The Celaran Probe (Parker Interstellar Travels Book 7)

by Michael McCloskey

  “They may want to kill me, or they could really want to recruit me as she claims,” he said. “If they do want to offer me a job, what happens if I say no?”

  “Don’t take the risk. Don’t let them get to you,” Adair said.

  “Don’t say no. Say yes. We can work from there, on the inside,” Achaius said.

  “If they’re sounding me out, it needs to be convincing. I have to be want they want,” Marcant said. “So I should fit their profile if I can. I should hate Trilisks, apparently. I should want to work for Shiny. Be an explorer.”

  “My confidence is low,” Adair said. “You haven’t left this place in months.”

  “I could be an explorer,” Marcant said defensively, but his thoughts were different.

  Damn. He’s right. I’m the opposite of an explorer.

  Chapter 18

  Jason rode along the west side 30th story pedestrian causeway in Manhattan, surrounded by strangers. He wore frontier clothing and gave his hair a 24 hour tint for a quick disguise. Before his arrival, he had turned off his location broadcast as well as flipped off permission for tracking by automatic public sensor feed recognition. No doubt Core World Security still knew exactly where he was, but strangers and news agencies were forbidden from tracking him on these settings.

  He had come to Manhattan to close out the last of his equipment caches and try to meet with CWS. Some of the stations they had set up to monitor Trilisks had been cleaned up by various authorities. The ones left here were intact and still drawing funds for no benefit. As he moved along the wide pedestrian conveyor, he wondered if CWS had broken in and examined their equipment. He decided they must have.

  They should like me. The equipment and data I left behind shows I really was after the Trilisks and not anything else.

  In his musings, Jason was only peripherally aware of a person standing near him on his right. Then she spoke to him.

  “Jason Yang?”

  Jason looked up and stared. She had beautiful eyes and shiny black hair. Suddenly he recognized her.

  “You! I saw you in Stark’s,” he stammered.

  “Yes. Imagine how shocked I was when I found out you were telling me the truth about saving the world! I have to admit I didn’t believe you at the time.”

  Jason smiled at her and struggled for words. “So we meet again. Seems unlikely.”

  Warning bells within Jason’s head struggled to be heard over her hypnotic beauty.

  “It’s no coincidence,” she said. “I found you.”

  She found me? Too good to be true. It’s a trap. You’re doomed. Jason stopped the barrage of negative thoughts with a force of will.

  “How did you do that? I mean, easy enough to figure out my name I suppose, but, I’ve been gone for a while.”

  “No kidding! What’s it like to work for Ambassador Shiny? Your life must be so exciting. I do nothing but flit here and there among the Core Worlds.”

  “How do you... you’re very connected.”

  “I am.” She held out her hand. “Stracey Stalos.”

  Jason accepted her hand but forgot to shake it.

  “You work for Guriti Nervous Integration, don’t you?” he asked.

  “I used to. Wow, did you look me up? Are you going to answer my question?” She smiled playfully at him, as if she knew he was feeling her out. She patiently retrieved her hand.

  “Sorry, I... I’m trying to figure out what’s common knowledge these days. Earth has changed so much!”

  “Not really. A little bit better than before. Mostly, though, everyone gets what they want here. It’s a great time to be alive. With more to come! Shiny has promised us immortality soon.”

  “Immortality? Tall order.”

  “He can do it. I believe him.”

  I wonder if that’s achieved through Trilisk copies or some other means.

  “Well, I’m not up to anything exciting,” Jason said. “I’m cutting our ties with Parker Interstellar Travels.”

  “Which ‘our’ are you using there?”

  “The real PIT team. We work for Shiny as you say... although we don’t always love him as much as everyone else does. How is it that you like him? Immortality aside.”

  Stracey laughed. “Aside from immortality! Well, he gives us what we want. He doesn’t take the lion’s share for himself.”

  “Oh he’s got the lion’s share,” Jason said. “But I suppose what’s left over now is still a lot more than what was left over before. He’s got more than the Earth government ever had.”

  Stracey shook her head. “It’s so weird that you’re harshing on him. You’re the ones who should like him. The PIT team fought the Space Force to bring him here for our own good. His personal... what are you exactly?”

  “Explorers,” Jason said carefully.

  Stracey looked at Jason intensely in a way that made him feel wonderful and uncomfortable at the same time.

  “What does Core World Security want with you?” she asked.

  “Hrm, what?” Jason stuttered.

  “I just received a request stamped from CWS asking me to leave you. They want to speak with you alone.”

  “I’m here to meet with them, I just didn’t think they’d get back to me so quickly.”

  “You said you weren’t up to anything,” she told him over a link connection. “I can’t blame you though... CWS... a man with secrets.” Her voice sounded encouragingly positive.

  “Please don’t be put off by CWS. I’d like to have dinner with you,” he replied in private. Both of them glanced around, wondering if they were being observed by security agents.

  “Oh, if anything it makes you even more interesting. I’ll meet you.”

  “Hopefully I’ll be free later tonight.”

  “Then I’ll wait for your message.”

  Stracey walked away with a sly smile on her face that took his breath away. He stood for a second, processing his amazement. All too quickly, his mind turned to the negatives.

  I was thinking of her earlier... now she shows up. She said she was looking for me. Is that a case of mutual infatuation, or... has Shiny gotten so good at using the AI that it actually makes things like this happen... do people’s wishes come true here?

  Jason’s face clouded. He stepped off the causeway to an observation niche over the streets below.

  Is that why everyone is happy now? Or is this just coincidence? Maybe she was just snooping for information.

  “Cthulhu’s slimy hand! I have to tell Telisa.”

  “Tell her what?” a woman said, stepping up next to Jason. She wore a red dress and had bright pink, wavy hair.

  “A theory about Shiny,” Jason said, telling the truth without revealing much.

  “I’m Agent Starlathi. Please follow me a short way so we can speak privately?”

  Jason nodded. They continued down the conveyor and took the next walk-off exit. Jason spotted a camera ball floating by the entrance.

  “Press?” he asked the agent via link.

  “No, that’s ours,” she replied. They walked past the ball toward large glass doors. Her red dress turned black as they walked inside, proving it to be a reusable dress rather than a Core World disposable. Jason supposed CWS might need to wear things more durable in case they encountered trouble.

  Trouble on Earth is a lot different than trouble on the frontier.

  They walked through a lobby that Jason thought must contain extra security, though he could not see any clues of it. Then they continued through a side hallway and entered a meeting room. Jason threw off a sense of claustrophobia that had to derive from his thoughts about CWS and the security of the building.

  A man stood up from across the table. He nodded.

  “Jason. I’m Agent Trebok.”

  “Hello,” Jason said. He sighed and took a seat. His link showed many convenience services such as food and drink. He asked for an ice water.

  “We were surprised to receive your request to meet,” Starlathi said. She sat down an
equal distance from Jason and Agent Trebok.

  “I want to ask you about Shiny,” Jason said. “If you have questions of your own, I’ll do my best to trade information with you.”

  A small robot delivered Jason’s water. He looked at it and wondered if the flimsy machine could paralyze him if the agents ordered it to do so. He decided it probably could not, but supposed that a hidden stunner might be trained on him from the ceiling or the table.

  Starlathi took the lead. “What do you want to know about Shiny?”

  “Why does everyone love him?”

  Starlathi looked bemused.

  “That’s the question? Well, assuming you’re serious... he replaced an alien regime that controlled Earth. They imprisoned many citizens and deprived others of resources. Ambassador Shiny freed everyone and has provided huge amounts of new resources for free. He enforces almost no laws beyond personal security and protection of property. In a nutshell, everyone is better off now than before in almost every way.”

  “But he took over by force. Now he is loved. Isn’t that suspicious?”

  “No. When he took over by force I felt that was a bad sign, but my fears proved unfounded.”

  Hrm. Maybe. I should try to be a bit more abrasive and see if I get anywhere.

  “Does CWS have mind control weapons?”

  “How is that relevant?”

  “Shiny has Trilisk technology. I think he’s used that to make everyone like him.”

  “Then I have to ask: why didn’t everyone love the UN before he arrived? The Trilisks were running the show here. If they had that technology, wouldn’t they have been using it too?”

  “The Trilisks here may have been greatly weakened by war. I know of at least one thing Shiny had that the Trilisks here may not have had access to: A powerful Trilisk artifact that came from somewhere else.”

  Starlathi digested that while Trebok finally spoke up.

  “If he does, then you’d now love him too, yes? Surely he would use this mind control device on his own elite team?”

  “Good point,” Jason said. “How long did it take for everyone to warm to Shiny after the takeover?”

  The two agents looked at each other. Jason did not get the feeling they were discussing whether or not to reveal something. He interpreted it as simple recollection and uncertainty at the odd line of questioning.

  “It took a month at least. It wasn’t immediate, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Starlathi said.

  Jason thought about stopping there. Dare he expose his latest theory to them?

  “How has life been for you? Personally,” Jason asked.

  Starlathi frowned.

  “It is relevant, I assure you,” Jason said. “Have things been going your way? Agent Trebok. How about you? You happy? Been achieving goals? Catching some lucky breaks?”

  “Things are well with me. Why?” Trebok said.

  Jason looked at Starlathi.

  “I’m doing well.”

  “Did you get something you wanted? Promotion? Vacation?”

  The two exchanged looks.

  “Are you saying that the... exuberance Earthers have been experiencing are the result of Ambassador Shiny’s Trilisk technology?”

  “Earthers have been exuberant?”

  “Yes. As it turns out, the mood here on Earth is markedly improved. Very significantly,” Starlathi said. “I’m not speaking anecdotally, either. The stats have been analyzed by AIs. Something changed. We attribute it to the revolution, the removal of the Trilisks, and the sudden abundance of resources.”

  “Is it more than resources? Have you been catching lucky breaks?”

  “I have,” Trebok offered. “I wanted the opportunity to study with an idol of mine, and it recently came to pass.”

  Jason turned to Starlathi. She did not say anything.

  “Well, have things gone well with you too?” he prompted.

  Starlathi looked down at the table.

  “Yes, things have gone well for me, several things, since Ambassador Shiny took over,” Starlathi said.

  Jason nodded. He mused out loud.

  “When you make progress, when things go your way, you just want more though, right? It’s human nature.”

  Starlathi changed the subject.

  “Are you offering to be an inside source on the PIT team?”

  “Not secretly. Telisa knows I’m here. It’s in our best interest to cooperate, though. We’re all Terrans here. The universe has gotten a lot bigger, so we should all work together to keep humanity safe.”

  “What alien threats are there?”

  “Trilisks, of course. Also, the race that destroyed Shiny’s homeworld. We just call them Destroyers.”

  “What is the PIT team doing now? What’s your next objective?”

  Why aren’t they asking more about the Destroyers?

  “We’re investigating another race. Potential allies we call the Celarans. They were advanced creatures, capable of changing planetary ecosystems and climates for colonization. I don’t know if they are ahead or behind where the Vovokans were, but I think if we can find any of them that are left, it could be key to securing our safety.”

  “We’d like to set up a method for you to make regular reports to CWS,” Trebok said.

  Jason nodded. “That sounds wise,” he said, though he felt distracted. All he could think about was his dinner with Stracey Stalos.

  ***

  “I’m glad you agreed to meet me,” Jason said as he walked up to Stracey’s table in a beautiful restaurant. They had a room to themselves, the ultimate arrangement for incarnate dining in the city. A breathtaking unaugmented view of the night skyline dominated one wall through real windows.

  “My pleasure.”

  “Please forgive me if I get right to it then.”

  “Please do. I’m intrigued,” she said. “You said the subject was Ambassador Shiny.”

  “Yes. Why is he so popular?”

  Her eyebrows rose. Jason was struck by her beauty again. The look just made her more gorgeous.

  “He’s popular because he’s made everything better for us here. What kind of question is that, coming from a member of his famous PIT team?” She asked with a playful tone.

  “Look at it from our perspective. We came here to save Earth and watched as Shiny took over. We left the system in shame, traitors to our race. Now we’re heroes? How did that happen?”

  “The people of Earth didn’t realize the Trilisks had taken over. The masses are always buried in their entertainments. Once we learned that Ambassador Shiny really is a liberator, not an alien bent on domination, we came to see you as heroes. I’m sorry no one welcomed you that way in the beginning.”

  Jason had to concentrate to keep from just staring at Stracey instead of listening to her answers, as important as they were.

  “Shiny could have rid you of the Trilisks without taking over.”

  “No. There would have been chaos. Maybe even a new war with the UED. The Ambassador took over by force at first, sure, because he had to. Now, we know he only wants what’s best for us.”

  “Shiny wants what’s best for Shiny,” he said.

  Stracey listened carefully, but she looked confused.

  Does she wonder if this is some kind of test?

  “I’m not sure the evidence supports that,” she said carefully.

  “I have the inside view. Shiny thinks it’s worth keeping us happy for now, but he might change his mind later.”

  “Are you trying to convince me? Or did you just want to understand why Earthers love Ambassador Shiny?”

  Jason shook his head. “Mostly I wanted to know why you feel the way you do. But I guess part of me can’t help but want to warn you about him.”

  “Well, GNI wants to work with him. With the PIT team.”

  Jason’s heart dropped.

  Of course. She doesn’t like me. She’s just another person who wants to be on the PIT team and she sees me as a way to do that.

>   “The PIT team isn’t hiring,” he said coldly.

  Stracey laughed. “Oh, Cthulhu knows I couldn’t be on the PIT team like you,” she said. “Do I look like some kind of explorer? This is almost the only reusable piece of clothing I own. I hang out in paper suits and attend meetings half the day. I just want to help in any way I can.”

  Jason relaxed a notch. Maybe she had some hidden agenda or maybe she did not. The fact she was highly placed in a large corporation spoke for the former, though.

  “I appreciate the offer. I’ll pass it on to Telisa, but Shiny pretty much gets us whatever we need. I’m not sure what a company like GNI could—”

  Jason stopped. He had been thinking about GNI giving them new links or enhancing some of their wetware. A new thought struck him dumb.

  Nervous system experts. And we do have a huge nervous system problem—how to keep Telisa from being remotely controlled by Trilisks.

  “Something important?” Stracey asked. She assumed he had been interrupted by an off-retina input.

  “I’ll speak with Telisa Relachik about the possibility,” Jason finished. “We might be able to use your expertise.”

  “I can ask for nothing more,” she said. “Except, perhaps, a nightcap?”

  “Uhm, yes,” he said slowly. He realized he sounded less than enthusiastic, so continued, “Sure. That would be nice.”

  Chapter 19

  Telisa changed her position on the lounge for the fourteenth time. Jason’s short message had sent her into new lines of thought: Did Shiny actually use the Trilisk AI to cause things to happen that made billions of Terrans happier? On a citizen-by-citizen basis? As incredible as it sounded, Telisa knew better than to underestimate the technology of the Trilisks. Those beings had ascended to incredible power long before the rise of Terra.

  I need someone who could cut through the hype and really let me know the situation on Earth.

  Jason’s assessment of the opinions from two CWS agents did not help much. It had been worth a shot, but the agents were not someone at the top, privy to secrets, and they did not seem like people who had asked the same question in depth.

  Why does Earth love Shiny so much?