Empress of Eternity (13 page)

Maertyn attempted a thoughtful nod.

“Some manipulation, of course, verges on the attempted creation of life,” Tidok continued. “There are ancient legends about the dangers of that. We recognize the validity of what lies behind those legends, of course, in the legal structure. That is why the use of cloning is so restricted and why full-body cloning cannot be used for medical purposes, or for any purposes without the consent of both the Council and the Judiciary. But then, I’m certain you’re most aware of the legalities there.”

“That’s a very interesting point.”

“I thought you might find it so.”

Maertyn managed a laugh. “I’m certain you didn’t trek over here merely to lecture me on the validity of ancient legends and their application to current law. What did you have in mind?”
What indeed?

“Actually, I had forgotten that Josef was on an extended tour of various universities. I was almost here when I recalled that. So I thought I’d say hello. I’d come to discuss the matter of transferring any funds that might be left in the Environment Research bud get at the end of the year to Medical Research. Such decisions do have to be made before long.”

“You obviously know where there might be such funds…” Maertyn raised his eyebrows.

“Climate research is one area. With the closure of the northern ice laboratory, it would appear unlikely that all those funds would be spent.”

“No, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Josef had plans for transferring the funds elsewhere within the subministry.”

“That is true. But the preliminary transfer recommendations are due this coming threeday. They’re not binding, needless to say, but…” Tidok shrugged.

Maertyn understood fully. If he, as acting assistant minister, recommended a transfer of some of those “excess” funds to Medical Research, Josef would have to provide a detailed rationale for any subsequent change and argue to Minister Hlaansk for a change in reallocation already proposed by his own subministry because the latter change was a better use of funding. Given some of Josef’s priorities and his known association with Tauzn, doing so publicly would definitely create some difficulties.

“I haven’t looked into it, I’d have to say. I’ve just received the current accounts with potential unspent funds. Those are on my schedule, but I will consider your advice when we go over accounts redirection then.”

Tidok rose. “I couldn’t ask for more. Thank you, and do give my best to your wife.”

“I will.” Maertyn held the smile until the door closed behind Tidok.

Had Hlaansk any part in Tidok’s scheme? Maertyn shook his head. Hlaansk would have known what Tidok wanted. There wasn’t any reason for the Minister of Science to say anything to Tidok. If Maertyn wanted to thwart both Tauzn and Josef, he well might have to consider reallocating funds to Medical Research, if only to keep some funds from falling under Tauzn’s control, however indirectly.

Was there some aspect of Medical Research that Maertyn could support that went against Tidok’s predilections? Anything at all?

Maertyn hated the thought of providing Tidok with even the smallest increase in funding. More than anything, he needed to read what Hlaansk had sent him on the reallocation earlier that day, but, what with one thing and another, he hadn’t gotten to it. He sat down at the desk.

He might as well start, interruptions or no interruptions.

Once he returned home that evening, he needed to write Maarlyna again. The fact that there was no direct comm access to the station had been fine when the two of them had been there together, but with her there alone, he worried about her. A hundred years earlier, it wouldn’t have been a problem, because broadcast radios had still been common, but geosat frequencies were monitored and controlled…and comparatively scarce, by Unity design.

He took a slow deep breath and began to read through the accounts projected on the desk screen.

30 Quad 2471 R.E.

Once she searched and buried the dead RF “inspectors,” Rhyana came up with a combination of netting and fabric that approximated the color of the canal stone and moved the RF wheeler so that it was next to the east side of the station. She reported to Eltyn what she had found on the bodies and in the wheeler. None of it was unique or even particularly useful, except for the additional stunners and their charge packs.

A high-flying minidrone would show the apparent longer length of the station, but Eltyn doubted that the RF minions of The Twenty had immediate access to the image archives of MetCom for a comparison. That assumed the archives still existed. Since there was no one sending on broadcomm at all, there was a high probability that the MetCom records were currently inaccessible, if they hadn’t been destroyed as a result of The Twenty’s power grab.

While Rhyana watched the trussed-up RF “inspector” and set up one of the station stunners to be recharged, both Eltyn and Faelyna went back to work on their efforts to discern the station’s shadow-comm structure and protocols.

Eltyn couldn’t help but occasionally check the local system monitors for the approach of other agents of The Twenty, but neither he nor the system detected anything. MetCom remained silent, as did the emergency freqs. Had the RF forces or The Twenty shifted to another comm structure? How would he know?

He kept working on solidifying the linkages in his conglomeration of makeshift controls.

“Sir?” Rhyana’s voice broke into Eltyn’s concentration as he was slipping the last microsections of his makeshift control circuit.

“Yes?”

“The riffie is coming to.”

Riffie?
he pulsed to Faelyna.
Heard that before?

Null. Sounds like the nonlinkers don’t think much of the RF, either.

You want me to interrogate?

Yes
²
!
The fewer interruptions the better.

Eltyn turned. “I’ll be right there.”

Right there turned out to be a good quarter hour later, because easing the microsections into place took longer than he’d thought. His sigh of relief died away as he realized that he’d spent hours cobbling together something that might not work—because he hadn’t had the right components.

He stood and walked over to the side of the main level where the captive sat secured to a chair. Rhyana sat several yards back, a stunner aimed at the man, whose pale cream skin and washed-out gray eyes suggested a northern heritage.

“Who sent you?” asked Eltyn conversationally.

“I don’t have to answer you. You’re a murderer.”

“I have to dispute that. Killing in self-defense isn’t murder.”

“Killing servants of the Ruche who are only carrying out their duties is murder. You are murderers.”

“You were observed destroying or greatly diminishing the mental capacities of everyone at the logistics center in Apialor. That’s murder, whether their bodies survive or not. Intelligent entities have the right to protect their existence.”

“Anyone who opposes the Ruche threatens the health and welfare of all citizens. They need to be restrained and controlled.”

“That’s an old, old argument, and it was an excuse for tyranny when it was first used. The logic behind it hasn’t improved with age.”

“You can’t get away with this sort of individualistic and self-centered behavior.”

“We already have,” pointed out Rhyana.

“Only for the moment. The Ruche will return you to the Meld.”

The Meld?
Eltyn pulsed Faelyna.

Another dubious
⁴
attempt at shared consciousness?

Eltyn continued. “Melding minds hasn’t ever worked in the past.”

“The Meld is different. Dissidence is suppressed prior to juncture. All share the common goals and values of the Ruche.”

“What about common communications?” asked Eltyn. “Is it brain-range concentration limited?”

The would-be inspector looked blankly at the scientist.

“Do you know what you’re thinking when you’re apart?”

“There is no need of that. We all share the values of the Ruche.”

“Do you report those thoughts on minicomms all the time?” asked Eltyn. None of those attacking the station had carried one. “Or didn’t they trust you with one?”

“Private comms lead to private thoughts,” asserted the inspector. “Unsupervised private thoughts can lead to error.”

“You can’t tell me that no one has a comm.”

“Those of The Twenty do; they have been found worthy and beyond reproach. So have some of the regionals.”

Eltyn nodded. That meant that the three of them had a little more time, since the two inspectors who escaped would have to either make their way to Apialor or be discovered or rescued. None of those alternatives would be quick.
They’re maintaining control by restricting communications.

Ironic4…keeping everyone isolated by declaring they all share the same values, and therefore need no private comm channels. Creates the impression that private comms equate to subversiveness. [disgust]

Immediately after they’ve subverted The Fifty.

Subverted? More like executed. Let me know if you discover anything of interest.

Unlikely
⁵
. Eltyn returned his full concentration to the captive. “How many of you were sent to the south side of the canal?”

The captive said nothing.

“Refocus the stunner to a narrow beam, as tight as possible,” Eltyn said to Rhyana.

Her brows knit, but she made the adjustments.

“Aim it at his crotch.”

“You can’t do that,” protested the riffie.

“Oh?” Eltyn looked to Rhyana.

“Twenty. That’s the optimal number.”

“Symbolism yet.” Eltyn refrained from snorting. “How many stations or facilities were on your list to be visited?”

“All of those on the south side.” After a glance at Rhyana, he added, “Seven.”

“Were we the first?” Eltyn knew that was unlikely, because the desert research station was midway between Apialor and the west end of the canal.

“The second.”

“What happened at the second station?”

“There was no one there. All the stores and all the water were gone. So was one vehicle. I don’t know what kind. It had wide tires.”

The desert researchers might just have a chance…for a while. They had a sand-rover, which Eltyn and Faelyna didn’t. “Did you try to chase them?”

“No. We barely could reach the station. It was three kays south of the canal.”

“Why were we and the research station targeted first?”

“Researchers are more likely to be dissidents.”

“So you’ve wiped out TechOversight also?”

That question only elicited a puzzled frown.

“What other researchers have you targeted?” asked Eltyn.

“There aren’t any others in the region.”

“Is another twenty on the way to reinforce you?”

“I don’t know.”

From that point on, most of the captive’s answers were less and less useful, not because the man was being obstructive. He was just uninformed. Finally, Eltyn shook his head and stepped back.

“What do you want me to do with him?” asked Rhyana.

“Keep him tied up. He could come in useful when his compatriot subversives arrive.”

“We’re not subversives,” protested the captive. “The Fifty subverted the values of the Ruche. We seek a return to the true way of the Ruche.”

If forced brain conditioning represents the true way of the Ruche,
pulsed Faelyna,
we’re doomed. [cynical sarcasm]

“Suppressing intelligence at a time when creativity and new ideas are vital to survival is about as subversive as you can get.” Eltyn managed to keep his voice level.

“You’re the subversives. You’ve turned your backs on tradition.”

“Gag him,” Eltyn added. “We don’t need to hear more of that.”
Even if that’s more like their techniques and views.

It’s not the same
, replied Faelyna.
Citing tradition, and demanding even more rigorous adherence to it when it’s failed, is what distinguishes all too many fanatics.

“Yes, sir,” replied Rhyana. “My pleasure.”

“You’ll all go to nihil when the Ruche becomes transcendent. You will…”

The riffie’s words were cut off by the application of Rhyana’s heavy makeshift gag.

“After all that, almost wish I’d shot him too,” said the delivery woman.

Eltyn nodded. He could understand that.

“Better you get back to what you’re doing, sir,” suggested Rhyana. “Won’t be that long before more of ’em show up.”

Eltyn walked back to his work space, abruptly realizing that because he’d been interrupted, he’d never informed Faelyna.
Completed possible control circuit alternative.

?????

He opened the link wider and let her see the schematic and his view of the assemblage.

Cumbersome…appears workable…what counts. Interrogative alternative for power modulator? Nanosecond level…current equipment works on millisecond intervals.
She pulsed more details.

I’ll need to see…

[laugh] Be my guest.

Eltyn turned and walked up the ramp. Would the mods she needed be easier than what he’d had to do for the control circuitry work-around? He doubted it.