Exodus: Empires at War: Book 2 (7 page)

“It looks like some
kind of alien technology, buried in the metallic portion of the grabber, where
it wouldn’t be seen.  One of Ekaterina’s wonderboys decided to scan the metal
with nano and found this.  And then found it in the next twenty he looked at. 
But he can’t figure out what it is.  Any comments, gentlemen?”

“I have no idea what
that is,” said Jeravika, glancing at Streeter and seeing the same confused look
on the other lord’s face.

“Well, no matter,” said
the Grand Duke, nodding.  “We already have enough to take you down.  We’ll just
see about removing all the offending grabber units, though that will take some
time.”

“And what could we do
to convince you to not, let us say, disrupt the government?”

“Well, my Lord, that is
the business I wanted to talk to you about,” said Maldonado, showing his best
political smile.  “It would still take time to gather the support we would
need.  And don’t believe we won’t be able to.  And still more time to gather
information for a criminal investigation.  But in the meantime there are bills
the Emperor would like to see passed.”

“Like funding Bolthole
and Fleet expansion,” said Streeter, a scowl on his face.

“Like funding Bolthole
and Fleet expansion,” agreed the Grand Duke, nodding.  “Some things I am sure
you can agree would be for the good of the Empire, if not for your own purses.”

“I would agree with no
such thing,” said the PM, shaking his head and pointing his finger at the Grand
Duke.  “I do not see why I should agree to what looks like blackmail.”

“Not blackmail,” said
the Grand Duke, his smile widening.  “Just political maneuvering.  Something
the two of you are quite familiar with.  And I am sure that Purgatory is not
all that appealing for someone of your status.  Nor yours, Duke Streeter.”

“And if we agree to
help pass these bills, and I am sure the others that you will propose?” asked
Streeter.

“Then we will postpone
making any waves,” said the Grand Duke, holding his hands open in
supplication.  “Then you can continue the session, then retire, let us say, for
your health.  As long as you promise to stay out of politics , and relinquish
all control of defense related industries.”

“And if I decide to
challenge you on your investigation?” asked Jeraviki, glaring at the man.

“Then you will lose, my
Lord,” said the Grand Duke, returning the glare.  “Make no mistake.  We will
win.  But overall the Empire will lose.  And that I would not wish to see, much
as I would like to see the both of you serve time.  But of course the decision
is yours.”

“I will have to
consider your proposal, your Grace,” said the PM, glancing over at Streeter and
noting the angry glare the man was giving the older Lord. 
And I’m sure you
will not be succeeding me as PM either, Theo.  I would be pissed too.

“Don’t take too long to
consider,” said the Grand Duke, getting up from his chair and bowing to both
men.  “I wouldn’t want to see your legacy ruined due to a vote of no
confidence.  Or much worse.  Gentlemen.”  The Grand Duke turned away and walked
toward the door.

“That bastard,” said
Streeter as soon as the man left the room.  “What are you going to do?”

Nothing I can tell you
about
,
thought the Count, wanting to run after the Grand Duke and strangle him.  “I’ll
think of something,” said the PM, his tone cutting off Streeter’s reply.  “Now
I need to go to my estate.  I’ll call a meeting of the faction tomorrow, and we
can talk over our options.”

If we even have
anything to worry about tomorrow
, thought the PM, a smile on his face.

*     *     *

“Calm down Prime
Minister,” said the man only known to others as the tall man, who knew himself
as Agent One.  “You should not be discussing this on a com link.”

“The damned thing’s
secure,” said the PM in a growling voice.  “Don’t you think I know how to keep
things secure on my end?”

No
, thought the agent
provocateur who knew more about security than any other man in the capital. 
I
don’t think you know shit.  And you’re about to become a liability
.

“I want that
motherfucker dead,” yelled the PM, his voice rising.  “He threatened my power
and I want him gone.  You and your employers owe me that much at least.”

“I will talk with you
tomorrow,” said the agent, grimacing.  “Where it’s more secure.”

“Where?” asked
Jereviki, his voice dropping to a whisper, as if that would prevent anyone from
hearing him that might be listening in.

No indication of that
, thought the agent,
who monitored such things.  But he knew that monitoring didn’t always reveal
who was listening.  If he could do it, so could others.

“I’ll meet with you
when and where I want to,” said the agent, looking over at the screen that
showed the Prime Minister pacing in his study.  “As usual.”

He could feel the fear
in the man’s breathing, and relished that fear.

“What about the
scapegoat?” asked the PM, and the agent grimaced once again.

“All is prepared,” said
the agent, knowing that the liability would have to be removed before the fool
made any more comments over the com link.  “Now we need to stop talking about
this.  I will see you tomorrow.  Out.”

The agent cut the link
and glared at the console for a moment.  Everything was going so well, and if
it continued to go well the plan would succeed, and the blame placed.  And then
a loose tongue would be taken care of.

*     *     *

The Room was not all
that impressive once past the armed guards and the bunker thick door.  It was bare
except for the object in the center, and that was enough to attract all
attention.  The mirrored surface was perfect, reflecting back the forms of the
observers.  The supports, the frame of the mirror as it were, large thick
lengths of metal, took up a good portion of the fifteen meter square room.

“So that is a wormhole
gate?” asked Anastasia, holding onto her husband’s arm.

“That it is, your Majesty,”
said the gate technician who was leading them to the portal.

“And what holds the
wormhole open?” asked the Empress, pointing at the mirrored surface.  “I
thought they closed on their own.”

“That they do, your Majesty,”
agreed the man with the smile of one used to answering questions from people he
dared not show condescendence to.  “Negative matter holds it open.  And those
large supports you see there are actually built around a U-shape of
Superplatinum which develops a strong magnetic field to hold the charged
negative matter in place.”

“And it’s safe?”

“We’ve sent hundreds
through this gate alone,” said the tech, the smile pasted on his face.  “And
thousands through other wormholes.  Everyone checked out as perfectly healthy.”

“Just trust them, my
dear,” said the Emperor, looking into the worried face of his wife.  “I’ll step
through first, OK.?”  He looked back at his two sons and Dimetre’s wife. 
Dimetre and his spouse both looked excited, while Henry had the same nervous
look on his face as the Empress. 
Just like his mother, and because of that
not the best choice to run the Empire.

“I will go first, your
Majesty,” said the technician.  “Then I will come back through so you can see
for yourself that it is safe.”

“No need, young man,”
said Augustine, starting toward the portal.

“I insist,” said the
man, holding up his hands to motion the monarch to a halt, then turning and
disappearing into the portal.  It looked like he was walking into a solid
mirror, until he had completely disappeared and the surface rippled for a
couple of seconds.  One of the security detail followed on his heels.  It had
just set to perfection again and he was coming back through, followed again by
the security agent.  “All is ready, your Majesty,” said the man, gesturing
toward the portal.

“Then let’s do it,”
said Augustine, feeling some butterflies in his stomach despite knowing
intellectually that there was no danger here. 
And I’m going to be asking
millions of people to use these things in the near future
, he thought. 
So
I might as well start
.

And with that thought
the Emperor strode through the mirror.  He almost panicked for a moment as he
lost all sensation in the first leg through, then remembered that he had been
warned to expect that.  He continued to walk through, with a feeling that he
couldn’t stop himself if he wanted to.  The wormhole was sucking him in, and no
resistance he could offer would keep him from coming out the other side.

And then he knew
nothing.  He was aware that he still existed, but all sensation was gone, and
all thought.  He came to awareness on the other side, in a room that was a bit
more impressive than the one he left.  A room filled with people.  He
recognized many of them, scientists he had talked to, and his own security
personnel.  The Emperor turned and caught the hand of his wife as she came
through the mirror.  He smiled at the relieved look on her face, then turned
back to the waiting people. 
Let’s get this show on the road.

Chapter 3

In our enlightened
society there are very few crimes for which the penalty is death.  Murder,
whether a crime of passion or in cold blood, is not one of them.  We can
rehabilitate the mind of the murderer, or at worst wipe it clean and start over
with a fresh personality.  No, the only crime that deserves the death penalty
is treason, causing damage to one’s own species or people for personal gain. 
And Regicide, which in many ways is the same thing.  For what is more damaging
to a species or a people that cutting off the head of the government?

Justice Jonathon
Kuamahu during the sentencing of the murderer of the Emperor Chung Ling Lee.

"Welcome to the
Donut
,
your Majesty," said the portly man, approaching the Emperor as he stepped
from the portal.

Augustine looked around
the large chamber that had been transformed into a formal greeting room. 
Tables with cloth in the Imperial colors of gold and red stood near the walls,
covered with bottles of wines and liquors, trays of delicacies and bowls of
fresh fruits.  Hundreds of scientists and technicians in their best dress
clothing stood around the tables.  A chamber orchestra toward the front of the
room played the Emperor's march.  Newsmen were kept to the fringes, their
cameras hovering over the chamber, vying for the best shots and clips.

The security people had
come ahead through the wormhole, meeting up with their counterparts who were
already on the station.  They were hugging the walls and trying to blend into
the crowd. 
Kind of a waste of manpower
, thought the Emperor.  After
all, everyone in this room had been checked out as much as humanly possible.

Augustine looked back
at the wormhole portal as Dimetre and his wife came through.  Except the
shimmering edges of the portal where negative matter was held in a vacuum
filled stasis field, it looked just like a doorway into another room.  Which it
was.  Except that the next room was over forty light hours away.  And it had
taken the same amount of time to go that distance as it took to walk from the
next room.

The Dimetre offered his
hand to his wife and gently pulled her away from the portal to walk to where
the Emperor was standing.  A moment later the spare came through on the heels
of the heir.

Prince Henry would
probably never have any real power in the Empire, except for the minor power of
his name.  But he was a likable young man, who was probably as ill-suited to
rule as anyone in the family.  Augustine put an arm around Henry and walked
toward the chief scientist, his hand out in the offer of a shake.

"Good to be
aboard, Dr. Baxter," said the Emperor, looking down at the ebony face that
was filled with a wide smile.  Not the first man to be in charge of the massive
project, but his name would forever be linked to it as the man who had
supervised its completion as a working industrial complex.

“I believe you have
communicated with Dr. Lucille Yu,” said the Director, turning to the tall blond
woman at his side.  She smiled levelly at the large man who was her Emperor.

“A pleasure to meet you
in person, Dr. Yu,” he said, taking her hand and brushing his lips across its
back.  “I would like to introduce my wife, the Empress Anastasia, and my sons,
the Princes Dimetre and Henry.”

“I would recognize them
in a moment, your Majesty,” said Dr. Yu, extending a hand to each of the
Imperials in turn.  “They are on the V more often than the stars of cinema
after all.

“But I am taking up too
much of your important time,” she said with a grin, gesturing to a small group
of people to come forward.  “I would like you to meet my team.”

The Emperor made
pleasantries with the scientists who had pulled off the greatest engineering
project in the known universe, then allowed the Director to steer him and his
family over to the refreshments, while the orchestra played background music. 
Augustine had to admit to himself that the food was first class, and they had a
fine vintage of wine and good beer to go with it. 
Whatever they spent on
the party is a drop in the ocean compared to the cost of this thing
, he
thought as he sipped wine and listened to Yu spout production figures for
negative matter and how one of her scientists had figured out the problem with
making enough of it.  Scenes from the outside of the enormous station played in
a holo tank and along wall screens.  An infinitesimally thin ribbon it seemed
until a couple of freighters and a heavy cruiser entered scenes and gave it a
sense of scale.