Dirty Mirror

by R S Penney

  Larani's mouth dropped open, and she shuddered as she took in a deep breath. “I understand your frustration, Tanaben.”

  Red-faced and fuming, Ben stepped forward and glared at her as if he thought he could split her head open by sheer force of will. “You threw me in prison!” he growled. “You took away my weapons.”

  “Tanaben, please-”

  “And it occurs to me,” he added. “That the reason is pretty simple. You just cannot handle the thought that an ordinary human being might defeat you through cunning and grit and determination.”

  What to do? A part of Melissa wanted to play peacemaker, but she had the distinct impression that doing so would only make things worse. Ben was clearly in no mood to be reasonable, and Larani didn't need some first-year cadet fighting her battles for her. But there had to be something.

  Ben crossed his arms and hunched over, trembling as he let out a sigh. “I worked with you for months,” he said in a voice thick with anger. “I risked my life in New York, and you didn't seem to mind me using illegal weapons tech then.”

  “That was different.”

  “Why?” he bellowed. “Because you say it was different? It was no less illegal, but you did it then. You are the very picture of hypocrisy, Larani. You're perfectly willing to break the law when you deem it necessary, but when I deem it necessary – when I deliver weapons to colonists who were being slaughtered, when I choose to get the information we need by any means available – suddenly I become a traitor in your eyes?

  “Who made you the arbiter of when it's all right to break the law? It's time that we outgrew this idiotic notion that Bonding a symbiont somehow indicates moral superiority. Isara carries a symbiont. Look at her!”

  Larani just studied him with wide eyes, and for a moment, it seemed as though she were about to cry. “If that's how you feel…” There was no venom in it, only sadness. “I'm sorry, Tanaben.”

  He turned away from her, taking a few steps toward the door, and then paused in mid-step. “I'm sorry too,” Ben whispered. “I've done everything in my power to protect this planet, and I did it my way.”

  God, Melissa thought. This isn't happening.

  “What do I have to show for it?” Ben went on. “A criminal record? A broken heart? My name is anathema to anyone who recognizes me, my chances of finding any kind of respectable career are slim to none…No, I've given enough for my people. They have no right to ask anything more of me.”

  He stormed out.

  A scowl contorted Larani's features, and she let out a breath. “I'm sorry you had to witness that,” she said, pressing the heel of one hand to her forehead. “But he has a point, I suppose.”

  “So what now?” Melissa inquired.

  Larani spread her hands over the surface of her desk, bringing up a menu in the SmartGlass. She tapped in a few quick commands, and then the holographic projectors began to hum.

  A transparent image of Leyria rippled into existence above the desk: blue oceans and bright green landmasses. It looked very much like Earth, but the continents were all shaped differently. “We tracked Isara's shuttle into orbit,” Larani explained.

  A single orange dot rose up from the planet's surface and then began to fly around the globe in a tight circle. It traveled only a few inches before it flickered and vanished. “Two phoenix class cruisers converged on the shuttle,” Larani said. “They destroyed it.”

  Squeezing her eyes shut, Melissa nodded once. “So she's dead then.” Tension that she hadn't even noticed a few moments ago began to drain from her body. “Well…That's one less thing to worry about.”

  “I wish it were that simple,” Larani said. “The ships that fired upon Isara's shuttle both detected a vibration in SlipSpace mere seconds before the shuttle's destruction. The most likely explanation is the use of a SlipGate.”

  “The pilot escaped,” Melissa murmured.

  “And any passengers as well.”

  Melissa practically fell back into the chair she had vacated, setting elbows on her knees and lacing fingers over the top of her head. “She's alive.” The words came out as a breathy whisper. “Of course, she's alive.”

  “You don't sound surprised.”

  “Would Jena go down so easily?”

  Larani's mouth tightened, and she turned her head to stare at the wall. “No,” she answered. “No, I suppose she wouldn't.”

  No, Jena would not go down so easily; in fact, Jena would have planned on her shuttle being destroyed. She would have used the shuttle as a way to fake her own death while planning to escape by SlipGate the whole time. “Can you track her?” Melissa asked. “Is there any way to find out where she went?”

  “I'm afraid not,” Larani said. “There are thousands of SlipGates on this planet, and we already know that Slade's people have kept Gates in reserve, activating them only for a few moments when they need to make a quick escape and then deactivating them again. I've asked Anna to run a search algorithm for any Gates that were active at the moment when Isara's shuttle was destroyed; so far, she's found nothing.”

  “So, after all that, we have nothing.”

  “It seems that way,” Larani mumbled. “Isara could be anywhere on this planet.”

  The rectangular sheet of SmartGlass on the wall across from the foot of Harry's bed displayed a news report that he didn't really want to watch. Some kid with a pale face and red hair that he wore slicked back stared dead-pan into the camera as he enunciated the latest take on Isara's attack.

  Harry wasn't interested; it had been three days of nothing but news coverage that analyzed the event from every possible angle, three days of reminders that his daughter had thrown herself into danger and come through it better than he had.

  In a green hospital gown that still smelled of laundry detergent, Harry sat against the inclined mattress of his bed. His graying hair was a mess, and there was stubble along his jawline – shaving was no easy task at the moment – but the worst part of it all was the pain in his chest.

  The doctors said he was doing well, that he would make a full recovery, but after nearly four days of this, he had redefined his concept of hell. But then, that was what he got for going up against two Keepers.

  Two Keepers.

  Melissa appeared in his doorway in a yellow dress with short sleeves and a round neckline. Her hair was left loose, falling over her shoulders. “Dad?” she said. “How are you feeling today?”

  Harry shut his eyes tight, ignoring the pain. “Surviving,” he muttered, trying his best to avoid moving too much. “Still feels like I've got a sword sticking out of my chest, but I'll live.”

  Melissa stepped aside to reveal Claire standing in the hallway in flip-flops, denim shorts and a white t-shirt. Her hair was done up in twin braids that were tied up with red elastics. The girl looked uneasy, her big eyes glistening when she saw him. “Dad,” she said, running into the room.

  “Hey, kiddo.”

  “Are you all right?”

  Pressing a hand to his chest, Harry shut his eyes as he tried to sit up. He flopped back down onto the mattress. “I'll be okay,” he wheezed. “The doctors say I'll be ready to go home in another week.”

  “Oh…Good…”

  Claire had been to visit him several times, but he had slept through two of those, and the girl was understandably uneasy. She puttered about at the side of his bed, and his heart broke for her. Claire liked to put on a facade of casual indifference to pretty much everything around her, but she was still just a kid. Still hit hard by all the things that kids weren't ready to deal with.

  “I thought…” Melissa said, stepping forward with a plastic container in both hands. “Well, I thought we could have some cupcakes and maybe spend some time together.”

  Harry felt a grin stretch across his face, trembling with soft laughter. That brought him pain, but it was worth it. “Of course we can,” he murmured. “Come here. I want to hear everything that happened today.”

  His eldest sat in the chair next to his
bed, lifting the lid of her container to retrieve a chocolate cupcake with green frosting. “There's not much to tell,” she replied, setting it on the table next to his bed.

  “Has Anna been taking care of you two?”

  Melissa blushed as she smiled into her lap, no doubt feeling anxious about the fact that he hadn't yet lectured her on the idiocy of going after one of the most vicious women in the galaxy on her own. He had no intention of doing that. Not after what he had done. “Yeah, she's great,” Melissa said. “Like the big sister we never had.”

  “Or wanted,” Claire added.

  Glaring at her younger sister, Melissa pursed her lips and shook her head. “Anna thought that we'd want a little time alone with you,” she explained. “She's waiting for us in her office.”

  Turning his head toward Claire, Harry closed his eyes as his cheek sank into the pillow. “Did you tell your sister that you're proud of her?” he choked out. “She was very brave when she saved those people.”

  Claire stood beside his bed with arms crossed, frowning down at the floor. “It's not that impressive,” she muttered. “She just beat up Jena's evil clone. I heard Ben and Keli did most of the work.”

  “Claire…”

  The girl looked up at the ceiling and rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay,” she snapped. “I am proud of you, Melissa.”

  On the other side of the bed, Melissa sat primly with her hands in her lap, her eyes downcast. “That's okay, Claire.” It was barely audible. God help him, his daughter was still a little shy. After all the praise and accolades…Well, if fame hadn't cured Jack of his self-loathing, Harry supposed there was no reason it would change Melissa.

  “Come here,” Harry whispered.

  Claire crawled up on the bed on his left side, snuggling up next to him and putting her head on his chest. “I'm sorry,” she murmured. “It's just…If you two keep going off to fight the bad guys, one of these days, you're not gonna come back.”

  Harry pinched Claire's nose, and she squealed, slapping his hand away. “Stop it!” she said, though her giggles made it clear she wasn't all that upset. “That wasn't fair. I'm trying to have a serious discussion.”

  Well…There it was.

  Kids grew up way too fast.

  “I will always come back for you,” Harry replied in a rasping voice. He kissed his youngest daughter's forehead. “Always.”

  He stretched a hand out toward Melissa, and the girl rose from her chair, leaning over the bed so that he could wrap her in a hug. “No matter what happens,” he went on, “we will always be a family.”

  Harry managed to sit up just long enough to press his lips to his eldest daughter's forehead, and exhaustion took over again. “I'm proud of you,” he whispered. “Melissa, you've grown up to become the kind of officer every lieutenant dreams of having in his department.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  Melissa stood up straight with tears glistening on her cheeks, then turned her head so that he wouldn't see. Too late, but he wasn't going to draw attention to it. “Thanks,” she said. “So…Um…Is there anything good on TV?”

  “Oh sure, plenty!” Harry exclaimed. “There's Denabrian World News's exclusive interview with Melissa Carlson, HistoryLink's profile of Melissa Carlson, the Unedited Biography of-”

  “Okay, okay!” Melissa said. “There must be something else.”

  “Something interesting,” Claire added.

  “Well,” Harry suggested, “I've been in here a few days, and I've had plenty of time to peruse the options. Ever heard of Vaylia? They're a media company that specializes in family-friendly entertainment.”

  Claire propped herself up on her elbow and leaned her cheek against the palm of her hand. “Like Leyria's version of Disney,” she said. “Ralita's seen pretty much every one of their movies.”

  “Yeah,” Harry said. “I was thinking Elephant House. What do you think?”

  The girls agreed, and pretty soon, Claire was snuggled up with him again. Melissa sat next to the bed, holding his hand as they settled in for a film about an adorable big-eyed elephant who sets out on an adventure. It was a moment of happiness, a break from all the pain they had endured lately. It wouldn't last, of course; new problems would arise, new struggles that pushed them to their limits, but for the moment, they were a family, and everything was right with the world.

  Chapter 30

  A blue sky with thin, wispy clouds stretched on over a fountain that sprayed water into the air. People had gathered in the grass that surrounded that fountain: reporters with camera drones that floated over their shoulders, political aides who shuffled about and, of course, the odd spectator.

  A man in gray pants and a blue jacket with silver trim along its high collar stood before them all, the centre of attention. Square-jawed and stern, Jeral Dusep surveyed the crowd before speaking. “Please…Please,” he said to quiet the hum of voices. “I know that we are all grieving.”

  Turning slightly, he gestured to the fountain behind him while keeping his eyes fixed upon his audience. “Five days ago, this place was the site of a tragedy.” Murmurs rose up in response to that. “A tragedy perpetrated by those in whom we had placed our deepest trust, those who should have protected us.”

  At the back of the crowd, Larani stood in black clothing despite the hot sun. Pants, shirt and a jacket with a high collar: all black. It seemed appropriate in light of what had happened here.

  She was nervous.

  Jack was next to her in his usual ensemble of Earth clothing, standing with arms folded and a frown on his face. “Big with the pandering, isn't he?” the young man asked. Larani said nothing.

  Dusep faced the crowd with hands clasped in front of himself, his face as smooth as the finest porcelain. “It must have raised questions for you,” he said. “It certainly raised a few questions for me.”

  One of the reporters started speaking.

  Dusep shut his eyes, bowing his head to the man. “Please,” he said with one arm outstretched to forestall any interruptions. “I will be happy to answer any questions, but let me share my concerns.”

  The man looked up, and his dark eyes were like augers, seemingly fixed directly on Larani. “For centuries, we have placed our trust in the Justice Keepers,” he said. “Under the belief that the Nassai choose only the best and brightest among us.”

  Already, Larani could feel her stomach turning. Sooner or later, something like this was bound to happen. There had been incidents of Slade's cronies misusing the powers granted by their corrupted symbionts before, but most of those had taken place on Earth. Earth was lightyears away, barely a blip in the local news. If Earthers distrusted the Justice Keepers, well…Earthers distrusted a lot of things that were in their best interests.

  Even the incident at the university – while noteworthy – was still vague enough for people to be unsure of exactly what had gone on. One of the Sons of Savard had attacked the student body: that much was certain. But Isara's role. Did people really see her Bend bullets away from her body? Could she have simply been a woman who had enhanced her physical abilities with Amps? The pundits had been debating that one for the better part of two weeks, and Larani had been content to let them. But this…There was simply no denying what had happened here.

  “Deadly violence unleashed by three Justice Keepers,” Dusep said. “A massacre, the likes of which have not been seen in our fair city – on our planet – for decades at the very least. And who was the ring-leader of this little band of terrorists? None other than Director Jena Morane, one of our world's most decorated Keepers.”

  Anxiety turned to rage, turned to cold venom in Larani's veins. The man was lying through his teeth, and he knew it!

  “Oh, Larani Tal will tell you that this was not the real Jena Morane.” The wolfish grin on Dusep's face made several people laugh and several more step back instinctively. “She's a clone. Or, wait, no…Apparently, the Jena we knew was the clone. It's all so very convoluted. Tell me something
: are we prone to such conspiracy theories?”

  “No!” several people shouted.

  He had them eating out of the palm of his hand. It wasn't hard to sense the mood of the crowd, and people were getting restless. What was Dusep's game in this? Larani tried without success to guess at his motive. Why was the man who consistently spoke out on the need for stronger security measures suddenly turning against the Keepers?

  The naive part of her wanted to believe that he was simply outraged and directing his fury at the nearest available target. A reasonable target, if she was honest with herself. But that sort of emotional reaction wasn't in Dusep's nature. The man was a pragmatist, first and foremost.

  So, what did he gain from this?

  Stepping forward, Dusep thrust out his chin and ran his gaze across the assembled spectators. “I think it's time we asked ourselves some hard questions,” he said. “I think it's time we challenged the false belief that Nassai choose only the best and brightest among us.”

  Bleakness take him…

  “The Justice Keepers need to be held to a higher standard of accountability,” Dusep went on. “It's clear that we need greater oversight. For that reason and many others, I am officially declaring my candidacy for the office of Prime Council.”

  Applause from the spectators was accompanied by a few whistles.

  Crossing her arms, Larani let her head droop. “It's beginning,” she said, shifting uncomfortably on the spot. “I knew that he would make a grab for power sooner or later, but I never expected this.”

  Jack was at her side with his hands gripping the fabric of his t-shirt, biting his lip as he stared down at the ground. “Classic fascism playbook,” he said. “Make your audience angry and then give them a target.”

  “Every time someone says 'it could never happen here…' ”

  “You think it's gonna escalate?”

  “I think that it's a good thing Grecken Slade is dead,” Larani replied. “Because if he were here, this would be exactly what he wanted.”