Mapped Space 1: The Antaran Codex (41 page)

Siyarn listened impassively. Like
all aliens, if he had facial expressions, I couldn’t read them. “Once you
identified the two human ships, you still did not act to protect Vintari II.”

“We tried, but the humans killed
two of my crew! They are murderers and fanatics. We detected their
transmissions. Listen to them yourself. They prove the human intentions.”

“We detected the transmissions,
however, irregularities in the signal indicate a synthetic rather than a
biological source.”

The Mataron ignored Siyarn’s
observation. “The very fact the humans are here proves their guilt!”

“That is one interpretation.”

“The human ships attacked Vintari
II! There is no other interpretation.”

“There is the Ninth Principle.”

“That does not apply!”

“It applies!” I said, daring to
interrupt for the first time.

“Do not listen to that murderer!”
The Mataron Commander demanded.

Siyarn paused a moment, perhaps receiving
advice or data. “The human ship known as the
Silver Lining
may have entered this system to preserve life. The
Preservation Principle always permits an action to save life, irrespective of
other Treaty restrictions – even for probationary signatories.”

“That is not what happened!”

“Yes it is!” I said. “We tried to
save the planet from them!”

The Mataron gestured emphatically
with his hands, but no sound came through.

“What’s happening?” Marie
whispered.

“Siyarn just pulled the plug on
the snakeheads,” I said.

When the Mataron stopped talking,
Siyarn said, “I find discrepancies between the physical evidence we have
gathered and the testimony offered by the Mataron Supremacy. While I reserve my
right to Summation for a later date, all parties should understand that if we
proceed to an Inquisitorial Session, the evidence I would present to the Forum will
be conclusive.”

He knows! He wouldn’t say what he
had, but he’d figured it out! I wanted to leap out of my couch and demand a
hearing, but the risks of the decision still going against us made me hesitate.

The Mataron Commander stiffened,
sensing a veiled threat, but said nothing.

“Our preliminary analysis
indicates,” Siyarn continued, “the humans of Earth would be justified in invoking
the Preservation Principle, nullifying other Access Treaty conditions which may
have been technically violated. Does the Mataron Supremacy wish to challenge my
initial findings and have me present a Summation to the Forum Session on
Anrak
Orn
?”

The Mataron hesitated. He had no
idea what physical evidence the Tau Cetins had found. Could it possibly
implicate the Matarons in a plot to destroy a helpless bronze age civilization?

“I request that the Tau Ceti
evidence be presented at
Anrak
Orn
,”
I cut in, “along with additional evidence in my possession.”

“He cannot make such a request!”
The
reptillian
Commander snapped. “Humans have no
standing in the Forum.”

“That is true, for now,” Siyarn conceded.
“However, should an Inquisitorial be convened, I will fully and impartially examine
any evidence Captain Kade possesses and if I find it relevant, I will present
it as part of
my
Summation.”

Anything Siyarn presented would
have overwhelming weight behind it, the weight of an Observer counseling the
Galactic Forum.

“I’m totally happy with that!” I
said. “We’re prepared to give you everything we have, right now. I’ll be right
over!” I had nothing to give, but the Mataron didn’t know that and this TC
Observer was clearly hanging him out to dry.

The Mataron Commander murmured
something that didn’t translate. It sounded almost like a growl, then he said,
“I remember you, human.”

I shrugged. “You snakeheads all
look alike to me.”

“I should have killed you on
Icetop.”

So, it was that Mataron, the one
Jase had winged in Sarat’s penthouse.

“How’s the shoulder? A bit
stiff?” I summoned the DNA profile my sniffer had made of the drop of blood I’d
found on the ledge outside Sarat’s penthouse and DNA locked it for future
reference. If this Mataron ever came near me, I’d know it was him.

He fixed his gaze upon me, speaking
in a low voice. “I am Hazrik a’Gitor and you human, slew my brothers-in-arms this
day.”

“You’re Hazrik a’Gitor?” He was
the Exalted Blademaster the synthetic intelligence had been modeled on. I knew
him almost as well as I knew myself. I had his memories, knew his training, could
see his family. “You shouldn’t spread yourself around so much, people will
talk.”

The Mataron ignored me. His hand
settled on the hilt of his Q-blade. Even though his voice was synthesized, his
words were rhythmic and ritualistic. “A blood-debt now stands between us, a
debt that only death will resolve. Yours or mine! So let it be known!”

I’d had death threats before, but
never from a Mataron Exalted Blademaster. I wondered how he could possibly realize
his threat, but if I understood what he was telling me, one day, one of us was
going to die.

I held up the Q-blade I’d
souvenired off the Mataron Honored Assassin I’d killed on the
Soberano’s
bridge. “Does that mean I get
to keep this?”

“I gave that sacred weapon to the
one you killed. One day, I shall take it back.”

“But I have it now and you’ll
have to explain that to . . .
Akti
.”

“What?” Even through his
synthesized voice and alien demeanor, his surprise was unmistakable.

“
Akti
a’Gitor. Your daughter . . . his widow.”

“How do you know this?”

“I know all about you Hazrik a’Gitor,
Exalted Blademaster of the Black Sauria.” I tapped my head. “It’s all in here
and you put it there.”

The reptilian commander fell
silent, wondering what I was talking about, then he spoke to Siyarn. “The Mataron
Supremacy we will not press its claim!”

The image of Hazrik a’Gitor vanished
from the screen, replaced by our own optical feed of the damaged Mataron cruiser.
It made a quarter turn, then bubbled and streaked away.

I turned to Siyarn. “You figured
it out.”

“I have my suspicions.”

“You said you had evidence.”

“I gave the Matarons a choice and
let their conscience decide. The most persuasive evidence was their decision
not to press for an Inquisitorial.”

“You bluffed them!” The Tau
Cetins had us all convinced their technology was so superior we could hide
nothing from them, but in reality they were running a giant confidence trick!

“My people are among the most
ancient and revered in the galaxy,” Siyarn said. “We do not bluff!”

“Remind me never to play poker
with you guys.”

Siyarn made a gesture, a quick
tilt of the head, then said, “We did not get to where we are, because we are
stupid.”

“I can see that.” The TCs might
be the most advanced civilization in the Orion Arm, but they had a hidden
streak of larceny in their DNA.

“We will remember what you did
here today, Captain Kade. It stands well for your people, and their
aspirations.”

“Thanks.”

“Remember,” Siyarn said, “we are
always watching.”

The image of the TC Observer was
replaced by a view of the sleek, Arbiter class super battleship. Without any indication
it was preparing to move, it simply vanished.

“We kicked their lizard asses,” Jase
said defiantly, then gave me a sideways look. “Matarons have asses don’t they?”

“They must,” I chuckled, “because
we just kicked them!”

“Did you have to show him the
knife?” Marie said. “It’s bad enough he swore to kill you, but did you have to
make him mad?”

I thought about it a moment and
nodded. “Yeah, I really did.”

Laughter filled the flight deck,
then I stared at the view screen, realizing we were now the only ship left in
the Vintari System. We floated above an arid little world that now had only one
moon. The glow in its sky was beginning to fade as the debris burning up in its
atmosphere thinned. On the surface, several hundred million bronze age
primitives stared in wonder at a phenomenon they didn’t understand and would
never see again, unaware how close their world had come to ending.

Perhaps in ten thousand years,
we’d tell them what really happened.

Chapter Seven
: Hevelius Base

Dwarf Planet

Argolis System

Outer Cygnus Region

0.677 Earth Normal Gravity

982 light years from Sol

6,200 Crew + transients

It took several weeks to nurse the
Lining
to Hevelius Base, named for the seventeenth
century creator of the Vulpecula Constellation. Hades City had better
facilities, but was much further away and Izin was so obsessed with the hole in
our side, he barely slept. Hevelius was a free base, a joint venture initially
established by a group of agricultural companies specializing in pressurized
greenhouse farming. Their bioengineered produce flourished in the dwarf
planet’s low gravity and the red giant’s starlight, turning the otherwise
desolate planet into a regional food production center. The docking space was
limited and the hull repair costs inflated, but with Izin watching every move
the repair bots made, we’d be able to bubble at full power long enough to get
to Hades City for a proper overhaul.

Hevelius was partially built into
a mountain, honeycombed with rough hewn tunnels filled with aging machinery and
vast produce storage facilities. Its supply of bars and brothels was sparse
compared to mining bases, but there were enough to lure Jase off the ship soon
after berthing. By day, Marie would sneak off in search of trade contacts among
the farmers, always refusing to give me any hint as to what deals she’d struck,
while by night we made the most of our time together, knowing she’d soon be
back aboard the
Heureux
. Neither of
us were in a hurry for the repair work to be completed, although Izin badgered
the maintenance engineers constantly as if we had somewhere else to be.

When the repairs were well
advanced, the ENS
Nassau
appeared over
Hevelius. She didn’t dock, preferring to float above the dwarf planet’s wispy
atmosphere tinted red by the distant star, and shuttle her crew down to the base
for rest and recreation. According to the locals, no Earth Navy ship had
visited Hevelius Base in fifteen years, so I knew they weren’t here just for
R&R. I assumed Earth Intelligence Service agents had reported our arrival
as a matter of routine, unaware how eager the regional EIS Commander was to meet
with me.

Within hours of the
Nassau’s
crew coming ashore, a cryptic
invitation arrived for my eyes only. I waited until Marie was out drumming up
business and Jake was chasing tail with a drink in each hand, then packed one
of my
Soberano
souvenirs in a bag and
headed for the base’s excuse for a red light district. The handful of bars and
houses of ill repute were full of navy sailors letting off steam, and
occasionally exchanging punches with contract farmers who objected to the competition
for female attention.

It didn’t take long before my
threading warned I was being followed. I stopped and locked eyes on my shadow,
who showed no surprise that I’d spotted him so fast. He simply nodded for me to
follow him. Since I’d wiped my contact list, I couldn’t validate him, but he moved
like an EIS field agent; unhurried, smiling to the hookers, occasionally
chatting with the stim dealers as if he belonged. Perhaps he’d been the one who’d
reported my arrival, as a grubby little outpost like Hevelius didn’t rate more than
a couple of EIS residents.

My guide led me through several
dark and dusty tunnels to a shadowy saloon called the Free Fall Bar. It was modeled
on a twenty sixth century dream-den, with stim vending machines through the
center of the saloon and scantily clad, perfectly sculpted body-jobs serving
drinks. Sitting alone and in pairs was an uninspiring selection of working
girls wearing just enough to leave nothing to the imagination. Clearly, they’d
ended up on Hevelius as the last stop before unemployment.

The far wall was a floor to
ceiling pressure window looking out towards distant, jagged mountains, while floating
ten clicks away above the misty surface was the gray hulled ENS
Nassau
. Sitting alone beside the window
was a striking black woman smoking a long fume-stick that would have made Sarat
envious. Her overcoat was thrown back over the chair, revealing long stockinged
legs, crossed provocatively. Her pose was relaxed, as if she belonged, but her
looks and bearing put her well above the competition. An intoxicated
agritech
approached her and asked how much. She smiled,
told him she was on a break and to ask again later. He leaned forward
drunkenly, with rising anger.

“Ain’t I good ‘
nough
for
ya
?” he shouted at her.
“I got money, lots of money!”

She didn’t say a word. Her eyes
focused on him as if she was drilling into his soul, then he staggered back,
shocked. He turned and hurried away, glancing back once with a frightened look
on his face.

My guide stepped back into the
shadows as I approached the table and took the spare seat opposite the woman.
Before I could speak, a waitress approached. I swiped her reader with fifty credits
and told her not to come back.

“Moonlighting?” I asked.

“No,” Lena Voss replied, “but I
may have chosen the wrong career. He’s the sixth potential customer I’ve refused
since I got here.”

“At least you’re popular,
although that breaker trick you pulled on the drunk is bad for business.”

“I told you, I’m no breaker.”

“I’d believe you, except you’re
the only person here not armed, and the only one I’m afraid of.”

She smiled, pleased she
intimidated me, then femininely tapped the fume-stick on an ash tray. “Is it
over?”

“For now.”

She nodded slowly. “My people
went over Sarat’s penthouse on Icetop. There was no trace of the Matarons.”

“They used our weapons.”

She nodded, having already been
briefed by her forensic team. “Did you get the merchandise?”

“I had it. It’s either destroyed
or the Matarons got it back, or maybe the TCs confiscated it for evidence.”

“What made it so valuable?”

“Complete astrographics of every
galaxy in the Local Group.”

She looked surprised. “Hmm, perfect
bait for us.”

“I linked with it.”

“Really?” She said, intrigued.
“How much did you get?”

“As much as I could store.”

She looked up, hanging on my
words.

“I got everything out to six
thousand light years.” It was sitting in my bionetic memory, packed so tight I
couldn’t even store a vault-key number. “Billions of star systems, planets,
resources, civilizations and every gram of energized dark matter out there. Five
percent of the entire galaxy!” Mapped Space just got a whole lot bigger.

She smiled. “And the Matarons
don’t know?”

“No one knows. Not even the TCs.”

“How did you manage it?”

“It wasn’t me. The Codex saw what
I could store, found Earth was my homeworld and used that as the reference
point. I didn’t even know what it was doing until later. I was kind of busy at
the time.”

“Technically, it’s not a
violation of the Access Treaty,” she said thoughtfully. “Any unclaimed novarium
deposits?”

It was the one thing we lacked,
our own source of the mineral that powered starship energy plants. No matter
how far we’d come, we were still dependant on the TCs’ generosity and trade with
other civilizations. They helped us because keeping us in the game promoted
stability for the existing interstellar order, one in which they were a leading
player. Not to help us would force us to compete with them and even though we
could never catch them, they wanted collaborators and partners, not
competitors. So they made sure we never ran short of novarium, but we never
forgot we were living on handouts. It was the problem with being last to a very
old game – the main players already had all the chips. Almost.

“There’s a rogue planetoid adrift
in deep space. It’s not part of any star system.”

Her eyes widened with interest.
“How far out?”

“Twenty seven hundred light years
from Sol. Four thousand six hundred metric tons of the stuff.”

“Tons?” Her eyes widened in
surprise.

We’d been trading a king’s ransom
for a few kilograms. It was enough to power every starship we could build for
millennia to come. “The density is low. We’ll have to do lots of digging, but
that’s what mining bots are for.”

“And there are no prior claims?
You’re sure?”

“All we have to do is go plant a
flag on it and it’s all ours.”

“They’d see us. They’d wonder how
we got out so far.”

The TC charts gave us safe
navigation out to almost twelve hundred light years from Earth, much further
than the Tau Cetins – or anyone else – thought we’d get with our technology in
such a short time. It was a safe little sphere in which to contain the youngest,
most energetic interstellar civilization in the galaxy, at least until we were
off our training wheels.

“Send out a hundred probes,” I
said. “A thousand. Let most of them crash into dark matter or end up in dead
end systems. So what if one gets lucky?”

“Do the TCs believe in luck?”

“I don’t know what they believe
in, but there are no laws against prospecting in unrestricted space, and if
they realize we got something out of the Codex, they won’t hold it against us.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I don’t think the TCs like the
Matarons much.”

“Why?”

“They stayed neutral during the
Intruder War, when the Tau
Cetin’s
own homeworld was
attacked. Even people as enlightened as the TCs wouldn’t forget something like
that.” I leaned forward. “And I swear, the Observer I met enjoyed making the
Matarons back down. They won’t take sides, they can’t, but I think they’d be
amused at seeing the Matarons discover they let us out. The TCs don’t care what
we do, providing we play by the rules. If we do that, we can do anything we
damn well want.”

Lena tapped her fume-stick over the
ash tray thoughtfully. “You’ve done well, Sirius, better than we’d hoped for.”

“So how do you want it?” I asked.

“Like this,” she said, extending
her fingers sensually towards me as if this was the first step in me hiring her
services. Soon, she turned her palm upwards, inviting my touch.

I took her hand, wondering how I
would explain holding hands with Lena to Marie, if she saw us. There was a
tingling sensation in my palm, then our two biological networks connected and
perfect, detailed mappings of five percent of the galaxy flowed from me to her.
I didn’t know if she’d wiped everything she had or if her capacity was greater
than mine, but it took almost a minute to complete the transfer. We pretended
to look into each other’s eyes, implying the offer and acceptance of sexual
favors to come – although I suspected Lena was probing me. When the data
transfer was complete, Lena held my hand a moment longer. Before I knew what
had happened, everything the Codex had given me was gone.

“You didn’t have to wipe it.”

“I’m sorry, Sirius, but I can’t
let you keep any of it.” She’d done it to protect our newest and most precious
secret. I couldn’t blame her, although as a trader, the charts would have been
useful. She released my hand and sat back with a satisfied look, as if we’d
agreed a price and time.

“What will you do with it?” I
asked.

“Hide it. We won’t send it to
Earth, that would be too visible, too many eyes watching us there. We’ll find a
remote system, pretend to study amoeba or rock slime while we find out what is
most useful for us. And we’ll only ever store it
bionetically
,
never in hard technology. Very few people will ever know we have it, just in
case the TCs or the Matarons or someone else decides we’re not entitled to it.
We’ll use your probe idea, only we’ll launch millions of them, and every year Earth
Navy Survey will issue an update, pushing the boundaries of Mapped Space out a little
further.”

“The Matarons will have a fit! It
took other civilizations hundreds of thousands of years to do that mapping.”

“I know. And thanks to you, Sirius,
we got it all in just a few minutes.” She looked thoughtful, adding, “And now
we know about their synthetic agents as well.”

“They knew I was EIS. That means
they’re on Earth – inside the EIS!”

Lena nodded. “Yes. They must have
infiltrated every secure system we have. It explains a lot.”

“You’ll have to wipe them all
down to raw metal, rebuild everything from the ground up.”

She gave me a deliciously
scheming look. “That’s the one thing we won’t do. Now that we know what to look
for, we’ll find them and we’ll let them stay – and we’ll tell the Matarons
exactly what we want them to know. We’ll use their own technology against them,
do to them what they’ve been doing to us for a very long time. That knowledge
alone is worth more to our security than everything you took from the Antaran
Codex.” Her eyes narrowed as she focused on me. “What about the quantum blade?
Can we have it?”