Living in Syn (32 page)

Mission
only thought he was nervous the first time he sat in Chandler Hunt's conference
room.  Presently, he sat in Susan's office monitoring the conference room
through the vue screen, tapping a pencil on her desk to some maniacal rhythm. 
Finally Susan snatched the pencil out of his hand, snapped it in two and threw
the pieces over her shoulder.

She
smiled sweetly and said, "Calm down or I'll kill you."

"Yeah,
and what do you think you can do to me that hasn't been done before?"

"Stop
taking birth control."

"I'm
calm.  I'm a rock.  I'm a continental platelet."

He
turned back to the screen to survey the room for the hundredth time.  Chandler
Hunt sat at the table with his arms crossed over his chest looking very
unhappy.  Flanking him were two slick, well dressed types with briefcases.  The
Paradox attorneys.  Major General Devon Steele sat with a Colonel on one side
and Carson on the other.

Bennett
London from Pioneer was in attendance, escorted from Quantico by heavy military
security. He was perfectly dressed and completely composed as he whispered to a
corporate shark that had to be his company's chief attorney.  Mission flipped
the switch and saw the conference screen of  Arthur Atwood, chatting amiably
with Margaret, taking care of the city administration as if this meeting was to
announce a new company logo.  Mission looked at his wrist even though he hadn't
worn a watch for fifteen years.  He looked impatiently over at the clock.  Two
more minutes until the conference began.

He
straightened his tie and felt a twinge in his arm.  He performed the exercises
regularly since the fiberglass jacket came off, but some motions still caused
pain.  He straightened his tie again and now left it crooked.  Susan came round
and set the tie to dead center.  "There.  It's perfect.  You did more
homework than I thought possible and you have a natural talent in these
matters.  Those guys don't have a chance."

Mission
gave her a weak smile and said, "Aren't I the one that's supposed to
reassure you?"

Susan
pushed him hard in the chest and said, "You're not just a horse's ass,
you're a sexist horse's ass."

He
grinned and said, "I love you too... show time."

He
adjusted the knot so that it was crooked and they moved into the hall and down
toward the conference room.

Mission
looked around the room and said, "Good morning.  My name is Mission and
I'll be your host this today.  I think introductions are appropriate and then
I'll discuss ground rules for the meeting.  After that, we can move into the
actual terms of the settlement.  Is this agreeable?"

With
nods or indifference from the group he began.  "As I said, my name is
Mission.  I have absolutely no qualifications for my role except that I worked
in one form or another with each of the groups represented here today, without
belonging to any of them.  So I am familiar with the situation and the
perspectives of the various groups without a loss of objectivity.  Now I am
certain that many of you can easily say that my relationship with Dr. St. Jean
has rendered me partial to Paradox.  As a defense  I offer the fact that two
weeks ago, Chandler Hunt issued a restraining order to keep me off the
grounds.  He only relented for purposes of this meeting."

"And
to my right we have ... "

London
introduced himself and the process worked across the room and finished with
Atwood at New Angeles. 

 
Chandler jumped out of his chair and said, "Atwood has advisors in his
room that we can't see!  I either want them in view of the camera or out of the
room altogether."

Atwood
started to respond and Mission held up his hand and said, "Please.  The
objection is fair enough.  Mr. Atwood will comply and Mr. Hunt and his
associates will relinquish their coms for the duration of the meeting."

Hunt's
look of triumph turned to shock in an instant. "What?"

"Don't
your coms give you access to all the personnel and resources of this company,
none of which are in camera range?  It’s exactly the same problem."

Chandler
threw his papers down on the table and said, "Let's get on with
this."

Mission
wondered if he would be invited to Chandler's home for dinner anytime soon.  Ah
well, he would survive somehow.  He turned back toward the camera.

"These
are the ground rules.  This is not so much a negotiation as it is an
information session.  I will disclose each of the major terms of the agreement
in sequence with no more than ten minutes discussion devoted to each.  The
nature of this discussion will not delve into the fairness or appropriateness
of the term, but rather what the term means."

"I
don't consider any of these terms to be subject to negotiation, however I will
accept requests for modifications for the next 48 hours to insure that I've
been as impartial and realistic as possible.  After another 48 hours, I will
notify the groups represented here today of final decisions.  At that point,
the groups have one week to develop with my team of independent attorneys, a
final and detailed agreement and to sign that agreement."

A flurry
of whispers washed down the table.  Mission smiled and said, "Nothing is
impossible with the appropriate motivation.  And that motivation is this.  I
have retained an attorney who practices in a country which does not recognize
extradition or other
friendly nation
agreements with the United States. 
If this settlement is not executed as I have stipulated, you will all be able
to watch this story and your respective parts detailed on the Solar System News
Networks among others.  Are there any questions?"

Mission
smiled and said, "Wonderful.  Let's move on to the terms."

He
brought up a video that simply read:

TERM
1

New Angeles Incorporates.

"First
of all, Arthur Atwood and a number of the citizens of New Angeles are property
owners, hold operator's licenses, voter's registration and a host of other
documents which implicitly recognize them as human beings.  Without specific
proof recognized by the courts, and at this time, X-ray is the only admissible
proof that an entity is not human, it would violate these people's rights to
even accuse them of being synthetic."

"Seeing
as the law recognizes them as human, they have every right to incorporate the
city of New Angeles and adopt procedures to elect or otherwise appoint officers
of the city.  Discussion?  Good.  On to term number two. "

He
flashed the second screen which read:.

TERM
2

New Angeles purchases the settlement facility at
$48.122 billion. 

Financed over 15 years at prevailing 15 year bond
rates.

"New
Angeles Incorporated will execute an agreement to purchase the facilities of
the New Angeles settlement from Pioneer Incorporated for the price of $48.122
billion.  This purchase will be financed over a fifteen year period by Pioneer
with interest paid at the prevailing fifteen year rate from the Global Bond
Index."

"The
purchase price reflects an 8 % profit on investment and takes into account the
tremendous risk undertaken by Pioneer balanced by its involvement in the combat
synthetic tragedy and the potential losses it could suffer if this became
public."

London
said, "But ... but we can't just ... "

Mission
said, "Thank me adequately for getting you out of this mess?  No thanks
are necessary.  Right Chandler?"

Chandler
refrained from comment.  He hadn't seen a screen on Paradox yet.  Mission
continued, saying,  "Moving to term three," while displaying the next
screen which read:

TERM
3

New Angeles purchases all synthetics in New
Angeles from Paradox per attached formula.  Financed over 15 years at
prevailing 15 year bond rates
.

"This
may be the most controversial of the terms.  New Angeles will compensate
Paradox for each synthetic in the city with a purchase price developed using a
formula I will provide which uses lease rates minus maintenance and some other
factors."

He
turned to look at the vue screen showing Atwood.  "Arthur, as should
already be obvious, this is a business agreement.  I leave it to you and the
other progressives to change the world's perceptions with regard to rights of
the individual.  But that can't happen today.  Probably not this decade.  A
business deal can.  So you must agree to pay for your citizens as distasteful
as that may be.  The next term will provide your incentive for complying with
this term.  Financing to be handled by Paradox with the same terms and rates as
the Pioneer purchase."

"Okay,
we're moving right along.  Term number four."

TERM
4

Paradox Continues Sales of Current Synthetic
Models to New Angeles.  Price increase by petition to independent auditing firm.

Paradox
will offer their current line of synthetics for sale to New Angeles so that
they may continue to grow as a species.  Cost increases will be on a petition
basis to an independent auditing firm which will limit profit to 8 %."

General
Steele jumped up and said,  "Make more of those monsters?  You are out of
your mind if you believe the Army will allow the systematic buildup of a
potential strike force of this magnitude."

Mission
looked pained.  "General, don't make me have Chandler quote safety
statistics to the group.  We'll have to wait two hours before we can drive. 
This is probably the most peace loving species ever seen until your people
modified them to help our defense."

Mission
pointed his finger at him and said, "In this entire travesty, I see your
Army as the monsters.  If not for the efforts of some very decent people like
Major Pierce, I'd hang the entire Defense Department out to dry.  Sit back down
unless you're posing for your picture under the headline reading
Army
Develops Killer Robots Responsible For More Than Twenty Deaths
."

He
displayed the next screen:

TERM
5

New Angeles provides lease of labor and facilities
for up to three years to Army to build defensive center.  Army and New Angeles
expansion limits defined.

Mission
looked around the room.  Not a single member of the audience would even look at
him.  "Term number five provides the Army with a three year window of
opportunity to build a defensive outpost on the side of Triton opposite New
Angeles.  The city will lease space, equipment and labor to the Army at rates
specified in attachment two.  The Army will find the rates much more attractive
than shipping supplies and labor from Earth."

"The
Army will have no jurisdiction or even visitation rights toward New Angeles. 
This term will also specify initial expansion rights for the city and the
defensive facility.  Finally, term number six."

TERM
6

Independent synthetics agree to leave Earth and to
not return. Army agrees to support negotiations at Winwood Hotel. Army agrees
to pay damages from combat synthetics into escrow account.

 “I will
lead a group to the Winwood Hotel to negotiate with Paine.  I will require a
defensive capability composed of Montag, Major Pierce, and any Army weaponry he
deems necessary.  The purpose of the visit is to inform Paine that he and his
followers cannot remain free on Earth."

He
turned toward the screen showing Atwood.  "This is an important point for
humans and synthetics.  On Earth, free synthetics are renegades and can be
recovered
without reprisal at any time.  Concurrently, Paine has demonstrated his group
to be a threat to humans and synthetics.  The most important point of term six
is that no liberated syn may remain on or visit Earth."

"Thus,
the only alternative I can offer them is refuge in New Angeles.  Any synthetic
refusing sanctuary must be recovered."

Atwood
said, "Don't dress it up with a word like recovered.  Say it like it is. 
Say murdered."

"It's
their choice Arthur.  This isn't the slavery or death choice.  This is the
freedom of New Angeles or recovery that usually means death.  So, I think
murdered is histrionic.  How about suicide by proxy?"

Atwood
remained silent.  Mission went on.  "We will approach Paine and attempt to
resolve the Winwood stronghold.  This will give us final figures on damages
caused by combat modified synthetics versus those produced solely by Paradox. 
I have here preliminary damages caused by combat syns and those moneys will be
paid by the Army into an escrow account.  Additional damages will be assessed
after the Winwood expedition."

He
brought up a summary of the terms:

New Angeles/Paradox/Pioneer/U.S.
Army Settlement Agreement

TERM
1

New Angeles Incorporates.

TERM
2

New Angeles purchases the settlement facility at
$48.122 billion. 

Financed over 15 years at prevailing 15 year bond
rates.

TERM
3

New Angeles purchases all synthetics in New
Angeles from Paradox per attached formula.  Financed over 15 years at
prevailing 15 year bond rates
.

TERM
4

Paradox Continues Sales of Current Synthetic
Models to New Angeles.  Price increase by petition to independent auditing firm.

TERM
5

New Angeles provides lease of labor and facilities
for up to three years to Army to build defensive center.  Army and New Angeles
expansion limits defined.