A Threat Among the Stars

by Mark Henwick

  She gathers her support in the form of the representatives of the technical team, Alice and Raul, and glides across the floor to her quarry.

  “Captain Desud. Good evening. May I introduce Systems Administration Manager Alice Jalair, and Systems Specialist Raul Garel.”

  Alice and Raul are in the gorgeous official robes all delegates wear to diplomatic events. Desud is in the slate-grey working uniform of the Foreign Ministry, ominous in its stark simplicity.

  The captain nods. “Delegates. Captain Jason Desud.”

  Since the argument on board the Xing Gerchu, Hwa is not Desud’s favorite person, so she lets Alice lead.

  “Captain, I would like to take the opportunity to establish communications with Xing on the Wújìn.” Alice dives right in. “It is not often we would have such an opportunity to discourse with a Self-Actualized Entity, let alone two from such different backgrounds.”

  “The reason for that lack of opportunity, Delegate Jalair, is the need for secrecy.” Desud’s eyes flicker to left and right to be sure there’s no one close enough to hear.

  “We understand that,” Raul says. “But you’re in geo-stationary orbit, and under the circumstances, no one is going to argue we’re not entitled to communicate through a narrow beam signal. Indeed, we should do that anyway, to ensure our security.”

  Any broadcast signal between the Wújìn and the delegation would of course be encrypted, but all encryptions are breakable eventually. Narrow beam signals are near impossible for others to eavesdrop on, though of course, the specific nature of the beam means it can be physically blocked.

  Desud concedes the point with a shrug. “By all means, if the Wújìn can implement it. However, you will be disappointed by Xing in his current state. The servers on the merchanter are not sufficient to fully host him.”

  Alice licks her lips nervously. “A dedicated narrow beam would allow distribution of processing. He could expand into our servers. We have the spare capacity, and I’m sure he would prefer to be fully active.”

  “He would,” Hwa says. “He will not react well to this prolonged idleness.”

  Desud glares at her. She is entirely correct, and he knows it.

  “To part-install himself down here on Newyan’s surface is an unacceptable risk,” Desud says. “You’re making the case that Newyan is part of a multi-system conspiracy, Delegate Hwa. If you’re right, the last thing we should do is take a chance that the conspiracy will discover the prevalence and importance of Self-Actualized Entities in Xian.”

  “I am personally well aware of the danger,” Hwa says.

  She knows the fact she looks human has caused Desud to momentarily forget that she’s not. She can’t forget. Nor can she forget the price she has paid for clearance to be on Newyan. Xing had to install a termination program in her head. If she’s captured by the Hajnal, it will kill her. She can feel the program. She mentally touches on its bleak surface the way Zara once told her children’s tongues keep exploring inside their mouths when teeth fall out.

  Desud’s face has paled. He remembers now.

  “I believe Xing would agree to those terms to regain full awareness.” Hwa presses her case. “I will install a copy of your termination program on the hosting servers.”

  She’s aware Alice and Raul have gone very quiet beside her. They do not approve of termination programs, in the same way they don’t believe they should have to commit suicide in the same circumstances. Xian protocols say they’re wrong, but she loves them for it.

  Her own termination program was installed at Desud’s insistence. He is baulking at the thought of the same device in Xing, with whom he has a long relationship, but he cannot fault her logic. And it’s not as if Xing will die if the termination program activates. He would only lose that part of himself installed at the delegation.

  She has no partial share floating in space. There were backups made before she left Kernow, but that’s no longer her, and anyway, re-creating SAEs from backups has an appalling success rate. Even those that do actually function often go mad. Desud is aware of this.

  Desud finally and reluctantly nods, his decision partly precipitated by the imminent arrival of Ministro Sánchez, who looks as if he wants to talk to Hwa and Desud.

  Desud does not realize it, but Alice has already messaged the servers, even while he was still nodding. The entire infrastructure—the narrow beam transmitter, the servers and the termination program—had been put in place awaiting his decision.

  If he’d refused Hwa might have asked Alice to go ahead anyway. Xing’s support is that vital.

  However, Hwa has been dreading this inevitable meeting with Sánchez. She needs more time. She needs Xing down here now and arguing her case with Desud to lift the embargo at least temporarily. The Ministro of the Bureau of Justice no doubt has the Bureau of Trade breathing down his neck, and he’ll be expecting her side of the deal to be ready.

  Desud will refuse if Sánchez asks him now.

  But if she tries to put him off...

  “Ministro Sánchez,” she says. “There are many steps we must take...”

  “Indeed. Yet here we all are.”

  One of Desud’s assistants touches his arm. An urgent call. Hwa feels faint with relief. She suspects it’s Xing, acting already.

  Desud mutters an apology and moves off.

  Hwa forces herself to relax and smile broadly at Sánchez. “Yes, Ministro: we are here, and in agreement with your proposals, but processes must be observed. Our internal political situation has been damaged by the... abruptness of recent actions. The way they were taken unilaterally. We must now wait for procedures to be followed, so that everyone is content when we announce a resumption of trade.”

  Sánchez is a politician. He understands exactly what she’s saying and can imagine the same situation between departments in the Newyan government.

  However, he is under pressure, and suspicious. “When?” he says simply.

  “In the course of this evening,” she says. Zara once told her of the human superstition of crossing fingers. Her fingers, hidden in the sleeves of her robe, are crossed.

  She and Xing have an hour or less to manipulate Keo, Taha, Desud and Sánchez into an arrangement. If they fail, the Hajnal survive, and the visions of the devastation to follow makes her shiver.

  Chapter 30

  Hwa

  Senior Delegate Keo and Ministro Loiola are deep in conversation.

  Hwa talks instead to Keo’s wife, Mai, until she has an opportunity to join them.

  Both the Senior Delegate and his wife are most attractive people. They are clever, sophisticated and urbane high-fliers in the Foreign Ministry. Hwa suspects Keo’s next posting will be to one of the major Inner Worlds, maybe Earth itself. Newyan, and Hwa, is lucky to have them here, now. Even if they’re temporarily outranked by Desud.

  Hwa is unsurprised to find that Mai understands everything that’s going on in the subtle diplomatic struggles that run through the room like currents through a sea. More surprising is that she’s completely supportive of Hwa.

  And her husband shares that diplomat’s ability to appear to be giving his complete attention to the person he’s speaking to, and yet retain awareness of others.

  At a pause in his conversation, he turns and beckons Hwa to approach.

  “Ministro, there’s someone you should meet. This is Delegate Hwa, the representative on Newyan of the Fortunate Stars Hong.”

  Loiola knows exactly who she is. He looks at her, his expression one of polite interest that doesn’t reach his eyes at all.

  “Ministro Loiola,” Hwa says and inclines her head fractionally.

  His eyes would make a dead shark’s look warm.

  “I always believe parties to a dispute should take the opportunity to meet outside of the formalities of court,” Keo says. “Even if one must eventually take recourse to law, such a lot of time and effort can be saved in talking beforehand.”

  “All the time and effort could be saved
, in this case,” Loiola says. “By simply not pursuing a claim that is not the direct responsibility of the Newyan government.”

  “The Duhalde is a customs cutter of the Bureau of Finance, and a naval patrol at the planar zenith of the Newyan system is the responsibility of the Bureau of Defense,” Hwa says. “Your laws are clear that, in all their actions, cutters and destroyers are to be regarded as agents of the government, empowered to carry out and enforce the government’s will.”

  She’s accurately quoting Newyan laws at him, and she’s sure he knows it. She’s equally sure of his next step, to quote back ‘extraordinary circumstances’. There’s no pretense of interest in his expression now, much less polite interest.

  He’s clearly not wanting to concede anything. Quite the reverse. He’s leaning forward, trying to loom over her, and the threat, the tension in his body, is noticeable to others. A quiet begins to spread out through the room like ripples in a pool.

  However, before he can speak, they’re interrupted by Ministro Sánchez, who clearly sees a potential situation developing that might damage his plans.

  Hwa finds it interesting that the major bureaux of Newyan don’t appear to be in complete agreement on how to proceed.

  There has to be a way to exploit that.

  “I hope I’m hearing steps to return our relationship to the previous good terms,” Sánchez says, with good cheer forced into his voice.

  “There are steps to be taken, and a hope for the resumption of good relationships at the end,” Hwa says, steeling herself. “But each step must be respected.”

  Sánchez waves. “Of course, of course. Things have happened which were not under our control, but remain our responsibility, which we must admit.”

  “I admit no such thing,” Loiola snaps back.

  “Surely—” Keo begins, but there is suddenly another participant in their conversation. Taha. No longer ‘Captain’, he now styles himself ‘Commissioner’.

  “This is a fruitless discussion,” he says. “You are needlessly antagonizing people, Delegate Hwa. All such matters come under the scope of the Enquiry, which has been in existence since shortly after the arrival of the Annan in the system, and where we will proceed in a proper and dignified fashion to assess these claims.”

  Loiola smirks.

  Sánchez pales and there seems nothing Hwa can do. She has no message from Xing. Desud is nowhere to be seen. She cannot force Sánchez to say anything until she has Desud’s agreement to lift the embargo. But just leaving Taha’s statement unchallenged gives it apparent legitimacy.

  “An arguable claim, Captain Taha,” Mai says, standing at Hwa’s shoulder.

  There is no way that she’s forgotten the title Taha’s now claiming. Hwa recalls that Mai’s background is inter-system law.

  Mai continues: “Our delegation’s legal team have examined the Accords and they’re quite explicit as to where and when an Enquiry can be commenced.”

  “Yes, yes. Such wording as was agreed hundreds of years ago.” Taha waves a hand. “The meaning, however, should be clear: an Enquiry is properly constituted when called within the jurisdiction of the government concerned.”

  “You are correct that the Accords have stood unchanged for hundreds of years,” Hwa says. “All the more reason that any changes to terms are agreed by all parties concerned, and not arbitrarily varied by the decision of Commissioners-Elect in pursuit of an Enquiry.”

  “The parties in this instance are the Newyan government, Commissioner Ivakin and me,” Taha replies. “Do you accept the notice of Enquiry, Ministro?”

  Taha has turned to Loiola, who is going to accept it.

  Sánchez clears his throat. “That would be my Bureau, the Bureau of Justice, Commissioner Taha, or Primer Ministro Eneko, who is not present.”

  “Well?” Taha turns to him and raises his eyebrow. “Will you accept it?”

  Hwa doesn’t give Sánchez the chance to answer. “Quite by chance, the Ministro and I discussed this while I was registering my court case regarding the incident with the Shohwa.” She sees Taha’s nostrils flare in anger, and goes on. “It seems that Newyan’s official doctrine is, irrespective of the timing of the transmission of notice of the Enquiry, it is the government’s acceptance of it that completes and timestamps the process. My meeting was the first business of the Ministro’s day.”

  “As it should have been.” Mai Keo smiles at Loiola and Taha as if she were discussing the weather, and continues. “It’s a serious matter. While we make no prejudgments on the findings of the investigation, surely it’s understood that it’s not out of the range of possibilities that this was, for example, an act of war.”

  Now there is a shocked silence in the room, as if she had set off a bomb. Everyone is listening.

  Loiola recovers first. “Outrageous!” he splutters.

  Mai Keo shrugs and laughs easily. “Merely an example! We make no prejudgments. I’m simply pointing out the parameters of the case, which are worth consideration. The Accords are in place to prevent war, among other things. If the attack on the Xing Gerchu was an act of war, in purely legal terms, it precedes and negates the Accord’s Commission of Enquiry.”

  “As my wife says, purely an example,” Senior Delegate Keo says. “We certainly do not believe this will be the result of the case, otherwise we would not be prepared to agree to lift the embargo while the case proceeds.”

  They are a clever team. Senior Delegate Keo himself cannot say such undiplomatic things about acts of war, but his wife Mai is not an accredited diplomat. Officially, her opinion doesn’t count. Yet everyone in the room hears it.

  Loiola doesn’t care. “You’re blackmailing us,” he hisses. “Offering food in exchange for influencing our courts! Holding starving families hostage to your political ends.”

  Desud’s voice cuts through the tension in the room like a knife.

  “We are not lifting the embargo,” he says.

  Faces look stunned. However well-fed and isolated the Newyan politicians in this room are, they know what’s happening outside of Iruña. Without food imports from Xian, there will be riots. Newyan will collapse, though Loiola seems not to care.

  Hwa is stunned.

  What’s happened? Xing must not have been able to convince him.

  “I implemented the Xian conflict directives as the authorized agent of the Hegemony’s Foreign Ministry,” Desud continues. “Once issued, the directive and any variations of it will be solely on my authority, unless I am replaced by a more senior figure.”

  Keo is staring at him. They’re equivalent rank in the service, and yet Desud is right—having declared the directive, he can only be overruled by a senior.

  Desud continues, “That I issued a conflict directive should in no way been seen to influence the outcome of the court case regarding the Xing Gerchu and Shohwa, which I acknowledge Delegate Hwa will lead, with Ministro Sánchez’s permission.”

  Desud looks at Sánchez, who does not move a muscle.

  “In an unrelated matter, although trade between systems has been suspended, Xian is mindful of the temporary shortfall of resources on Newyan, and relief shipments will arrive shortly and transfer supplies directly to all the provincial capitals, to minimize delays.”

  Yarritu, the man from the Bureau of Food and Agriculture, is standing close, listening.

  His face clears. “Thank you, Captain Desud. From the bottom of my heart.”

  This one is not Hajnal, Hwa thinks.

  Desud nods. He is waiting; his eyes are locked on Sánchez, who is sweating. The Ministro licks his lips. His voice is strained: “The final validity of all legal procedures to be within the determination of the Terran Council,” he says.

  Hwa holds her breath.

  Sánchez believes this is his escape—the Council will close her down before she can prove anything. Loiola and Taha don’t want to even give her that much chance. Desud...

  “Agreed,” Desud says.

  Yarritu and Sánchez shake De
sud’s hand, and then Keo’s for good measure.

  Everyone believes they’ve won. Even Loiola and Taha, thinking that Hwa will be stopped soon.

  The gong sounds.

  “Dinner,” Mai Keo says, with a bright smile that looks completely unforced.

  Chapter 31

  Hwa

  The lights in her suite are switched off, replaced with candles that she has found in a cupboard. That’s because Hwa finds that electricity sings, if she listens hard enough, and she just wants to relax and talk without distraction. The candles smell pleasant, anyway.

  She’s showered and changed out of the stifling formal robes into a simple silk kimono and she’s sprawled bonelessly on the sofa.

  “We’ve done as much as we can.” Xing’s voice comes from her pad speaker on the coffee table. Despite their success this evening, he senses her unease. “The next step must be Zarate’s. She has to get here with the evidence.”

  “I know.” Although they are both interfacing with the huge volumes of data that she and Xing have collated, speaking aloud feels more comfortable. “I just wish I knew where she is. I’m worried.”

  She senses Xing indicate the data sets regarding transmissions from the high sierras, and she combs through it again.

  It’s clear that the Newyan government is aware that Kattalin Aguirre escaped from the battle in the foothills, and that she’s also the source of the posts that have sparked so much unrest across parts of the planet. They’ve ordered the Syndacians to pursue and eliminate her. Hwa is amazed and deeply impressed at the way the young woman has eluded her pursuers and almost disappeared in the Sierra Arija.

  The downside to this is that it appears Kattalin may have led them to the one place where they might discover and eliminate Zara as well—Berriaren. There is a confused report of a sighting of a woman in the ruined city and an attack on the trackers by a Hartzak, the giant bear of the Sierra Arija.

  More Syndacians are being taken into Berriaren by helicopter, but they face a daunting task to track anything through the dark pinewoods, even equipped with seekers.