by T. R. Harris
Kyle Patel slowed his breathing and lowered his voice—a nod to a conciliatory, if somewhat pleading, tone. “I believe these steps must be taken to preserve the peace talks. And you said it yourself: If we succeed, lives will be saved—Human lives. The sacrifice of one renegade former naval officer for the common good sounds like an acceptable tradeoff to me. I believe you know the Vixx’r will grant you permission to do whatever you can to stop him. It’s in their best interest to do so.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. Doing something in the best interest of our enemy is not something I’m comfortable with.”
Kyle Patel began to push himself up from his chair, but Simms raised her hand to stop the protest she saw coming. “I know, Kyle; now we’re talking in circles. I will do what I can about Robert Kincaid, but only enough to preserve the peace negotiations.”
President Victoria Simms shook her head and turned to stare out the large picture window along the north side of her office. The view it afforded was that of the skyline of the sprawling metropolis of New London. The city held eighty-four million Humans, which was only a tiny fraction of the trillion or so she was responsible for throughout the UPE. It was at times like this that she wondered why she even aspired for the job in the first place.
“So...” she began, adopting the voice of conciliation and reason, “we’re to assist in protecting our enemy from one of our greatest military heroes, even if it requires sending in UPE military units to capture or kill him? Is that what it’s come down to, Kyle, us doing the fighting for the Vixx’r against our own kind?”
“That’s not what I’m saying, and you know it.” Victoria could see that Kyle Patel was about to lose it, and she would have to end this conversation soon before he overstepped his boundaries even more than he already had.
“Of course I do, Kyle. Your loyalty to the Human race is not in question. And I do know that if peace can be achieved then you’re right; the sacrifice of one captain and his ship would be worth it in light of all the millions of lives that could be saved.”
Patel nodded emphatically. “Exactly, that’s what I’ve been trying to say, Madam President! I regret what must be done to Kincaid, but he brought this upon on himself; no one told him to take up the flag of piracy. And all he has to do is obey and this whole affair will go away.”
She turned back to face him directly. “Do you really think he will?”
Patel pursed his lips while shaking his head. “You know him much better than me, yet honestly I don’t think so.”
“I agree. All right, I will first pursue a simple order to cease and desist. If that fails, then we may...take the next step.” Victoria fell back into her chair and turned to regard the large, dominant painting of her namesake hanging on the wall to her right. It was of her distant and ancient relative, Queen Victoria of England, and was the original painting that had once hung in a place called Buckingham Palace over five hundred years before. “It is regrettable that such an illustrious military career and noble reputation should end like this, and at my direction,” she said.
“A decision like this, Madam President, is what makes you a great leader. You’re doing the right thing.” Kyle Patel smiled. He had won. He turned and quickly crossed the President’s office to the door.
Victoria watched as the First-Secretary left her office, the smug look of satisfaction on his dark face already fading as he crossed the threshold. That wasn’t something that happened very often when opposing the President of the UPE—which should have been Patel’s first clue.
When the door closed behind him, Victoria smiled.
That couldn’t have gone any better had it been scripted, she thought, and now on to the next phase.
12
“THIS is completely inadequate!” First-Secretary Kyle Patel exclaimed. “This is all there is to it?”
“Yes, sir. She sent it to Vixx an hour ago.”
“It’s already been dispatched?” Patel was livid as he fought against the urge to throw every object on his desk across the room and at the official photograph of UPE president Victoria Simms.
As First-Secretary, his role was that of senior advisor to the President, acting—in Patel’s opinion—as almost a co-leader of the UPE. Yet Simms had never treated him as such. Granted, they did come out of separate political parties, but the days of partisan bickering and deadlock were supposedly long gone. And now, especially in light of the prolonged war with the Vixx, such party rivalries could bring great harm to all mankind.
It had taken Simms over a month just to draft this brief and meaningless document; it would do nothing to calm the anger of the Vixx’r. In fact, Patel could see it creating even more.
The peace talks were reaching a crucial stage and the renegade Robert Kincaid was still engaged in his pirate activities. In fact, if the reports were correct, he’d accelerated his efforts, successful building his fleet and causing wide-scale disruption of the Reaches.
Since Patel had a direct line with the peace negotiators on Vixx, he received almost daily condemnations of Kincaid’s activities from the alien government. These protests had escalated to the point where the Vixx’r were threatening to withdraw from the peace talks, even hinting at the possibility of genocide against the Human population of the Reaches as a last resort. As each of these messages came in, Patel would rush off to Simms’ office, where he would hear the same exasperated ‘I’m working on it,’ from the President. He would be told to get back to the peace negotiations and that she would handle Kincaid.
After their conversation a month ago, Kyle now realized Victoria Simms had no faith in the talks and all the effort he was putting forth to make peace a reality. As a matter of fact, it seemed as if she was supporting the process just to keep him occupied and out of her hair.
This was not how the government of the UPE was designed to function. There was a detailed and robust system of checks and balances in place which Simms was completely ignoring. With this anemic response to the aliens’ complaints about Kincaid, she was about to torpedo the talks completely, which in turn could cost tens of thousands of Human lives—and even more if the Vixx’r make good on their threat of genocide in the Reaches.
“There’s more, Mr. Secretary.” The speaker was his most-trusted confidant and political operator, Fe Ferguson. “The reference in the message of her repeated pleas to Kincaid to stop his activities…well, that didn’t happen.”
“What do you mean?”
Fe was seated in front of the desk, and in the chair next to him sat a small electronic device, something called a voice-suppressor. It was essentially a cone-of-silence over the room to keep prying ears from listening in. Patel was paranoid enough to employ such devices nearly around the clock. Fortunately, Victoria Simms wasn’t as paranoid—or else she was secure enough in her power and position that she didn’t care what others might hear. Now that naive attitude could spell her downfall.
“We’ve been able to trace her links and she hasn’t made any to the Reaches in over six months. She made no such calls to Kincaid as she indicated in the message.”
Patel smiled. “So she didn’t do anything to stop him, nothing whatsoever?”
“Correct. And since we now have access to the Presidential communications logs—unbeknownst to her—we have been able to go back and see that she did make numerous links to the region around six months ago, and quite a few as we can tell.”
Patel’s smile now vanished. “Do we have the locations she called?”
“She only called one place, the city of Anchorage on the planet Ione, and always to one source. We haven’t been able to unlock the code yet, so we don’t know what was said exactly, but the message is clear.”
“Simms had contact with Kincaid before he began his pirate activities.”
Fe smiled and nodded. “She apparently was instrumental in organizing and authorizing his actions, and this further explains how Kincaid came into possession of not only the last remaining warship in the Reaches, but also
enough derelict starships to affect a major repair and overhaul of the vessel.”
Patel pursed his lips. “So she’s been lying to us all along and is actually in partnership with Kincaid.” He slapped the top of the desk so hard that he thought he broke his hand. “She’s not only jeopardizing our peace efforts, but also withholding crucial information from the Council. If ever there were grounds for impeachment, this would be it.”
Fe shook his head. “I would tread lightly on that subject if I were you, Mr. Patel. Simms is a very popular president, and to even mention such a thing while engaged in a war is taboo. It’s often seen as providing aid and comfort to the enemy.”
Patel frowned at the man. “Then what do you suggest?” He was frustrated. “This is a major abuse of power and circumvention of the Council and Congress. I can’t just sit here and do nothing, especially if it could mean the failure of the peace negotiations.”
“I can only offer vague suggestions, Mr. First-Secretary.”
So you can cover your ass in case the whole thing blows up, you weasel, Patel thought.
“Yet I do see where after the peace negotiations succeed, then justification for drastic action could be found.”
“What drastic action?”
“I really can’t say.”
“Knock off the lawyer-speak, Fe. Just tell me what I can do.”
Ferguson hesitated answering. Patel knew the man had survived eighteen years operating within the most cut-throat profession in existence and all because he was cautious. But Patel needed answers and guidance now and he didn’t have time for games.
“Not much can be done at this moment, not without more concrete evidence. You can’t very well go to the Council with a list of communication links obtained illegally from the most powerful person in the UPE.”
“Can you get the actual transcripts of the conversations she had with Kincaid? I would imagine that the severity of the crime would override any pushing of legal boundaries that was necessary to obtain them. It could even be claimed that Simms was illegally keeping the transcripts from the Council because she knew she was breaking the law. That would justify our need for covert methods to obtain them.”
“That makes sense, Mr. Secretary…if the transcripts can be acquired.”
Patel noticed the look of complete calm on the man’s face and instantly knew something was up. “You have them already!”
Fe smiled—slightly. “Not yet; however I have a source with access….”
“How much?”
“You must realize, Mr. Secretary, that the law is not based on the theory that the end justifies the means. Even if we are doing the right thing, the process under which we obtain these records is patently illegal. For you, the results may turn out satisfactorily, yet for me and others, it could have severe consequences.”
Patel could see the writing on the wall. Ferguson wasn’t only negotiating on behalf of his unnamed source…he was also negotiating for himself. “Like I asked, how much?”
“Twenty million; five for my source and fifteen for me. Plus a letter of immunity signed by you.”
“I can’t grant you immunity. I don’t have the authority.”
“You don’t right now, Mr. First-Secretary, but if things work out according to plan, you will.”
*****
IT’S that bastard Patel again, Victoria thought as her secretary buzzed him in, yet this time he was accompanied by Council Member Noah Osei and Council attorney Banaras Lu. Her stomach turned slightly when the last person to enter the room was that slimy lawyer friend of Patel’s, Fe Ferguson.
Simms sat back in her seat and looked up at the assemblage as they entered. It looked more like an ambush than anything else, especially with Ferguson in attendance.
“If this involves something serious and expansive, I really wished you’d scheduled this meeting in advance. I don’t have a lot of time to give you today,” Victoria said. She knew this opening would draw them out and place her in control of the meeting. “What’s on your mind, Mr. First-Secretary?”
To her surprise it wasn’t Patel who spoke first, but rather Noah Osei. He was the opposition leader within the fifteen-member governing Council and a close ally of the First-Secretary.
“Madam President, we come to you today seeking clarification of some rather disturbing information that’s come to the Council’s attention.”
Council’s attention…classic deflection, meaning he doesn’t want to take personal responsibility for what’s to come. Don’t blame me, I’m just the messenger. Bullshit.
“And what information might this be?”
“It concerns the activities of the pirate, Robert Kincaid.”
“I issued a response to the Vixx’r protests four days ago. I copied all the members of the Council, including Mr. Lu. What they do with the statement is up to them. I’ve done all I can at this point.” She looked hard at Kyle Patel, knowing full well that he was behind this little show of force and political gamesmanship.
“Yes, we’ve all seen it,” Osei said. “Yet there have been some revelations of late which bring into question the depth of your involvement with this criminal.”
Victoria scanned the faces in the room. She was not one to be trifled with and they all knew it. Now they witnessed her power firsthand by the intense blue eyes that seemed to bore directly into their deepest thoughts, reading their minds. Everyone shifted nervously in their seats, all except Patel. He wore a sinister smirk on his face.
Osei looked to the attorney, Banaras Lu. “Please present the evidence, Mr. Lu.”
“Evidence?” Victoria said, raising her bushy gray eyebrows. “Do I need to have my lawyer present?”
“Madam President,” Lu began, “this is an informal inquiry of discovery. You do have a right—as always—to have an attorney present, yet that would just involve a more formal setting and likely within the Council chambers. As an alternative, we may be able to clear things up today—and in private. Shall I proceed?”
A sour looked crossed Victoria’s face. “Of course.” Now she knew for sure this was a set-up, and all of Patel’s making.
“May I ask when was the last time you had a conversation with Captain Kincaid?”
“Why?”
“It’s pertinent to the inquiry.”
“Is it against the law to speak with one of my former naval officers?”
“The man is currently engaged in illegal activities.”
“Illegal for whom, Mr. Lu? He’s attacking enemy vessels, and as far as I’m aware, he hasn’t broken any Human laws.”
“We shall return to that later, Madam President. Is there a reason you do not want to reveal when last you spoke with Captain Kincaid?”
“Watch your tone with me, Mr. Lu. I’m not on a witness stand, and as far as I know, I haven’t been charged with a crime—not yet, anyway.”
“Let’s cut the crap,” Patel blurted out. “They’ll be plenty of time for formalities later. We have solid evidence that you conspired with Kincaid to engage in hostile actions against Vixx’r interests in the Reaches, both civilian and military, and that you kept this knowledge from the Council. We also know that you made no attempt to call off your attack dog even though you stated in your reply to the Vixx’r that you had.”
“Serious allegations, yet what substantive proof do you have to back up these charges.”
“Transcripts, Madam President,” Banaras Lu said.
“Transcripts? Transcripts of what?”
“Conversations you had with Captain Kincaid six months ago, conversations where the planning and execution of a covert operation against the Vixx’r within the Reaches was discussed.”
“So…private conversations of the President of the United Peoples of Earth? Is that correct? Conversations which could only be obtained by illegally hacking into the private and confidential records of the senior official in all the UPE? Those conversations, Mister Lu?”
“Madam President, these are very serious allegations
involving collusion, withholding of vital information from the Council and gross misuse of presidential power.”
“Don’t forget illegal entry into top-secret data files, files—which I might add—are to be the most-closely guarded of any files within the government. And if this act was ordered by members of that same government against the current leadership, then such actions could be construed as a precursor to a coup, for which all the co-conspirators would be guilty of the highest treason imaginable.”
“You lied to the Council, Simms,” Patel shouted. “You lied to them and you lied to the Vixx’r. And through the actions of your surrogate, you are directly attempting to sabotage the peace negotiations taking place. This will lead to the deaths of thousands of more Humans and possibly even the defeat of the UPE. Is that what you want? Do you really want all those deaths on your conscious?”
“We’re at war, Mr. Patel, and as the commander-in-chief I have the right—indeed the duty—to authorize those actions which I believe will best serve our race and our civilization. Not all those actions can be announced to the public. Often covert actions must be taken, especially those behind enemy lines. It’s imperative that those operations remain top secret.”
“Even from members of the Council?” Osei asked. By his tone he hadn’t been moved by Victoria’s speech.
“When necessary,” she replied. “The Council would have been informed at the proper time.”
“And it is you who determines what we should know and when we shall know it?”
“Don’t get all melodramatic on me, Noah. This is essentially one man with a bunch of rookies fighting a losing battle in a region we summarily abandoned to the aliens six years ago.”
“He could cost us the peace we desire and prolong the war,” Patel countered. “That makes his activities loom large in the scheme of things.”