No Direction Home (23 page)

Then we're well and truly fucked.

Once everyone had taken their usual places in the Briefing Room, Ferreira came straight to the point: ‘Major Vinter has effectively called this meeting, short notice or not. He did not see fit to explain why, unfortunately.' He gave Vinter a withering glare, then nodded. ‘I trust this is not going to be a waste of everyone's time. Proceed, Major.'

‘Thank you, Colonel. I simply didn't want to waste my own time repeating all this after running it by you first. OK. Last night, I received a direct message from Stalker through our internal comms system.'

‘A direct message?' interjected Varaphan, incredulously. ‘How was that possible? There is no record of any further signal from Stalker.'

Vinter nodded. ‘You may well ask, Major. It seems as if they can penetrate our internal comms system at will – and without being detected. The message was routed directly to me and did not show up on our monitoring protocols at all.' He shrugged. ‘Look, we knew they could do that, anyway, with Teixeira, so this shouldn't come as any surprise. In any case, that is the least of our problems. It appears that Stalker, or, to put it more accurately,
Atlantis
, has a similar clone to me on board. It was this clone who contacted me.'

‘A clone?' Ferreira asked, but almost as if he felt obliged to put the question.

‘You heard me, and don't try and tell me you didn't know I'm a clone.'

Ferreira hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. ‘Yes, I knew that – but how long have
you
known?'

‘I've suspected it ever since you used that Augmented Mode crap on me. I looked it up. The–'

‘You looked it up? Where?' Ferreira demanded. ‘That is Restricted Data.'

Vinter smiled lazily. ‘Your security isn't as total as you fondly imagine, Colonel. Perhaps you need a halfway decent Security Officer… The point is that the technology was specifically developed for use in a clone. It doesn't work with an ordinary human, because you've got to build in additional modifications to deal with the augmentation demands – more lung capacity, greater physical strength and speed, lower heart rate, better hand/eye co-ordination, faster synapses and reflexes, the lot. The fact is that thirty seconds in Combat Mode would kill a normal human being – they'd literally die of heat exhaustion. Even half that time would leave them in need of hospitalisation. You can only build the modifications into a clone while it's being grown – so I'm a clone. So is he.'

‘You seem very calm about it.'

‘Why not? I'm a fucking superman, after all, so what more could I ask for? In any case, we're missing the point. EarthCorp – and, yes it
is
EarthCorp, after all – have their own Vinter, Mark Two, or maybe even Three, aboard, so if you were thinking that I was any sort of advantage over them, you need to think again.'

‘One moment,' Yung-Sien interrupted. ‘You say you were talking to this other Vinter? He belongs to EarthCorp.' He gave Vinter a look of naked suspicion. ‘So whose side are
you
on? What were you talking about?'

‘Oh, come on, he's just another version of me, that's all. He isn't
actually
me, is he? They took over the research project that produced me – or got there before you lot did, anyway. They'd have all the facilities to grow another clone, with the same set of memories as me–'
Well, not quite, because they didn't use the Anji and Emma version, but let's not complicate the issue just yet…
‘– but suitably adapted to ensure his loyalty to EarthCorp. They'll have at least the same measure of control over him as you have over me–'
use of irony here, well done…
‘– and quite possibly, more, because they'll have taken over a project that was at least seven years further on than when they rolled me off the production line. They obviously know about me and have brought him along to even things up.'

‘How do you know they've got him under control?' Ferreira asked.

‘They wouldn't have brought him along if they didn't, would they? If he's not going to do what they tell him, he ain't going to be much use to them, is he?'

‘Would he have similar capabilities – or will he be more advanced?'

‘At least equal – as to more advanced, they've had more time to develop the technology and hardwiring, but who knows how much of an advantage that gives them – you'd need to talk to a specialist for that, but we don't seem to have any aboard, do we? Funny that… The point is that they'll have a much better idea of my capabilities than we'll ever have of his.'

‘I see,' said Ferreira impatiently. ‘Let's leave that for the moment, shall we? What we need to do is to consider is the content of the message. So, Major, to get back to the question Major Yung-Sien was asking and which you have, so far, avoided answering. What
were
you and the other clone discussing?'

Vinter didn't miss the reference to
the other clone
, but there was no expression on his face as he said, ‘Basically, whether either side is willing to surrender, or even to talk peace terms. I was right – we
are
their only chance of survival. The damage to their iceshield and the consequent loss of propellant will prove fatal to them. They won't be able to slow down enough at PlanetFall, which means that they are going to try and capture us.'

‘He told you all this?'

‘Yes, he did.'

‘Why was he so forthcoming?'

‘Because he doesn't agree with what's going on any more than I do – but then he wouldn't, would he? Because he's me, as near as dammit, so he's going to think the same way, isn't he? Like me, he thinks we ought to pool our resources and work out some way of saving as many colonists as we can from both ships, but he's faced with the same problem as I've got, which is a complete refusal on the part of the military authorities to even consider it.'

‘Vinter, I warn you–'

‘Oh, come on, my views on the situation are not exactly secret, are they? But, before you start thinking we've got a potential ally on Stalker, forget it – he's just as much under control, in the final analysis, as I am. He can disagree with his bosses all he likes, but once he's given the trigger phrase, he'll be out to kill or destroy us in any way that he can. He'll do what he's bloody well told – the same as me,' he added, bitterly.

Captain Sharma –
Strategic Analysis
, Vinter reminded himself – raised his hand, almost self-consciously. ‘A question, please?' he asked Ferreira, who nodded permission. Sharma turned to Vinter. ‘Did the two of you discuss anything else, Major?'

‘We talked about what had happened on Earth immediately after we left.'

‘Anything else?'

Nothing I want to talk to you about…
‘Not really, no.'

‘So the only purpose to the message was to inform you – us – of his presence on board and to sound you out about a possible deal between the two ships. Is that an accurate assessment?'

Vinter nodded, cautiously. ‘I'd say it was,' he agreed.

‘But he must have known that neither side will trust the other sufficiently to come to such a deal?'

‘I would guess he knew there wasn't a lot of chance of that, yes.'

‘So what was the
real
point of the message?'

Good question… And not one I especially want to answer, in all honesty.
But then again, why the hell not?
‘Because he wanted to talk – to me.'

Ferreira seemed about to ask the obvious question –
Why?
– but then his expression changed and he nodded slowly. ‘Go on.'

Vinter leaned forward and rubbed his face tiredly. ‘He knew that it was the only chance we were ever going to have to talk to each other. The next time we meet, we'll be trying to kill each other. And neither of us really want to do that if we can possibly avoid it.' He stifled a smile at their startled expressions. ‘Look, how much do you guys know about Civil Wars – American or English, whatever? Where you sometimes had families fighting on both sides? Imagine you find yourself confronted by your brother or a cousin in a combat situation – would you
really
want to kill him?
Really
? Only, this time, we're talking about killing someone who isn't just a brother – he's
me
, for fuck's sake.'

Ferreira nodded thoughtfully. ‘I take your point, Captain – and I do not envy you, if truth be told.'

Now, it was Vinter's turn to be surprised;
Dammit, every so often, he shows he's human after all
.

‘That's as may be,' said Sharma brusquely. ‘But what concerns me, to be frank, is that you and your clone could have been plotting together. You said it yourself – it would seem that neither you nor your double is totally committed to their causes, so what else were you talking about?'

‘You mean what scheme were we hatching to overthrow both New Dawn
and
EarthCorp with just the two of us?
That
scheme? Look, when it comes to the crunch and we face off against each other in Augmented Mode, we will have no choice in the matter, will we? More to the point, there is no way that we will both survive it, right? We could come up with all the schemes in the world and it won't matter a damn once those trigger phrases kick in – you know that as well as I do.' He realised he was on his feet, yelling down at Sharma, who had visibly recoiled in his seat; Ferreira already had the control device in his hand…

He sighed, forcing himself to regain control, then sat slowly down again. ‘Look,' he said softly. ‘May I remind you that I was the one that reported this to you, on the grounds that I had been given important tactical information that needed to be passed on. Which is what I have done. I didn't have to do so, and if I hadn't, none of you would even have known it had happened, so does that sound as if I'm in league with the enemy?' He let out a bitter laugh. ‘I do
not
need all this shit…'

Vinter looked steadily at each of the others in turn. ‘In league with the enemy? Is that really what you think? For fuck's sake, one of us is going to have to kill the other one… isn't that enough for you bastards?

*****

The sun had been shining brightly through the large window behind him; the day was going to be a scorcher…

‘You're sure that your office is secure, Inspector?'

Vinter smiled faintly. ‘If this office isn't, Ms Guedioura, then nowhere is.'

She returned the smile, briefly. ‘I'll take your word for it. We'll proceed then, shall we?'

Vinter nodded assent, all the while watching her intently across the desk. He had never met Khalida Guedioura before, but was aware that she held a somewhat vague, albeit very prestigious, post in UNHQ. Her official title was Director of Research (although of exactly what had never really been made clear), but, as far as he knew, she did not come from any scientific background; with her stylish, but very definitely power dressing, outfit, she had to be Administration. North African background, probably Algerian or Tunisian, judging by the name, age mid-forties, shrewd eyes and not to be under-estimated; to get where she was, she either had friends in high places or was simply damn good at her job. Vinter suspected the latter to be the case.

‘Project Demeter,' she said, bluntly. ‘How much do you know about it?'

‘Not that much,' he admitted. ‘Something to do with cloning.'

Her lips compressed momentarily. ‘Even that is more than we would like.'

‘I have to know something about all the projects that require UNSEC personnel, even if they're only on guard at the gates. I do have an A1 security classification, after all.'

‘True,' she agreed, grudgingly.

‘Not only that, it's also part of the Terra Nova Project, isn't it? And I'm in charge of overall pre-launch security for that as well.'

She seemed to hesitate, then said, ‘Not just in charge of pre-launch security, either, Inspector. It's unofficial at the moment, but I may as well tell you that you have been selected for the Project itself. Along with your wife and daughter, that is. So, strictly off the record, of course, may I be the first to congratulate you, Inspector?'

‘Thank you,' Vinter said, momentarily at a loss for words, even though he could hardly claim it had come at a total surprise; he had been short-listed some months earlier.

‘And, therefore, you will also be UN's Head of Security at PlanetFall.'

Vinter stared directly at her. ‘So they've decided that they're going to need one after all?'

‘Reluctantly, yes.'

Vinter nodded. The planners had not been so
naïve
that they had not included a small police force in the Project's organisation right from the start – two thousand colonists, even hand-picked ones, would have at least some individuals who would not always obey either the letter or the spirit of the law – but upgrading the requirement to a Security Section implied that they had finally taken some notice of his warnings after all. ‘So they realise the Project's security has been compromised?'

‘Given its size and scope, it would have been remarkable if it hadn't, wouldn't you agree? But yes, the powers that be have taken note of your reports and have expanded your responsibilities accordingly. However, in addition, as from today, they will include Project Demeter to the same extent as for Terra Nova.'

‘They think Demeter's been penetrated as well?'

‘They are seriously concerned that this is the case, yes.' She seemed to hesitate, then asked, ‘How much do you actually know about Demeter, Inspector?'

He shrugged. ‘Not much beyond the cloning angle. I assume they're trying to clone a human being, but how close to success they are is anyone's guess. Also that it's linked to Terra Nova, in that they plan to deep freeze cloned embryos and take them along to PlanetFall as extra colonists further on down the line.'