The Touchstone Trilogy (59 page)

After Mori left, Maze and Zee dropped in to tell me the results of the investigation.  Apparently one of KOTIS' publicity officers, a woman named Intena Jun, decided to use me to build her career.  Part of her duties was the release of information about the Setari and lately about me and the developments on Muina.  That includes giving technical advice to shows like
The Hidden War
when they ask for it.  And it seems she fancies herself a bit of a scriptwriter, and just happened to have resigned the day before the episode featuring me was broadcast – and then bobs up in a press release as a former KOTIS member joining the scriptwriting team.

That was a far from ideal situation, but still shouldn't have meant that my conversation with Lohn and Mara ended up forming the basis of anything: you can't join KOTIS without signing an inch-thick nondisclosure agreement, and publicity officers certainly don't have access to anyone's evaluation file, or even the mission reports.  But it turns out that Jun is using the completely transparent excuse that it's all fiction based around the publicly-released information about me, and that her family in the past has been known to produce minor Sight Sight talents, and she was simply intuiting very well.  Of course, since the press release there's been tons of rumours about just how much of the script is fiction, which is exactly what the producers wanted.  The episode was a wild success, and the discussion groups are filled with anticipation of a season they hope will reveal details of real Setari.

The episode was a critical success, too, with lots of admiration for the actress (a newcomer named Se-Ahn Surat, who did after all carry a kasse-long program as the nearly sole character, practically never speaking).  Almost all the reviews rave about the night scene, the way something as simple as an animal breathing brought home the peril and horror 'this valiant child suffered through'.

It took KOTIS an extra day to figure out how Jun had accessed the files.  Maze stayed vague about the details, but it boiled down to some very senior and high-up bluesuit who
did
have access to just about everything, also having 'an inappropriate relationship' with Jun.  So lots of nasty consequences for him for the breach of security, and less clear-cut consequences for Jun.  Although the legal system here isn't as insane as Earth's, KOTIS is merely a body of government, not all-powerful.  They can, and probably will, prosecute and try and get Jun punished (fines, loss of all but the most basic interface function, or possibly confinement).  Tare doesn't have capital punishment, but in extreme circumstances they can do particularly awful things to you using the interface.  Stealing my file isn't nearly extreme enough a circumstance.

It sounds like Jun is ambitious enough to consider a few years of freedom or privileges or even citizenship a price worth paying for highly lucrative employment.

"Our ability to control media access to KOTIS and the Setari is waning," Maze said, rubbing his eyes.  He's looking tired again.  "Previously, we succeeded in retaining our anonymity because to a degree outside KOTIS we were all the same.  A uniform and a talent set: there was no need to release anything about our personal lives.  Which means programs such as this one would be freely provided with details of how we balance squad make up, the limitations of talent sets, and information about the rotations and the Ionoth, but names and our lives off-duty and the minutiae of actual missions: we simply allowed nothing at all out, so into these situations they would place invented characters.  Even the squads in these fictions are named for colours, so that a character in Green Squad cannot be taken as a member of Fourth, or Eighth or Tenth.  Occasionally someone's family would grant interviews, and most of our names are in public domain, but they cannot match the names to squads, faces or events.  Only in death are we known."  He glanced at me, nothing on his face showing whether he was thinking about his wife.

"But now, because of the opening of Muina, the ground is shifting," Zee added.  "Our efforts in the Ena lessened deaths on Tare, but we had made no substantial progress toward a solution.  There were no critical events to attach to us as individuals.  Until Fourth Squad found you.  Something so significant that this show's producers chose to upset the established rules, obtain actual information about the squad, and introduce characters based on Fourth.  Worse, a distortion of Fourth.  Even if they used already-established characters, those characters would become associated with the squads who have worked with you."

"If they follow my story very close, that means Zan would be next."  I didn't like that idea at all.

"The classification of information about Muina is also being called into question," Maze said.  "The discovery of Arenrhon, your time in Kalasa – all of this is known to hundreds, thousands.  Details are starting to leak, many are asking what right KOTIS, the government, what right anyone has to classify matters which are important to all descendants of Muina."  He sighed and shrugged.  "It's difficult to justify keeping secret the existence of Arenrhon purely because it might upset people.  These things cannot be hidden forever."

"Which is a long-winded way of saying that KOTIS may not be able to quash these programs," Zee added.  "At most delay them, but however the information was obtained, your personal journey can't be argued to be a military secret."

"And through me, parts of Setari become known too."  I turned over the possibilities, and felt a little ill.  "Is squads I don't want to work with in file?"

"Selkie kept that entirely out of the reports," Maze said.  "It will go no further than himself, Ruuel and us.  Fifth and Seventh are very effective squads who need to learn to control their egos.  We won't achieve that by letting anyone know just why it is you will never again be assigned to them.  If we handle them properly, they should come to understand and regret that of their own accord."

I relaxed, then sighed.  "Can still be a mess, though, yes?  Because they mix extra drama in with true, and Setari won't always know which has come from my file."  I paused, eyes widening.  "Is lab rat explanation in file?"  I tugged at my shirt, one of the drawn-on ones.  I make a point of wearing them to my test sessions in the medical section.

I saw from Maze's expression that it was, and couldn't help it, bursting out laughing.  "Did you put in bit where Ruuel says calling myself experimental animal was right?" I asked, trying (maybe not very hard) to hold back my grin.  "Set himself up for this.  Oh, wish I dared tease him about it."

Maze and Zee told me that I should remember that Fourth Squad wouldn't find it nearly as funny, but I think they were mainly glad that I was able to laugh.  Zee offered to sit with me tonight while I sleep, but I think I'm past the worst of it.  I seem to have these bad dreams after a shock or surprise.  Must figure out how to trigger the good dreams instead.

Given the chance, I would love to give that publicity woman a good slapping.  Maybe I should tell Taarel that I think it would help me overcome my reluctance to hit people. 

Tuesday, May 20

Ticking off the rest

I've been scheduled to test with Sixth, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth and Thirteenth Squads, and that will finish me for general squad testing until they form some new ones.  Today was Twelfth Squad, which was nice.  Lenton was carefully correct while a relaxed Zan chatted with me before starting the session log.  Afterwards, we all went to lunch, and talked about Kalasa.  Zan kept a watchful eye on me, ready to stop if I looked distressed, and when a couple of them moved on to
The Hidden War,
particularly how hilarious it was that Fourth Squad were evil, she quashed that conversation with a word.

I think active service has let Twelfth settle down and accept Zan more.  I still have no idea why they were so hostile to her, but don't like to ask.

Fourth Squad's back on duty, and I spent all day being a little extra attentive in case I could catch a glimpse of Ruuel.  And was so annoyed with myself for doing that.  I had my usual post-testing session nap, and when I woke the sense of him not being there was so strong that I had to spend a lot of effort making myself not get upset.  He's on a different shift to me now, so there's not a lot of chance I'll see him.

Time to have dinner with Lohn and Mara.

Wednesday, May 21

Trashy Mags For the Win

I went up to the roof today: it's the first time the weather's been good enough since I was released from the infirmary.  Tare doesn't really seem to have seasons, just storms.  It still bothers me to be shut inside so much, but having a window makes a huge difference.  I wonder if I have any chance at all of convincing them to make me one which opens.

I'd been there a while, reading an explanation of why everyone on Tare isn't chalk white and suffering from vitamin E deficiency (special lighting, basically), when Zee showed up and sat down with me.

"That looks like your 'time for a serious talk' expression.  Something happen?"

"You'll make me self-conscious," Zee said (with the easy confidence of a gorgeous, super-deadly woman).  "And, yes, something is happening.  A media storm about Arenrhon, via Kolar.  Previously we've controlled information by allowing very few to return to Tare or Kolar after visiting Muina, and vetting outgoing communication.  But that was always going to be a short-term solution as more and more people became involved.  And Kolaren devices don't connect to the interface, and thus don't have the censor controls.  One was smuggled back there, containing very complete details of the expeditions, Arenrhon–"

"Cass's visit to Kalasa."

"There are many images of the Arenrhon site, including images of Third, Fourth and Eighth Squad, and you.  It's all over Kolar's news networks, and is about to hit here.  The fact that information between the planets depends on ships means we have a little warning."

"Setari losing more and more anonymity."  I sighed.  "You feel like doing some training or playing a game or something?  Would rather not sit waiting for the initial reaction."

"You're very calm about this," Zee said, sounding approving.

"Knew this one was coming.  Too many people at Arenrhon who very interested in me – and Setari.  Don't like it, but not so upsetting as someone making lot of money off things they stole out of my file, or without warning seeing some girl pretending to go through that."

We went to the gymnasium and Zee put me through some mild resistance training and stretches, and then a short stint of fast walking on a treadmill.  I'm not really up to jogging yet.  I had switched my interface status to 'busy', which meant that while people could send me messages they shouldn't expect me to respond.  Zan and Mori both sent me messages, but I didn't even look at them until Zee had decided I would fall over if I trained more, and we showered and took lunches back to her rooms to look the news over.

I check out the news about the Setari first, which was basically a frenzy of joy.  Actual pictures of real Setari.  No matter how accurate the drawings of those who had enjoyed a personal Setari sighting, they could not compare to proper images.  They were nice quality pictures, too – clear and sharp, often close-ups of faces.  They were already matched up to the dossiers which had been compiled from sightings over the years, and I noticed with amusement that the only person who didn't have a clear picture was Ruuel, who seemed to have always been turned away.

The reaction to Arenrhon was unsurprising: upset about the implications of the worshipful imagery, anger that none of this had been communicated to the public.

I'd been avoiding any of the links that appeared to lead to me, but finally started browsing.  Some of them were really great photos, making me look not half-bad looking, but it was very disconcerting how many were close-up.  They'd used a zoom function to great effect.  Much was being made of the fact that my eyes were different colours.

My favourite picture was one where I had one brow pulled a bit down and the corner of my mouth screwed up and an air of absolute incredulity – the kind of expression I'm sure I was wearing when Maze told me to put on a dress to meet the Nuran.  I couldn't resist one link titled 'Interplanetary Love!', and opened it to find a Kolaren trashy infozine with a picture of me smiling up at Arad Nalaz of Kolar's Squad One, who was looking down at me in a kindly sort of way.  That had been just after I'd been grilled by all those Kolaren archaeologists.

"I hope Nalaz doesn't have a really jealous girlfriend," I said, speaking for the first time since Zee and I had ventured into the wilds of interface fervour.  "I'll have to remember not to smile in public at anything male in future.  And, wow, there's a lot of pictures of me.  These were all taken in my last couple of days at Arenrhon, too.  Whoever took these could qualify as a full-blown stalker."

There was no fooling Zee, who rubbed the back of my neck gently.  "That looks like your 'pretending not to be upset' expression."

I shrugged, though my face went hot.  "I'm not saying I like this, because I don't.  But it's...kind of distant from me.  And it's just pictures and information that everyone on Muina already knew: that I react weirdly but not usefully to the ruins, and that I can use the platforms to get myself in bad situations, was injured and taken back to Tare.  A thousand people already knew that.  The only real difference with that number changing to a billion is that I can read about their opinion of what I look like.  Though – did you see all that stuff about how KOTIS was being too careless with me and that an oversight committee needs to be established to ensure I'm properly handled?  What chance is there that actually happen?"

"Hard to say.  There's an oversight committee for the Setari and that's been beneficial for us over the years.  Do you feel KOTIS has been too careless with you?"

I had to think it over.  After all, I've been hospitalised a half-dozen times since I was rescued.

"It's like when I first arrived on Muina, and was trying to find something to eat.  I looked for fruit that I could see animals were willing to eat, then did taste test, and ate more if it didn't kill me.  One of things I ate made me so sick.  Was that too careless?  I saw a bird eating some, and it looked and tasted, well, as non-poisonous as anything can look.  I look like ordinary stray, so KOTIS treat me like one.  Then find out have enhancing talent, so KOTIS test what enhancing talent does.  Couldn't know in advance that three Setari touching me at once give me heart attack.  Obviously wouldn't have arranged that test if had known, any more than I would eat fruit that make me vomit.  Same with teleporting about on platforms.  If platforms did that for anyone else, no way they would have had me stand on it.  Is not to say that I don't dislike some things.  I drew my lab rat on clothes for a reason.  Never consulted or told about almost anything, especially at start.  Never agreed to follow anyone's orders; just do so because seemed best option for me.  Oversight committee...sounds like more people who get to read my file."