All Fall Down (9 page)

           
She had the distinct feeling that she had wanted to say something more about Fall. But whenever the words started to form in her mind, they disappeared, like dreams on waking.

           
Maybe it was just nerves about the next few days, she thought. She was bound to be distracted while they awaited the Event.

Kate walked out of her quarter’s bathroom, water vapour billowing in front of her. Water showers were rare on desert planets. She wondered if the expense of transporting it here was to repay Fall’s colonists for their isolation. She sat at the workstation, looking around the room, which was comfortable if functional in appearance. A double bed occupied the far left corner of the room. In the opposite right corner was the door to the room’s bathroom. Arranged in the rest of the space was a small dining table with chairs, two storage lockers set into the wall, and a food and drink unit.

           
Kate mulled over her arrival less than an hour ago. Daoud’s reception puzzled her. Like her quarters, it had been accommodating, but functional. Almost curt. It had thrown her a little. She wondered if she had been rude in correcting the Administrator when he’d called her “Commander”. But then, how else could he have known of her field promotion? She wasn’t sure what to make of his brief appearance. On other colonies her team was met by bureaucrats, dignitaries. On the rare occasion that the Colony’s most senior official met them it was for one of two reasons: profound relief that MI had finally arrived to help or extreme anger at MI’s meddling and interference. Daoud, on the other hand, was… What? Efficient? That was the word that came to mind. But how could you meet someone efficiently? An acknowledgement of their arrival and their importance, an acknowledgement that he was responsible for their presence there. And in the briefest possible time, with the bare minimum of words exchanged.

           
Kate turned to the workstation. “Computer, access the database on my ship please. Authorisation Kate Feyder One One.” A small holo sphere folded into illuminated life above the work station, whilst the computer quietly voiced, “Access granted.”

           
“Access biography files for Administrator Daoud.” A small icon appeared, showing a five centimetre high holo of Daoud, with arms folded and shaking his head. The computer added, “Access restricted. Top secret. Cadre-level clearance necessary.”

           
Kate stared at the holo, “What?”

           
Again, “Access restricted. Top secret. Cadre-level clearance necessary.”

           
“Computer, explain access restrictions on Administrator Daoud’s biography.”

           
“Administrators of classified colonies have classified biographies. Cadre-level clearance necessary.”

           
“Well, I suppose that makes sense. Can you tell me anything about Administrator Daoud? Is there anything in the public domain? From the nets maybe? Research papers? School records?”

           
“Access restricted. Top secret. Cadre-level clearance necessary.”

           
“How can there be nothing in the public domain, or even MI domain? OK, let’s try his Ops Director. Access biography files for Sophie Argus, Operations Director, planet Fall.”

           
“There are no records for Sophie Argus, Operations Director, planet Fall. Would you like to alter your search query?”

           
“No. Do you have biographies for any of Fall’s key personnel that I can access?”

           
“There are four biographies available: Doctor Masjid Currie, Research Director; Grace Adebuye, Mining Operations Director; Preecha Nam-Sing, Health Director; Michael Hseung, Agriculture, Environment and Water Director.”

           
“Prepare audio-visual reports on them please. Lock work station.”

           
The holo folded, leaving a dark purple fuzz on her retinas. For a few moments she breathed through her nose, her lips comforting each other as she thought over her tactics for the briefing session. Clearly she needed to understand who she was dealing with. But to access Daoud’s biography she’d need to contact the Hab, through Daoud’s restricted access channel. Which would give him access to the comms log. And Sophie Argus: why was there no profile? Was she classified? Maybe she was a fugitive, who’d accepted Fall as her prison, in return for work and anonymity. Such things happened from time to time. Still, given she had to investigate Daoud and the coded message, Kate thought it better to find out.

           
With the holo’s afterglow still in her eyes, Kate picked up her datapad, and made her way to Daoud’s briefing room.

Kate turned out of her quarters, and followed the corridor’s curve towards the elevators, passing automatons; small maintenance robots. Djembe and Win’s quarters showed as unoccupied when she passed; they had probably left for the briefing room. Both had slept and bathed on the journey, while Kate had studied in more detail the consequence map, environmental reports and the holo clip of the scientist’s death.

           
The thought of espionage unnerved her. All of her previous experience involved working with Colony governments to save them from disaster. Now she had to become spy to investigate... What? “illicit biological research”? She didn't even know what that meant. The Organic Edict had outlawed certain biological research. Cybernetic enhancements to humans and animals, principally. Could it be that? She'd committed the coded message to memory: “Fall. Human hybrid. Murder. Not human DNA. Help.” It seemed obvious that it related to the scientist's death in some way. “Murder.”

           
She walked along the twelfth floor corridor towards the briefing room, taking in the efficient lighting and the sharp shadows it created where doors, access panels and other colony features passed out of the walls. Most of the corridors here were like this. Where, in other colonies, pipes would normally be hidden to leave flat, smooth walls, here they protruded through the biocrete and wall panels like recently unearthed fossils. Kate found the effect rather charming, almost as if the Colony had been designed to capture the feel of Old Earth’s first extra-Sol colonies. The corridors took the colour of Fall, a beige sand, shot through with browns and ochres. The floor was a a dull grey, and along it ran coloured lines for the automata to follow.

           
Arriving at the debrief room, Kate found herself still distracted and unnerved. Was she really ready to be a spy? The doors opened, revealing Djembe poised over a floor holopit. Beyond him was Win, his arms thrown open, almost embracing the air.

           
Kate walked into the room. “Win, Djembe. How are your quarters?”

           
Djembe turned around, “Ah, Kate. Yes, good. Spacious and orderly.”

           
Apart from the bowl-like holopit in the centre of the floor, the room was bare. The muted grey walls were lit from within, probably by embedded luminous bacteria. There were no tables, chairs or interaction points visible. The room was silent, suggesting that it was insulated. The silence was expanded by the room’s twenty metre width. To Kate, the silence, the size and the muted light, along with the bowl in the centre of the room, combined to give the space a religious feel. A place of contemplation. Its volume and lighting suggested quietude, an environment in which plans could be carefully formulated. She crossed the floor to join Djembe and Win, standing around the holopit.

           
Win lowered his arms, “They have water bathing. I asked the computer about it and do you know what it said? ‘Good things come to those who wait.’ And then it said, ‘Plus, no one can sweet talk other AIs like me.’ I think it must be a PlanetStar AI.”

           
“Really?” Kate was surprised, “Why would they have a PlanetStar? That’s a level three A.I. I would have thought a Colony this size would have a level five.”

           
“It is strange.”

           
“What makes you think it’s a PlanetStar?”

           
“If you talk to a level four or five, they’re what I would term soberly sentient. The PlanetStars are, well, this isn’t scientific, but they’re a bit quirky. They like to separate themselves from the level four and fives. Too important to be limited to a planet or ship, not clever enough to be a Starquake.”

           
“So?”

           
“So, Fall’s mind seems, I don’t know; playful; arrogant? Like it knows something no one else does.”

           
Djembe held out a hand, “I noticed dust in the corridors. I wonder if the mineral dust penetrates the AI's core?”

           
The doors opened. Daoud, in silhouette against the corridor’s brighter light, walked in. Sophie followed quietly behind him. Their conversation ended as they became five around the holopit.

Kate was about to open proceedings, but Daoud took the initiative first. “General Leland, Commanders. Welcome again to Fall. I trust you’ve made yourselves comfortable and the quarters are to your satisfaction. Good. To business, shall we?”

“Thank you, Administrator Daoud. If we can...”

“I will lead proceedings, thank you. I have had a death. You are here to perform the official investigation for me. Without offence, this is a box ticking exercise.”

Kate's tiredness allowed her irritation to slip out, “Administrator, box ticking-”

“Is what MI tends to do. Now if-”

“Excuse me, I-” Kate's anger was coming to the surface.

“I am not normally known to tolerate interruptions.” Daoud levelled his gaze at her.

“Nor I, Administrator.” To Kate's side, Win cleared his throat. It was subtle, but it brought her back to some objectivity.

Sophie folded her hands.

Daoud locked eyes with Kate.

Daoud spoke. “To business. This should be a simple investigation. I want my Colony to be settled and returned to normal as soon as possible. You will want to visit the incident scene. There is nothing to see there, the wind and the sand have scoured the place in the time since the incident occurred. However, this is Fall, that is our surface environment, and it is perhaps best that you understand the context to our situation. This is a harsh and unforgiving planet; follow Sophie’s safety protocols when you are surface-bound.”

“We are aware of the sur-”

“You will also want to monitor and interrogate our LocalSysNet,” Daoud carried on as if Kate hadn't said anything. She clenched her jaw muscles, “and extra-system comms. Our comms relays tell us you have already started this process. Comms are erratic here due to the binary star system and the dust clouds that shroud us. Our wormhole has strange interactions with the cloud. We have often asked MI to send us a research crew to explain it. Perhaps whilst you’re here you could spare some time to investigate. In any case, you have a few days before the colonists notice anything unusual with their comms.

“Next, our Research section is on standby awaiting your visit. Doctor Masjid Currie is more than willing to talk with you. I believe you will find him a cooperative ally, though perhaps protective of his field of expertise. You are also free by MI’s terms of Colony management to talk with whomsoever you choose. Now, I believe that sets out everything, yes?”

“There are some issues around access to transportation which-”

“Which Sophie will sort out with you. Our resources are at your disposal, General.”

Kate collected herself. She couldn't afford to be angry at this man's brusqueness. Daoud was the Colony’s administrator, and the Colony was a classified installation. Of course he would be a decisive and authoritative person. But for someone who didn’t like being interrupted, he seemed to do an awful lot of it himself.

Kate’s mind was racing. She felt expectation from Win and Djembe. She had to say something to assert her authority, MI's authority, and also remain diplomatic. Missions depended on establishing a productive planetside relationship. Eventually, after what seemed like an age of finding the right balance, she managed, “There are some specific issues that…”