Shroud of Doom

by William Manchee

  Chapter 34

  Retaliation

   

  After Artis was denied access to the Nanomite swarmmasters at the sixteen new construction sites in Lemaine Shane, she began to worry about the nanomites she’d left back at the science lab. Since they would no longer cooperate with Baldrige, she feared what he would do with them. The more she thought about it the more worried she became. She finally decided she had no choice but to try to rescue them. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the Science Lab, so she’d have to find someone else to do it. When she expressed her concerns to Giant he agreed to visit the Science Lab and check on them. When she pointed out that he couldn’t communicate with the nanomites, he said he’d bring along one of the seafolken dancers with him.

  A few days later Giant and Ariela set out for the TGA Science Lab. Since it was well known that they both worked with Threebeard and Artis at the Mighty Jolly they realized they wouldn’t be allowed into the lab, so they had to figure out how to get in surreptitiously. When they arrived they watched the employees coming and going through the main gate for a while. The gate was quiet except at each shift change, so they decided they’d have to ambush two of the employees on their way home and steal their identification cards. 1They waited behind the subtram station outside the gate and when the first worker walked by Giant stepped out and grabbed him from behind and got him into a choke hold. Then he pulled him around the back of the station, out of sight, and applied just enough pressure to cut off his air supply until he fainted. He repeated this process with a woman leaving the lab. While the two workers lay unconscious on the ground Giant stole their employee identity cards and Ariela bit them both with her tortiac so they would have no memory of what happened to them when they awoke. Then they got in line to enter the facility..

  Once in the lab grounds they went straight to the warehouse to make contact with the Nanomites, but much to their chagrin Ariela could not feel their presence anywhere. Desperate, Ariela revealed herself to several employees and asked them if the nanomites still occupied the building. Unfortunately, none of them knew whether they did or didn’t. After a few more loons, they decided they’d better leave before their illegal entry was discovered. On the way out they passed by an outbuilding used for storing small maintenance equipment and Ariela heard a voice in her mind.

  “Ariela,” the Speaker said.

  Ariela stopped, startled by the voice in her head. Giant looked at her curiously.

  “Yes, Speaker. I’m a friend of Artis,” she thought. “Why are you here and not in the warehouse.”

  “Baldrige and Bruda had most of us exterminated. They put a tent over the warehouse and pumped in toxic gas. Only a few of us escaped.”

  “Oh, my God! How many were killed?”

  “Over 12 million swarms. We had very little warning. We’ve been hiding out here trying not to be discovered.”

  Ariela told Giant what the Speaker had said. He shook his head in disbelief.

  “I can’t believe they just killed you for no reason.”

  “Oh, they had a reason. They didn’t want anyone interfering with their plans to enslave us.”

  Ariela let out a long breath. “Yes, that is the Purist’s mission; to enslave or exterminate all mutants and other life-forms, which includes all of us. Unfortunately, they are gaining strength in the government every day.”

  “So, what should we do?”

  “Let me see if I can establish a link with Artis. She’ll know what to do.”

  Ariela thought of Artis and within a few tiks she responded.

  “So what word do you have of the nanomites,” Artis asked.

  “We found what’s left of them.”

  “What’s left of them?”

  “Yes. Bruda exterminated twelve million swarms!”

  “Oh, my God! How did the others escape?”

  “They fled through the foundation and made it to an outbuilding.”

  “Okay. You must get the survivors out of there. In the meantime I will contact Threebeard and see what can be done to punish Bruda for this atrocity.”

  “That may be easier said than done. They have tight security. Do you have any ideas how to get them out?”

  “No. Nothing comes to mind,” Artis said.

  “That’s okay. We’ll figure something out. Pray for us.”

  “I will.”

  Suddenly an alarm sounded that could be heard all over the facility. Giant looked up realizing the workers they’d put out of commission must have awakened or their bodies discovered. Lab security would be looking for them now.

  “You can hide here in the shed,” the Speaker advised. “We have built a hidden vault to store food and bacuum. There is plenty of room for both of you. We’ll seal it off so if they try to open it they won’t be able to do it.”

  “Don’t seal it completely. We don’t want to suffocate.”

  “Don’t worry, we’ll leave air slits and make a back door so you can come and go as you please.”

  “Okay. Good,” Ariela said. She told Giant the plan.

  Ariela walked toward the spot where the vault was supposed to be located. She felt around until a portion of the surface moved. Pushing it inward she was able to climb inside. Giant followed her in. It was much roomier than she’d imagined. A few moments later she heard the voices of soldiers searching the shed. She held her breath until the voices went away. Then she felt a presence in her mind.

  “Threebeard?”

  “Yes, I’ve spoken with Artis. She told me what happened. Tell the Speaker that the humans responsible will be punished for what they have done. The governor of Quori has already called the Public Enforcer in Fasoon and ordered an investigation be started immediately. Quori has a large mutant population, so I’ll make sure there is a lot of pressure on him to do a good job.”

  “I will open my mind so you can talk directly to them.”

  “We understand,” the Speaker said sensing Threebeard’s thoughts. “But what about our brothers at the other construction sites? They are in grave danger. What if Bruda kills them too?”

  “He won’t as long as they continue building?”

  “If they hear about this genocide they will stop.”

  “True. But they don’t read newspapers or listen to the VC, so how would they find out?”

  “We could get word to them.”

  “I know, but that would only make things worse. Let the Public Enforcer send out their inquisitors. I’m sure they will work quickly and find good cause to arrest Bruda and refer the case for prosecution.”

  “I hope you are right, for if those responsible for the murder of our brothers and sisters are not brought to justice, we will have no choice but to punish those responsible ourselves.”

  “That won’t be necessary. Just give them a little time to do their job.”

  “We will wait a while, but not forever.”

  While Ariel, Threebeard and the swarmmasters conversed, Giant went out and looked around and discovered a truck loaded with bricks at the construction site of a new building under construction. While the workers were on break he drove the truck to the shed and told the Speaker to have the nanomites move into the two pallets of bricks. They obliged and he drove the nanomites safely out of the main gate since the guards were screening trucks going in but ignoring those leaving. Not wanting the TGA to come after them when they discovered the truck missing, Giant and Ariela stopped in the next town and let the nanomites move out of the bricks and into the shell of a church that had been destroyed by tremors. Then they drove back to the Science Lab, left the truck by the side of the road and returned in their PTV. Since the speaker had assured them the nanomites would be fine in their temporary home, Giant and Ariela went directly to the Public Enforcers office in Fasoon and filed a complaint against Baldrige and Bruda for genocide.

   

   

  Inquisitors Petra Depp and Allie Pingh were assigned by the Fasoon PE to investigate the reporte
d genocide of the nanomite workers at the Science Lab. They went out that afternoon and confronted Baldrige with the accusations.

  “Extermination? I know nothing of this,” Baldrige protested.

  “Then where are the Nanomites?” Inquisitor Depp asked.

  “I don’t know. We haven’t heard from them for days.”

  “So, what happened to them?”

  “I don’t know. I can’t communicate with them. Rupra Bruda and Essyria did all the communicating.”

  “So, Rupra Bruda told you they were no longer in the warehouse they built?”

  “Yes. He said they left after Artis quit.”

  “Isn’t it true a tent was placed over the warehouse.”

  “Yes. I don’t know who did that. I didn’t authorize it. I had it removed as soon as I saw it.”

  “Then who constructed it?”

  “No one will admit to it. I’m really at a loss.”

  “None of your employees know what happened?”

  “No. They all admit seeing it put up but no one knows who ordered it and for what purpose.”

  “Come on,” Inquisitor Pingh said. “You want us to believe you don’t know the nanomites were exterminated. You’re a scientist, surely you did test on the warehouse and discovered residue of the toxic gases.”

  Baldrige paled. “Well, yes. We investigated the warehouse after the tent was removed and did find residue of the toxins.”

  “What did Rupra Bruda say about it.”

  “He said nothing. He and Essyria left the day before it happened.”

  “Of course, they did. They wanted an alibi.”

  Baldrige shrugged. “I wouldn’t know about that.”

  “So, where is Bruda now?”

  “I don’t know. He hasn’t been seen since he left.”

  “What I want to know,” Inquisitor Depp said, “is why you didn’t report this to the Public Enforcer the moment you discovered the toxins.”

  Baldrige squirmed in his chair. “Ah. I wasn’t sure anything had happened. Bruda said the nanomites had fled.”

  “Well, it looks to me like you were a co-conspirator in this genocide. What do you think Pingh?”

  Inquisitor Pingh nodded. “Yes. That’s obvious.”

  “No,” Baldrige protested. “I didn’t know anything about it.”

  “Well, then give us a name of somebody who does know something about it.”

  Baldrige took a deep breath. “Okay. After we removed the tent, we tried to figure out who had erected it. We searched our entry logs and discovered a pest control crew had come in from Fasoon to take care of some rodent problems in one of the storage buildings. Apparently this crew was responsible for erecting the tent and pumping in the toxic chemicals.”

  “Who was in charge of this crew?”

  “According to our logs his name was Fellis Broggin. I don’t know anything about him other than I’m told he is tall, has black hair, dark eyes, and a mustache.”

  “Alright. We will go talk to Mr. Broggin. In the meantime don’t try to disappear. We’ll be monitoring your tracking chip.”

  From Baldrige’s office Inquisitors Depp and Pingh went to the warehouse and inspected the site. A forensic team was already there, had cordoned off the site and was gathering evidence. Depp and Pingh looked around and then began interviewing employees who worked in the area. Many confirmed that a tent had been erected over the warehouse and that they had smelled some kind of chemical when they got close to it. Several employees confirmed that a tall, dark haired man seemed to be in charge of the erection of the tent. When the two inquisitors came back to the warehouse the forensic team leader advised them microscopic analysis had confirmed remnants of dead nanomites in the walls of the warehouse.

  The next morning the two inquisitors tracked down Fellis Broggin and brought him in for questioning.

  “So, you admit you erected a tent and fumigated the warehouse?” Inquisitor Pingh asked.

  “Yes. I was hired to do it.”

  “Who hired you?”

  “We got the order from the Science Lab.”

  “Who at the science lab?”

  “I don’t know. The paperwork didn’t say. It was just an ordinary order like we’ve gotten many times before.”

  “How were you paid?”

  “Credits were applied to our account when we finished the job.”

  “Did you talk to anybody at the science lab?”

  “No. We just went in and did the job per the specifications.”

  “Nobody signed off on your work?”

  “No. We just finished up and left.”

  “What about the tent? You didn’t come back and take it down.”

  “No. The tents are disposable. The order didn’t require us to remove it. In fact, it specifically provided that Science Lab personnel would dispose of it.”

  “Isn’t that dangerous to be pulling down a fumigation tent?”

  “Not for humans.”

  “What about the fumigant? Was something specific requested.”

  “No. They left that to us.”

  “What did they say they were fumigating?”

  “Nanomites.”

  Inquisitor Pingh frowned. “They told you they wanted you to exterminate Nanomites?”

  “Yes. That’s what the order stipulated.”

  “And you didn’t have a problem with that?”

  “No. I figured the Science Lab would know what they were doing.”

  “Do you understand that the Nanomites are a sentient life-form?”

  “No. They’re not. They are a pest just like a common rat.”

  Inquisitor Pingh sighed. “Okay. So you intentionally killed millions of Nanomites.”

  “Well, I don’t know how many were there. You can’t see them.”

  “But it was your intention to kill all of them, whether it was ten thousand or ten million.”

  “Whatever.”

  Later that day an inquisitor in Shisk tracked down Rupra Bruda and Essyria and questioned them at length about the genocide of the nanomites at the Science Lab. They both denied knowing anything about it and said they didn’t know Broggin. Attempts to track down who ordered the fumigation and paid for it were unsuccessful.

  The next day the Public Prosecutor opened a case against Fellis Broggin charging him with genocide. After a public defender was appointed for him the case was set for trial in thirty days. At the trial Broggin’s defense was that the Nanomites were not mentioned in the Supreme Mandate as a life-form and, therefore, had no civil rights. Quori’s Supreme Council of Interpreters, who had exclusive jurisdiction over charges of genocide, rejected that defense and found that Broggin guilty of genocide and sentenced him to public flogging followed by a lethal injection to be televised throughout Tarizon. The public defender immediately appealed the conviction to the Supreme Council of Interpreters in Shisk.

  At about this same time another charge of genocide of the Nanomites had been brought in Merria, a state on the east coast of Turvin. Here a nanomite handler, Hirah Zahn was convicted of the supreme capital offense of genocide when he had millions of swarms of nanomites exterminated because he couldn’t find room at any of the nanomite farms to house them. Since he was anxious to go on holiday he opted for their extermination. Since these two cases had similar facts and turned on the same issue as to the status of the Nanomites as a protected life-form, the Supreme Council of Interpreters decided to hear both cases at the same time.