Leumas was tired and frustrated. Those two words best described his mood at the moment as he sighed heavily, trying to decide how he was going to handle this mess. Things had never been this difficult before. But there had never been so much interference either.
He sat back in his chair, placing his feet up on his desk, trying to relax and clear his mind. In all the excitement, he realized he had not heard from Greta. He started to get out of his chair to go and look for her. But before his feet made firm contact with the floor, the display lit up on his terminal, indicating a secure communication.
"What now?" Leumas said aloud, rubbing his head. He composed himself and clicked the receive button on. The image of Copolla suddenly filled his screen, and Leumas felt the acid in his stomach begin to churn.
"Leumas," Copolla began, in his usual condescending tone. "I need an update on the progress of the two humans. Please be so kind as to brief me now."
"Is that really necessary, Copolla?" Leumas sneered back. "You probably have all the information already. You seem to be well informed these days. My people are searching for Biom as we speak," he said with a final sting.
Copolla phrased his next words carefully, yet smugly. "One has to do what is needed in order to stay informed. You of all people should understand this, Leumas. But I wouldn't waste too much of what precious time you have left looking for him."
"Yes, I do understand," Leumas snapped back, wondering what Copolla meant by his remark of wasting time looking for Biom. "More than you could possibly know. But let's get to the heart of the matter, shall we? What do you want? I am a very busy individual." Leumas sniffed in disdain.
Copolla, ignoring Leumas’s tone, said, "There is going to be a special Council meeting concerning your progress. Is there anything you would like for me to say in your absence?" Copolla snickered at his own words. Then, in a venom-filled voice, he said, "Perhaps admitting defeat now may save you some embarrassment later." A smirk returned to his face.
"Does it really matter? You will say and do what you want anyway," Leumas shouted to the screen, losing his patience. "You have gone out of your way to ensure that I will fail. I just want to know why!"
Copolla replied, still smiling, "There are things we all desire in our lives, Leumas, and we fight to achieve them. We do whatever we have to do to keep them. Then—"
"But at what price, Copolla?" Leumas shouted, cutting him off. "Are you willing to jeopardize the entire integrity of the Council because of your sick ambitions? Is maintaining your position as Leader of the Council that important to you? Or is it something else? Something more?"
"Yes, Leumas. It certainly is more than just that," Copolla said, his voice becoming thick with anger. "The Council is wallowing in its petty concerns over which planet is doing this and which planet is doing that. It is time to live again, and I am going to be the one to breathe life back into the tired lungs of the Council!"
The screen went blank.
As Copolla's image and discussion abruptly ended, Leumas cursed under his breath. He cuffed the side of his terminal with his fist.
"The damn fool! Playing games with these life forms’ existence. Whole planets for that matter." Leumas continued to rage, rubbing the inside of his hand that was now crimson. "How the hell did we allow him to have so much control?" he asked, pondering this and many other questions as Greta entered the room.
"Where is— " Leumas anxiously tried to ask but, before he could finish the question, Greta interjected a straightforward answer.
"Biom is dead," she said flatly. "Someone, or, should I say, Copolla, planted a loyalty device inside him. I don't believe Biom even knew it was there." She shook her head sadly. "He was so young and naïve. He didn't understand the ways of such an evil and vile person as Copolla. He was a victim more than he was a conspirator."
"I understand," Leumas said simply, feeling sympathy for Biom as he heard the usually absent emotion in Greta's voice.
"I just finished having an interesting conversation with Copolla," Leumas stated as he cleared his throat, trying to change the stream of conversation. "I mentioned that we were onto Biom and that we were searching for him. He indicated it was a waste of time, which only confirms that he killed him."
"Copolla didn't activate the device soon enough," she said plainly, looking directly into Leumas’ eyes.
"What do you mean?" he asked, his interest piqued.
Greta sat in the chair in front of Leumas’ desk, folding her thin hands in her lap. "Before he was killed, Biom and I were discussing…terms, so to speak. A deal that would have consisted of sparing his life and letting him go. In exchange, he would divulge information that we would find very useful." She looked down in disappointment. "Unfortunately, I only got part of the information."
"Which was?" Leumas asked curiously, hoping for some sort of a break.
Greta began to relay the conversation highlights. "The missing data from the archives included incriminating information regarding the fact that Copolla placed agents on Earth after a botched attempt at altering their history. The placement was done without the knowledge or consent of the Council." Greta stopped for Leumas to take all of this in, then continued. "But something went wrong. The agents defected to Earth and neither returned nor carried out their assigned task."
"Interesting," Leumas said, as a small smile edged its way onto his face.
"Further," she continued, "the agents intermingled into the human society and produced offspring."
"Oh, how very interesting. Copolla sure has been a bad boy, hasn't he?" Leumas said, drumming his fingers together. "I can see why he may be a little edgy about that kind of information falling into the wrong hands. The Council would love to have something like that on him. Unfortunately, without any proof, no one will believe it."
He began to pace slowly, thinking of how he could use this information. Turning to Greta, he asked, "Did Biom say what happened to the offspring? Did he say how many there were? Are they alive?"
"No, he never got the chance, but I believe he knew," she said confidently.
"Interesting," Leumas said, as he walked over to the window, looking out into the atmosphere in thought. "This certainly changes the rules of the game, doesn't it? Copolla must have realized somehow that I was getting too close to his secret because of my involvement with the Earth case. Yet he's the one who got me involved in the first place. Either he's pulling out all the stops, or he's gone completely mad."
Greta nodded. "I would tend to agree with your last scenario. What would you advise for our next step?"
"I think Copolla doesn't know that we learned this information from Biom. I think he believes he killed him before he could say anything. This could be our big break."
"How?" Greta asked.
"I've got to stay here to work on our two Earth subjects. I have to find out what kind of damage Biom's meddling has done," he answered. "But I want you to take a trip to the archives for me. Someone there may have information we can use. The librarian, an old man named Robise, and you can't miss him or, should I say, you can't miss his personality." Leumas smiled as he thought of the crotchety old man. "He's the custodian of the facility. I have a feeling that Biom may have compromised all of our systems here in some way. We can't afford to take any more chances by using more simulations so I am going to deal with the two subjects on a real time presence."
Greta's brows drew together. "Isn't that risky? Considering all the errors that have occurred? Council policy would dictate against taking such action."
Leumas felt Greta's concern. He nodded. "You're right, of course, but our options are running out fast. I don't feel that I have much of a choice at this point. And besides I've already started."
Leumas knew that Greta would not try to dissuade him. It would be an unwise use of time.
"I will leave at once," she said firmly as she turned and started toward the door.
"Greta," Leumas called, causing her to stop mid-stride as she turned back toward L
eumas with her usual stolid look.
Leumas took the few steps to where Greta stood. He touched her shoulder and said with genuine concern, "Watch your back, my friend. I have a feeling this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better."
Greta said nothing, but her silence acknowledged the presence of their unspoken friendship. She gave Leumas a rare slight smile, then turned and walked away.
* * * *
Upon arriving at the archives, Greta wandered through the seemingly empty aisles of the facility searching for Robise, but found no one at all. She consulted a map of the facility; studying the layout, she tapped her finger on the map as she located the central processing area. She turned and set off in that direction.
Greta assumed that, if she could not locate the custodian, she could perhaps access the central database herself and attempt to retrieve the information she needed. One thing she knew for sure was if someone wanted to hide something in a vast facility such as this, it would be very easy.
Her steps echoed in the empty halls, reverberating in her ears, sounding like there were several life forms pacing her. She tried to walk softly, but the echoes disturbed her, causing her to look over her shoulder frequently. This business with Copolla, and Biom's sudden demise, was enough to give anyone the jitters. She kept replaying the vision of the flames which consumed Biom, leaving nothing but ashes. Ashes that were once the young and naïve Biom. She picked up her pace.
Following the directions on the map, she found herself exactly at the entrance to the central processing area. With mixed feelings, she saw that the door to the central core area was open. She frowned. Her eyes shifted to the sign posted to the right of the door: "This door is to remain closed at all times. Access by authorized personnel only."
Trouble, she thought, frowning deeper as she felt for the stun weapon she was carrying under her jacket. Her fingers caressed the cold metal, and she checked to ensure that it was fully charged. Then, slowly, she moved toward the door, gun at the ready.
Stepping over the threshold, she crouched, quickly scanning the room, senses at a heightened level, prepared for trouble. Immediately, she wrinkled her nose as she sensed an acid smell. Looking around quickly, her eyes came to rest on a figure sprawled on the floor. Her hand tightened on the gun, and she knew she had to get moving before she became the next target or victim. She forced herself to secure all the other rooms in the immediate area before she went back to investigate the body. For the moment, it was not going anywhere. She filed the strange acidic smell in the back of her mind to research later; she didn't think it posed an immediate danger. She continued around the room, checking behind doors and under desks. Once satisfied that no one else was in the room, she returned to the body.
Kneeling down, she placed her weapon back into its holster. She touched the white-coated individual's wrist, but felt no pulse. The body was very cold, dead for quite a while, she surmised. Must have died a painful death, judging by the expression of ultimate horror left on the face, she thought. She peeled the white lab coat back, and was revolted by the seared flesh exposed below the neck area. It appeared to be a full blast to the chest cavity and at close range.
The person's ID badge had been seared by the weapon's blast. The only readable part that remained on the badge was a name, Robise, confirming it was the custodian of the archives Leumas had given her to search out for information. Greta exhaled, a long, angry sigh. "One step ahead of us again, Copolla," she said.
Greta rose from the body and stepped toward the central core. It was then she realized where the acidic smell was coming from. Whiffs of smoke rose from the central processing unit. The core appeared to have been totally destroyed.
An acid worm, she guessed, wrinkling her nose in disgust. An acid worm was an actual living creature that exuded acid naturally. Once inserted into the core, it would worm its way through the system, secreting its dangerous fluid until there was nothing left. Then it would die quickly and disintegrate. It was one of the surest ways to ensure that every bit of data would be wiped clean, and only professionals could afford it. A price Copolla could afford easily, she thought angrily.
She reached for her communication device and accessed Leumas’ coded channel, sending a brief message summarizing this new turn of events. The message would take minutes to reach Leumas, slightly longer than usual because of the scrambled relays he had installed that would hamper any attempt to trace or intercept the message. The message complete, she pocketed her transmitter.
She prepared to leave, but suddenly stopped. She cocked her head to the side. "Was that a sound?" Greta murmured softly as she continued to listen. There it was again. A sound…footsteps…a person. Someone was coming!
The footsteps were approaching quickly. Greta turned, searching frantically for cover. She settled on hiding behind a large stanchion, which offered her a partial view of her immediate surroundings. Once again, she removed her weapon from its holster, trigger finger ready.
Endless minutes dragged by as she waited to see who the mysterious intruder was, and her thoughts drifted. The weapon she held had rekindled thoughts of her youth, growing up on Setam Seven where she had participated in many of the family plays that reenacted the great conflicts that had taken place on the planet Zire. There were specific ritual days of remembrance and celebrations held to honor those who had perished in the Great War. Millions and millions of life forms, whole species and cultures, had been lost forever. All this had occurred before the UCDW had come into being. Like everything else, though, anything was subject to change.
The footsteps came closer. They were almost on top of her now. She poised herself, finger still on the trigger, ready for conflict. Slowly, a shadow drew itself out of the darkness. It was shortly followed by the appearance of an old humanoid form, slightly hunched over. Deciding that the figure did not look ominous, and seeing no obvious weapon, Greta stepped out of hiding, weapon still at the ready.
"Stop right there," she yelled forcefully. "Now, tell me who you are and what you are doing here." She tightened her grip on the weapon in an obvious fashion to emphasize she would not hesitate to use it, but this old humanoid did not seem alarmed.
The man drew in a deep breath, and placed a gnarled finger on his chest. He stated simply, "I am Robise, the Custodian of this once unscathed establishment. Until these damn Council agents started running all through the place destroying my records."
Greta raised her eyebrow at the tone of the life form. She thought about the body nearby, and looked at him suspiciously. "You do look similar to the life form Leumas described as the custodian. But you cannot be Robise, unless you are the twin of the dead body on the ground in the next room," she said, pointing her weaponless hand in the direction of the body.
Robise smiled smugly. "That is, or was, I should say, my assistant, Toun. You see, I caught wind of his plan to help someone destroy the main computer core, and to dispose of me. I switched identification badges this morning before he arrived just in case. I took a gamble that whoever it was had never seen his accomplice in person. These Zireans today, they think they know everything and us old cronies don't have a clue. No offense," he tittered nervously, noticing that Greta's finger was still on the weapon's trigger.
Greta smiled wanly. "None taken. Please, continue."
Robise cleared his throat. "Well, the accomplices finally did show up. They looked at the identification badge, and killed Toun, thinking it was me. Then they proceeded to destroy the main core of the computer by releasing an acid worm into the system. Whoever they were, they were professionals. The squad of saboteurs was in and out in a flash," he finished, shaking his head.
"So you did nothing to stop them?" Greta demanded, nostrils flaring in anger.
"There was nothing I could have done and still be alive to tell you this!" Robise snapped. "Besides, I doubt that anyone else knows how to work the old core that I downloaded all the information to," he finished smugly.
"You saved the core?" Greta
asked, surprised.
"What kind of historian would I be if I let some low life saboteurs destroy all I have accumulated and been entrusted with over all these years?" Robise placed his hands on his hips defensively.
"Sorry, I meant no disrespect," Greta said, with new admiration.
"None taken," Robise smiled. "I'm too old for this kind of stuff anymore." He shook his head and pointed toward the destroyed core. "Anyway, back to the core. I had an old one in storage, been meaning to dispose of it for years but, like everything else, I just couldn't part with it."
He sighed as if remembering his many years of putting data into the core, and continued, "After seeing what's been going on around here lately, I have spent the past several days downloading as much information as possible. There won't be any way to tell how successful the download was until I try to access the data." Robise glanced back toward Greta, taking note again of the weapon. "Now I need to find a safe place to store it." He showed her a device about the size of a small box, easily held in one hand.
Greta noticed how he held onto it tightly, almost as a mother would hold onto an infant.
"These thugs obviously had authority from high up and may be back to ensure they got everything," Robise said.
"True," said Greta, placing the weapon back into its holster. "The information you have managed to save may be of the most vital importance to the Council. I know where we can take it to keep it safe. Leumas has a secure area at his facility."
Robise looked at Greta and nodded his head in agreement to the offer.
"The faction that destroyed the main core is trying to discredit Leumas so that the Council will lose faith in him," Greta told him. "Copolla is losing control through his reign of terror and lust for more power. Leumas seeks reform and has been quietly working to this end. Copolla will stop at nothing to maintain his control."
Greta peered around, feeling uneasiness build in her, as it had earlier with the approaching footsteps. She said suddenly, "We should go now, while we still have the chance."
Alien Deception Page 9
