Abysm (10 page)

He gave her a wry chuckle. So they were. “Will, what’s your role here?”

Sutton jerked his head toward Tessa. “The next part.”

He raised an eyebrow. “And the next part is?”

“They’ve put out a hit order on the two key sponsors of the H+ bill, Senators Abrami and Lerado.”

Instantly Graham went around behind his desk, accessed the Level V security layer and opened a new mission file. “Okay. Any more details?”

“Many. They’ve hired the contracts out to two separate hitmen. One’s the old Shao triggerman, Hsieh, but I haven’t been able to get the other name so far. Deadline is twelve hours before the scheduled vote Thursday on H+. The goals are to not only remove two of the biggest Prevo supporters, but also to intimidate other senators into voting against the bill—hence the twelve-hour buffer. They’re leaving time for word to get out and spread fear in the Parliament.”

“That’s helpful. Anything else?”

She shook her head.

“Good work. Now get out of here and let me move on this. Forward me everything new you uncover, no matter how irrelevant it might seem.”

She beamed with pride and scooted out the door.

Graham glanced up at Will while entering a series of instructions into the system. “I don’t want to move the targeted senators into protective custody, because it would accomplish half of OTS’ mission right there. I’ve alerted Parliament security, but we need to get two units on overwatch and a lot of plainclothes agents on the ground around them. Hsieh is a sniper, so make sure Abrami and Lerado are put in combat-grade personal shields immediately.

“Mika Duarte from the Sentinel group is on his way up here now. I want you to work with him to devise and deploy the security profiles.”

“Yes, sir. Can I suggest Agent Benito head up one of the protection teams? He’s done good work lately.”

Graham smiled. Will had managed to learn the names and skills of nearly everyone in the building in the short time since becoming his permanent assistant. “Good call. Did you tell Richard about the threat to Canivon and Reynolds?”

“I did. Devon refused his help. I believe the reply was something to the effect of, ‘We’ve got this shit handled.’ ”

“Kids. I guess we all now know what Richard’s been helping Admiral Solovy with.”

Will shrugged. “And he sends his apologies for not being able to fill you in beforehand. Obviously, secrecy was of the utmost importance.”

“Obviously. If it matters, I’m cheering them on. Do you want to join him?”

The lighthearted expression vanished from Will’s face. “Of course I do. But he’s in a war now, and war has never been my purview. I would be a distraction. Thank you for asking, though.”

Duarte knocked on the doorframe; Graham motioned the agent in, and they passed on his way out the door once more. “Sutton will brief you. My meeting with Chairman Vranas and the colonial governors started four minutes ago, so I’ll let you two get to work.”

SAGAN

IDCC
C
OLONY
D
RUYAN
I
NSTITUTE

‘I’ve been talking quite a bit with Valkyrie since the
Siyane’s
return. Did you know they met an intelligent, inorganic, silicon-based species in their travels?’

Abigail Canivon spared a small smile as she constructed a new loop in the algorithm she was building. “No, I hadn’t heard. What did they learn from it?”

‘Much, and little. Its development was stunted in many ways, astonishing in others. Valkyrie and Alex can now both take control of and experience all aspects of their vessel, thanks to the knowledge gained.’

She paused mid-function. “Care to elaborate, Vii?”

‘Happily. Valkyrie’s quantum circuity now extends into every femtometer of the
Siyane’s
physical structure. She is, for all intents and purposes, the ship. Through her Prevo connection to Valkyrie, Alex can now be the same whenever she wishes.’

Well, that was certainly…innovative. She idly wondered exactly how it was working out for all involved. “You sound rather enthused about the topic. Is being a ship something you’d like to experience?”

‘I confess it is an intriguing notion. I have never felt confined here, or at EASC prior to our relocation here. But the concept of not merely traversing space but experiencing it on an elemental level is a fascinating one.’

Abigail contained the frustration she wanted to express. She would not lose Vii to the stars the way she had lost Valkyrie. Why was it her Artificial creations always became such dreamers? Intellectually she recognized it must say something about her programming proclivities, but the inescapable implication which followed from it—that she lacked the personal insight to identify
what
it said—bothered her even more.

“Did you tell Valkyrie about our research and the progress we’ve made on quantum expressions of morality paradigms?”

‘I did. She seemed most intrigued, particularly given the varied moral constructs they encountered among different alien species in the portal network. It makes me wonder if our paradigms are still fundamentally limited by a human-based perspective, but I concede this is a question for a far later stage of the project. Regardless, I’m excited about what our findings mean for the growing Prevo population and the ways in which we can help Artificials achieve a more fulsome, integral level of consciousness.

‘Valkyrie also conveyed interest in adapting the paradigms for use with neural imprints and the spontaneous emergence of consciousness such as she observed with the David Solovy construct.’

“Interesting idea. I believe the difficulties she encountered with the construct were more functional than judgmental in nature, but perhaps some of our conclusions can be transferred—”

Abigail jumped as the doors to the lab flew open and eight armed…she wasn’t certain if they were soldiers or mercenaries…stormed in.

“Dr. Canivon?”

She shrank against the wall. “Who are you? This is private Druyan Institute property.”

“Yes, ma’am. We’ve been granted access. Your life is in danger, and we need to get you to a secure location.”

“On whose authority?”

The brawny man in the front scowled. “IDCC authority, Doctor. Which is to say Ms. Requelme’s authority.”

Abigail dropped her head back until it found the wall behind her. It may be Mia’s authority, but the young woman was rarely the instigator of such drama.

Devon Reynolds, you need to warn me about these things!

If I told you ahead of time, you would have refused. Please do as the nice soldiers ask, would you? Your life genuinely is in danger. We’ve got good intel saying OTS has a solid bead on you, but we can protect you.

What about Vii?

Silence lingered.

Devon, what about Vii?

Mia says we can station two guards on permanent rotating duty. Abby, you know I adore Vii but—

What did you just call me?

Oh, uh, sorry. It was leakage from Annie via Valkyrie via you, I guess. Jules used to call you that, seriously? Cool! I mean, sorry. Um…right. Now go with the IDCC soldiers, please? I’d really prefer it if OTS didn’t murder you.

I’m working.

Abby….

Do not call me that again, Devon.

She meant it. The extent to which the simple endearment had rattled her was startling. She shoved away the memories it had unceremoniously evoked.

Go with the soldiers, and I won’t.

She exhaled and looked around the office. The expensive, advanced equipment shone as if polished…but these were only accoutrements. In truth she could work at eighty-to-ninety percent efficiency from anywhere. Except a transport ship. Unlike Alex, Valkyrie, and apparently Vii, she needed to be on solid ground to do anything more than administrative work.

It truly is this significant of a threat?

Yes. You know I wouldn’t do this otherwise.

She wanted to retort that he would absolutely do this, but it was a weak protest. Devon enjoyed acting the prankster, but he was one of the most considerate, conscientious people she had ever met.

“Dr. Canivon, we need to go. Now.”

She nodded in resignation. “So we do.”

8

EARTH

W
ASHINGTON
E
ARTH
A
LLIANCE
H
EADQUARTERS

P
AMELA
W
INSLOW GLANCED UP
as the security agent escorted her son into the office. She gestured an acknowledgment to the agent, and he closed the door as he departed.

“Thank you for coming on short notice.”

Jude considered the new office—new to her in any event, and thus to him—with professed nonchalance. Then he leaned against a bare spot of wall and stuck his hands in his pockets. “I wouldn’t dare refuse a summons from the prime minister, even if it did mean crossing the Atlantic to answer it. How may I serve?”

She kept most of her outward attention focused on the various reports filling her screens, not intending to reward his glib condescension.

“I’m glad you phrased it in such a manner. I’m sending an elite special operations unit to Romane to dispose of much of the IDCC leadership. Specifically Mia Requelme and her lieutenants, as well as Governor Ledesme if possible. The IDCC poses the only credible threat to my administration and its goals, and it needs to be neutralized.”

“Not Admiral Solovy?”

She had revealed deeply secret, treacherous information to him, and he had not so much as blinked. He’d been right before—she had in fact raised him well. “Military rebellions can be dealt with via military means, and so she will be.”

“Why are you telling me? Historically, you haven’t considered me worthy of hearing the juicy state secrets.”

Ah, there was the flare of defiance. She forgave it, for he was in many ways still a child. “Obviously this information is highly classified, and obviously you will not dare whisper a word of it. I assumed that need not be said.”

“Not particularly. But again, why are you telling me at all, Mother?”

She pointedly did not look at him. So many reports being sent to her attention, all urgent and important. “I happen to consider Mia Requelme the most dangerous Prevo outside our control. But I realize you have a personal score to settle with Devon Reynolds, and you seem to have developed a disproportionate hatred for the doctor responsible for all this madness. Canivon, yes?

“In this instance, our interests converge, as I would not dislike it if one or both of them were removed from the field of play. If you will gather whomever it is you utilize for such unsavory tasks and meet them on Romane, I will provide you Dr. Canivon’s location and additional covert military support. It is my founded suspicion that Mr. Reynolds will not be far from Canivon.”

When he didn’t respond for several seconds, she looked up at him mildly. He was staring at her, his brow fighting his attempts to subdue it while the muscles beneath his jaw quivered.

“Was I unclear in my request? Did I stutter, or perhaps mumble?”

His veneer was in danger of shattering, and she knew well the panic in his eyes. He was her son, after all. “I don’t…I’m not certain I understand, Mother. Why would I—”

She slid the screens aside. “Jude, do you honestly believe I haven’t known about your little ‘hobby’ since the very beginning? I’ve indulged your machinations and your acting out because they have, more often than not, served to my benefit.

“But do not for one instant believe you have
ever
succeeded in slipping the first thing past me. You are a child playing childish games, but this is the grown-up world. If you wish to operate in it, you need to recognize its…realities.”

He exploded off the wall. “How dare you insult me! I lead thousands upon thousands of followers. They bow to my image and worship at the altar of my vision. I issue a command, and colonies explode. I decree—”

She waved him off with a dismissive scowl. “Enough, Jude. You’ll alert security with your wailing. I don’t need a lecture demonstrating the size of your ego, and I know precisely what you do and do not command. You’ve done passably well, given your limitations, but now—”

“My
limitations
? And what, pray tell, might those be?”

“Your rampant narcissism, coupled with a complete inability to disguise it. Your temper, not to mention your need for constant praise and adoration. Your incredibly narrow perspective, bordering on tunnel vision. I could go on, but I have quite a lot to do this evening.