Regan's Reach 4: Avarice (26 page)

"And
whatever he was about to dump perhaps related to the resignation, something he
had found out about, or had second thoughts about and changed his mind or . .
."

"Charlie,
there a lot of 'perhaps' elements in this theory." Hilary sounded
doubtful.

"Perhaps
you're right Hilary," Charlotte laughed, "but I have a feeling we're
getting closer to the truth."

"The thing
in Leith's hand as he left the area," Jared was excited now,
"whatever it is, or was, Juno was about to dump it but Leith got there in
time. He's killed him, retrieved the object, dumped the body and slipped
away."

"One problem
guys." Hilary spoke. "There was no evidence of injury on Commander
Juno, or of suffocation for that matter. After exposure to vacuum autopsy was
difficult but it certainly didn't appear that he had been attacked."

"Pacemaker
. . ." Lucas blurted. "He had a pacemaker; I monitored it constantly
for him on vessel, confidentially."

"There is
nothing in his records that reveals that." Hilary protested. "I
vetted everyone for crew on this voyage before appointment. He never reported
any such pacemaker."

"He didn't
want anyone to know, and anyway, it didn't affect his work. I wasn't bothered,
as I've said I don't need anyone to be able to run the ship. It wasn't of
consequence to me so I agreed to monitor it for him and that was the extent of it."

Charlotte and
Jared were both focused on the android now, staring him down suspiciously.

"What?"
Lucas asked.

"Lucas,
under what circumstances might the pacemaker stop working?"

"I did not
kill the Commander!" He stood swiftly, falling clumsily toward Charlotte as
he did so, or was he attacking, it was hard to tell. Jared didn't hesitate,
raising one hand to prod the android's chest with his palm as he stumbled forward.
There was a 'whump' - and Lucas convulsed, flying back against the rear wall
before sliding down to the floor.

Stunned, Charlotte
turned to see Jared blowing imaginary smoke from his hand as if he had fired a
gun. In her ear she heard Hilary laugh loudly.

"Well
Jared, Ham did say you could stop an elephant, I'm most impressed."

Jared looked
exceptionally happy with himself. "It's the first chance I've had to try
it Hil', and wow! That was awesome."

Lucas’s android
head twisted from side to side as he recovered. "You didn't have to do
that, I wasn't going to do anything! I was just saying I didn't kill the Commander,
you were clearly implying . . ."

Charlotte
interrupted. "Lucas - no one was implying anything, I just asked, what
could make the pacemaker stop working?" She stretched out a hand to help
him up.

Lucas looked extremely
uncomfortable. "Well - yes - truthfully I could stop the heart, but I
didn't. Anyway a back street device such as the Commander had implanted could
also be affected by virtually any portable wireless device, or a random EM
pulse, hence the need for my monitoring him all the time. He should never have
gone for something so cheap but he wanted to hide his condition from the
authorities."

"Why did
you go along with this?" Hilary asked.

"It suited
me, you would understand, I had a lever over him and I didn't need him to do my
job anyway. It meant he left me to run the ship and I left him to do what he
was good at, work with the crew."

Charlotte was
distracted, still thinking about what had happened. "Jared, how did you
just stun Lucas?"

He laughed
delightedly. "If I told you I'd have to kill you." The response drew
a steely glare so he continued on. "It's an energy pulse generated from a
power source in my suit." He hesitated over the explanation, obviously
covering something.

Charlotte
looked doubtful. "That energy source must be packed pretty small and
powerful?"

"Oh yes,
very powerful," he declared proudly.

She turned her
attention back to the matter in hand. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking,
Hilary?"

"I think
so Charlie, you're thinking that whoever or whatever is housed in that
processor, if that is what Leith is carrying, may have sent a pulse to stop
Juno's heart?"

"Exactly,
and then they summoned Leith to recover the unit and dump the body."

"Let's
assume you're right." Jared said, "Then we are talking about a
conscious Mind, and a superior Mind, not just a basic AI. For one thing, to
summon Leith they would still need to somehow bypass Lucas, which is almost
impossible to do, and why would they be on the vessel at all, and why all the
secrecy? And why kill Juno?"

"Hmm."
Charlotte considered the questions. "Why does anyone stow away on a
vessel? Think about it, because they wouldn't have been allowed on any other
way, and because for whatever reason they want to go wherever the vessel is going.
And why kill Commander Juno; perhaps because he was about to expose the
stowaway; or worse, cast the stowaway into vacuum? And perhaps murder was
preferable to missing out on the prize."

"So we're
talking about a Mind wanting to get to the Orion Nebula, to Rexis," Jared
concluded, "and if that's the case it's almost certain they are still on
the vessel. They could be connected somewhere, anywhere on the ship and be
lying dormant until the right time."

"That does
make sense to me, but what Mind, and from where?" Charlotte was free
speaking and didn't really expect an answer. Nevertheless Hilary did.

"Oh I
think I know who it might be, and this time he's gone way over the top. Charlie,
I think it's time to call in the cavalry."

The Ascendant,
Behemoth and Fair Passage cruised on in convoy, the final Orion Portal less
than an Earth day away and with that last wormhole leap behind them Rexis would
be less than three days away.

* * *

 The Lazy Journey, in transit to the Gliese Star System

Marin drew Leah
close as they observed the couple talking in the distance. It was unnecessary
but enjoyable and he pressed in to surreptitiously sniff her hair, an act that
was quite obvious with the difference in their heights. She twisted her head to
catch his eye and smiled, a look he had begun to recognize as her 'come hither'
look, and he pulled her even tighter.

"Who is he,
Leah?"

"That's
Leith, the cousin she told me about. He's the guy that Hilary said tied down
Aaron in some legal commitment, via Moriah of course; Aaron wouldn't have been
remotely interested."

"Hmm, well
she might have a point; Aaron does have some fantastic ideas. Maybe he does
need to protect himself."

Leah pushed away
slightly to eyeball him. "Marin, Aaron is only working off research that
was provided to him. He can't claim it for himself, and he wouldn't have even
tried without Moriah's intervention."

"Babe, I
hear you, but I've worked with Aaron and truly, the technological leaps he
makes from getting a tiny bit of information could hardly be claimed by the
original source. Maybe there is a connection but sometimes it's tenuous; the
man does deserve something for his insights."

"Well, he
does get something - doesn't he?"

Marin looked
doubtful. "Seriously, I'm not so sure. I guess it depends on your definition
of 'something'. Regan doesn't worry too much about rewards from developments
because she truly doesn't care about them . . . but she does like to control
the developments."

She looked
slightly shocked. "Babe, it's not like you to question things like that.
What, are you saying that Regan's being unfair?"

"No, no, I
don't mean it like that at all, Regan isn't interested in riches; but she does
like to control things around her, not as much as Ham but she does nonetheless.
They're like two peas in a pod in that regard. Sometimes, maybe without
thinking about it, she controls an idea believing she's doing what's best for
everyone. I'm just saying that perhaps occasionally some of those ideas might
be worth something to Aaron too, and that would be okay, don't you think?"

She turned back
to follow the chatting couple. "I'd bottle those ideas up and keep them to
yourself babe, that's what I think. Now - how can we find out what they're
saying?"

"Ham's
already recording everything from the transport." He nodded down the
flight deck where they could see the Saucer resting, hundreds of meters from
the whispering couple.

"He can
record from there?"

"Leah, how
long have you been on this team? You should always, always assume Ham is
following everything."

"In that
case weren't you just being a tad indiscreet by saying . . ."

"Exactly,"
he interrupted and chuckled, "that's how I get some of my more difficult
thoughts back to the powers that be."

[He thinks I
don't know he plays this game.] Ham's subbed message broke into the
conversation.

Marin smiled. [Ham
my friend; you know I know you play this game. Now, what are they talking
about?]

[He's
recommending they stay at his compound on Fifino until they can leave for Cora
to see family. He feels it would be best to get the business out of the way
first, and then they can relax for the rest of the trip.]

[Yeah right!]
Leah's skepticism radiated. [What's Moriah saying?]

[She's in
agreement, right now she's asking about how royalties are paid, and to whom?]

Leah screwed up
her mouth sadly. [I can hardly believe it, she is my friend, but Moriah is
proving such a disappointment.] She looked thoughtful for a moment. [This
compound Ham, do you know anything about it?]

[Not this
iteration of me, but I'm sure when I merge and update in Gliese I'll have
uncovered something. My instincts tell me this guy is an agent; he's not a key
player, not smart enough by half. And he's simply not as familiar with this patent
stuff as he should be; she's just not savvy enough to know it.]

[Are they
headed into a trap?]

[Who knows
really Marin, and even if they were you will never convince Moriah not to go,
she's got gold fever.]

[So we just
have to wait, and then do a rescue if the worst happens?] Leah shrugged in
frustration. [It's Ruben I'm most worried about; once they have him, they have
Aaron and Moriah locked up.]

Marin was still
following Moriah and Leith as they talked. The two were looking directly toward
the STEIN Transport, he noticed. [How is it she hasn't even noticed the
Transport there. It has to be the only saucer she's ever seen?]

[Marin, she
only has interest in one thing at the moment, she's just not looking beyond the
money.] Ham answered.

Leah seemed to
be losing interest. [Well, there's nothing we can do for now, how long before
we get there Ham?]

[We're nearing
the last Portal now, and from the exit it will be five earth days, no more. The
first stop is Fifino before the ship then moves on to Tihan. You two might as
well rest up, I'll track them.]

It was the
release Marin was waiting for and he tugged at Leah's arm. She didn't resist.

* * *

Rexis, Palace of the Founders

 Bob surveyed
the assembled delegates pessimistically. They were gathered for the Triennial
briefing and from this group they would select the representatives to attend the
meetings in orbit. He sighed with dismay as he knew the youngest of the group
was seventy six and only three others were under eighty. Worse, they showed the
results of a decadent, lazy life with none being in good physical shape and all
looking as if, despite the best that medical science could offer, they may not
survive the trip. He sighed again;
not survive the trip
,
a cynical
hope?
The ship that would take them into orbit was the latest technology
and would displace effortlessly, they probably wouldn't even pause from their
refreshments to enjoy the visuals. No, they were quite safe.

And what is
the purpose of these meetings now anyway,
he
thought.
Surely they only serve as an opportunity for Regis to gather
intelligence and for the Regis delegates to decide their timing for attack
.
He knew with each Triennial the future became more and more obvious as these
Rexis delegates aged. Taking another long look at the senile group he gave a
last long groan before assuming his most diplomatic smile and strolling over to
join them.

There will won't
be another Triennial in three years, of that I am certain. If Regan's plans
don't succeed there will be no time to repopulate this planet. We've left
things too late.

Regan, you
must succeed.

As he quietly
joined the fringe the irony of his particular work did not escape him. Here he
was working to save a society that still largely ignored him and his kind. And
as he strolled further amongst the delegates it also struck him that here he
was like the invisible Mind.