The Jovian Manifesto (The Formist Series Book 2)

by Matthew S Williams

  “Of course. I want that as well,” Emile replied. With the pleasantries out of the way, Natalegawa officially moved them into the proceeding.

  “Doctor Chandrasekhar, could you please state your name for the record?”

  Emile leaned forward lightly and resisting rolling her eyes. It was pointless, seeing as how the entire proceeding was being recorded from all angles. Embedded within the walls were countless scanners and recorders that were actively constructing a three-dimensional holorepresentation as they spoke. But for some reason, he felt the need to tilt his head forward, exposing it further to the light.

  When he spoke, he did so plainly, issuing his name, residence, and affiliation for the record.

  “Doctor Emile Chandrasekhar. Sarak Lovelock. Formist.”

  “Thank you,” said Natalegawa. She looked to her left, nodding to Fionn, who got things started officially.

  “Doctor Chandrasekhar. We understand that you recently received the final report from the local authorities on Titan. This information is pertinent to the Council’s ongoing inquiry into the incident that took place there not long ago. You have opted to share this information with the Council. Is that correct?”

  “That is correct,” said Emile. Placing his right hand above the pulpit, he interfaced with the scanner there, transmitting the contents of the package he carried. All this information then appeared in a holodisplay center located between Emile and the seated Councilors. The information was also directed to their pulpits, where they were able to upload the relevant details directly to their neural looms. While it wasn’t necessary to offer a precis of the information, Emile chose to address the most obvious aspects of it.

  “As you can see from the forensics report, the coroner’s report, and the investigating officer’s summary, the incident was rather brazen and brutal. It began with a firefight in a remote facility located in the Xanadu region. A group of radicals, apparently arming themselves for insurrection against the legitimate government of Titan. While the assailants are unknown, the Gendarmerie believes that the incident was the result of infighting with other radicals.”

  He paused for a moment. Before addressing the role allegedly played by his now-deceased colleagues, he needed a second to gather his composure. He tried not to oversell it.

  “Apparently, Doctor Amaru and Mr. Ward - the private investigator we had hired to find Doctor Lee - were on site when the firefight happened. They then fled the scene and returned to Huygens. It’s unclear how they managed to pass through customs, but the officers have indicated they may have had help from the same radicals they were involved with. In any case, they were shot on sight when officers attempted to make an arrest and a shot was fired. No indications existed that either Amaru or Ward were armed. But somehow, one of the officers was killed.”

  “Then it’s possible their deaths were an accident,” said Councilor Mandalay, seated on the far right. “Someone else opened fire on the officers, and they mistook this for Amaru and Ward resisting arrest?”

  Emile looked in Mandalay’s direction with a puzzled look. “I suppose that’s possible. Though the officers combed the scene and found no evidence of weapons.”

  Emile paused once more. He had laid out the case of Amaru’s betrayal and criminal involvement with a radical bunch of Retros. All that remained was to hammer the final nail into her coffin and let the Council deliberate about it. He took his time marshaling his well-rehearsed words before issuing them with gusto.

  “Councilors. While much remains unclear about the incident, one thing is definitive. Doctor Amaru was clearly implicated in the disappearance of Doctor Lee. Her presence at the base where the firefight went down, is further indication of her guilt. Mr. Ward’s presence there is also a clear indication that she was attempting to sway Mr. Ward to her cause. Obviously, I take full responsibility for trusting her, but I assure you that none of us saw her as being capable of something like this. “

  “So... it’s your belief that this case is closed?” said Fionn.

  Emile nodded authoritatively. “I believe so, yes. While this has been a traumatic experience for Doctor Lee’s family, and a none-too-pleasant experience for Lee himself, it’s clear that he and his family have received justice in the end. I personally will spend the rest of my life making penance to them for this. It was I, after all, who sent Doctor Lee to the Outer Worlds in the first place.”

  “To negotiate for the sale of resources,” said Natalegawa. “The resources with which we would begin the transformation of our planet at last.”

  “A process which is long overdue,” said Councilwoman Najaf, seated on the far left. Emile smiled at her. He was thankful for her support, at least. Fionn, on the other hand, shot her a cold look and tried to get things back on track.

  “Doctor Chandrasekhar, I understand your feelings on this matter. The death of one of your colleagues was bad enough. The knowledge that another was involved, that cannot sit right with you either.”

  “I thank you for that, Councilor. It’s good to know my colleagues and I are not alone.”

  Emile and Fionn shared a saccharine smile. He could feel that things were reaching their natural conclusion: hence the phony displays of support. It was therefore a bit of a surprise that Fionn chose to follow it up with a minor objection.

  “There is one problem. This Council has also been in contact with the authorities at Titan. We thought it only appropriate to ask that the bodies of the deceased be returned to their place of birth.”

  Emile frowned. “That’s not necessary. Doctor Lee has already been resurrected, so there’s no need. And to the best of my knowledge, neither Amaru nor Ward have any next of kin who have requested that their remains be brought home.”

  “I understand that,” replied Fionn, raising a hand. “But what if we were to transport Doctor Amaru’s remains back to Venus, and perhaps bring Mr. Ward’s remains back to Mars? Even if they were implicated in a crime, it would seem like the proper choice.”

  Emile considered what he was being told for a second. He wasn’t sure what game Fionn as playing at or what he hoped to gain, but he had no possible moral or legal grounds on which to object. His only recourse was to agree.

  “I see. Well, I have no issue with that. In fact, I commend it. Let it never be said that the Council isn’t enlightened as well as forgiving.”

  Fionn leaned away from his pulpit. His expression was a strange thing, amusement intermingled with anger. Emile wondered for a moment if he had managed to catch the Councilor on the hip. After all his probing and allegations, was he finally satisfied he had found nothing?

  Councilor Lisowski spoke next. Until that moment, he had chosen to remain silent. By the time he was finished, Emile understood why.

  “The mortuary in Huygens has the bodies of only two people: Doctor Lee and Mr. Ward. Doctor Amaru’s remains are apparently missing.”

  It was as if the dome outside had cracked and the air had been sucked out of the room. Emile’s skin felt cold, and he was almost certain that every hair on his body was standing on end. His mind refused to accept what it had just been told.

  “I beg your pardon?” he said.

  Lisowski leaned forward. “I said, Doctor Amaru’s body is missing from the mortuary. The hospitalier in Huygens had issued death certificates for her, Doctor Lee, and Mr. Ward. But only the latter two could be accounted for.”

  Emile looked back at Fionn. Rather than smiling, he was gazing on Emile like a perched bird, ready to swoop down and snap the neck of his prey. The knot Emile had felt earlier returned and began to spread. His bio monitors began to express concern about the level of adrenalin he was producing.

  “Doctor?” said Natalegawa. “Do you have any possible explanation as to why this is?”

  Emile couldn’t answer right away. His voice failed him, even as his medimachines clamped down on his adrenalin levels. It took considerable effort for him to formulate the words and say them coherently.

  “I don’t know.
I have no idea why that would be the case.”

  “It never came up in the report you were given?” said Fionn, now leaning over his pulpit.

  “No,” Emile said, too loudly. He cleared his throat, then lowered his voice and continued. “The forensics report I received was filed shortly after the bodies were discharged from the hospitalier. I never made any inquiries with the mortuary. I didn’t see the point.”

  “Well then, it’s fortunate we made inquiries of our own.”

  Fionn said this like a man who knew he had won. The realization of this removed the knot in Emile’s gut and replaced it with a small fire. Though Fionn had caught him off-guard with this news, Emile wasn’t about to admit defeat.

  “The only thing I can suggest is that there was a mix-up at the mortuary. Perhaps they released the body already and didn’t realize it. Perhaps they mislabeled Amaru’s remains and they’re still there, under a different name.”

  Councilor Evans spoke next. From her tone, Emile sensed she might be reconsidering her support of the Formists.

  “You think the local authorities are that incompetent? You think they would misplace the remains of an off-worlder who was killed in the commission of a violent attack?”

  Emile did his best to look befuddled. He also issued a helpless shrug. “It’s difficult to say. But the local authorities are known for making mistakes and mishandling things. Were the situation different, I imagine they would have found Doctor Lee’s remains a long time ago. Then I wouldn’t have been forced to hire an external investigator to look into his disappearance.”

  Evans was marginally appeased by Emile’s explanation. Emile cast a look around at the other Councilors to see if any of them were champing at the bit. Fionn was a write-off at this point, but Mandalay looked relatively confident of Emile’s ignorance. Only Natalegawa looked ambivalent, and Lisowski’s face and body language betrayed nothing at all.

  At least they weren’t in agreement. That, at least, was a small blessing.

  Sensing that nothing more could be said, Natalegawa chose to wrap things up.

  “Doctor, I thank you for coming in. As you’ve said, much about this incident remains unclear. Perhaps the whereabouts of Doctor Amaru’s remains are another aspect of this. We will continue to make inquiries and will contact you when we’ve learned more.”

  Emile placed his hands together in front of him. “I thank you, Councilor. I will, of course, share any new information that comes my way as well.”

  Emile looked around one last time at the Councilors, then turned to leave. He was careful to walk slowly and evenly until he reached the structure’s main entrance. Once outside, he quickened his pace marginally, taking care not to break into a run yet.

  By the time he had descended the Sanctuary stairs and was back in the garden, he was moving quite hurriedly. His return to Lovelock couldn’t come soon enough, nor could the uncomfortable conversations he needed to have with certain people.

  EMILE WAS ABOARD A shuttle car and ascending along the Drift when he decided to reach out to Chaput. As usual, he chose to conduct their conversation via direct neural link and not verbally. Though he had the benefit of being alone in the car, he still desired complete privacy.

  [Doctor. What is the problem?]

  [Send a message to Adler immediately. That incompetent son-of-a-bitch has a lot to answer for! She’s alive, dammit! She’s alive!]

  Chaput’s reply was slow in coming. Clearly, Emile’s outburst was catching him off-guard. [What are you talking about? Who’s alive?]

  [Janis Amaru! She’s alive and she gave the authorities the slip. I don’t know how, but I’ll find out soon. And that bastard had better be prepared to make this right, or it will be his head on the chopping block next!]

  Another pause. News of Amaru being alive was obviously having a similar effect on Chaput as it had on Emile. Luckily, it didn’t take him long to push past his initial shock.

  [How did you learn about this?]

  [Councilor Fionn told me, the son of a bitch! He dropped that information during testimony. He simply wanted to see how I would react.]

  There was another pause as Chaput assimilated all the information. Like a good security chief, he proposed a course of action. [I take it you want me to reach out to sources on Titan too?]

  [Immediately,] Emile replied. [I need you to convey how disappointed -.]

  Emile stopped short of completing his latest transmitted thought. Another one had intruded on his mind and completely thrown off his concentration. It was a realization so profound, it felt like a hammer had landed on his brainpan. On the other end, Chaput was sending him a message, but Emile was completely oblivious to it.

  [Doctor? What’s the problem? Doctor?]

  [On second thought, belay the message to Adler. Some things you need to convey yourself. And if there’s one thing I want him to hear from me personally, it’s how thoroughly he and his crew screwed this up!]

  Emile terminated the connection and stared out the window. He had a perfect view of Mars beneath him. The Red Dunes were slowly moving away, and the glittering band of orbital habitats were beginning to intrude on the periphery. At the moment, none of it was making an impression on him.

  Emile’s hands were now clenched in fists, so tight his fingernails were breaking the skin on his palms. Neither the view nor the self-inflicted pain he was feeling was of concern to him now. There was only the pain of the realization.

  “The Manifesto...” he breathed. It all made sense now. Who else had such intimate knowledge of their operations? Who else would publish something so incendiary? Only one person alive had such an agenda.

  In a way, knowing she was alive was an improvement. Now, at least, he knew that Adler’s latest mission would address all salient issues. Once this was complete, he was sure he could bring Auriga around to seeing the benefits of cooperating with him again.

  TWENTY

  FROM THEIR VANTAGE point, many shining objects could be seen descending towards the field of lights that indicated the settlement of Selket. Each small pinprick of light was a shuttle or bulk carrier, descending from orbit to land in the city’s spaceport. But only one concerned Saana at the moment. Through the feed Henrissant was sending her, she had a magnified view of the Iberian’s shuttle as it made its approach and prepared to land.

  Saana switched feeds. She was now looking through the eyes of Popov, who was overseeing the stowing of their ship. Less than a hundred meters away, he and Batou were sealing the ship into the small crater, which would serve as its berth until the time came to dust off. Once it was at the lowest point in the depression, Batou and Popov began melting the rim of the crater with small bursts from their energy weapons. Within minutes, the ship was partially submerged, and when they shut off their weapons, the water began freezing over.

  When they stepped away to give Saana a better look, all she saw was the topmost part of the ship. Its upper hull, which looked like a stele of onyx lying on its side, protruded less than a meter above its frozen surroundings. To anyone or anything passing overhead, it was invisible. To sensors, it would look like nothing more than a dark block of ice.

  Saana switched back to Henrissant’s feed and eyed the far horizon. The shuttle had now disappeared into the morass of light. Specifically, the lights of the spaceport were preventing her from seeing the shuttle. Within minutes, the crew would be disembarking into the city proper. Their targets would be moving about freely.

  Saana’s proximity indicator showed that Popov and Batou had joined their group again. All six now stood together looking in the same direction. The time had come to get moving.

  [Designate checkpoint Alpha, Aljiran plaza. Acquire targets on sight.]

  GALLEGO WAS PLEASANTLY surprised. As soon as they had stepped off the transport and into the spaceport, she noticed the small ways in which the place had changed since she’d visited last. Selket still maintained the same honeycomb-like pattern. It was still an enclosed city sitting within walls
of ice. What had changed in the two decades since she had last visited could be described as little more than bells and whistles. But as always, it was the little things that made the biggest differences.

  The sensation of culture shock was matched only by the strange feeling of being disconnected. Gallego was aware that there was no Survey to connect to as soon as they woke from cryosleep. But it was now - while she was fully awake and stepping into a population center - that the reality of it struck her. It had been years since she had ventured into the Outer Worlds, and the Gyros weren’t exactly fond of blackout zones. Being constantly connected to that digital second-skin had become habitual, like constantly having a warm blanket wrapped around her. Now that it was gone, she felt cold and exposed.

  Pulling up an overlay, Gallego was greeted with a large icon denoting a planet surrounded by a second skin, which was represented by what looked like a coat of mesh wires. The wires all looked dead, indicating the lack of a connection. The only wireless signals that were in range were local, and rather limited by comparison. It was somehow comforting to know that at least these were available, but she decided to leave them for the time being and collapsed the overlay.

  After stepping off the shuttle, Gallego, Cheboi, and the other passengers made their way through the customs area. This consisted of forming lines in front of a series of scanning receptacles staffed by tired-looking officials. By every receptacle, a single technician eyed a screen that showed him exactly what implants, bio machinery, and enhancements the arrivals were carrying. One by one, row by row, the visitors would step forward, submit to a total body scan, and then step through. The technician would look at the 2-D visualizations of their bodies, and only occasionally indicated there was a problem.

  When this happened, another official stepped in and asked the arrival to submit to a more thorough check from a handheld scanner. After the arrival’s body was scanned more thoroughly, the official would nod and send the arrival on their way. As always, augments and implants were constantly evolving, and customs people needed to check to make sure that nothing illegal or dangerous was being brought onto their world.