Science Fiction Thriller

The Complete Chapter Seven The Time it Takes to Die

Anna is definitely in over her head

The ASI and the ACI

Sitting on the side of the bed in Anna’s flat, watching her pack a bag, Blethyn informed her, “I’ll personally escort you to the launch port, where the transport will take you to the Jump Station.”

Not pausing her rushed packing of her small, sturdy duffle, Anna asked, “Are you ACI?”

“No, dear. I’m ASI attached to ACI, embedded with the Delta Colony Civil Guardian Service” she answered.

“What does that mean, and what’s the difference between the two agencies?” Anna queried as she grabbed a couple of pairs of comfortable shoes and threw them on the top of the packed duffle.

“Well, Allied Colony Intelligence is older and began as ‘Mars Directorate of Planetary Security’ during Mars’ independence movement,” Blethyn answered. “As I’m certain y’know, the first independence movement was on Mars. Mirapac took an advisory role in the Directorate.

The outer colonies weren’t allied with us or each other back then. None of them were keen on rockin’ the boat either. Everything changed when Earth’s controlling governments launched a ‘police action’ to put down what they cast as a rebellion.”

“I know they shut down the oxygen generators until all the half million inhabitants were unconscious planet-wide — and that around three percent of Mars’ population died, as a result,” Anna added. “Plus, the Director General of Alpha Colony — who led the movement — and his staff were among the dead” She grabbed her toiletries bag as she spoke and added it to the duffle, then cinched it shut and locked the fasters.

Blethyn continued her history lesson, “Shuttin’ down the oxygen generators and killing colonists terrified the outer colonies. They knew they couldn’t hope to stand alone, as Mars had been telling them for years. All the colonies allied in the movement which resulted in the ‘Allied Colonies Declaration of Independence,’ which old Earth took for a full-scale rebellion to be violently put down.”

“I know this history,” Anna said, hitching her duffle over her shoulder as Blethyn stood up and followed her to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, she grabbed some pouches of cat food as Blethyn continued, “What few know is that the Director General and his staff did not die in Alpha colony. They were kidnapped from Mars. Earth stole Mars-born citizens from Mars and convicted them in a secret trial in an Earth military court. All six of them died a few months later in custody. That piece of information is what convinced the corporate colony directors to break with Earth.”

Anna, crossing the flat from the kitchen to the exit, paused with her hand hovering over the palm lock, “But, they were interred in Alpha Colony. Their memorial is the centerpiece of Alpha Colony’s oxygen garden — paid for by Earth as part of the post-war reparations when they built the first oxygen garden Dome and handed over the technology to the Alliance.”

“A clever ruse… yes?” Blethyn replied.

Anna stopped short, causing Blethyn to almost walk into her. “How did you come by this information,” Anna questioned with an accusatory tone.

Blethyn looked cross, but she answered, “Early in my career with ASI, I was assigned at Alliance headquarters on Earth. It was part of my brief.”

Anna had no choice at the moment but to accept her claim. She turned and gestured toward the painting on her wall, and in a rather bereft mood added, “Yiani’s painting of Memorial Pond hangs over there.”

“Your Yiani is very talented,” Blethyn offered, eying the artwork appreciatively. As they continued walking, the superintendent added, “As for the founding of ACI, when Earth launched an offensive targeting all colonies the old Mars Directorate became Allied Colony Intelligence.”

Anna shook off the mood and refocused on her investigative questioning, “What’s the difference between them and the Alliance agency?” she asked.

“ACI functions only in the colonies,” Blethyn responded, “While ASI operates in the colonies and on Earth… rather like the different functions of old United States’ FBI and CIA. However, both agencies have remained largely unknown to the general public, by design.”

They stopped in Ecart’s flat. Eric and Gorman had already left with Colby. Brynn came racing out of the bedroom. The cat mewed and rubbed against her leg a little frantically, but Anna didn’t stop to pick her up.

“I just want to make sure the litter box is clean,” Anna told Blethyn. She questioned further, “Does being a colonel in the ASI give you seniority over ACI operatives?” she asked, setting down her duffle and tech bags.

Brynn trailed after Anna as she crossed to the bathroom. Blethnyn answered no to her question without elaborating further. She turned toward the kitchen and murmured to herself, “Byddaf yn bwydo’r gath fach?”

“Pardon?” Anna paused and turned to look at her.

Calling back over her shoulder, Blethyn translated, “I was just sayin’ I’ll feed the wee cat.”

“Oh. Thank you,” Anna replied. She worried vaguely if the woman was really speaking in some code when she reverted to Welsh.

After they’d both finished, Anna had just slung her duffle over her shoulder when her tech bag vibrated, letting her know an urgent notification had come to her datapad. After a quick read, she said, “Dang. I’m never getting on that transport.” She turned Blethyn and in answer to her questioning look added, “My team’s political analyst, Roberto, says the new chancellor wants to make an exclusive press statement, but it has to be now.”

Her brow furrowing, Blethyn inquired, “Can she not give her statement to your political analyst?”

“Roberto says not. As chancellor she’ll only give her statement to me, the lead journalist,” Anna replied. With some relief, she added, “Oh… he says she’s willing to meet me at the launch port.”

At the Space Port

As they entered the main concourse, Anna and Blethyn were met by a gleaming diplomatic android, colloquially referred to as a “diplobot.” It inclined its head and said, “Greetings. I am android attaché WN8TN. Acting Chancellor Aspasia Sideron dispatched me to conduct Ms. Anna Sinclair, Senior Correspondent for the Interplanetary Press Corps, to the premier class lounge.”

Showing her press ID, Anna replied, “Thank you, WN8… ten? I’m Anna Sinclair.”

The android responded, “You are welcome, Ms. If it is convenient, ‘Winston’ is the appellation used by Madam Chancellor.”

“That’s much more convenient. Thank you, Winston.”

“Yes, Ms. Will your companion accompany you?” the android asked, inclining its head respectfully at Blethyn.

“Yes,” Blethyn supplied, holding up her ASI badge.

The android emitted a soft ping sound and its eyes beamed a focused, golden laser light, which ran up and down, over the superintendent’s badge. It straightened stiffly and seemed to look into the distance. The blue light of its eyes pulsed for several seconds. Then, with obvious deference, it gestured to Blethyn, ushering her onward, and for Anna to follow.

The diplobot led them to the lounge, a space enclosed by pale blush-colored frosted glass which seemed to glow softly. Dougal was loitering there with his camera bag. The two lightly armored guards, in the chancellor’s livery, stood at attention flanking the door. They were pointedly ignoring the cameraman.

As they approached, one of the guards spoke to someone through their earpiece communicator before standing aside for the diplobot. Winston opened the door for Blethyn and motioned Anna to follow. Anna was mildly perturbed the android deferred to the superintendent.

It must have shown in Anna’s demeanor because Blethyn had the grace to hold back a pace, giving Anna the lead. As they entered, Dougal took the opportunity to slip in with them. The guard who’d received approval shot out a hand to Dougal’s chest, stalling entry until Anna told them he was part of her crew.

Once inside, Anna could see a hairline diagonal grid pattern shimmering under the clear glass interior wall. Sandwiched between the exterior frosted glass and the interior clear glass, the grid emitted a low, rosy-pinkish light. She found the pattern and soft glow pleasant and subdued.

Blethyn seeing Anna’s scrutiny, leaned in conspiratorially and whispered to her, “Defense shield.”

The pattern seemed less appealing with that revelation. Anna unobtrusively took in the rest of the sparsely furnished room. It was certain the space usually contained more than that single seating group at one end of the room. She counted four more armor-liveried guards standing at parade rest around the room.

The Acting-Chancellor for the Alliance Council of Sol Colonies, Aspasia Sideron had changed clothes since the earlier broadcast. She was elegantly attired now in the standard chancellor’s colors. Sideron sat at her ease, chatting comfortably with Roberto.

Roberto stood with his datapad to greet Anna, stepping around the low circular glass table. Handing the pad to her, he said, “Hola, Boss. I’ve wrapped up the background and jotted down points the chancellor wishes to cover.”

“Thank you.” Anna knew he would also have noted points the chancellor might prefer to avoid. Stepping around the low table to Sideron’s side, Anna asked, “Dougal, is this a good distance for filming?”

“Yes, Ms,” he responded with a slight quiver in his voice. He set his bag down and pulled out a tripod. Anna noted, without comment, that he was forgoing the camera harness. All of her other camera crew swore by the flexibility of angles and movement the harness gave them.

Anna turned her attention to Sideron. They exchanged the standard colony greeting, each woman placing a hand over her heart and inclining her head in salutation. “Thank you for meeting with me, Madam Chancellor,” Anna said.

“I’m pleased to do so. Your reporting has always been fair and thorough in the past,” she answered. “And, I trust Roberto’s assessment of you,” she added with a smile at him.

“Thank you, ma’am,” Roberto said, obviously pleased by the chancellor’s praise.

Sideron motioned Anna to take a seat. When Dougal didn’t offer any positioning advice, Anna turned her position to what she hoped was optimal and gently advised the chancellor to do the same. They both arranged themselves so Dougal could shoot the best static angle.

The acting chancellor issued direction to the diplobot, “Winston, please stream these proceedings to my fellow Alliance and colonies governors-general.”

“As you wish, Madam Chancellor.” The blue light of the space representing Winston’s mouth pulsed gently, punctuating his consonants.

Aspasia Sideron turned to Anna and added, “This is both for The Official Records Act and to keep my associates in the loop as the saying goes. These are dangerous times and our leaders can ill afford surprises within our own ranks.”

The diplobot seated itself across from the chancellor, next to the camera tripod. Dougal sidled around the tripod so that it was between him and the android. It seemed to Anna that he almost recoiled from Winston’s proximity.

Instead of taking seats of their own, Blethyn and Roberto held back. They took up observatory positions a few paces from Dougal, generally behind him and the diplobot. The blue light of Winston’s eyes glowed softly as it tapped on a datapad, setting up a live stream. Dougal fiddled with his camera while scrutinizing the datapad over Winston’s shoulder.

Anna Betrayed

Anna began, “Chancellor Sideron, thank you for speaking with us in these pressing times.” Sideron inclined her head rather regally in acknowledgment. “My researchers found evidence of a group behind the “Warriors of Earth, funding and directing them. Can you tell us, who are ‘the defenders’?”

One finely shaped brow rose in response. Sideron answered, “Alliance operatives have acquired intelligence of a highly placed cabal of individuals directing the ‘Warriors of Earth’ terrorist group. She leaned in conspiratorially, “Our people in the colonies need to know that this group functions in the highest echelons of Earth’s financial and geopolitical circles.”

This wasn’t really a surprise to Anna. She had deduced something of the sort must be happening. The terrorists were too well organized to function organically. She followed up with, “Can you name who comprises the cabal?”

Suddenly, Winston’s head turns to Dougal’s activities. In the same instant, the diplobot lunged up and toward the Chancellor, sitting next to Anna. From his body spider-like appendages extruded from his spine as he moved. The appendages sparked light flares and spread a shield of light like a translucent umbrella skin, as Winston spread his arms.

When the diplobot’s appendages extended, Sideron stood abruptly and pulled Anna up and toward herself. Winston’s arms embraced the two women. In the same instant, Blethyn’s head snapped back toward the door as the light wall’s defense grid flickers out and she shouts, “Everybody down!”

Anna watched through Winston’s shield in panicked dismay at the gruesome sight before her. Dougal grabbed something else from his camera and popped it in his mouth. The moment he bit down on it, his head exploded.

As a larger explosion tore through the glass wall, Roberto instinctively shielded Blethyn. A blaster in her hand, she irritably shoved him away, “Look out, boy.” She came up short as Roberto’s body fell back, his staring eyes unseeing. “Oh, lad…”

A gray-clad armored force of a half dozen terrorists charged over the bodies of the door guards. All their faces were obscured by mirrored visors on their helmets. The chancellor’s guard met them with deadly force. Blethyn couldn’t take the time to check Roberto as she turned to join the battle.

Two of the terrorists made a push toward the chancellor and Anna. The heat and sound were like nothing Anna had ever imagined. As the terrorists blasted round after screaming round into the back of Winston, Anna thought the diplobot seemed in pain. As she sheltered in his firm, mechanical grip, she could only look on in terror as the shield flickered and sparked.

One of the chancellor’s guard slipped and staggered on the blood pooling around Roberto’s and Dougal’s bodies. Blethyn reached out, steadying the guard to get her weapons trained back on the terrorist. Then, the superintendent moved toward the terrorists attacking the chancellor.

Anna could only watch in horror as the superintendent lurched when a shot from one of the terrorists behind slammed into her back. Her clothes were ignited. Anna lost sight of her in the sudden conflagration which flamed up around her. Blethyn tore away the flaming garments, to reveal pale body armor from the neck down.

Blethyn she launched herself backwards at the two terrorists holding fire on Winston. As she flew toward them, she was firing her blaster into the visor of the terrorist who had shot her. One of the chancellor’s guards added their blasts and the terrorists helmet exploded, decapitating the terrorist from the chest up.

Anna’s attention was diverted from that wretchedness by Winston’s sorrowful voice — Can a diplobot feel sorrow?

“I have failed… have failed… you… you… you, Chancellor,” the diplobot said sorrowfully as his shield died. His eyes went dark and he began to collapse, pulling Anna and the chancellor down in his embrace, still shielded by his body.

The superintendent’s body rocketed into the two terrorists firing on Winston’s body. They all went down together in a heap, crashing through the big round coffee table. But, Blethyn rolled up with a vibroknife in her hands, slicing both throats through the gray skin of their body armor in virtually a single stroke.

She levered herself up against Winston’s body, turning back toward the battle. But, the fight was over. The terrorists were all dead, with the chancellor’s three remaining guards standing over them.

She turned back to pry the chancellor and Anna from the diplobot’s now rigid embrace. Sparks popped and sizzled from his back. Winston’s head moved, looping in tiny jerking motions.

His mouth light flickered as he emitted popping, staticky sounds, like an ancient recording slurring, “Sorry… failed… regret…” Each word was more degraded than the last. He seemed in terrible pain.

Does an android feel pain? Anna mused.

The chancellor gave him a soothing pat, “You did well, Winston.” Then, she popped open one side of his head. A flame and sparks briefly flared. Tendrils of smoky steam rose from the cavity. Sideron wrapped her hand in the tail of her duster and reached in and pulled out the compact brain core. The diplobot crumpled, like cutting the strings on a marionette.

Blethyn stumbled toward poor Roberto’s body and found a shard from the glass wall embedded at the base of his spine. As she examined him, fighting could be heard in the distance. More chancellor’s guards rushed in, followed by several spaceport security personnel, and a few of Blethyn’s own civil guardians. She ordered them to secure the chancellor’s safety.

The superintendent, with slightly halting movement, waved Anna to her as she crossed back toward her and the chancellor. The chancellor, a blaster in one hand, extended her other to the Blethyn.

Did she have that with her the whole time? Anna wondered.

Sideron and Blethyn exchanged a grip wrapping each other’s forearm as they pulled close together for a heartbeat. The chancellor was all efficiency when she took command of the forces in the remnants of the room.

Without a backward glance, the superintendent gripped Anna’s arm hard and started dragging her along. Over Anna’s protestations, Blethyn told her, “We have to get you on that transport. You must get this to Ecart.”

She pressed Winton’s brain core and tablet into Anna’s hands. Looking back over her shoulder as the superintendent, limping, dragged her along, Anna mused, I didn’t even see her take them.

Gorman was waiting at the transport gangplank with a trio of agents wearing light armor with Alliance markings in red. He gave the superintendent a salute Anna did not recognize, “Ma’am, as ordered, Red Squad is ready to escort Ms Sinclair to Jump Station 1.”

Is there more than one station? Anna wondered, rather bewildered by everything at this point.

Before she could offer any protest or demand answers, the trio bustled her onto the transport. She saw it was piloted by another of their group. She was hurriedly strapped in, while the engines roared for lift off. Looking out the window as the transport began to move, she saw Gorman and Blethyn don helmets and head back towards the fighting.

More coming soonish…

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