But you worry too much. Unlike Giselle, I have come to
terms with Rosa's death and I know that this simulation
is not her but a made thing. Not a living, breathing
person that I can touch.'
Harry gave him a considering look for a moment.
'Tell me - is that how you see me, as a made thing?'
'Well, yes. Made by experience and thought and acci-
dent, and by friendship!' Robert smiled. 'Whereas
Giselle's device is a frozen vision, an exhibit that cannot
learn or change. Satisfied?'
'Yes - my crippled self-esteem has been suitably band ■
aged.' Harry gestured towards the two fastened valises
'Are you finished, because the people of Darien and
their representatives await you, not to mention all those
watching back home, in the Glow and elsewhere.'
Robert gave a groan. The Glow was the Solar
System's virtual reality, where celebrity and excess
reigned supreme. 'So the Office of Defence finally gave
in to the media combines, did they?'
'Which means that we shall shortly be going live on
Starstream,' Harry said with a wild grin. 'Since they were the
only ones who would meet the OOD's asking price.'
'Starstream,' Robert said, activating the suspensors
on his luggage. 'I can scarcely express my joy. Let's go.'
7
COLONISTS
West of Hammergard, across the two-mile width of
Loch Morwen, a cluster of low buildings and two
narrow towers sat on a headland overlooking the
waters. Fenced off and patrolled, this was the main
operational base for the Ranger division of the Darien
Volunteer Corps. At that moment, almost six hours after
the president's address to the colony, 185 of the divi-
sion's 200 combat personnel were crammed into the
base's small rec room, craning necks for a look at the
sole v-screen.
'C'mon, get yer head down in front there!'
'Gonna no dae that?'
'Whit?'
'Shoutin' in my ear, ye howler!'
Donny Barbour grinned, listening to this and many
other exchanges from the bench he had snagged at the
front early on. At the moment, though, there was not
much to see, just a pair of aycasters from Vizione, the
main Darien channel, discussing background info that
had already been well chewed over by the tabs and var-
ious radio pundits all day. Behind the sharp-dressed
duo - Maggie and Lev - was a view of Port Gagarin's
longest landing strip, seen from the main terminal. But
when the shuttlecraft landed, Vizione would hand over
to an Earthsphere media channel called Starstream, who
had sent a coverage team on board the Heracles.
Now Maggie and Lev were offering their own tepid
speculation on what the future would hold for Darien,
based on the near-content-free summary documents
released by the president's office that morning. Donny
almost laughed out loud, recalling what he'd heard
from Sundstrom's own lips the night before.
If only you knew the truth.
The two aycasters halted their feeble guesswork,
announcing the approach of the shuttle before makim
the verbal handover to Starstream and their solo com
mentator, Lee Shan.
LEE SHAN: This is Lee Shan welcoming all our
viewers and immersers across Earthsphere and
beyond on this momentous day in the history of
Humankind. I am speaking to you from the shut-
tlecraft Achilles as it descends through banks of
cloud towards Darien Colony's largest landing
zone, Port Gagarin, named, of course, after the
Soviet-era astro-pioneer.
Video (low functionality) The shuttlecraft Achilles
appears in the western sky, a distant speck that
grows into a slender dart as it swoops down over
the northern coast. Its flightpath then curves our
over the sea before making the approach to Port
Gagarin. The vessel's powered descent seems toe
swift and steep until it slows dramatically, braking
on columns of force that ripple the air beneath its
fuselage. Engines drone and moments later the
Achilles settles down gently on its landing gear.
LEE SHAN: The Achilles is one of two fast picket
boats that the cruiser Heracles possesses, both of
which can be deployed for combat as well as
peaceful purposes, as well as the ship's pinnace,
the Hermes. The Heracles, of course, was recently
on duty in the Yamanon Domain as part of
Earthsphere's military commitment to the
Hegemony-led Freedom Alliance, taking part in
the overthrow of the brutal Dol-Das regime, and
. liberating scores of worlds. We at Starstream
salute the bravery of all Earthsphere and
Hegemony forces still engaged in pacification
operations in the Yamanon.
In the kitchen of a farmhouse built into the side of a
hill southwest of Hammergard, Theo Karlsson stared
at the portable vee with a mixture of amusement and
unease while Rory and the rest of the loader team guf-
fawed.
'We salute the whit?'
'Ah, the brave troops, Rory, for whom we must be
joyously united in support!' said Alexei Firmanov.
'Da, and not forgetting the songs,' said his brother,
Nikolai. 'Heroic songs that we all sing while waving
flags, lots of flags.'
Rory squinted at the two grinning Russians. He was
a short wiry Scot with unkempt sandy hair and a pair of
ice-blue eyes that were full of misgivings.
'You're yanking ma chain, the pair of ye.'
'They're not, Rory,' Theo said. 'All this saluting the
troops, waving the flag and singing songs - it is common
to authoritarian cultures, like Soviet-era Russia back on
Earth.'
'Ah, right, ancient history, aye.' Rory sniffed. 'So is th; it
how Earth is, the now, Major? I thought they've got elec-
tions and all that...'
'There were elections during the Soviet era, too,' said
Alexei. 'But there were no alternatives to the Part? 's
candidate and all the media were tightly controlled,' He
glanced at Theo. 'Is it like that on Earth, Major?'
'I'm not entirely sure,' he said. 'But going by radio
reports, the political mainstream across most of
Earthsphere seems to be pro-Hegemony'
Nikolai nodded vigorously. 'Is right - have they not
elected a woman as interim president, and she's sup-
posed to want to pursue more independent courses?'
Rory laughed. 'Aye, and then we pop up in the
Hegemony's back yard, like helpless wee puppies! I bet
they're using us tae make sure she toes the line!'
Theo grinned. Rory, my boy, he thought, you're def-
initely one of the sharper tools in the box.
Just then, Janssen and Ivanov entered by the kitchen's
rear door, the former dumping a bag of tools noisily on
the tiled floor, the latter handing Theo a large cluster of
keys.
'That's the last of the false walls up,' Ivanov said,
loosening
his heavy work jacket. 'We restacked the
crates and old Tove helped us dirty up his barn floor again.'
Theo laughed. 'Once he quarters his baro in there
for a night or two it'll be more than filthy enough.' He
looked at Janssen. 'Any news from the others?'
'Maclean and Bessonov finished up in the last half-
hour,' Janssen said, tugging off his brown woollen hat
and scratching his scalp through wild black hair. 'But
Hansen's team was held up by a cracked loader axle.
They're going to be another hour at least.'
Nikolai shook his head. 'What's that old saying? -
"No plan survives contact with the enemy" . . .'
'Right, here we go!' said Rory loudly. 'That's him
now, look . . .'
LEE SHAN: And now Ambassador Horst descends
the gantry to meet the vice-president, John Balfour.
They shake hands, then Vice-President Balfour
introduces him to the president of Darien Colony,
Holger Sundstrom, who is confined to a wheel-
chair due to a spinal injury considered untreatable
by the colony's medical establishment until now.
Video (low functionality) The ambassador is a
tall, grey-haired man with a straight-backed pos-
ture and lean but kind face. He smiles as he comes
face to face with the president, who is accompa-
nied by a flock of officials and guards, and the
smile widens as he leans down slightly to shake the
man's hand. After an exchange of pleasantries, the
assembled party of dignitaries and their attendants
head along a covered walkway towards the main
terminal. Behind them, a handful of reporters hur-
ries down from the shuttle, muttering into lip-bead
mikes or fiddling with head-mounted cams.
c n !_□ N I STS
1
LEE SHAN: Viewers and Glow immersers with holig-
ital systems shall soon be receiving a higher-quality
service now that myself and my, ah, assistant
Tyberio have disembarked from the ambassador's
shuttle. Other viewers, including the newest addi-
tions to the Starstream family right here on
Darien, will be pleased to see a sharper, more
vibrant picture.
'So are you watching thisT
'Well, we were, Tomas,' Greg said loudly into his
comra above the babble of the score or more Uvolvo
crammed into the dig site's meeting hut. 'But the picture
just cut out - all we're getting now is interference.'
'Ah, no luck,' said Tomas, his voice sounding thin
and whistly. 'We got perfect reception up here, but then
our signal is coming directly from Monitor sat.'
'Aye - why doesna that surprise me?' Greg said,
accepting a beaker of something pungent from the
Russian researchers then toasting each other.
'Nastrovya.r
'SlainteV
'Hey, what is that you're drinking}' Tomas said.
'I wish I knew,' Greg said in a hoarse voice, savouring
the smoky aftertaste and the warmth in his throat.
'Tastes a bit like . . . grilled bark, or something. 'S no
bad, though. So why are you calling me in the middle of
this historical event?'
'Just to let you know that Miss Macreadie is, as
they say, carrying a torch for you'
'What?' Greg said, so surprised he almost spilled his
refilled beaker. 'How d'ye know? - did she say so?'
'Of course she didn't say so, but when I mentioned
your name to her a short while ago she acted so disin-
terested it was like a sign saying "I want Greg" going on
above her head.'
Greg chuckled at the image. 'You know, your record
in these matters isna exactly one hundred per cent.'
'Maybe so, but I'm sure that she's thinking of
you . . .'
'Tomas, she's a former Enhanced,' he said. 'I don't
really think that I'd measure up to her intellect, some-
how . . . wait, hold on, our picture's back. I'll speak to
you later, O great matchmaker!'
'Okay, you're allowed to laugh now, but you'll see
that I'm right, trust me. . .'
Video (mid-range functionality) Together, the
president, the ambassador and a senior officer
inspect an honour guard of thirty soldiers from
the Darien Volunteer Corps, drawn up in two
ranks in front of the Port Gagarin terminal
building. A small brass band is playing a march
off to one side as the three men progress steadily
along, pausing to speak with a couple of Corps
troopers. The DVC dress uniform is a form-fit-
ting two-piece in field green with dark brown
trim, soft green cap with a red cockade, and
brown gauntlets. Each soldier carries a sidearm
and an autorifle, slug-thrower weapons based on
proven twentieth-century designs, while a stan-
dard-bearer holds a ceremonial flag showing the
DVC badge, crossed swords beneath a planetary
globe.
LEE SHAN: The ambassador inspects the honour
guard, pausing occasionally to ask a soldier's
name or where they are from. Ambassador Robert
Horst is a highly experienced diplomat who first
came to prominence during the blockade and sub-
sequent liberation of Prodas in 2259. He was
involved in negotiations with Tyat terrorists
during the Farplains hostage crisis in 2262, and
later took up the post of Earthsphere delegate to
the short-lived Convoke of Worlds. Most recently
he played a key role in the concerted attempts to
persuade the Dol-Das regime to give up its planet-
breaker weapons. Since the toppling of the
Dol-Das dictatorship, however, Robert Horst and
his wife have suffered the loss of their only daugh-
ter Rosa, who died in a tragic accident while
taking part in antiwar protests in the Kingdom of
Metraj an e-year ago.
'Poor man,' murmured Svetlana.
Catriona nodded, privately wondering why a pre-
senter would comment so publicly on such sensitive
details. Wouldn't the ambassador and his wife be upset
at the public discussion of their personal grief? But
that was just one snippet in a flood of information
which had no context or background for Darien view-
ers, bare facts merely stated, as if their importance
were obvious.
As if we're expected to be impressed, she thought.
She glanced round the room at the rest of her team,
or at least the nine who had been nearby and off-duty,
and saw a few with perplexed expressions. Others, like
Svetlana, were wide-eyed and engrossed in the unfolding
ceremony.
Then Tomas sidled into the room and resumed his
seat next to hers.
'You missed the ambassador shaking the president's
hand,' she said sardonically. 'Where were you?'
He shrugged. 'I remembered that I had to call up
Gunther's team to see if they have any spare sample
cases - they said they'll send a box over tomorrow. So
what's been happening?'
'I wish I could say it's been exciting, but. . .' She indi-
ca
ted the screen. 'It's all protocol and ceremony - the
most interesting stuff so far has been this 'caster Lee
Shan's side comments. There's been hardly any detail
on recent history'
'It seems that the daily sheets planetside have been
running articles on the Swarm War and how Earth was
saved from destruction by the brave and altruistic
Sendruka Hegemony,' Tomas said, rolling his eyes.
'Aye, well, if that's what they did, then I'm glad,'
Catriona said. 'I mean, we know how bad it was for the
First Families when the Command AI turned on them -
what must it have been like on Earth with the Swarm
bombing cities and getting ready to invade?'
'I hope we'll be getting some reliable historical
accounts from that period soon,' Tomas said. 'And
maybe hear something about the other two colony-
ships . . . Hm, what's happening now?'
'They're about to hold a press conference,' Catriona
said.
'Really?' Tomas said. 'I wonder if they'll take the risk
of allowing questions?'
Video (variable functionality) The terminal
foyer is full of a noisy crowd of Dariens, some sit-
ting in rows before a wide, green-draped
platform while most of them stand to the rear
and sides. Then they erupt into applause and
cheering as President Sundstrom in his wheelchair
and Ambassador Horst enter and approach the
long ramp up to the platform. Once there,
accompanied by the vice-president, the mayor of
Port Gagarin and a dark-suited security detail,
the president grins at the raucous welcome for a
moment then raises his hands and makes hushing
gestures.
■
-
PRESIDENT SUNDSTROM:
Thank you, thank you all for this rousing recep-
tion. Well, I can see how amazed and delighted
you all are at this astonishing event, that 150 years
after the Hyperion touched down we've re-estab-
lished contact with Earth. To know that Earth
survived the Swarm War and went on to become
strong and influential is an incredible source of
joy and pride. So before I become overwhelm3d,
let me just state that it gives me enormous pleasure
Michael Cobley - Humanity's Fire book 1 Page 8