying them all up in some sort of legal mess—or removing them all nearly simultaneously—any action against one member just increased the stakes, and lowered my probabilities of success. Eventually, the probability of my not being able to continue my existence would approach unity—as Central Four would have put it.

  Vorhees was another thing. He'd had people murdered. That was one thing I was certain about. Whether I could find anything that was useful—or whether Central Four had anything—that was another question. Miguel Elisar was a possible entry. He'd looked very frazzled when he'd left a message about the settlement. Then there was Lynia Palmero. If I could track her down.

  Paula...

  Yes, Jonat?

  I need help ... I laid out all the information I'd been able to dig up on Vorhees, including the vanishing warning, which I had not mentioned before, and the "settlement" of the Prius case.

  You didn't mention the warning.

  There wasn't even any residue left, not that would have been traceable, except as scattered hydrocarbons. Can you at least calculate probabilities, even if you can't reveal Privacy-level information?

  The probabilities approach unity that Abraham Vorhees is engaged in illegal activities of a nature great enough to require veradification if physical evidence can be produced.

  Do you or any of the Central systems have any physical evidence at all?

  Central Four does not have adequate physical evidence.

  I paused. Did that mean that there was evidence, or was that a standard response, signifying nothing? What is the standard response if there is no evidence to link an individual to a crime?

  I received the sense of a laugh. The standard response is that the Safety Office has no evidence to link the individual to the crime.

  I couldn't help taking a deep breath.

  For someone who has never been a safo, Jonat, you are most perceptive in determining how to elicit information within system parameters.

  Some of that I'd learned in the Marines, and some in consulting, and some of it was that Central Four was actively helping, within whatever guidelines there were. I hoped all that would be enough.

  What public information can you provide about Abe Vorhees and the others in the PST group?

  Transmitting.

  The transmission took almost fifteen minutes, and I had the feeling that what was in it would keep me busy for days just sorting through it. Thank you.

  You're welcome, Jonat.

  There was a warmth to the implant-received words. I shook my head. I was probably just hearing what I wanted to hear.

  Then I began to read.

  Chapter 59

  Alistar, Mydra, and Ghamel sat before the table desk, surrounded by the star-class privacy screen. Deng surveyed them impassively.

  "How soon before the Mars resupply leaves?" asked Mydra.

  "Three weeks. Certain items need components for later modification," replied Deng.

  "SPD?" asked Ghamel.

  "There is no one else."

  "What should we do about deVrai?" Alistar glanced toward the Capitol Complex, bathed in the pale golden light of a winter sun barely above the mountains. "I can't believe he just reappeared from nowhere. Who was hiding him? PAMD?"

  "No. That has been checked thoroughly. The indications are that he was taken to a private facility. DeVrai may have more resources than we had calculated."

  "Then we ought to take him out now."

  "You will do nothing for a few weeks. The safos are monitoring and watching closely. They will do so for several weeks. So will every sensation-minded newsie. DeVrai has done nothing proactive yet, and he is trying to deal with reconstructing his life."

  "Do we need to do anything?" asked Mydra.

  "If it were just deVrai, we would not need to act at all. For some reason, Lieutenant Meara is interested, and the safos are following deVrai. There are some indications that the Sinese multis have an interest. If deVrai dies before anything is exposed, the records are sealed, except for the circumstances of his death and the reasons for it. So the timing must be precise. It must be late enough so that he is not flash news, early enough to keep matters from being exposed."

  "Has to be smash and grab, then," Alistar pointed out. "The westside folks won't want to handle that, not without a bonus. Kemal's a nasty character."

  "Kemal will do as you wish. He has no choice. Wait for another week to contact him. The time is not yet."

  "DeVrai is more dangerous than you think," Mydra said. "Just because he's been self-serving for the past ten years doesn't mean he'll stay that way."

  "That is precisely my view," Deng replied. "He is a man who wishes to make sure that everything is certain. His work reflects painstaking care. Such a man will not act rashly, and he will plan most carefully. Our plans are already laid." The older man glanced toward Alistar. "Within a month, everything will be settled."

  "What if deVrai escapes again?" pressed Mydra.

  "It does not matter." Deng smiled. "There will be no evidence, and no ties. He may suspect, but with the privacy laws and the lack of physical evidence, there is nothing the safos can do, and the DomSec commander will not act on a purely internal matter of law and order, and deVrai is not of great concern to Captain Garos. Sudro, yes, but not Garos. DeVrai is an irritating loose end, but he will not change matters. Still, it would be best to leave nothing to chance."

  Mydra's eyebrows lifted, if barely.

  "You think that the great and principled hero of Guyana will rise again?" Alistar laughed. "He won't. He's ten years older, weak from medical recovery, probably out of shape, and more interested in making a living with his mathematical trickery than in trying to follow invisible trails to nowhere."

  "SPD is well-shielded, but scarcely invisible," Ghamel pointed out. "Nor is NEN without its enemies."

  "What will deVrai do? Gather a commando team that he doesn't have and assault the most secure location in NorAm?" Alistar laughed once more. "If he were to attack SPD or the NEN office, exactly what would that accomplish?"

  "Since you are so very confident, Alistar," Mydra replied with a broad smile, "I suggest that we turn all responsibility for dealing with deVrai over to you so that the rest of us can concentrate on other matters, such as the Martian situation. If deVrai is so simple, surely you can handle him."

  Deng looked to the younger, blue-eyed man. "Is that acceptable to you?"

  "More than acceptable." Alistar smiled. "Just give me the date you want him removed, and it will be done. Without a trace."

  Ghamel nodded.

  Mydra and Deng exchanged glances so briefly that neither of the other two saw the momentary expressions.

  Chapter 60

  By getting up early on Monday, I did manage a fair workout on the indoor equipment that Aliora and Dierk had in the exercise room. After that, though, I didn't get anything of consequence done until eleven, when I took Alan next door to play with his friend Daffyd. There was no school because of the holidays, and while Charis could be relied upon to entertain herself to some degree, Alan could not—at least not for long. Here I was, trying to figure out how to keep myself alive, and by extension, to provide love and stability for Alan and Charis. And my choices were to push them aside or to delay trying to find an answer and risk losing the ability to provide that love and stability.

  The gatekeeper had informed me that Chelsa Glynn and Bruce Fuller had linked, and I checked. Glynn was inquiring as to my availability at the AKRA conference, and Bruce wanted a date on his latest project. I put aside replying immediately.

  At eleven, with Charis engrossed in painting in her mother's studio, and Alan next door, I began to make links. First, I tried Elisar. He was out.

  Then I linked with Bruce Fuller to clear up several ambiguities on the Reilin project. That was thankfully quick. After that, I began trying to find Lynia Palmero. I did get a simmie at her home codes, but the simmie was the simple kind that jus
t said that she wasn't there. I tried the RezLine general code, but the reception simmie told me there was no one by that name at the multi and no forwarding code. I searched back through my records and found a reference to Alvan Andrus, her former assistant. I tried that code, but he wasn't in either. I did get a simmie that suggested another code. When I went for that one, I ended up with another simmie.

  "This is Alvan Andrus, at Vorhees and Reyes..."

  I broke the link. There was no way I was ready to talk to Alvan, not without talking to Lynia first. It looked like I'd have to keep trying Lynia at her home, or wait for her answer.

  Next came the return link to Chelsa Glynn. She was in.

  "Dr. deVrai... I'd heard that you'd been incapacitated..."

  "I was for a time, but I'm close to fully recovered and looking forward to your seminar."

  "I'm so glad." Her smile actually tracked her words. "I really enjoyed your paper, and I'm certain many of those attending will..."

  After Glynn, my next link was to Eric Wong. Like Glynn, he was actually in.

  "Dr. deVrai... it is you, is it not?"

  "That it is. In the flesh, if through modern communications."

  "I had heard..."

  "You heard correctly. Of course, no one can tell me who thought I was so dangerous that four combat cydroids were necessary. Imagine, an economic media analyst... what could be dangerous about that?" I laughed.

  Wong laughed politely as well, before replying, "A good economist is like the man who is not taken in by sleight of hand. He sees what is, not what people wish seen."

  "There's so much to see, sometimes, and while I might see it, I don't always know that it's dangerous." I wished I knew exactly what Wong was trying to tell me.

  "You observed at lunch that the obvious obstacles would not always be so, and that institutional barriers were always harder." He frowned. "That has been a concern of the SCFA for some time. When anyone has a name or a reputation, how many credits will it take to overcome that?" Wong shrugged. "In any kind of continental or global marketplace, some form of advertising is necessary for new products to break in. In the case of product placement, the cost is very high for small returns, but the opportunity is there. In other marketplaces, those, let us hypothesize, of education and politics, ideas can only be brought forth by either those in power or those who can purchase access. If there is no way to purchase access ... but I fear I am far too academic."