Trial by Fire - eARC (86 page)

Apt-Counsel’s translator made a sound that mimicked a sigh—poorly. “Sadly, this is true. And since the Accord forbids member-races from revealing information pertaining to any race other than itself, only the Arat Kur could reveal that they identify homo sapiens as the destroyer race of their prehistory.”

“A belief which made them extremely dependable allies, didn’t it?” Caine asked. “They were already committed to the outcome you desired: cripple Earth. But their motivation was a misguided survival imperative: prevent the return of the human destroyers. And given what they believed to be at stake, no cost was too great, no subterfuge too base, no act too extreme. You were able to recruit a race of fanatics.”

Sukhinin’s frown had nearly pulled his eyebrows beneath his brow line. “Are you saying the Ktor put the war in motion with the final objective of exterminating us?”

“Maybe not extermination. But bashing us back a few centuries? Sure. It was only logical that they’d try again.”

Visser snapped, “What was their first attempt, then?”

“Their first attempt was the doomsday rock, Ms. Visser. You’ve read the classified reports. Now ask
him
about it.”

Visser looked at Apt-Counsel, whose empty arm servos whirred faintly, like an amputee trying to shrug with a missing shoulder. “I am not disposed to discuss such wild accusations.”

Visser edged forward, not breathing. “Do you deny it?”

“I am not disposed to discuss it.”

Sukhinin was transitioning from pink to red. “
Shto?
I have seen the briefings and Downing’s recent speculations, but—is this possible?”

Caine rubbed his chin. “That would be a good question to ask Nolan, or Arvid Tarasenko. They both had years to think about the implications of discovering that an alien mass driver had been used to push the doomsday rock at us. Oh, but wait. They’re both dead—and both within forty-eight hours of us announcing the existence of possibly hostile exosapients at the Parthenon Dialogs. Strange coincidence, that.”

Sukhinin shrugged. “Yet, autopsies showed that both men did die of natural causes, Caine.”

“That’s not quite accurate. The autopsies were not definitive. They simply discovered nothing that our medicine recognizes as foul play. So ‘natural causes’ was the default finding, particularly after investigations into their deaths found no evidence pointing to the typical rogue’s gallery of terrestrial actors: rival states, megacorporations, terrorists.” He looked pointedly at Apt-Counsel. “But in the last few weeks, I’ve started wondering if we were looking too close to home, all along.”

“And how is it that we could have had a hand in these events?” the Ktor asked.

“I’ll get to that in a moment, Ambassador Apt-Counsel. But first I want to understand why it’s equally acceptable to your plans to have the Arat Kur eliminated instead of us.”

Darzhee Kut’s claws clacked in sharp surprise. “What are you saying, Caine Riordan?”

“Well, look at where we’re all standing and how we got here, Darzhee Kut. First, you invade our world, and the Ktor are your advisors behind the scenes. But when your campaign goes to hell in a handbasket, who are the Ktor helping now? And they’re not merely helping us, Darzhee Kut. In the past thirty minutes, Ambassador Apt-Counsel has been justifying, exonerating, even indirectly encouraging us to unleash a plague that could wipe out your whole race. Now why would he do that—unless this was always a part of his plan?”

Apt-Counsel sounded amused. “First I am attempting to exterminate humanity, Mr. Riordan. Now I am attempting to exterminate the Arat Kur. Please make up your mind.”

“Oh, there’s no contradiction there, Ambassador Apt-Counsel, because, as I said, I think either outcome would suit Ktor’s long-term strategy.”

Visser shook her head once. “Where is the sense in that, Mr. Riordan?”

“Admittedly, the sense is hard to see—unless you step back from the trees of current events to survey the larger forest of what lies ahead. Which provides the perspective from which we can ask this question. What if the Ktor are not so much worried by humanity, or the Arat Kur, but by a synergy of the two?”

Ben Hwang nodded immediately. “Yes. The Hkh’Rkh were not good allies for the Arat Kur. We would have been a much better fit. Humanity is not as rash as the Hkh’Rkh yet is almost as militarily experienced, and we advance—in terms of exploration, settlement, technological development—much faster than either race.”

“Then what would we offer to such an alliance?” Darzhee Kut sounded more worried than shocked.

“Stability, efficiency, level-headed analysis, high rates of production,” replied Caine. “Darzhee Kut, I know it is hard to think of your dreaded destroyer race as your allies, but I suspect that this was part of what the Ktor wished to prevent. Because if our two species ever became unified against their objectives, we would have been a formidable obstacle. But the full extermination of one race by the other—or the cycle of vengeance that would be spawned by a failed attempt—would ensure that such an alliance could never be forged.”

Darzhee Kut’s claws made a surprised castanet sound. “You said this was only part of what the Ktor wished to prevent by prompting you to destroy my race. What is the other part?”

Caine looked at Apt-Counsel’s silent environmental tank, then at Alnduul. “They wanted to ensure our estrangement from the Dornaani.” He saw Alnduul’s mouth coil about its own center.
He’s
smiling?
Of course. He knew all along.

Sukhinin leaned his rather furry fists forward to meet their shadowmates on the reflective table-top. “Caine, explain how this could happen. It was the
Dornaani
who made it possible for us to be here above the Arat Kur homeworld. And did so their own free will.”

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean they have sanctioned genocide.”

Visser looked—somewhat anxiously—at Alnduul. “Perhaps not, but we have not concealed our plans and contingencies from the Custodians. They have known from the start what we were prepared to do.”

“Yes,” agreed Caine, “but if they had intervened, then would they learn as much about us, get as accurate a measure of who we humans are, right now? Our actions—our
independent
actions—are what define us. So, if we decide, on the advice of the Ktor, to initiate genocide, what will the Dornaani have learned?”

Darzhee Kut’s translated voice was a murmur. “That you are indeed the great destroyers we feared.”

“Precisely. And that is exactly what the Ktor want, because if they can’t eliminate us, then they want to ensure that the Dornaani will decide that we cannot be trusted.”

“And what would that achieve?”

“We would become pariahs, Vassily, like the Ktor. And so, to whom else would we be able to turn?”

“You mean—as
allies
?”

“That’s exactly what I mean, Ms. Visser. Think it through. We exterminate the Arat Kur. We become the great savages of this region of space. Our bid for Accord membership is rejected. The Ktor sympathize, probably extending similar condolences to the Hkh’Rkh, who violated the Twenty-first accord by violating a homeworld—”

“And so they build an alliance of outcasts which can undo the Accord.” Vassily was nodding, looking at the Ktor’s tank as if it held a mixture of piranha and sewage.

Visser’s nostrils had flared and stayed that way. “In that scenario, it would not even require warfare to undo the Accord. With only the Slaasriithi remaining as members, the Accord would become a travesty. It would lack both material power and political legitimacy.” She turned to Apt-Counsel. “Ambassador, were these your plans?”

“Consul Visser, surely you cannot expect me to either confirm or deny. Either response would provide you with information, whether negative or positive, about my race’s long-term diplomatic strategies.”

Visser looked as if she were about to spit at the misting tank. “I will take that to be an affirmative, Ambassador—despite your evasive sophistries. It will be made widely known among our highest command staff that all your counsel is to be reevaluated, in light of your apparent duplicity and hostility—which compassed even the possible extermination of the human race.”

Apt-Counsel’s voice sounded thoroughly unruffled. “You must do as you see fit, Consul Visser. But I assure you of this. Had there been any risk of genocide against your planet, Ktor would have interceded. Aggressively. We would have considered an act of genocide against you to be tantamount to an act of genocide against us.”

Sukhinin looked as though he was struggling with a sudden up-rush of bile. “With all due respect, Ambassador Apt-Counsel, you cannot expect us to believe you are so charitably concerned with the survival of our species when you also tried to destroy it with a space rock.”

Caine nodded slowly. “Yes, Vassily. Actually, we can believe him on this one point—although charity would have nothing to do with his desire for our survival. If the Arat Kur, or anyone else, had brought a true campaign of genocide to our homeworld, it
would
be the equivalent of bringing that invasion to the Ktor homeworld.” Caine smiled, kept a wary eye on Apt-Counsel. “In fact, it wouldn’t have merely been the
equivalent
of depopulating the Ktor homeworld. It would have been
exactly
that. Because to depopulate Earth
is
to depopulate the Ktor homeworld.”

Sukhinin frowned. “I do not understand.”

The Ktor almost sounded amused. “When did you know?”

“I was pretty sure when I came back from talking to Dr. Hwang.”

Visser’s voice was sharp. “Gentlemen. What are you talking about?”

“I’ll show you,” said Caine. “Crack open his environment tank.”

“What?!”

Caine turned to the American Marine. “Corporal, I carry the rank of Commander, am declaring this a combat situation, and am issuing you a direct order. Crack open the Ktor’s environment tank.”

Apt-Counsel’s tone was languid. “There is no need for violence. I will happily comply.”

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Far Orbit, Sigma Draconis Two

The tank came apart so easily, it was difficult to believe it had ever been an apparently seamless container. After a brief burst of air escaping, Apt-Counsel emerged like a decathlete on the half-shell, stepping free of a sensor-laden body suit, a face piece that might have been a sophisticated VR vision unit falling aside as he did so. Naked, tall, trim, almost perversely well-defined, he stood at their center, evidently unperturbed by having both his human body and identity so completely exposed. His voice reinforced the impression. “It is so constraining in there, particularly these last few months. Presuming I was under constant observation, I was not able to leave the tank. Although this is an unfortunate turn of events, it is pleasing to be done with this charade and to anticipate the prospect of real food. I wonder—do you have olives?”

Visser and Sukhinin seemed unable to speak; the Marines had their hands on their weapons; Darzhee Kut had backed up until the rear of his shell rested lightly against Alnduul’s legs. Caine did not take his eyes off the Ktor but smoothly unholstered his weapon, snapped the safety off, and centered the red dot of the aimpoint laser two centimeters above the navel. “Dr. Hwang.”

“Yes?”

“Please go at once to the CIC. Inform Admiral Silverstein that we have a situation in the conference suite requiring the utmost discretion and the immediate presence of armed personnel with the highest levels of clearance. Also tell him that it is our collective opinion that under no circumstances whatsoever are any biological weapons to be launched at the Arat Kur Homenest, at least not until all the parties here present have been fully and satisfactorily debriefed. Please also convey a description of the Ktoran ambassador’s true form and that it is the shared opinion of the persons in this room that he is not to be trusted in any matter, to any degree. And lastly, if any firearms are discharged in this room, it is to be sealed and flooded with suppressive gas. Does anyone wish to amend or alter my message?”

Silence, then Hwang said, “Caine, in the time it takes for me to run to the CIC—”

“Ben, I think it best that we don’t put that kind of message on the intercom. We want to keep this as low profile as possible. All the way under the scuttlebutt radar, if we can. Please go with all speed.”

Caine steadied the gun with his left hand as the door opened and closed.

The Ktor smiled. “You didn’t request olives.”

“All in good time, Ambassador Apt-Counsel.”

“Let us dispense with assumed names as well as appearances. I am Tlerek Sirn of the House Shethkador.”

“I can’t say that I’m pleased to meet you. However, this makes it pretty clear how you were able to influence events on Earth long before the war, before Convocation, even before Parthenon. And not only can you walk among us, you had access to Earth as well, legitimated by the Accord.”

Sukhinin looked at Caine with wide eyes.
“Shto?”

“Read the fine print of the delegation’s report, Vassily, and look at the text of the Eighteenth Accord. The current Custodians, the Dornaani, were unable to cover all their duties alone, so they were allowed to tap one additional race for assistance in monitoring and policing new and uncontacted races. That was the perfect cover for their Ktor ‘helpers’ to put ships in our system, to infiltrate agents, to start the doomsday rock in our direction—all with complete plausible deniability.”

“Do you still deny this?” Visser asked the Ktor, her voice tightly controlled.

Shethkador raised his right hand in the classic palm’s up sign of uncertainty, his middle finger’s oddly long, tapering fingernail raised like a dagger toward the ceiling. “Did I
ever
deny it? I seem to recall indicating that I was not disposed to discuss it.”

Caine nodded. “Very well, Ambassador Shethkador, we’ll leave that discussion for another time. But unless you want us to discuss your speciate origins openly with the entirety of the Arat Kur—or perhaps, the whole Accord—you will now send your
genuine
identity codes to the Homenest leadership.”