In the Black

by Patrick S. Tomlinson

  But neither could he afford the questions a last-minute cancellation would raise. So, here he was, caked in stage makeup and trying to game out where the conversation was going to go so he could avoid the more devious booby traps. All while practically willing himself not to sweat in the heat.

  The sensation was oddly invigorating.

  “I know we’re cutting into your busy schedule, Mr. Abington, so—”

  “Please.” Tyson waved a hand as it rested on his knee. “Tyson will do.”

  “Of course. I know you’re busy, Tyson, so let’s dive right into today’s action, shall we?”

  “By all means.”

  Ji-eun shifted ever-so-slightly in her chair, angling her shoulders toward the main camera to give her viewers a better look at her without breaking eye contact with him. “Ageless has had a rough couple of weeks in the markets, down over a hundred nudollars a share, another fifteen just today. What do you think is driving this sudden crisis in investor confidence, Tyson?”

  So, it was going to be one of those interviews, Tyson thought as he mounted a smile. Don’t forget the eyes, he reminded himself.

  “Well, for starters, I think calling it a ‘crisis’ is a bit hyperbolic. The fact is, Ageless has been on quite a tear over the last three quarters, returning nearly seventeen percent over that period.”

  “Excluding your stock’s stumble over the last two weeks, you mean,” Ji-eun jumped in. “You’re talking about your market high point, which came on the seventh.”

  Tyson opened his palms, conceding the point. “Yes, of course. But since then, we’ve only given back five percent of our high. There had been talk on this very program three days earlier of a two-to-three split if we’d gone much higher. Although I will admit speculation about that possibility has cooled slightly.” He gave her a sly smile, as if he was letting her in on a private joke.

  “So you’re saying the recent contraction is the result of overvaluation?”

  “Not at all, and again I think you’re being a trifle contrarian. With the Grendel partnership between our friends at NeoSun and Praxis spooling up, there was quite a bit of investor enthusiasm for all three companies. Some market adjustment when excitement runs high is perfectly normal, even healthy.”

  “But NeoSun, and even Praxis, haven’t experienced the drop Ageless has. NeoSun has actually gained a couple of points.”

  Tyson waved away the objection. “We share a partnership on one project. We’re hardly conjoined triplets. Each company must be judged on its own merits and business concerns.”

  The word tumbled out before Tyson could catch it. The slight uptick of Ji-eun’s left eyebrow confirmed that it hadn’t gone unnoticed.

  “Let’s talk about one of those concerns, if I may. Two weeks ago, a bulk cargo carrier inbound from Ageless’s mining operation in Teegarden arrived in orbit with word of an outbreak. We tried to get a statement from you personally at the time, but…”

  She held a hand up to a nearby holoscreen. A perfect 3D-UHD of Tyson standing at the window of his penthouse office looking out into the city at sunset appeared, hands held behind his back. It hovered there for a moment as he mouthed some words blurred out in the window itself by automated security features designed to prevent eavesdropping. An instant later, the image shook violently as if struck by an earthquake, then tumbled toward the ground before cutting out entirely.

  “… our camera-drone was shot down by some sort of missile. That seems a bit extreme, doesn’t it?”

  Tyson’s teeth clenched so hard that he had to take a moment to force his jaw muscles to relax. He distracted from his fury at the ambush by switching the cross of his legs, but the moment of silence dragged on awkwardly.

  “That was an unfortunate incident, to be sure. But you must understand, Ji-eun, information security is critically important to any transtellar. We have automated systems in place to preserve the integrity of our airspace, especially around the Immortal Tower where even a brief glance could compromise the private information of any of our tens of thousands of employees.” Tyson smiled warmly. The defense even had the benefit of being true, theoretically. “I didn’t realize at the time it was an INN drone, but even if I had, I doubt I could have intervened quickly enough to stop the peregrine array on the roof from reacting to the perceived breach.”

  “You mean to tell me you have AI operating on shoot-to-kill orders on your own office building?” she said with mock indignation.

  “Now, Ji-eun, you’re being hyperbolic again,” he said, trying to thread the needle between confronting her incendiary accusation without coming off as condescending or sexist. “Their automated protocols only apply to unmanned drones. Any action against manned aircraft requires a human command in the decision loop, as is required by intercorporate law, and even our treaty with the Xre. And I think you’ll find that Ageless filed a formal apology for the incident and paid INN full restitution for your losses. Is that not true?”

  “It is,” she allowed, only because she had to. “But we’re veering off topic.”

  “Only because you dragged us there,” Tyson shot back, irritating her. He probably should’ve let it go, but it felt good to land a hit, even if it was only a jab. “Please, what was the topic?”

  “Your Teegarden facility,” she said icily. “How many fatalities are you up to now? A dozen?”

  “Fourteen.” Tyson nodded along for a moment after correcting her. She’d expected him to try and minimize the human toll with clever wordplay. She hadn’t been ready for him to hit her with an even more stark assessment. It threw her off-balance for a moment and afforded him a rare opportunity to continue without a probing follow-up question. “We received a report from our medical team on station via skip courier not even an hour ago. I can’t release the names of the deceased at this time, not until their families have been notified. But know that their names are on my lips even now. I feel these losses as if they were my own. Because in a very real sense, they are. Which is why we’ve poured whatever resources are necessary into finding a cure for our miners on Teegarden and our spacers in orbit. We’re already making progress on that front. The bacteria responsible has been isolated and sequenced. I’m cautiously optimistic we’ll have appropriate antibodies synthesized in the coming days before any additional lives are lost.”

  “That was a carefully calculated answer free of guarantees, Tyson.”

  “I’m not an immunologist by trade. I can only trust what my people tell me. And I do. They are just as motivated to solve this as anyone.”

  “But in the meantime you have a million-ton shipment of rare-earth ores doing lazy circles in orbit, just chewing up cash flow. Doesn’t that bother you?”

  “The rocks they hauled here from Teegarden waited billions of years to be excavated. I think they’ll keep over the next few days or weeks it takes to sort this out. Honestly, Ji-eun, I’m more bothered by the situation faced by the Preakness’s crew than I am about the paltry sum we’re spending on their upkeep. Cargo haulers aren’t known for luxury accommodations, and every man and woman aboard has already missed two weeks’ worth of recitals and birthdays with their families.”

  “Forgive me, Tyson, but you seem mighty nonchalant about losing billions in revenue from the quarter’s balance sheet. Do you really expect stakeholders to share your calm?”

  “I trust that our stakeholders are intelligent enough to recognize revenue hasn’t been lost at all, merely delayed until the next quarterly report. Further, it’s important to remember that while our mining operations on Teegarden carry some of our healthiest margins, they still represent only a fraction of Ageless’s diverse revenue stream. Indeed, just this month we’re breaking ground on five new projects that are expected to start turning profit by the end of the fiscal year.”

  “I’m sure there are a lot of nervous investors in our audience who will be relieved to hear that. You’ve been very generous with your time this evening, I don’t want to keep you. I have just one final questio
n, if I may.”

  Tyson held out his hands invitingly. “By all means.”

  “You mentioned your partnership on the planet Grendel, of which Ageless holds a controlling stake. Is that so?”

  A knot tightened in Tyson’s stomach. This was not a direction he wanted to go. “Yes. We partnered with Praxis for logistical support and NeoSun for their orbital manufacturing expertise to help set up the initial spaceborne infrastructure, but the operations dirtside are almost entirely run by Ageless. We’re nearing completion of the first phase of construction, in fact.”

  “Yes, I’ve read all the press releases,” Ji-eun said dismissively. “What I didn’t find in them, however, was any mention of a Xre incursion two weeks ago.”

  Tyson stared at her. He’d only heard the news himself a few hours earlier, in a very confidential conversation with Sokolov, who had every incentive to keep the news as quiet as he did. The spy, Cassidy. She must have bugged their table and leaked their conversation. It was the only explanation.

  “Tyson?”

  Ji-eun’s voice shook him back to the here-and-now. “Hmm? Yes, sorry. Did you say an incursion?”

  Ji-eun leaned in. “Yes. A Xre warship operating at the edge of treaty space sent drones into the system and ended up in an engagement with the system’s picket cruiser, the CCDF Ansari. Are you telling me this is the first you’ve heard of it, Tyson?”

  Tyson’s mind raced. He had to choose his next words very carefully. If he flatly denied it and Ji-eun had acquired a recording of his lunch conversation from the spy, he’d be caught in a lie, live. It was a trap.

  “I have no knowledge of such an incident,” he started. “If the incident you describe occurred, it would fall under fleet jurisdiction. And would almost certainly be considered classified until a determination was made that a public announcement was appropriate.”

  “That’s hardly a denial, Tyson,” she pressed, leaning forward in her chair. “Surely you know what’s going on in the skies above your own projects?”

  Oh, she was a clever one. Confirm and he was caught with intel he had no legal right to possess, deny and be caught in a lie, feign ignorance and appear weak and disconnected.

  “I have no special privileges where it comes to military intelligence compared to any other private citizen, Ji-eun. If something happened on Grendel, I’ll learn about it with everyone else when the fleet makes any such information public. In the meantime, I think it would be irresponsible of me to speculate on unconfirmed rumors of such an … outlandish nature.”

  “I have my sources,” Ji-eun said confidently.

  “I’m sure they’re impeccable, and also willing to come on stage with us right now to face espionage charges.”

  Ji-eun clapped her hands. “And that’s all the time we have for tonight. I want to thank CEO of Ageless Corp., Tyson Abington, for joining us for a … memorable … visit. Next up is Gill and Li-ho with an exciting recap of today’s baseball highlights, so stay tuned.”

  As soon as the green light on the holocapture equipment switched to red, Tyson shot up from his chair and turned for the door. “Have a lovely evening, Ji-eun,” he said over his shoulder, without so much as offering his hand to shake.

  “Tyson, wait!”

  He turned. “What? You have another pit-trap ready we didn’t have time for and you don’t want it to go to waste?”

  “I’m just doing my job. This is a big story and you know it, maybe the biggest in seventy years. It’s not my fault it fell right on the heels of your other misfortunes.”

  “Who told you? Who’s the source?”

  “So it’s true, then. Off the record?”

  “I can neither confirm, nor deny the—”

  Ji-eun sighed with disgust. “Yes, yes. I know the drill. And you know I can’t reveal sources.”

  The two of them stared at each other for a heartbeat. “Well, here we are, then. Stalemated,” Tyson said finally.

  “I guess so.”

  “Good night, Ms. Park.”

  “Good night, Mr. Abington. Can I call a grip to—”

  “I know my way out.” Tyson spun around on a heel and stalked out of the studio. Savvy investors and AI trade platforms had watched the stream live. Within an hour, the interview will have been seen by half the people on Lazarus. Within a week, it will have been carried by drone skip couriers to six dozen colonies, moons, and planets across human-controlled space and seen by uncountable millions.

  Tyson connected with Paris as soon as his feet hit the sidewalk. “How bad is it?”

  “The overnights just lost another twenty-three points,” she replied without emotion. Not that she lacked them. She just knew when best to deploy them.

  “Increase INN’s rent on their studio by twenty-three percent.”

  “That won’t quite cover the shortfall,” she said, adding a slight stress of sarcasm.

  “No, but it will send a message. And more importantly, it will make me feel better. Also, their utilities.”

  “For how long?”

  “Until I’m not mad anymore.”

  “So in perpetuity. Understood. I should tell you, there’s several people waiting in v-space to connect with you at the office, sir.”

  “At this hour? Who?”

  “The board.”

  Tyson sighed. “Understood. Be there shortly.” He pressed a chime in the nearest streetlamp to call for a transit pod, but before one came a woman stepped out from the flow of the crowd on the sidewalk and walked toward him with purpose. He didn’t recognize her, and considering the rest of the day’s events, he wasn’t taking anything at face value. Tyson’s legs and shoulders tensed, ready to take flight or stand his ground, depending on what happened in the next second or two.

  “Mr. Abington!” she called with a wave to gain his attention. Well, at least she wasn’t trying to sneak up on him. She came to a stop a step away and held out her hand.

  Tyson took it, hesitantly. “I’m … sorry, but are we acquainted?”

  “We are now. Dr. Elsa Spaulding. I’m—”

  “Supposed to be in space,” Tyson said as recognition dawned. She’d been on the short list for the team of immunologists and geneticists he’d picked to fight his bacterial adversary. “Yes, Doctor. I know who you are now. Sorry we haven’t met before. But, didn’t I send you to Teegarden two weeks ago?”

  “You did, sir. But I’d punctured a lung in a rock-climbing accident the day before and the flight surgeon wouldn’t clear me for departure.”

  “Goodness! Are you all right?”

  Elsa rubbed absently at her side for a moment. “Perfectly. My ego is more bruised than my body at this point. Kwiknit is some amazing stuff.”

  “Indeed.” A pod pulled up along the sidewalk. “Well, good evening, Dr. Spaulding.”

  “No, sir.” She reached out and grabbed his arm before he could turn away. His eyes shot down and looked in surprise and affront at her fingers gripping his jacket sleeve, but she didn’t relent. “I’ve been coordinating with my colleagues from the ground. And I really need to talk to you.” She really needed to talk to him badly enough that she didn’t even register the pair of Wasp bodyguard drones hovering overhead that went from passive to target-acquisition the instant she reached for his arm. Not sensing any immediate threat, Tyson waved them off with his free hand.

  “I’m on my way to a board meeting.”

  “This can’t wait.”

  Tyson’s eyes narrowed. “How did you know where to find me?”

  “I saw you on that INN interview. My flat is only a few blocks away. I ran down here as quickly as I could to catch you.”

  Tyson was still reticent, but he knew that when a woman wouldn’t take no for an answer, it was usually best to just let things happen. “All right, Doctor. You have my attention for the span of the podride back to the Immortal Tower. That will have to suffice.”

  “That’s all I need.”

  “In that case, get in.”

  * * *
r />   The ride back to the tower was significantly less entertaining, yet considerably more illuminating than he’d anticipated.

  “And you can prove all of this?” Tyson asked as he took Elsa’s hand to help her out of the pod.

  “‘Prove’ is a loaded term in science, but, I have substantial support for the hypothesis, yes.”

  “Can you access your data remotely?”

  “Of course.”

  “Good, because you’re giving a presentation to the board about everything you’ve just told me.”

  “Me.” She stopped in midstride. “When? Where?”

  “As soon as we reach my office. And in my office.”

  “But, I’m not prepared,” she stammered. “I don’t have any visuals ready.”

  “You convinced me in three and a half minutes. You’re prepared. This isn’t a symposium, Doctor. You’re not presenting at a scientific conference where you have to defend yourself from other vultures in your field. This is a board meeting. They’re an entirely different kind of vulture.”

  “But—”

  “But nothing. Just be confident. You’re the expert. They aren’t going to have the background or wherewithal to challenge your contentions. Ninety percent of any C-level exec’s success comes from listening to people smarter than they are and then taking credit for doing whatever they were told in the first place.”

  “Trade secret, huh?” she asked.

  “Is it? I thought it was common knowledge. This way.” An expertly cut pane of glass at the base of the Immortal Tower pivoted on its center as they approached to grant them entry to the soaring seven-story atrium that greeted visitors to Ageless’s headquarters. A pair of security androids flanked the entrance, ready to deal with any unwelcome guests—politely, but firmly. A refurbished marine anti-vehicular mecha was hidden inside a false structural pylon on the far side of the lobby should polite-but-firm fail to be a sufficient deterrent, but this was not widely acknowledged.