His slight emphasis on rank did the trick. “Yes, sir.”
Kim asked, “Hey, aren’t I supposed to have a beacon?”
“It’s down his shirt.” Paris gestured to the dematerializing Tracer.
“Don’t worry about a—”
B’Elanna Torres could remember nightmares like this—wandering in a maze of bland corridors and endless doors leading to more endless halls and archways. The textured walls glowed with an unseen light source, casting no shadows and leaving her with few points of reference.
Everything was so repetitively similar that she started to wonder if they were going in circles. Even the people they encountered looked alike, with their expressionless faces and beige, draped clothing. Her dark hair and forehead ridges were getting a lot of attention, and she felt as if she were back in school, when the other kids had called her mutant and ugly. That was before she learned to strike out first, before they could hurt her.
Apparently, Janeway wasn’t disheartened. When Torres expressed her doubts, the captain grinned and told her, “Tuvok and I found our way through the Hub, and nothing could be as difficult as that.”
“We’ve been walking for hours. Are you sure you know where we’re going?”
“Absolutely,” Janeway replied. “We’re going to the center of things.”
Torres thought about that a moment. “How do you know that’s where we want to go?”
“Because Tutopans have a remarkably symmetrical view of life.
I’m sure we’ll find what we need when we reach the middle of this complex.”
Torres shut up after that, contenting herself with following the captain. Despite the shock factor of their appearance, none of the Tutopans tried to say anything to them until they reached a busy reception hall. From Janeway’s discussion with the guard, she gathered this was where the Tutopans conducted their “testing” and they wouldn’t be allowed through.
Janeway finally gave up trying to convince the man, and turned away.
“Onward,” she said with a sigh.
“But he said we couldn’t,” Torres pointed out, trying to hold her temper.
“Then we’ll have to go around.”
They had to climb almost to the top level to get past the restricted area, but their perseverance was finally rewarded when the corridors widened and gradually became more busy. Torres was frustrated by the leisurely pace of the Tutopans, but Janeway fell in with the crowd, and she was forced to do the same.
A slight crush at an archway momentarily blocked their view; then Torres stepped forward onto a terrace overlooking a vast atrium.
She could see numerous other corridors opening onto the atrium from every level, and the terraces seemed alive with people. A small structure was in the very center of the ground floor, but there seemed to be no other reason for this much open space.
“Look!” Torres exclaimed, pointing down. “Isn’t that Andross?”
Janeway narrowed her eyes. “That’s him, all right.”
His legs rapidly scissored as he crossed the floor among a group of people, going away from the central structure. It was difficult to keep sight of the little Tutopan, but the woman in the middle was impossible to miss. She was taller than nearly everyone, and her slender, erect carriage took her through the confusion with a direct purpose that the others didn’t possess.
“Now how do we get to him?” Janeway tried to see where the stairs led down to the floor.
“Easy.” Torres leaned over the railing, putting her hand to her mouth.
“Andross!” she bellowed. “Hey, Andross, up here!”
Janeway grabbed her arm, but it was too late. The noise level abruptly fell as every Tutopan in the atrium turned to look.
Torres hadn’t expected that.
Andross was staring up at them as if horrorstruck. People were starting to make the connection between them and the agent, and a subtle hum rose as they commented among themselves.
“Come on,” Janeway said. It sounded like her teeth were clenched.
“Might as well bull it through.”
“I thought that’s what you intended from the start,” Torres said defensively.
“Not quite,” the captain said dryly.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Andross was waiting for them. “What are you doing in the Council Chamber?”
“We were curious,” Janeway said lightly. “So we decided to take a walk.”
“You managed to get all the way from your lodgings to the Chamber without being stopped? That’s unheard of!” He looked from the captain to Torres, incredulous.
Torres shrugged. “We acted like we knew where we were going.
It was almost worth everything to see the way he struggled to maintain his composure. “I know where you’re going now—back to your lodgings.”
“Aren’t we free to look around?” Janeway asked innocently.
“Nobody is!” he bit off sharply.
The captain considered him closely. “I think I like you better this way, when you aren’t trying to sugar-coat things.”
Andross stiffened, a defensive response that immediately brought Torres to full alert.
Janeway saw it, too. “Was that Administer Fee?”
“Yes, and you can rest assured, you made your presence known.”
He glanced around, lowering his voice. “Do you know how many regulations you’ve broken? If someone decides to detain you, there’s little I could do.”
“When do we get to see Fee?”
“Not until tomorrow—” “Tomorrow!” Janeway dropped her good-natured pretense. “You said we’d see her tonight.”
“That’s impossible. She has prior appointments.”
A slender man, not much bigger than Andross but considerably older, was approaching. His arrogant swagger was accented by a slim black stick he used as support, and he was surrounded by people in the same way Administer Fee had been.
“Oh, no, here comes Hamilt.” Andross turned, trying to get them moving. “Let’s go upstairs, and I’ll explain.”
Janeway resisted, and Torres already knew she wasn’t going to budge until they had convinced this twisty little man to keep his commitment.
When Andross realized they weren’t going to be able to avoid Hamilt, his flattened features slipped into pleasant lines.
“Board Member,” he greeted. “How gracious of you to take time to speak to me.”
Hamilt’s lips stretched, and a delicate hand smoothed his sparse hair against his head. Torres defensively met his narrow black eyes, and she didn’t like the way he dismissed his followers with a negligent wave of his stick. The other Tutopans instantly scattered.
“I heard that you’d come back,” Hamilt told the younger man.
“There was some trouble I had to attend to,” Andross explained, gesturing vaguely in the direction of Janeway and Torres.
“Of course there’s trouble,” Hamilt agreed, his focus completely on Andross. “And I’ll not have you come here and make matters worse, my boy. Your work with the Eldern was done when you persuaded him to sponsor those debates.”
“I am here at the behest of Captain Janeway,” Andross informed him. “I didn’t intend to make an appointment with Member Eldern.”
Janeway took advantage of the pause to step forward. “I’m Captain Janeway of the United Federation of Planets. I’m attempting to locate the computer processor that was stolen from my ship. We were in the secondary system—” “The request came through Cartel channels,” Andross interrupted.
He spread his hands wide, smiling at Hamilt. “I’m simply doing my job.”
“Buying salvage, is that it?” Hamilt asked. “My boy, it sounds to me as if you should pay more attention to business and less to policy, or you’ll be collecting junk for petty credit the rest of your life.”
Torres blurted out, “Junk!” But Janeway shook her head, and she managed to choke off the rest of her protest.
Hamilt ignored them, seemingly amused by Andross. “However, I’m sure this is a matter of considerable importance, as is everything you do.”
Andross shifted slightly. “I’m dealing with it in the most expedient manner, Member Hamilt.”
“I’m sure you are.”
Andross simply smiled in answer, trying to usher Janeway forward as if to continue on their way.
Again, the captain resisted, planting her feet firmly in front of the board member. “We had intended to see Administer Fee tonight, but apparently she’s occupied.”
“Indeed? Administer Fee?” Hamilt intently turned, directly addressing her for the first time. “You have business with Fee?”
“Our computer processor is in her possession.”
“Imagine that,” Hamilt said lightly, but his thoughtful glance at Andross said far more. “As a matter of fact, Administer Fee will be at the tournament tonight. Perhaps you’d like to come as well. I’m sure you’d find the opportunity to speak with her there.”
Andross’s mouth opened, but nothing came out.
“Certainly, I’d appreciate that,” Janeway quickly agreed.
“But, it’s a tournament,” Andross started.
“It’s no bother,” Hamilt assured him. “I want you to come, my boy.
And bring that pretty lady assistant of yours. I haven’t seen her in far too long.”
Andross was breathing faster, and Torres knew from personal experience the signs of someone trying to control himself. “How can I refuse?”
“Then you’ll come, and by all means bring these important business associates.” Hamilt gave Janeway a slight nod.
“Federation of Planets, did you say? Always welcome, anytime…”
Torres could tell Janeway was only waiting until the board member drifted away. It was nauseating the way his supplicants immediately returned, gathering around him until he was hidden from view.
“Why did you lie to Hamilt?” the captain immediately demanded.
“The Cartel didn’t intervene on our behalf.”
“No, they didn’t.” Andross relaxed his shoulders, as if giving up.
Torres wasn’t fooled for a moment. “Our House is in a desperate situation with the Board in a stalemate over the choice of the next Supreme Arbitrator. I couldn’t resist the opportunity you provided to return here.”
“I couldn’t care less what your motives are,” Janeway told him.
“I only want to know if you intend to help us get our computer back.
Or was that a ploy, too?”
“How do we even know it’s here?” Torres put in.
“I told you,” Andross said sharply. “Tomorrow, I’ll take you to examine your precious computer. I’m doing everything I can to make sure it’s returned to you—but you must cooperate. By blundering around the Seat and letting officials like Hamilt know exactly what you want, you put everything at risk.”
“Why would he try to keep us from getting our processor back?”
“There could be a hundred different reasons,” Andross said, as if it was obvious. “Whatever ways he could use to his advantage.
He would do anything to interfere with Fee’s business, and since I openly began supporting Fee for the Arbitrator’s position instead of him, Hamilt has been hindering my operations as well.”
Torres shook her head. “That’s disgusting.”
“That’s business,” Andross corrected. “Everyone manipulates the information they have in order to get what they want. You understand that.”
“You’re right, I do,” Janeway told him. “The question is, are you going to help us or not?”
“I’ll arrange for you to speak to Fee tomorrow morning, first thing, but you can’t go to the tournament tonight.”
Torres made a sound in her throat, but Janeway didn’t need prompting.
“Not good enough. You promised us that we’d see Fee tonight, and since you weren’t able to arrange it, I’m accepting Member Hamilt’s offer.”
“You saw Hamilt’s reaction,” Andross protested. “Your sort of business means nothing among these high-level officials. He intends to shame me in front of my colleagues who still make policy, while I have been exiled to an Agency in the Hub. If I lose power, my ability to help you will be directly affected.”
“All I want to do is talk to Fee tonight,” Janeway insisted.
“And work out some way to get our processor back as soon as possible.”
Andross threw up his hands. “If that’s the way you want it, but please, do me the favor of keeping your mouths shut about the salvage to anyone else. Especially to Board Members Hobbs and Sprecenspire, the Cartel supporters. It sounds more legitimate if you keep your purpose here vague. Just say it’s province business with Fee, you understand the sort of thing I mean.”
Janeway frowned at the agent. “Is it that important?”
“You’re in the House Seat, now, and the tests can have serious consequence.” He stepped back to consider them from head to foot. “Do you have anything more… refined to wear?”
Torres let out a snort. “You call that a serious consideration?”
Andross’s gaze lingered for a moment on her forehead ridges, before turning away with a slight shudder. “I’ll have Milla find something acceptable for you both to wear, or you’ll stand out terribly.”
“We will anyway,” Janeway pointed out. “You don’t let many aliens on your planet, do you?”
“No,” Andross said shortly. “And I’m beginning to understand why.”
As the slanted walls of the Hub materialized around them, Paris heard Tracer cry out in terror.
“No! No, I’m sorry,” Tracer wailed, his mottled hands hiding his face.
“I won’t do it anymore! I swear on the three Kisars, I’ll never have hot wisto again—” “Take it easy, there, buddy.” Paris tugged Tracer’s arm, dragging him through the corridor as he quickly scanned the door signets. “You just blacked out again.”
“What are we looking for?” Kim whispered, glancing back along the empty corridor.
“This one,” Paris said, stopping in front of the correct symbol.
“Waste Reclamation, auxiliary control.”
“Waste?” Kim asked. “Why this?”
Paris drew Tracer closer to the door, and pressed his wrist badge to the identification pad. A loud ping and a blue glow announced the door had been unlocked. “It’s a low-security area, but the terminals must be tied into the main computer to coordinate with the other systems.”
“Good thinking,” Kim told him, as Paris opened the door. A puff of chemical-tainted air hit them in the face. “I think,” he added dubiously.
“It’s perfect,” Paris insisted. “You should be able to access manifest records, and anything that has to do with computer salvage.”