Rhythm of the Imperium (9 page)

Lopez leaned to the left, as if listening to someone who was not within range of the video pickups.

“We’re seeing an intruder, too, Captain Wold. We thought we were well defended! This is not a straightforward attack on our systems. It seems to be coming through personal accounts.”

“Sending override information to your ships,” Ormalus said. “Confirm?”

Lopez listened and nodded again. Colwege did, too. “Confirmed, lieutenant.”

“Please forward the data to me, lieutenant,” Parsons said. “Along with the portals they used to invade the system.”

The Uctu gave him a severe look. “Mine not fault.”

“Nor my comm officer,” Colwege said, lowering his snowy eyebrows threateningly.

“Most likely not,” Parsons agreed. “The Kail have a reputation for being able to interact with electronic systems. Curious for a race that manufactures no technology of its own.”

“How do we defend against it?” Wold asked.

“Require approval for any incoming data. Automatically weed out all casual requests. Shut down access to the Infogrid except as needed until we are out of contact with the
Whiskerchin.
”

Wold exploded in outrage. “That will cripple us! We have streams coming in from all over! Our transmissions will slow below a crawl.”

“Assign LAIs to monitor. They can process exabytes of data faster than the passive systems. Run virus checks on their systems frequently to ensure that they have not been corrupted themselves. It would be wise to add layers of security.”

“But LAIs will be able to tell if their systems are faulty,” Lopez said. “I trust my people, all of them, flesh or circuit-based.”

“Better to have redundant checks,” Wold said. The bright spots appeared on xir fine skin. “Make it so, exec. I feel as though we are under siege. An attack will almost certainly result in some casualties. I want to avoid involvement in a raid, but we will do what we have to to protect the
Jaunter
. Our escorts are intended to provide cover if we need to cut and run, not to start a war.”

“They need our help,” Lord Thomas said. “The Wichu are our allies, and they are prisoners on their own ship. Shouldn’t we do what we can to remove the Kail?”

“Short of attempting to breach the
Whiskerchin
?” Wold asked. “That is not in my brief, my lord. The defense of the Emperor’s family is of paramount importance! You are our priority.”

“That’s all well and proper,” Thomas said, “but is there no middle way you can determine?”

“Not under these circumstances, Lord Thomas!”

“There might be a way we can gain leverage,” Parsons said, calmly. “It is convenient that Lord Thomas has joined us.”

“How so?” Wold asked.

“The Kail seek Proton Zang. We are to take it and its human escort, Dr. Derrida, on board. You captains each received the details of its proposed meeting point via secured data packet this morning, as did I. If we take the Zang on board the
Jaunter
before the Kail encounter it, we will have an upper hand. The Kail will need to negotiate through us to interact with the Zang. We can demand terms, including the release of the Wichu vessel or the Wichu crew.”

“They are monitoring us,” Colwege pointed out. “They’ll know if we send the military escort we had intended. The
Whiskerchin
’s sensors will see weapons and troop movement and follow it to our destination!”

“Then we will not send a military escort,” Parsons said. “Lord Thomas, as I have already indicated, is a resourceful individual. He will go to meet the Zang.”

“One man in a shuttle will attract as much attention as a troop carrier,” Lopez said.

“Then we will hide him in a crowd,” Parsons said. “We will allow the rest of the nobles to fly down to the surface as a group. Once there, they will scatter to the four winds, making it difficult for the Kail to determine which if any to follow. That will necessitate requiring them to leave their pocket secretaries and viewpads behind, not to mention any LAI employees and servants.”

“Why not bring simply it on board with an official escort?” Captain Colwege asked.

“Well, it would seem too anxious, wouldn’t it?” Lord Thomas asked. “As military personnel, your presence would seem to make a statement that the Zang is being taken into custody to prevent it making contact with the Kail—which is rather what you have in mind, isn’t it? But if I invite it on board, then it’s just the courtesy of a cousin of the Emperor himself making our visitor welcome. I can even bring it gifts. I’ve choreographed a dance of welcome, complete with original music and lighting effects …” His hands rose again to describe an arc.

“No, my lord,” Parsons said, heavily. “No dancing. Pray comport yourself with dignity.”

The young man looked crestfallen. “Oh, very well,” he said, his voice falling into a singsong recitation as though he was a small child being chided by his mother. “I will be as careful with my courtesy as I would during the visit of a head of state to the Imperium court. I will watch out for any Kail wandering about the place, and obey my security detachment in case of alarums and excursions. I will not endanger myself or my guests unduly. I will exhibit decorum as befitting someone of my station and responsibilities. Will that be suitable, captain? If something happens to me, my mother will understand. She is not unaware of my comings and goings.”

Wold shook xir head. “No. I can’t let them go unguarded. The Emperor would have my scalp if something happened to one of them.”

“I’m willing to do it,” Lord Thomas said. His eyes shone. He was undoubtedly picturing storybook heroics in which he was the chief protagonist. “Send Redius with me. He’s amazing at hand-to-hand combat with a bokken. I’ll bring my sword and pistol. None of them have any technological elements, unless you count a firing pin. It’s in the name of Imperium security, isn’t it, as well as the defense of our allies? My cousins will be eager to participate under these circumstances. We like an interesting subterfuge in a good cause.”

“They will be unaware of the subterfuge, my lord. You may express to each of them that they need to leave devices behind because of the situation, but for their own safety, not to aid the Wichu.”

“Oh, very well!” Thomas rose from his seat and went through a gyration that seemed to suggest disappointment and the dislike of being under authority. He sank back into his seat. “We shall do as you suggest. What about it, captain?”

Parsons watched the idea percolate through the consciousness of each of the three captains. Wold held xir viewpad to xir lips. Lopez and Colwege did the same. They conferred in private for a moment. Wold turned to Parsons.

“Are you sure you can trust this … young man?” Wold asked. Parsons could tell that the word for which the latter phrase was substituted was not complimentary to Lord Thomas. “We do not want to offend the Zang by sending a … a non-diplomat.” That, too, was a euphemism for the captain’s original thought.

“It has indicated through its representative that it wants to study us. Lord Thomas will be as good a specimen as any with which to begin.”

Thomas brightened and his hands began to describe some symbol. Parsons turned a steadying look upon him that caused him to fall motionless. His lordship had presented the captain with his credentials from the secret service, but his requirements for obtaining passage off the ship would be thwarted if he appeared too unsteady.

“Very well, your lordship,” Wold said. “We’ll arrange a shuttle for you immediately. Just you.”

“Splendid! But what about my cousins? And, if I have not emphasized the importance of her wants and needs, my sister?”

“I am very reluctant to let the rest of them go. It might be very dangerous while the Kail are abroad.”

“If I go, they will kick up a ridiculous fuss if they’re not allowed to come, too,” Lord Thomas pointed out. “Are you prepared to have your Infogrid file bombarded with plaintive and increasingly shrill messages from them and their many correspondents? I assure you, my cousin Erita is capable of some dangerously pointed sarcasm.”

“We will assign security to each of the nobles,” Parsons offered, as the captain wavered. “They will be at least as well protected spread out on a planet as they are confined within one ship. If one is attacked, which is most unlikely considering that the Kail do not seek to interact with humans, the others will have warning and can take cover. I can ensure that their bodyguards carry devices that will block them from tracking devices. I will accompany them, but Lieutenant Plet can oversee the operation.” Plet, beside Thomas, straightened her already upright back another two degrees. “The nobles will go about their business without hindrance, as they would on an ordinary occasion, allowing Lord Thomas to make the single contact that is necessary.”

“That sounds like a license to commit mayhem,” Wold said dryly. “Particularly in light of the tracking blockers.”

“Naturally,” Lord Thomas said, with a boyish grin. “How I wish that such a thing had been in my possession when I was on Kazuro 5 … but I digress. I will meet the Zang and escort it here, under cover of touring, shopping and carousing while you deal with the Kail. What do you say? I have been gone a long time. I hope to return to my cousins with welcome news.”

The captain exchanged glances with Parsons and xir fellow senior officers.

“Very well. It sounds like the best solution. If necessary, all of you must take to ground on Counterweight. No heroics!”

“You have my word,” Thomas said, with a hand over his heart. “We are very good at concealing ourselves when there is trouble. You won’t see us for dust. The Zang and I will be in the same hiding place, waiting for your retrieval.” He rose gracefully from the chair. “I’ll have my cousins ready for departure within the hour.”

“And remember, my lord,” Parsons cautioned, as Lord Thomas made for the door, “no dancing!”

Thomas wrinkled his nose.

“You absorb all the fun in the room, Parsons, like a veritable black hole. Have I ever mentioned that?”

Parsons allowed himself a minor sigh.

“Frequently, my lord.”

The door slid shut behind the young man, and the red lights circled the portal to reinstate security protocols. Wold lowered xir thin brows and stared at Parsons.

“Are you sure this is the best way to make contact with the Zang?”

Parsons allowed his shoulders to rise and fall no more than a millimeter.

“What better camouflage than a collection of profligate nobles on the loose across the world? If the Kail have not been able to pinpoint the Zang by themselves, then we have a negotiating point to free the Wichu. It is worth a try.”

CHAPTER 9

“Thomas, you have saved the day!” Nell said, giving me another fierce hug as we sailed down in a spiraling orbit toward Counterweight’s surface. She and my cousins had accepted the presence of the bodyguards without a second thought.

“Well done,” Xan admitted. “I’m perfectly happy to add this lovely lady to my dinner party. We shall have a wonderful time.” He bowed to Plet, who looked nervous and wary. My cousin had a reputation with women, and Plet knew it, but he was also no fool. An unwilling partner was an unwelcome one. If she had shown interest, he might have pursued her. As it was, he would not even exude innuendo in her direction, not that she trusted his reticence. Knowing Xan, I didn’t blame her. He had only left his three current inamoratas at home because one of them had to return to her job as chief broadcaster on one of Taino’s popular news networks, and the others had to return to their master’s degree studies. Two of the others had come along, though they had been forced to remain aboard the
Jaunter
during this excursion.

Nell eyed Lieutenant Dorr Stover, who was to be her second throughout the jungle expedition. Since the guards were to wear mufti, she had insisted he don riding clothes and a wide-brimmed hat. He looked awkward in both.

“You’re sure you can ride an elephant?” she asked.

“I’ll hang on as best I can, my lady,” he promised.

“Hmph,” Nell snorted, clearly unconvinced. “We’ll see.”

Jil took the offer of an escort better than most of the others. After all, she had flown with my crew all the way to the Uctu Autocracy and back. During that time, she had struck up a friendship with Oskelev, the pilot of the
Rodrigo
and the finest helmsWichu in the Imperium. Oskelev had on her finest off-duty harness. I knew that hidden within her thick white fur was an analog-powered arsenal. I need fear nothing for the safety of Jil or the others in her coterie. Besides Sinim, Jil had brought along a naturalist from Taino’s top wildlife preserve, which occupied an entire small continent at the equator; a musical trio, and a reflexologist. They wore beach attire. Quite some persuasion had been required in order for her to bring them to the surface with her. The rest of my cousins had security personnel from the
Jaunter
’s crew as their seconds. I could tell that Nalney’s escort was going to have to keep track of all his many garments and accessories on the go. He was absentminded about property to the point of absurdity, capable of returning home wrapped in a towel because he had forgotten where he had placed his outerwear when he went swimming. His pocket secretary was programmed to remind him whenever he put something down. He was clad in his favorite emerald green.

My party of three was dressed for hot weather. Contact had been opened over secure channels with Dr. Derrida, changing frequencies again and again whenever a breach was detected. She informed Parsons that she and Proton Zang would meet me in the complex of whistling sandstone caves complex three hundred kilometers south of the main city, Nerk. Redius wore a desert robe that he had obtained during our sojourn to the Autocracy and looked suitably mysterious with the hood pulled almost down to his short, blunt muzzle. I wore light, loose-fitting stone-gray clothes of natural fabric that provided ease of movement, and a broadbrimmed hat. Because my mission was unofficial in nature, I had to suggest to my relatives that I was looking for inspiration among the remains of humanity’s ancient history on Counterweight. My promised pub crawl and other activities would follow, once I had gained sufficient enlightenment. In a way, that part was true. I would return to the ship knowing what it was like to meet a Zang. Madame Deirdre wore thin, moss-green leggings under a knee-length caftan. Her long silver hair was knotted up on the top of her head underneath a wide sun hat.

“I have a list of some of the most interesting ruins,” I said. “I have arranged for a guide to take us around to some of the best, including the Temple of Sport, the Government Labyrinth, the Corporate Citadels, a number of enclosed marketplaces, and a few castles. We’ll end at a magnificent wilderness site that I long to see. All of those ought to inform my understanding of my ancestors and provide marvelous material for new performances. And I look forward to seeing what inspiration Madame Deirdre will gain from the same places. I anticipate that they will have little in common but the source, but that is the joy of interpretation. To each one’s own.”

Deirdre’s eyes shone. “I can’t tell you how delighted I am!” she gushed. “I couldn’t have afforded a trip to Counterweight on my own. The grandchildren are going to be so excited! I have to find them something special as mementos.”

“We shall,” I promised her, “if I have to commission something from a local craftsman to make them.”

“Stand up, please, my lord.” I rose to my feet and held my arms out from my sides so Lieutenant Plet could scan me. She took her duties seriously. She checked with each of the guards one at a time to ensure that no one was carrying any devices that could be detected or corrupted by Kail transmissions. Nearly all my relatives complained about the lack of cameras and other recording devices with which to take pictures or videos of our sojourn that could be uploaded to the Infogrid, but as I pointed out, Infogrid booths and freelance photographers abounded across the planet. They would not lack appropriate documentation for bragging rights among our relatives who had not made the journey. And, no limits had been placed upon souvenirs they might choose to bring back with them. Parsons had also provided us with mechanical cameras that made passive images, which would have to do.

“Many of the merchants below make their living selling digitavids of the sights,” he had pointed out. “It would be courteous to peruse their offerings and enrich the locals.”

“Well, we can afford it,” Nalney had said, heartily. “Why not? As long as I can get my picture taken in the giant waterfall up in the Fanbrel Mountains, I’ll be happy. It’ll make Nole as green as an emerald that he didn’t come, too.”

“If you don’t lose the pictures on the way home,” Xan said, with a mischievous grin.

“I won’t! Not with this responsible fellow to look after me!” Nalney tapped his security guard in the chest with the back of his hand.

I smiled to myself, knowing that his brother could not be too far behind us, and might even have drawn ahead. I would keep my promise to Nole in any case, but it was rather fun to know something that no one else did. On the other hand, Parsons probably had a trace on Nole’s new ship and could tell me where it was to the microparsec. In fact, I would have wagered a large portion of my next quarter’s income that he had seen it, explored it, and installed listening devices throughout. I glanced toward the rear of the shuttle, where Parsons sat alone, black-clad and black-haired, monolithic, like an obsidian statue of a benevolent deity watching over us. His dark eyes met mine for a brief instant, then shifted a few degrees upward, disconnecting from my gaze. The man was uncanny. It felt almost as though he had switched off and become inert like the statue of my fancy.

Nell stared dreamily out of the port at the planet, which grew nearer and nearer with every pass. Eight continents, two large and the rest small, were arrayed in a rough pattern that approximated an infinity symbol set in an ascending angle that wrapped from well below the equator to well above. The rest of the planet was winking blue ocean studded with green and brown archipelagoes, and topped and tailed by white ice caps that stretched out 15 degrees from each pole. Glaciers straddled the heights on the most northern and southern reaches of the continents. We would be landing on the third-largest continent, which featured active volcanoes, vast jungles and the longest river on Counterweight.

“It’s absolutely beautiful, isn’t it?” she said. “I wonder how much like Earth it is.”

“We’ll have to take our ancestors’ word for it,” Xan said. He leaned toward us confidentially. “Some people say this is Earth itself, but terraformed after a cataclysm of some kind.”

“If this was Earth, wouldn’t they have found a billion tons of artifacts?” Nalney said, scornfully. “I’ve heard too many tales of the plastic continent in the Ocean of Serenity and the Cities of Rust.”

“It probably is Earth,” Jil said, with a toss of her magnificent waves of caramel-toned hair. “I would like to think so. All those artifacts were probably sold to tourists and museums thousands of years ago! Otherwise, it’s just pure carelessness that our ancestors mislaid our homeworld like that. If you ask me, they only want us to think it’s somewhere else so we won’t flock here like vultures and ruin the place.”

“It’s too hard to get to,” Rillion said, yawning. His long red hair was braided into a queue under his sun hat. “Actually, you make a good case, Jil. Thomas, doesn’t your father say that his brother lives on Earth?”

“Uncle Laurence?” I asked. I laughed, perhaps a little too loudly. Nell joined me. “He loves to travel. Perhaps he said once that he was looking for Earth, and Father likes to keep up the joke.”

“That’s it, surely,” Rillion said, looking ashamed of himself. I was defensive about my father’s mental fragility, and the others usually refrained from making comments that would point at it. “If you find Uncle Laurence here, be sure and introduce us.”

“I certainly will,” I said. After all, this lovely blue world was as good a place for him to be. I reached for my viewpad to send him a message, then remembered that it was back in my cabin. Ah, well, there were public portals I could use on the surface. “What if it is Earth, after all?”

The idea began to percolate through my mind. Before I knew it, I was starting to believe it. It resembled the ancient three-dee images that had survived from the ancient times. If Earth had not been destroyed in the cataclysm that drove humankind into space, it might look like this now. History had become such a muddle in the last ten millennia. What, after all, was the truth?

“Look out, all!” Xan called, bracing himself against the port to watch. “We’re landing!”

We all cheered as the shuttle hissed onto its landing strip.

Parsons left the ship unobtrusively while officials hustled the young nobles and their escorts into the VIP area of Customs and Immigration. There had been a few small complaints about the lack of personal technology, but there was simply no need for any. Their identities were easily verified through biometric matching and DNA scan. Payments for purchases would be carried out in the same way. Plet was fully briefed on every process that any of the Imperium family might need while on Counterweight.

From a pocket in the back of his tunic, he shook out a bright green caftan and slipped it on. The massive hood concealed his face from onlookers, though the fabric was woven so he had perfect visibility through it in all directions. The thread also distorted biometric scanners. No one would recognize him, nor, he reflected as he left the building by a side door and slipped out into the street and joined the brightly-clad mass on the move under the warm summer sun, notice him at all.