Marlowe and the Spacewoman (34 page)

It was pretty dry stuff, even with the spacewoman flitting about, so Marlowe livened things up a bit in the next section.  He showed the video on the zeppelin that illustrated Nina’s selflessness to the City.  A self-sacrificing, City-loving Spacewoman.  Couldn’t hurt her case.  He made no mention of her confession to leaving Pablo behind at 55 Cancri, deciding that while this information certainly boosted the believability of her story, it didn’t exactly help her overall cause.

But the coup d’etat of Marlowe’s evidence, the material he saved for the very end of the presentation because it crushed the opposition’s case, was the report they had appropriated from the Ministry of Policing during their break-in.  The analysis of the material Obedere had seized from Nina’s ship, a report written by Obedere’s own, decidedly hostile-to-Nina technicians, verifying its extraterrestrial origins.  This revelation, much to Marlowe’s pleasure, caused the corpulent constable to turn a brilliant shade of vermilion.  His exoskeleton actually quivered as he fought to maintain his composure.

The only other thing in the presentation, something that went unnoticed by all the recipients, was an anti-virus virus House had created that would protect the Governor and the Joint Chiefs from Obedere’s Id box hijacking agent.

A pop-up message jumped into Marlowe’s field of view.  It was an encrypted missive from his brother.  “This evidence is fine and dandy, very well put together.  I especially like using Obedere’s ministry work against him, but Obedere’s faction will almost certainly be able to overcome it.  Don’t you have anything more?”

Marlowe sub-vocalized a short reply.  “Not to worry, dear brother, have faith.”  Then, to the Joint Chiefs, “And that, honorable ladies and gentlemen, concludes my presentation.  I firmly believe I have presented a prima facie case proving that Nina Minari’s claims of being from outer space and Earth’s past are true.”

All of the Joint Chiefs looked thoughtful.

House broke into Marlowe’s musings.  “I’m detecting a fair amount of email traffic between Obedere and several of the Joint Chiefs.  He’s telling them to acquit.  You’ll know which Joint Chiefs by looking at their faces.”

Marlowe examined each Joint Chief in turn.  Naval, Ground, Space, and Trade and Tariff all had surprised if not shocked expressions on their faces.  Definitely not the way they’d originally planned, or perhaps more accurately, been told to vote.  Marlowe wondered if he should let his brother know these individuals were part of Obedere’s faction.  The Governor probably already knew.

“If you have any questions, Nina or I would be happy to answer them.”

They were greeted by silence.

The Governor turned to Obedere.  “Do you wish to present an opposing case at this time?”

“Well, your Honor,” intoned Obedere as he creaked to his feet, “as unexpected as this may be, given my previous comments on the case, I have to agree with detective Marlowe that the evidence is overwhelmingly in Ms. Minari’s favor.”  Marlowe kept waiting for Obedere’s teeth to crack, his jaws were grinding so much as he spat out the words.  “Therefore, in the interests of Justice, of which I am a well-known avid champion, I withdraw my earlier objections to her continued liberty and uninterrupted existence.”

Another moment of silence passed.  “Right,” said the Governor, “then I suggest we put it to a vote.  Those in favor of instating in Miss Minari the status of ‘spacewoman’?”

A chorus of ayes arose from the Joint Chiefs, a good portion of them reluctantly hissed.

“It appears to be unanimous.”  The Governor smiled.  “While this does come as a surprise to me, it is not an unpleasant one.  Miss Minari, you are hereby officially declared by the governing body of the City to be a citizen of outer space, and therefore entitled to the benefits of and exemptions to the laws of the City this status merits.  As a corollary action, I hereby dismiss all charges against you relating to your crash-landing and the crop damage that resulted from that arrival.  And I hereby convey upon you Citizenship in our Fair City.  Welcome.”

“Thank you, your Honor.”

“Governorship, please.  Governorship.”

“Thank you, your Governorship.”

“Yes, yes.  OK, the rest of you lot can clear out.  I wish to speak with the applicants privately.”  The Governor waved the Joint Chiefs out.  Obedere hovered at the edge of the table, seething and staring death and other unpleasantnesses at Marlowe.

The Governor rose up from his expansive oak desk.  “Now to a matter I’ve wanted to discuss since you arrived.  Dad!  How did you get here!”

“Some son you are, having me committed and stealing my job!”

“I could have had you killed, dad!  Did that ever occur to you?”

“But I wasn’t insane!  I was perfectly normal, not a trace of mental abnormality in me!  How could you use the Insanity Act to commit me!”

Marlowe did a quick check via House for the Insanity Act.  Ironically, it was a law passed by his father, declaring that the claim that you weren’t insane was grounds for a finding of insanity if you were undergoing a mental review.  Committed to an asylum by his own law, which he almost certainly passed so he might commit someone who had gotten in his way.  Probably mom’s first husband.

“You!  You’re going straight back to the asylum where you belong.”

Jebediah bristled, his chest swelling with rage.  “You can’t send me back!  I won’t go.  I won’t let you send me!”

“Artie!  Get in here now!  We’ll see who can and can’t do what.”

“Um, brother,” interrupted Marlowe.  “May I make a suggestion?”

“What?”

“You may have averted a schism in the cabinet, but the people of the City are still rumbling in discontent.  By destroying the Brussels sprouts crop, Nina became their hero.  Embracing her will help your image, but you could improve it further by showing what a kind, generous, and compassionate individual you are.”

“Where are you going with this?” snarled the Governor.  And via email, a single question: “I thought you hated father?”

“Imagine, if you will, a press conference, where you announce clemency for Nina, who is standing to your right, and then welcome home and hug your long-lost father, standing to your left.”  Marlowe emailed back, “I did.  But he’s shown me he’s not totally devoid of humanity.  Give him a chance.”

“I want to stand on the right,” howled Jebediah.

“I don’t care which side I stand on, as long as I get clemency,” said Nina.

Jebediah crowed.  “Then it’s all settled!”

“Just a moment,” shrilled the Governor.  “I’m the one who makes the decisions around here.”

“Of course, dear brother, I’m just making a suggestion.”

“It is a good, idea, though,” continued the Governor reluctantly.  “Actually, it’s a very good idea.  Yes, that should work.  But, my acceptance of the idea is conditional.  Marlowe, I need someone to keep an eye on dad for me.  And I can’t think of a better person than you.  He can stay out of the hospital, but only if he lives with you.  That seems fair, doesn’t it?”

Marlowe’s smile imploded.  The thought if his father living with him triggered a tide of horror so overwhelming even the poker face numbing agents couldn’t resist its effect.  He turned away, hiding his face from Obedere so his old nemesis wouldn’t see the pain and disappointment on his face.  Unfortunately, he turned to Jebediah, who did see it.

“What’s the matter with you, Spares!  You look like the world’s about to end.  Hell, if you feel that strongly about it, I’ll go back to the asylum!”

Marlowe was about to take him up on the offer, but the Governor torpedoed that idea.  “Nope.  Marlowe’s right.  You’re more valuable to me politically outside.  You live with Marlowe.”

“Excuse me,” hissed Obedere, “but we have another problem.  Fortunately, I can offer the perfect solution.”

“What problem is that?” asked the Governor.

“The law requires that all citizens be members in good standing, and members can only be in good standing if they are working and generating tax revenue.  Clemency aside, Ms. Minari is unemployed.  She needs a job if she wishes to avoid the labor camps.  Fortunately,” and his eyes lit up dangerously as he said it, “I have  a position or two she can assume back in the Ministry of Policing.”

It was Nina’s turn to bristle.  “I don’t think so.  I’d rather be executed than work for you!”

“That can be arranged,” was Obedere’s oily response.

“Actually, brother, I agree with Obedere that Nina needs a job.”

Marlowe’s outbreak sent a shock wave of silence through the room.  He couldn’t tell who looked more surprised, Obedere or his brother.  Then he saw Nina’s face, and decided she had the other two beat by a kilometer.  “The idea had already occurred to me, and I have a counter-proposal to Obedere’s suggestion.  I’ve recently discovered that I could use a bodyguard, and Nina has already proven herself more than capable of filling that role.”  He turned to Nina.  “If you’re interested, that is.  A job to get you by until something better comes along.”

Nina took Marlowe’s hand and shook it firmly.  “You’ve got a deal.  After everything I’d been through with you, one thing is painfully clear.  You need looking after.”

“Fabulous,” said the Governor.  “It’s all settled then.  Now if you’ll follow me out to the front of City Hall, I’ve called a press conference.  Mustn’t let the people worry about Nina’s status any longer than absolutely necessary.”

The press conference was long and uncomfortable.  The press had a lot of questions for the Governor and Nina, and since the longer the press conference went on, the more upset Obedere seemed to get, Marlowe’s brother seemed disinclined to wrap things up in a timely fashion.  Marlowe stayed as far back as he could, in the shadow of a marble pillar, and wasn’t called upon to answer any questions.  His brother was coming out of the matter OK, emphasizing his roll in preventing Obedere from summarily executing Nina right after the crash.  Nina, it was clear to Marlowe, was coming out of it far better than just OK.  Even the supposedly unbiased and indifferent press was gushing over her.  She was turning into a regular folk hero.

The drive back after the press conference was long and uncomfortable.  No amount of doping by the nano probes was dulling Marlowe’s hunger, and the others looked pretty famished too.  On top of that, the Studebaker had strained its magno coils driving up the side of the high rise and blown out its shocks, so every nanometer of variation in the road surface was translated into several centimeters of bounce.  Jebediah was in the back seat, having slipped back into a less lucid state and muttering to himself.  Nina’s gaze swept back and forth as she tried to take in all of the City, this time without the stress of a death sentence hanging over her.  Marlowe thought.  And the more he thought, the less he liked what he was thinking about.

The Marlowe assassination case was still wide open.  Why was he killed?  What was the motive?  The modus operandi of the murder and the attempted murder were completely different.  The murder had been quick and efficient, a major inconvenience in Marlowe’s morning, requiring a resurrection and lost time pouring over video surveillance.  The trap in the recon parlor had been more personal, not immediately killing him, more like a sick and twisted game, toying with him, leaving him pinned down and knowing he was doomed.  Except he had escaped.

And then there was Obedere’s PDI-killing virus going off at the sewage plant.  The timing had almost been permanently fatal.  Once the exit had been sealed off, he couldn’t call for help.  It seemed unlikely that Obedere’s virus kicking in as the explosions started was a coincidence.  Marlowe couldn’t prove the connection absolutely, but Obedere’s past behavior made it clear who was responsible.  If one assumed that the attack in the recon parlor had been intended to cause Marlowe a permanent, unrecoverable death, then his managing to survive would have thrown a major wrench in the works.  The sewage tank incident had all the hallmarks of an improvised attempt to finish him off after Tray’s itchy trigger failed.

“House, have you had any luck checking into the City Gas and Electric tanker truck that nearly blew us up?”

“I did penetrate the CG&E systems, but it’s been slow going.  None of the trucks have been reported missing.  I’ve been surreptitiously querying all of the trucks, asking for their current status.  So far, the ones I’ve queried have all responded.  I have to go slowly though to avoid generating suspicious comm traffic and alerting the sys admin.  In addition, the trucks tend to gossip.”

“Try a new search criteria.  Let’s assume the attack in the sewage treatment plant was improvised after we survived the recon parlor bomb.  The truck would have been called off its normal route to go to the site.”

“Yes, but the truck thought it was following its normal route.”

“We don’t know that.  We only know it thought it was at the right place.”

“Hmm, an interesting point.  A bit of a long shot, but I’ll try it.  I’ll check the delivery logs and get back to you.”

“Thanks, House.”

Marlowe went back to thinking as the Studebaker jerked in fits and starts through the heavy traffic.  Even if the attack at the sewage plant had been improvised, it still didn’t explain how he had been infected with the virus.

“House, get me Huggy Bear, please.”

“One moment.”

Nina looked over.  “Still working?  Don’t you think you’re entitled to a bit of a rest, at least for the rest of the day?  We’ve all been through a lot.”