Here we stand, p.56
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Here We Stand, page 56

 

Here We Stand
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  Bissey didn’t mix with his old social circle, though. Solomon had analysed his pattern of association, and more than eighty per cent of his contact was with the civilian agriculture and food scientists from both Cabot and Ainatio. His former crewmates still chatted to him in passing, but he didn’t go out of his way to socialise with them. Perhaps he didn’t want to be put on the spot about his decision, or maybe he thought it would make them uncomfortable. At the time, the other officers had treated his resignation almost like a death. They didn’t seem to have mentioned it to him at all, except for Jeff Aiken, who’d told him he was sorry to see him go. It was as if he was erasing his naval identity, which might have been his way of coping with the fact that he was effectively still stuck on board his old ship but without any rank or role.

  Would Georgina Erskine reinvent herself when she woke to find Nomad was under new management? She’d wielded her authority like a club when she thought others were losing interest in the project, but she’d been press-ganged into the job by her dying father. Solomon wasn’t sure if she’d be glad to see others taking on the task successfully because she could spend her final years freed from the responsibility, or if she’d feel she’d wasted nearly all her adult life because she could have left it all to Ingram in the end.

  Solomon was watching Bissey grafting tea seedlings in the crop tunnels under the supervision of Margriet Cornelissen when he noticed Ingram log into the public broadcast system from her office. She was going to read her statement and not just mail it out, then. Bissey looked up at the security camera when he heard the pipe, the same signal used on board Cabot before an announcement. When he made eye contact with the lens, Solomon felt like he’d been caught spying. He hadn’t had that feeling for a very long time.

  “Good afternoon, this is Captain Ingram.” The scientists in the crop tunnel carried on working. “I’ve just taken a call from the Primary of Jatt in exile, Nir-Tenbiku Dals, the president of the Jattan opposition. He’s offered his apologies for the death of Nina Curtis and I’ve told him we’ll consider repatriating the remains of Gan-Pamas Iril, who we now know was a senior politician. We need to remain cautious and stay out of disputes that don’t concern us, but I believe this is a cause for optimism. We’re not friends, but we’re not sworn enemies either, and countries on Earth have gone to war over less serious incidents. We’ll remain in a state of readiness for Kugin or Protectorate incursions, but this suggests there’s constructive dialogue to be had with some of our alien neighbours. It won’t be easy, it might not happen fast, but it now at least looks possible. In the meantime, we’ll go ahead with evacuating Elcano to Britain for the welfare of both the passengers and this base. If the security situation becomes untenable, we’ll offer evacuation to everyone, despite the confidentiality issues. Your lives come before protecting secret technology. I’m sending a more detailed message to everyone in a few minutes. That is all. Carry on.”

  Solomon had to give Ingram her due. She always said the right thing at the right time, although she might have gone a little too far on evacuation for Marc’s peace of mind, and nobody knew how the teeriks would see this limited cooperation with the Jattan rebels.

  Bissey was still looking up at the camera after the audio fell silent. “There,” he said, more to himself than to Margriet. “That’s more like the Ingram I used to know.” Then he went back to grafting and carried on as if all this had nothing to do with him at all.

  Tracking showed that Jeff Aiken had gone into the teerik compound, and Solomon knew Ingram planned to join him later. Fred was the only teerik there at the moment, so this was probably going to be the man-to-man chat that Ingram had expected Jeff to have with him. It had been seven days since Ingram had suspended Fred’s access to comms, and he’d cloistered himself in the compound, working on something that he didn’t seem to have shown to anyone else, not even the other teeriks. Solomon faced his privacy dilemma again; he was on the borderline of what he considered intrusion, because there was no security reason to spy on Fred at the moment and he could do no harm where he was. But his role in Nomad was now so pivotal that Solomon had to monitor his health and behaviour. What had Solomon said to Ingram about humans always using security and safety as a cover for more intrusive government? Here he was sliding down that same slope. He decided he was justified in monitoring actively again and listened in.

  Jeff was talking to Fred, asking him how he felt and whether he should take a break, but Fred wasn’t saying much at all. Solomon dithered for a moment about making use of the security cameras as well, then gave in and took a look at the teeriks’ main room. He’d already crossed the line so perhaps it didn’t matter by how far.

  Fred was sitting at the low table, mostly staring off into space but occasionally drawing something on his screen. Despite the apparent daydreaming, he looked on edge, fidgeting a lot. He was probably working out complex calculations in his head. Jeff carried on trying to get him to talk.

  “I think you’re overworking, mate,” Jeff said. “Or maybe it’s the meds not agreeing with you. Take a break. How about seeing the medics? Just to make sure your dose is right, if nothing else.”

  Fred took a few moments to snap out of whatever he was thinking about. “I have to finish this project,” he said. “It’s very important. I’m really doing my best work these days. But I don’t need to see a doctor, thank you. I’m fine.”

  “Ingram’s coming to see you. She’s probably bringing more pies.”

  “I’m glad she’s talking to me again, but I don’t think she’s any less angry about what I did.”

  “Do you regret it?”

  “Not at all. It had to be done. You’ll see one day. I just wish it had caused less upset.”

  “And how do you feel about Ingram talking to Nir-Tenbiku?”

  “Once she sent her message, it was inevitable that there might be a reply,” Fred said. “I doubt she had any choice but to make diplomatic comments about handing over Gan-Pamas’s body. But Nir-Tenbiku has no idea what you’re capable of or if you’ll choose to cooperate with the Protectorate. So he probably fears you now. If he stops fearing you, he’ll come and try to seize the ship.”

  Fred stopped dead as if he’d done all the talking he planned to do and wanted to get back to his project. Jeff sat watching him, frowning a little and looking genuinely worried, but then Ingram showed up and he let her in. She was carrying a food container. Fred listened politely and offered no opinion when she sat down on the floor cushions and told him more details of the conversation with Nir-Tenbiku. He didn’t seem interested in the food, either. But it all seemed cordial, even if he wasn’t as chatty as usual.

  “You look very busy,” she said.

  “I’ve made a breakthrough.” Fred cocked his head on one side while he studied his screen. Solomon couldn’t see the detail from the security camera’s angle, but it looked like a diagram. “I haven’t been able to test it yet, but it’ll be ready very soon.”

  Ingram didn’t ask what it was and waited as if Fred was going to continue, but he just carried on calculating and drawing. “Forgive me for being preoccupied,” he said. “I think the phrase is that I’m on a roll. I may be old, but I feel like I’ve had a second lease of life with my skills.”

  Solomon had overlooked that somehow. Fred had done some remarkable things in the last few months, including major improvements to gate technology. Caisin had been the genius behind the gate, supposedly the greatest engineer of all the teerik communes, yet Fred had modified the single gate to handle multiple entry and exit points and even form interconnecting tunnels. It could have been the culmination of years of experience making unsolved problems fall into place, or there might have been a reason, perhaps no longer being in Caisin’s shadow. Solomon still had a lot to learn about the group dynamics of a commune.

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Ingram said. She had her careful diplomatic voice on at the moment. “Never give in to age, Fred. And when did you last take some time off to go flying? Remember telling me how teeriks didn’t use their ability to fly and you thought they should?”

  “I’ll fly again,” Fred said. “I just have to finish this.”

  He sounded a little impatient. Ingram got to her feet and gave Jeff a discreet nod in the direction of the door.

  “We’ll leave you to it, then,” she said. “Come on, Chief, I’ve got a few things I need you to sort out for me. Fred, don’t forget to eat your pies while they’re nice and fresh.”

  Solomon decided to trot over to the green and intercept Ingram on her route back to her office. On the way, he kept an eye on the compound security cameras to see what Fred did when she and Jeff left, in case he moved to a position where Solomon could see what he was working on. Fred was still locked out of the critical parts of the network, so there was no way of monitoring the content of his screen without some very basic spying.

  Yes, this is spying. I shouldn’t be doing this unless I believe Fred is a security risk.

  He’d sworn he wouldn’t spy like this on one of his humans. But he was keeping an eye on Paul Cotton and the scientists who’d objected to evacuating Elcano because he’d decided they were a potential threat to the humans he’d chosen, and he hadn’t chosen most of the Ainatio staff. They were simply there when the time came to launch the second phase of Nomad, just like the Kill Liners, except the townspeople exhibited most of the traits he was looking to preserve.

  Fred was now like Paul Cotton; someone who wasn’t a definable enemy, but still a potential weak link in Solomon’s defence of Nomad. There was no conflict with Solomon’s mission brief, because the welfare of his ideal humans took precedence, but how could he judge humans if he didn’t even follow his own ethical rules?

  It bothered him. He knew what he had to do and sometimes it wasn’t honest or pleasant. In hindsight, he hadn’t just lied to Ingram when he lectured her on privacy, he’d lied to himself as well. It was a very human thing to do, one of their coping mechanisms, but he couldn’t carry out his duties properly if he developed all those human characteristics that Bednarz felt he was better for lacking.

  I’m placing my trust in you, Solomon. You’re the only one I can rely on who can’t be bribed, threatened, or corrupted, who won’t be warped by envy or ambition, who won’t lose interest or just give up because it’s all too damn hard. You can be better than me — better than us.

  Bednarz’s praise now stung. But he’d designed Solomon to have free will and learn whatever he needed to do the job, even if it meant lying or launching an attack that paralysed Asia.

  Sudden movement on the camera feed interrupted his brooding. Fred pushed his screen across the table as if he was exasperated, then got up, seized the floor cushion, and flung it across the room. Throwing cushions was hardly violent, but Solomon was surprised to see Fred lose his temper at all. He was even more surprised when Fred pounced on the cushion and started ripping it to pieces like the raptor he actually was, clawing at it and tearing into it with his beak. Despite his age, he now looked like a big, intimidating predator.

  Solomon saw Fred anew and it alarmed him. He watched him destroy the cushion and wondered what it would take to make him attack a human. It wasn’t impossible. Nina had been killed by a teerik and Pannit had nearly killed Epliko in a fit of rage, even if it was out of character.

  Pannit had calmed down after medication, though, and was back to his old self again according to the other teeriks. They’d all become much more relaxed with the treatment, as Dr Tomlinson expected, and even Turisu was mellow to the point of being sociable.

  But the tranquilliser didn’t seem to be working on Fred.

  Solomon upped his pace and intercepted Ingram and Jeff. They paused in a huddle in the middle of the green.

  “Problem, Sol?”

  “Captain, I think we have a problem with Fred.”

  “How serious?”

  “I’ve just watched him destroy a floor cushion in what I can only describe as a rage. It might sound comical, but I can assure you it didn’t look at all funny.”

  “That doesn’t sound like him,” Jeff said. “He’s been getting more agitated and fixated on his work, but I’ve never seen any anger in him.”

  Ingram rubbed her forehead. “I think that’s why he wanted us to leave. Perhaps he knew he couldn’t hold it in any longer.”

  “The medication isn’t helping him, Captain,” Solomon said.

  “Is he even taking it?”

  That was a good question. “If he doesn’t want to see a doctor, it’s going to be hard to work out whether the drug’s not working or if he’s just skipping it.”

  “You were monitoring the conversation, then,” Jeff said.

  “Yes.” Solomon wasn’t sure if he should skip over it or explain, but Jeff would expect an answer. “He created a huge problem by calling Lawson, and he’s been behaving strangely. I can’t risk someone else getting killed.”

  “If he’s not taking the medication, he must be disposing of it,” Ingram said. “What form is it in now?”

  “Soft solid. Rather like a small ration bar to make it appealing to them. The lab wanted the teeriks to be able to see what they were getting after being medicated without their consent for so long. I know it’s not being dumped in the food waste container. That’s easily checked.”

  “Well, if he’s not just binning it, he’s probably flushing it down the toilet, and that goes into the sewage system. See if Brice can detect anything.”

  “I’ll ask her now,” Solomon said. “But it’s a long shot.”

  “Why not just ask him?” Jeff asked. “We’ve established mutual trust. Once we lose it, we might never get it back.”

  “Do both,” Ingram said. “Because I trusted Fred and he let me down.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Jeff didn’t look happy. “Do you want me to wait until Sol’s got an analysis?”

  That question was a test for Ingram, not just a request for clarification. If there was an analysis available, they’d know if Fred was lying, and it implied that Ingram wanted to catch him out. Solomon could see Jeff’s sense of fair play coming under strain. He’d always done exactly as Ingram asked, but his compressed lips showed he didn’t approve. The teerik was his friend and the special bond they’d developed had opened doors that Ingram might not have managed on her own. Jeff probably felt like a traitor.

  “A negative result would only prove we didn’t find anything, so it’s not a lie detector,” Ingram said. Yes, she knew exactly how Jeff thought. “The real question is what we do if he isn’t willing to see a doctor or resume his meds if he’s not taking them. I don’t want to force medication on anybody. But I can’t ignore this after what happened to Nina. If he’s going to become a serious problem, I have to act. Think about how we’d do that, Chief.”

  Ingram shook her head and walked on. Jeff looked at Solomon.

  “I’m trying to do the right thing,” he said. “Not just because Fred deserves it, but because we’re so reliant on him. Yeah, I’m worried he might end up like Lirrel as well. That’s the interesting thing nobody’s talking about. If our teeriks need medication, did Lirrel need it too? Do the Jattans know how to treat them? I’ve got more questions than answers.”

  “You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Chief,” Solomon said. “For all we know, Fred’s taking his treatment but it isn’t working. Or perhaps it’s something else entirely — an unrelated health condition. Why don’t you let me take care of this?”

  “No, it’s orders,” Jeff said. “Like laws. If we start picking and choosing which ones we want to obey, the place falls apart.”

  Solomon wished he’d never raised this with Ingram. He could have investigated for himself and reported back to her if and when he had concrete facts. “I’ll get an analysis done first, just in case it turns up something completely unexpected,” he said. “Don’t worry, we’ll get this resolved.”

  He checked the lab’s schedule for a timetable while he located Ash Brice. The teeriks received their medication at 0700 delivered with their breakfast, which narrowed down the potential time window for Brice, provided Fred was disposing of his drugs shortly afterwards. Solomon checked the security cameras again and worked out all the blind spots where the teerik could hide them before disposal. It was all supposition, though. If Fred really was doing this, they might never catch the right moment to sample the waste.

  Solomon went to see Ash at the sewage plant to explain his problem.

  “Sol, you know exactly how the sewage system works because the bots built it.” She was wearing rolled-down waders that indicated she’d been carrying out a manual inspection. Folded over like that, they resembled cavalier boots, making her look swashbuckling rather than workaday. “I can’t guarantee anything. I can isolate the pipe run from any property for a while — until it backs up, obviously — and take a composite sample over the course of a day. We’re lucky teeriks are more like birds. They don’t excrete a lot of liquid or run the taps much. If we were looking for regular pathogens and other hazards, that’s all routinely monitored, but I haven’t got a clue what we’re after.”

  “That’s alright, the biochemists know,” Solomon said, then wondered how cooperative Tomlinson would be now that he was one of the Elcano objectors. “It’s a long shot. Just see what you can find.”

  “You could just use a tranquilliser dart on Fred and grab a blood sample while he’s down,” she said. “Or ask him outright.”

  “You’re not the first person to say that, but the dart is out of the question.”

  “Okay, I’ll do what I can.”

  Solomon wondered if he’d irritated Ash. Now that she was Chris’s girlfriend, he really didn’t want to upset her. He left her to it, sent Ingram a message that the sewage system checks were under way, and kept an eye on Fred via the security network until the other teeriks returned from their engineering duties. Fred’s two grandsons were chatting excitedly about what they’d learned, and the whole commune settled down for a meal like any other large family catching up on their day, something Solomon had never experienced but had seen many times in movies.

 
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