As the Gravity Flipped

by Herschel K. Stroganoff

  The Insularum Museum will be open to citizens four days a week, with the other three days reserved for Affiliates.

  # # #

  Part Four: Justice will be done

  Chapter Sixteen

  Tshilidzi: Personal Office, Judiciary, Insularum 1, Lunar

  23/07/6,544, 13:56 (IST)

  Tshilidzi stood paralysed in his office doorway. Wide-eyed and mouth agape, he looked around the room to see files strewn across the floor, draws spilled open and his desk resting on its side. It would take him days, if not weeks to sort through the chaos.

  "What the--?"

  Stepping inside, Tshilidzi noticed his seat slashed open and its stuffing ripped out. He leaned and righted his desk. He was glad he'd kept his final report for the Yao investigation on his person but a rush of adrenaline spread through his body as he surveyed the damage.

  With a grave expression, Tshilidzi stormed out of his office, marched down a series of corridors, then burst through the door of Akash Tagore's office.

  "Why has my office been raided?" Tshilidzi hissed as he banged his fists on Akash's desk.

  "Investigator Dumi, how nice of you to come and see me," Akash drawled in a deadpan tone.

  "I've just got back to my office and looks like it's been ransacked."

  "Please calm down Mister Dumi," Akash said. "Everything is perfectly above board I'm afraid."

  Tshilidzi breathed a sharp breath as the adrenaline subsided. Pulling up a seat, he regarded Akash with suspicion. "Chair, you need to give me a good explanation for this."

  "There is no good explanation - only an explanation, I'm afraid," Akash said. "Your office was searched by the Molotok."

  Tshilidzi fixed Akash with an unblinking glare. "I'm in the middle of an investigation," he said. "Who let them in?"

  "I did." Akash's expression was impassive.

  "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Tshilidzi said, standing as he slapped both hands on the desk.

  "Sit down Mister Dumi," Akash said.

  "They went through everything - do you know what state my files are in?"

  "I am perfectly aware Mister Dumi, now please sit down or I will have to ask you to leave."

  Tshilidzi bit his lip, then sat back down.

  "There was nothing I could have done."

  "No one, not even the Secretary has the legal right to interfere in an investigation. My office should be completely out of bounds." Tshilidzi expression turned sour. "You of all people should know that."

  Akash laughed bitterly. "When Secretary Ozu brought in his emergency measures, the Molotok were given absolute privilege - even over the Judiciary."

  Tshilidzi stared at Akash for several seconds, dumbfounded. Resignedly, he shook his head and sighed. "I should have known."

  "Has the investigation been compromised?"

  "I'm not sure," he said, shrugging a shoulder. "Maybe."

  "Well, make sure it isn't," Akash said, making a steeple of his fingers. "Remember Tshilidzi, I'm trusting you to come to the right conclusion with this investigation."

  Tshilidzi inclined his head. "You're behind this, aren't you? You want this investigation to fail."

  "Mister Dumi, can we please not have this ridiculous conversation."

  "No, I can see it now. You warned me of certain aspects of this investigation before. I thought--."

  "Stop this," Akash snapped. "I have done no such thing, and would never do such a thing."

  Tshilidzi flinched. In all his years working as an investigator, he had never once seen Akash raise his voice outside the Assembly.

  "I have always urged caution - urged you to do the right thing," Akash said with a pained expression. "I want this investigation to find the person or group behind the Yao murders. I don't have any bias as to who the culprit is, but I want the investigation to be conducted fairly and thoroughly. I don't want any insinuations from Assembly members that you conducted this investigation with prejudice."

  Tshilidzi looked down at his open palms and exhaled.

  "Let me speak personally, Mister Dumi. It grieves me that you suspect I am steering, interfering with, or otherwise compromising your investigation. It also grieves me that the Molotok has been given the powers it has, but it's not up to me to resist them.

  "I do empathise with your paranoia - there is a lot at stake with this investigation - but please be assured I am not working against you on this. If the Secretary is to blame, then I want to see him before the Judiciary as much as anyone else. I have only ever worked to protect our legal process not to play politics. I am not your enemy. Do you understand?"

  Tshilidzi nodded. "I get it. Luckily, I have my report written and on my person." He saw the small hint of a smile on Akash's face.

  "Good. I would normally ask for a copy before you present it the to the Assembly, but I feel it will be best if I am kept unaware of its contents. That way if there are more attempts to interfere with your investigation, you will be assured that it wasn't as a result of me knowing your findings."

  "Thank you," said Tshilidzi rising to his feet. "And sorry about--."

  Akash leaned back in his chair and waved a dismissive hand. "I'm just glad we cleared it up."

  # # #

  Ajay: The Coraygar, in region of Titan, Saturn

  15/07/6,544, 10:25 (IST)

  Ajay sat up in an unfamiliar bed and rubbed his aching head, vision blurred, eyes throbbing.

  "You're awake. How are you feeling?"

  Confused, Ajay knitted his brow. "Azra?" he managed..

  "You've been asleep for a few days. You were pretty sick when you came on board," she said, passing him a drink.

  Ajay took a sip, grimacing at the harsh metallic taste. "What's this?" he gasped

  "It will clear your head," Azra said. "We're going to need as many clean heads as we can get."

  Ajay coughed and gripped the side of his bunk. It was all he could do to not vomit.

  "Eat this."

  Ajay took a roll of bread, biting into without hesitation. "This is great," he said between mouthfuls. Swallowing the end of the roll, he felt clarity return to his thoughts. "What's happened on the orbiter?" he asked.

  "It's weird," Azra said. "We intercepted a bit of an odd signal from them just before you warned us of the Muedin ships. It wasn't your normal message - not encryption, no codes - it said the workers had taken over, the higher-ups were dead. It was a call for help."

  "That is odd," he said. "I suppose that explains the ships."

  "But it doesn't," Azra said. "They were already well on their way when you contacted us."

  Ajay tightened his jaw as he felt a sharp pain in his head. "Then it doesn't seem like they're linked."

  "It doesn't." Azra sighed.

  "So, what?"

  Azra shrugged. "We're still trying to work out what to make of it."

  Ajay nodded, then stopped, he reached up to his head and frowned.

  "Try to take it easy. You'll be fine once the meds take effect."

  "Where's Taslim?"

  "He's fine," she said, sitting down at the end of the bunk, pulling the blanket tight around Ajay's feet as it stretched taut against her weight.

  "I know, but I want to speak to him."

  "We know you didn't do anything wrong, Ajay. He told us you did everything he would have expected."

  Ajay held his head. "But I did. I acted like a complete dick - I was jealous of you two." His voice trailed off.

  Azra regarded him coldly. "What are you saying, Ajay?"

  "I'm saying that I'm sorry," he said, "I shouldn't have been such a prick about you being with Taslim, and I shouldn't have been trying to find dirt on him."

  "You shouldn't have done that, and you're wrong to think I ever been with Taslim."

  Ajay brushed his hair back to find it loose and knotted. "But, you said--."

  "I said who I fuck is not your concern - that's a big difference."

  "I want it to be, though," Ajay said, looking into Azra's eyes.
"We could be together."

  Azra placed her hands in her lap then dropped her gaze. "That'll be the drugs starting to take effect."

  "It's not," Ajay said. "I had a lot of time to think over the past--."

  "I'll fetch Taslim now," Azra said, cutting Ajay short. "I think you owe him an explanation."

  Ajay's mouth was half-open as Azra got to her feet and left the medical room. He looked around at the monitors and tubes strewn on sideboards, spotting his leather hair tie resting on top of a scanner.

  Brushing his hair back, he reached over to the thong then yanked his hair into a ponytail. The slight tug of his hairline against his forehead made him feel somehow normal. He sighed and took another sip of the foul tasting drink.

  Looking up, he gave a nervous smile as Taslim entering the room. "Ajay," he said. "How are you feeling?"

  "Not bad. My head is a bit--." Ajay shrugged. "Look, I just wanted to thank you for telling everyone it was an accident."

  "Was it an accident?" Taslim asked inclining his head and fixing Ajay's gaze.

  Ajay furrowed his brow. "I thought you told Azra that I did what you expected."

  Taslim nodded, then pulled up a chair next to the bed. "You did, but I don't know about hardware. You could have been doing anything."

  "Then why did you say--."

  "I wanted to hear it from you," he said, his eyes narrowing. "I knew you were asking around about me, but I think you'll agree that it's a big leap to go from asking a few questions to sabotaging a piece of equipment to try to get me killed."

  Ajay smiled. "I thought you were fucking Azra - that's why I was asking about you, but I tried to repair the terminal honestly. I swear--."

  Ajay was caught off guard by Taslim's incredulous laugh. "You thought I was fucking Azra?"

  Shuffling, Ajay nodded. "I thought--."

  "Do you know the only person I'd want to fuck on this ship?" Taslim asked.

  Ajay shook his head. "Who?" he croaked.

  "You."

  "Me?" Ajay grinned as Taslim nodded. "You're not into Azra then?"

  "I like men, Ajay," Taslim said flatly.

  "That's great news." Ajay smiled broadly as he clapped his hands. He looked at Taslim's face then paused. "I'm really sorry Taslim. Even if you were with Azra, I shouldn't have tried to dig dirt on you."

  "Apology accepted. But if you try to blow me up again." Taslim gave a sardonic grin.

  Ajay gave an awkward smile. "Agreed."

  # # #

  Wynn: Efans Household, Insularum 5, Lunar

  22/07/6,544, 18:54 (IST)

  "I've got some good news and some bad news," Wynn said, munching on an apple. He took off his outdoor coat, draping it over the back of a seat.

  "About Riko?" Natsuki asked, jumping to her feet.

  Wynn nodded. "Dumi said he's managed to track Riko down. Well, sort of."

  Natsuki's arms dropped to her sides. "Sort of, how?"

  Wynn dropped his bag behind the door of his bedroom. "Is there any tea in the pot?"

  "Yes."

  After a few moments, Natsuki returned from the kitchen with a fresh cup of tea.

  "What a day," he sighed, slouching into his chair.

  "Riko?" Natsuki asked, placing a hand on her hip.

  "Right. Dumi said she was taken the Judiciary's orphanage."

  "Orphanage? She's no orphan."

  "It's just what they call it - they have kids there who've been given up by their families."

  Natsuki's face turned sullen. "I don't like it," she said.

  "So, she was taken there, then she was sold to one of--."

  "Sold?" Natsuki snapped. "Sold? Like a piece of meat?"

  Wynn squirmed. "Well, sold might not be the right word exactly, but--."

  "Where is she?"

  Natsuki loomed over him, her eyes bright with rage.

  "That's what I'm saying," said Wynn. "We're not entirely sure. It seems that it was one of the V5 refugees."

  Natsuki sniffed incredulously then shook her head as she sunk onto the sofa. "They sold her to a stranger," she said in a low tone. "They sold her to a stranger who only just turned up on Lunar. What kind of system sells a three-year-old? How do they know what that person is even like? I can't believe it."

  "We'll find her," Wynn said, taking a sip from his tea.

  "Where? Where will we find Riko?" she said, her voice short, angry.

  "Dumi's going to look at property transactions since the V5 lot arrived. Based on their wealth, I'd say Riko's going to be somewhere in Insularum."

  "And what if she's not?"

  "We'll deal with that as it comes," Wynn said.

  # # #

  Chao-xing, Phobos Mobius, Phobos, Mars

  05/06/6,544, 17:23 (IST)

  Shivering, Chao-xing opened her eyes as cold sweat soaked her body.

  "Are you okay?" Armand asked.

  "What happened?" She lifted her head.

  "Just stay still. Here."

  She felt water on her lips and swallowed. "What happened?" she asked, opening her eyes.

  "I don't know. I think you overloaded yourself. You've been out awhile."

  She grunted, forcing herself up to a sitting position..

  "It worked," she whispered. She gave a triumphant grin.

  "What did?" Armand asked.

  "Everything."

  Wobbling to her feet, she examined her hands, then along her arms. With a swooping gesture, she increased the brightness of the station's light and smiled.

  "That's amazing," Armand said.

  "It's going to take me a while to get used to it again, but the first thing I need to do is make myself undetectable on the network. If the others are aware of me," she creased her brow. "It might already be too late."

  She sat cross-legged on the floor as she hid her presence on the Yao network.

  "It's crazy seeing you like this again. All those colours dancing before your eyes--."

  "Quiet," she snapped, her eyes locked in a trance. "Yes. Yes, I see it now," she mumbled.

  "What?" Armand asked.

  "Quiet," she said, collating the information, digging through the Yao's knowledge.

  After several minutes, she turned to Armand. "I've found them all. I've located the rest of the Yao."

  "Now what?"

  Chao-xing got to her feet. "I will send a programme to all the mining drones that happen to be near to a Yao. The implants mean the Yao can easily be found by other members on the network. They're scattered across the Union." She scratched her head. "Yes, this will definitely work."

  "Sorry, I'm lost. What's the plan here?"

  She turned on Armand with a savage glare but caught herself before their eyes met. She took a deep breath. "The plan is to put all nearby mining drones on a path to kill each Yao family member, no matter where they are. If there's a Yao somewhere, you can guarantee a mining drone won't be too far away. I'll send the programme so that anyone who inspects the drones will believe them to be making their way to be repaired."

  "Won't it be obvious it's you, though?"

  "Perhaps," she shrugged. "But if this works there won't be anyone to tell. I'll make sure there's a self-destruct line in the code."

  "When will--."

  "It's sent," Chao-xing said. "It's done."

  # # #

  Garrett: Efans Household, Insularum 5, Lunar

  24/07/6,544, 13:00 (IST)

  Garrett knocked the door and waited. Although he had washed and his clothes were clean, he was a complete mess. Perhaps it was the journey from V5, or perhaps it was the shock of the sight of armed guards patrolling the Lunar streets - the checkpoints, the security, the undignified searches - but he was ill at ease.

  "Garrett Priddy," Wynn beamed as he opened the door.

  Garrett embraced Wynn with a big hug, Wynn's hand patting him hard on the back.

  "It's so good to see you," Garrett said.

  "Come in, come in," Wynn gestured. "Please, make yourself comfortable."
/>
  Garrett sat down on the sofa, his eyes widening as Natsuki emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

  "Garrett, this is Natsuki Kurosawa - I'm, erm--," Wynn scratched his head. "She's in trouble with Secretary Ozu, so she's staying here while we clear everything up. I'm sure you understand."

  Wynn whispered something to Natsuki.

  "Nice to meet you," Garrett said.

  Natsuki gave a half smile and stepped back into the bathroom.

  "She's having a really difficult time of things at the moment," Wynn said in a low voice.

  "That's fine. It's difficult for everyone at the moment."

  "Tea?"

  "Please. I haven't had a decent cup since--." Garrett clenched his jaw and blinked. "Ifan said he was going to teach me about teas - about the best blends, you know?"

  Garrett stared ahead as listened to the clinking of cups and the pouring of tea - it was a sound he found comforting him, that took him back to his childhood. "I couldn't have done anything," he said. "This kid just came out of nowhere."

  "I know," Wynn said beneath a furrowed brow. "Ifan was a good man. He really was."

  Garrett took a cup from Wynn, cradling it in his hands, feeling its warms against his rough skin. "If the Muedin had just helped." He sniffed at the steam rising from the tea. "This smells great."

  "Did I ever tell you about when Ifan and I were coming up?"

  Garrett shook his head.

  "We had this mentor called Daffid. Big guy, he was - massive hands. Probably died before you were born."

  Garrett felt a smile creep onto his face at the sparkle of Wynn's eyes. It was the first time he'd smiled since Ifan's death.

  "We hated the guy. In his later years we got on really well, but when we were green, we thought he was a complete prick," Wynn said. "On our first proper shift, he asks Ifan if he can find him a left-handed dolly."

  Garrett smirked. "I had that."

  "And I'm sure you'll do the same when you've got your own apprentices," Wynn said. "So anyway, Ifan spent ages asking around for a left-handed dolly and even roped me into looking for one. We searched for hours. Finally, Daffid told us in front of the crew. They found it hilarious. And do you know what Ifan did?"