The Daltus Conspiracy

by Andrew Gates

  “What do you think I should do?” Lyla asked, ignoring her mother’s comments.

  “I think you should take the interview,” Daltus answered. She stood up from the chair and stared at her across the table. “This woman may work in unconventional ways, but she’s presented us with a unique opportunity here. Press of any kind will increase exposure to the case and keep it on the front of everyone’s mind.”

  “Like how we opened the arrest up to the cameras,” Lyla added.

  “Exactly like that. And, as you’ve already mentioned, this will give us an opportunity to spin the story in our favor. Thrace needs to want Milsen and Cutter dead,” the captain continued.

  “So that when we pull the trigger on them…”

  “We look like heroes.”

  Lyla smiled and Daltus smiled back.

  “I understand,” Lyla said as she stood up from her chair. “Thank you for the advice.”

  “That’s what I’m here for,” Daltus replied. “Remember, Thrace needs to want Milsen and Cutter dead.”

  “Understood. I’ll make those pilots look like the devil himself. You can count on it.”

  Interlude

  Earth Date (Revised Julian Calendar): 04.23.5673

  Location: Prisoner Hold, Section 4, VSC Patriot, Outer edge of Thrace System, Vexa Corp Controlled Space

  “I can’t believe she’s just asking us the same questions over and over,” Dave said as he tapped his fingers against the side of his table.

  It is definitely unusual. Vexa Corp’s military is obviously looking for something, Gloria added.

  “I agree, otherwise they would have let us go by now,” Ellen replied. “How many times have we been interrogated now? Three, four, five times? And each time, we tell that woman the same story. Our ship never left the planet, then got stuck in water for over a thousand years and slowly ran out of power.”

  “Then we woke up and explored the seas until we stumbled upon an old ship with faster-than-light capability,” Dave continued.

  It’s difficult to get a read on the detective, Yuri added. Her heart rate and pupil dilation suggests she believes your story, which is good for us, considering we’re leaving out some major details regarding Ryan Lorde and the sea scorgers. But what I can’t understand is, if she believes us, why does she keep pressing?

  “It’s like Gloria said,” Ellen added, “Vexa Corp is looking for something.” Ellen sat up on her table and faced the inside of the room. “This woman, Detective Lyla, she wants us to say something implicating. She wants any piece of evidence she can get to make us look guilty.”

  “But why?” Dave asked. He sat up too, following Ellen’s lead. “What’s the point of that? Why try so hard to make us look guilty? She seems like a good-hearted woman.”

  “How can you say that? A good-hearted woman would not treat prisoners like this,” Ellen challenged.

  Dave finds Detective Lyla attractive, Gloria explained. Human physical attraction can often affect people’s opinions of other humans, sometimes portraying them inaccurately.

  “So what if she’s good-looking?” Dave asked. He felt embarrassed. “I do think she’s a good-hearted woman. Maybe she’s just caught up in something bigger than she can control.”

  “Well, whether she’s good or not, I don’t like this situation one bit,” Ellen said.

  We’re powerless in this cell. What we need is someone on the outside willing to help us, Yuri proposed.

  “That would help, but who the hell would want to come to our aid?” Ellen asked.

  Dave shivered as he thought about their list of allies outside the cell.

  Nobody. There was nobody they could call on for help.

  A Meeting at Neil’s

  Earth Date (Revised Julian Calendar): 04.25.5673

  Location: Neil’s Pub, VSC Patriot, Outer edge of Thrace System, Vexa Corp Controlled Space

  Lyla was unaccustomed to dressing so casually. Fitted dresses and shimmering jewelry were the norm. But today was no ordinary day. Today Lyla wore a plain white tank-top with black pants. It was a rather dull look, but the last thing she wanted to be was conspicuous.

  The meeting with Natalie had been on her mind all day. She caught herself counting down the hours and minutes like a teenager nervous for an exam. Finally, at long last, it was time.

  Neil’s Pub – Lyla had heard the name but never bothered to visit. The bar attracted a less civilized crowd of blue collar types, not high ranking military personnel like her. Just stepping outside its doors, Lyla could already smell the beer as if it were soaked into the walls themselves.

  “Lyla,” greeted a woman from behind.

  Lyla instinctively spun around to face the speaker. She was shorter than Lyla and held a wider frame. A dark, loose-fitting sweatshirt covered the top of her body. She wore jeans on her bottom. Her dark, curly hair dangled down past her shoulders. The woman appeared to have no visible mods, save for the obvious enhancements to her eyeballs, which were replaced with high-focus camera lenses.

  “Natalie,” Lyla replied. She held out her hand. Natalie shook it.

  “Pleased to meet you,” she said.

  “Likewise.”

  As she said this, Lyla covertly released a cloud of nano outfitted with a distinct chemical property that only she could track. The highly soluble nanotech absorbed its way through the dermal layer of Natalie’s skin undetected. Lyla never knew when she would need to keep an eye on someone.

  “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. I know the circumstances are somewhat odd,” Natalie said, seemingly unaware of the nanotech currently making its way into her body. She pulled her hand back.

  “That’s putting it mildly,” Lyla joked.

  “Shall we?” Natalie asked, motioning to the pub’s entrance.

  “After you,” Lyla replied.

  The pub looked just as Lyla imagined it would on the inside. The interior was made of wood, an obvious homage to the rustic style of ancient Earth. Long tables were placed in rows across the dimly lit room with drunken men and women crammed around them along the benches.

  “This place looks packed,” Lyla noted.

  “Don’t worry, it’s just the main room. The backrooms are much quieter.”

  “I’ll follow your lead, then,” Lyla said.

  Natalie led them past the long room of drunken patrons and down a staircase. Once at the bottom, the smell of beer faded away and the noise level dropped considerably. The two women continued through a short hallway, to another room on the other side.

  Four tables lined the walls of the backroom, but only two were occupied. Natalie walked to the nearest free table and sat down. Lyla joined her.

  “You seem to know this place well. Come here often?” Lyla wondered.

  “Not in a long time. An old boyfriend used to take me here almost every week, but since we broke up, I don’t visit Neil’s much anymore,” Natalie explained. “It’s good for meetings like this though. People don’t pay attention to other people at Neil’s. It’s a good place to go when you don’t want any eyes on you.”

  “Fair point,” Lyla replied.

  A holographic projection suddenly appeared from the center of the table. A beautiful woman wearing the bare minimum nodded to them both.

  “Hello, my name is Susanna. I will be your waitress,” the projection said. “Today’s specials include a liquid-nitrogen infused frozen margarita and-”

  “I’ll just have a red wine,” Lyla interrupted.

  “Yes ma’am,” Susanna replied. She turned to face Natalie. “And for you?”

  “Beer. Whatever’s your best pale-ale on draft.”

  “Coming right up!” With those words, the projection faded away.

  “Red wine, huh? This isn’t really a red wine kind of place,” Natalie joked.

  “Sorry if I don’t fit the mold of the normal clientele.”

  Natalie adjusted in her seat and leaned forward. Lyla could see the lenses in her eyes zoom in and out as if she were
focusing.

  “Do you mind if we get started?” Natalie asked.

  “I suppose now is as good as any other time,” Lyla replied. She straightened herself out and made sure she looked as professional as she could in this attire.

  “You should know I’ll be recording this.”

  “I figured as much.”

  “So, first question: you are the interrogator working on the Milsen/Cutter case, correct?”

  “As you have already discovered, yes, I am the interrogator working on the case. Typically this would not be something I would reveal to the press, but as you’ve already determined this information on your own, I suppose there’s no point trying to hide it.” Lyla paused for a few moments, trying to think of what else to say. “It is an important case, for sure, and I’m honored to be a part of it,” she eventually added.

  “What makes this case so important?” Natalie asked.

  “Obviously you’ve heard of the terraforming failure on Red One, the event that many consider the spark that ignited the flame, if you will.”

  “The spark that ignited the flame. What do you mean by that?”

  “Well, it’s no secret that Vexa Corp struggled after the terraforming event. That failed mission was the precursor to a series of setbacks after setbacks. After all these years in a downhill spiral, we’re only now on the way back up.”

  “You paint a pretty gloomy picture. It sounds like this terraforming mission caused a lot of problems.”

  “Vexa Corp has been in bad shape for a while. That’s the truth. I’m not trying to be gloomy, just realistic.”

  Suddenly a slit opened in the nearby wall. Two drinks popped out on a conveyor belt. The drinks were mismatched. The beer came out on Lyla’s side of the table and the wine came out on Natalie’s. Lyla quickly switched the drinks and took a sip of her wine.

  “How’s the wine?” Natalie asked.

  “It tastes like shit.”

  “Yeah, I should’ve warned you. They serve Mateo wine here.”

  Lyla placed the wine back down on the table and met Natalie’s eyes.

  “Look, to answer your earlier question, many people have been hurt by what happened back on Red One. This case means a lot to those families.”

  “Any why is that?” Natalie asked, not letting up.

  “Because Colonel Ellen Milsen and David Cutter may have sabotaged the terraforming equipment all those years ago. If proven guilty, justice will finally come to those families hurt.”

  “Families hurt by what? Hurt by a faraway planet with too much water production?”

  “Hurt by the events that followed,” Lyla said. “As I’ve already explained, the failed mission was a precursor to the subsequent setbacks that our company faced.”

  “And how is the investigation coming along? Have you found anything?”

  “That’s classified information. I cannot discuss it,” Lyla explained.

  “I see.” Natalie took a long sip of her beer and carefully returned the glass to the table. “I admit, I’m surprised to hear you say that.”

  “This is standard procedure. Why are you so surprised?”

  “During Milsen and Cutter’s arrest, the military was very cooperative with the press, even going so far as to allow me up-close access. Now you’re suddenly telling me the military is not interested in talking to the press.”

  “Those events are different. You’re comparing a public arrest to a classified interrogation.”

  “Still, it seems a bit odd, don’t you think?”

  “Not at all. People have been demanding the suspects’ arrest for generations, even after they were believed dead. By allowing the public to see it on your cameras, we were just giving the people some closure.”

  “Why?”

  “Why?” Lyla repeated in a tone of disbelief. “Because, as many people see it, Corporal Ellen Milsen and David Cutter are as bad as the devil himself. They drowned a planet, cost the company trillions in investments, halted our company’s expansion efforts, and then went into hiding for thousands of years.”

  “As many people see it,” Natalie repeated.

  “Yes, that’s the popular story.”

  “But not your story?”

  “I’m a military investigator.” Lyla lifted her hands to the air. “I follow the law. I believe what evidence tells me.”

  “And what does the evidence tell you?”

  “Like I said, that’s classified.”

  Natalie sighed, leaned back and took another sip of her beer. Lyla would not give her the “gotcha” satisfaction she so eagerly sought.

  “Look, Natalie, there’s little I can tell you that you don’t already know,” Lyla continued, leaning forward. She was growing frustrated already. “If you’re looking for something new, I’m afraid you won’t get it. Here’s the story: Corporal Ellen Milsen and David Cutter are suspected of tampering with the terraforming equipment on the planet known as Red One. If proven guilty, that would mean their actions have singlehandedly led to the centuries-long downward spiral of Vexa Corp and, by association, the Thrace system.”

  “That’s significant.”

  “It is.”

  “Wouldn’t it be in your interest to find them guilty, then? After all, capturing the people responsible for Vexa Corp’s ‘downward spiral’ would be a big achievement for you, wouldn’t it?”

  “There’s a lot on the line, yes, but that doesn’t mean I will view the case any differently. This is about justice. I will approach this case pragmatically, like any other.”

  “But it would be in your interest to find them guilty, right?”

  “It is not for me to say whether I believe the suspects are guilty.”

  “That’s not what I asked,” Natalie said, leaning forward. “But… wait, did you just say it is not for you to say whether you believe the suspects are guilty?”

  Lyla gulped and leaned back in her seat. Did she really just say that?

  “I mean to say, my opinion does not matter. What matters is the facts.”

  “But are you implying that you believe the suspects are innocent?” Natalie shot back.

  Lyla froze. She quickly glanced down to her wine, then pushed it forward to the center of the table.

  “You know,” she said as she stood up from the table, “the wine here has made me sick. I think we’ll call this meeting over.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. I guess some people aren’t cut out for Neil’s.”

  “No, I guess it’s not for everyone,” Lyla replied. “Thank you for the talk. I assume you’ll be picking up the tab?”

  “My pleasure,” Natalie said with a smile on her face, though Lyla could see right through her insincerity.

  “Good day to you, Natalie.”

  “And you as well.”

  Lyla stormed out of pub as fast as she could. Her hands trembled. Her heart raced.

  She could not help but worry that Natalie was onto her.

  Blake and Orion

  Earth Date (Revised Julian Calendar): 04.26.5673

  Location: Prisoner Hold, Section 4, VSC Patriot, Outer edge of Thrace System, Vexa Corp Controlled Space

  The tight confines of the cold cell taunted Ellen like a menacing villain. There was hardly enough room for her to even get up and walk in circles. It was like being stuck in a closet day after day, hour after hour. At the very least, she was glad to have Dave and the AIs in there to keep her company. If she had to endure this torment on her own, she may have gone insane.

  Ellen tapped her fingers against the metal surface of her table. It felt like ice against her touch. She was growing uneasy. It had been hours since they were granted their last opportunity to venture out of the cell.

  Dave shifted on his table until he sat up straight. He leaned back against the wall and let out a deep breath. He and Ellen had both been silent for the last hour.

  “What are you thinking about?” Dave asked, striking up yet another conversation.

  Ellen shrugged and shi
fted on the table. She looked into his weary eyes.

  “I’m thinking about Mateo again,” she answered. “It’s all I seem to think about anymore. This prison leaves me with nothing but time to think and think and think.”

  “I know what you mean,” Dave agreed, nodding his head. “All this time to reflect… it’s enough to drive you mad.”

  “Detective Lyla probably wants us to go mad. It would make her job easier.”

  “Don’t say that. She wouldn’t wish for us to go mad. You would have to be incredibly cruel to wish that fate on anybody.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that,” Ellen replied, defensively. “I was just making a joke.” She paused for a moment. “Why does it matter to you anyway?”

  “It doesn’t. I just… never mind.” Dave looked to the door, as if embarrassed. “Let’s talk about something else. Tell me about what’s on your mind. Tell me about Mateo.” Dave turned to face her again.

  Ellen let out a deep sigh and slowly nodded her head.

  “Mateo,” she started. “Lately I’ve been thinking about my kids. Well… I suppose it’s not just ‘lately’. I’ve been thinking about them for a long time, actually.”

  “Blake and Orion,” Dave finished.

  “That’s right. They haven’t left my mind since we woke up in that goddamn ocean.”

  “It must be hard, you know, not knowing what happened to them.”

  “It is,” Ellen admitted. “They were my whole world. I can still remember them as little ones. Blake always loved the outdoors. As a kid, he would run around in the fields for hours, sometimes all by himself. There were days I’d have to go out looking for him and would find him miles away without a care in the world.” Ellen chuckled as she recalled the memories. “And Orion, my god was she talented. She was always coming up with new ideas. I swear I would’ve thought she’d grow up to be an inventor or something.”

  The images of her children flashed through her mind. They smiled at her and she smiled back. It was as if they were here in this cell, right in front of her. Ellen felt as if she could practically reach out and touch them.