Abysm (15 page)

Miriam had done everything possible to keep business and personal separate, but if Eleni insisted on pushing,
fine
.

“You truly want to know what I think? Very well. I think you didn’t agonize over it. I think you deprived seventeen families of their sons and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, because it made things easier for you. I think you made a cold, calculated decision to sacrifice innocents to give yourself an advantage.”

“Don’t act as if there’s no blood on your hands, Miriam. You and I, we sacrifice people for victory’s sake all the time—in every war, every battle.”

“Combatants, Eleni. Military personnel who understand the stakes and are willing to die for the mission. Not innocent civilians.”

“You see…it’s easy for you to say that when you were on the side of the oppressor rather than the oppressed—and before you try to minimize the Alliance’s misdeeds, take a hard look at what your government is doing today. Then tell me it doesn’t know how to be evil.”

“And your vaunted Senecan Federation killed David for protecting scientists and their families. There’s plenty of evil to go around if you’re inclined to start searching for it.”

Eleni flinched. Good. “I don’t disagree.
Kappa Crucis
was a bad call. The on-scene commander misunderstood the Alliance’s intentions, but she was always a hothead. If cooler heads had prevailed and taken five minutes to critically assess the situation, the battle wouldn’t have happened. It shouldn’t have happened, and if I could go back and change it, I swear to you I would.

“But—and here’s the thing—I wouldn’t go back and change Colpetto. I may pay for those seventeen deaths in the next life, but I submit it will be worth it for all the days I’ve seen my grandchildren grow up free.”

“The Earth Alliance is not, nor was it ever, a dictatorship.”

“Try telling that to someone living on a disfavored colony thirty years ago. See how well it goes over.”

“I concede the political leaders of the time weren’t exactly luminaries, even compared to our current administration.” Miriam sighed. “I will never agree with your decision, but…I do respect your conviction. And there are plenty of sins for each of us to carry.”

“Truer words.” Eleni smiled a bit wistfully. “Now I’m afraid I need to depart soon. The legislature is voting on the H+ bill this evening, and I ought to be on the ground in case things get out of hand.”

“Is it going to pass?”

“Yes. It’s a new world out there, and it’s time for us all to embrace it.”

Miriam arched an eyebrow. “I
am
trying.”

“And doing an impressive job of it.” The woman paused, then brought up her hand in a crisp salute. “Good luck to you, Admiral.”

Miriam almost didn’t return the salute. She still harbored mixed feelings, unresolved issues and a complicated, ugly acrimony with respect to the woman and what she’d once done.

But Miriam also had manners, and whatever sins the past held, Eleni had done a great deal of good in the present. So she did return it.

“And to you, Field Marshal.”

Miriam remained in the conference room after Eleni departed. She wanted a moment to reorient. The entire Volnosti operation was constantly in flux as they worked to adapt to quickly changing circumstances and new information.

If the Federation’s Prevo protection bill was going to pass, the dynamics were poised to transform yet again. H+ wasn’t perfect, but if she could trade BANIA for it, she’d hang up her hat and call it a day.

The passage would shift the overall balance strongly in favor of Prevo rights, with the Alliance becoming the sole hold-out—and not the entire Alliance. However, it also risked antagonizing OTS; desperation bred recklessness, making them even more dangerous, if such a thing was possible.

She opened four screens and had Thomas fill them with data. Arguably too much data, as she found she wasn’t able to concentrate on any particular item for more than a few seconds before her mind drifted to one place or another.

Strategy. Eleni, then David. Alex.

She looked up in relief as Richard entered, glad for the distraction. “Come in and keep me company.”

He lounged against the wall. “I passed Field Marshal Gianno on her way out. As I was walking away, a crazy notion occurred to me. Did you know what was going to happen when you asked me to go to Seneca and work for Graham?”

“Don’t be silly, Richard. How could I possibly have known any of this would happen?”

“No clue. So did you?”

She laughed. “Not precisely, of course. But I could see the storm coming, and while I hoped it could be diffused, I needed to prepare as if it wouldn’t be.”

“So I was one of your chess pieces, then.”

“One of my absolutely most important, crucial ones.”

Her tone was mirthful, and he abandoned his attempt at a stern expression to settle into the chair opposite her. “Rumor has it, Isas Onishi is livid over OTS bombing the Astral Materials home office on Scythia.”

“I don’t need a rumor to tell me that.”

“No, but what you might not be aware of is Mr. Onishi has the ear of the Scythia governor. Both of them are quite done with OTS, and they are not happy with how little Winslow’s administration is doing to combat the group. Also, Onishi has been using Artificials in his business for twenty years, which means he isn’t happy about BANIA’s restrictions.”

She scowled in growing frustration. “Yes, but many people affected by them are unhappy about the new restrictions. As we’ve seen, being unhappy is a long way from doing something to change it.”

“Agreed. But Onishi isn’t one to sit idly by, and the governor has a reputation as something of a maverick.”

“You’re suggesting I should reach out to the governor.”

Richard held up a finger. “One more tidbit. Six years ago Astral Materials claimed the rights to what’s colloquially called a ‘diamond planet,’ one composed almost entirely of an ultra-dense form of crystallized carbon. Since mining of the planet began, Onishi has made over a billion credits from it, nearly doubling his net worth in the process. Do you know who found and claimed it for him?”

If it mattered as much as Richard was intimating, there existed only one possible answer. “Alex?”

“Correct.”

Six years ago…. “That’s how she was able to afford the loft, among other luxuries.”

“You’ll have to ask her, but it’s a reasonable assumption. She’s fulfilled at least five contracts for Onishi over the years, including another big one last year which netted him an asteroid belt’s worth of super strong heavy metals. The point is, he owes Alex, and he almost certainly thinks highly of her. Use it. My professional assessment is that Onishi and the Scythia governor are ready to take a stand. All you need to do is assure them they will have your support. And by ‘support,’ they’ll mean protection.”

Miriam recognized the familiar pang of regret. She’d missed so much of her daughter’s life, ignored so many of her accomplishments along the way. She should have been proud. Perhaps she’d traveled some distance to making up for her mistakes this last year, but she’d never get the lost chances back.

She blew out a long breath and nodded. “All right. If Scythia joins Messium in our corner, Winslow won’t be able to ignore it. Let’s make this happen.”

14

AQUILA

E
ARTH
A
LLIANCE
C
OLONY

K
ENNEDY APPROACHED THE PODIUM
with an unhurried but purposeful stride. It had been a while since she’d needed to perform for the self-chosen commercial nobility, but not so long she’d forgotten how it was done.

Conservative but stylish hunter green pantsuit. Unruly curls tamed into elegant submission. Tasteful jewelry which shone brightly enough to remind them all she belonged here.

Damn straight she did.

The presentation room at Surno Materials was ostentatious, and not subtly so. The natural teak floors had been buffed to a perfect sheen, and the marble podium was supple and cool to the touch. The holo projected in front of her showing the audience at the Chamber meeting in Hong Kong displayed a fidelity nearly equal to the newest wave of
illusoires
. She could be standing there among them.

The quality was high enough for her to be able to feel their mood, to sense when she was winning or losing them.

“Thank you all for having me today. My remarks will be brief, because the most important, truest ideas don’t need fancy accoutrements to prop them up or grant them value.

“I know many of you personally, as many of you know me. You know my family. You know my father, Trevor, and my mother, Elise. Some of you knew my grandparents, for they were staunch supporters of the Chamber.

“You appreciate the authenticity of my words when I say my family loves the Alliance and all it represents. My great-grandfather stood on the stage in London in 2105 when the Earth Alliance was formed, and my family has championed it ever since.

“Now my parents find themselves threatened, pinned into a narrow corner by representatives of the Alliance—representatives who are themselves threatened by yet more powerful interests and thereby forced to do the bidding of Prime Minister Winslow and her cabal of adherents.”

She cast a thoughtful gaze across the audience. “And something tells me they’re not alone. How many of you have wanted to speak out against BANIA and the heavy-handed regulations it has spawned but refrained from doing so out of fear…or perhaps out of an uncomfortable, niggling feeling that it just
wasn’t a good idea
. I understand. I do.

“You may have heard about my little dispute with the prime minister. You’ve assuredly heard about the ban on adiamene production or sale in private industry. A metal, banned. Not a deadly chimeral or a destructive laser weapon—a
metal
.

“Can you imagine where we would be today if the first carbon steel alloys had been banned in commerce? Tungsten nanocomposites? Carbon metamaterials? If this were our past, we wouldn’t be here among the stars now.”

She allowed the smallest smile to touch her lips. “We’re manufacturers. We build things. I bet some of you would love to have a shipment of adiamene for your orbital facilities, or for your ships. I’ll sell it to you. Fifteen percent Chamber discount. You let me know.”

She could almost hear Noah groan from across the room; she was going to pay for that discount in more than merely lost profits.

“But sadly, the crisis we face today isn’t really about a metal. The adiamene ban is only a symptom. It’s about lives. About who gets to decide what life is and whether it’s allowed to exist.

“Each and every one of you achieved the success you enjoy today by being smart. Shrewd. You’ve worked with Artificials, I guarantee it—maybe on specialized projects, maybe every day. Have they been taken from you, for your own good? How long until they are?

“You understand what Artificials are and what they aren’t. And Prevos? Most of you probably didn’t have the opportunity to meet any of them before they were forced into hiding on Alliance worlds, but I have. Prevos are my colleagues. They’re my friends. I suspect for some of you, they’re your sons or daughters.

“If so, I wish them the best, and hope they are safe.

“Pamela Winslow has you fighting an enemy that doesn’t exist. And she has you doing it so she can take your power, then take your freedom. Don’t let her. She hasn’t the right to it.”

Another solemn scan of the audience, and she took a step back from the podium. No applause followed, but it wasn’t a bad sign. Sober reflection
should
be the mood. There was nothing to celebrate, least of all her dressing down of them.

Lionel joined her on the platform and shook her hand. “Thank you, Ms. Rossi.”

He watched her leave, then turned to the virtual audience. “Well, I’m inspired!”

Awkward laughter rippled through the attendees, and Lionel waited until it subsided. His expression grew earnest.

“Well I am inspired. I’m also shamed. We’ve all—myself included—been going along to get along, thinking we could weather the storm and still be standing at the end. But how much of ourselves are we willing to sacrifice to avoid conflict? How much can we sacrifice before we lose our integrity? Our most treasured principles?”

He paused to study the podium for a moment. “None of us are warriors—except Mr. Onishi, of course, and Mr. Basurto. They were warriors on the battlefield before they became warriors in the boardroom. Not the rest of us. But this doesn’t mean we can’t fight in our own way.

“What we are is influential. Wealthy. Able to bring resources to bear on a problem. And en masse, we are powerful. The last time I checked, the Alliance is still a democracy and our elected leaders are still beholden to us. So tell your representative you want BANIA repealed—as well as the adiamene ban, naturally—and an investigation into the prime minister’s activities opened.

“Tell them with your lobbyists. Tell them with your money and your business. Tell them yourselves. Shine a light in the shadows, and take back control of your government. I certainly plan to.”