Cyteen: The Betrayal (39 page)

“You’re damn right the records show it.” Giraud found his breath difficult. “My God, we never knew the thing was actually launched! You know what kind of a security problem we’ve got? This isn’t the 2350s. We’re not at war. Your damn little timebomb’s gone off in a century when we’ve got aliens stirred up on Sol’s far side, we’ve got ecological treaties-we’ve got our own position, for God’s sake, on ecological responsibility, the genebanks, the arks, the-“

“It was, of course, the architect of the genebanks and the treaty and the arks who actually administered Reseune during the development of the Gehenna colony. Councillor Emory was signatory to all contracts with Defense.”

“-the Abolitionists, my God, we’ve handed them the best damn issue they could have dreamed of! It was a study project. God, Jordan Warrick’s father worked on those Gehenna (apes.”

“We trust Reseune security procedures didn’t tell the project members what they were working on.”

“Trust, hell! It’s on the news, general. The news gets to Planys, eventually. You want to gamble Jordan Warrick won’t know who in what department might have been working on (hose tapes, and what names and what specifics to hand to investigators if they get to him?”

“Damage his own father’s reputation?”

“To protect his father’s reputation, dammit; and blast Reseune’s. You spent forty thousand azi to sabotage a planet, for God’s sake, you linked the research to the Science Bureau, and it couldn’t have picked a worse time to surface.”

“Oh,” Lu said quietly, “I can imagine worse times than this. This is a quiet time, a time when humanity-especially Alliance-has many other worries. In fact Gehenna’s done exactly what it was designed to do: there is ecological calamity, Alliance is holding off development. The course of development of the Alliance has been irrevocably altered: if they absorb that population they will absorb an ethnically unique community with Union values, if you believe in the validity of your own taped instructions. In any case, we forestalled either Alliance or Earth getting a very valuable resource-and a stepping-stone to further stars. Now Alliance will either track down a scattered lot of primitives and remove them by force-a logistic nightmare-or Alliance will have to take them into account in its own settlement of the world. If they choose to settle. Intelligence informs us they’re having second thoughts. They perceive a possible difficulty if they entangle themselves with this-ground-bound culture. There was always a vocal opposition to their colonization effort. The spacers who are far and away the majority in Alliance are quite doubtful about any move that puts power in the hands of the ground-bound-blue-skyers, as spacers call them, and a pre-industrial constituency-or another, much more problematical protectorate-is more than the Council of Captains wants to take on … not mentioning of course, their science bureau, which bids fair to study it to death, while the construction companies scheduled to build a station there are holding off their creditors. The Alliance ambassador demands information for their Science people and an apology; cheap at the price. There’ll be a little coolness-ultimately cooperation. I assure you, they’re much more scared at what Sol has poked into than we are-only natural considering they’re much closer to the problem. All in all, it’s an excellent time for it to surface: we watched their preparations, we weren’t taken by surprise-that’s why Adm. Gorodin is inaccessible, as it happens. We knew this was coming.”

“And kept it from us!”

Lu maintained an icy little silence. Then: “Us-meaning Science; or us, meaning Reseune?”

“Us, Reseune, dammit! Reseune has an interest in this!”

“A past interest,” Lu said. “The child is far from adult. She can ride out this storm. Emory is beyond reach of any law, unless you are religious. Let them subpoena a few documents. Warrick is in quarantine, thoroughly discredited as far as testimony before the Council might go. If his father was working on the project, it can only harm the Warrick name. What is there to concern Reseune?”

Giraud shut his mouth. He was sweating. Bogdanovitch was dead four years ago, Harad of Fargone was in the seat of State and making common cause with Gorodin of Defense and deFranco of Trade, and Lao of Information. Damn them. The Expansionist coalition held firm, the Abolitionists were in retreat and Corain and the Centrists had lost ground, losing Gorodin to the Expansionist camp where he had always belonged, but Nasir Harad, damn him, snuggled close to Gorodin, the source of the fat Defense contracts for his station, and State and Defense and Information were the coalition within the Expansionist coalition-the secret bedfellows.

Reseune did not have the influence it had had. That was the bitter truth Giraud had to live with. It gave him stomach upsets und kept him awake at night. But Ari had been-so far as they understood-unique.

“Let me tell you,” Giraud said, “there are things within our files which are very sensitive. We do not want them released. More, we don’t want any chance of Warrick being called out of Planys to testify. You don’t understand how volatile that situation is. He has to be kept quiet. His recall of small detail, things he might have heard, things he might have discussed with his father down the years-will be far better than you or I want. His memory is extremely exact. If you don’t want Alliance to be able to unravel what you’ve done in specific detail, keep Warrick quiet, can I be more clear?”

“Are you saying present administration can be compromised?”

Dangerous question. Dangerous interest. Giraud took another breath. “I’m only asking you to listen to me. Before you discover that the threads of this lead, yes, under closed doors. You want the Rubin project blown to hell-you let Warrick get loose, and there won’t be a Rubin project.”

“Sometimes we’re not sure there is a Rubin project,” Lu said acidly, “since RESEUNESPACE has yet to do more than minor work. Tests, you say. Data collation. Is there a director?”

“There is a director. We’re about to transfer the bank. It’s not a small operation. This inquiry is not going to help us. We’re strained as it is. There’s an enormous amount of data involved. That’s the nature of the process. We are in operation. We have been in operation for six years. We do not intend to waste resources in a half-hearted effort, general.” Damn. It’s a tactic. Distract and divert. “The point is Warrick. The point is that the Planys facility is under your security and we have to rely on it. We hope we can rely on it.”

“Absolutely. As we hope to rely on your cooperation on the Gehenna matter, Councillor Nye.”

Blackmail. Plain and simple. He saw Harad’s hand in this. “To what extent?”

“Agreement to cooperate with Alliance scientists. We’ll swear it was a lost operation, one concealed behind the secrecies of war. Something no one knew had been done. No one in office now. That a communications screw-up saw it launched.”

“Ariane Emory’s name has to be kept out of it.”

“I don’t think that’s possible. Let the dead bear the onus of responsibility. The living have far more at stake. I assure you-far more at stake. We want to keep an active channel into this situation on Gehenna. Descendants of Union citizens are still legally our citizens, if we choose to take that view. We may not. In any case-Science should be interested in the impact on the ecology; and the social system. We stand to gain nothing by withholding an apparent cooperation. Not the actual content of the tapes, to be sure. But at least the composition of the colony, the ratio of military personnel to azi. The personal histories of some of the military. Conn, for instance. Distinguished service. They should have some recognition, after all these years.”

Sentiment. Good God.

“Reseune,” Giraud said, “equally values Emory’s distinguished record.”

“I’m afraid that part will get out. The azi, you know. Once the public knows that, there’s hardly any way you can hide it. But damage control is already in operation. State is onto it.”

“Harad knew about this operation?”

“It does fall within State’s area of responsibility. Science doesn’t make foreign policy. Our obligation in that consideration is quite different. I do urge you to think-what your contracts are worth. We do not contract primarily with Bucherlabs. We continue to work with you. We continue to support RESEUNESPACE-even at a cost disadvantage. We expect that relationship to be a mutually satisfactory one-one we hope we can continue.”

“I see,” Giraud said bitterly. “I see.” And after a breath or two: “Ser Secretary, we need that data protected-for more than a dead woman’s reputation. To keep Council from blowing this wide open-and destroying any chance of success.”

“Now you want our help. You want me to throw myself and my Bureau on the grenade. Is that it? -Let me explain to you, ser, we have other considerations right now, primarily among them a rampant anti-militarism that’s feeding on this scandal as it is-which is a critical danger to our national defense, at a time when we’re already under budget constraints, at a time when we can’t get the ships we need and we can’t get the problem of expanded perimeters through the heads of the public or (he opposition of Finance in Council. We have a major problem, ser, your project has become a sink into which money goes and nothing emerges, and, dammit, you want us to stand and shield you from inquiry while you refuse our requests for records. I suggest you defend yourself, ser-with Reseune’s well-known resources. Maybe it’s time to bring this project of yours out. Make a choice. Give me a reason I can use to maintain that data as Classified-or give me the records I need.”

“She’s not ready, my God, not now, in the middle of scandal that touches her predecessor. She’s a six-year-old kid, she can’t handle that kind of attack-“

“It’s your problem,” Lu said, folding his hands, settling into that implacable, bland stare. “We don’t know, frankly, ser, if we have anything to protect. For all you’ve been willing to demonstrate to us, it is another Bok clone.”

“I’ll show you records.”

“Bok’s clone was quite good as a child. It was later the problems manifested. Wasn’t it? And unless you’re willing to no public with the child and give me a reason to clamp down on the records-I can’t extend that protection any further than I have.”

“Dammit, you leave us vulnerable and they’ll find us the door that leads to your own territory.”

“Through yours, I think. You were very active in Reseune administration in those years. Can it be-those records you defend-lay the blame to you, ser?”

“That’s your guess. It may shine light where a good many people don’t want it.”

“So we direct the strike, don’t we? It’s always useful to know what you’ve left open for attack. I’m sorry it has to be in your territory. But I certainly won’t leave it in mine.”

“If you’ll apply a little patience-“

“I prefer the word progress, which, quite truthfully, I find lucking in Reseune lately. We can discuss this. I am prepared to discuss it. But I think you’ll understand I am inflexible on certain points. Cooperation is very essential just now. If we do not have a reason to withhold those records, we must provide those records. You must understand-we have to provide something to the inquiry. And soon.”

One did. One sat and one listened while the Defense proxy, damn him to hell, laid out Gorodin’s program for, as he called it, damage control.

A proposal for scientific and cultural cooperation with Alliance. Coming from Defense via the Science Bureau.

An official expression of regret from the Council in joint resolution, made possible by the release of selected documents by the present administration of Reseune, indicating Bogdanovitch, Emory, and Azi of Defense, all safely deceased, collaborated in the planning of the Gehenna operation.

Damn him.

“We’ll see to Warrick,” Lu said. “Actually-allowing him conference with his son might have some benefit right now. Monitored, of course.”

viii

“Justin?” The voice came from the other end, Jordan’s voice, his father’s voice, after eight years; and Justin, who had steeled himself not to break down, not to break down in front of Denys, on whose desk-phone the call came, bit his lip till it bled and watched the image come out of the break-up on the screen-a Jordan older, thinner. His hair was white. Justin stared in shock, in the consciousness of lost years, and mumbled: “Jordan-God, it’s good to see you. We’re fine, we’re all fine. Grant’s not here for this one, but they’ll let him next time… .”

“… You’re looking fine,” Jordan’s voice overrode him, and there was pain in his eyes. “God, you’ve grown a bit. haven’t you? It’s good to see you, son. Where’s Grant?”

Time-delay. They were fifteen seconds lagged, by security at either end.

“You’re looking good yourself.” O God, the banalities they had to use, when there was so little time. When there was everything in the world to say, and they could not, with security waiting to break the connection at the first hint of a breach of the rules. “How’s Paul? Grant and I are living in your apartment, doing real well. I’m still in design-“

A lift from Denys’ hand warned him. No work discussions. He stopped himself.

“… A little grayer. I know. I’m not doing badly at all. Good health and all that. Paul too. Damn, it’s good to see your face. …”

“You can do that in a mirror, can’t you?” He forced a little laugh. “I hope I do look that good at the same age. Got a good chance, right? -I can’t report much-” They won’t let me. “-I’ve been keeping busy. I get your letters.” Cut to hell. “I really look forward to them. So does-“

His father grinned as the joke got through. “You’re my time machine. You’ve got a good chance… . I get your letters too. I keep all of them.”

“So does Grant. He’s grown too. Tall. You could figure. We’re sort of left hand and right. We look out for each other. We’re doing fine.”

“You weren’t going to catch him. Not the way he was growing. Paul’s gone gray too. Rejuv, of course. I’m sorry. I was absolutely certain I’d told you in the letters. I forget about it. I’m too damn lazy to dye it.”

Meaning the censors had cut the part it was in, damn them.

“I think it looks pretty good. Really. You know everything looks pretty much the same at home-” Not elsewhere. “Except I miss you. Both of you.”