Time Past (52 page)

In the minutes before we reached Delta the other humans quickly shed their atmospheric suits and packed them efficiently into tiny parcels. I took mine off, but ended up with a crumpled mess as I was trying to also keep one eye on Serat, and listen to Lee’s update on the New Council movements at the same time.

The freighter’s holding position above the center. Could be one of their shuttles is still in the bay and they’re waiting to rendezvous.

I didn’t like the sound of this. Why would Venner leave some of her people here?

“You haven’t detected any active devices in it?” It didn’t seem likely Venner would sabotage the station, but it was possible.

Nothing on sensors. We’ll keep monitoring.

Venner might still be trying to contact the three Q’Chn we’d called to Level Eight. It looked like she’d given up on Serat.

I didn’t want to call Murdoch, in case it disturbed their operation. Hurry up, Bill. The sooner you get rid of the Q’Chn, the sooner we can go up and get
Farseer
out of there.

Then the uplift doors opened in Hill West and it felt like we were in the middle of a riot.

Thirty-seven

N
ot exactly a riot. More what Security officers would call “civic unrest of an unstable and potentially property-damaging nature.” That’s what met us when we reached the Hill in the lower ring.

The noise was appalling, a babble that spanned several scales and contained voices, grunts, whistles, squeaks, and hoots. Moist heat rolled into the uplift as the doors opened. Wish I’d kept my atmospheric suit on.

At least three hundred people were crammed into the space in front of the uplift, a twenty-meter-wide strip supposed to be kept clear in case of fire or other emergency. The strip was normally filled with stalls, which had been pushed back to a single line beside the buildings, and a mixture of mainly bipedal species milled around.

When I stepped out with Sergeant Desai, the people closest to the lift nudged their neighbors and someone said something, of which I only caught the word “ConFleet.” Following us, two of the constables pushed An Serat from behind and one guided him in front. The other three began to move through the crowd, nodding greetings at some faces and projecting an aura of calm and control.

Most of the crowd seemed to be enjoying the opportunity to get together. On my left, four humans in dirty overalls shared a plate of steaming Garokian dumplings. The aroma of the dumplings rose enticingly from a stall almost at the uplift door. A Garokian face beamed in imitation of a human smile behind the counter.

Directly in front of me I could see more humans, one of whom carried a flag on a short pole. The flag, a red and yellow design used by the dockworkers union, drooped into his eyes and he flicked it away irritably, and continued arguing with his companions. Two Achelians picked their way delicately among the crowd, fans raised to protect their noses from smells, eyes alert. I recognized them as the proprietors of a recycling center in Gamma ring.

Farther into the crowd I could hear a low, monotone chant, an appeal to one of the station’s many deities. I hoped it was for protection from the Q’Chn. I could also hear a familiar human voice on my right, beyond three broad Tirenni backs.

With Desai a couple of steps behind me I eased past the Tirenni and found Rupert Stone confronting a group of ten or twelve humans, three Dir, and a tall Leowin.

“The Leowin’s a troublemaker,” whispered Desai at my shoulder. “Its name is Inash, and it’s a professional crowd-stirrer. The Dir have probably paid it to do the dirty work because they’re angry at the disruption of business. That bald human in the heavy transport overalls...”

The man in question listened stolidly to Stone, his arms folded.

“He was the secretary of the dockers union,” continued Desai. “Got fired for taking bribes, altering files. He can’t get a work permit anywhere else, so he stays here.”

I nodded, then waved to Stone and called his name, giving him a big smile as well. At the sound of my voice, pitched to construction-site volume, the Leowin Inash swung around with a quick, guilty movement and Stone’s eyes widened. He was drenched in sweat, his suit as limp as the anti-Q’Chn red banners that stuck to the sides of the buildings.

“Mr. Stone,” I called again. “Nice to see you holding the fort.” By then we were standing beside them.

“Com... Governor Halley.” Stone shook the hand I offered him, puzzled. “I came down here to talk to the Dir trade rep, then the constable asked me to come along and give him a hand.”

“Public-spirited of you,” I said, wishing he’d play along and that he didn’t look so nervous. Nothing to be nervous about.

“I am the head of station, you know.”

“Is it a festival or something?” I looked around, smiling as I met the eyes of the closest humans.

“It iss a rally,” said Inash. Its voicebox was positioned right near its mouth, which gave the impression it talked like a human when in fact its real voice came from farther down its torso. “We are protesting the lack of respect and consideration shown to uss by the administration of thiss station.”

I tried to appear shocked. “Is that so? All of you?”

“Yess.”

“I think some of them want to go and complain to the New Council,” said Stone. “I was pointing out to them when you came that we can’t allow all of them to protest in person. They can go through proper channels and we can forward the protest...”

“The real problem,” snarled one of the Dir, “is that we’ve lost days of business.”

“The real problem,” said the bald human in faultless Con Standard, “is that the New Council think they can get away with it.” His eyes, narrowed in anger, met mine. “I think we should tell them to leave.”

“We’ve done that,” I said. “They’re leaving now, so you can all go home.”

“What about the Invidi, then?” he said. “I thought being neutral meant we didn’t have to put up with them, either?”

Rivers of sweat ran down my ribs and tickled under my shirt. I should have left An Serat in Alpha. “We don’t. This one’s staying to...” I hesitated.

“Assist us with our inquiries,” put in Stone.

“And he’s injured,” I added. “We’re looking after him.”

At the back of the crowd there was a commotion. A crash and thud, as though a stall had been knocked over, followed by raised voices.

I could see Serat over the heads of the crowd. He was halfway between us and the uplift, the two green uniforms beside him.

More voices raised at the back of the crowd. An altercation about treading on someone’s feet.

“... so you see,” Stone was saying, “it’s no use you going up to the center anyway. The New Council isn’t there.”

I hoped he remembered we weren’t publicizing Murdoch’s proposed explosion. There’d be an announcement immediately afterward, but we didn’t want people to panic or, more likely, try to get ringside seats.

There was a scuffle in the crowd behind the Tirenni. Desai cursed. Inash, the human group, and the Dir scattered, and the crowd parted. Two lines of armed soldiers confronted us. No, not soldiers. These wore scruffy fatigues and unmatched armor.

It was only when Venner strode forward that I realized they were New Council crew. They must have come down in one of the other uplifts while Security was concentrating on the Q’Chn.

“But your ship left.” Stone stared at her in disbelief. He obviously hadn’t got Gamet’s report of the freighter waiting.

“It will.” Venner took Desai’s hand weapon while one of her people covered us. The others had fanned out and were shepherding the crowd back from the spoke and uplift, brandishing a variety of weapons. Most of the weapons, I was glad to see, were laser-based and therefore station-safe.

My comm link beeped.
Commander Halley, we picked up one of the uplifts moving down to your area.

Venner looked at me. Her kesset blade rested at the jaw of one of the constables. “Drop it,” she said quietly.

I dropped the comm link without answering or deactivating the pickup. It clattered on the deck. Hopefully the Bubble would catch a little of our conversation.

“Your men are disarmed,” she told the sergeant. “Don’t try anything brave.” She let her kesset drop and pushed the constable away, then turned and raised her voice to the crowd.

“Someone has probably had the bright idea of calling your Security forces. Please don’t think we will not take hostages to protect ourselves.”

The expressions in the crowd of half disbelief, half curiosity changed to fear, and many of those closest to the New Council weapons turned and tried to burrow into the safety of numbers.

“You’ll start a stampede.” I stepped out beside her and raised my arm. “Keep calm,” I called. “Move back in an orderly way.”

It didn’t make much difference, although some of those fleeing turned to watch the fun again.

“Why have you risked this?” I turned to Venner. “What if the Q’Chn take your ship while you’re here? You’ll be marooned here when ConFleet comes.”

She pointed with her elbow at An Serat. “I want the Invidi. He is too valuable an ally to leave.” The crowd were almost cleared from in front of An Serat. Reluctantly, at a nod from Desai, the Security constables also stepped back. The New Council crew now formed a little island in the space dominated by the tall silver column of An Serat.

Venner stared at Serat, her eyes narrowed. “What did you do to him?”

I snorted. “He did it to himself.”

Venner nodded to the members of her crew closest to Serat, who then attempted to shove him in the direction of the uplift.

Serat’s suit remained dull gray. His tentacles swayed, but his lower half seemed fixed.

“Who the hell does she...” began Stone.

“Enough,” said Venner. H’digh didn’t waste time gloating. She left the knife in her hand and called, “Get him in the lift.”

“We’re trying,” grumbled the woman pushing Serat.

What had happened to Murdoch? If Venner had been successful in preventing our communication with the Q’Chn, she mightn’t say so. But if Murdoch had blown up the Q’Chn, Lee should have told me. And we’d feel some vibration.

Venner marshaled her people with a wave of the arm. She strode over to Serat and pushed him herself, ignoring the shifting crowd. Two of her people kept their weapons trained on the Security personnel.

“We can take them.” Desai tried to murmur in my ear against the racket of the alarm.

Venner’s voice said something about maglevs.

“With what?” Stone had overheard. “Didn’t you have enough casualties in Alpha?”

We had too many casualties, I thought. We needed Venner out of here as quickly as possible and nobody hurt. Then they’d leave and hopefully the Q’Chn on
Vengeful
would follow. Not that I wanted ConFleet to lose
Vengeful,
but it was better than having the Q’Chn threaten us.

And the sooner we got rid of the New Council, the sooner we could properly disconnect
Farseer
from Jocasta’s opsys. I wanted that ship disabled and towed out to one of the orbital platforms.

We couldn’t afford to have Venner hang around waiting for An Serat. What if he woke up and decided he didn’t want to go with them? We’d have more delays, the Q’Chn on
Vengeful
might interfere, we’d have more casualties. No, we had to get rid of Venner quickly. She’d have to leave Serat here.

“We don’t want the New Council here,” I shouted. “Not when you bring Slashers to terrorize us.” I waved my arm at the crowd, looking for the crowd leaders—the Leowin and the bald human.

The human stood, arms still folded, on the edge of the crowd closest to Serat and the New Council members. I couldn’t see the Leowin.

Venner stopped pushing and looked over the open space between us. A calculating stare.

“There are a lot more of us than of you,” I said. “Why don’t you go while you can?” The crowd muttered among themselves. An ugly sound of agreement.

Venner pointed her weapon obviously at me. Then swung it to cover targets in the crowd encircling her. Shit, I thought, bad move. She’ll do it.

But instead of cringing back, as she probably expected, many of them yelled curses. Maybe not a bad move.

“Have it your own way.” Venner fired at a point in front of them. A circle of sparks about the width of a human fizzed as the laser ignited dust on the deck. Dirty smoke drifted upward.

She could have actually killed someone. Either she’s squeamish, which is unlikely, or she thinks a death will push the crowd to attack, and she can’t fight a pitched battle and get away in time. I didn’t think the Hill crowd would do that—they’d melt away, as usual, more than likely. Yet I had to ask myself if she did kill someone, whose fault would it be?

“You see, ex-Commander.” Venner kept her weapon pointed at the crowd. Some of them moved restlessly but nobody broke the rough line around the edge. “When it comes down to the final confrontation, nobody is prepared to go first. Because they know that whoever does, will die. This is why you need us—you need the New Council because we are not afraid to go first. Forget your squeamishness about the Q’Chn. Without us, there is no revolution.”

“You’re wrong. We don’t need you.” I stepped forward across the deck. Once I’d gone one pace, the rest was easy. Simply a matter of putting one foot in front of the other. Again and again until I stood between Venner and the crowd. Exposed in the open.

Everything went quiet.

Venner dipped her head and when she raised it, the weapon in her hand rose, too. Bluff called. Glad I’m so calm about it. Glad I told Murdoch I needed to know he was all right.

Somebody coughed loudly. Rupert Stone stepped out from beside Desai. He began to walk toward me, his pale eyes bulging with fright.

The bald man and another woman from the far edge of the crowd stepped forward, too.

One of Venner’s people cursed loudly.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Desai’s hand move in a signal. I twisted around, trying to signal him not to attack. We want them to leave.

Venner snapped an order behind her.

The fire alarm went off.

The rising
whee-whee-whee
fell into the relative silence like a bomb. Long flashes of warning lights flickered overhead.