Scaevola's Triumph (Gaius Claudius Scaevola trilogy Book 3) (54 page)

Lucilla was pleased at the support she received. When she had entered the cafeteria she had been depressed. She felt she would get nowhere because she was an alien; now she felt a little less alien.

Chapter 38

Official departure was the following day, and Gaius was extremely busy. Lucilla had met Vipsania for breakfast, and in the strange conversation that followed, it appeared both had almost convinced themselves that they would not return to Ulse. Lucilla was convinced half of the fleet must pursue the losing M'starn back to their planet of origin, and that Gerenthe would ensure that it was Gaius who did that, so that he could return to Ulse to claim victory. Vipsania was convinced that after they won, they would be able to return home. Lucilla had no intention of trying to talk Vipsania out of that, but she felt that nothing was less likely.

Accordingly, Vipsania decided to spend her last day on Ulse ensuring that all their special possessions, their belongings from home and special memorabilia from their adventures were carefully packed and sent to their ships. Lucilla had collected few special belongings, so she decided to visit her favourite cafeteria again for the last time. Vipsania offered to look after her property while she said goodbye to her friends on Ulse.

So again Lucilla found herself at the cafeteria, and this time almost a centre of attention as a sequence of Ulsians came to wish her well, and offer her a toast to victory. At the end of the afternoon Lucilla was feeling slightly drowsy, and perhaps a little bloated. She had to admit that, being her last day, she had drunk too much of the special wine, and she was also feeling quite sad. These Ulsians had been so kind. They seemed almost in awe of the fact that she was going off to fight for the very future of Ulse, and since she could not return for many years and nobody else could ever eat or drink her specials, they donated their entire supply to her. After gratefully accepting the offer, she had immediately contacted Antonia, who offered to come down in a shuttle and collect the goods.

She decided to take one last look around, and walked slowly into one of the grand plazas. The open area was huge, with many of the strange fountains that flattened so prematurely. The very solid trees with their stubby branches and their clean green leaves seemed both familiar and alien at the same time. The alien-ness was emphasised by the complete absence of birds or animals. As usual, the sunlight seemed so pleasant, the sky so clear and blue, without a cloud in the sky for it never rained in this underground city.

"So, you are the foolish hero?"

"Excuse me?" Lucilla looked up to see a bouncy Ulsian standing in front of her.

"You are foolish to serve under Marshall Gerenthe," the Ulsian said in a flat tone.

"Exactly what do you mean by that?" Lucilla asked in a mixture of curiosity and anger.

"Marshall Gerenthe is, in your words, a traitor and a fraud."

"Can you prove what you are saying?" she asked quickly.

"I can prove he is a fraud," the Ulsian said. "I served on his ship. I have the real data logs from his expedition."

"You have the what?" Lucilla's voice was now filled with excitement. Could this be what she needed?

"The real data logs. You must have realized when you saw his undamaged ships that he had never been in anything like the fight he claimed to have been in?"

"I've made that point already," Lucilla explained, "but nobody thinks it's significant."

"Nobody wishes to see their hero brought down," the Ulsian snorted.

"Can I get access to these data logs?" Lucilla asked.

"If you and Vipsania are at this address in one hour, and if you each assign to me three months consumption rights, you can have them."

"Consumption rights?" Lucilla frowned.

"You won't need them where you're going and they'll have expired long before you return," the Ulsian noted.

"But you can't use them," Lucilla frowned. "They're largely for specific items designed for our metabolism, and . ."

"I have a use," the Ulsian said, "and you have no need to know what it is. Do you wish to have the logs or not?"

"It's a deal," Lucilla said.

"You must bring Vipsania," the Ulsian said, "because I need her palm-print on her rights."

"She'll come," Lucilla assured the Ulsian.

"Then I'll see you in an hour."

Lucilla was about to contact Vipsania, when she remembered that she was supposed to meet Antonia at the shuttle. She had to contact her, but how? She would try the thought method.

This worked immediately, and Lucilla was about to engage in a discussion about how what she was going to say was difficult when Antonia suggested that Lucilla should open her mind and let her see the problem. At first Lucilla was reluctant, but she realized she would have to trust Antonia in many situations, so she agreed.

'I see,' Antonia immediately responded.

'What do you see?' Lucilla thought, with a touch of pique.

'Your problem. Oh, you do not realise. I am now fully aware of the meeting, and I share your doubts about the authenticity of this Ulsian. Vipsania absolutely must not attend. I shall attend in her place. Amongst other things, you must be aware of all possible escape routes if this goes wrong, and only I can provide you with the knowledge, and have the resources to rescue you.'

'He's expecting Vipsania,' Lucilla noted.

'I shall give him a verifiable authorization for Vipsania's consumption rights, and if that's not satisfactory, then you are in deep trouble,' Antonia replied, 'which is all the more reason I go rather than Vipsania.'

'You think I shouldn't go at all?'

'That would be the safest course,' Antonia advised, 'but I share your assessment of the value of this information if it is true. In my opinion, no ordinary Ulsian could get such logs without Gerenthe's permission, but I cannot rule out an extraordinary effort, or something from another ship.'

'Another ship?'

'The log from another ship would be easier to get, but it would be less informative. However, as long as you promise to do what I say, I believe I can keep you safe. I shall meet you in fifty minutes.'

* * *

At first Lucilla thought something must have gone wrong when Vipsania approached her, but then the thought came into her head, 'See, if I can fool you, I can most certainly fool the average Ulsian.'

'There's the problem of the palm print?' Lucilla warned.

'Problem?' Antonia queried. 'I am a companion of the highest grade. Unless the reader is linked to a major Ulsian defence system computer, it will be under my total control. And if it is linked to such a system Gaius will authorise whatever is necessary. Do not worry. If you have been approached truthfully, I shall have no difficulty whatsoever, and they will never know I was here.'

They walked along a path towards the destination. Lucilla had no idea where they were going, but Antonia had no difficulty. She did not go the standard way, but approached from a narrow alley that meant that when they entered the designated street, they did so from behind the Ulsian waiting for them, and staring in the expected, but wrong, direction. Nobody else was around.

"Well!" Lucilla said. She frowned. This was not the Ulsian she had met before.

"What! Where'd you come from?"

"We got lost," Antonia offered sweetly. "We don't know."

"So, where're these logs?" Lucilla asked.

"First, the palm prints on this reader."

"You go first," Antonia nodded to Lucilla. 'That way,' the thought continued, 'I shall arrange for the prints to be erased from memory unless I give a countermanding signal, which I shall when we get the ship's logs.'

So Lucilla pressed her palm print, then Vipsania's was recorded.

'I have also modified them both,' Antonia said. 'They will work sufficiently well for the prescribed purpose, because I have also had the false prints logged into the supply computer. You will not need additional supplies, so there's no need to worry on that score.'

"Good. Now, go down that alley," the Ulsian said, as he folded his equipment and placed it in his pocket. "and go through the door at the end." With that he began to turn away.

"You're not coming?" Lucilla asked.

"Er, no. The Captain wants his identity kept secret." With that he strode away, with almost indecent haste.

'Then how'd you get to know about him?' Lucilla thought to herself.

'Excellent comment!' Antonia offered.

'What's going on?' Lucilla thought.

'It's unclear,' Antonia replied, 'nevertheless, we must do something. I shall do what is required. You should watch from the alleyway we came down. If I need you, I'll call.'

'But . . .'

'I appreciate your concern, however I assure you I am more capable of defending myself than you are. Something that would smash your skull would barely make an impression on me. Please, you are the fragile one, so look after yourself.'

Reluctantly, Lucilla agreed. She retreated to the alleyway, and watched Antonia walk down the other alley. Antonia reached the door, and appeared to wait a moment, as if listening. She looked over towards Lucilla, and through her thoughts, confirmed that Lucilla should get further away. Something was not right. She looked around again, then entered the door, and there was a silence. Suddenly, inside her head, Lucilla had a feeling of great urgency, and the message, 'Trap! Run for your life!'

Lucilla stared at the door. There was a blinding flash, the wall of the building disintegrated, and the body of Antonia came flying out, covered with flame, then suddenly a further flash connected with Antonia, and her companion simply disintegrated. Metal parts were spattered everywhere, showing conclusively, if it mattered, that Vipsania had not been there.

Lucilla felt a surge of anger, but then as she realised there was nothing she could do, she turned and ran. As best she could, she followed the path she had come by, until finally she found a tube. She entered it, keyed in her address, closed the door, and slumped back onto the seat. She began shaking, partly from the adrenalin surge of her escape, and partly out of anger. Her companion had been killed. Someone would pay for that!

But who? What had happened? Had Gerenthe found out? Was he trying to destroy the logs? Were there any logs there at all? She had no idea what had actually happened, other than that Antonia had entered the room and been destroyed. The capsule stopped. Without thinking, she opened the door and stepped out. She paused, then heard the door of the tube close behind her. Something was wrong! Yes, this exit was a mirror image of hers. This wasn't her building! Then she saw in front of her four armed members of the Ulsian security forces. A strange feeling of dread washed over her. Whoever executed this trap was still in control.

The Ulsian police stopped in front of her and politely told her she was under arrest for the murder of two Ulsians at a named building, and the attempted murder of Space Marshall Gerenthe.

"That's ridiculous!" she cried out. "I was . . ."

"I must advise you that you should keep quiet!" one of the Ulsians stopped her. "What you say could be held against you."

"You mean to say that my saying I'm innocent can be held against me?" she protested.

"No, that is held for you," the Ulsian said. "Your claim of innocence has been noted, and registered. However, I now most strongly advise you to say no more until you have advice. Now, if you accompany us to your cell voluntarily, things will go much better for you."

After a moment's thought she conceded. Since she had been brought there without her knowledge, and since she could not even get out of this tube exit, escape was clearly impossible. Not that she had anywhere to go. Without a companion, not even a space ship. It was not as if she could blend into Ulsian life.

The cell, as it turned out, was quite reasonable. It was almost as big as her own room, and within two hours all her belongings that had not been taken by Vipsania to her ship had been brought to her.

It did not help. A sudden wave of despair struck her. She was an alien on this planet, and the people of the planet were turning on her. She began to weep, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The following morning she had her first visitor, a young Ulsian who stated that he was her lawyer, if she would have him.

"How many cases have you represented?" she frowned.

"None!" came the bright reply. "However," he added when Lucilla began to protest, "I topped my legal class." He paused and added for Lucilla's benefit, "On Ulse, the prize for the top of the class is a high profile 'open and shut' case, to get the reputation going. I have won the right to your case."

"This 'open and shut' case," Lucilla prodded. "Is it open or shut?"

"Oh, do not worry! I shall win!"

"Do you mind telling me how?"

The Ulsian gave a big nod, indicating 'yes', then held up a sign saying, 'This room will be under surveillance.' "Haven't a clue," he continued with a big Ulsian grin, and pointed again to the sign.

"You mean . . ?"

The Ulsian put his hand across his mouth, to stop her.

"Until you appoint me," he said, "I can't get started. Please, do appoint me."

Lucilla thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "I guess you're my only option, anyway."

"That is true," he said in a flat tone, as he grinned widely.

"So, do you want to know what happened?"

"Nope!" he said, and pointed vigorously at his sign, and held his hand across his mouth to stop her speaking. "At this stage, all I shall do is follow procedure."

"Um . . ." Lucilla questioned. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"Definitely not!" he said, and began to look around for microphones. "What I propose is this. I shall file for an immediate hearing, which must be held no later than one week. If I do this, that must be granted or you must be released, in which case you can board your ship and go to Plotk. Assume the hearing proceeds, which I have no doubt will happen. In the ordinary course of events, the evidence against you is then presented, critical analysis of that evidence is presented, the evidence for you is presented, then we make an assessment of what next. If it is critical, you may give your evidence, and I shall be granted a recess to hear it first, and decide how or if it should be presented. For the moment you must remain silent."