Mapped Space 1: The Antaran Codex (15 page)

If I couldn’t find a way to
contact Izin, my instincts told me there was little hope of stopping Vargis
winning. I watched the iceberg filled sea for a while, gathering my thoughts
before going down to breakfast.

* * * *

“It is such a pity you have all come so
far, for nothing,” Vargis said as he sipped a strong black coffee. There was no
smile, no play at humor, just an unabashed show of confidence designed to
unsettle his competition.

“It was worth coming,” Marie said,
“just to sample Mr Sarat’s excellent food and wine.”

Sarat nodded appreciatively. “Our
Irzaen host commissioned me to ensure your comfort. He was most generous. Lavishing
attention on high net worth customers is part of the Irzaen culture.”

“If we’re dealing with Irzaens,” Vargis
said suspiciously.

“If this is the first time the Irzaens
have traded with humans,” Bo asked astutely, “how did they pay for all of this?”

Sarat lit a fume-stick. “They
gave me a small quantity of precious gems, which I sold for currency.”

“Did you pick Icetop?” Marie
asked.

“No. Ani-Hata-Ga selected the
planet, although I found this specific location.” Sarat replied.

“So they know enough about us to
know the navy doesn’t come here,” I guessed, and to choose Sarat as their
middle man. “That would make this a good place to hide a ship in-system without
being detected, for as long as they like.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Sarat said
evasively.

“They could even have a base here,”
Marie suggested. “From what I’ve seen, the locals would never detect an alien
presence on this planet.”

“Anything is possible,” Sarat conceded,
showing a remarkable lack of curiosity. Clearly, he was being well paid not to
ask questions.

The Irzaens had chosen their
middle man and their location well, which for a species with almost no contact
with Earth showed a remarkable level of understanding. Watching Sarat puffing
on his fume-stick, I wondered if he realized he was useful to a point, but one
wrong move and he could quickly find himself expendable.

“If they do have a base here on
Icetop, they won’t need it once the Codex transaction is complete,” Sarat
added. “They will open a permanent embassy on Earth and negotiate a trade
treaty.”

“Why do you call it a Codex?” I
asked. “It’s an archaic word for a book, isn’t it?”

Vargis gave me a surprised look, wondering
how much I really knew, but said nothing.

“There is no exact equivalent
description of this device in our language,” Sarat said, “So the Irzaens chose
a word that carried the qualities of the device. It’s highly compact, easy to
access and virtually indestructible.”

“Nothing is indestructible,” Bo
said.

“It would require a fusion explosion
to penetrate its structure, and as such weapons are banned there is little
chance it will ever be destroyed.”

“Why does it need to be
indestructible?” I asked.

“Ani-Hata-Ga told you that
without the Codex, we are trapped,” Sarat replied, toying with me. Whatever his
meaning, it was obvious the others understood it. “The ancient Romans invented
the first Codex because they needed something more durable than scrolls. I’d
say a device able to survive drifting in space for eons is highly durable.
Wouldn’t you?”

A book meant knowledge, but what
kind of knowledge? Alien science was virtually useless to mankind because we
lacked the industrial base to put it to work and the theoretical background to
understand it. Yet, Vargis, Bo and Marie were all convinced of the Codex’s
value.

“I assume the Irzaens have equivalent
devices,” Vargis said. “Why not just sell us one of theirs?”

“Because an Observer would immediately
recognize their technology. The Irzaens would find that embarrassing. Selling
old relics is simply business, but gifting their own technology is a political
decision.”

“What you mean is if the deal goes
bad, Ani-Hata-Ga takes the fall,” Vargis said, “Instead of the Irzaen
government.”

“Exactly.”

“But the Irzaens are a galactic
species,” Marie said. “Wouldn’t that make them Observers?”

Sarat shook his head. “They’re
nowhere near that level. Few are. Ani-Hata-Ga believes an Observer would consider
it possible we found the Codex drifting in space – because it’s almost true.
Selling it in secret, with no way to trace it back to the Irzaens, avoids both embarrassment
for them and censure for us.”

Almost true was still a lie and
it was Earth Council policy never to risk lying to an Observer. There were few
Observer species for a reason. They were the oldest, most advanced and
impartial civilizations in the galaxy. An Observer representation to the Forum
was treated as fact, which was why the membership supported their
recommendations. They were never wrong, never asserted anything they couldn’t
prove beyond doubt and only ever recommended a decision that was fully within
the letter and spirit of the law. From a human perspective, we assumed the Tau
Cetins – the only Observer civilization Earth had ever had contact with – could
use their magic to see right through any lie. We might omit mentioning secrets
like bionetics, but if they asked us a straight question, we always gave them a
straight answer, no matter how difficult. Fortunately, providing we played by
their rules, they rarely ever asked us any questions.

“When you return the silver machine
the Codex came in,” Jase said, “you could track it. Find out where the Irzaens
are hiding?”

Sarat looked thoughtful for a
moment, considering the odds, then shook his head. “Ani-Hata-Ga would detect
any probe I launched to track the device. That might jeopardize my future
dealings with the Irzaens.” Sarat chose his words carefully, revealing he would
cheat the Irzaens in a heartbeat, but only if he could get away with it.

Our host finally stubbed out the
remains of his fume-stick and stood. “It is time for the next round.”

* * * *

Soon
after we had gathered in the meeting hall, the holographic image of the Irzaen
trade representative appeared. “Greetings, good customers,” Ani-Hata-Ga began
formally, “and appreciation to those who sought exchange, but whose desire was
insufficient to settle.”

With one of the eliminated
bidders dead and the other waiting in orbit to kill the winner, Ani-Hata-Ga was
thanking no-one present. It made me wonder if he was broadcasting from a
location so remote that he was unaware of what had been happening.

The Irzaen made a sweeping gesture.
“Let us begin bidding the second.”

Sarat motioned us to the Earth
Bank auctioneer, which would again record our bids. Following Irzaen tradition,
Marie, having been the lowest bidder in the first round, logged her bid first.
I went next. Having decided playing games would get me eliminated early, I bid
the entire balance on Lena’s digital-vault. Bo followed me, showing no sign of
anxiety, then Vargis as winner of the first round bid last.

Once the formalities were
concluded, we gathered together in the lounge for
synth
-bean
coffee and idle time watching the ocean outside being whipped up by
strengthening winds. The conversation was muted as we awaited the Earth Bank auctioneer’s
decision on who qualified for the final round. Marie looked apprehensive, while
Bo remained impenetrable and Vargis stood by himself, impatient to collect his
prize and start the long voyage back to the Core Systems.

Eventually we were summoned to
lunch after which Sarat announced, “The auctioneer has now validated the second
round bids. If your name does not appear on the screen, you have been
eliminated.”

He turned towards the screen in
the rock wall. Marie clenched her fists nervously while Vargis tried to appear
calmer than he was. Only Bo sat back impassively, strangely relaxed as if he
had nothing riding on the outcome. When I caught his eye, he shook his head
slightly, telling me something was wrong. It was a look he might have given a
confidant, leaving me with the sense that he no longer considered blowing my
cover. There was something more important on his mind, although he made no attempt
to explain what it was.

Outside, the sky was turning dark
gray as a broad storm front came rolling down from the northern hemisphere ice
plains. The pressure fields shielding the windows had automatically ramped up,
blurring the view and muting the hollow howl of the wind.

Behind Sarat, the wall screen
turned blue as everyone held their breath and the second highest bidder’s name
appeared.

Sarat turned to me. “Congratulations,
Captain Kade.”

“Yeah!” Jase declared
enthusiastically. “That’s what we’re here for!”

I accepted Sarat’s
congratulations gracefully, feigning happiness, knowing I’d lost the auction. I’d
bet my limit and still only placed second, making the final round a mere formality.

“Well played,” Marie said
tensely, but her eyes told me she hated losing.

“Thanks,” I said mildly,
wondering if she’d have to pay penalties to the Beneficial Society for not
delivering on her contract.

A moment later, my final round opponent’s
name appeared.

“Congratulations Senor Vargis,”
Sarat said. “Once again, you are the highest bidder.”

Vargis relaxed, regaining his
confidence with his second triumph. “I hope Jie Kang Li doesn’t put a price on
your head for coming second, Captain Kade.”

“I could say the same to you
about the Chairman, or will he just demote you to janitor when you return empty
handed?” I glanced at Bo. “Better luck next time, Bo.”

Bo was staring at Sarat, deep in
thought, then he offered me his hand and another piece of Confucian wisdom.
“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall.”

“That’s the spirit,” I said,
shaking hands.

“I would like to make you an
offer, Captain Kade,” Bo said. “I propose to pool my vault with yours on the
understanding that we share the Codex, should you win.”

Was that why he hadn’t betrayed
me to Sarat? He’d decided he couldn’t beat Vargis alone and was keeping me as
his insurance policy. “When you say share,” I said, “who gets to hold the Codex?”

“If you bid without my help, you
do. If you bid with my help, I do, but you may accompany me on my ship.”

It was the old rule, the last
money to the deal called the shots. “I’ll think about it,” I said turning to Sarat,
aware Vargis was now watching me intently. “Is there a problem if Bo, Marie and
I combine our–”

“Since when did I agree to
share?” Marie demanded.

“Since you got eliminated and
your only chance of getting a slice of the action is to pool your resources
with Mr Bo and me.” I turned to Bo. “Right?”

Bo Qiang nodded. “I am willing to
share with Captain Dulon, on the same terms.”

“Is a collective bid acceptable?”
I asked.

 
“All Ani-Hata-Ga cares about is the final price,”
Sarat said. “Side deals are not his concern.”

“That was not part of the
arrangement!” Vargis snapped.

“Syndicates are not explicitly
prohibited,” Sarat said. “You yourself represent the Consortium, which is a
very large syndicate.”

“But they have been eliminated
already!” Vargis said, glancing at Marie and Bo Qiang.

“Captain Kade makes the bid. How
he comes by his funds is not my concern.” Sarat sucked on his fume-stick
thoughtfully. “From what I know of the Irzaens, they’re not a sentimental
people. They’ll welcome the highest possible bid.” Vargis fell silent,
scowling, then Sarat continued, “The final round will commence in thirty
minutes.”

I gave Jase a look, inviting him
to follow me away from the others. When we were out of earshot, I said, “We
need to find a way to contact Izin – fast.”

“Why, you’re doing great!”

“I’m about to get my butt kicked,
unless Izin can find a way to fix the result.”

Jase sobered. “Sarat’s guards
aren’t going to let us anywhere near their comm system.”

“I know. Think you could take
one, unarmed?”

Jase grinned. “Hell yeah! Two of
them – three if I was drunk!”

Probably not, but I liked his
eagerness. “Try to avoid getting yourself killed or letting Sarat know what
you’re doing, but if we don’t find a way to rig this game soon, we won’t even make
shuttle fare off this ice cube.”

* * * *

When we met in the meeting hall for the
final round, I took Bo and Marie aside to give them the bad news. “Much as I
appreciate the offer Bo, I’m going it alone.” Bo simply nodded agreeably, barely
disappointed. “Do we have a problem?” I asked, code for was he going to blow my
cover?

“No, we would have lost anyway,”
Bo replied fatalistically.

“If you felt that way, why make
the offer?”