 
## Evilution

Hylton H Smith

Copyright 2011 by Hylton Smith

Smashwords Edition

Published by Promethean

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic and mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters and incidents are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to persons living or dead, are entirely coincidental.

Acknowledgement

The continued support and encouragement of Rhys J. Smith and Anne Flint are always evident and genuinely appreciated.

## Part One: The Sacred Protocol
## Chapter 1

The peasants toiling on the Cornish coast were buoyed by the fantastic July weather, making their burden lighter in their imagination. Jonas Goodbody was first to intrude with a sour sentiment. He had watched the horizon deliver an ever-increasing number of ships from the haze. His panic-driven bleating was at first rebuked by his supervisor, who then quickly grasped the significance of Goodbody's clarion call. This was no summer maritime gathering whose intention was to relax and imbibe the ambience of a green and pleasant land. It had been predicted, but information was sketchy at best among peasantry. It was indeed the most feared realisation of the Spanish Armada. The prepared beacons were lit, and as practiced, the information reached London and Plymouth quickly. The response was also well rehearsed. Elizabeth insisted on travelling to the coast to witness Sir Francis Drake deal this Catholic invasion force a dose of typical English tactical pragmatism. All did not however go to plan.

Lady Luck played a curious role in defeat being snatched from the jaws of victory. Philip II of Spain believed he had no alternative to crushing Elizabeth I. He already controlled the Spanish Netherlands which were often referred to as the low country; however Protestant influence was spreading as a direct consequence of sponsorship from the virgin Queen. With England also under his control he could rule the English Channel. He believed that Scotia and Hibernia would at the very least assume neutral status, more because of their hatred of the English than any love for Iberia. There was also much Catholic support in these bordering domains. There was, in addition, the small matter of Sir Francis Drake's attack the previous year on the harbour of Cadiz, where many ships destined for the Armada were being built. Considerable losses were sustained in sea power and naval personnel. This home defeat rankled with Philip to the point of obsession. Even when the fleet was, in his opinion up to strength again in 1588, he made quite an incredible decision by filling the position left by the loss of Admiral Santa Cruz, who died in 1586. Medina Sidonia, a very accomplished army heavyweight and nobleman, was bestowed with the dubious honour.

Exactly what the rank and file crews made of this is not well documented, but the entire plan seemed to be sinking in terms of credibility. A key part of the strategy was to navigate the Channel and pick up soldiers currently occupying the Spanish Netherlands.

They had however underestimated Sidonia, and even Philip confessed, but only to himself, that it was an inadvertent stroke of genius to appoint the army man as Admiral of the fleet. One of the first things he did was to abandon the plan to pick up the land forces and risk losing them aboard sinking vessels. He did not however disclose this intention to anyone. He knew that there was no port in these Netherlands deep enough to conduct such an operation safely even without Drake breathing down his neck. The solution he had inherited was to march the army to Normandie. He knew it would be a bitter debate to try to countermand Philip's death trap, so he apparently went along with it, and crucially so did all of the spies who would report such stupidity back to Elizabeth. In a clandestine agreement with Danish noblemen he decided to feign flight from Drake's fleet into what would be realised too late as a trap. The renowned Drake 'floating bomb' tactic of sending flaming vessels into collision with the Spanish galleons never got off the ground. These 'Hell Burners' depended on the enemy being sluggish or clustered without much room for manoeuvre. Sidonia's crescent formation allowed speed and defensive protection. When Drake eventually felt the Spanish were cornered in some God-forsaken Nordic harbour, the entire naval manpower of both sides was exhausted. The English spirit however was briefly rekindled when their prey was apparently in a predicament worse than the anticipated location in France. The Danish mercenaries, who had no religious leaning, were brimming with energy, spoiling for a fight, and well equipped with vessels designed specifically for the tidal turmoil in the region. The crowning factor was the short, deep but narrow strait access to the inner calm of the real harbour. Only two ships at a time could traverse this channel, and of his 130 vessels, Sidonia sent his 22 galleons through first to then volte-face and fire upon the eager pursuers. The last four Spanish ships in the channel were halted and offered as sacrificial gambits as their crew took to the rescue boats awaiting them. With the channel effectively blocked, the Danes closing in from behind, Sidonia taking aim from calm water, and the appearance of catapults despatching fireballs from both banks of the channel, Drake's fate was sealed. His temporary upsurge in morale had been replaced by the sudden realisation that his navy would be totally eradicated. And so it was. After resting with his co-conspirators, Sidonia sailed back to Normandie to collect a fresh, well preserved land invasion force. This had been his thinking all along. Unless the transfer of his army could be achieved with little or no loss, the naval battle would have been of little relevance.

Elizabeth was back in London when the news came, but unfortunately, Scotia and Hibernia were already in receipt of her plight. The three pronged converging forces brought England to its knees in bitter but short campaigns. She was herself publicly beheaded in the style so often employed by her father.

With appropriate concessions to the acolytes of Scotia and Hibernia, the genesis of the new Iberian Empire was set in motion. July 19, 1588 was accorded the status of one of the most significant turning points in history. The astonishing pace at which the fledgling Catholic alliance flourished to the worthy upgrade of empire was underpinned by Philip's considerable skill as a forward thinking politician. He excelled in this trait as much as he appalled in military strategy. Lady Luck had indeed delivered his platform.

He had kept his fascination with the ancient Egyptian philosophy of 'victory by cultural absorption' to himself. It would have been considered regressive by the Church, especially when compared to the rationale of the Inquisition. It worked wonderfully well with the Nordic peoples. France was gradually but acutely aware of all of its neighbours being seduced to come under the Iberian flag in some form or another. Its national identity was eroded from the west, north and south. Philip also accommodated the Basque language, the oldest in what had up until now been known as Europe, in a restructuring of Spanish to Iberian. His next challenge was considerably more subtle than what seemed in hindsight to be the routine purging of England. Germany was a key facet of his master plan. Timing was everything – and so it was necessary to ingest but not digest France prior to rolling out his Lutheran cleansing.

Although Martin Luther died in 1546, his ideology had a firm grip on the German psyche. Apart from being the initiator of the Protestant reformation he had promoted apparently tolerant 'celibate marriages' for the priesthood. Philip seized upon the later anti-Semitic preaching of this professor of tolerance, and coupled with his quasi-Egyptian alternative, he effectively nullified the threat of war. He was able to quote all of the previous bloodless harmonisation of cultural advantage, including the latest and most unlikely example of France. He insisted that the French were accorded a policy of non-interference in domestic affairs, local laws and even their grossly indulgent obsession with those powerful anarchical taboos of art and literature. He was gambling on France and Germany each watching the other, and the fence sitting gave him time to sneak in the avenue of religious tolerance. The minds of the populace had to be won, not driven. What he really meant was given time to reflect on Papal adoption or the extreme poverty of Lutheran obstinacy. His patience paid off, and in less than two decades of stabilisation he was musing over the next two conundrums. Namely – his succession and the East.

The East predominated largely due to the situation in the New World being simplified by the recent ascent of Iberian identity. In addition, he already controlled Portugal, Naples and Sicily. Following Columbus' discovery in 1492, the main protagonists harboured ambitions to dominate both the northern and southern Americas. Now the way was clear for their re-naming – North and South Iberiana. All members would share from the common gain. The original purpose of Columbus was to find an alternate route to the Indies, as Islam had cut off the overland route through Egypt and Suez in mid-seventh century. The demand for spices, incense, herbs, opium and other drugs ensured a solution had to be found. Arabs took over this trade with Europe until the Ottoman Turks cut the route again in 1453, and this consolidated the need for a maritime route, which was partially satisfied by Vasco de Gama declaring the Cape of Good Hope as the answer. Philip had become known as Philip the Prudent, and he was not going to settle for this arduous journey in the long term.

When German Iberia was announced he saw an opportunity to move forward on the question of the East. He brokered the future marriage of his son to Margaret of Austria – sister of Ferdinand II, and was, like her future husband, a member of the House of Habsburg. His expansionist plans did not go unnoticed by Russians, Slavs and Turks. He also knew the dangerous routes through these, in his view, relatively uncivilised territories, was not an option. He offered something they all had in common – a desire to curb the growing problem of Islam. When they realised he meant elimination, other doors opened. Technology became currency for passage. Gradual strangulation of the Arab economy created cracks in the hegemony and exploitation presented itself, with many Islamic dignitaries taking residence in the southern Iberian Peninsula. The leaders benefitted from generous estates in return for strategic assistance and fighting men in bringing down their common enemies. Religious tolerance was once again on offer, with the caveat that there was no room for protest against the majority.

In a way this long, systematic decomposition of the indigenous Arab world would become the grooming background for his son to become Philip III. He didn't have the charismatic presence of his father but he could be moulded to a caretaker's role until his own heir, another Habsburg, could revive the former momentum. It was the best option in the semi-hiatus which was accompanied by the approaching death of Philip the Prudent, which duly arrived in 1598.

## Chapter 2

Konrad Salina had been thorough in preparing for his act of martyrdom. He only made the mobile video contact with the local Londonis police precinct when all other items had been checked off the list. The recorder was running and his message, including the details of his security vault had been tattooed on his back, in code, some weeks ago. The call was onward directed to Elle Butragueno, who was hurriedly gorging on takeaway tapas at five minutes to eight in the evening. It was actually her lunch. "Butragueno."

"Please listen very carefully." The camera panned around the apartment and settled on the balcony where she could make out a crudely constructed gallows. "Not another jumper," she moaned, "I'm going to tra..."

"No you aren't. This isn't a threat or cry for help. You can't save me, and that is why you must get here as soon as possible after I am dead. There is no such thing as a secure line now. You will know the importance once you are here." The address was flashed up and Butragueno ran to her vehicle while yelling to the desk to inform her superior Maxi Duarte.

It was a short drive, culminating in a sharp shock as she looked up to the eighth floor, to see the black outline of the corpse swaying in a ferocious wind. "Jesus." It was all she could muster as she believed she was, at least at present, the only person to know of the suicide. It was a desirable, tree-lined street, not the kind of place where these things happened. A strange thought almost percolated to verbal as she ran up the stairs instead of using the elevator. 'Funny, it will be me telling the Medical Examiner the time of death. Twenty two minutes past eight, August 8, 2022. I need a new career.'

She had managed to keep onlookers out of the incident area until the Lightbox brigade arrived, fractionally ahead of her boss – Maxi Duarte. She mumbled under her breath, 'Oh no, that's all I need – no sleep tonight'. Duarte exercised patience until the new forensic team had their shot at the corpse and his apartment. This arm of investigation was new and extremely helpful in creating an incorruptible record. By installing the volume parameters involved and locking the photonic capture of the scene, and subsequent flooding of the image in the lab with fluorescent x-rays, many things were revealed. The routine forensics team could then pursue their task. The Lightbox scans were compared against database item references such as fibres, semen, narcotics, shards, etc. – and this almost instant feedback was very helpful in guiding the regular forensic checks.

"Fill me in Butragueno; this doesn't make a lot of sense to me right now." Duarte was a tired, soon to retire, old school Chief Inspector. He wanted out, but at the same time had no idea what he would do on the first day, month or even year of being surplus to requirement.

Elle showed him the video of the entire incident, including the deceased's call to her. The tattoo was obviously a starting point, but didn't offer immediate clues as to the information it was supposed to reveal. "Great," said Duarte, in exasperated concession to getting both profilers and code breakers involved, "I get the feeling we won't be on this case too long – it stinks of political motive. Do we know anything at all about him – work, girlfriends, memberships of organisations, hobbies?" Butragueno winced. "It might be worse than you think Sir. His father owns this expensive apartment, lives in Madrid and is a big wig in the Central Security Division."

"How do we know that already?"

"Well Sir, there's a photograph in the hallway, of his parents at some CSD award ceremony and it was turned to the wall, which seemed unusual. I looked behind and it is obviously a special edition as it had the date, venue and official seal on it. I checked with Madrid and they knew of this address, but wouldn't say more until they talked with Snr. Salina himself."

"Well D.I. Butragueno, it's pretty certain that you've poked the first stick into the hornet's nest. I know it's frowned upon to have gut feelings in today's policing practice, but my ulcer is screaming disappointed parents and wayward offspring."

He was right about the case being hijacked, but it happened sooner than he allowed for, and consequently he reacted uncharacteristically angrily. Ricardo Pierze entered the apartment while barking out instructions to his 'underlings'. He was the antithesis to Duarte in just about every conceivable respect. He was tall, handsome, clean in appearance and exuded an air of being in control without having to be explicit. His sharp dark eyes didn't dart about; they were always focussed on the person he addressed, usually with the intention of disarming them. He would soon get frustrated with Maxi Duarte, whose overweight frame was always draped in food-stained, ill-fitting attire. Personal hygiene had little priority in his short list of lifestyle objectives. The remaining crescent of wispy grey hair which circled his sweat-beaded dome was particularly annoying to Pierze, as it was matted, and always retained the influence of his pillow until he showered or looked into a mirror, whichever came first.

"Senor whoever you are, I believe, until I'm contradicted, that suicide is still a crime even though we cannot arrest the perpetrator. It is a technicality but we are duty bound to determine if this is clearly and only suicide." The reply was paper thin in its sincerity.

"Pierze." He flashed his ID, "I would very much appreciate you according proper formality to our cooperation Chief Inspector. Please, at least look at my accreditation, you need to be careful. There are aspects of this incident which we have anticipated for some time now and we will require you to respect boundaries which are crucial to the security of the Republic."

Duarte glanced at the pretentious ID wallet. It was quite ornate and shouted 'Director of Operations – International Communications Corruption Bureau'. "So you aren't really police, or even a force. I just know that you're going to acquaint me with your leverage on high-flying people who are." He also wondered how and therefore why he was there so quickly. Pierze responded with a rare olive branch, although it didn't seem to be anything but confrontational. "Your choice Duarte, join the team or be replaced."

Butragueno interceded, "Sir, I would like to hear what the Director means by his anticipation of Konrad Salina doing something like this – it will surely help all of us to understand anything we can about his activities leading up to the suicide." Duarte was silent for a full minute while he satisfied himself that she was right. He nodded and gestured for Pierze to continue.

He did so by summoning a subordinate to activate a portable video transmission. It displayed footage from CCTV in several prominent cities in the Republic. One type of protest banner kept cropping up, and the zoom revealed similar faces at all of the locations. Konrad Salina was amongst them. Before Duarte could challenge the relevance of this he was given a short refresher course in recent history.

Pierze was very deliberate in structuring his précis to exclude any conclusions at this stage. "We all remember vividly the total and instant collapse of the internet in 2016. Equally, the development of a new safe global network was a landmark event. The paralysis of institutions such as banks, government, manufacturing, and air travel threatened a rapid slide into dystopian culture. The perpetrators were never identified even though their infection, which cascaded like no other, achieved its objective with unstoppable momentum. Because of the miraculous timescale in which a new, apparently bulletproof system was available, the scenario became one of rectifiable disaster rather than Armageddon. What you do know is that the system we have today has satisfied all of the aforementioned institutions. What you do not know is how it came about so quickly and that it may not be as impregnable as first thought. My remit does not allow me to flesh this out, but your cooperation with the method of investigation of the suicide is paramount. We need it to look like that is all it is. That is why the boundaries will be required. You may have observed that the protests were against something they refer to as 'Overlord'. That is their suggested name for the organisation itself, which has paradoxically attracted cult status amongst the majority of young people, and yet it is the target for the perceived protest action – which is not yet fully understood. The real protest is against the increasing dependency and licensing of SACRED. You no doubt recollect that the system which 'saved' our society in 2017 was indeed hailed under that acronym. In case you have forgotten it stands for 'Signal Amplification, Correction, Revision, Encryption and Distribution'. There is no evidence from any of the key players who were hit by the internet collapse, that the system is anything but perfect. That is why it is so surprising that it has fostered such antagonism from certain youth groups while the rest are obsessed with it. I hope you see that we must conduct our investigation undercover, and your team may proceed separately unless we find something which requires us to ask you to alter or delay your conclusions. I will be back tomorrow for the daily briefing you will present to me. I trust you will sleep on this tonight and let me know in the morning whether or not I need to replace you."

He mentioned on departing that if Duarte decided to cooperate he would need to smarten up his desk, which was almost invisible due to the mountain of paperwork it supported. Amongst the clutter at the top of one pile was a note, to remind himself of his son's football match – kick-off 19.30, and a half-eaten prawn Panini which obscured the scribbled venue. The smile on Pierze's face betrayed his utter disgust. Butragueno fixed her eyes on the floor until he had gone, then fled to the toilet before her control gave way and she sat there convulsing with laughter. Thankfully Pierze had left when she returned. She still had not regained full composure and it didn't help that Duarte had swept everything into a box; he looked up and asked, "Any ideas on where I can stash this for a couple of days?"

"Leave it there; I'll get someone from records to put it into files. You need to look as if you are working on something. I don't think Pierze is a clean desk man."

He nodded wistfully, and switched back to Pierze's monologue. "What do you make of this SACRED stuff? I can only recall that it's something to do with the Moon."

"Yes, but it's a hell of a lot more complicated than that. I remember thinking at the time that it was quite a convenient blessing to recover our ability to plug the world back into the mains again so quickly, until I read more about the guys who designed it."

"You need to bring me up to date with that in under an hour Butragueno; my boy will never forgive me if I miss the game.

## Chapter 3

The grooming which Philip II had in mind for his son was not what it outwardly appeared. He knew that the only true successor which would endure long enough to allow the empire he had in mind to flourish was not a person, but a republic. He also recognised that it would take up to a century for this to be implemented, and in any event his son was not capable of such subtlety. Philip III did become monarch upon his father's death, but it was his father's inherited prescription to which he clung - as his encyclopaedia to govern. His father had foreseen trends in his acquired states which convinced him that the self-serving nobility could not survive very far into continually advancing technology. He didn't personally embrace all such scientific conclusions without reservation, yet he wanted to optimise the future for both his family and Iberia.

Giving a stake in this future to plebiscites would be resisted by those who protected and coveted his son's position. Therefore the formula he advocated was to use the Church to mediate at every contentious phase. It did require a change of religious leadership philosophy, and this was precisely the time for such orchestrated effort to plant the foundation stone. Royalty, apparently being subordinate to the Holy Roman hierarchy was what the Church had been fighting for over many centuries. The Nobility saw it as an opportunity too. The stake offered to the populous had to be managed in concert with their representatives' ability to pledge and demonstrate total and absolute piety in every aspect of life, even the call to future wars. It did indeed take several decades to gather real momentum, and Philip III did not live to see the seeds of the republic turn to a swathe of manageable green grass. This strategy however prepared Iberia much better than any other society for the advent of the Industrial Revolution.

In the East - Russia and the Balkans moved away from the increasing power of the Orient and Indian sub-continent. They were however, nervous about the Iberian expansion, which had not only spread its tentacles to absorb the Arab world, but promoted its republican philosophy to the Africanas. Such preoccupation was the price paid for China discovering and claiming the Antipodes and naming it Sea Garden, presumably as the coastal areas were the only hospitable zones. The relentless Iberian entreaties to Russia eventually succeeded and their revolution was bloodless. Trade and technology were the catalysts. The Balkans had nowhere to go except follow suit.

The effect of early arrival of the might of industrial technology increased world travel and introduced widespread industrial espionage. One result of the fear of being left behind was the curious alignment of Asian societies in a very short space of time. This bloc consisted of the oriental nations, dominated by China and India, part of the seceded Russian steppe, the volcanic islands of the near Orient, and of course Sea Garden. Everything else flew the Iberian colours as fully subscribed members of the Republic, a protectorate, or simply a commonwealth of cultural partnership. Significantly, the Church would still have a bearing on further alignment. Orient had many more religious differences to iron out, whereas Iberia's tolerance actually promoted Catholicism at a digestible rate. This would become a bigger issue during the era of science and technology especially with respect to medicine.

As the perceived wealth gap widened another problem arose. The society with by far the highest population density also had by far the least land, and there were uprisings in Orient. Disparate religious belief in such overcrowded life, while looking over the shoulder at a successful alternative, turned envy into self-harm. This became an indirect problem for Iberia as there was no prepared structure to cope with mass refugee migration. Hurriedly installed law brought tension and polarisation within the Iberian culture. Orient also outlawed 'defection' and the success of many hundreds of thousands of escapees blurred the deaths of millions of unsuccessful individuals. A stand-off was sought and agreed. It was based on Iberia revoking sanctions and once again forging a 'technology for trade licence'. This worked quite well until the electronics age and the lure of space travel. Both of these developments took place earlier than they may have done if there had been prolonged nationalism from mediaeval times through to the industrial revolution. Electronics became part of everyday life by mid-twentieth century. The absence of global conflict, which had looked likely, but was avoided by the trade/technology pact, helped oversee more space exploration. The first human to set foot on the Moon was a Catalan. Rodrigo Mondragon planted Iberian colours there in 1956. As consumer advertising mutated from ancillary status to multi-billion peseta industry, there was less investment in pioneering technology. Satellites invaded the orbit by the hundreds and global communication grew into the monster which demanded instant everything. By 1969 there were unmistakable signs that population growth would force draconian measures for the entire planet, but it was the Orient which had the most acute problem, and they took the decision to block the altar of worship to consumerism and invest more of their GDP in getting to another planet. It wrong-footed Iberia for almost two decades, and culminated in their own Moon landing. They were reminded that the Moon was Iberian sovereign territory and the squabble dragged the trade/technology agreement into sharp focus. A formula was born out of anger, whereby Iberia compensated Orient by financing the next step toward a lunar colony, and an unconventional lease which favoured Iberian veto of excessive emigration rates by either society. This was considered relatively conventional in the Republic, but seen as being sold down the river by the people of the totalitarian regime. The governing Orient body was ousted, replaced and the lease revoked. And so the apartheid world came into being.

Orient was now a closed society, able to infiltrate and spy on a quite unprepared and porous dominion with borders of almost infinite length. The lunar colony would be upgraded in timescale and the sole proprietors of any gain would be Iberia. They knew that they could not halt the espionage drain and called time on the trade/technology licence, which fuelled talk of war. Within a year the internet changed everything as it grew into an activity which was difficult to monitor, and it thankfully took the talk of conflict to a lower shade of alert. By the millennium trade barriers had evaporated and consumer society had once more dulled the appetite for space travel. Harmony was fragile but was actually being restored.

Out of the blue, three men who had made obscene amounts of money in different areas of internet business, met to evaluate the vulnerability of their private wealth generation, specifically its possible collapse. They were all Iberian.

## Chapter 4

Butragueno summarised the reams of data she had on the reclusive trio. "Sorin Gretz was apparently the intellectual driving force, recognising the trend toward more pernicious computer viruses. He predicted that the internet would flat-line earlier than it did, so his thinking on what happens next was outlined well ahead of it being needed. He had cleverly moved significant proportions of his trillions of annual peseta profit to his brainchild SACRED. He is of Swiss-Iberian descent and still lives in Basela. Andreas Verdasco and Constantin Boniek brought other influence to the table. Verdasco made his fortune from software which replaced open search engines with personally coded link interface enquiry."

Hosting with maximum privacy spawned such demand that capacity had to be rationed until new methods of data exchange became available. Terrestrial fibre-optic transmission was replaced by huge satellite chains around the globe. Boniek was invited to the party because of his supply of all manner of support equipment to the Iberian financed lunar colonisation project, which had by then run out of favour. The mothballing decision left the perfect premises for SACRED to evolve from embryonic status to 'premature birth'. It all dovetailed perfectly – a remote location which precluded physical invasion, the orbiting relay girdle with which Boniek's lunar equipment had previously specified compatibility, Gretz' and Verdasco's software integration, and the plight of Iberia's financially crippling colonisation disaster. The three wise men took this burden from the Iberian government within a suspiciously short period after the internet collapse threatened to seriously mutate to perennial fiscal and social nuclear winter.

Duarte's stoic expression remained while he verbalised how this was of minimal interest to him right now. "Very interesting, if you get off on conspiracy theory, but as Pierze said – we have boundaries to observe. A suicide investigation is our only remit until the evidence itself leads us on to his patch. I really have to get to the game. I'm sorry to dump this in your lap Butragueno, but I'd appreciate you getting preliminary forensic information and any progress on Salina's tattoo decode to me in the morning." He had often indulged in this kind of temporary disconnect from the loop, but this was courting further confrontation with a powerful adversary who had already threatened to end his career. Butragueno wondered if he was finally ready to quit. The thought was dismissed as suddenly as it arose – Duarte's sheer doggedness was something Pierze was about to experience. She resigned herself to a night without sleep and a long day to follow.

The code which Salina had devised was pretty straightforward for the breaker group and simply revealed the entry details for his deposit box. Armed with this, Butragueno obtained the necessary paperwork to compel the bank to allow access. The contents consisted of photographs, names and family contact data plus the cause of death of at least twenty of his personal friends. There was also a message that implied more could have occurred recently that he did not know of. In a dirty brown envelope he had put together reasons why he was convinced his friends were murdered. He also hinted – no more than that – of a wider strategy of the perpetrators, namely to cause and accelerate Iberia falling from within. He concluded the note by explaining that he would be on this list, and faced such elimination himself. His dilemma was whether to inform the authorities (who would have considered him delusional), or accept that he may have to die and make those same authorities think hard on his claims.

When Butragueno delivered this to Duarte he sat in silence for over five minutes, waving away her intrusions, before he said at a barely audible volume, "Keep this between us for now. If there is any substance to Salina's claims we may be shut out of consequent murder investigations by our friend Pierze. What about forensics?"

"No real evidence of anyone else's direct involvement in the actual suicide act, but the Lightbox has highlighted many prints which will have to be checked out, and there is something lodged in one of the wall cavities without any obvious means of getting to it. Their best guess at the moment is some kind of capsule. They'll carefully cut out access through the plaster and extract it after consultation with explosive device expertise."

He nodded and then astonished her by an abrupt change of subject. "The boy played so well it looks like he may be offered trials with a couple of top teams. This could fit neatly with my retirement if he makes it as a pro. Let's have some coffee and get out of here before Pierze gets to us." She reminded him she had been up all night and was going home to recharge her batteries. Duarte acknowledged this and headed for a breakfast bar in town.

*

Pierze was furious when he arrived to an empty office and was even more frustrated when Duarte's mobile communicator was unobtainable. He did get Butragueno and was unsympathetic to her lack of sleep, which prompted an uncharacteristic response. "Snr. Pierze, I report to Maxi Duarte and he authorised my absence for at least four hours. Take it up with him. Goodbye." He was not used to such flagrant insubordination and simmered while he contemplated what to do next. Just as he decided to report Duarte to the regional Chief of Police, one of his entourage whispered in his ear, "Sir, we have just been informed that Salina senior and his wife are on their way here with legal representation. They are expected within the hour."

"Shit, that is all we need. Do they know we are here?" His subordinate shrugged his shoulders.

"Well who the hell has just informed you of their arrival?"

The reply was cautious. "He said he was acting legal counsel for Salina."

Pierze was exasperated. "Right, and did he ask who he was speaking to?"

His subordinate recovered a little confidence. "Oh, I see what you mean. Yes, I said it was Duarte's office and before I could elaborate he cut me off and said they would be here shortly. They would have assumed I was one of Duarte's people."

Pierze smiled. "Good, then we will receive them and not enlighten them as to who we are until we hear what they have to say. They will be more open if they think we are simply detectives and when we correct their misconception Salina will torpedo Duarte for us. We then have leverage on both Salina and Duarte."

When the party arrived Salina stayed silent while his legal eagle disclosed their horror at having already been to the apartment and taken in the suicide scene with its multiplicity of forensic markers. "Senora Salina was extremely distressed that her son's last act was so graphically enhanced with seemingly emotionless script and references, including the crude mechanism of the scaffold. We expected to see police presence there, but as we already had keys we entered and I must say it was a shock to find the place 'abandoned'."

Pierze pretended to squirm a little and sympathised with their traumatic experience. He went on to explain the procedure with the Lightbox team and how this allowed the police to work from that image first in order to cut out poorly targeted and lengthy testing. "You should have been warned to stay out of there until this phase was complete. I apologise. You may have already complicated the scene inadvertently. That would be a great pity."

Salina could not maintain his silence. "We sent you our travel plans and you didn't acknowledge the message, so we could only assume you were too busy with the investigation. You could have lessened this awful experience by the explanation you have now given us. I'm not impressed, and in fact I will be...."His legal man interjected quickly, "We'll come to that in due course, make no mistake, but for now we must alert you to certain aspects of Konrad's recent difficulties, and some possible background to his demise. You may have begun to concentrate on the 'overwhelming' evidence of suicide; however there are certain exchanges with his family that may cast doubt on that."

Pierze delayed the harpooning of Duarte; this disclosure may prove much more important. "Oh, it seems another apology is warranted, certain items have been removed from the apartment. Please continue with your suspicion that Konrad's death was not entirely self-determined."

The legal man beckoned Salina to his side and whispered a short reminder that it was prudent to limit information to that which could be substantiated; the speculative elements must be allowed to ferment in the minds of the police. Salina nodded impatiently and proceeded to deliver a précis of the emergence of SACRED. He was interrupted by Pierze stating that they knew all about this. "No you don't," scowled Salina angrily, "let me finish." Pierze didn't swallow this direct rebuke in front of his sycophantic team at all well, but managed to stay in control. Salina continued. "The concept was one of staggering dimension and technical achievement. It also changed the modus operandi of large corporations and individual social habits alike. It apparently overcame the threat of any kind of hijacking by any kind of adversary. The entire setup, from the impregnable lunar location, the halo of orbital relays and the lynchpin of dedicated licensed booths with on-screen recognition technology could not be faulted. In order to be accepted for membership it was necessary to suffer a long waiting list until DNA samples, facial replication vectors, and retina links were all embedded into the log-on sequence. This was probably the identity theft protection appeal which saw personal computer ownership diminish to obscurity."

Pierze's supporting cast was nervously awaiting their boss walking out of the room. They all knew this story; it had been world news for a couple of years. Salina eventually got their attention when he declared that there was a particular threat which had been underestimated if not discounted. "We never seem to learn that the weakness in any system dependent on humans, even for the most mundane tasks, is destined to be corrupted. It is only a matter of how."

Pierze was now totally transfixed. He sat down. Salina cleared his throat just as Duarte breezed into the room and threw his 'pork pie' hat onto his neatly arranged desk in a territorial challenge to Pierze. He did not of course realise how important this moment would become in the investigation. Pierze swore under his breath while trying to think on his feet. He quickly decided to introduce Duarte.

The legal man stuttered, "Then who the hell are you?"

The reply was accusatory. "You never really gave me a chance earlier; I am Ricardo Pierze, Director of....."

Salina was furious with himself. The identity of all heads of covert global snooping organisations was always protected. He immediately grasped that he would not actually be who he claimed to be, but officially authorised to parade as such on a single mission. This was his simulation for promotion. He was grateful that Duarte had inadvertently saved the day. "I think you had better leave Pierze so you can report back to Snr. X, the real director of your organisation." The legal man was bemused; Duarte was verging on silent orgasm as Pierze & Co feigned contorted smiles while shuffling into a single file exit.

It got worse for Pierze, Salina was correct in his snapshot assessment of the simulation aspect. Not all of Pierze's entourage was subordinate level personnel, one was an observer, and he was blatantly unimpressed. In order to prevent termination of his involvement in this case Pierze needed significant progress, and quickly. The observer pulled him to one side and stated the obvious. "We, or rather you, have missed out on something important which will now be divulged to that cretin Duarte, and to make matters worse Salina will stir up a plague of red tape around our own investigation. Not a good start to the day."

However, Salina did not warm to the apparition of the burger-chomping Duarte any more than Pierze had. He went on the offensive again. "What have you learned so far from this Lightbox? There must also be clues in the apartment of his recent activities, and we need his personal effects to begin closure, as I'm sure you understand. You do know who I am?"

The legal man intruded. "May I introduce Senor and Senora Salina? Apart from being Konrad's parents, Snr. Salina is head of Central Security for Iberia. I am his legal counsel; and my name is Jose-Maria Olmeda. So as you may appreciate there is both a personal and professional nature to our presence here." His eye contact with Salina screamed 'cool it'.

Duarte scratched at some of the flaky skin amongst the sparse remnants of his hair and filled the immediate conversational radius with onion flavoured relish. "I see. As a matter of fact I do know who you are Snr. Salina, there was a photograph of you and your good lady on the wall at the apartment. We still have much work to get through with second sweep forensics, and you're absolutely correct about the other evidence of his recent activity – we are on to it. Personal effects, well it's rather difficult to be precise at present, but maybe we can release some of them in a couple of days." He didn't want to disclose either the implications of the tattoo or the hidden object in the wall cavity at this stage.

Once more Olmeda cut off his boss, "We are staying at the Riu Principal. I'm sure that you appreciate Inspector Du...." He was sarcastically corrected. "Chief Inspector Duarte. I'm entirely at your service, as I guess you were just about to remind me of your requirement that I cooperate with your own investigation. I know you'll understand that the police must first and foremost be satisfied that we are definitely dealing with an uncomplicated suicide. That's routine and I assure you that we'll release all we can to you when our jurisdiction issues are complete. I do sympathise deeply with this awful tragedy inflicted upon you as parents, and you can rely on our further support if and when you need our continued involvement."

After a brief silence Olmeda and Salina conferred and the former, once more, assumed his role as spokesman. "We appreciate your candour Chief Inspector. Do you have any particular reason to doubt suicide?"

Duarte stalled. "Not the suicide itself. It's already clear that the act of ending his own life was Konrad's and his alone. I think it would be best if you get through the unpleasant formalities first. His body has to be identified. Once that is out of the way I can show you how we know that he did indeed commit unassisted suicide."

Senora Salina could not hold back – she wept, and Duarte noted that the other two did not try to console her. Another exchange between Salina and Olmeda produced the question Duarte was angling for. "Do you therefore have any reason to delay declaration of straightforward suicide?"

Duarte responded in an empathetic way which gained him a modicum of respect from Salina. "No suicide can be straightforward. It can be from a police point of view, categorised as uncomplicated in terms of the act, but that's only the beginning of the story - as to why? As a parent I can't think of anything worse happening in my life, and I want to keep that in mind when briefing you on all aspects of our findings."

The maternal voice at last entered the conversation. "Thank you Chief Inspector. We do need your help in coming to terms with the emotional devastation in which we are suspended."

Duarte replaced his hat; it was one of the few elements of attire which could possibly have made him appear even less like a policeman. "Then I respectfully suggest we go to the morgue." They followed him to his car, the condition of which was likely to nullify any newly gained respect he had unintentionally acquired.

Butragueno was refreshed enough to re-engage with the task at hand. She had a sixth sense about the list of names in Konrad's deposit box. The standard route would be through the police database and personnel, especially as some were in distant parts of the Republic. She wondered about contacting next of kin or relatives. She knew she should check this out with Duarte and called his mobile. His travelling companions stared at one another incredulously as a police officer calmly drove with one hand while having discussion with what was obviously another officer. He told her to go ahead with her hunch.

## Chapter 5

The incident hit the media – it had to, Salina was a very high profile Iberian officer in President Sanchez' organisation. It troubled Gretz, Verdasco and Boniek, not so much that another protest campaigner had been eliminated, but that this one would trigger the chain reaction they had worked so hard to avoid. Until now they had managed the P.R. in a 'responsibly detached' way. This would be different. Instead of the plausible association of the previously alleged deaths with ad hoc anarchical pressure groups, an investigation would be coming their way. Gretz pointed to the need for their collective muscle being employed to get to the truth first. "Knowing the result before others affords the critical space to manage perception. We need our own investigation." Verdasco saw the merit and was keen to discuss the method. Boniek was not convinced. He firmly believed that it was a political matter and it was important to be seen to be absolutely neutral. "It would be extremely risky for us to be exposed in this way, and anyway I can't really see what it is we have to fear."

Gretz argued that rather than worry about being exposed they should grasp the high ground and actually announce that they wanted to cooperate with the various authorities to help in any investigation into the previous deaths of demonstrators, as well as the suicide of Konrad Salina. "I sense that we will be expected to react because this is a suicide rather than a suspicious death. We will also be expected to have a position on an apparent act of martyrdom by the son of one of the highest ranking government officials, whose remit is precisely that of keeping the lid on trends such as anarchy. After all we are selling absolute security on a global scale – to the anarchists as well as the institutions."

Without feeling comfortable about it Boniek saw that Gretz had a point. The principle was agreed. The mechanics would be crucial and there was a need for housekeeping to run ahead of window dressing. They all accepted that the investigation had to X-ray their own organisation to eliminate any cause for concern. They needed a candidate to head up this project who wouldn't only exude integrity but be publicly perceived as keeping the authorities on their toes. Gretz declared, "There is one obvious choice, and I'm mindful of the risk, but we could benefit from the certain controversy it would add to the cocktail."

Verdasco and Boniek were silent with anticipation. Gretz turned and switched on the giant video screen and input the search criteria. Eventually a list of names appeared. They were headed by Manuel Salina.

"Jesus Christ." Verdasco recalled the historical animosity between Konrad's older brother and their father. Boniek remained silent. Gretz drew their attention to a couple of salient points. "He will undoubtedly be attending the funeral and he works as an investigative journalist for the Montevideo Independiente. He is therefore qualified, and being of Iberiana jurisdiction, he is not unduly influenced by Iberia Central. He will also have a unique position to divide the Salina family if that becomes necessary. There's no smoke without fire." They agreed to approach him personally.

The solemn process of identifying Konrad's body precipitated a need for his parents to have some time to themselves. It therefore afforded the opportunity to Duarte to ask Olmeda a little more about the showdown with Pierze. The legal man replied, "It is pretty normal for this to happen. Pierze will be who he says he is, but not what he says he is. He should not however have allowed us to believe he was you."

The response was philosophical. "Yeah, I had kind of figured that out, but Salina was apparently in the process of explaining something when I walked into the office. He never returned to the subject after Pierze left."

Olmeda suggested it was down to his grief. "I suspect he was about to lecture you on his favourite theory of the rise and fall of anarchy within society. He firmly believes that in either Iberian democracy or Orient totalitarian doctrine, anarchy will flourish then recede, but for different reasons. The distribution of wealth – he believes – could not be more uneven, but whilst democracy allows peaceful protest and totalitarianism does not, they will lead to the same result. He suggests that relative affluence breeds higher aspiration and therefore challenge to government. Real poverty breeds seething discontent which eventually ferments to anarchy. He goes on to profess even the poorest cannot survive a diet of constant anarchy and that similarly, freedom alone does not feed the family. The same is true of the high-principled affluent society. So in his mind the fluctuating presence of anarchical trend becomes a constant in the equation of governing, albeit with a flexible value. The true constant, he insists, is corruption, and its lifeblood - temptation. He was about to say to you that whether or not your verdict was uncomplicated suicide, this should not cloud the near certainty that some of his son's claims are true, and critically, SACRED is not as secure as we believe. At best it is another 'big brother', not too dissimilar to his own organisation. Sorry Chief Inspector, but you did ask."

Duarte smiled at Olmeda and commented, "I guess both Salina and I agree that this is just the beginning of the story."

His phone rang. "Duarte."

"Pierze here. I have had further thoughts on the case. I think we should meet." As he still wanted to know how and why El Schmuck had been so quick to the scene, Duarte agreed. "Very well I should be free within a couple of hours, come to the office." Pierze struggled to remain polite. "Chief Inspector, what I have to say would be better communicated elsewhere. Can we have dinner?"

Duarte was tired. "As long as I don't have to go home and change that would be acceptable." The picture of Duarte stripping to his underwear caused Pierze to wince. "I will meet you at La Cucina, I am sure you know it – two blocks from your office."

He conceded. "Ok, make it around seven. I don't sleep well after late supper."

*

Butragueno was about to start on the list of Konrad's friends but she kept eyeing the brown envelope. She studied the contents again, and was intrigued by his assertion that if he was right about his friends being murdered, it was part of some greater plan. She mused – 'to bring Iberia down from within' – it all sounded rather preposterous and yet he was prepared to give his life in order to be taken seriously. Her thought pattern was interrupted by an incoming message from Duarte. He wanted her to look after Senora Salina, while he showed the initial video call from Konrad, and the subsequent recording of his final act, to Olmeda and Konrad's father. The message said this had been advised by Olmeda, and anyway it was a good opportunity to get the lady to talk about her son. She was annoyed at the haphazard methodology of Duarte, having just settled down to one task to be spirited away to nanny duty. As she got up to comply she glanced in the mirror and was horrified; she felt she was becoming more like him every day, worst of all she was losing her dress sense. True, she did not need feminine attire for the tracking down of Konrad's friends' families, but it was an option. Now she felt she should change before meeting Senora Salina, whose elegance cleverly masked her age. Butragueno had no man in her life, and a mentor who was ridiculed by the very people who would determine her future. Things had to change. She showered, put her hair up and donned a very smart dark green trouser suit she had not worn for a couple of years. It was a tight squeeze – she needed to get back in shape – but it made her feel different. She was a tall woman with almost feline movement, especially when she walked. On the slender side, she had perfectly proportioned curves in the right places. On the way she diverted to her hairdresser and booked a weekend appointment to have a re-style and subtle highlights in her auburn tresses.

*

Duarte forewarned the audience of two, that the message Konrad would refer to, would stress the importance of the tattoo. Before they could accuse him of withholding information he said, "I wanted you to see this for yourself, after you had seen the body. I needed to know if you knew about this tattoo previously, it is after all a unique identifying mark." Salina respected this on a professional level. They asked for the footage to be re-run in slow mode, with a few stops and zooms. Duarte studied their faces continually for any signs of recognition or anxiety. Salina asked for a still of the tattoo as he neither knew of its presence, time of origin, or any connection it may have to the protest group to which his son had belonged.

"Presumably you have begun decoding?" enquired Olmeda.

Duarte beamed, "Better than that, we have retrieved the contents of the safety deposit box. The code was quite primitive." He noted what seemed to be an adrenaline surge in Salina. He continued. "You may now appreciate why I said we would discuss release of Konrad's personal effects as soon as we could. I want you to see the contents of this lock-up first. He obviously felt they were important enough to protect, and ultimately die for, so we owe it to him to proceed with caution as well as diligence." Both men, in their different ways felt they had been prematurely dismissive of Duarte's acumen, as he had disguised it well, both in appearance and a seemingly scatter-brained approach.

*

Butragueno found Senora Salina in the lounge at their hotel. It was just as well she had changed, even so the opulence of this place made her slightly nervous. "Good afternoon, I'm Elle Butragueno – I report to Chief Inspector Duarte. This is not an interview; my boss felt you might appreciate some company while the others get through the rest of the unpleasant tasks. We're all touched by the unusual circumstances of what happened, but I can assure you we will try to respect your family privacy while we complete our routine checks."

She was welcomed. "Please sit down – may I call you Elle? I have to deal with formality in all of my husband's activities. I have no informality now that Konrad is gone. Manuel is alive of course, but we never hear from him or see him anymore. I'm sorry, would you like a drink or are you on duty?"

Butragueno softened further. "Of course you may address me as Elle; no one else seems to now. And yes, I'll have – let me see – a glass of Chenin Blanc." She almost fainted at the price displayed on the menu. As Senora Salina waved a waiter to the table Butragueno inquired, "Manuel, I'm sorry I don't...."

The interruption was well timed. "Oh yes, Konrad's older brother. There was only two years between them but they were so different. Manuel left for Southern Iberiana as soon as he graduated. It haunts my husband Antonio because he feels that in retrospect he was too controlling with the children. It comes with the territory when you are so much in the public eye, and he didn't want the boys to be exploited. This is the price we have paid. I don't even know if he would allow me to contact him to tell him what has happened, he refuses our calls."

Butragueno sympathised with this lady's plight and had one ear tuned to whether the brothers stayed in contact. "Where exactly in Iberiana is he?"

The lady's reply was somewhat vague. "As far as we know he is still employed by a newspaper in Uruguay. Konrad would have known but we aren't allowed access to his personal effects as yet." Butragueno comforted her and promised to help get a search underway for any means of direct contact with Manuel. The gesture was appreciated. They talked their way through a second drink before the grief-stricken mother said she needed to lie down, even though she wouldn't sleep.

*

Duarte took the duo to Butragueno's desk and Salina remarked that it housed an appreciating antique in the form of a desktop PC. "Exactly," quipped Duarte, "as yet untouched by SACRED – it is not connected to anything other than a printer, it is truly archaic and stand-alone. We sometimes have need for isolating stored data from anyone but ourselves." The others looked at the screen then one another, but were not surprised at the claims Konrad had made, in either the list of names or his insinuation of a wider agenda. It disappointed Duarte, as he felt sure it would have registered concern or an attempt to play it down.

It was Salina who explained. "Chief Inspector Duarte, I congratulate you on having this information completely isolated. I urge you to keep it that way. Konrad and I did not see eye to eye on most things but just over a year ago he brought this to my attention. There were only seven names with crosses against them, denoting their demise. The others have now joined them. I promised to look into his concerns and this had to be done with great care, but we uncovered nothing. Two weeks ago he called me and asked angrily what the hell the Security Division is supposed to do if they couldn't fathom something like this. He accused me of failing him again and I will never forget his last words to me. 'I'll be next father; that may get you out of your reclining chair.' I cannot come to terms with my failure to make time to come here personally after he said that." Salina's hands were shaking as he searched his pockets for a handkerchief. Duarte was now puzzled.

"So you knew of a possible organised or orchestrated elimination of these young people?"

The reply was guarded. "Yes and the only connection I could make confirmed what Konrad had repeatedly told me. They all shared fanatical interest in SACRED's game simulation called 'Futureworld' and of course their active campaigning against the very activity they were addicted to. It didn't make sense. I do now feel that I erred in only speaking to the various authorities involved, and avoiding their concerns about coming in heavy-handed on apparently unrelated deaths in different parts of the world. He beseeched me to talk with the families and he is now suggesting you belatedly do the same. I failed to instruct a private investigation which was unconnected to my office." Salina seemed to age visibly in just a few minutes. Duarte sympathised but experience reminded him that moments of vulnerability should not be wasted.

"So what does your expertise tell you about possible organisations who would stand to gain by such senseless acts, if in fact we could prove unlawful killing?"

Duarte was disappointed with the response. "It's my view that it is almost certain to be linked to whoever may have something to lose by adverse publicity, even allowing for the contradictory aspect of the protesters' addiction. Preventing the loss of something valuable is often more fiercely protected than a potential gain, and by organisations as well as individuals. The most obvious suspects would be the owners of SACRED itself, but there is the question of motive – they are experiencing increasing demand continually, and more so since the protests began."

Duarte nodded. "Well we have one more distasteful request of you and your wife. We'd like fingerprints and DNA to eliminate all but Konrad's recent visitors. You should really comply too Olmeda, in case you inadvertently touched something. I will then help you to go through his personal stuff and we can agree on what we need to retain for now."

Duarte recalled having said to Butragueno that they had to focus on the suicide only. That seemed like a long time ago. Just as they prepared to leave, Salina asked to see one particular photo again. "It's my elder son Manuel. God knows what he will make of my intransigence. I dread seeing him at the funeral but I must somehow recover my resolve to repair the rift." This remark registered a question in Duarte's deceptively orderly cerebrum, but it was not for now. He had a date with Pierze, his new best friend.

## Chapter 6

The news of Konrad Salina's exit had reached his sibling. Although they had only kept in touch occasionally, this cut deep into Manuel's already scarred memories of his youth. His last contact had been almost six months ago and it had resulted in an accusation by Konrad that, like his father, Manuel was prepared to turn a blind eye to the claims of sinister authoritarian activity. He had reasoned with him that some proof was needed other than circumstantial theoretical links paraded by protest groups. Their relationship reached an all-time low when Konrad said that their father had at least looked into the material he had gathered, even if it was a half-hearted exercise, and really structured to calm the protest activity. Manuel reacted with unaccustomed hostility, and recalled his own words. "Don't ever compare my concern to his calculated self-preservation. As an investigative journalist I'm merely trying to tell you what you are up against with the flimsy, unsupported claims you have quoted to me. Konrad, it doesn't matter that I believe you. This is the arena of my profession, you should respect my experience not his placebo approach. Don't you think I would fasten on to such a story if it had any mileage? If I am really to help you we must have a starting point which can at least begin to unravel the motive for these deaths. This is how it works – you reveal part of what you know and can verify – to create a response. If this is successful you may have genesis of the snowball, which is crucial in order to proceed. At present you, or rather we, don't have that. If you can link the deaths in some other way than the victims merely being protesters it would help, and believe me, you would have trouble keeping me out of it. I'm concerned that you are in danger and are increasing that risk by the head-on tactics you employ. Can we.....?"

"Forget it Manolo, you always refuse to try Futureworld and that says it all for me. You say you believe me but it isn't convincing. I will find a way to produce the unravelling point you ask for, just don't be surprised if I don't need your help then."

Now Manuel knew what he had meant. He had missed the warning. His stomach churned with guilt because he hadn't contacted Konrad again in those six months. He was now emotionally catapulted into action. His analytical mind somehow engaged despite the tide of grief it had to process. He realised that Konrad had already decided then on the suicide as a means of focussing attention on his claims, the months which had passed must therefore have been spent gathering information he didn't have when they spoke. 'God, he was listening to me. What the hell have I done'? He obtained compassionate leave for a month and travelled to Londonis.

*

When Pierze arrived punctually he was greeted by Duarte waving his hand, clutching a half-eaten piece of bread, to attract attention. Pierze shook his head apologetically at the waiter who was leading him to the table. "Good evening Duarte, I see you have settled in. Would you like red or white to begin?" Following an incredibly protracted belch he replied, "Another beer will do."

Pierze nodded to the waiter and ordered a half bottle of Puligny Montrachet. If he had to endure this Neanderthal with good grace he would need compensating sophistication. He was about to speak when Duarte delivered the first barb. "Why did you state that you needed this case to look like a routine suicide and nothing more?"

Pierze tried to deflect this by stating he could not recall having made such a pronouncement. Duarte rose to his feet. "In that case, I can save you some expense – I can eat at home."

"Well if I did convey such sentiment it was in a very general sense, that it would be helpful to my own enquiries; that is all."

"You'll have to do better than that Snr. Impostor."

"Look Duarte, we can dance around this all night but I am Ricardo Pierze, and I have the authority invested in me which is appropriate to the badge I showed you. I can't believe you are really a Chief Inspector but I am prepared to go along with the illusion."

Duarte had achieved his platform. "Good, but I still need an answer." Pierze tapped his fingers nervously on the tablecloth and leaned over to whisper some prized information to his guest.

"Want some bread?" offered Duarte, "it's homemade and I bet it is free in a stuck-up place like this."

An exasperated plea from Pierze to keep his voice down was met with a carefree shrug of the shoulders. Pierze whispered something and it eventually produced a reaction from the Chief Inspector. Duarte exclaimed, "In order keep Salina out of any further investigation, which will almost certainly be required! Jesus man, he is Numero Uno in Central Security, he goes where he wants and does what he wants. You believe he has to back off if and when we declare his son's death as not suspicious? I can see you being an errand boy for a while yet."

"You really are a parochial, plodding investigator Duarte. You don't deserve to hear what I came to tell you tonight, and I would not be prepared to proceed if I wasn't acting on the orders of others."

"Wait. I have one further question before you burden me with information I shouldn't have. How did you get to the suicide scene only minutes later than I did?"

"The answer to that is implicit in what I was to tell you. Now may I proceed free of further interruption?" Affirmation indeed signalled revelations which Duarte did not want to hear. "We have another corpse which is related to your suicide and my case. I will come back to that. Your Lightbox, if it is as good as you claim, should have alerted you to our camera embedded in the apartment wall." No reaction from Duarte. "We have been expecting events to escalate for some time, we were nearby. We were unfortunately not close enough to prevent the suicide once he had called D.I. Butragueno. We came but his body was already swinging in the breeze when we got here. We had to let her discover the body, just as we have to await your verdict on cause of death. Coming back to the most recent corpse – we had a camera there too and again were not able to prevent the hanging but this time we at least saw someone running away from the scene. It was only after the local police arrived that we knew the head was missing. We believe that was the intended routine for Salina, but Butragueno's almost instant arrival must have scared them off. I hope you see the implication that there is something in the head that someone does not want us to see. I also request that your people do not perform a post-mortem before I get paperwork to allow our presence during any such act. It means we must responsibly delay the funeral. We do have different remits but I am not sure whether you are prepared to see the bigger picture."

Duarte was dumbstruck. Pierze then articulated what was already mulling around in Duarte's own head. "I really could have had you replaced. It should be obvious that your enforced exit will not now happen. The principal reason for that is the information Antonio Salina gave to you, which he was about to give to me in error. You may not wish to share that with me but you are a witness to the fact that he said it in your office."

"What kind of camera is it and how did you get it in there?"

"I see. We are back to detailed methodology. It is new technology – called 'spy-bubble' – and it overcomes all kind of opaque barriers. Don't ask me how it works, I don't know. We installed it from the adjoining apartment over a year ago. The property was on the market and we had an accompanied viewing. We asked the agent to give us first refusal and bought it a week later. Chief Inspector, where do you stand on this now?"

"You've given me a lot to think about. I'd be grateful for an overnight consideration to process the complexities. Are you able to tell me more about the new corpse?"

"It would mean little to you, but it is in Africana. He was a protestor too."

"Ok, I guess it's better that I leave the identity out of my deliberations. I think I'll have the lobster."

*

Butragueno had a dilemma. The list of names itself presented so many diverse locations around the Republic, but when overlaid with the reported cause of death in local police files, no pattern emerged. The first three by date went back almost five years to 2017 – the same period when SACRED was rolled out. Number one was Alessandro Brunatti, born in Iberian Lombardy but domiciled in Barcelona at the time of his demise. His charred body was of little use in helping to investigate the declared arson. The fire service was adamant that an accelerator had been used. It was a dead end, and the files had been closed. The next was only two months later and death occurred in Toledo. Juanita Mendes was the same age – 22, and was living with relatives when she was killed in an 'accident' while cycling to a friend's home. Hit and run was not uncommon in the area. The body was badly mutilated, suggesting a high speed collision with the vehicle which hit her. There had been a witness who had ultimately been deemed unreliable because of inconsistencies in his account. Third on the list was Lars Johansson, native of Nordic Iberia but living in the protectorate of Balkan Iberia, specifically Sofia. He was 23 when a gas explosion took out three apartments in the block in early 2018. This was not suspicious as the fault was traced to the one directly below. He was the only fatality, but there were five others injured, two seriously. There was then a gap of 20 months to the next death. As she entered the succeeding individuals into the analytical database two things stood out. The majority of funerals were cremation rather than burial, which seemed strange, as all but two had Catholic faith ascribed to their case file. The second and more intriguing point was that not one of them was officially employed. She stood back from the detail and tried to cherry-pick ones which were relatively close to Londonis and had been buried, so that exhumation was still a possibility. She had to start somewhere. She chose Brunatti and added Fermin Cardozo, simply because he had been born, lived and died in Sevilla. His demise was categorised as aggravated mugging by a group of youths. There were several witnesses to the savage attack. She floated her logic to her boss who surprisingly approved the trip, knowing that this would raise questions of jurisdiction and the concern from the high-ranking guests already camped on the precinct doorstep.

*

Having not really slept that night, Duarte was grappling with how to respond to Pierze. He also had to weigh up what Salina and Olmeda had passed on to him, especially as his elder son had made contact with the precinct to let them know he was on his way, and strangely not informed his parents. One thing he was sure of, Pierze was going to lobby everyone to gain input into opening up Konrad Salina's head. This wasn't going to be well received by any of the family. What was most confusing was Pierze's strenuous requirement for a plain suicide verdict, whereas his own experience suggested that any suspicion of another cause of death would question such a plea, so it seemed strange that he didn't just let the video do the talking. He needed to extract more from Senor Impostor. Fleeting self-doubt kicked in. His robust initial defence of local duty was being supplanted by his own current planned detour into murky politics, and this was a first for Maxi Duarte.

He contacted Pierze and agreed to meet for a stroll in Plaza Ingles. He wanted to clear up the actual raison d'etre of the two central departments. "As you have commented, I'm but a simple policeman, so humour me with a layman's explanation of the difference in the purpose of Central Security and The International Communications Corruption Bureau. I ask because your organisation's name reeks of woolly, statistics driven theory, dedicated to minor areas of crime. I'm hoping that you're going to provide me with a Eureka moment." Pierze sidestepped the sarcasm and as they wandered by the noisy fountains he beckoned Duarte to sit where they wouldn't be overheard.

"That is the whole point; it does not fertilise suspicion. It does indeed sound rather harmless. Society has however deteriorated dramatically in the last few years from explosions of internet fraud, identity theft etc. They were bad, and although facilitated by increased communication media such as social networking, they were monitored in a largely haphazard way. The internet collapse gave temporary respite, but when SACRED was embraced as some kind of messianic wonder, there was a cost, or a price – whichever way you look at it. The absolute security offered was to be achieved via a monopolistic lockout. Institutional and individual subscribers alike had to be vetted before they became authorised users. The problem arises when we ask – who will act as watchdog? The owners would not countenance some government body having an on-going system inspection role. It would defeat the objective of offering total security, by importing porosity. They offered a challenge to the government by inviting them to attempt infiltration of the system, and stating that membership came with a guarantee of privacy with lucrative compensation of any proven compromise. In the words of Sorin Gretz – 'You either want to avoid a repeat of previous naivety or you don't. We are not flexible on this point, despite the mind-boggling investment we have expended. Decide on that basis –we are going ahead. If you cannot decide, the populous will'. This brinkmanship spawned a new question. How can we best monitor the result of this closed communication loop from the outside? So, in the same way as vice squads target bringing down drug dealing organisations, and the regular police concentrate on bringing individual criminals to justice, as prescribed by the crime, we research and act upon trends. The Central Security department has to deal with the here and now of espionage, terrorism and the like. I would suggest Chief Inspector that you ask Salina and Olmeda the same question. If they thought we were some sort of fluffy bunny they would not be so anxious about our presence."

Duarte offered a gambit. "Sure, but then why do you think he also suspects there was something to his son's claims of links of the protesters' deaths and a possible agenda?"

Pierze's steel-hardened eyes softened momentarily and he scoffed, "So that is what he was going to tell me when he thought I was you? Well it seems that he is more distracted that I imagined. Even you must see that he has personal and professional conflict here. That is why he has that legal hyena Olmeda with him. He doesn't suspect organised agenda – he knows it exists. He is merely trying to prevent the various individual cases being considered as part of a coherent plan, and therefore requiring our access. One more point Duarte, our structure, when it came into being with the genesis of SACRED, was primarily technology oriented. An example of this is your Lightbox. We developed the technology and we knew you would have found the camera, even if you had not mentioned it. Salina knows this too. Our work began to branch out into field testing and collating of the usefulness of the various applications we developed. It became obvious that Central Security was not adequately staffed with people who could both operate and interpret data, which the new kit produced in a proficient manner. It was then decided from on high that it would be worth keeping this knowledge more secure by adding an investigative arm to our team. Salina resisted this ferociously but was overruled when one of our most capable scientists suddenly disappeared off the face of the planet. I hope you can appreciate the nuances here; a verdict of suicide at this time would avoid him, even unintentionally, sabotaging the operation. I am fully aware of the risk in confiding in you, but we do expect more deaths and a steady increase in their frequency."

Duarte's brain was on overload with 'neural pinball'. It wasn't that he failed to comprehend the layers of duplicitous politics; it was the increasing realisation that he was on unavoidable collision course with such pernicious bureaucracy. He had added to the problem by authorising Butragueno's visit, but conceded to himself that the evidence from Konrad Salina's own list was justification of keeping the verdict open. Equally, failing to make the precincts she was visiting aware of this was a transgression. He needed to brief her accordingly. Despite this procedural conflict he felt he needed to leave Pierze with something to ponder. "I would say you are taking a calculated risk in disclosing what you have to me. I wonder if Salina and Olmeda are contemplating something similar. You must excuse me; I have to attend a staff briefing."

## Chapter 7

Manuel Salina had arrived and he had already been hunted down by Sorin Gretz. In the taxi from the airport, to meet with the police, he took the call. "Yes I know who you are and what you do. However, I am currently involved in a family bereavement and it isn't a good time. Can I call you back?"

"I know about your brother Snr. Salina, it is that subject I wanted to discuss with you, but you're right, there will be a better time. Please call me when you consider it appropriate." The video call made it easy for Gretz to see that Manuel Salina was confused. The reply was instant.

"What is it exactly you believe we should discuss? – I've never met you and I don't know you, I only know of you."

"That's true but I suppose you will have seen demonstrations all over the Republic, primarily against our corporation. Disturbing as that is, I think it is more worrying that no official investigation into why this is happening, has been launched. That is – as far as I am aware, there has been no direct enquiry commissioned."

"I see. I've seen these disturbances on TV but they have not been violent, have they?"

"No, but curiously there have been several apparently unrelated deaths of people who have attended the events."

Manuel probed, "Really. How did you come by that information? I'm a journalist, as you obviously know, and I only knew details of these deaths from my brother, who is now one of them."

Gretz was open about his knowledge. "I have many contacts; some are in a position to give me such information. I have trawled my list and come up with nothing. As one common factor is the aforementioned link, I expected to be alerted, rather than chasing information on any kind of investigation which is either being conducted or contemplated. I know of your brother's case and the current reporting that it looks like suicide, but I'm not convinced, at least as yet. I wanted to initiate my own investigation, in case there is a clandestine operation going on. I wondered if you would consider such a role. It is in your line of work and I thought you might be similarly concerned that the link is either being dismissed or there is more we should be worried about. I apologise for the intrusion into your family preparations for the funeral. If you have any interest in the project you would have a free remit, and it would be extremely rewarding in a financial sense. If not, then rest assured I will find another candidate who will get to the bottom of this. You can contact me on this number for another twenty-four hours and then the communicator will be replaced, as I have to restrict nuisance calls."

"I would have to clear this with my current employer as it would mean a kind of indefinite leave from my current position."

"I have already done that, as I tracked you down through your office. I've offered them exclusivity for publication of whatever you find out, and a consideration for their loss of your current work, for which they would need to get temporary cover. I merely wanted you to have no concerns about my offer if it appealed to you. I hope I haven't been too presumptuous."

"I have to see my brother's body Snr. Gretz, and when I have talked to the police, if there is any reason whatsoever to doubt what they tell me, I will get back to you before your deadline. I'm interested in the offer, partly because you seem to be unable, even with your leverage, to obtain transparency."

*

Butragueno recognised the look on Duarte's face and knew she wouldn't like what he was about to say. "Change of plan Elle."

She sat back, closed her laptop and replied, "Elle is it? You must be going to dump something really bad on me boss. Spit it out."

"Well it's not all that bad, more like an adjustment of tactics. Pierze has given me cause to take more interest in the possible implications of the case not being as straightforward as we're being conditioned to think it is."

"Oh yeah, stop the soft pedalling and spit it out."

Duarte took out the gum and flicked it into the trash can. "We must observe local jurisdiction on your visit. I now know we're going to be in this case long after we pronounce any verdict. It could be the biggest we've ever had. I want you to go through the proper channels, and ask the two precincts involved to familiarise you with their evidence before you land on their doorstep. I still want you to have the opportunity to question the relatives and witnesses personally, and I'll be getting authorisation for this. I will get it contingent on you following protocol. Please don't ask me to explain, just trust my judgement on this one."

"Ok, but you'll have to give me more before I actually leave. Trusting your judgement is one thing, flushing my career, not yours, down the pan is another."

*

Duarte went off to the Riu Principal and was not invited to a private room. He met the two men in one of the luxurious lounges, but they were thickly populated by other residents and guests. He asked if they were not concerned about being overheard.

"That depends on what you have to tell us Chief Inspector. Your body language seems to suggest you are nervous about something." Duarte wiped the smarmy smile from Olmeda's face by leaving his seat and whispered,

"Suit yourself, give my regards to Senora Salina and tell her that Manuel is on his way to the precinct. I have important calls to make."

"Wait." Salina shot an acidic glance at Olmeda. "Thank you for making us aware of his arrival Duarte. Would you kindly let him know where we are staying? And that of course, we would like to see him. We are somewhat estranged but this is an exceptional situation. Is that the only reason you wanted to see us?"

"No, it was something else really, but I prefer to avoid eavesdropping."

"Well then, hold on. Olmeda go and see if we can avail of a suitable sanctuary." Duarte was not easily offended, but this contrast in attitude from the two of them, compared with their harmonious pleading for the release of Konrad's stuff, was bothersome.

"Look, these effects aren't why I came either, but take them and I'll be on my way."

Olmeda delayed his search for a concierge and their faces betrayed disappointment when they read the content of the brown envelope. Salina put it in his jacket pocket and they pretended more curiosity in his diary, in which he had obviously not recorded anything remotely connected to the events of that night. The photos were also gratefully received and lastly the box containing the spy-bubble was opened. Duarte watched them like a hawk. Olmeda looked puzzled and asked Salina what is was. He shook his head. However, his shock confirmed that he knew what it was, but probably didn't know how long it had been there. He would however be uncomfortable about any disclosure of phone conversations he may have had with Konrad, when this thing was operating. Duarte went along with the charade by saying, "We found it in the wall cavity, but we couldn't figure out what it's for. I guess it is not strictly certain it was one of Konrad's possessions, as we understand it's actually your apartment Snr. Salina, but it seems you don't know what it is either."

This was met with a resigned nod and, "No idea."

Duarte, on the balance of his interaction with these two groups of indirect hierarchy, decided that Pierze was of more use to him and had actually held less back. He deduced this would approximate to the likely future pattern. He dropped the remark casually and loud enough to dispel his earlier reluctance. "Well gentlemen, Pierze believes there is substance to what you have given cursory attention, namely the content of the brown envelope. Anyway I think we're pretty well through with our cause of death investigation. We'll be declaring it as suicide." He paused to detect any reaction and then added, "Of course the coroner may request more post-mortem tests if he's not entirely satisfied." The excuse Salina gave for a comfort break was accepted by Duarte and he waited patiently while listening to Olmeda prattle on about getting out of the wretched Londonis climate.

"I am glad we have put this to bed Chief Inspector."

This convinced Duarte that this guy was only a legal minder and nothing more. When he returned, Salina was actually more agitated than when he left. "Can we meet the Coroner? We would certainly accept your verdict, and do not see the point of disturbing my son's peace. Nothing can bring him back."

"I'll contact him on your behalf, and let you know whether he needs to talk with you."

On his way back to the office he raked over the sequence again. He resorted to his gut. 'I'm sure he knows what Pierze, or whoever he may be, is after - and is really pissed off that he is ahead of the game. I need to be the dummy in the middle for a while longer'.

*

Manuel Salina was met at the precinct by Butragueno. After the introduction he wanted to see his brother's body as soon as possible. She suggested he should meet her boss first, but he wasn't impressed with, nor did he see the need for unnecessary procedure. "Hey, I came here of my own free will, you didn't request my presence. He is still my brother even if he's dead – it's my right to see him. Please make it happen."

She tried to stall him by saying there was good reason for Duarte to speak with him. "I know that it must seem tedious to you but we haven't closed the file on cause of death. Everything points to unassisted suicide but there are a few questions to which we need definite answers."

"I can understand that Detective, but it doesn't alter my request, and believe me I'll make a fuss about being denied access to his corpse. This is my card; you may assume that I am like the rest of my profession, a pain in the arse in the eyes of the establishment, and therefore have the means to embarrass your department. I don't want it to be like that, it's your call."

She rang Duarte. He surprisingly agreed, and asked her to go with him to the morgue. "Make sure you keep him there until I arrive."

She queried, "How do I do that? He seems to delight in ignoring procedure."

Duarte's frustration surfaced. "Tell him we have new information."

She turned away from Manuel and whispered, "Do we?"

The reply annoyed her. "Of course we do."

"When were you going to let me in on this?"

"When Manuel Salina has gone on his way. You don't think I'm going to give away our little secrets, do you?"

She nodded to Manuel and remarked, "It's not always so easy to persuade Chief Inspector Duarte. Let's go."

*

Pierze was pleasantly surprised to hear from Duarte so quickly. "Chief Inspector, you have considered our last conversation further, I assume."

"I have indeed. I'm willing to declare the incident as suicide. The coroner will of course ask for all up to date information, and my normal briefing to overlay on his own findings. It occurs to me that you may then have more difficulty in getting agreement to examine Konrad Salina's brain."

Pierze chuckled. "You are indeed thinking ahead Duarte. First I need to ensure that Antonio Salina is happy about your verdict, and then he endorses it in an official manner. When that has been achieved, you can leave any further post-mortem activity to me."

"If you say so, however there is one small favour I need, in order to actually sign off on what I have just said. I need your help in smoothing the path with the local precincts of two deaths of protestors, which occurred on their patch some time ago. You did say you had influence in high places, and this may even help your own enquiries."

Pierze was silent for longer than Duarte anticipated. "I see the logic in your request. How can you satisfy me that your relationship with Central Security is no longer cosy?"

Duarte had his foot in the door. "Snr. Pierze, I'm going out on a limb here, insofar as you're going to prove my verdict is incorrect. I am therefore, at best going to appear incompetent, but there is a risk of perversion of the course of justice. So, we both have good cause to keep counsel to ourselves. I would've thought you would have realised I had come to the decision to distance myself from the Salina family, except for Manuel of course. He's here and I have to observe my duty to him." He waited for Pierze's reaction.

"Shit." The pause was lanced by Duarte.

"I can see he could be an irritant for you but perhaps I can be of help.

"I think I can guess where we are going with this. If I get you past the red tape, in order to probe connections of previous deaths, up to that of Konrad Salina, the diversion would allow both Antonio and Manuel Salina to track you twenty-four seven. A neat idea Duarte, we have an agreement. Let me have the details on the cases you want access to." Duarte knew he was pushing it but revealed that it would be Butragueno who was to execute the first enquiries, starting in Barcelona. He was surprised at the response.

"That appears to be eminently sensible, and of course you want to be able to shadow what I am doing."

"One way or another, this is likely to be my last case and I want it to be free of the kind of asphyxiating confinement which has dogged my career. I don't know if you can understand that." Pierze found himself empathising with this unexpected vulnerability. He also had, over the last few days, marginalised his initial assessment of Duarte's value in prosecuting this case. There was more to the man than he had first thought. It was the beginning of an extremely unlikely alliance.

"I understand perfectly. Don't be too pessimistic, there is one hell of a lot of work to be done, and my career potential is inextricably linked to the outcome. At least you have been planning your retirement; I am at the wrong point in the graph to get this wrong."

"Well it seems like we have something in common after all. I suppose you would expect me to ask, so I won't disappoint – haven't you found any reason or clues as to why your top scientist disappeared?"

"It is a little premature for me to respond to that. Suffice it to say that we must indeed find answers to your question. Your earlier insinuation that I want to examine Konrad Salina's brain, on what do you base that assertion?"

"Only that it would appear your science is ahead of ours, and we didn't pick up anything unusual with his head. You said the Africana corpse had been decapitated and you suspected Butragueno's quick response may have prevented the same with Salina. The head is important and the brain is about the only organ I can relate in any way to Konrad's claims of 'bringing down Iberia from within'. Either he was already delusional or suspected something which he could never prove. Anyway, you'll have monitored many of his conversations via your spy-bubble, so you tell me."

"Let's get Antonio Salina neutered first. You began the conversation by asking me for a favour. It is now my turn. Can you... sorry, will you allow me access to your forensic examination of the DNA found in the Salina apartment?"

"I don't have the summary yet, but what do you expect from the analysis?"

Pierze explained that he wanted to see if there was any match for that which he had on file for the headless Africana corpse.

Duarte said, "It would be quicker to compare yours against what we have."

"Yes it would, but not as prudent."

Duarte connected. "Of course, you don't want anyone else in the precinct to know of the outcome. Why do you think there might be a match?"

"I don't suggest there will be, but if there is, we may have the first concrete evidence of a link. I agree it is a long shot, but somebody was very keen to get out of Butragueno's way that night. The spy-bubble recorded a second voice."

"Very well I'll contact you when I have the detailed profiles. I have to meet with Manuel Salina, he is at the morgue and he has to be shown the video footage, so I guess he'll also want to be shown the personal effects I released to the family. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to his father; I hear there is a considerably long standing rift between them." Pierze made no further comment.

## Chapter 8

Elle Butragueno was moved by Manuel Salina's capitulation to his lachrymatory glands. He was gripping the side of the morgue drawer so tightly that his white fingers craved circulatory relief. The trickle of salty fluid down his cheek was the solitary catalyst to his self-awareness. "I'm sorry Detective, but could you give me a minute?"

There was something about the intensity of his grief which she hadn't expected – it was mixed with anger. She adjourned to the next room and observed the full emotional release. He angled his own head to alignment with his brother's and appeared to be asking him a question. Then he suddenly broke away and paced around the drawer, gesticulating with both arms. Finally he bent over the body and kissed the forehead. The contact lasted an extraordinarily long time. He stood expressionlessly and in silence for a further few minutes, then he walked quietly out of the room. "Thank you for your sensitivity. What happens now?"

"Chief Inspector Duarte – my immediate superior, is on his way to see you. He has things he wants you to see and would obviously like to discuss the events leading up to Konrad's death."

"Good, I have to know more about the circumstances. You see, we spoke regularly at one time, but about six months ago I must have sounded unsympathetic to his claims, and that was the last time I heard from him. We had always been very close."

She noticed a close resemblance of Manuel to his father, except for the latter's grey hair. Salina junior was a very striking individual in all respects. He was tall, had an athletic build and was strong-featured. When this was complimented with a speaking voice which oozed presence, she wondered if he was married. She was admitting to herself that he was very attractive, but snapped out of that pleasurable trance as Duarte barrelled into the room.

"Snr. Salina, I apologise that I wasn't able to meet you upon your arrival. Can I suggest we go back to my office and there I can tell you what we know about Konrad's demise?"

"Of course, er - Inspector...?"

"Another apology is warranted, I'm Chief Inspector Duarte. D.I. Butragueno will join us as she was the last known person to speak with your brother, so she will take us through the footage we have."

Elle was quite pleasantly surprised that she was going to be involved. They were about to leave as Duarte mentioned that Manuel would need to ask his father about certain personal effects he had already passed on to him. "It's mostly to do with Konrad feeling he was somehow being watched or manipulated. We have no proof that his claims were of substance, so you may be of help to us in closing the case with respect to actual cause of death."

Butragueno winced after what she had just witnessed with the body. Manuel shook his head. "I'm not able to converse with my father, but if you can arrange for the items to be temporarily returned to your keeping I will gladly go through them with you. I was just telling D.I. Butragueno that Konrad and I had discussed this at length until a few months ago, so I may be able to throw some light on the details. In view of this I'm surprised that you appear to have come to such a speedy conclusion that it was simply suicide."

"Maybe I should explain our position more clearly. Unless we have evidence or other compelling reasons to think of the death as suspicious we have to return a verdict of suicide. You really must see the footage before we get too far down the conspiracy theory route. I'm not saying this has been discounted, I am saying that at present we have nothing which supports it, other than your brother's actions. Without being insensitive, some authorities would wish to include mental illness in the equation. I'm just as unconvinced about that as I am about anything else which is devoid of reckonable evidence." They left for Duarte's office, and Butragueno suggested Manuel would find more leg room in her car. She was trying to avoid him sitting on an embarrassing piece of pizza or something worse, and being judged herself by association. Duarte got the point and returned the acknowledgement by letting her see that he knew she fancied him. Arriving after the short ride gave time for her to recover sufficient composure to wag her finger at her boss while Manuel availed of the sanitary facility.

When he witnessed the video call to Butragueno and then Konrad's own recording, Manuel's eyes misted up, but there was no repeat of the stress at the morgue. "I can imagine how the stuff you found in his deposit box doesn't strike you as reliable. However, there is something vaguely familiar about that tattoo and the code, and indeed the sequence of numbers in the ascribed time of death. I can't bring this to mind at present but it will come back to me, I'm sure. I must also state right now, and that is whether or not you get my father to part with Konrad's effects, I am not satisfied that there is no more to this case than suicide. Six months ago he threatened to do something which would achieve what I had advised him he needed as a tangible starting point. I said he needed to begin to unravel the agenda he raved on about, by a substantiated revelation. This is what he has done. He knew the publicity it would attract due to my father's position, and now he has me involved. That's what he begged for at the time, but I politely shunned him. I'm not going to mount an investigation purely as a result of your verdict Chief Inspector, for which I can understand your reasoning. I've been approached by someone to conduct it on their behalf, and that is sufficient to convince me that there is a darker aspect to Konrad's decision to terminate his own life. He wanted to drag in the protesters' deaths which preceded his own."

Duarte and Butragueno were processing this, but from different perspectives. She could see it meant that he would not just disappear after the funeral. Duarte realised this would potentially complicate his clandestine association with Pierze, with whom he had to share this additional spice which had been added to the brew. Before that, he decided to ask Antonio Salina for temporary return of the effects in order to let Manuel peruse them. It was just possible it would jog his memory with respect to the tattoo, code and date. If that was the case he wanted to be in pole position with the information. As he departed he could not resist a question. "Is this story really big enough to interest your publication in Uruguay? I can't remember any of the deaths being linked with Southern Iberiana."

"It is not my newspaper editor who has offered the investigation to me Chief Inspector."

"Oh, well I suppose we may run into you again."

Manuel shook his hand and said, "That is almost certain. I failed my brother once, it won't happen again." He wasn't going to divulge any more, but this was enough to produce a wave of pleasant anticipation for Butragueno.

*

When he arrived at the Riu Principal, Salina and Olmeda were locked in a heated discussion in the main lounge. Duarte circled around and between the other residents, hoping to catch some of the content of the spat. All he was able to pick up before they spotted him was Salina's insistence that Olmeda should return to Madrid now that the suicide verdict was official. "Ah Chief Inspector, please take a seat." Salina seemed to have had a personality transplant. "We were just discussing the logistics surrounding the funeral arrangements. Can you tell me when you and the coroner will release my son's body?"

Duarte sat without removing his undersized pork pie hat and Salina grimaced at this lack of etiquette, but actually mused that it looked even more ridiculous when he was sitting rather than standing. However, the moment prolonged his contrived affability. It changed abruptly when the request was delivered on Manuel's behalf.

Salina growled, "If he wants to avoid us let him come and say that to my face. This is not a time for raking over past disagreements, it is pathetic." Fortune intervened in the form of Senora Salina arriving. Duarte was not the only one taken aback by the vitriolic rebuke.

"Antonio. That is enough. You always manage to make things worse than they need to be. You will not spoil this particular reunion, even though it will be so painful. Chief Inspector, please tell my son I would like to deliver the items personally, and I'll come alone, if he can agree to that." Duarte affirmed he would pass on the message. The temperature went up another notch when Olmeda took advantage of the fragmented accord.

"I have witnesses. I've just been informed of my enforced return to Madrid."

*

On his way back to update Manuel Salina, Duarte received a call from Pierze. "You will be pleased to know we have the first real breakthrough, and you will be astonished at the second emerging in a rather freakish manner. You need to meet me at the plaza again. It involves paperwork, so let us take in refreshment at the Coffee Break; it's on the northwest corner."

Duarte agreed. "I know it. I also have something to report which may muddy the water. I can be there in fifteen minutes."

*

Manuel Salina made the call. "Snr. Gretz, I would appreciate a face-to-face discussion in order to hear your concept of the investigation. It would allow me to ask the questions which would enable a quick decision." The reply was encouraging.

"I will fly to Londonis. I have an apartment there which is secure and technically equipped to address any questions you may have. It will also allow you to see, rather than listen to my assurances, and what resource would be available to you. I can revamp my travel plan to be there in two days. Does that fit with your own schedule?"

"That's fine. It gives me time to determine whether something I have in mind to ask you is as relevant as I think it could be. Please send the address of your apartment to my communicator."

"It would be better if I just send a car to a public pick-up point of your choice. These communicator networks are not as secure as our own system and I need to keep my address private." Manuel suggested they met at the airport and cut out any second rendezvous location. It was agreed. Gretz would forward his flight arrival time when it was known.

*

Duarte arrived to join a beaming Pierze. "I have ordered. What would you like?" Before he could reply Pierze lowered his voice and declared, "We should talk this through and then I will return your DNA data for your files. You will need to open a new file and keep it very safe."

"Mmm." He waved the waitress over. "Espresso please – double." Pierze resumed.

"It was indeed a long shot but we hit the jackpot with the comparison. The dead Africana's DNA was in Salina's apartment. It proves nothing else as yet but it confirms a link because our spy-bubble had visual and audio indication of his presence many times over the last few months. We now need to see if we can put him there on the night of the suicide. We have voice presence of someone talking to Konrad that evening, but nobody in the picture, which is frustrating as it matches the Africana's voice. It would be a big step forward if we could prove that the voice was in the apartment rather than coming from a hands-free phone."

"You think he was the person running from the scene?"

Pierze nodded. "It is a possibility. Anyway, your people didn't have reason to investigate the other matter, but we just had to check on something we have suspected for a while. The DNA samples you took from the Salinas indicate that Konrad is probably Antonio's son, but the mitochondrial check says Senora Salina is not his natural mother."

"Does this help us?"

Pierze nodded again. "I believe so. We have to ask Manuel to volunteer to have his DNA checked, to determine whether either or both of his supposed parents are genuine."

"Yes, but I'm not getting how it helps us progress the case." Pierze spoke quietly and deliberately.

"Believe me, if this assists me getting official approval for, or as a last resort forcing Salina to waive any objection to Konrad undergoing a thorough post-mortem, it will be a breakthrough."

"You're holding something back Pierze. I'm experienced enough to see the signs. If we are to cooperate it has to be fully or not at all. Remember we both have a lot to lose. I would like to share something with you but if you haven't finished, excuse the interruption." Pierze winced. He thought, while the waitress attended to Duarte's anticipated weakness.

"Yes, I will – one of these pastries please."

"Chief Inspector, I don't want to submerge you in speculative or circumstantial conclusions, please take it from me that if we succeed in getting the go-ahead despite any objection from Salina, I will add our suspicions to your knowledge, but not in writing. If we have to coerce him to concede we will need you to be ignorant of those suspicions for your own good. If that causes you to withhold your news, I will accept your judgement."

"Fair enough, Manuel Salina is being recruited to conduct a private investigation for someone other than his newspaper. I don't know who it is but we ought to find out by tailing him."

Pierze lowered his head and uttered something inaudible. Duarte let it pass but suggested Pierze took care of the surveillance. "With Butragueno going to Barcelona, and my caution about bringing anyone else into the case, I'm going to be pretty stretched."

"Very well, I have cleared the path for DI Butragueno, but she must observe the need to have the local police in attendance if she interviews witnesses. It is non-negotiable."

Duarte was a little disappointed but not surprised. "Ok, I'll now return to ask Manuel Salina for DNA and fingerprints, to eliminate him from the remaining forensic work."

*

He caused some disappointment himself when he asked Butragueno to give them some privacy. "I'm sorry to burden you with this request Manuel. You may of course refuse, I would respect that." Duarte was not going to make this request on the basis of elimination as he had told Pierze. "We know that Senora Salina is not Konrad's mother." He waited for the shock or denial. It did not come, but what followed fashioned disbelief in Duarte's facial expression.

"You want me to add my DNA to the mix Chief Inspector. I could save you the trouble but I've carried this burden for a long time. I never thought I would have an opportunity to unload it in this way. You see, it gets me off the hook. Put your request in writing please and make sure it states the purpose as eliminating me from the scene. A hint that it would look strange for me to refuse would also be welcomed. As soon as I have your official request I will comply."

Duarte had to recall Butragueno and ask her to do the typing. "I don't want anyone else involved. Please do this immediately."

Duarte then delivered the message from Senora Salina regarding her intent to deliver the personal effects. Manuel nodded and asked, "Where?"

"I don't know that, she is awaiting your response. I can ring her at the hotel if you like."

"Please do. I would like to speak to her before going to the lab." Duarte obliged and handed over the communicator.

"Mother?" Duarte thought it a pity he could only hear one side of the conversation. However, after genuine pleasantries Manuel asked her to bring the items to the precinct. "I'll be in the lab." There was a silence and then he told her not to worry, it was just a routine the police had to go through. "Thoroughness is important, I know this only too well from my own work. I'm really looking forward to seeing you Mama." Duarte had the confirmation that Manuel's problem was only with his father.

## Chapter 9

On the way to the lab Butragueno asked Manuel if he was happy about this. "It's your decision, I'm sure Chief Inspector Duarte made you aware of this."

"Yes he did. I'm happy to cooperate. As you know I am to begin my own investigation and I don't want to close any doors."

She asked if he had decided where he would start. "Not yet, I want to be a little more certain of the objective of my sponsor. I'll tailor my approach to that. Even though I thought your department had concluded their involvement, having all but declared a verdict, I'm now asked to give DNA. It can only mean the case hasn't been slammed shut by everyone. The more I think about it, the more I believe Konrad was right." Butragueno had to avoid personal and professional conflict. She would have liked to disclose her trip; they might have actually been able to help one another. She didn't rise to the bait. They had only just completed the requested tasks when Senora Salina entered the lab. She embraced Manuel and they were both overcome with emotion. Butragueno felt that she was in the way, but didn't want to interrupt the reunion. They held the embrace for at least two minutes before Manuel was asked how long he would be staying after the funeral.

"I don't know. I've accepted a request to investigate Konrad's claims, so I'll be in this hemisphere for some time, but I can't say exactly where the enquiries will take me."

"You must be careful Manolo; you are a journalist you know, not a policeman. I suppose you realise this will annoy your father intensely."

"I'm not doing it for him or indeed to rile him; it is purely for my own sake. I had the chance to help Konrad before he died, but I didn't take his allegations seriously enough. It's the least I can do now that the police have said it was routine suicide." Butragueno decided to intrude.

"Please excuse me. I really need to get back to my desk. I can see that you have much to catch up on." Senora Salina forced a smile but it didn't endure, because Manuel asked Butragueno if she was able to meet him in the evening.

"It would just be for coffee. There are some recollections I have of my last discussions with Konrad and some questions you may be able to help with as you were first on the scene."

She stalled. "I would have to clear that with Duarte. You should really be having coffee with him."

"No, that would be second hand observation. It was you who saw the apartment before the forensic people were called." She nodded.

"I will get back to you." She couldn't help but notice the anxiety on Senora Salina's face. It would have been interesting to be a fly on the wall. She left, knowing there would be a chance to ask about it that evening – whether it was her or Duarte.

*

Manuel received confirmation of Gretz' flight arrival time on his communicator. It was a welcome punctuation of the growing discord between him and his mother. She begged him not to get involved any further, stating the old cliché that nothing could bring Konrad back. Manuel recovered his composure sufficiently to bring the conversation to a close in a reasonable manner. "Mama, I know you have been ultra-loyal to father all of your life. I appreciate what may have been at stake. He was much better placed than I was to help Konrad, but he declined. He kept that from both of us until he was forced by Konrad begging for my help, to enlighten you. I respect the duty you feel toward him, and you must reciprocate with mine to my brother. Yes Mama, I still think of him as my brother – always. Don't worry, I will be careful." He took the items she had brought for him and they left.

When Butragueno informed Duarte of the conversation he astonished her by suggesting she should accept the invite. "Remember he said there was something familiar about the tattoo and other stuff. He may have recalled the detail. Just be on your guard."

She riled at this insinuation. "I'm not a rookie Sir, I know the ropes."

"Sure, but he's a journalist with a reputation for exposing big time crooks and politicians, and you think he is a bit special."

Now she was angry. "I beg your pardon?" Duarte smiled and challenged her.

"Ok, go ahead deny it, but he will have noticed – the same as I did." She blushed and rounded on him.

"Then why don't you have a coffee with him?"

"Because he thinks you will be an easier target. Look, I'm not worried about your professional capability. This has the potential to benefit us and hurt us. I was going to suggest you let him know you are going to Barcelona. I'm sure he will try to convince you what a coincidence that is, as he was planning to start there himself. Think about it, we have given a verdict but not closed the case – he knows that, and he'll have a pretty good idea who you are going to see, because he has the list. I think he may be able to get more from witnesses if you have to put up with a minder from the locals. Are you keeping up with me here?"

"Yes. I'll think about it. However, I may need more information on some things before I can decide. You're right this could hurt us, me more than you, you know – I am nowhere near retirement yet."

*

Pierze had prepared his paperwork for the examination of the head. It was to be carried out by his department's people. He admitted to Duarte that this would not only annoy the coroner, but would probably ensure Antonio Salina's rage. "Don't worry Chief Inspector I have a ready-made solution if he does try to block it. It may help if you inform him and show him my application as he is more likely to show his true reaction to you, and you are just doing your job. It may even give you the ideal opportunity to bring up the DNA discrepancies, and he will know it was coming at some time because of Manuel's trip to the lab, as witnessed by his mother." Duarte wanted to ask about something which had troubled him for a little while, but he decided it was not the moment. He acquiesced to Pierze's request. He wanted things to pick up pace. He was not to be disappointed.

Antonio Salina was feverishly trying to recall Olmeda from the airport. He eventually managed contact after what had seemed like hours of the lawyer's communicator being busy. He had got through by putting out a public address announcement. He wasn't making much headway in getting Olmeda to return on the basis of his claims of the police bullying Manuel into complying with DNA and fingerprint tests. His exasperation resulted in him yelling into the mouthpiece. "As if that wasn't enough, Duarte has just informed me of a request to perform post-mortem invasive tests on Konrad's head. How can they do this if the verdict is suicide?"

"It is irregular, especially as Duarte's pronouncement of suicide was officially endorsed by both you and me. Who is the request from?"

"I don't know at this stage, he is on his way with the documentation. I'm sorry that I did not heed your advice when you wanted to stay. Please come back."

"I will return to see the documents, but whether I stay beyond that is an open question, it may take more than an apology." Salina breathed a sigh of relief.

*

Butragueno came out of the shower and after drying herself down she looked at herself in the full length mirror. She was quite critical of her recent neglect of her body, particularly the lapse of her gym membership. She then admitted to herself she would not have been so unhappy if she did not have a 'date'. Despite initially laughing this off, she found herself not simply pulling something out of the wardrobe, putting it on and departing. She tried several garments and spent much longer on accessorising. She got annoyed that her hair did not adapt to her mental picture of the change of style she was planning at the hairdresser. 'Duarte was right, I'm obsessing, why?' She decided it was the wrong context for a dress, quickly donned one of her smart trouser suits and tousled her hair the way she liked it. After all it was only a coffee and she was going to be grilled, albeit skilfully.

*

When Olmeda checked back into the Riu Principal, Salina's demeanour was distinctly downcast. He passed the wad of paper to his lawyer. "This is bad Antonio, very bad. We have somehow been hoodwinked. As we have rubber-stamped Duarte's conclusion we have really tied ourselves into resisting this request. The only other choices open are to challenge it yourself with a personal plea, and stress the completely separate nature of that to your professional responsibility. The second option is to find valid reasons for the coroner to come up with something or find his pressure point. I don't like mixing personal pleas with one's duty of office. If I proceed to speak with the coroner, I must convince him that it is only me who has a problem with the request – and that you don't like it but won't stand in the way. My major concern is that if we were successful, it would require us to avoid ever joining in or leading an enquiry into any of the other deaths. Anything short of that would open up avenues which we have worked so hard to bury. I have to ask you a difficult question. Apart from any justification of top secret status of our investigation, is there anything you have not told me about Konrad's claims?"

"Absolutely not. We both know that the scientist who disappeared is crucial to our ability to prosecute the objective we hope to achieve. It is therefore imperative that we do not overtly show any interest in finding him. That I fear, would guarantee his fate. We must avoid any premature knowledge surfacing to encourage others to join the search. We know Pierze's boss is on it; after all it was their man. We must keep ahead of them, and we can only do that if we are not excluded by our own default. I hear what you say about personal and professional conflict, but my wife and son could object on compassionate grounds, and I remain neutral, explaining my agony, but upholding my responsibility. I actually think my son would relish being a thorn in my side."

Olmeda agreed and suggested acquainting Senora and Manuel Salina with the situation. Salina nodded. "I will brief my wife. See if you can pin down Manuel."

*

Butragueno picked up her date at his hotel and asked what kind of coffee he preferred.

"Surprise me," he replied. She took him to 'Ground Zero' as she knew the quality and the owner very well. When they arrived she asked if he had eaten anything at all during the day.

"It has been a long flight and a trying time for you – would you like a snack – they have some unusual light-bites here?"

"Let's see how we get on with the business stuff first over a coffee, and if there's anything worth progressing, maybe you would join me for dinner. Does that appeal or am I being too obsessive?"

She was cautious. "I have plans later tonight. They are not set in stone but unless we stumble on something of strong mutual interest over coffee, I'd like to keep the arrangement with my friend."

They ordered and he was straight to the point. "I do understand Duarte's dilemma. All of the concrete evidence says 'close the case' but leaves an uneasy feeling about the unsupported claims of Konrad, who said it was the only way to bring them under public scrutiny. I actually understand fully, because Duarte is at the decision point I was at myself a few months ago with Konrad, and I made the wrong call."

"Yes, well maybe we can start with any further recollections you now have with the stuff we have shown you." He smiled and then surprised her by his revelation, not so much of its content, but that he had obviously played for time when first confronted with the data. He had needed time to think, possibly because of his new remit.

"Of course, it's all to do with Futureworld. You know, I refused Konrad on many occasions when he banged on about the game making everything clear for me. It just made his claims look even more preposterous – that is before he hanged himself. The time of death which you recorded, he wanted to be as precise as possible. If you rattle the numbers off without punctuation we have time of death as 202208082022. That is twenty-two minutes past eight on the eighth of August this year. He had sent me information to try to force me to access his SACRED account after his death. The ID part of his log-on was 202508082022. You were three minutes early D.I. Butragueno, so your willingness to drop everything and rush to the scene alm... er.. almost saved him."

Her eyes widened and filled up; she wanted to touch his hand. She resisted and he recovered his poise. "The tattoo was his coat of arms of his society membership for his character within the game. It's necessary for me to give you what I know about this game from my conversations with Konrad, otherwise you'll think I am crazy." She was transfixed. He continued. "Can I call you something other than Detective Inspector, as it seems overly formal?"

"Duarte calls me by my family name."

"Is there something in between, a nickname or abbreviation you like?"

She laughed out loud and took out her notepad. "I almost forgot; when Duarte is annoyed with me for reminding him of an oversight, he sometimes calls me 'El But' – because I say 'but what about such and such?' or perhaps, 'but forensics show'. That's shorter than Butragueno."

He also laughed and complained at the same time that it implied negativity. "I can use the first part as it is presumably pronounced the same way as your given name, without it being excessively familiar?"

"Ok, El it is then."

"Great, now getting back to Futureworld, it's only one of many games available on SACRED but is the only one of its kind. Konrad told me that it is the most realistic approximation to real life anyone could conceive. Although there is a finite level set for combination of attributes in the opening character templates, they are there in abundance. The game mechanics are apparently capped by certain events which the users cannot change, but apart from that you set out your life and get on with it. It's possible to design your education, actually sit exams and apply to university. On the other hand there's nothing to stop you from walking the tightrope of criminal activity with the attendant risk of the punishment. Bribery, joining influential organisations, inventing new things and applying for patents – he said it was 'unbelievable'. His later concern was that it was too believable. His tattoo was the State Security Department membership, obviously not the real one – the one in the game. It is clear to me now that he still wants me to experience this. The problem is of course the ID log-on code. Although he changed it relatively recently to what it is now, it is only part of the access requirement. The others are DNA registration, stored and matched to facial vectors. So El, he also knew I wouldn't be able to get in with what he left me. That's the thing I must start with. I can sign up and join but not with his character. It also occurs to me that if I can somehow overcome this difficulty, I could be in danger myself. He repeatedly told me that if, for example, you are killed in a war or murder incident, it's terminal. You can't just load a saved character. You may begin again but you would be on a different timeline and at a serious disadvantage. This apparently drove some of his friends mad with rage." She said this was worth pursuing and made the call to her friend to re-arrange the gym session.

"How will you try to get into his character?"

His slow smile was followed by him touching the end of his nose in a gesture of confidential leverage. "I may have just the contact for that."

## Chapter 10

Pierze had hit the jackpot again. Although the corpse in Africana had no head or identification paraphernalia, including a passport, he had been logged at immigration in Londonis the day before Konrad's suicide, and departed late on the night of that suicide. "It is progress Duarte. We now have very strong circumstantial evidence to propose a valid connection between the two of them. I hope Butragueno finds something we can latch on to in Barcelona –it would give this further momentum. Did you get any objection from Salina about the post-mortem request?"

"Nothing heavy, but his body language says you're going to need your plan B. On the other hand Manuel didn't seem too surprised, despite Olmeda lobbying him to object."

"He will regret it if that becomes his course of action, but I am secretly hoping he goes that route." Duarte felt that this was all he was going to get, if he didn't persist.

"I've been thinking about Manuel Salina. Maybe he can be of use to us." Pierze was not sure he wanted to hear this and indicated that there were more than enough complexities to deal with.

"Absolutely," said Duarte, "but that is not going to stop him, and more importantly, it won't stop his sponsor. The analogy of shooting the messenger comes to mind."

"Alright Duarte, out with it, what are you brewing up?"

"All I ask is that you recap the picture our eyes describe and the differences we overlay with our investigative acumen. Then instead of continuing to look at this through 'still frames' we apply dynamics to any correlation about which we feel certain."

A frown blanketed Pierze's face. "You are losing me."

"I don't think so Ricardo – may I address you as Ricardo?" Pierze was impatient.

"Get on with it Duarte." He took that as an affirmative.

"I'm going to list what I consider to be the salient points. That obviously acknowledges there may be missing links which you, and all of the Salinas, have not shared with me yet." The barb was deliberately angled to give pain at either going with the flow or trying to wriggle away. "Please do not interrupt Ricardo,

One – we have all but made it public that this was not simply a suicide.

Two – we have continually growing evidence of a link between the deaths on the list.

Three – that link has another sub-link by association with SACRED.

Four – We now have four investigations all of which serve different objectives.

Five – there are powerful resources behind all but one of those investigations, namely my precinct.

Six – even though the objectives are different, the likely route to them is more or less common, both in terms of who and what we uncover in the process.

Seven – the winner will be the one who puts the fragmented knowledge together in the most efficient order.

Eight – we need to avail of both straight-edge and miscellaneous pieces of the jigsaw, but the fit of single and aggregated parts must be constantly re-jigged to avoid regret that it should have been an obvious conclusion in hindsight."

Pierze was completely lost for words but eventually mustered, "I don't want to seem rude Chief Inspector, however you are talking so much out of character that I am compelled to ask if you have been fortified by some special tincture?"

"Not at all, I'm merely talking in the kind of riddles which I've been fed by the other investigating bodies. You need to be concerned as to whether the cooperation we are currently enjoying is exclusive or non-exclusive, because the others are not standing by idly. I get the impression that it's not possible for you and Central Security to work together, and the same applies to Manuel and his father. The arithmetic is blindingly obvious, and furthermore, the list I have just wittered on about does contain pockets of pith. Manuel Salina has indicated his sponsor has offered virtually unlimited resource. We can't afford to miss out on this, so being open to approach can be useful. Another point of common currency is your missing scientist. You either truly do not know where he is, or you do know but pretend not to. If it's the latter I'll find out, and although Manuel Salina doesn't know yet that he will be looking for him, it will occur to him one way or another as he proceeds. I'm not certain about his father but I haven't discounted his burning desire to get there before you, since he undoubtedly knows of the disappearance via his field officers. Is this beginning to make sense?"

"Yes, you want to know more about our missing man despite my feeling that it would not be beneficial." Duarte was almost exasperated.

"That is important, and finding him first is paramount, but with the appropriate help, and that would be not a disaster if we are ready for what it means to the bigger picture. He's a crucial pawn, but still a pawn. I can understand you don't want to seem anxious in your search, for fear of over-emphasising his importance, but that has convinced me of precisely how critical he is to our progress. You must be aware that I can, upon the receipt of new evidence admit my error and declare the death of Konrad Salina as suspicious. Think about it Ricardo." The pronunciation of the 'R' was emphasised.

*

As he made his way back to his office Duarte pondered over whether he had overplayed his hand. He couldn't however rid himself of the notion that despite his liaison with Pierze, he was only being tolerated until his usefulness had expired. In apparently upping the ante with Manuel Salina in particular, he had hoped to goad Pierze into a cooperative triad which would endure until the end of all enquiries. It not only failed to achieve that, it didn't even elicit an answer to the burning question which had incessantly bugged him. Why had the first meeting with Pierze been a full squad and all subsequent contact been solo? Where had the hired help gone and why? Typical of his doggedness, he decided to tail Manuel Salina himself, even though he had asked Pierze to take care of this. He suspected Pierze may have his team on something else, but would claim he had carried out the task without discovering anything.

*

Butragueno looked around the restaurant and reflected on how long it had been since she had enjoyed such indulgence. Manuel ordered a bottle of spring water after she had insisted she didn't want an alcoholic beverage. "I got the feeling from what you said at the lab that you are prepared for the results."

"Indeed I am. I believe I can predict the outcome very accurately." She was hooked.

"If that's the case, are you able to talk about it? I mean the results will soon be available to me."

He flashed a smile again and said, "Why not? The results themselves are not the full story. It'll become clear that Konrad was not my full brother, we only share the same father."

Butragueno gambled. "That doesn't seem so earth-shattering, why would that be the burden you referred to earlier?"

He said that was for others to figure out. "Of course I would be open to trade information if there is a suitable opportunity."

She changed the conversation while she contemplated Duarte's irregular proposal to tell Manuel she was going to Barcelona, and with a hint as to why. She went to the restroom to refresh her appearance and use the timeout to re-settle her hormones. Having learned a little about his regular job during the first course she began the ritual dance of trading information. "Don't you think this assignment you have mentioned can get you into serious difficulty? I know you want to make amends for failing your half-brother, but it seems as if your father has a bigger cross to bear in that respect."

He took his time in responding. "My father only pretended to help him, just as he's pretending now to be distraught about the result of our shared inactivity."

She kept digging. "That's one hell of an accusation. Not helping one's son is strange but faking grief at their death is difficult to comprehend."

"El, I could blow my father's career, which is all he really cares about, into oblivion. His animal cunning has cleverly leveraged Konrad's and my own feelings for my mother, and the collateral damage she would take in any disclosure."

She felt it would come across as pretty cheap to launch into swapping information; it had to come from him. She had one eye on having meaningful company in Barcelona. "I can see this is an intensely personal and painful subject for you. Am I being too intrusive by asking if Konrad knew Senora Salina was not his mother?" He shook his head.

"That's what is so mind-numbingly sad about our entire lives, as a family in Madrid. We were all living a lie except Konrad."

She really wanted to ask about when and how he knew about this, especially as he was only two years older than his half-sibling. She decided to stop the work-related chess and just concentrate on this social evening and the genuine sympathy he attracted. She did want to know more but as a friend. "I hope the weather is better in Barcelona."

"Oh, are you going on vacation?"

She smiled and said she had changed her mind. "I think I will have some wine, could you suggest a suitable one to get me in the mood for Catalonia?"

"Sure. And lucky you, Ramblas should be pretty this time of year. When do you leave?"

"Soon, but it isn't really a vacation. I shouldn't be disclosing this to you, I hardly know you at all. I am to make some enquiries there."

His eyes lit up. "I knew it; there is substance to Konrad's claims."

"It is too early to tell if that is the case, but it's also true that there could be missing answers simply because questions have not been asked. We don't want to fall into that category."

"Are you able to tell me more?" She looked directly into his eyes and with a rebellious sparkle in her own, invited him.

"No, but I can't stop you from asking the same questions in Barcelona."

*

Back at his hotel Manuel was preparing his approach to Sorin Gretz the following day. He was also intrigued by shadowing Butragueno in Barcelona. He would not mention this to Gretz until he was certain it was going to happen.

*

Meanwhile Duarte was at home, but in receipt of Senora Salina's horror, drafted by Olmeda, at even the suggestion of disfiguring her son's head. It was impressively worded to amplify the emotional distress this would cause. It also contained bold reference to his decision of suicide and although they actually 'knew' the request was from Pierze, they strenuously hoped he could persuade the appellant to withdraw the request – mentioning no name. Failing this, a legal challenge would be lodged with the coroner. Duarte smiled philosophically and his young son asked him why he was talking to himself. The smile creased further to a smirk, accompanied by the sentiment – 'you have what you want Pierze, I hope you were careful in what you wished for'.

*

The next day was heralded with a news announcement. It should not have surprised them; in fact it wasn't only logical but pretty much inevitable. Orient had launched a landing party to the Moon. Since their first lunar expedition they had grown ever more disenchanted with Iberia for continual downgrading of their pledge to finance the colonisation programme. The sell out to SACRED was the last straw. The announcement was appropriately undiplomatic in spelling out the agreed need to cope with population expansion, which was running ahead of prediction. As Orient was more acutely impacted by their closed and limited living area, they branded the SACRED decision as self-serving and cynically engineered to support objectives of political subversion. This fighting talk overshadowed the preceding logic of the prior obligation of Iberia and its abandonment. Duarte was probably the least disturbed of the protagonists involved in the case. He also saw an opportunity for mischief.

When he followed Manuel to the airport he was careful to change his appearance to avoid detection by his target, but also by any of Pierze's platoon. His professional eye for surveillance eventually confirmed that he was the only one on the task. He took a taxi and followed the private car into which Manuel was beckoned by the person he had followed out of the concourse. Duarte didn't instantly recognise the other person. He couldn't really do more than tail them to their destination, note it, and see what happened next.

## Chapter 11

Sorin Gretz sent for coffee after the promised video presentation and suggested it would be best if Manuel fired questions at him, rather than waste time trying to offer something he may not want. "We are convinced you would be the best man for the job, so we don't need to dwell on that. I want to be able to either give you assurances that we can support your approach or whether we would have concerns. You have the floor."

Manuel started with an easy but necessary confirmation. "When you say 'we' do you infer that Verdasco and Boniek are as enthusiastic as yourself?"

"Absolutely."

"Are there any locations which you would deem off-limits?"

The response was immediate. "No, do you have cause to think that we might?"

Manuel was concentrating on the eyes as well as audio. "Not particularly, the evidence may even lead me to the Moon."

Gretz responded, "Now that is a surprise, but if that is where this takes us, so be it."

Although he had rehearsed this many times he wanted to get the intonation right. "Exactly what did you mean by your sentiment that you needed to X-ray your own organisation to eliminate any areas of concern?" Gretz became a little more animated.

"Being confident is not necessarily the same thing as being right. Our entire credibility is based on utter and absolute security and privacy. If we become complacent we deserve no sympathy. My interpretation of an X-ray was first and foremost one of possible connection to some of the claims that the deaths of the protesters were linked to SACRED. If however, your findings indicate a more systemic scan of our operation is justified, you will have my attention and support, in that order."

Manuel requested more coffee to create a mini-break; this was too good to be true. He switched to chit-chat about the big breaking news. "What do you think about Orient's Moon trip?" Gretz' brow furrowed dramatically.

"It is troubling to say the least. I will be having discussions about it with our government brass, if not the President. We took this lunar project on because of the location's inaccessibility. The Iberian position was at that time one of mothballing the colonisation, and only revitalising it commensurate with protection of our facility. They have obviously underestimated Orient's financial muscle."

Manuel offered a challenge to this simplicity. "It may not be available financial muscle alone; they have, in their eyes, been betrayed. They have chronic overcrowding problems and may see this as cynical manoeuvring by the Republic, not believing we also have financial restraints. If they believe this to be their only long term survival route, financial muscle simply becomes part of an equation, and gets worse if delayed. The next option, if this doesn't deliver suitable projections, is conflict." He switched his enquiry back to the task in hand. "Do you have patrons or customers in Orient?"

Gretz hesitated, which was not perceived as convincing. "Not to our knowledge. We grant access only to Iberian citizens as a primary protocol, but of course we are dependent upon the government gurus keeping their database clean with respect to DNA, fingerprints, passports, illegal immigrant files and the like. As there has been a cold war status between the two governments since Iberia sold out the colonisation project to us, Orient has its independent system of communication. Trade is pretty much limited by the currency values. It has become a black hole in terms of all manner of activities. Neutralisation of our, and I mean Iberian, communication fortress could be a consequence of this aggressive move."

"How many people are on the Moon?"

"Approximately two hundred, but they are not equipped for normal living as would be the case with progressive colonisation. They depend on our orbital shuttle to deliver all life support commodity. There is extremely thorough screening, and most functions are on five year contracts. It is likened to a sentence in hell really, but they are rewarded with salaries which allow them to retire in luxury when their spell is up. We don't have armed guards; the personnel are mainly responsible for maintenance and keeping to 99.9% uptime. The programming is all on Earth, with the exception of the encryption prior to distribution. Any attempted transgression is re-routed to buffers on the Moon, where action is taken to administer penalties, revoking of access or membership. You can imagine we need enormous capacity of data flow and therefore we have zero tolerance on breaches of regulations. We do have expansion of capacity planned, but I must review that in the light of this lunar incursion."

The importance of the investigation had suddenly mushroomed in Manuel's mind. "Tell me about Futureworld." Gretz' affable demeanour returned.

"It's our flagship virtual reality experience. Some say it is not so 'virtual' and our first conclusion was that this was the basis of the protests. We have tried unsuccessfully to get access to the massive market potential of Orient, but both governments have their reasons for blocking this. Either administration could have been involved in the protest activity. I say this only to ensure your investigation is aware of the stakes on the table." After the details of salary had been agreed Manuel asked about expenses and outsourcing services.

"How do you want to control this aspect?"

"It has to be auditable, personal expenses need receipts, and you will only hear from me if I think they are excessive. Services are potentially more complicated; especially as you are likely to run into demands for lubrication in order to obtain information. We must avoid any direct link back to the corporation or its employees. It's necessary for you to run these things past me first, as I have ways of brokering deals which can remain under the radar."

The request to join Futureworld was a surprise for Gretz. "It has never been done before. All events, and I mean all, are based on realism. If you don't generate activity and eat regularly in the game your character will starve. If you don't do mundane things like turning up for work you will get fired. If your character dies, you may only start again with the accompanying disadvantage. Another person taking over a character from a truly deceased person offends the SACRED protocol. You need to convince me of exactly what you hope to achieve before I can take this seriously."

When Gretz was brought up to date with all exchanges between Manuel and Konrad, he seemed to lower the barrier a little. When Manuel revealed more about his family history, and his father's potential motive in all of this, it added weight to his argument. He clinched it with the revelation of the request for Konrad's head to be the subject of a second post-mortem. "I haven't yet decided whether to oppose it. If you grant me his character, I will endorse it."

Gretz sketched in a little more of what had to be taken into account for this subterfuge. "You will need to obtain his passport as a starting point, so that we can alter the image on it. Other modifications such as adding your fingerprints, retinal scans and facial vectors can also be done once you bring it to me. The final transference can only be done on the Moon and only by one person. I'll have to take it there as I'm the only individual from whom this person will accept such violation of the SACRED protocol. It would also be the best way to minimise any suspicion by my two partners. I could utilise the recent Orient provocation to justify my unaccompanied trip to assess our vulnerability, we need to do this anyway. When can you get the passport to me?"

"I don't know; can I call you?" Gretz reminded him that he would have to leave the next day.

*

Duarte was surprised by the call from Manuel, immediately after he left Gretz' apartment. He was worried he had been spotted. "Chief Inspector, I have a favour to ask, but first I wanted to let you know that I'm going to endorse the second post-mortem on my brother. It bothered Olmeda that it came from someone in a government department – Snr. Pierze, and if he is worried, my father will be the reason. This makes me more inclined to be in favour, not as a brother, but in my role as an investigator."

"I see. I feel that would trigger a legal challenge. Snr. Olmeda hinted at this if Pierze didn't consider the compassionate plea as good reason for withdrawal."

Manuel belatedly asked the question, "Who exactly is this Pierze?"

"Ah, he's an official of a government organisation which seems to be at odds with Central Security, and therefore your father, although Antonio does not seem to know him personally." Manuel's aptitude for opening closets to shed light on skeletons therein, clicked to auto.

"Would it be possible to meet with Snr. Pierze if he knew I was considering endorsement of his request?"

"Well let me see. I suppose it would make him think about how it might clip Olmeda's tentacles. Leave it with me. You said you needed a favour."

Manuel blandly asked, "Did you find my brother's passport in the deposit box?"

"No. Why would it be in there?"

"It shouldn't have needed to be, but it wasn't included in the items my mother brought to me, so I assume you didn't find it in the apartment." Duarte figured this had been under discussion between Manuel and the man whose apartment he'd just left.

"When I come to think about it I can't remember it being at the scene. Is it important?"

"Not really, it just seems strange that it's missing when other forms of his identity were there, you know stuff like his driving licence, credit cards etc. I guess it may turn up sometime if your forensics people aren't finished."

Duarte cast his line carefully. "That may well happen, if there is controversy over the post-mortem application, I may resume gathering evidence and review the decision I made. We'll see." This gave Manuel time to get the keys from his mother and pay a private visit to look for the passport.

*

Butragueno was intrigued that Manuel had called her to say he was definitely going to Barcelona and asked if she was willing to allow him knowledge of her targets. One of them he could figure out from the list of deaths Konrad had left. She thought about Duarte's prior approval and played along. "Well one is actually in Sevilla, but Barcelona will be first. If you follow me out there we can meet after I have first shot at family and witnesses."

"Great, I'll speak to you later about travel etc. Thanks for the trust."

*

When Pierze was apprised of Manuel's request he squirmed. Duarte injected his usual left-handed logic. "It strikes me as a prudent move to agree to meet. You've said you would like Salina to invoke your plan 'B', however even if his legal man can't overturn this secret backup of yours he may well be able to employ injunctions to repeatedly delay things. Believe me, I have years of frustration to testify to their ingenuity in this respect. Can I ask what you have to lose by meeting him?"

"I guess you have a point Duarte, if there is a family squabble it might indeed marginalise that thrust of injunction, and in fact hasten my trump card being played. Please set it up." Duarte was pleased with his day's work but knew it wasn't over. He was sure Manuel would waste no time visiting the apartment. He decided that he would likely ask his mother to take the key to him, thus avoiding confrontation with his father at the Riu Principal.

He parked across the street from Manuel's hotel with a supply of coffee and raspberry doughnuts. His communicator vibrated and he spilled some of the hot coffee on to his lap. He uttered a succession of profanities before arriving at "Yes Butragueno."

"Wow, not only are we back from Elle to Butragueno, but personalised cursing, I am impressed."

His tone almost became apologetic. "Yeah, I was reprimanding myself for spilling coffee on my trousers. There is a hot, wet patch around my zipper. It's just as well I'm not scheduled to meet anyone; they would think I'd pissed my pants. You don't need to meet me do you?"

"No, just to tell you Manuel has gone for your bait about tagging along to Barcelona. I want you to repeat that you're happy with this and that if anything goes wrong you'll cover for me."

Duarte joked, "Hey not anything, I can't be blamed if he is lousy in romance. Everything to do with procedure I'll cover, don't worry."

"Ha-ha, very funny, don't you have spare trousers in the car? Wait I have a better idea, buy some new ones – you know, the kind that can't stand up in the corner on their own. Bye."

He was beginning to give up on his theory, it had started to rain and visibility was diminishing with the rolling mist. It all happened in the blink of an eye. A car pulled up, Manuel ran to it through the rain and jumped into the back. As it turned and sped past him he caught a glimpse of the other passenger. It was the same man who had travelled with him from the airport. It finally registered – when Butragueno had first briefed him on the case, she had shown him details and pictures of the SACRED owners. He couldn't put the names to the photos, but it was definitely one of them. He tracked them to the Salina apartment, where his mother was indeed waiting with the keys.

He was thinking on his feet and contacted Butragueno. "Yes."

He whispered, "It's me; I need you to come to Konrad's apartment now."

"What are you doing there?" Duarte expected a riposte.

"Your boyfriend is here with one of those SACRED guys." She ignored the undertone.

"You can't be serious, which one?" His frustration surfaced.

"That's why I need you, I don't know. Come and burst in, asking them what they are doing here."

She was totally confused. "Why haven't you done that if you are there anyway?"

"Listen I can't keep talking or they'll be gone. Just do it – now." She did as ordered and when she entered they were like two schoolboys who were caught smoking behind the bicycle sheds. She broke the silence.

"Where is Chief Inspector Duarte? And what are you doing here?" Duarte timed his entrance to perfection and added credibility by gasping for breath.

"What the hell is happening here?" He looked at Manuel but pointed at Gretz. "Who is he?"

Gretz jumped in before Manuel could gather his thoughts. "I'm his editor from Uruguay, I wanted see for myself what was going to keep my top reporter off the Independiente for a while. Excuse me, where are my manners? I'm Diego Corlana." Duarte gave Butragueno a knowing look and there was a response. Manuel's head was spinning and Duarte was pleased he came out with the truth for his part.

"I am sorry I should have left it with you Chief Inspector. I got the feeling you were too busy to look for the passport so I took a liberty and borrowed my mother's keys. I hope I'm not in trouble."

Duarte shook his head and shrugged his shoulders in mock exasperation. "Look Manuel you shouldn't be in a police incident scene unless accompanied by an officer or the status of the incident has been downgraded. I'll turn a blind eye this once. Let's look for this passport while we're all here." They spent over an hour before it was discovered behind the mounting of a framed photograph of Manuel and Konrad in their early teens. Nostalgia came over Manuel in waves and he excused himself to use the facilities. When he returned the passport was handed to him and Duarte turned to his 'editor'. "When do you have to return to Uruguay Snr. Er..." He winked at Butragueno and she obliged.

"Gretz isn't it?"

Duarte said quietly, "We can make this as long or as short as you like but we would speculate that Snr. Gretz is your sponsor for this investigation. Stop me at any time. He wants your brother's passport. Snr. Gretz has an interest in common with you, us and your father, not to mention Pierze. There could well be differing desired outcomes, but so far I only detect that Central Security is acting in a manner of suppression, the rest are trying to expose the truth. Does your silence tell me something? Perhaps we could send out for beer and pizza?"

Gretz didn't like what he heard and responded first. "You may appreciate why I don't want any publicity in this investigation; that is the only reason for my attempt to convince you I was Manuel's editor. What you say makes sense; but what guarantee do I have that you have any control over where it goes? Or even worse, where it is prevented from going? Your chances of seeing this through are non-existent. Whatever revelations are produced by my investigation, they must be seen to be independent and devoid of any whiff of corruption. There is only one chance to conduct this inquiry and I can't afford to be dragged into some half-baked consortium, it's not how I do business. Manuel, I think we should leave."

The awkward atmosphere reached full potency when Manuel put the passport in his pocket and switched his stare from Gretz to Duarte.

"I'd rather have pasta with beer if you don't mind Chief Inspector." Gretz tried to hide his disgust and walked to the door. He was stopped by another riposte but didn't turn to face Manuel. "You wanted to hire me on the basis that I would have the freedom to conduct the project the way I wanted, as long as it fulfilled your objectives. If this is an example of the autonomy I would enjoy, I quit before I start. You haven't even given these people a chance to explain what they are proposing; you may be surprised."

Gretz was not a man used to flagrant objection to his wishes. On the other hand his success had partly been achieved by 'not suffering fools gladly'. He was also mindful of the weakness of surrounding oneself with sycophants.

He turned slowly and announced, "You have five minutes Chief Inspector after which I will decide whether to ask Manuel if he wishes to rescind his withdrawal from my investigation."

Duarte gave no ground. "You may bring financial clout to your objective of getting to the truth, and I dare say a certain amount of influence. That however may not be enough to succeed. You are perfectly correct when you suggest I will be told to let go, or even be fired when the time suits the other players. It would be much simpler for me to just pack off the case files to the coroner, and watch my son play football until I retire. Before you ask, I have sufficient experience after all these years to know that getting to the truth is but one facet of our flexible morality. If I am to stay in this game, and you are entitled to ask why I would want to, it will be by the connections I have or don't have. Manuel's father, as I'm sure he has told you is facing a dilemma. He is trying to resist, via his lawyers, the request for a second post-mortem – not by the coroner, but by Snr. Pierze's people. I'm pretty sure he will successfully delay this to buy time, but I have also observed Pierze's confidence that this will trigger an enforcement order which will effectively block Antonio Salina from further involvement in the case. I'm led to believe that this means his department will lose leverage until the findings are known. So, Manuel's father is an example of a connection I don't want to have right now. Turning to Pierze and his fancy organisation – since first meeting him, his entourage has been re-directed or recalled. I asked him to put surveillance on Manuel – sorry that I needed to do that. He agreed but didn't carry out the request. I tailed Manuel to the airport and back to some apartment where you seemed to have had fruitful discussions. Snr. Gretz, I think we both need Pierze right now to reduce the players by one. He also needs me for a while at least. He knows about Manuel but not you. He would have done if he had followed Manuel as I asked. He won't know about you in future if Manuel re-joins your investigation, but I may have to disclose something if you decide to recruit someone else. I'll offer you one more piece of information, not as an inducement, but to illustrate how we may help one another. Pierze is looking for one of his top scientists who just 'disappeared' a while back. I believe Central Security are looking for the same man, and although they are both pretending not to be overly concerned about him, I think this is why Pierze is so keen to block Antonio Salina from being first to obtain data which would lead to the scientist. I also believe that Central Security personnel are currently closer to discovering this data or already have it, and are preventing anyone else finding it. Manuel has a meeting with Pierze, which has been brokered by me, because I feel that blocking his father may be the trigger for Pierze to dump me from the case. Having Manuel apparently in his confidence, with the attendant animosity between him and his father will be very useful to him. When he believes I reluctantly accept my redundancy we enter phase two. He was very helpful in getting local precincts to allow Butragueno access to files, relatives and witnesses, involved with many of the previous deaths. This will remain in force. I'm not sure who needs who more Snr. Gretz, but I'm sure you have had decisions of greater magnitude than this to make."

Butragueno was processing the bits of this that were new to her and forced a wry smile. Gretz was obviously impressed and yet economised with his response. "I guess it is pizza then."

## Chapter 12

By the time Duarte introduced Manuel Salina to Pierze another corpse had been discovered by the latter's organisation. It had been found in Roman Iberia, and Pierze admitted his personal team had stayed close enough this time to apprehend the post-suicide intruder, but didn't prevent the young woman taking her own life. Duarte had received the information from one of Butragueno's contacts in the local precinct. She had briefed as many of these precincts as she could, to let them know she was beginning to reinvestigate some of the deaths on the list, and would appreciate any information on future fatalities amongst known protestors. It hadn't taken long to reap this result. Duarte was unsure whether Pierze would have volunteered this himself, but he hadn't tried to hide his involvement, once confronted with the insinuation.

"That is why my people were in that location. The young lady was one of three possibilities, by our reckoning, to be next." The Chief Inspector gambled.

"Is that why you didn't tail our friend here?" Duarte probed again. He wanted to be absolutely sure Gretz' cover was not blown.

"Yes, I am sorry about that but this other business took priority. My only regret is that as we did not expect the death to be by drug overdose, we failed to save her. Still we have the post-mortem covered this time, and the individual whose purpose was decapitation, should provide an interesting interrogation."

Duarte was mentally assessing the fallout of this new case on the Londonis project. It had happened a little too soon, if it had to happen at all, but he clung to the belief that marginalisation of Antonio Salina was just as important to Pierze as his new opportunity to examine the young lady's head.

"This is fascinating and hopefully will allow you to tie in some aspects with the preceding deaths, especially Manuel's brother. Tell me, when you say drug overdose, does that imply she was expected to die by some other means?"

Pierze shuffled his feet and for once did not meet Duarte's eyes head on. "Well yes, and I think that is supported by the intruder timing his entry when he did. That much we have got out of him, he said he was expecting to pick her up for dinner. This is bullshit of course, but if he had known she was to change the method of her death, he would surely have tried to be with her earlier. The variables involved with type of drug, quantity, whether it was taken with an anaesthetic, and of course when it was administered, lead to imprecise termination. He would have been babysitting her to get the job done and get out at the earliest opportunity. We will get this out of him."

Duarte nodded. "Do we have a name?"

"I think we should progress the meeting at hand with Snr. Salina before we get into that sort of detail Duarte."

When Manuel filled in some of the background to his lack of concern at his father being exposed, Pierze opened up a little.

"I have received notice from his hireling – Olmeda, that he has applied for a temporary injunction, and warned me of the consequences of ignoring pending restrictions. You were correct in your prediction Duarte. So, if Manuel will express his endorsement of the request and the reasons for this, I will serve Antonio Salina with this edict."

Duarte joked, "Well then, you've got what you wanted, may we know what your document contains?"

"Of course. As Olmeda's rap over my knuckles was addressed to the 'appellant' I would like you to take it to him. This way we retain professional courtesy and ensure the local jurisdiction is respected – something which they have failed to do." The meeting was concluded with some accord and Pierze welcomed being kept in the loop with Manuel's efforts. He did try to ascertain who the sponsor was, but Manuel said that was not possible at present. When they got to Duarte's office they opened the letter. Having read both parts they looked at one another in astonishment. The first part was from the Foreign Office. This title was a little grandiose in the perception of the citizens of Iberia, as they claimed the only foreign entity was Orient. In the eyes of the government any territory outside of true Iberian rule was considered foreign, including aligned states, protectorates and the like. This of course was a covert policy. The letter was addressed to Antonio Salina and expressly stated that they were temporarily taking over this case from Central Security. It enumerated the reasons, amongst which were, the failure of his department to interpret the possible threat coming from Orient, especially with the recent Moon launch, and various charges of not only ignoring leads provided for Central Security, but evidence of a policy of discounting them without discussion. As the Foreign Office and Central Security were on roughly the same level of command it was not within the remit of one to instruct the other. The second part was a letter from President Sanchez authorizing the first part, with specific instruction to proceed with the second post-mortem, and furthermore it was to be carried out by Pierze's department. This was emphasised as being crucial, to eliminate falsification of the result.

"Jesus," exclaimed Duarte, "I knew he was confident, now I know why." The smile on Manuel's face illustrated his delight at the blow this would deal to his father.

Despite efforts by Duarte to winkle more out of him he merely replied, "In time Chief Inspector, in time." Duarte admitted to himself that he had mixed feelings as he delivered the letter to Olmeda. As much as he suspected Antonio Salina had this coming in his professional capacity, he was sorry his wife was going to bear the emotional burden of Konrad's body being mutilated. Though he was not her real son, Manuel insisted she had always treated them as siblings. She would not understand why this was happening but may very soon find out. He was beginning to think that Pierze knew exactly what he was looking for.

Olmeda exploded with anger. "This is utterly outrageous; we will have to verify the President's seal. This is not effective until we have that authenticated."

Salina silenced his legal foot soldier. "Olmeda, please keep your voice down. I can tell you myself that the seal is genuine and if you were thinking straight you would realise that it only makes things worse if we contest it. We have to deal with it by employing any remaining dignity we can muster. I have to let my wife know of this, please excuse me Chief Inspector." As he trailed away, a sad broken old man seemed to emerge from the previously confident heavyweight government officer in a matter of a few strides. Duarte pictured the metamorphosis being completed in the elevator. It indicated to him that this was Salina's capitulation. His thought process was interrupted by Olmeda insisting that this would not rest here.

"Perhaps you are preoccupied with your own salvation Senor Olmeda, but I have to proceed to speak to the coroner – he needs to know of the change of plan. If you do manage to produce a further alteration to the current edict from the same authority you will let me know, I'm sure."

*

Butragueno was preparing to leave for Barcelona. The call from Manuel was to explain that he would follow as soon as his passport was 'renewed'. "It should only be a few days. I hope your inquiries are fruitful and I'm looking forward to joining you. I've had a further communication from my sponsor, and it may help us both, but it's better to discuss it face-to-face."

She liked the face-to-face prospect but made do with, "Right, we can't be too careful. See you soon." She was immediately contacted by Duarte.

"Pierze volunteered the information about the body in Roman Iberia, probably because he had set you up with the local precincts and the odds of them letting you know. However, he wouldn't part with the name at present. It seems strange that you got the same rebuff from the people who told you. I think you might want to extend your trip to take in this death. Where exactly was it reported from?"

"Firenze. Ok, I'll go there unless any reason arises from the first two precincts to persuade me otherwise. Bye."

*

None of the protagonists knew that Pierze's examination was not in fact intrusive. He had allowed them to believe this in order to ferment anger and objection. The technique was only recently developed and not available to general medicine yet. The scan was capable of detecting signatures of various types of recent brain activity in the same way forensics could produce markers for drugs and toxins. He wanted to confirm a particular signature before moving on to the new corpse and the suspect who was being held in custody. If there was a positive result in all three he would allow Butragueno's research to guide him on whether any relatively recent deaths on the list were worthy of scans after such a period of time. This time factor was important as necrosis could play havoc with the interpretation.

*

Manuel had received instruction to meet with a 'courier' who would re-jig his passport photo, fingerprints and facial vectors. The man would also take DNA samples and retina scans without knowing they were to be included in the SACRED recognition protocols, which Gretz would take to the Moon. This would tie up with his on-screen appearance on his first log-in. Time was tight because Konrad's character had already endured several days of fasting and inactivity. It would be a much more complicated task to produce a resurrection of an identical profile if the original character died, and important data would be lost. The courier's 'office' was fortunately mobile, and the man would call on him; this man was only briefed with the false passport part of the deception, and considered this pretty routine. Once the courier had completed his part, he would fly to Swiss Iberia to personally hand both the passport and data to Gretz. The elevator to the orbital shuttle dock would hopefully get him there in time.

*

The subject of the elevator was being discussed by Verdasco, Boniek and Gretz because of the Orient ground rocket launch. They had decided to demand protection of the facility to be beefed up. If it was compromised it would make the playing field of lunar voyages a little more even. It would also starve and ultimately cause the collapse of SACRED.

*

Antonio Salina's resignation was 'reluctantly' accepted by President Sanchez, and his replacement was a total surprise to everyone except Pierze and Duarte. It had begun to fall into place some time ago and it was mostly a case of managing the events to justify the outcome. Duarte rang to offer his congratulations.

"Do I keep addressing you as Pierze or use your new fancy title. I must say I didn't foresee this particular cog falling into place so quickly, but I sensed some major change would come about. You, on the other hand have known about it for some time. It explains quite a bit and will hopefully bring convergence to the entire investigation. I would hazard a guess that we are now going to see your minders return to spirit you away."

"Thank you Duarte. Fear not, the fact that I am now going to operate out of Madrid will not slow the progress – in fact it should do the opposite. Also, you can begin to proceed a little more freely without my shadow. I know you are on-board with the general principles of what we are striving to expose and you will continue to enjoy my support. I will not be leaving until the scan has been performed on Konrad Salina."

When Duarte had exchanged possible consequences of Antonio's resignation, and Pierze's appointment with Manuel, his reaction was confined to the personal aspect at first.

"This will actually help my mother in the long term by being out of the public eye. It disappoints me however that what is about to be ferreted out by the press didn't impact my father while still he held office, and believe me, that is why he resigned. A former head of Central Security is not as juicy to the newshounds as the current incumbent."

*

The hotel in which Butragueno was staying was just off Playa Espana, whose waterfalls were designed to light up the evening sky. The blend of colours and the sound of splashing water was a welcoming experience. She had been told she would be met for dinner by an unexpectedly high-ranking officer in the precinct. It smelled of damage limitation, in the event of them having to acknowledge any exposed shortcomings in their conduct. Javier Montero was already being groomed to be 'kicked upstairs' shortly. Butragueno would find out that this promotion was not only a surprise for the rank and file in the precinct, but it seemed to have been pulled out of the hat in a rather convenient timescale, to coincide with the investigation being reopened. An additional guest arrived and was introduced as being from 'Internal Affairs'.

"Detective Inspector Butragueno – welcome, may I present Carla Dominguez, she will help us in ensuring you get all the cooperation you need. I will be pushing the buttons of the specific officers assigned to acquaint you with the files and people you request to interview."

"I'm pleased to meet you both. I hope we haven't conveyed any criticism of your investigation. I'm only here because of tenuous links to our own case – that of Konrad Salina. There's much more to learn with that suicide, but it would be premature to say we have any hard evidence. We hope that re-examination of a few other protestors' deaths may throw up new information, this is but one example." She hoped this would relax them otherwise they were in for a very long and cagey evening.

*

Having despatched the courier back to Gretz, Manuel set off for the Riu Principal to say a temporary goodbye to his mother. "The funeral will be delayed and I will be informed of its rescheduled date by Duarte in good time for me to return. Please don't worry about me. I'll be in touch." Senora Salina was struggling to put on a brave front, but Manuel knew she had the benefit of years of experience with this type of discomfort, courtesy of his father's demands. She kept it short.

"At least Olmeda has gone back, now Antonio is free to give me a proper explanation. He does realise that if our marriage is to survive we must slay a few dragons. I fear your father may not have the humility to embark on the quest, now that he has been publicly stripped of his dignity. I will just have to remind him of what I had to endure all these years." She smiled and confirmed to Manuel what he already knew. His mother was a woman of remarkable strength of character. There was also the slightest hint that she might be prepared to leave him, if he did not measure up.

*

What Pierze had not said to Duarte was that his former department was being merged with Central Security. It was felt there was no need for the public to be confused with internal mechanics of government. However, as it filtered down without an official announcement, Duarte reflected that Manuel would realise this was the indictment of his father's performance he had wanted to become public. The members of the political pyramid would mumble behind Antonio's back and be supportive to his face. To continue to associate with him would not be good for one's career. He was a leper.

*

The newspapers had put a name to the body in Firenze, and infuriated the local police. Adrianna Rossi was a known activist, not just with regard to SACRED; she was involved with many protest activities. The precinct had labelled her as 'Domina Nueva Anarchisti' and joked that it was in her DNA, which they had already flagged on their database as one to watch. They suspected she was a pusher as well as a user, but had never managed a conviction despite several arrests. They had wanted to change tactics and let her feel they had given up on her. When her body was found, they believed the organisation she was part of must have felt she had become a liability, and forcibly caused her overdose. Now that the reporters were picking up on her possible connection to other SACRED protestors, it could flush out actual or speculative minions in the drug ring. This would not be helpful to their plans to snare the big players. It seemed a little strange to Butragueno that no mention was made in the coverage, of anyone being arrested at the scene, as Pierze had admitted to her boss. 'Where was he being held?' she thought. She contacted Duarte with an update on her evening with the Barcelona duo and warned him that there was more than a whiff of whitewash about, it was pervasive in the extreme. He more or less expected that.

"That's why I thought it would be prudent to take Manuel into our little clique. He'll help counteract your placebo treatment from the precinct."

She agreed and ran a thought past him. "The case of Adrianna Rossi has me wondering if Pierze's people got their man and then informed the police themselves about the body before disappearing. There was no mention of another person or witness in the papers and the precinct say no one has yet been questioned as a suspect. It could be worth asking him where this character is now."

"Will do, good thinking Butragueno."

Manuel had settled into his prestigious hotel; the one in which Elle was expensed came with a tight police budget restraint, and was decidedly the poor relation. He had been contacted by Gretz to say he was on his way to the lunar base and anticipated sending him his log-in confirmation soon. This triggered a question to the front desk of his hotel as to the nearest public booth in which he could engage with SACRED. It was met with a perplexed expression from the receptionist. She looked him up and down and said there was one she knew of on the hill of Monjuic, close to the old Olympic stadium. "I hope I am not being rude Sir, but it is a risky area and I would certainly not go there dressed like that. You should try to blend in. I would respectfully suggest you try to get permission to use a corporate facility instead. We don't have one as it is looked upon as attracting a different client spread to the one desired in the hotel charter."

"Thank you, I'll consider that. Where would I find an establishment such as you suggest?"

She blushed. "There are some private gentleman's clubs who have them. You will find some in the entertainment directory over there." He thanked her and began browsing the city guide.

## Chapter 13

The only reaction Duarte noticed was a very slight twitch to one side of his mouth. "It is very difficult Chief Inspector." That was the second clue. "The secondary scanning equipment is not really portable so we will have to take Konrad's brain scan using the primary part of the unit which is portable, and then take that scan to the location of the interpretive part of the scanner. The same applies to Adrianna Rossi and indeed the man you now enquire about."

"I don't seek answers to questions which I'd be better off not knowing Ricardo, so you may have to guide me here. Your people will take Konrad's brain scan to wherever, and the same scanner will try to detect something similar to what you suspect will be in the living brain of the designated witness to Rossi's death. The proverbial fly in the ointment is that he was late and didn't witness the actual death, which was by means other than he was led to believe he could expect. That may indicate to a plodder like me that whatever you are looking for may be in a selective number of targets, who are currently walking around oblivious to all of this."

Pierze began shifting uncharacteristically in his seat. "Look we initially wanted our people to remove Konrad's head because we could not expect the coroner to buy into our theory. Our technical people however, devised a two-step process by temporary detachment of the measurement and interpretation phases. If we do find correlation of significant level, we will have to take the heads of both Konrad and Adrianna Rossi, then probably others."

"Mmm, then you would still like the missing head of the Africana body."

"Quite. Maybe you can appreciate why the Antonio Salina roadblock had to be cleared."

Duarte smiled to cover his sarcasm. "Cleared – that's an interesting way to put it. I can imagine he has some reason to be a roadblock, and it took one or two of his trusted subordinates, imbued with Brutus remits, to expose Antonio Caesar."

"Very eloquently put Duarte. It would however be entirely inappropriate for me to comment, in my new role." The inability of Duarte to avoid thunderous breaking of wind did seem an adequate introduction to the re-grafting of their relationship.

"Ricardo, I get the feeling I'm going to hear that a lot more in the future."

*

Manuel and Butragueno met at a bar they both knew on the Ramblas. After a gentle kiss on the cheek he bought a bottle of Faustino Grand Cru and asked for two very large glasses. Her eyes widened. "You expect me to drink that kind of volume? Are you trying to get information via inebriation?"

"Of course. Seriously, this wine needs a large receptacle to swirl, prior to imbibing. If I was trying to get you drunk it would be for personal and not professional reasons. Just joking."

She felt a flutter but did not react to, or dismiss the remark. "Let's get up to date. My boss thinks that Pierze is about to accelerate his strategy now that he has the combined power of two departments. He's also pretty sure that we, meaning Duarte and myself, will soon be considered redundant in his spider's web. This leaves you, and I trust the boss' judgement on this, to tread carefully with him. He'll let us do quite a bit of mundane leg work for him and keep us employed on a need to know basis. Duarte is certain that Pierze claims to believe you can be extremely useful with your unrestricted remit, but also that he is covering one of his real objectives, to find out who has recruited you and why."

"Well, well – more levels of intrigue. I'll bear this in mind. I guess you haven't had a chance to begin questioning any relatives yet?"

She sighed. "No. I have been chaperoned and I get the feeling it's going to be that way in Sevilla too. I suppose it makes it even more important that you follow up these orchestrated interviews they will present me with, otherwise we won't really get anywhere." Manuel pondered whether or not to confide in this woman. She had been straight with him on every count but she was police. Leaning on his experience in his chosen vocation he made the first telling move on the new chessboard.

"El, I'm going to risk telling you something which needs to be between us and nobody else. I have to include your boss in this restriction. I need one person I can trust implicitly. It's not one sided – I'm not volunteering this solely to help you, I don't know what to expect, but from my conversations with Konrad, I should anticipate difficulties and I may need some help myself. When he first begged me to do this, he could have been that help."

"Whoa Manuel, I think I'm hearing that this will conflict with my responsibilities as a police officer. If I mustn't discuss it with my boss I need to know why."

He lowered his head and whispered, "Because it may endanger my life. I can't dismiss the point you raise as I don't know exactly what will happen, I just know that I have to do it. I suppose it comes down to trust. Once I know more I would expect I can divulge more, even to Duarte." Her emotional conflict was manifestly troubling her so he reached out and squeezed her hand. It only added to the flurry of mental processing to which she was a somewhat willing hostage. "El, I may have taken too much for granted in making this selfish request of you. Let's begin the evening again, the wine is excellent, try it." She fought off the urge to ask him to carry on and switched the topic directly to his brother.

"I probably shouldn't be the one telling you this, so I'm also taking things on trust. Your brother's initial scan is not an invasive procedure, but if it proves positive in Pierze's view, he will apparently require all or some of his body to be transported for a second procedure which is obviously going to mean disfigurement. I don't know if or when you and your family were to be told about this. I can imagine the distress this will cause. I'm telling you this in case it is relevant to the risk you are about to take."

He sat back in semi-shock. She slowly sipped wine until he responded. "Thanks for trusting me with this. It actually makes what I was about to burden you with even more important to me. It has removed any lingering doubts I may have harboured." Against all of her professional training her gut feeling prevailed, even though she knew the fulcrum had been shifted by her intense attraction to this man. The statement was emphasised by its simplicity.

"Tell me."

The next half hour not only re-shaped the entire case for her but resulted in her pleading with him to let this be Pierze's problem. His disarming expression was accompanied by a rebuttal of her suggestion. "If there is a much wider agenda involved here, I'm not sure Pierze will truly expose it, and I could say the same about Gretz. I have to know what Konrad was trying to tell me. Can I count you in?"

"Very well, when do you expect the go-ahead from Gretz?"

"Anytime soon. Let's look for a booth." His communicator's vibration was nervously checked. The message read – 'Proceed'. They checked a few booths and selected the one next to the metro station. Manuel's thoughts were invaded by excitement and apprehension.

## Chapter 14

Futureworld

Konrad

He felt weak and his vision was slightly blurred. His virtual apartment was in a mess and as he pulled himself off the sofa there was one thought in his mind. He grappled for the communicator and dialled emergency. Electing for Ambulance and giving his address, it was all he could manage to unlock the front door and crawl back to the sofa. He drifted in and out of consciousness several times and finally relaxed when the burly figure in uniform assured him he was going to be alright, but insisted that he fought off the desire to sleep.

Several hours later, he was awakened by a young nurse and informed that the doctor was on his way. The reading of charts and conferring between the various members of hospital staff took much longer than he expected. At last the man in charge said, "Well Konrad, you have not been looking after yourself; I'm afraid you have severe malnutrition and dehydration. It will be a few days before we can be sure there is nothing more serious to worry about." A data balloon appeared in the top right corner of his field of vision to denote the probable cost of authorising this level of care. He approved it without needing to consult any manual or sub-screen, it all felt so natural. His new bank balance flashed up then faded slowly. He wasn't aware of the intrusive looking headset at any time. Compiled data began scrolling down the right side again. Reactivating his character, and making a transaction must have triggered the display of his salient character statistics. Although this information was being viewed for the first time it didn't feel like that, simply because he was Konrad Salina. Even the employment status display of 'Junior Clerk – Central Security' didn't cause alarm; in fact he was disappointed that he had failed a promotion interview for the third time. His communicator rang and he was told quite curtly to switch it to vibrate only, otherwise it would be confiscated. Severe stomach cramps forced him to ask for painkillers and he was duly administered an injection. Just before he went under he saw the cost and new monetary balance display.

When he awoke he felt much better, the intravenous feed had begun to restore his energy level, and he was glad to hear the new prognosis that he would be able to leave hospital the next day. The doctor admonished him once again and demanded that there was no repeat. "Perhaps there is a reason why you allowed your condition to reach dangerous metabolic levels, would you like to see a psychiatrist or psychologist?" He had already decided against this before he saw the cost. When the doctor and entourage had passed on to the next patient he picked up a newspaper. The leading story claimed that the U-turn by the government on a new tax banding was a refreshingly welcome capitulation – a success for mass, peaceful demonstration. He was about to read further when he had a visitor. Hector Sidibe was an Africana with whom he had studied at college. "How did you know I was here?"

"I went to the apartment and the lady below told me that you had been taken to hospital. It was then a matter of which one." He stumbled and fell against the bed.

"You don't look well Hector."

After they had compared notes it seemed as if Sidibe was suffering similar symptoms. "I think you should ask the doctor to examine you."

"I don't have the money."

"Just get him to look at you and I'll ask my account to be debited." This was requested but they were told Konrad would have to make a transfer to Sidibe's account first, as hospital charges could only be made against the person being treated. Suddenly Konrad was concerned to get to an ATM to make the transfer, but was told he was to remain in bed. The panic was something which he could not relate to anything in particular, nevertheless it haunted him.

"Relax," said Sidibe, "I will come back tomorrow, let's not prejudice your discharge. We need to get out of here so we can talk, then I can accept your offer of help."

When Hector didn't show up the next day Konrad decided to visit the hostel in which he was staying. The matronly lady who appeared to be in charge informed him that Hector Sidibe had died during the night. "We are all shocked. He has been ill for some days now but just sat ignoring our concern. All he could say was that he must see his friend Konrad something or other. He's been obsessed with finding him for quite a few days. It was out of character for him to behave like this." Konrad had an impulse, the meaning of which he could not quite grasp. He was not aware of removing the headgear. He was quite dizzy and nauseous. He vaguely recognised the woman bending over him and telling him to drink the water she offered him.

Manuel

Butragueno kept repeating the same words. "You must drink some water Manuel, please try." A crowd had gathered around his prostrate form and had to be dispersed by one of the club security men. Butragueno had already called for an ambulance. Manuel was still acting strangely and suffering mini-spasms during which he twitched quite violently. The ambulance arrived and got him settled before setting off for the hospital. He was beginning to show signs of returning to normal by the time they reached admissions.

"Is that you El?"

"Yes it's me, you had us worried. Please don't try to get up, the paramedics don't know what is wrong, so we are waiting for a doctor." He seemed to relax a little more and as the doctor listened to Butragueno recount the events he could not believe they were talking about him. He was hooked up to sophisticated EEG equipment and the doctor remarked that the readouts were rather strange.

"I think we had better check you out on the Neo-map, it will assist me in explaining the surge in activity you have experienced. It is quite painless and won't take long." By this time Manuel knew he was talking as himself and confirmed to Butragueno that he had only felt ill when he had exited Futureworld.

"I remember that I didn't log off properly and had an urge to pull off the headset."

"Yes, I thought at the time you were struggling with it, and it took a while before you knew you were free of it, even though it had dropped to the floor already."

He gathered his thoughts and asked, "How long was I in the game?"

"Not more than thirty minutes."

His pupils dilated and he shook his head. "My recollections tell me I was in there for almost two days. There's a different timeline, I suppose that makes sense." Before they fitted the Neo-map he whispered to her, "Can you check if the Africana who was found without a head was called Hector Sidibe?"

"Well yes, but I may not get the truth from the locals." He suggested she ask Duarte to test it out on Pierze.

"Tell him not to disclose where he got the information from." She went outside to use her communicator while he underwent the test. Duarte asked where she had got the lead from.

"I overheard part of a conversation in the Barcelona precinct," she lied, "it might not even be related to the actual incident, but Africana was mentioned, I may be guilty of jumping to wrong conclusions but I didn't want to ask about it openly – as they are nervous about everything here and I would have drawn a blank. It's worth a try." When she came back the doctor pulled her to one side.

"He has had an overload in his neo-cortex, it hasn't caused damage this time but I would not advise a repeat of this silly game. I will see him again in a couple of hours and if he answers my questions satisfactorily he can be discharged."

As the doctor was signing his release document, Butragueno took the call. "Your hunch was right. Pierze was very cagey and obviously disturbed that I blurted out this name. He only acknowledged it after he extracted the source from me."

"Oh no, I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to be associated with this." Duarte's riposte was laced with humour.

"I finally admitted to him that I have a contact in Senegal who got it from a reporter. Pierze's favourite four letter description of excrement is proof that he bought it. Well done Butragueno, I'll make some genuine inquiries now that I have a starting point."

When she returned to the ward Manuel was ready to go. She asked the taxi driver to go to his hotel, but Manuel decided to override this. "No, please ignore that, I want you to take us to a select piano bar or somewhere similar – do you have a recommendation?" The taxi driver sniffed a good tip and whisked them to El Millenio, a quiet hostelry in a small square, a short walk from the Gaudi Cathedral. Once they were furnished with Manuel's favourite cocktail – a Caipirinha, which came to life by pouring Cachaza onto crushed ice and generously adorning that Brazilian firewater with baby limes, he simply said, "Well?"

"How did you know that was his name?"

"As stupid as this sounds, he visited me while I was in hospital - not the one we have just left, the one in Futureworld." They both sipped their enchanting concoction while they mulled over the implications of this preposterous revelation. "It's possibly just as ludicrous that I am, sorry – Konrad is employed in Central Security in Futureworld."

"Yeah this is a unique drink Manuel; I don't think I'll have another." He showed a little frustration.

"It is logical if you think about the role of my father and his superficial efforts to help Konrad. He may have tried to understand why such a powerful man could not come up with anything."

"But it is just a game Manuel. Come on, you can't seriously expect too much from SACRED, it was a lucky strike." Manuel offered no response other than a penetrating stare.

*

The dust cloud from the Orient landing was assessed as around thirty miles. It was just far enough away to be a risky journey to the SACRED complex, and just near enough to arouse further suspicion about its purpose. Gretz had witnessed this manoeuvre during his visit, and with powerful lenses had determined there appeared to be an unfinished habitat core with essential life support equipment and what looked like a year's supply of foodstuff for about six people. He had left before their ascent back to their 'Mothership' but had instructed his people not to attempt approaching the module. His considered judgement after hearing expert views was to observe, and not risk the journey at this stage. He could not afford to lose any of the already stretched employees. He did contact Verdasco and Boniek, in order to up the recruitment of new transferees, as he was not comfortable with the arrival of the recent neighbour. Orient had not publicised its objectives beyond colonisation, to its own citizens. This was according to some of his agents residing within the borders of that regime.

*

Duarte approached Pierze after the latter had time to get over the shock of hearing Hector Sidibe's name. He figured that he would be fed with some plausible red herring, so he suggested another 'cloaked encounter' in Pierze's favourite plaza again. "I think it would help if you gave me a little direction here Ricardo. As you know Butragueno is embarking on extraction of evidence in Barcelona and she doesn't have a good feeling about the stage-managed cooperation so far. Since you set up this arrangement, and you have since then acquired even more influence, can you loosen them up a little? Alternatively you may wish to add to my lead, and don't worry about such information not being good for my wellbeing. That worked with Salina but I would actually feel safer hearing stuff from you, rather than digging further, albeit through some indirect conduit of shady repute in Senegal."

Pierze stroked his clean-shaven chin. This was a new mannerism thought Duarte, but it seemed promising, as it evoked a morsel of worthwhile value. "This may have occurred to you already Duarte, so I will confirm it for you. We think Sidibe was the individual who was disturbed by Butragueno at the scene of Konrad's suicide. I told you earlier that we had voice match with someone who was speaking with Konrad at that time, but we could not yet prove whether he was in the apartment or on the communicator. From our surveillance records of protests we have positively identified this person as Sidibe, but still cannot prove he was there at the time. There is no record of a call to Konrad's normal line, we know that, but it could still have been to a mobile which has since disappeared. I'm afraid we still need his head. I am expecting the first scans from Konrad to guide our next steps. I have no more to give you."

"You've given me nothing. I suppose I must risk another contact with Africana and if there is anything noteworthy, you can be sure I'll keep it to myself. You won't forget my request to lean a little harder on Barcelona, will you? If we get more help there it may persuade me to re-connect with you on Africana. Unless you feel that this would put you in danger."

*

When they met next morning Manuel suggested that he would tail Butragueno with the local minders until they had something to go on. "Then I'll take a second shot at Futureworld."

"The doctor was very serious when he said you shouldn't risk this again. I'm wasting my breath aren't I? You're simply being irresponsible." He tried to convince her that it was all to do with his premature disconnection of the headgear.

"I won't make such an elementary mistake again. Look El, it's obvious from the way Duarte is being strung along by Pierze that we need every other avenue to be explored. You'll relax when I come out next time, I promise to take care when I exit."

*

Pierze should have been overjoyed, but he was a little circumspect. The first scan of Konrad's head showed his anticipated result as confirmed, but there was additional data. The interpretation clearly illustrated irregular cerebral patterns, consistent with known techniques of brainwashing. There was disturbingly concrete evidence of small channels of new tissue. The experts were not certain of the function and how it got there. It seemed to have developed rather than being implanted – it resembled a swelling of an existing conduit between sections of the brain, namely the hippocampus and neo-cortex. As best as they could determine the tissue was not very old, perhaps a few months at most. Pierze challenged this prognosis strenuously but the boffins refused to budge on the conclusion. They did give him some hope that if the living brain of the captive from Adrianna Rossi's scene of death had similar symptoms, it could be possible to reproduce the effect by interrogating the hippocampus – neo-cortex link with non-invasive experiments. He urged them to carry this out as soon as possible.

Meanwhile the protests were being much better coordinated and worryingly more violent. There was also, as yet unproven as strategy, incidents of civil servants being injured with greater frequency. This tenuous pattern, even if valid, did not definitely point to an organised trend. Footage which was fastidiously scrutinised indicated bigger groups of protestors and some apparently new figureheads. It was a stern challenge for the new head of Central Security, and Pierze decided to leave Londonis and head back to Madrid. This left Duarte to reconsider his options in view of the sudden departure. One hunch he felt strongly about was the likelihood of Konrad's body following on behind, without any of the family being informed.

## Chapter 15

Butragueno wanted to get started with the Alessandro Brunatti case. The Lombardy born victim's body had been charred so badly it was visually unrecognisable and had been identified by DNA and other corroborating evidence. There was nothing in the files that she did not know already from speaking with the investigating officers when she had called them from Londonis. When she asked to see the lead officer from that time, it was Montero who responded. "I am afraid that is not possible right now, he is currently suspended pending the outcome of a different investigation. That is why Carla, excuse me, the representative from Internal Affairs is with us, she may have questions to ask along with your own. We have a subordinate who was directly involved in the case; he will be the first reference point." The charade did not last long as Butragueno made her prepared enquiries and the answers were limited to, and virtually word matched with the files. Anything not covered in those files met with a shrug of the shoulders. Carla Dominguez stepped in.

"Montero, we need to speak with people outside of the precinct. The fire service would be a good start, and anyone in the neighbourhood of Brunatti's studio."

Butragueno reacted. "Studio? What kind of studio?" Dominguez' reply was loaded with sarcasm.

"A pigsty; which housed his 'abstract creations'." Butragueno asked if any of these works had survived. They were perplexed as to why she had asked about this. She merely said she was curious because she liked abstract images. She made a note that none of the contents had survived the intense blaze, and alongside wrote – 'paintings sold may have DNA for cross checking'.

They went to the fire service. Two of the crew who attended the inferno had been transferred after being promoted. One had been killed in a subsequent fire, after falling three floors, when an external timber plummeted and detached him from the mobile ladder. On questioning the remaining crew, Dominguez was quite helpful in keeping them alert, by stressing her role in checking their knowledge, against what actually went into the police files. After over two hours the shift supervisor stated the need for his men to be ready for the busy callout period, and brought the recap to an end. As they drifted out, one of the younger members of the crew dawdled, dropped some coins which scattered behind him. When he was detached from the others and had recovered most of his money with the help of Montero, Dominguez and Butragueno, he slipped a piece of paper into the hand of the Internal Affairs officer. She later unfurled the crumpled note to reveal a name and the scribbled relationship – 'girlfriend'. She tore it up and memorised the content. When they returned to the precinct Montero excused himself in order to go through his waiting messages. Dominguez confided in Butragueno. "We should track this woman down without Montero, or rather you should, and I will tag along – must follow the rules mustn't we? Are you free this evening?" Butragueno wanted to check with Manuel as to whether he had plans. The reply was not what she wanted to hear.

"I'm going in again El, I have to."

"Then please wait until I get back from this lead with Dominguez and I'll come with you, in case there is a repeat of the previous events." He agreed but said he wanted to use a different club so as not to attract attention.

"My face and yours for that matter are known now, at the previous place. I'll pick one and let you know how to get there."

Konrad

After the shock of finding out that Hector Sidibe had perished, he was driven to walk the streets for some time. He reflected on the programme they had embarked upon. His pager alerted him to incoming mail. He pulled the message from his laptop at his home. It read – 'We have to meet, at the usual place. I will be there in one hour. Delete this message, Prometheus'.

When they sat across the table at the city library, they didn't acknowledge one another until they had both scanned the room. Even then, the first exchange was a surreptitious passing of a piece of paper from Prometheus to Konrad. Placing it inside the book he had borrowed, he read it carefully. 'Three more are known to be affected, Adrianna Rossi, Leonid Tirishev and Heinrich Pichler'. Prometheus waited until he had a signal that Konrad knew them personally then he left. Konrad hastened to his abode and tried to contact the trio in the order he was given. He had no reply from Adrianna or Leonid. Heinrich responded and was asked by Konrad to come to a football match at the Camp Nou in Barcelona. Over ninety thousand fans were expected and it would be a safe place to meet. He gave Heinrich the entrance number and turnstile reference. They fixed a time. Konrad needed to exit Futureworld. This time he followed the correct sequence. Although he didn't collapse, he was extremely unwell, and for the second time suffered disorientation together with a vague recognition of Butragueno.

Manuel

He pleaded with her to stop fussing. "It is passing; I'm beginning to feel better."

"I'm not your mother Manuel or your babysitter. I will not admonish you again. It's your call." He asked her to find them a quiet coffee parlour and when they had ordered he made an outrageous suggestion.

"I have three names from a contact in Futureworld. We know Adrianna Rossi. Leonid Tirishev and Heinrich Pichler we don't. I could only contact Pichler in Futureworld. I'm therefore guessing that the captive Pierze has from the Rossi suicide is Tirishev. I think we should pass these names to Duarte and let him use his guile to bring them up in conversation with Pierze."

"You said you were feeling better Manuel. This is insane. Firstly, and I keep saying this, it's a game and a seriously weird one. Second, if – and it is a big if, you were right, it would put all of us at risk. Pierze is not to be trusted in my opinion and that of my boss. If he has protected these names so fiercely there has to be a reason."

Manuel studied her and could almost feel the anxiety. "Yes it is a game, and I was just as dismissive as you are, at one time. That may have hastened Konrad's death. Does it not strike you as significant that the game may be, or can be ahead of reality? Would you agree that if Pierze admits to Tirishev, and there are a number of people who could have leaked this, I have at least some reason to extract what I can from Pichler? I don't want Pierze to know I'm in the game. Duarte is perfect for this gambit, he has been hassling Pierze on all manner of information he believes is being withheld."

She thought about it in a more detached way and asked, "Who the hell is Prometheus?"

"I don't really know. There's nothing on the game character stats as far as I can see, but Konrad knew him, or of him. Whoever he is, he stressed that the three personalities were 'affected'. As it was a written message I wasn't able to detect intonation – it could refer to medical, political or a game related issue – I don't know."

She drew a deep breath. "Ok, I'll convey these names to Duarte as being linked in some way and when he asks, which he surely will - where they came from, I'll say it's a 'source' at the Firenze precinct, who must remain undercover."

He hugged her and they walked back to her hotel. He suggested a night cap and she declined. "When are you going to start to shadow my investigation? I haven't had a chance to tell you that Dominguez and I tried to check out Brunatti's alleged girlfriend. It turns out she wasn't at the registered address according to the landlord, and he said she used more than one name. The apartment is registered to Claudia Nalini, but he was sure she received mail for Senorita Rossi. The apartment did have a number of abstract paintings stacked against a bedroom wall. Dominguez was looking around while I talked to the landlord and she doesn't know about the false name. I'm not sure, but she didn't seem to pick up on the paintings either. I won't raise the issue myself as she is pretty sharp. Maybe with your expense account you can get a couple of the paintings checked for DNA." He smiled and apologised for monopolising the conversation with Futureworld. "I'll get on to it as soon as I've talked with Pichler."

Konrad

Pichler was pacing about amongst the crowd which was already milling around the stadium. "What is the panic Konrad? Is there something up?"

"I hope you can tell me really. Have you heard from Adrianna or Leonid?" All of a sudden Pichler looked more concerned.

"No, I have not tried to contact Adrianna but I have called Leonid several times as I was expecting a delivery from him. Why are you asking?"

"Well I've been told that both of them are 'affected' by something. The same informant claimed that you were also subject to whatever it is. Have you been feeling ok?"

The reply was guarded. "Yes, apart from losing track of what I have been doing. Are you going to tell me I have done something wrong?"

"What exactly do you mean by losing track of time?"

"Well for periods of up to eight hours after assessing my stats, I have no recall of any detail of events. It is not every time I log-in, but it seems to be increasing in frequency."

Konrad gave him the tickets. "You go and claim the seats, I'll be in shortly." He waited outside to see if his theory had substance, and sure enough he received a message from Prometheus. It read 'I will be there in less than two minutes'.

This time Prometheus spoke. "You are almost tuned in. I must be quick as have to return to my station. Please let me speak without interruption. I know you are not Konrad Salina. You have special dispensation to adopt his character. You will be experiencing disorientation when you exit, but it will diminish a little each time. You also have some resistance to the treatment, Konrad had exceptional immunity. It is too late to help Adrianna Rossi. I hope that is not the case for the others. Whenever I give you confirmation that someone is affected, you have a limited amount of time to save them. You should go to Pichler now and advise him to be careful while you try to assist him on exit."

"Wait, who are you, where are you, and what does affected mean?"

Prometheus protested. "I have no time right now. I am on the Moon. The rest can wait until we stabilise the trend. Go." He disappeared and Konrad rushed into the stadium. They talked while Barcelona beat Espanyol.

"Heinrich, you must take temporary new residence for a while." He gave Pichler a card. "This is my hotel, come there as soon as you exit. Don't hesitate; I'll explain more when we meet there." He asked Pichler to memorise the name of the hotel and then burn the card.

Manuel

Prometheus was correct insofar as the nauseous symptoms were greatly reduced. He immediately contacted Butragueno and asked her to meet him at the harbour. He asked if she had told Duarte of the three names. The answer was in the affirmative but she was worried because he was apparently on his way to Barcelona himself. "He won't tell me why. It's not like him – he would normally throw in a red herring, he doesn't often simply refuse to talk."

*

Although they didn't want to make an announcement that a second ship had been launched to the Moon, Orient did so, purely and simply because it would have been detected anyway. It also had the benefit of 'openness' which really disturbed the Iberian authorities, particularly Central Security. Pierze could have done without this highly controversial speculation. He knew it would generate intense workloads even if there was no sinister agenda involved. No details had been given as to the cargo, so these details would only be known when the powerful SACRED telescopes could identify the approaching vessel, and more would be known when the landing equipment was despatched to the surface.

*

Duarte had called upon the Salinas at the Riu Principal before he left. It was a courtesy visit to let them know that there would now be further delays to any funeral plans as the scan results had demanded more investigation. "You should prepare for his body being transported to Madrid for the tests. I'm sad to have to bring such news; I hope it won't be too long before this can be brought to an end for you."

Salina was distant and his wife replied, "Thank you for letting us know Chief Inspector. We may now just travel to Madrid ourselves. We want his last resting place to be close to where he was born. That was his real home. Londonis was merely a place in which he took refuge." Antonio nodded in silence. Duarte could not help thinking he was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

*

Manuel contacted Gretz. "You said I should contact you if I needed any services. I need some items checked for DNA and run on a database for matches. I don't want to involve the police. Can you please direct me?"

The reply was affirmative. "Of course, I'm currently in discussion with my partners and I'll get back to you within the hour." It was a curious situation that he was employed by SACRED, yet he got the distinct impression that the other partners had given approval for the investigation, but they were not always in on the detail.

*

Duarte headed straight for Pierze's office. "Chief Inspector, it is good to see you, but nevertheless a surprise that it is in Madrid." The friendly tone belied his annoyance at being distracted when there were so many subjects demanding his attention. Duarte picked up on this veneer of welcome but said nothing. Pierze's secretary, who had shown the shabbily dressed policeman into the office, asked if they wanted coffee. Just as Pierze was about to politely refuse on the grounds of more pressing meetings, he was cut off.

"I think you may wish to have something a little stronger Ricardo." The secretary stifled an embarrassing grin; nobody addressed her boss by his given name, let alone this scruffy, impertinent minion.

"Please close the door Marina, coffee would be fine." Resigned to hearing out Duarte he gestured for him to sit. Duarte took advantage of the moment.

"When can I talk to Leonid Tirishev?" The name not only startled Pierze, it produced a volte-face in attitude.

"I need to know where you got that name and I need to know now."

Duarte smiled through the venom directed at him. "No Ricardo, you don't need to know now. You may know when I have more information. I've been checking police records to see if there has ever been a successful prosecution for 'induced suicide'. I'm currently awaiting advice from the Prosecution Service as I'm likely to alter the Londonis verdict, if they can support me. Now, can we discuss this sensibly? I may know even more than I've told you but I still believe we can be of help to one another. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that your primary objective is somewhat grander than linking a few unfortunate deaths. On the other hand I must fulfill my responsibility and tick the boxes on every single death on my patch. My only interest is to find the real cause of Konrad Salina's drive to end his life. If that takes me into your shady domain it would be better if we have an understanding of each other's sensitivities. For example, at this moment in time I have no interest in Heinrich Pichler."

Pierze's pupils temporarily lost their menace. "I see. I would suggest we wait until Marina brings the coffee and we can then take a short stroll." While perambulating in a nearby plaza, a small boy on roller blades ran into Pierze. The boy was hurt and Pierze hardly noticed; he was consumed with anxiety. Duarte attended to the boy – it was a minor graze but it produced many tears. His father rushed to the scene from twenty metres away and thanked Duarte but glared at Pierze. The incident served an unintended purpose. Accommodation of silence was not easy for Pierze, but this particular revelation by Duarte had him mentally skewered. The silence became an awkward one.

"Ricardo, are you alright?"

"Mmm, I think so. I'm worried about you. I have tried to tell you on more than one occasion that there may be danger in you knowing certain things. I have tried to keep the lid on many of them, but you have illustrated my failure. You should not be asking me about Pichler and I should be asking you how you came by his name."

Duarte tried to get him to relax. "I wasn't going to tell you this first, I owe that to Butragueno, but I've taken early retirement so there is no need for concern. My boy has been offered an academy place in Madrid, so my wife and son persuaded me to come and live here, to give him the best chance of making it as a professional. I'll soon have no use for the kind of information you claim will threaten me."

Pierze's eyes lit up. "Fantastic, I mean – congratulations to the boy, sorry I don't know his name."

"Emile, it was my choice, and the name of my father. I didn't know you were so excited by football."

Pierze had his predatory aura back. "It is not just the football Duarte. What will you do in your retirement in Madrid?"

Duarte chuckled, "You know me Ricardo; I'll deal with that when we move here." He studied the face in front of him and detected something brewing.

"Duarte, you may have retired from the police, but that would not prevent you from working for me."

"Wait a minute; you know I'm a detective. They seem to thrive on revealing things, not covering them up. I'm not..."Pierze interjected.

"Hear me out. You can be much better protected by my organisation if you are one of us. It does not have to be a heavy commitment and you could act as a consultant. The remuneration would certainly help with living in an expensive place like this. Would you talk to your wife and sleep on it?"

"If I'm to become better protected by joining you I need to know how. And why the knowledge is threatening. You could start by filling in the blanks with Pichler. I have a theory, as always, but I'm listening." Pierze said that he was only prepared to say so much now, but more would be forthcoming if Duarte accepted the offer and signed the official secrets declaration. They shook hands.

"There is a sequence involved. We do not yet know the basis of being chosen to be part of the sequence, but proof of the chain has just been obtained and Pichler is next. He is in serious danger."

"Ricardo, I had already figured out he was in a sequence and imminent danger. I need to know from what?"

"You may be sceptical of claims regarding stuff such as subliminal messages, brainwashing, mind control and the like. The early forays into this domain were largely auto-suggestion and reinforcement. This 'voodoo' reputation has however been shed, and the science has developed a long way in the last decade. Leonid Tirishev has undergone tests which clearly show the same pattern as Konrad Salina and Adrianna Rossi. The head of Hector Sidibe would probably be confirmatory to this sequence. We believe that many of the earlier deaths would also show the pattern, but Konrad was a turning point. Those previous to him are not thought to be connected by this 'relay element'. It is almost certain that Sidibe was supposed to take Konrad's head, as Rossi probably took his. Tirishev, we know was to take hers, and Pichler will be primed to take his. Some of this sequence is speculative and we will continue to search for the evidence to prove it. That is really as far as I can go right now."

Duarte pushed his hat back to reveal a tan line indicating its preferred position. "So, induced suicide wasn't a bad guess. You must be trying to figure out the purpose."

"Not really, we are pretty sure about that. It is more a case of who is behind it, and how the methodology will mutate. I have said enough, will you sleep on my offer?"

The hat returned to its gridline. "I certainly will."

## Chapter 16

The meeting between Gretz and his partners was about the second Moon launch by Orient. They had never really relaxed after the first landing was so close to their precious facility. They were also still unhappy about the level of security alert for the orbital elevator. As they believed that Iberian government officials were 'sleeping on the job' they resolved to add their own brand of protection. A scathing assessment of Pierze's department was the justification for a military scale investment for the elevator and the Moon. The former would be initially expensed by SACRED but partially reclaimed from the government, as it was deemed a shared benefit. Mercenaries were not in short supply but they needed the best. Gretz suggested they should divide their personal time to cover each location. It was agreed that he would deal with the lunar base. Verdasco would organise the defensive structure and procure the weaponry for the elevator, and Boniek would recruit the personnel to man this fortress. This would inevitably bring President Sanchez into the mix; such plans would deepen the cold war attitude of Orient. It may even trigger a response which Pierze would claim was the intent of Orient all along. It would justify them doing what they had already been accused of by Gretz. There could be grave consequences.

Following the meeting Gretz sent a man to meet with Manuel, take the samples and conduct the DNA checks from the paintings. Manuel was alerted to this and given a code word for recognition and another for verification of the purpose. It effectively meant Manuel had to stay out of Futureworld until this meeting had taken place.

*

Duarte had arranged to meet Butragueno in Barcelona before deciding on Pierze's offer. She was curious to know how the names she had given him had gone down with Central Security. He had an envelope for her, but waved it about in a multiplicity of gestures while he debriefed her. "I know that the names didn't come from Firenze, Butragueno. I thought you would have expected me to check them out for further information which you said they denied you." He waited for her reaction – she merely shrugged her shoulders and impatiently asked him to get on with it. "Pierze was incredibly shocked and concerned, which then resulted in confirmation that your source was accurate. I'll tell you more about that in a moment."

She protested. "Come on boss, this is our best lead yet - spill the beans." She noticed his sheepish demeanour.

"That's the point of my visit here. I'm not your boss any more. I've accepted early retirement." She couldn't contain her anger.

"Those pen-pushing, politically correct bastards, I can't believe they would do this just because we are straying a little outside the line. Didn't you tell them that Central Security is happy with our help and even facilitated my presence here? This could reflect well on the precinct as it is probably the most important case we've worked on together. And they should be pleased, as that is all they care about – the precinct's image." He smiled wistfully at this protective outburst, the like of which he hadn't seen before.

"Ahem, I'm touched by your support Elle, but that isn't how it came about."

"Oh no, it's Elle again, there's worse to come isn't there?"

He braced himself for the tirade which would surely follow. "I talked them into letting me go because Emile will study academic subjects and learn to be a professional football player in Madrid. I gave in to pressure from him and his mother to relocate here. The hierarchy was good enough to recommend pensioning me off with immediate effect."

The fuse had not yet ignited. "Oh, so that's why you came to Madrid – house hunting. Well congratulations to Emile and good luck to you and your wife. You look nervous, Duarte, are you going to continue calling me Elle? Never mind, you must know who they're going to thrust on me as Chief Inspector. I don't think I want to know. Don't tell me they're pulling me back to base to investigate 'appropriate crimes'."

"No you can relax on that score. I want to return to Pierze and his position on all of this. I only know the fraction he has been prepared to admit so far, but he has asked me to work for him in a consultancy capacity."

She snarled at him. "What? You can't seriously be thinking of accepting. He's a vampire and you will ultimately become a victim."

He nodded defensively. "I haven't decided yet. That's why I wanted to speak with you first." He handed her the envelope. She impatiently tore it open and was ready with a few chosen expletives. Instead there was silence, followed by a delicate trickle of lachrymatory fluid. The letter contained her notice of promotion to Chief Inspector. It also stated that it was on the recommendation of Duarte, despite the concern he expressed with her being overly dedicated to paperwork and precinct targets. She knew he had deliberately lied about this last part to ensure they would go for her selection. The tears were mixed with joy and sadness; it suddenly hit hard how much she had grown used to his eccentricities, which were ultimately more than compensated for by his care for others.

"I don't – I'm flabbergasted. That's why you called me Elle, isn't it? That's how it will always be now, I guess. I've waited for this promotion for so long, but I didn't expect it to be tinged with sadness because you would be leaving our professional relationship."

"That may not be the case if I accept Pierze's offer. He's concerned about me having knowledge which may put me in danger. So I must pass that on to you Elle, as it effectively means you have to be careful. He claims he can exercise better control of what I know, and therefore protect my family, if I'm in his loop on a need to know basis. He hasn't told me much yet in case I decline the consultant role. It can be summarised by telling you he'll pursue me to reveal where I got the information, about Pichler and the others. I'll tell him the 'truth' as it was told to me – from Firenze. However, you must be aware that wherever you did get it from, he's not far behind. Pichler is in danger and Pierze hasn't said he would save him, he suggested that I did, which now falls to you. He expects more of this to follow. I've declared Konrad's death as induced suicide. This should keep you here for a little while, but you'll be recalled to update the brass, organise your department and convince the coroner. I'll let you know of my decision before I speak to Pierze, and that's all I can say right now, other than this investigation is likely to go into areas where you and I are short on experience. Good luck." They embraced and as he departed she felt a second and more severe wrench at 'losing' Maxi Duarte.

*

The second Orient Lander had put down less than half a mile from the first and ominously, if looked at as two dots of a line to be extrapolated, projected directly to the SACRED installation. The 'spies' inside the complex had been instructed to take pictures with their sophisticated lenses, enlarge the images and send them on to Gretz before he made his next visit. They clearly showed an all-terrain vehicle transferring equipment and food supplies between the two habitat units. It then began assembly of a connecting 'tunnel'. Further enlargement indicated that the vehicle was remotely controlled but night vigilance had counted twelve different suit numbers, although there could be more who had not yet ventured outside. It did have the look of a colonisation programme and wouldn't have generated so much concern if it had been expanding tangentially to the SACRED complex.

*

When Pierze was called to an inner sanctum conference he knew he would be expected to deliver advice on the government position and strategy to deal with Gretz & Co. He wanted to keep his focus on SACRED, but most urgently the anarchist context of the deaths for which he now had links. He recognised this conference was a purely political manoeuvre on the part of the President's aide to let the people know he was on top of any threat from Orient, but in reality wanting to avoid culpability for any escalation in tension. Reluctantly, he traded on keeping Gretz, Verdasco and Boniek aboard by pointing out the obvious. The government, corporate bodies and the youth of the Republic had willingly put all their eggs in the SACRED basket. "This was countenanced not only as endorsing the principle but actually selling off the bad debt of the half-hearted colonisation initiative and hardware. It was a decision with clear and present irreversibility. Until that status changes, by restoration of investment and ownership, we are stuck with the monopoly upon which we depend, and its vulnerability to any Orient agenda. I submit we must begin to correct this dependency. I know you will say we do not have the resource, but neither did Orient, yet it is happening before our eyes. It requires a political sea change and in the meantime I'll begin to curb the strident unilateral attitude of the SACRED owners. The management of espionage in and about Orient will be intensified, but I'm afraid the current political placebo you are seeking to administer to the populous must come from the Foreign Office." The President's aide leaned and whispered something to Sanchez. It resulted in a comfort break. During this timeout Pierze was asked by the aide, Nelson Ortega, how he intended to shackle Gretz and friends.

"Your plan has merit, and in order for the President to endorse it we would need to be certain it wouldn't conflict with any message from the Foreign Office, which we would sanction to be rolled out for public consumption."

Pierze was delighted to respond with the caveat he had in mind. "I would not advise airing this detail in such a full cabinet, in which some ministers have also brought deputies. My intelligence people would expect me to protect their cover while infiltration is on-going. I can assure you that I have leverage to exercise on SACRED. You must rely on me to apply this delicately and responsibly. That is what I offer, and will be happy to be judged upon the result when the time comes. I doubt whether our friends in the Foreign Office will be so willing to put their heads on the block, and if you will forgive me saying so, that is your province not mine."

Ortega's cautious nodding was a good sign. On re-convening the President made it sound as if it was all his own idea, and that all bases were covered. This really meant he was in a position of maximum control to fire whoever screwed up, and therefore remain decisive, ergo popular. Pierze returned to his office a relieved man, although he knew there would come a time when the favour would be returned with interest by the Foreign Office. There was more good news – Duarte had agreed to sign up.

*

Butragueno had returned to Londonis and Manuel, having passed the paintings to his contact, was free to go back into Futureworld. The only factor holding him back was Pichler's no-show at his hotel. He wasn't about to arrive either. The chat at the stadium had him running scared. The symptoms of 'blackout' had intensified and the warning had inadvertently interrupted his cycle of addiction to the game. He had fled to Berlina, where he still had family and asked them to hide him in their basement for a while – until he gained enough composure to think straight. Manuel could wait no longer. He went in.

Konrad

He searched for Pichler, in his abode and at some known friends of his, without success. He was irritable that Prometheus had not made contact. This frustration kindled a desire to go to Central Security Human Resources and tell them to shred their rejection of his promotion application, as he was quitting. While sitting waiting to see someone on this personnel issue, he did receive a message from Prometheus. 'Do not proceed with whatever you have in mind in this organisation. Meet me on the beach at Sitges; it is a short train journey from Barcelona. Just go there, I will find you'.

He was perplexed but complied. He began to feel it was a hoax as the beach was extremely densely populated and over twenty minutes had elapsed. He felt a tap on the shoulder. "Sorry about the delay. I wanted to make sure no character movements would indicate you were being followed. That's why I chose this destination. What were you doing in Central Security?"

Konrad explained that it was for being repeatedly overlooked for promotion, and said he wanted to quit. He wished to provoke a predictable reaction. Prometheus had thought it was more serious than that. "I thought you were going to say something about me and what I had told you. In that case it's not a problem we are now discussing, but an opportunity. I will arrange for you to pass the next interview. We should do it through the normal channels to avoid suspicion, but I will alter the result."

"You can do that?"

"I can, but it does entail a small risk with such potentially transparent transactions, this one will be fine. I see you were looking for Pichler, did you speak with him on the outside?"

Konrad replied, stating he hadn't shown up at his hotel as had been agreed. Prometheus said he had hidden in a tunnel in a city sewer system in Futureworld.

"He hasn't moved for some time. His character will die soon."

"Why don't you talk to him?" Prometheus explained that would be dangerous.

"When I was asked to allow you to resume the character after your own death it was mandatory that I encrypted it further. This was to enable deflection of any rogue interrogation by other characters, and it was requested by someone who didn't want any chance of a slip up. I simply did what I was asked. It is hard to explain but I cannot use my character to interface directly with any other than yours. It would be risky, as you never know who you can trust. Even the person who asked for you to be allowed in through the back door did not explain why."

Konrad hesitated then asked, "If I can't find him outside and you can't help him inside, you need to tell me exactly where he is." Prometheus asked him to consider another possibility.

"If you offered him sanctuary and he didn't accept, he may have thought you were affected. Did you give him details of your concern for his safety?"

Konrad thought back to the stadium. "No, not really, I just assured him that the others affected were in difficulty. I wanted to talk to him on the outside."

"Good, we should avoid too much specific reference to items which may be highlighted in game searches. You may wish to consider he has gone underground outside, in order to deliberately allow his character to die. This would not make him completely safe, but would cut off further affectation from Futureworld, and perhaps help him in regaining true perspective. Unless he has been 'attended to' he can still contact you if he wants to. There is no new affected individual nominated as yet to continue the chain, but that will change. If he has fallen subject to elimination you will no doubt hear via the regular news reports."

"What do I do about Central Security?"

"Go back and tell them you wish to re-apply for promotion. Leave the rest to me."

Manuel

This time he did not feel too bad, a little light-headed but no memory lag. He got back to the hotel and looked up Prometheus. Apparently the myth claimed that he stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals. He was considered to be a champion of mankind, and endowed with wily intelligence. There was no message at reception indicating Pichler had tried to make contact. He decided to travel to Sevilla, as he had agreed with Butragueno that there was nothing more to go on in the Brunatti case until the DNA results came back. She was to fly directly there once she had concluded her staff setup in Londonis.

*

When Pierze brought Duarte to his office it was on the pretext of merely signing his consultancy agreement. "I want you to begin a new thread of investigation. We are progressing as fast as we can on the existing one. The footage we have has been cross referenced with records, to confirm the unusual number of civil servants who have been injured or killed in some of these protests."

Duarte said, "I'm listening."

"There is a very much stronger correlation index than one would expect. For example, the ratio of these employees to overall population, or that which our profiling people would normally ascribe to the makeup of such mobs, is high. There is an exhaustive list, and I suggest you start close to home. If you can obtain evidence or testimony of near certainty that the deaths were not caused by anything which relates to brain damage, get me ten such local examples. We will then scan them and you may see for yourself what this tells us. I realise I will have to get the paperwork for exhumation, but you can smooth that path by telling parents or relatives we want to find out why their loved ones were apparently singled out."

"You seem to be relying quite heavily on statistical profiling, yet you send a dyed-in-the-wool cynic of such hazy claims to investigate this humbug; which is being paraded as a science." Pierze had anticipated this. "Precisely Duarte, if you are convinced when you return I will know the haze has been replaced by direct and traditional investigation."

## Chapter 17

The respective procurement and recruitment programmes of Verdasco and Boniek were each gathering pace. The elevator perimeter exclusion zone was extended from a radius of two miles to four. It involved compulsory purchase of some domestic properties of the workforce, but the price was so beneficial to them that there was competition to be on the list. Sophisticated radar tracking equipment, for several types of incursion, was being installed. Plans for anti-aircraft missile silos appeared like mushrooms after summer rain, and the final array of protection would be a new concept. Hundreds of personnel capture mines would be mapped out and armed. These devices operated on pressure switches which were linked to heat sensors, releasing multiple clouds of chloroform, effectively leaving the captive ready for collection. Boniek had hired a master mercenary who sent potential candidates to him for scrutiny. The vast majority were being harvested from the Borderlands between Eastern Iberian territory and Western Orient. They had suffered atrocities regularly as the terrain was claimed and reclaimed on innumerable occasions, and they always suffered occupation. They had no agenda, no allegiances, no morals, in other words perfect for Boniek.

*

Butragueno joined Manuel in Sevilla but once again they felt it prudent to be in separate hotels across the city. When she was updated with Prometheus' hint that Pichler may have simply absconded, to allow his Futureworld character to die, she asked if the prediction had been accompanied by whoever was next on the list. She thought it was strange that his reply had been negative. "Manuel, I have my doubts as to whether I will find too much to go on here. I've been introduced to a similar set of minders as those I had in Barcelona. I think we might benefit from me doing a cursory check which makes the precinct happy, and then I apparently move on. You can skip in and out of your game and follow up the case here without the possibility of bumping heads with the precinct brass."

"Where will you go?" She wanted to go to Firenze. "I may be able to tie up loose ends if Duarte is willing to keep me informed as to what Pierze gets from Leonid Tirishev. That would help me bypass the Firenze precinct while I await the DNA on Brunatti's paintings. I can't get rid of the feeling that Rossi is a key figure in this, a bit like Konrad." They agreed, and she let the Sevilla precinct officers know that she was happy with the first round of checks, but let them stew on a possible return.

*

The Berlina Tribune front page on the TV screen caught Manuel's eye as he exited his hotel room shower. He immediately turned up the volume. A headless corpse had been impaled on the lance of a mediaeval warrior, the figure being part of a group of statues depicting an Iberian repulsion of barbarian hordes. The news visuals panned back to give perspective of the entire scene. The body then appeared to be comparable to a potato on the end of the weapon; such was the size of the statue. The local police stated that they were not yet able to identify the individual male, and were completely confused as to how and when it had been manipulated into position without being seen. A couple of fire service vehicles were busy trying to get the torso off the lance without further mutilation. One journalist pounced on a slip by one of the fire crew at the scene. A banner had been stapled to the chest of the unfortunate victim. He had described the motif and part of a message before he was silenced and prised from the hungry reporters. Manuel somehow knew it would be Pichler, and suspected that the police in Berlina already knew, but were not prepared to divulge the identity too soon. Chaos seemed to have engulfed the city. The police were forced by many levels of authority to say more about the banner. The motif was described as a red hand with clenched fist opposed to a black hand in an open gesture. No one had apparently any knowledge of this belonging to an organisation, terrorist or otherwise. The words were described with caution, giving the impression that there was some censorship engaged. They were a mix of Iberian and Oriental script, and it was claimed that they approximated to the same thing – 'The world was lost and now it is rediscovered'. This story, in Manuel's experience would run and run. It was global in implication. Butragueno contacted Manuel as she had the same confidence that it was Pichler. "What do you intend to do?"

"I was going to go back into Futureworld to make sure this is not connected to our investigation. It also occurs to me that this will fall into Pierze's lap. Do you think it's worthwhile asking Duarte about it?"

"Yes, that makes sense, but he may not be in on this if there is no link with SACRED. Maybe he can still squeeze something out of Madrid." Manuel said he would get back to her as soon as he could.

"By the way, your DNA results are back but not complete. There are only two individuals identified and they are both on police databases. Neither of them produced a match to the official records of Brunatti, but one is a perfect hit for Adrianna Rossi. My contact tells me that he can't really conclude more without the real Brunatti's body or verified DNA, but is equally adamant that the second person is highly likely to be the artist. I've thought about this and we can speculate of course, that Brunatti was a front for Rossi; or the charred body was that of the unknown artist; or that the artist is alive and Brunatti was consumed in the fire. The problem is lack of any hard evidence from the remains. I think it would be more fruitful to dig into Rossi's connection to Barcelona and Leonid Tirishev." Butragueno thanked him and agreed to start with Rossi again.

*

Gretz was back on the Moon and had, despite lingering concerns from the Iberian doves, brought a consignment of automatic weapons, RPG's and some new electronic jamming equipment. His visit was to be short but thorough, and he revealed a surveillance bug in the form of a mole. It was disguised in neutral packing and he divulged its presence and operational codes to only one individual. "I require regular reports on their activities. I'm told that if you programme it to set off in the wrong direction boring down to circa two metres as default, it can then be programmed to reach coordinates between the two habitats without ever surfacing. It will alter course randomly to avoid extremely rocky layers. This, I am assured, will mimic gentle seismic activity – the kind we have genuinely observed from time to time, due to Earth's fluctuating gravitational influence. This has been discussed many times on TV and Orient will know about it. Initialise it from inside the landing container where there is a preformed hatch to lower it to the drilling position without being seen."

Konrad

He didn't want to go back to Central Security until he had been contacted by Prometheus. He wandered around for a long time and was beginning to think the link had been severed. When it came the message was cryptic. 'Choose a corner of a square and seek the shade to sit.' He remembered that Prometheus was actually tracking him so it could be any square and any corner as long as it was in the shade. He figured it would be the closest square and proceeded to a tapas bar which was deserted by the sun. He took a pavement table rather than an inside one and deferred his order until his guest arrived. Prometheus exchanged pleasantries as he took the seat adjacent rather than opposite. Konrad waited but was urged to go first.

"It is Pichler isn't it."

"I would think so. His character has also died so you can't learn anything from him."

Konrad pushed hard. "No, but I can learn much from you. I think you should start talking."

Prometheus was surprisingly forthcoming. "If you can confirm for certain that the torso is his I can direct you to potential perpetrators, but I warn you these people are very uncompromising, and there are many of them. You should accept it as knowledge only, not as a directive to apprehend or arrest them, even with the help of the police or armed guards. They would find you and erase you without question."

"I take note. However, I would like to know more about why you are following my character."

"I told you already that when I was asked to merge your identity, to enable you to play an existing character, it was a first. In all the years I have been encrypting there has never been a single opportunity such as this. My tweaks were riding on the back of the highest authorisation in SACRED, to seamlessly allow Konrad to continue. You are my only hope of getting out of here, but I must be extremely careful how I try to execute this."

Konrad still looked puzzled. "How long is your contract? I was told they were normally five years."

"You could say I was signed up for life." This did not sound like the modus operandi of the Gretz he knew, and Konrad pressed on.

"Ok, without prejudicing your cover, tell me what it will take to get you out by other means.

Prometheus said with absolute solemnity, "The collapse of SACRED."

"What? You mean that's the only way?"

"Not the only one but the only guaranteed one." Konrad thought he could actually feel the anxiety in the voice of what was a pixel-based character.

"Presumably you are aware of SACRED's nervousness about this Orient base which is being constructed on the Moon, not so far from your position?"

Prometheus smiled for the first time in this session. "Yes, but if the intent was to eliminate this place, that would not be a promising scenario for those who work here."

"I know that you know that my sponsor and your highest level of authorisation are one and the same."

He nodded before Konrad continued. "I have found him to be absolutely straight, yet you said last time that even he could not be trusted. Why?"

Prometheus took a while to respond. "Even if he is as honest as you say, it is at odds with my being here. You must never discuss this with anyone else – and I mean anyone, is that clear?" Konrad waited breathlessly, and gestured affirmation. It was not what he expected to hear. "I was brought here against my will."

Konrad was amazed. "By Gretz?"

"No, I would never forget the voice and it was not his, but I have no idea what the man in question looks like, as I was fitted with opaque contact lenses and given a white stick. I was told that I must never reveal the truth, and I have no idea how many others have been given a similar ultimatum. The man was possibly in one of the lower echelons of the corporation but somehow I can't believe Gretz knows nothing of this. I must leave before I am suspected of something."

"Like what?"

"We have time allocated for recreation, including TV, movies and of course SACRED. I can't be seen to interact with you from my encryption station, so I have to do it from a player's booth. There is currently a queue forming, it is too risky." As he left he crumpled a piece of paper and threw it on to the tablecloth and left a lighter, seemingly by mistake. Konrad considered it strange, as they hadn't been given serviettes, having only ordered coffee. When Prometheus was presumably logged off, he picked up the piece of paper and unfurled it. The same motif from the banner stapled to Pichler's torso was on this scrap of paper, and underneath was a kind of name - Rojo-Negro Mano. The more ominous scribble was simply 'Beware'. He logged off himself.

Manuel

On exit he was disappointed that Prometheus had cut short their discussion. He had wanted to ask again about the mechanism of characters being chosen then the real person becoming 'affected'. It would be first on his list next time. He wanted to go to Berlina but knew it would be impossible to get near the body. He contacted Butragueno and told her of the warning to avoid Rojo-Negro Mano.

"What is it?" she asked. Manuel said all he knew was that it was a cult or an organisation, which was completely without scruples in whatever they are trying to achieve.

"I'm almost certain he knows more than he pretends. Red-Black Hand sounds like terrorism to me but he didn't enlarge on whether it's active in Futureworld, as it undoubtedly is in reality. Perhaps Duarte can run it past his new boss, as the motif is now an item known by the entire world."

She acted on this immediately. "Hello, what do I call you now?"

"Take your pick, I decided on Elle for you, so go ahead – surprise me."

"Ok, I'll follow your lead and it will be Maxi."

He chuckled. "Nobody has used that for years, yeah - I like it. I suppose this isn't just a social call."

"No, I have some more information for you in no particular order of importance."

Duarte cautiously said, "Go ahead then."

She went for the most useful one to him as first choice. "I believe the news from Berlina, which we have all been saturated with, definitely involves Pichler." Duarte's response was a long stretched out drawl. "Go on..."

"Well I didn't get this from the Firenze squad, but I could have – that's where I am right now. I would rather not say over the communicator, but when we next meet I'll enlighten you as to my source. Anyway, have you discussed this with Pierze?"

"Not yet, he's got me out chasing shadows at present. Why do you ask?" She reminded him of the obvious.

"The statement that they have not been able to identify the victim in a murder case is bound to fall into his in-tray. Anyway as he was next on the list I gave you, what about his predecessor on that list, has he got more out of Tirishev?"

"Yes, although it is a confession of something Pierze already suspected – he was supposed to take off Rossi's head in the same way as he suspects Rossi took off that of Hector Sidibe. One thing does sound odd though, Tirishev doesn't want to be released now and he asked for police protection. He'll be lucky to get that from Ricardo."

She was beginning to put together the picture Pierze had described to Duarte – serial induced suicide. "Well Maxi, the last item is one of sheer curiosity. The motif on this banner which was displayed on what I'm sure was Pichler's body, is from some clan or cult named Rojo-Negro Mano. Are you going to ask him about that?"

"Why would I do that Elle?"

"Because I know more and we can help one another if you find his response intriguing. Bye Maxi."

Duarte would ask about this in the morning. His family was still settling into new accommodation and he wanted to see his boy in a training session with the other academy recruits.

*

Pierze was immersed in high profile media-driven stuff that he despised. He also wanted to keep his face as anonymous as the job would allow. He wanted a private meeting with Gretz, but he didn't want to be at the forefront of investigation into Pichler's death. He knew this was going to deflect his attention from monitoring the chain of induced suicides, and was livid that somehow Pichler had evaded them when fleeing from Barcelona to Berlina. He did know of reports about Rojo-Negro Mano but couldn't see a link as yet. He would let his subordinates deal with such a public soap opera.

## Chapter 18

Konrad

Prometheus was instantly in touch with a message. 'There is a park ahead with an outdoor pool'. They splashed around independently for a while. Prometheus always needed to be sure of something before acknowledging Konrad. He was about to speak but was beaten to the punch. "I suppose you may have another name for me, but I want to know much more about selection and means of this affectation process which invariably leads to death. I've accepted that there is a limit to what you can do to interfere in terms of prevention, but you have already taken risks in what you say to me, so tell me as much as you can."

"You cannot imagine what is at stake here. I have been told nothing except to execute this protocol or that instruction, but I have gradually worked it out, and that is why I can't leave. However, as you represent my best route to freedom, I suppose I must trust you again on a one-to-one confidence basis. I get a list of encryptions, exceptions which carry penalties, and codes for initiation. Those individuals on initiation codes are the candidates for treatment. They are not in any order or priority and the initiation codes always run between twenty and fifty ahead of the treatment codes. You are right when you guessed I had more names for you, but this time there are seven, which indicates a change of gear to the operation. Please understand that a concern I have apart from my own escape, is the welfare of my family. I'm frequently reminded of their fragility; their lives are totally dependent upon my silence and compliance. Therefore I will not disclose my name. Whoever is officially investigating this grooming process must act more quickly if they are going to expose the truth. They must obtain at least three sequential heads from deaths, including and after your brother. The examination of the brain can verify certain activity but the secret lies in the brain stem. I have a diagram to give you which is difficult to understand, but it is crucial for you to get it expertly interpreted. I suggest you try to remember the names first, then as much as you can before destroying the drawing. I have to assume that the investigation has not yet obtained three such heads."

Konrad was trying to digest all of this. "Yes, er no – I mean no, they haven't got three consecutive heads. Sidibe's is missing; he was between my brother and Rossi. Tirishev is alive but we are sure Pichler is dead and his head is gone. We need to expedite the search for Pichler's or Sidibe's head otherwise we are waiting for someone else to be activated, with the uncertainty of being able to intervene."

"That is correct. They, the perpetrators have been successful with Sidibe but Rossi fooled them with an alternate suicide. Being thwarted will potentially alter the programmed means of death to one of higher risk – murder, and that would trigger the inevitable post-mortem. In such scenarios they must ensure retaining the head. I must go." Konrad wanted more but also needed to memorise as much as possible, as quickly as possible. He also reflected on the suggestion of a change of gear in this operation. He wondered whether it would be prudent to attempt to bring all forces and lines of investigation together. Prometheus had declared something massive was at stake and no one could be trusted. He felt that the gathering momentum was maybe going to cut back on the lead Futureworld had given him, compared to the outside situation. Could Prometheus' entrance to the game have been detected?

Manuel

He wasted no time in calling Butragueno. She managed to get the first word. "The paintings were not created by Alessandro Brunatti. I had an expert in Firenze look at them and he immediately recognised them. After satisfying himself that they were originals, he told me they were the works of Vittorio Radanelli. He is long dead and never really made an impact on the art world despite producing hundreds of oils and a few watercolours. He was hardly known, even in Firenze, so his work could be claimed by Brunatti in Barcelona without a problem."

"Yes, that is great El, I think you should get ba....."

"There's more. The paintings would have not been worth much anyway but my expert revealed something which makes them even less valuable in art circles, but priceless in our investigation. They carry messages which have been implanted recently, presumably by Brunatti. The expert was able to give approximate dates by ageing tests. I can't yet determine what these messages reveal, so I will head back."

Manuel was relieved. "Fantastic, I was going to ask you to do exactly that. I think we must meet with Duarte in Madrid and maybe others afterward. Something is about to change. I'll make my way there now. Contact me on your arrival."

*

Meanwhile Duarte was walking to Pierze's office and enjoying the stroll. Madrid was an architecturally impressive city. The blend of structures, boulevards and greenery was easy on the eye. He had never availed of this in Londonis and the weather there hadn't helped. When he arrived, the slight exertion and the higher ambient temperature than he was used to had caused him to perspire profusely. He appeared to be totally unaware of the odour he was creating. Pierze was not. He replaced his jacket and turned up the cooling control on the air conditioning. He preferred to shiver than be assaulted by Duarte's rather fetid bubble. Duarte's use of his given name had been tolerated but in this pungent atmosphere it grated more than usual. "Ricardo, I have come by some information which isn't related to this civil servant trawl you gave me, but could be a lot more interesting." He was going to unload Butragueno's questions, but not in the same order. Pierze seemed disinterested when he mentioned Rojo-Negro Mano.

"Duarte, we believe that to be a complete red herring."

"How so?" Duarte's surprise was obvious.

"Having researched this organisation some years ago we are certain that its connection with the impaled body is a contrived distraction for the public. It has existed for a long time, and is a relatively small charitable organisation which specialises in helping unfortunate citizens of Orient, who do make it across the border and are not subsequently deported. At first we were suspicious of their activity actually being sponsored by Orient itself but that proved groundless. The motif and the words are supposed to herald a more unified clarion call for human rights. We have kept a watching brief on them, as we would with all such promotion of policy outside government stance, but they do a good job and actually lower tension at many border points. Orient has to express disapproval of it in principle, as we do, in trying to keep the border closed, but both regimes would be worse off without them. You can imagine how distraught they are at their banner being hijacked for such an act of atrocity."

Duarte was temporarily wrong-footed. "Why would the perpetrators do this?"

Pierze was direct. "There could be a number of reasons, depending on who they are. Our prime suspicion at present is that they are warning us that they know we are making progress in the investigation, and that things may be about to take a different course. It is a very public warning and that is probably the most worrying aspect."

"This is only a theory then?" Pierze's eyes narrowed and Duarte observed the same steely anger he had experienced on their very first meeting.

"As a police officer you were dedicated to dismiss all but factual evidence and that can sometimes be difficult. Our brief is almost the converse of that in its mode of operation. We have to predict the crime as well as investigate, and often this means we have to 'fantasise' about agenda, methodology and feasibility. You know, no matter how sophisticated a security system is in design, the criminals more than match that ingenuity by the constant flaw – humans. Opportunity, temptation and corruption conspire to make the breach. It is the same with political agenda – things are rarely what they seem to be. Therefore, our effort must always be overlaid with various conspiracy theories, so that we don't miss a trick. We may well be wrong about the motive for this banner being used for such purpose, we have an open mind. There is also the theory that the head may have been removed by different people than those who impaled the corpse on the lance. Medical examination should clear up blood flow patterns before, during and after death. Did you have anything else?"

"Yes I do. What else have you got out of Tirishev?"

Pierze became business-like again. "He is being kept in custody until we conclude further tests on his neural activity. He is happy about that. He appears to be telling us the truth. It is just that he isn't telling us much. He knew he had to take Rossi's head, but cannot recall any ultimate destination for it. He knows he wasn't to get rid of it, but not why. He knows where he had to take it, but not who would collect it, or why. Rossi lived in a quiet first floor apartment behind the Palazza Di Congressi, in Firenze. He says the head had to be handed to someone he would meet the day after her death in the grounds of the Congress complex. He was to deliver it in person to a man with a specific number tattooed on his inner wrist. The head was to be passed over in a locked cooler box. He did notice a reference that the man should have been wearing a conference badge in his lapel; it was to denote 'Advances in Neurological Techniques'. We are still hopeful that we can release some of his suppressed memories."

Duarte decided to leave it at that. Departing the office to reclaim the ambience which began to regenerate attack on his minimalist personal hygiene, he received a message from Butragueno. 'I'm on my way to Madrid. There's a good reason for this and I suggest we meet. I'll contact you again in the morning. Please keep this proposed appointment to yourself for the present'.

*

The third Moon launch was announced by Orient, indicating that this programme had been in planning for years rather than months. All of the ground-based rockets had been launched and controlled from the remote outback in Sea Garden. Iberian intelligence reported that there had been regular and heavily guarded convoys from Osaka to the Antipodes over the last fifteen months. Aerial surveillance pictures had now been enlarged to give maximum resolution and the cargo was a reasonably good match for what was now on the Moon.

This caused Gretz, Verdasco and Boniek to conclude they were in this alone. Iberia's posturing bordered on appeasement and they had to further increase their defences. Reluctantly the topic of nuclear warheads was broached. Gretz felt that Verdasco's urging was misplaced, as did Boniek. Orient's chosen lunar base being so close to SACRED had precluded a strike without causing collateral damage. "Think about it logically," said Boniek, "they have little to lose – a few primitive habitat units, whereas we lose everything, and they know this."

Gretz concurred. "And on Earth we cannot expect Iberia or Orient to stand by idly, while we build or purchase loaded silos. We are business people not a military junta. We should stick to commonly perceived defence deterrents, but advertise the degree of depth we have provided." Verdasco conceded and in so doing shifted the discussion to vulnerability of each component in the system.

"We can handle the Moon for some time, unless Orient was prepared to despatch a warhead from Earth. Although that seems unlikely right now, we must continue to avoid complacency. Investment in intercept electronic counter-measures should be considered in future. The satellite ring is the weak link, as it is much more difficult to defend than to attack, however the elevator must present the most attractive target for them because it nullifies our supply line to the Moon. In the short to medium term we could only cover that by investing in ground rocketry now."

The debate continued into the small hours and had not yet included a glaring weakness, to which they seemed oblivious. The summarised action was to continue to build up conventional defence armaments on the Moon, make the elevator complex the priority by trebling the mercenary presence, and reinforcement of the perimeter with a man-made circular moat. Crossing this water barrier would only be accessible by a drawbridge, operated from deep within the elevator structure, at a height of over three hundred metres. As well as the visual advantage of such sentinel capability, they would add a specific radar sweep facility. The cost of these plans was astronomic and reflected the cost of not executing them, being ultimately more expensive.

*

The triumvirate of Butragueno, Duarte and Manuel met at the latter's hotel first, and then proceeded to an organised people's festival as cover. Duarte had not expected to see Manuel, who broached the benefits of broader cooperation. "As this is my suggestion I feel obliged to give an example of exactly how we may lose ground if we fail to act. The full dynamics have not yet been realised according to my source and we're already struggling to keep up. Duarte, please note that the names Rossi, Tirishev and Pichler came from this source, not from, but through Butragueno, and apparently you surprised Pierze when you mentioned them. I knew about Pichler going to ground, as I had implored him to stay with me. It was later that Pierze's men lost him as they didn't know the strike was imminent. Does this surprise you?"

"Some of it does, but carry on."

Manuel suggested otherwise. "I think El may have a different slant to acquaint you with."

Butragueno reminded Duarte that her information had come indirectly from the Brunatti checks in Barcelona. "Rossi was his girlfriend and he helped her to distribute instructions via paintings from his art studio under her false name. We have DNA back up for this."

Manuel took the initiative again. "I have seven more names for you, but also something potentially more important to the wider picture. To me it seems irresponsible to keep working in separate compartments if we can have mutual benefit. In addition I have to update my sponsor and we may want to factor that in."

Duarte immediately grasped the significance of the last remark. "Yes I see that is a necessity for you, and at the same time a pity that we have to share information with a potential suspect. Pierze however, has been talking of arranging a meeting with your sponsor, because of the 'aggressive' nature of Orient's Moon programme. He's trying to calm the waters in the cabinet. It could prove to be an opportune way to eliminate Gretz' involvement, or discover more about the panic investment by him and his partners in the defence of SACRED. I'll suggest this to him."

Manuel shook his head and smiled. "No, no Duarte, this is not how it will work. We've told you quite a bit about what might happen next, but withheld further detail. You know, as we do, that Pierze has been pursuing the route of scanning brains of designated victims. This may tie up with information I have. If so, we could regain some lost ground, so I've been forewarned. There will be some acceleration in activity, and it has been impressed upon me that what is at stake is almost unimaginable. If Pierze wants to cooperate it has to be full and transparent otherwise we aren't interested. In fact we need assurances before we'll agree to a meeting. I'm due to brief my sponsor in forty eight hours."

*

Duarte looked at Butragueno and sensed the same resolve. He also believed Manuel had managed to infiltrate some organisation in order to have such precise advance information. He was ahead of Pierze in all but technology. He worried about whether his new boss would see it that way. Pierze was actually more curious than Duarte had anticipated. "Seven more names. Do you believe this?"

"Well it's the same source as last time. Even if I thought Manuel Salina wasn't reliable I know that Butragueno is, and she stands by the authenticity. My leaning is that it's bona-fide." Pierze pursed his lips as if he was about to say something then sat down, swivelled his chair to gaze out of the window and remained so for over a minute.

"You say that they have the paintings."

"I didn't see them but I'm sure they have. If you..." Pierze's internal gearbox resumed auto mode.

"It would be advantageous to know all they have to offer, before he goes back to his sponsor. It is quite irritating that we don't know the identity. You say they are focussed on our brain scan research?"

Duarte quickly dismissed over-reliance on that. "They were quoting examples, they stressed it was full sharing or nothing. Ricardo, you and I have previously traded tit-bits and it worked in the particular circumstances. This is different, yet you haven't asked me for an evaluation of the broad but irregular concept of the transparency they seek. I think they know you are in a weak position. I know it because you've got me killing time on civil servants' deaths until you have more pertinent avenues for me to investigate. I've realised for some time you haven't divulged certain detail you have on the brain tests to me, but I'm only a consultant and it suits me in my current situation. How would it be if they get there ahead of you and they are still too late to prevent this disaster? You will be in an awkward spot. They don't know what the predicted disaster is but you profess confidence that you do."

"You are fishing Duarte, and without bait."

"No Ricardo, not fishing actually, I'm quitting."

Panic flashed through Pierze's eyes. "To work with them – I don't think so."

"No way, you got me to sign all sorts of declarations in the context of official secrets. I came out of retirement for the wrong reasons and I don't want my name, albeit in a bit-part role, engraved on the list of failures headed by your good self." He offered his earlier prepared letter of resignation and gestured to shake hands. "You see Ricardo you are more transparent than you think you are."

The handshake was declined. "Very well, ask them to specify a safe venue and we can explore the situation. You can take this back."

Duarte's riposte was not foreseen. "No. You haven't really been listening. You'll meet with them and stall on how any such proposed cooperation should be mutually agreed, all the time hoping to tease just a little bit more out of them. They don't need you. Iberia needs to know how to best combat the threat you're presiding over, and Iberia will be your judge. I'll pass the message on and attend the meeting, but my resignation gives a month's notice and stands. In a month all could be lost. You told me yourself that a change in scale is anticipated but they knew that already." Duarte left and contacted Butragueno to get back to him as soon as possible on a time and venue. "Can you ask Manuel to delay his update to Gretz by twenty-four hours?"

"Right, I'm on it."

## Chapter 19

Manuel had hired a car and arranged to pick up Butragueno, then meet the others at a service station on the outskirts of the city. They then drove to a scenic picnic area and settled at a table with only four seats. There was no one within earshot. Pierze felt obliged to state up front that no notes should be taken or any of the conversation recorded. The others didn't have a problem with that. Manuel opened with a 'demand' for Pierze to begin. "We've leaked several bits of information to you already, some of which you knew of but thought nobody else did, and some which are completely new to you. If we're to progress from here it's your turn."

Pierze struggled uncharacteristically to find his words. "You must appreciate that any means of sharing information is to remain strictly off the record. There can be no exclusions to this."

Manuel's facial expression was loaded with sarcasm and the response even more so. "Look Pierze, if you've come all the way out here to quote from your Central Security bible we can leave now. It's bullshit – you know it is and in case you have forgotten, my father was your predecessor, so I also know it is. You have to deal with that, not us. It would help greatly if you didn't burden any future cooperation with that tedium. The most pressing criterion we are both up against now is time, it is finite and this can't become a rehearsal to see if you can trust us. It really is make your mind up time. I'm waiting to hear what you have discovered from the brain scans you have conducted and what you think it means, because I know something which may suggest you are on the wrong track."

Pierze was taken slightly off guard and reacted badly. "If that is the case you owe me at least some verification of your source. As far I know it could be anyone, in Iberia or Orient. There are such people as double agents you know."

Manuel rose from the table. "Ok, let's go, this was a waste of time. You're in for a big surprise Snr. Pierze, and not a pleasant one. In fact I can see your tenure being the shortest on record."

Butragueno's mind was in lock-jam, but fortunately Duarte was tuned into Manuel's veiled implication. "Ricardo, I think what you're facing is unavoidable. He has to update his sponsor and that alone, as you do not know who it is, can have all manner of influence on what happens next. That includes inadvertently showing your department in a very poor light. For example, what if he or she decided to publish the seven names Manuel has been given, through the newshounds? What he's requesting from you is a show of good faith, with the possible benefit of his information being validated or proven to be wide of the mark."

Pierze motioned for Manuel to sit down. "Very well. The scans from the deceased – Konrad and Rossi indicate something which we have suspected. The one on Tirishev gives clearer living proof that what we suspected is in fact correct. I have mentioned only to Duarte that some time ago one of our top scientists went missing. His work was related to directing external messages to the brain. It has a lot of potentially sinister uses as well as obvious benefits in healing or correcting mental illness. After exhaustive efforts to find him we got nowhere. Most of his research files were deleted and we assume copies went with him. So we are left to contemplate either abduction or him selling out. Before we began to think of who could be involved, it was important to evaluate what the technology might be used for. The protests against SACRED also started around this time and my previous department looked at these kind of trends carefully. We found a pattern of the same faces appearing in demonstrations all over the Republic. The second pattern showed they were dying not long after having risen to some position of authority in the protest structure. Whenever we could get a scan of one of the deceased it showed this strange signature. We eventually pieced the evidence together to link it to the work of our missing scientist. Then the picture changed with Konrad's suicide. Until then the deaths were random in being accidental, or violent in being confronted by police, or homicide, drugs, alcohol poisoning etc. They also appeared to be random in terms of time or interval. We believe now that Konrad and perhaps a few others somehow cottoned on to this trend, and became a threat to whoever was orchestrating the operation. We still had a few names at that time simply because of our surveillance pictures. The process was modified to become one of induced suicide in a sequence. Going back to the research we have lost, it contained investigation into the use of neurogenic pulses to alter cerebral perception. This is the detail which has evaporated. However we have since repeated certain work and found a way to detect the signature of exposure to such pulses. There is not always the same behavioural response from the target, but the signature is undeniable. Some individuals have high resistance, others are affected immediately. Konrad was one of the resistant types, as was Rossi. We believe that was why they were targeted. Konrad's frustration at not being able to get anyone to take this preposterous story seriously must have pushed him into using his own death to open the can of worms. Rossi was similar, she did not comply with the prescribed way of ending her life and that gave us the chance to apprehend Tirishev. You gave us Pichler and now we have run out of names. To summarise, there is a systematic process of manipulating designated people by mind control, in our midst. We know that it is in some way connected through SACRED, but maybe not just protestors. The demonstrations presented us with obvious candidates on TV. Recently we have begun to investigate a strange ratio of deaths to attendees, amongst civil servants at these demos. Duarte is assisting in a covert investigation, as we can't be sure as to whether some of our staff could be affected. We have dismissed the Rojo-Negro Mano connection for reasons I can go into later. You do not have to convince me of how serious this could be, or become. I also do not have any more information on our missing scientist. He must be involved, and is a key means of halting the operation, as he will have been asked or forced to educate others, leading to an up-scaling point."

It was more than any of the others had bargained for, and they could ascertain just how difficult this admission had been for Pierze. It was however a pivotal moment in their appreciation of what they could be up against. The reciprocation began in earnest. Butragueno detailed what they had found about Rossi's link with a previous victim and the messages embedded in the paintings. "We have extracted the codes but are awaiting the decryptions."

Pierze nodded enthusiastically and turned to hear Manuel's revelations. The tip about looking at the brain stem was potentially very helpful and made him think about who could have given him this kind of detail. Manuel passed the diagram which he had re-created as accurately as memory would permit. Pierze wanted more clarification about the need for the three head sequence comparison. Manuel could only repeat what he had been told. "If you conduct your examination of the brain stem it will apparently make it clear. You have two in the sequence; presumably they will illustrate a possible connection, and if you can find either Sidibe or Pichler's head it will serve as proof."

It was Butragueno who halted the conversation. "If Konrad, Rossi and Pichler are main targets then both Sidibe and Tirishev are intermediaries. You have Tirishev in custody so surely there is something further to be learned from him. He doesn't have to be dead to reveal the secret." They all agreed it was worth a try and Manuel said he would propose this to his contact and see if it met with a positive response. Pierze tried once more to elicit the identity of this source but was disappointed. Manuel explained why.

"There is something you aren't going to believe Pierze, as it does stretch credibility, nevertheless it is a fact. My source, who I shall not name, for fear of them being detected, is in the SACRED game Futureworld." He waited for a response before deciding whether to go further. Duarte began to mentally buffer this outrageous claim by joining a few dots from the first part of investigating Konrad's video, and evidence in his deposit box.

Pierze was ahead of him and said, "Remember I said that Konrad's resistance was very high. In addition we have always been puzzled about why so many protesters were often violently against the very thing which was causing their addiction. It is akin to a drug addict finding that their fix is free as opposed to unaffordable, and in unlimited supply. They must have realised they could only stop this if some Samaritan in the government shut down SACRED. You will note that I said SACRED, and not Futureworld. The game is their defence and cry for help. They wanted the game to be open, as the internet used to be, and the controlling side of the organisation nullified. Of course this runs counter to the ethos and founding cornerstone of the SACRED protocol. Rather than doubt the veracity of what you say Manuel, we must protect this conduit by any means we can. I have been trying to arrange a meeting with Sorin Gretz to discuss concerns that the President has, over his build-up of weaponry on Earth and the Moon. I will use this as an opportunity to broaden the agenda to see if I can learn more about how this game is controlled."

Manuel digested the trade-off quickly. "I'm breaking a confidence in one sense but I believe it's justified. Sorin Gretz sponsored me to conduct this investigation. He wants me to X-ray the SACRED structure as part of that brief. He doesn't want any surprises to emerge about his own organisation, before he knows of them himself. I believe that he's genuine in this respect. On the other hand my source says he cannot trust anyone in the organisation. The complication is that these two people are responsible for my participation with Konrad's character. Gretz authorised it without telling Verdasco and Boniek, and Prometheus is the only one who could apparently handle the technical side of it. So, if you really want to protect the source and my participation, I would advise against tackling Gretz on anything other than the arms build-up at this time. It goes without saying that he mustn't know of our conversation today."

Pierze said he would comply, and wanted to get back to get started with the brain stem analysis. When they had split up Manuel wanted to go in again.

Konrad

He had the usual wait before Prometheus contacted him but at least he now understood why. They walked along a river bank while Konrad explained how Pierze was going to expedite the brain stem work, and this was welcome news. "I wanted to ask, if instead of having to wait to find a third head, they could use Tirishev in any way?"

"Yes I did mention this should be done. Obviously they need further guidance. With the already severed head or corpse it is painstaking work, but obviously not dangerous. With a living person there is a risk. They are looking for a microcellular implant in the brain stem, which is uniquely keyed to the particular person who has had the treatment. There is a difference between those of high resistance and the conventional type."

Konrad interrupted. "I think there is something else you should know. They already know of this variation in resistance, and they have pinpointed what has to be resisted – neurogenic pulses."

Prometheus seemed greatly relieved. "Excellent, in that case they should find Tirishev's implant by deep scan procedures. I will give you the typical settings for his level, but please stress to them to search in a predesigned grid. They must then limit the exposure of unsuccessful scanning to three minutes, and at least intervals of two hours, otherwise he could suffer permanent damage. Now that you have raised the term neurogenic pulse, I would like you to convey to your people that this is sufficient to control compliant subjects. Neurogenic streams are necessary for highly resistant individuals, and that is why they will find a link if they scan successfully with Tirishev. Finally, this discovery will eventually lead them to realise that the protestors are the tip of the iceberg. There are many thousands already controlled by simple and regular pulses. That is why time is short."

"Jesus. I'm sorry but I must ask you this as it seems we are highly dependent on each other. Were you formerly a scientist working for the Iberian government?"

"No, I cannot risk telling you more, but I have never worked for the Iberian government in any capacity. I have thought about how you could help me in trying to identify who brought me here. It is highly probable that it was someone in the SACRED organisation or in their undercover employment. If you can possibly arrange to record voices, beginning at the top of the pyramid, I will be able to instruct you on how to embed them in media which you can bring into Futureworld. Sorry I must go."

Konrad had meant to ask if it would be useful for him to track down some of the names he had been given, while he was in Futureworld. There was too much to do on the outside, and he thought it could be a risky venture, even though he had at last gained his promotion in Central Security. He called into that office to settle into his new desk, catch up with paperwork and generally ensure his game play looked normal. One of his new assignments was to the current think tank on Orient's activity on the Moon.

## Chapter 20

The Borderlands

Because of Boniek's almost exclusive procurement of the master mercenary's recruits from this region, it was noted that their appearance was very different to the cosmopolitan population of the area around the elevator they were guarding. They had Oriental rather than Iberian features, and the stark contrast together with the recent Moon launches had spread concern amongst the local inhabitants. News of this had filtered its way through to Pierze and he typically arranged to be brought up to date with the origins of these people. The process ultimately led to him having a personal lecture from an expert on the historical derivation of Orient. Just as Iberia had come into its current position by a number of decisive campaigns, beginning with the Spanish Armada, so Orient had a similar pivotal beginning.

The lecturer began. "Our story begins with the Mongols." Pierze had an overflowing in-tray and wondered – 'why in hell have I recruited this eccentric old history anorak at such a critical time?' He made a mental note to switch him off, if after five minutes, he could have got it all from history books - at his leisure. The lecturer would have been exceedingly tall without the combined effects of age and gravity. His spine was severely curved and his long, straggling white hair compounded the urge to rate him as a walking anachronism. Pierze lowered his expectation by asking for a summary first, and then he would ask for expansion of the most interesting parts. The old man nodded and continued.

"The geographical picture must be understood to fully appreciate the enormity of the achievement of these nomadic hordes, and perhaps more importantly, how it has influenced where we are today. There is a corridor now in existence, which more than any other feature defines how the empire of the Mongol Khans was a catalyst for the aggregate we now call Orient." Pierze's interest clicked up a notch.

"From Northern Kazakhstan, which borders with Southern Russia, around the Caspian Sea, through Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and finally Pakistan, we see this corridor. It is known as the buffer zone or as some people would say, 'no-man's land' between Iberia and Orient. It has for many decades been the lubrication which has helped dissipate friction between the superpowers. However, this is well known, but the historical cause is not, and the price being paid for it even less well realised. Genghis Khan, originally known as Temujin, was born in 1167. He lived in a world of continual conflict between rival clans inhabiting the steppe or grassland, which stretched from well inside Eastern Russia to Europe as it was known at that time. This grassland was an important element in the future conquests as it was suited to swift raids and skilled horsemen. Having somehow managed to forge a paternalistic rule over the warring clans, the new name of Genghis Khan was bestowed upon him. It roughly translated to 'All Encompassing Chief'. Never having enjoyed this kind of unity in living memory, the Mongols began to expand their influence in 1206. Within nine years he had made major gains in China and indeed taken Beijing. By 1220 he had also spread into India. Three years later Crimea and parts of Southern Russia fell to the unstoppable Mongol tactics. The great Khan died in 1227 and one of his sons succeeded to carry forward the ever expanding empire. Ogedei Khan made one of his first tasks a tribute to Genghis, by turning the modest headquarters of the nomadic people into a bristling, modern, shining example of their power. He named it Karakorum. In 1235 he ordered his armies into Europe, after overwhelming Korea and more of China. By 1241 inroads had been made into Poland, Germanic states, and Hungary. After his death there was a lot of wrangling over the leadership, which eventually fell to a grandson of Genghis Khan - Kublai, who became the next great Khan. In 1252 he re-opened the Eastern Front and by 1267 underlined his ambition by transferring the headquarters from Karakorum to Beijing, and simultaneously gave his grandfather the posthumous Chinese title of T'ai Tsu – meaning Grand Progenitor. The expansion had at last begun to run out of steam and this hiatus resulted in internal squabbles which were placated by declaring three independent regions. The Western province was ruled by Hulagu, and he had the embarrassment of suffering the first real defeat for the Golden Hordes, as they had become known. In Mesopotamia he was pushed back by the Baybars, thus preserving Palestine for the Mamelukes. This loss indirectly produced the major turning point in history for this part of the world. Unrest spread like wildfire and although the guilty were never found, a plot to assassinate Kublai Khan succeeded. The subsequent vacuum preceded inevitable shrinkage of the greatest empire the world had seen since Alexander the Great.

"Now Snr. Pierze, think about the territories the Mongols brought to heel at the zenith, and you will find that it covers the core of what has become Orient today. The culture of this hegemony was largely destroyed by the marauding hordes, as they did not tolerate what they did not understand. What they left behind was an enforced clean slate. As their day was done the Mongols slowly receded to this corridor we talked of at the beginning. It was not their point of origin and this has always been a source of simmering hatred with them and their descendants over the succeeding centuries. The period we are talking about predates the rise of Iberia, and here is another salient point. The squeeze which arose from that Republican machine ensured the hatred was re-focussed on these Western butchers. They could not reclaim, in their opinion, the rightful ownership of lands now recovered and controlled by China. At least these rebuttals came from a people who were partially intermixed with their own blood. China used this very effectively to limit levels of two-way migration. The scourge from the West however continued to decimate their numbers; it was the only feasible way to get at the Chinese. Centuries of to and fro between the emergent superpowers eventually drew a line in the sand, but the line was figuratively, if not actually, a line of Mongol descendants. I think this may be what you were concerned about. If what you say is correct about your defence of the space elevator being dependent on a force, which is exclusively drawn from mercenaries of the Borderlands, I believe you are right to be suspicious. The anti-Iberian character is hard wired into their DNA."

Pierze was both fascinated and on the verge of panic. "Thank you Professor. Would you be so kind as to leave hard copy of your lecture with my PA; your fee will be fully reimbursed." The old man trailed out of the office looking considerably taller than when he entered.

Pierze's meeting with Gretz had just become top of his 'do now' list. He made contact through intermediaries, as would be the case with humdrum diplomatic agendas, so as not to plant ideas of urgency or worry at the request. He conveyed the feeling that is was a perfect gap in his diary, because he was already scheduled to be in Swiss Iberia for other reasons. It apparently worked, and Gretz made time, but his two co-owners were understandably occupied with their respective defence plans. Pierze seized this as an opportunity to speak to Gretz before the meeting. "I know you have not been happy with the government's response to sharing this burden with you and I would like to re-visit the subject, as I have some leverage I can exercise on this." This was met with genuine enthusiasm by Gretz and he set aside the whole day for Pierze's visit.

Reflecting on the Professor's hard copy of the lecture, he cycled through all the possibilities he could think of, from this borderland army merely being temporary monetary employment of seasoned 'Legionnaires', to the most complex of conspiracy theories. He knew already that he had to broker a visit to the elevator to clarify his thinking. First he would make a call. "Professor Castillo, I have had some rather disconnected thoughts since you briefed me on the Borderlands. This Rojo-Negro Mano humanitarian group, as you know, had their banner displayed on the torso in Berlina. The group is dismayed about this. Do you have any idea why perpetrators of such a brutal killing would do this?"

"This is on the very edge of my expertise, and would involve a lot of speculation, but I believe I know what you suspect. The refugees from the Western checkpoints of Orient flood into these lands and cause many difficulties for the indigenous population. They believe the traffic would diminish if Rojo-Negro Mano was not there, and therefore see it as an instrument of convenience for Iberia. If your question requires an answer free from speculation, it is absolutely certain that if Rojo-Negro Mano was not protected by Iberian border forces, they would be attacked."

Pierze was happy with the reply. He was however furious following a communication from one of his field officers. He had despatched several teams to shadow and this time protect the seven individuals whose names he had received from Manuel. His officer suggested he got to a Northern Iberiana TV news channel immediately. The graphic horror of the scene was magnified by the news reader explaining that the tragedy had happened only an hour ago. The location was on a section of the ring-road of the Eastern seaboard city of Santa Constanza. The carnage on the motorway stretched back for almost a mile and the tailback much further. The police were cagey but had to admit the details which had precipitated Pierze's anger. Seven individuals had handcuffed themselves to one another and made a circle. It was assumed that they had leapt from a flyover into the oblivion of high speed oncoming traffic. The bodies of the suicide victims were in various multiples or fractions of the individual victims. The camera moved on to one such shot, two and a half people were embedded in the front of a massive truck and the handcuffed 'half' attached to the duo, consisted of the leg, arm and a chunk of the torso. What appeared to be the rest was spread like paste, over at least thirty yards of surrounding road. The head of this or another victim was coated on to a car tyre, the police officer pointed to an eye which was stuck in the tread. Two more parts of the corpses were smeared on the central barrier, and that police officer indicated that the dismemberment had been more severe because the handcuffs were on both wrists and ankles of all seven. The task of piecing these bodies together was going to be very time consuming. A further torso was stretched out like dough, to almost double its original length and had a hand of another attached to one side, and an arm plus a foot on the other side. So far as the police and ambulance service could ascertain, the resulting pile up would run into hundreds of casualties, some in traffic which had ploughed into vehicles on the other carriageway which were going in the opposite direction.

This story would occupy prime time all day and the questions would accumulate well ahead of any answers, even if those answers were known. Pierze had tried to act swiftly in tracking down the seven, because Manuel had claimed time was short, but he couldn't have anticipated they would all be together and in a part of the Republic which hadn't yet experienced such induced suicide. Furthermore, none of the seven were born or domiciled in that region. He was going to be mired in deflecting accusations of presiding over increasing anarchy within Iberia. He flew to meet Gretz.

*

Manuel and Butragueno agreed that he needed to get more from Prometheus, but this was derailed by an incoming call from his mother. "Manolo, I'm afraid I have terrible news, your father is dead." She waited for a response. Manuel's first reaction was that such news was not so terrible. She continued. "He has foll..done what Konrad... I can't bring myself to say it out loud. He died the same way."

She couldn't continue in a coherent manner, and Manuel intervened. "Mama, I'm so sorry. I'll come as soon as possible. Please don't speak to the media until I get there. I love you Mama."

Butragueno was in a quandary. There was something troubling Manuel deeply and yet the way he dispassionately talked of Antonio's death was eclipsed by his worry about his mother's emotional state. She resisted the urge to pry or just embrace him in his present turmoil. She was therefore taken aback when he did exactly that. He sobbed while trying to maintain control, squeezing her to him again and again. Her own resistance gave way and she responded, whispering, "Your mother needs you, she's alone and you need her don't you?"

He quietly said, "Yes, I've needed her for a very long time. Sit down El. There's something I've carried with me for so long now, and it will probably re-unite me with my mother. I must however, avoid it spilling into the media, it could kill her."

He indicated that he wanted to spare his mother some of the fallout from Antonio's actions, both present and past, but that would only be possible if he could run another person to ground. "I'll make a quick entry to Futureworld and then go to Madrid. I'll talk more about Madrid when I exit."

Konrad

This time it did not take long for Prometheus to join him. Konrad wasted no time. "You've seen what happened in Northern Iberiana, did you have any idea this was the intention?"

"Let's catch a bus to the central station, there is more cover there." When they had alighted and began to mingle with the throng of commuters Prometheus replied. "No I had no idea. I only get the names, codes and encryption requirements, before I have to begin transmitting the pulses, or the stream, if the subject is resistant. What the instruction means is known only to whoever sends it to me. The accompanying authorisation with the instruction I receive is 'Omnia', but that is obviously a tag. This incident illustrates that even I have underestimated the acceleration implied. Do you know if the police there have recovered any undamaged heads?"

Konrad shook his head. "I don't know, but I fear the investigating authority and Pierze in particular won't be overtly asking about this until the media frenzy begins to subside. Do you have more names then?"

"Not yet, but they will come. You must enter more regularly if we are to act in time."

Konrad agreed. "One further thing, do you recall any programme that Konrad, er I, was working on with Hector Sidibe? I can't rid myself of this feeling that we discussed it before my suicide."

The reply was not long in coming. "Yes, and it also involved Rossi. The process I mentioned last time about the microcellular implant was the subject. This tiny transceiver had to be fitted on Earth of course, and resistant subjects were abducted in order to carry out the installation. Once fitted, they could be sent neurogenic streams to regularly suppress memory of it. During their more lucid periods they tried to track down the implant source by contacting hundreds of protestors in Futureworld. This had two consequences. First, it alerted whoever is sponsoring this technique, and also it was the genesis of the resistance movement. And now this resistance is being systematically eradicated. When you asked me if I was in fact some missing scientist, I later thought that this could be 'Omnia'. It fits, and I am now thinking that it was him or her that the resistance was after."

"And you have no idea where, geographically, your instructions are coming from?"

Prometheus thought on this and eventually said, "Not specifically, the transmission always carries a central signature but as a forwarded attachment. I have not been able to see any pattern because they correspond to different locations each time. However, I sometimes have to query instructions before executing them because of duplication of personnel codes. It is likely that the replies, if the case in point is urgent, will be sent directly. I will dig into my retained files to see if that produces any pattern."

Konrad thanked him and said he would check in again from Madrid.

## Chapter 21

Manuel and Konrad

As he prepared to leave for Madrid, Manuel asked Butragueno to call by his hotel. He began by saying he hoped that she would respect what he was about to tell her. "I need your help and your understanding in this delicate matter. When Konrad was born my mother agreed to act as if he was her own. She knew the identity of my father's lover, and also knew about the payoff she had been given by my father to give up her child, without any requirement for future access. This amounted to a very comfortable living for this woman. What my mother didn't know was that from an early age my father had abused me frequently. I had just about got to the point of telling my mother when he said that if ever anyone found out about 'our little secret' he would lose his job, and we would be so poor that Konrad would have to go to an orphanage. It ensured my silence until he switched his attention to Konrad himself. For some reason I can't explain, I felt worse about my helpless little brother than I had when I was the target. I made the mistake of mentioning the nightmare to my father's brother, uncle Sebastien, and they had an almighty row one day when mother was out. Sebastien tried to convince my father that he had observed disturbing gestures toward Konrad. He was trying to keep me out of it. Not long after, my uncle lost his job, and I was too young to suspect it was my father's doing, but he tried to tell me he had talked to father and was satisfied that I was mistaken. The abuse stopped. Konrad and I never discussed it. It has now come full circle and my mother is at the centre of his filthy legacy. I need to trace this woman covertly, because she stands to lose her comfort zone, when his will is read, unless he has provided for her. It would be appreciated if you could try to find her while I help my mother with the various arrangements. I'm really sorry to ask this of you, but at least you now know of some of my father's disgusting secrets. He was a man of insatiable greed. When I was older and escaped the suffocating family nightmare, I tried to rationalise what had happened to me during that time. It was impossible to place oneself in the mind of a man who obviously had no respect for his wife, took a lover, and at the same time abused his children, all of this being underpinned by a relentless craving for power. I feel that I'm so close to revealing the missing pieces, but I'll never have closure. Can you do this for me?"

"Of course. What's her name?"

"Sandrine Benitez." She hugged him and they parted, with tears streaming down each other's face.

*

During the meeting between Pierze and Gretz, the latter received a message; his secretary laid it on his desk pad. "Well that is a surprise." He passed it Pierze. It was a report from the Moon stating – 'Two new habitats landed. One either side of the second in the series, so all three of those run tangential to the SACRED complex. Mole has not detected any suspicious activity'.

"I'd say it is a very welcome surprise Snr Gretz. I still wonder how many of these habitats they are going to send. The cost must be astronomic. If only they would talk to us, maybe we could even help."

"In precisely what way would you think we could help?" Gretz always had one eye on the volume of business Orient would generate if they took service from SACRED. Pierze wished he had not made the remark.

"Simply by selling them a launch licence from the elevator. Maybe they could also benefit from your experience with lunar living."

"An interesting concept Snr. Pierze, but when you say 'we' you actually mean my own organisation."

"Naturally, I only meant we could broker this together, so that they knew we were comfortable with it in principle. You would of course reap the proceeds." Gretz said he would think on it and suggested they talked about the defence of his realm, not the realm. Pierze explained that he was in the minority which supported government assistance to protect SACRED, and now he had garnered more interest from colleagues, in doing precisely that.

Gretz was completely unmoved. "That may be, but we had to take immediate action. Quite frankly we're pretty disgusted at our government's attitude. We took this lame duck off their hands, restored Republic-wide communication to enable banks and other infrastructure to run again, and they thank us by allowing all of that to be put at risk again. I'm afraid your overtures should be described as 'too little – too late'."

Pierze was disappointed, but knew Gretz was right. "I am pledging my support for you being compensated in full, for your outlay in protection costs. However, don't you consider the defence of the elevator exclusively by borderland mercenaries a bit of a risk?" Gretz admitted it was not his decision, but was assured of their absolute commitment to defend the elevator at all costs and against incursion from any source.

Pierze altered the thrust. "I wanted you to know that we have really increased our efforts on getting to the bottom of these deaths which have been linked to protests against your corporation, and indeed have made significant progress."

"Well that is good to hear, I welcome that news, do you have anything you can tell me right now?"

Pierze calculated his response. "Analysing all of the evidence to date I am personally certain that the agenda of those behind the deaths has a much wider objective than SACRED alone. We are supported in this view by technology which minimises speculation, and I should be able to say more quite soon."

Gretz challenged this notionally by asking about the carnage caused by the seven handcuffed suicide victims in Northern Iberiana. Pierze shifted in his seat a little. "There is some evidence that they could be known protestors, but at present we have no idea why they would congregate so far from their domicile, to engage in an act of total disregard for the innocent people they have killed by this insane act. We have yet to do detailed tests to see if they fit the newly established profile we have discovered."

Gretz smiled. "You don't really have much to tell me do you Snr Pierze? I can't believe you came all the way here just to tell me this. What is it you want from me?"

"I think we both know a little more than we are willing to disclose at present. It is a pity, but there we are. There is one thing I would like to do if it can be arranged in the not too distant future. I would like to visit the elevator. If you or one of your partners could accompany me it would be much appreciated. This is a request, but of course if necessary I can get a warrant to push this through."

"Are you truly concerned about these borderland people?" Pierze deflected the word concern by stating that in his job one had to be concerned about everything.

"I am not overly concerned but it does come under national security so it has to be checked off my list. I may have to go to the Moon sometime too, but I am not looking forward to that. That is why I wanted to see you personally and I did hope you would have accepted our belated help in addressing security issues other than straightforward military style defence."

"I see what you mean." Gretz became a little more conciliatory. "Let me discuss this with my fellow owners and I'll get back to you. In the meantime I think it would be more beneficial if Constantin Boniek accompanied you to the elevator. He has been responsible for the recruitment programme and can answer your questions far better than I can." They shook hands and Pierze departed. He planned to visit the Borderlands next, but this was thwarted by being summoned to meet the exalted one. He was required to explain why the progress on the protest deaths was so slow, particularly the latest, in Northern Iberiana. When he tried to say they weren't yet certain that the motorway disaster was orchestrated in the same induced suicide way, he was cut off and told to arrive before the President delivered his address on TV.

*

Manuel arrived at the old family home to find his mother in a beleaguered state. Apart from the recent horror of finding her husband swinging from the main bedroom balcony, she was still not allowed to bury Konrad's body. When he spoke to her about Antonio's suicide in more detail she revealed that, primarily because he had been such a senior officer in the government and heading up the security service, there was still some doubt as to whether he really took his own life. This aroused Manuel's interest as he had never thought of his father being capable of doing something like that. "Were you in the house at the time Mama?"

"No, I came back from visiting my friend Maria; she is in hospital after an operation on a tumour. I was in high spirits as she had been told they had managed to extract the entire offending growth. I had only been away perhaps an hour and a half. The housekeeper had finished her cleaning routine and had stepped out to get fresh vegetables for a late lunch. I got back before she did and as soon as I drove through the security gates I could see that he was....he was, well you know."

Manuel comforted her. "Take your time. You called the police immediately?"

"Yes. Well not immediately, I was in a state of panic. I tried to contact one of his oldest colleagues in the department as I was all mixed up in my mind. He told me not to do anything until he got here. The housekeeper had returned before he arrived and she helped to calm me down. Bernardo came with another two men. I didn't know them, but they took photographs and after perhaps half an hour they called the police. Bernardo stayed and the other men left. The police seemed concerned that I had called Bernardo first but accepted my instinct to call a friend was apparently not all that unusual. It was later in the day that they began to ask questions which Bernardo thought were inconsiderate in the circumstances. He was asked to leave the room while they continued with me and the housekeeper. They had a forensics team here very quickly and told me they would have to treat the incident as suspicious, until they could rescind this view, because of lack of evidence. That is when I called you. They took the body and were careful to keep him shaped as they found him. I overheard one of them say the geometry didn't stack up. It has all become too complicated for me to understand. Perhaps you should talk to Bernardo." Manuel said he would do that as soon as possible.

*

Butragueno asked Duarte if he was prepared to help in finding Sandrine Benitez. He responded positively but events overtook them. She had sold her story to a prominent Madrid newspaper and now the TV was all over it. She had claimed that her love child had been prised away from her by a combination of threats and financial inducement. The article painted her as a victim of government cover up and announced that corruption could not be ruled out. Benitez said she was distraught when Konrad's suicide became headline news, but Antonio Salina had prevented her from travelling to see her son's body, under threat of 'serious repercussions'. His death had freed her at last after all those years of denial. She was being portrayed as a heroine. It also exposed Manuel's mother as being complicit with the arrangement, simply by keeping quiet and raising someone else's son as her own. The newspaper invited challenge to this by declaring Benitez was happy to cooperate with DNA comparison, which would prove her claim. It stopped short of introducing bank statements which would verify the claim of a financial sweetener. This was clearly going to be a serialised attack on the Salina family and the government which employed Antonio. Manuel's concern in all this was for his mother, and he still worried that what he had told Butragueno might emerge from this witch hunt.

*

On his way to brief Sanchez, Pierze was given an astonishing claim from his technical people. With the guidance from Prometheus they had isolated the microcellular transceivers of Konrad, Rossi and Tirishev. But the even better news was the recovered content. They had decoded instructions to each which fitted with the suspected sequence of suicide and decapitation. In the case of Tirishev, as he was still processing mental patterns through the unit, he was potentially capable of becoming a type of 'double agent'. They needed to have a means of post-adjustment of the incoming pulse, which he had continued to receive in custody. This could subsequently be further modified when residence of the pulse had been confirmed by the encryption of the sender. The controllers would know he was being held, and when released would likely take steps to terminate or re-indoctrinate him. The adjustment would allow him to articulate the instruction and then resume his normal character, but behave as if he was still 'under the influence'. This would potentially create a situation whereby Pierze's men could apprehend the hit-man or the next new target. Pierze could not envisage the senders just ignoring Tirishev if they let him go. This was for the ears of the President only. He had also shifted his position a little on Rojo-Negro Mano. After the Professor's discourse, and Manuel claiming that Prometheus had hinted that these people were dangerous, it warranted more investigative resource. He was going to use the new discovery to tell the President that his visit to the Borderlands was crucial. He was not diminishing the importance of what had occurred in Northern Iberiana, but rather avoiding heavy government presence in it, while evaluating where the release of Tirishev would take them.

*

Butragueno's code breakers had news from the paintings. The decrypted messages had a common and a specific content. The specific parts were tailored to individuals to attend clandestine meetings. The common part was in relation to finding the missing scientist. The chronological sequence of the paintings Butragueno recovered had led the resistance to accept that the man's trail went dead not all that long after they had begun the search. Pierze had always resisted mentioning his name. Despite the probability of him working in a remote and heavily guarded research facility, the resistance had managed to promote general concern about this through Futureworld. This had obviously worried some of the scientist's co-workers, that they could be next. One of them had eventually broken ranks and spoken with Rossi in the game. He was summarily barred from further participation, indicating that there was an Overlord within SACRED, which they had previously claimed was the case. Rossi was told outside of Futureworld that the research facility was closed and quickly relocated; the informant was then completely lost to the resistance and the search stalled. The one potential breakthrough the decryption team identified was the name of the scientist Anil Singh. Records showed that there was no such person ever employed in Pierze's former technical department, so the name was false, but they had a start. It was a veritable needle in a haystack search. However, he must have been reported missing, because the informant had revealed that due to the relocation 'Singh' had to send his family back to Lisboa, or the surrounding suburbia. The local precinct had reams of missing persons, many of whom were just runaways and homeless individuals. The problem here was that the resistance had been told his wife was from Portuguese roots way back, and the children had Iberian names. There was no breakthrough so the chase stuttered to a dead end. Shortly after this search ended, the induced suicides began. Butragueno had a flash of insight. She thought about this as if she was trying to protect the identity of the missing man. They would probably have threatened the family into withdrawal of any report they may have lodged with the police. It was a long shot, and she asked Duarte to use his employment by Pierze to run a check in Lisboa, for all withdrawals of missing persons for whatever reason, during the period in question. "There is one other thing Maxi, it may be nothing, but Prometheus mentioned something to Manuel in the game. He said that the instructions he received were always authorised with the username 'Omnia', it could mean something to someone close to him if he is being held against his will. What do you think?" He thought it was worth a try.

*

Manuel went to see Bernardo. He was not welcomed as a grieving son. This gave him the distinct feeling that his 'photographers' may well have been searching for something at the house, something that he would not want the police to see. "Sit down please. How can I help?" Bernardo Cortez was almost a miniature version of homo-sapiens. Barely five feet tall, and by continually employing assists, such as heels and high chairs, he was cruelly portrayed as someone who was always doing the bidding of a 'higher' person. In fact that was his remit – to tidy up the mess created by others, the most recent example being Antonio Salina.

"My mother says you were kind enough to come to the house, after she discovered my father hanging from the balcony."

Bernardo was definitely uneasy. "That is correct." He then offered an explanation without being asked for one. Manuel decided to change his approach. Bernardo continued. "It is pretty standard procedure when a senior officer of Central Security dies suddenly. We have to ensure that the local police do not accidentally discover highly secret documents."

"I see. But my father had resigned, surely one of the first things he would have done concurrent with that would be to surrender any sensitive material."

Bernardo was steadfast. "Yes in normal circumstances, but these were not normal. He resigned from Londonis and only returned to Madrid later. We assumed he would have brought the files in at the earliest opportunity, but when your mother called me, we had to assume he was suffering some kind of mental breakdown. For him to commit suicide he must have been 'out of control'. Your father would otherwise never have departed from procedure."

"Did you get what you were looking for?"

"I am not at liberty to discuss that."

Manuel appeared to accept this. "Yes I see that, yet your associates took photos of certain items."

"No comment."

"Bernardo let us try to put an end to all of this innuendo. You are aware, and most of the population is, that a certain Sandrine Benitez is rocking the boat. I happen to know, because I overheard her and my father talking when they thought that they were alone, because my mother was attending a ladies' function. I was young and terrified that my family would be splintered by what I heard. I had no idea at that age, of what could be so important about the documents, but I copied them from his printer when they went to bed. These forbidden papers always acted as an aphrodisiac for him. I hid them in my garden house. It was years before I re-visited them and I began to see the significance. I can perfectly understand your hurry to make them safe again; that is as long as I keep my mouth shut. Well thanks Bernardo. I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. It can be our little secret if the police are happy with suicide, although my mother said they had doubts, and took a lot of care in removing the body to their laboratory. You know where to find me if you need me."

He detected further unease in Bernardo and this gave him belief that the diminutive little bureaucrat had indeed taken some damning evidence from the house, probably the safe. He was pleased however that Bernardo had also swallowed the fairy story about the copy he had taken during his father's assignation.

## Chapter 22

When Pierze suggested that his briefing was for the President's ears only, he met with the expected resistance from his aide, Nelson Ortega. "Yes, yes Ortega, I have heard it all before. I would advise you to speak with President Sanchez; if he decides to inform you of what I have to say, then that is his decision. If you insist on being present when I conduct the briefing I will offer my resignation – and I am sure yours will follow soon after."

It took over fifteen minutes for him to be shown to the stately office, which was decorated with pictures of past leaders, including Philip II of Spain. Some of the furnishings were originals from the Renaissance period, and were utterly priceless. The sun came from behind Sanchez, and wasn't conducive to relaxation for the interviewee. They began with the President's monologue of his responsibility to the people, which Pierze knew was merely a reminder that the President's own head was dangerously near the block. However this only spurred him on to interrupt. "I have extremely important and incredibly sensitive information. My purpose in asking for this to be a one-to-one session should become obvious. The individual we have been holding in custody from the Adrianna Rossi suicide is named Leonid Tirishev. We have discovered from our latest scanning equipment that he has, like potentially many thousands of others, a microcellular transceiver implanted in his brain stem. He was not aware of this, but it has been installed and he has been subsequently instructed through it, to do the bidding of the organisation responsible for these induced suicides. I am of the conviction that this will prove to be the case for the Northern Iberiana Seven. The implications are clear – Iberia appears to be under threat from within. The ramifications of this information spreading are manifold. I have reliable data that the process is currently undergoing transition from pilot phase to mass scale-up. Therefore protection of this knowledge and time are of the essence. This rogue organisation must be flushed out into an adequate containment structure to avoid collateral damage to the Republic and your position. I am scheduled to visit the Borderlands to further investigate any connection the perpetrators have to this region. I have also released Tirishev and he has been 'modified' to allow us counter-control, if and when he is contacted by the hive. I believe he may face elimination, due to his cross-examination by my people, but there is an outside chance they will re-target him. In either scenario I have issued orders to correspond. He will give us the potential assassins or act as a double agent for us. Sir, this entire conspiracy is coming toward a point of no return; we must act now and without the risk of accidentally taking in the plague via a 'wooden horse'. That is why I am asking for your support in this."

Sanchez wore the expression of an air traffic controller who had just been informed that another thousand planes had entered his zone, and was processing this when the radar went down. He also recognised that Pierze had made sure the decisions were all on his coveted desk, by handing him hard copy of the request – sealed, signed and delivered. Sanchez began to experience trickles of sweat in all those uncomfortable areas, but acquiesced just as Pierze had hoped he would. "I want another briefing when you return from the Borderlands, and this time I want you to come to my residence. I will send for you."

*

Duarte had almost given up when he got a tip-off from one of the Lisboa ex-officers. This man had been around at the time in question, but was now retired. He still enjoyed the occasional drink and game of veterans' tennis with old pals at the police sports complex, and he had overheard Duarte's name in a conversation amongst one of the younger teams. When he had asked how to contact Duarte, he feigned to the young detectives that they were old friends from way back, but had lost touch. After contact they had agreed to meet. The man said he could recall a hullaballoo over a case which was originally reported in Estoril, some distance from Lisboa, but was suddenly ordered to be erased from the database. When he had tried to explain to his superior - that it was not possible to erase something which was not there - the panic evaporated. "I sniffed the scent of cover up, so I contacted Estoril, and they said they had received information from the lady whose husband was missing, that he had returned safely. They closed the case and informed Lisboa, as they understood it had been reported there for entry to the main database. I asked one of our whizz-kids on computer forensics to check it out for me and it had indeed been entered, but deleted before the official withdrawal in Estoril."

Duarte probed. "Do you remember any details, such as names, addresses?"

"Not the address, but the name has always stuck in my mind. Lopez, her name was Bianca Lopez. I think the husband was called Viktor, but I can't be sure. I never heard any more about it even though I reported the computer forensics to my boss." Duarte thanked him and set off for Estoril.

Butragueno tried to contact Manuel to tell him about Duarte's lead but he was unobtainable and she assumed he had gone in again.

Konrad

Prometheus was quite agitated. "I have thirteen names, six of which are for pulses and the rest to be streamed. It looks from the encryption structure very similar to the handcuffed seven." Konrad reacted by demanding the names to begin memorising them before exiting as soon as possible. He was checked by his ally. "That is not all. I've been sent an entire months work, which is very unusual. It is not a list but a complete programme; all of the codes are to be encrypted within the programme, and worryingly all with the same instruction. I have not been able to isolate the exact instruction but my encryption form is concentrated on mass activation back on Earth. There are over one hundred thousand repeats in the loop. It has begun; they must be sleepers waiting for the activation signal." Konrad's mind was racing, but he remembered to ask a question on behalf of Pierze.

"You said that these Rojo-Negro Mano people were dangerous, how do you know that if you have been on the Moon so long?"

"Because the majority of the workforce here is from the Borderlands and they are members of that cult; these people are very intimidating indeed. By the way I did find a pattern of sorts when poring through my instructions from Omnia. They correspond to an egg-shaped cluster within Balkan Iberia, and the few which are direct emanate from what approximated to the sharp end of the egg." He gave Konrad the drawing and left him to learn and destroy all of the information. It would be a while before he could exit. He also needed to show up for work at the office of Central Security to avoid being fired.

Manuel

He felt a little more tired this time. He wondered if he was about to be discovered, as his character of course should have died, in the minds of whoever inserted the transceiver in Konrad. They obviously knew the real Konrad was dead. Prometheus had told him that Konrad was the only character he could interact with. 'I should have asked him to confirm he had tweaked my character to avoid interaction with all but previous contacts'. He would ask next time. There was no time to lose, but he found out from Butragueno that Pierze had already set off for the Borderlands. Duarte was in Estoril.

He pondered whether he should put his trust in Gretz. The names had not registered with him in Futureworld, indicating that they may not be protestors. Both he and Butragueno decided to go immediately to Estoril as Duarte had the only secure means of contacting Pierze. They took the precautionary step of calling at Central Security, to put his second in command on alert \- he could expect an urgent programme to be required for a Northern Iberiana style operation. Manuel wrote the names down for the deputy and they left after he apologised to his mother for departing once again.

*

Sandrine Benitez had disappeared. She was due to assist with the next installment of the character assassination of the Salina family, but could not be traced. This naturally set the newspaper off on an organised crime sub-thread. It concentrated on her possible exclusion from Antonio Salina's will and they asked the question aggressively – 'What has happened to the source of Sandrine's regular cheque?' It was apparently overdue.

*

Pierze could not have been more annoyed when Duarte made the call. "Hold on Ricardo, all you have to do is initiate your team, they've already been alerted."

"Oh, that is a relief. I will do that immediately."

"Wait, this could have been left on the back burner, but I think you should also know that we think your scientist is called Viktor Lopez." The silence told its own story but Duarte pressed on. "Does the word Omnia mean anything to you in this context?"

"No, I don't believe so, but what the hell has th...." His mind was a blur, and then it came. The secret unit in which the scientist had worked for him had an emblem. A large reproduction had always hung on the wall of the highly secure reception area. In the corner of this flag-like emblem was a small circle, inscribed with an almost unnoticeable motto, 'Omnia tempus habent', which had intrigued Pierze. His curiosity led to the translation for this Latin extract from the book of Ecclesiastes as, 'All things have their time'. "My God, yes Duarte, you must have found him. I shall return as soon as possible."

Duarte calmed him down for a second time. "No hurry yet, I'm afraid. I have strong evidence from his wife that after he disappeared she reported it and then was subject to menace, and was forced to tell the police he was back. She has no idea where he is or who is responsible. However, Manuel has narrowed the search with the help of Prometheus to Balkan Iberia. I don't need to tell you we should proceed very carefully. I think it would be best if we all reconvene and thrash out the options, don't you?"

"Yes, I concur. I will wrap up this visit as expeditiously as possible and get back. Keep me up to speed on the thirteen." His trip had not been wasted and illustrated the value of first-hand observation compared to reading other peoples' reports, including their interpretation. The infrastructure of Rojo-Negro Mano was more like a military training camp than a charitable organisation. Admittedly there were refugees in need of aid, but it didn't seem to stop at simple wellbeing. The administrators labelled it preparation for self-preservation, but it was far beyond that. Those showing him around were decidedly nervous and were continually reminding him that they weren't in charge. When asked where those in charge were, no answers were forthcoming. The one consistent thing was the motif. It was everywhere, and the guides were reciting in parrot fashion, how de-motivating it had been to be wrongly associated with events in the horrific scenes of the Berlina statue, and hints of hundreds of others in Santa Constanza. He had seen enough to suggest going deeper into the Borderlands. This had been met with contagious fear. They advised him that despite any assurances he may have been given by agents or his own contacts, his party was seriously underprepared for such a tour. It was described as an absolutely lawless territory which dispensed death as if it was ordained by some higher presence. He headed back to Madrid.

*

Tirishev had been under invisible but armed response surveillance by Pierze's team, and one of them acted as a 'friend', living with him; this man could really take care of himself, even without the tranquiliser gun. The darts were potent enough to fell an elephant in under ten seconds. So far they had nothing to report. As Tirishev had to mimic normality, relay teams would track him to buy food and frequent social venues. He was playing pool with one of his minders when he wobbled and thus indicated a transceiver message. Upon recovering his balance he proceeded without a word, to the exit. Despite his pool partner asking him to wait he carried on. The override signal flipped him to normality and he slowed to allow his companion to catch up. He revealed that he was to go to an address which he knew well, but he didn't know why. He was given remote instruction from Pierze's men to continue, but not to reveal the truth about his time in custody. He was to tell whoever asked that it was purely a case of being a suspect in Rossi's death. He had to tell them he'd been grilled over and over again about the drug overdose and his part as her supplier. He was questioned relentlessly until they either had to charge him or let him go. They had no concrete evidence so he was eventually freed. It was hoped this would convince the interrogators that he was still 'loyal'. The address to which he had been directed wasn't close by, and it was thought there would be checks to see if he was being followed or accompanied. A quick re-vamp of the relay shadowing rota was thrown together with additional personnel, different to the ones who had protected him so far. One of these new minders was to deliberately bump into him and apologise, while slipping him more than enough funds for any expensive journey. It would have seemed strange if he had to ask one of his new friends when he realised that he was short of the fare.

*

The three from Estoril got back to Madrid in good time. After checking in on his mother and finding she was bearing up, Manuel asked her to summon Bernardo to the house. When she asked why, he told her about the real activities he and the two other men had got up to. "I don't want to be overly melodramatic about this Mama, but he was after something which was going to embarrass the department or the government or both. You know that further embarrassment may come your way through no fault of your own. This Sandrine Benitez has gone missing and you are already being judged guilty by the media for complicity with father's agenda, by accepting Konrad into your home. Believe me, this is my area of expertise, as a reporter, and I know you'll be mercilessly hounded by these people. That you're innocent makes no difference to them, it sells news. We therefore need to trick Bernardo into thinking we have information which could potentially damage him. He believes he has recovered most of the stuff he needed to from the safe, but I let him think I took copies when I was a boy. If you tell him that when you were going through father's will and associated paperwork with the lawyers, something popped up. The legal man was unfamiliar with this, and highly concerned about it, so you brought it home and want Bernardo to take a look at it. When he asks you what it's about, say it talks about a missing scientist. He will ask more questions, but you must close the conversation by telling him it was in a box-file marked 'Rojo-Negro Mano', and the contents were just gibberish to you. When he arrives and you pretend to look for this box, you can't remember where you put it down. After some time looking around you then call for the housekeeper and prime her to remind you that I was here an hour ago, maybe I had picked it up. Then you call me and I confirm that I did, but tell you not to mention it to anyone. A few tears will help, as you say you've put your foot in it again. He will comfort you and leave, telling you it was nothing. Can you pull it off Mama?" After some cajoling she agreed and made the call. It went perfectly, he was there within twenty minutes and she said his face was a picture when he was told Manuel had picked up the goods. He asked for Manuel's private communicator code and rang.

"Salina."

"Manuel, it's me Bernardo."

"Oh Hi, Bernardo, I'm driving, just a second, I'll pull over." Bernardo was apprehensive.

"Yes, I'll hold." He waited and eventually the conversation was resumed.

"Ok, I'm in a side street, what can I do for you?"

"I think it might be worthwhile for us to meet. There are a few things which I need to bring you up to date with. Things your father may not have been able to discuss with you. Can you call at the office tomorrow?"

"That might be tight for me Bernardo, your new boss Pierze is due back and there's something I wanted to ask him about. His secretary has promised to get me in tomorrow if possible. It's important. Can we meet another time?"

"How about breakfast in the morning, at the Falesia Hotel, it's on me."

"I think that could work, I'll be there unless you hear from me." The line went dead.

## Chapter 23

In Pierze's absence his 'shadows' had located the first three from the thirteen new names. The shadows had changed tactics this time. They kept a really close eye on number one – Antoine Vaglio, in Grenoble. When number two – Bart Kruise, boarded a train in Holland, from Leiden to Lyon via Amsterdam, the first team apprehended Vaglio and kept him safe. The second squad did the same when Kruise alighted from the Lyon-Grenoble express. The two arrested men were quickly flown back to Madrid. It was factored in, that the controllers would not take long to figure out that the suicide, or murder had been thwarted, and the potential repercussions that there may be. There were two obvious ones. If Prometheus was accurate, there was less than a month to the release of the plague of one hundred thousand or more drones, these arrests could bring the time forward. Secondly, the controllers would be checking where this advance information was being leaked from, and this would endanger both Prometheus and Manuel. This turn of events caused Manuel to tell Bernardo he would not be able to keep the appointment for breakfast. It patently annoyed the little man intensely, but he asked if they could rearrange for the following day. Manuel said he would get back to him.

*

The think-tank of Pierze, Duarte, Butragueno and Manuel didn't take long to conclude that Prometheus should be warned and Konrad's character should be allowed to die. It needed one last visit to Futureworld for Manuel. They believed that they had got about all the information from Prometheus that was possible. Pierze needed to go to the Moon at long last, and he thought there might be a secondary benefit; one of diversion. "The people controlling this campaign will not only be looking for the source of the leak, they will want to know precisely to whom it is being leaked. I don't mean Manuel, it doesn't stop there. They will be more interested in those who hired him, and not too worried about investigations into the many specific deaths so far. They will be disturbed by how these acts are now being interpreted. The major change from their point of view is the capture of Tirishev. Provided we can convince them of him being back in the fold, we may buy a little more time. We must make them think that the latest examples - Vaglio and Kruise also fall into that category. We should not waste time by interrogating them, but make the adjustment to the transceiver and release them, as if we aren't able to get any data from them. I will make this clear to Gretz, Verdasco and Boniek when I address them about my lunar excursion. I'll let it drop casually that we have received anonymous tip-offs with names, but it is not helping, as the individuals involved don't seem capable of assisting us in building a picture. Manuel, it would be prudent for you to do the same with Bernardo. Now, I am going to suggest something which you may not like. If they are to buy into this ruse we may have to stand back from the remaining names on the list for now, as the controllers will surely test us out. It has to be weighed up against the greater good - we are in a war. You may rest assured that this is my responsibility and mine alone. You may also say to me that these controllers could be of a completely different origin, for example – Orient. I would ask you to consider the following:-

"Any organisation with the technical ability to transmit these neurogenic instructions must also have the ability to infiltrate or influence the SACRED Corporation. They initiate the process via Futureworld and execute in reality. The other most obvious entity with the contacts and tentacles to achieve this is Central Security – my department. I have to collate more evidence in that respect. However, since I asked Duarte to analyse the civil servants who had been known to be affected, he has not come up with one single name in any position of authority in the department. Other surveys I have had carried out show no direct evidence of people in positions of authority, in industry or government structure, have been affected either. I have to admit it is a feeling rather than facts from which my theory is derived, but time is our nemesis. The entire scheme is orchestrated around protest and anarchy. If they are fuelling some kind of meltdown leading to revolution, this would be quite an effective way. An analogy which comes to mind is that the day to day running of a factory is impacted much more by the Janitor being absent than the Chief Executive. The C.E. has his or her hand on the long term efficiency rudder, and this plague, initially only needs to be comprised of janitors. So, my experience and my gut tell me that we should try to capitalise on blindsiding these janitors – the names we have, and let them illustrate our apparent incompetence, while we tackle the one thing which can stop the process in its tracks. The capture of Viktor Lopez will effectively neutralise the machinery designed to let loose the plague. As he is in Balkan Iberia, I have trouble in visualising Orient being the fountainhead of this operation. I will take your silence as affirmation that you agree." He got it. This decision disrupted a few other plans. Manuel had to go back in rather than contact Bernardo.

Konrad

Prometheus was disappointed but admitted that he had always known success would carry the potential price of being discovered. "I will withdraw my character with immediate effect and accelerate the death of your own. With respect to you leaving, you probably felt your previous exit a little more unpleasant because you had been dead in reality for a while, and I discovered some troublesome messages of 'incompatibility' on the system. I had to deal with them immediately. Amongst a few corrective responses, I sent a subscription renewal query to your character, having altered your health levels to critical. I think we have got away with it, as the messages have stopped. Sorry about all this detail, but I hope you are feeling better, and you will not have this disorientation when you exit this time. You are still my best chance of escape and yet in a way I am relieved we have to terminate the relationship in Futureworld. I sincerely hope I can survive long enough to meet you in reality."

Konrad felt waves of sadness and frustration in tandem. He looked back to the time he and his brother argued over the plausibility of this virtual world and now he could fully understand the frustration which led to suicide. He lingered a while after Prometheus left. It was also a final farewell to Konrad.

Manuel

The belated conversation with Bernardo was illuminating.

"Manuel, I wanted to make you aware of the concern I have for your mother. That has been a brief which your father gave me a long time ago in the event of anything happening to him. Now that this has occurred I wonder if we can also help one another."

"I don't see why not, was there anything specific?" He watched the little weasel's furtive eyes.

"I am worried about this Benitez woman. I always knew about her and tried to tell Antonio he was risking everything with such a woman. I had done thorough background checks on her, but he was completely obsessed with her, and dismissed the information. If she gets back to the media it could be really bad for Senora Salina."

"But surely you can prevent that."

Bernardo shrugged off this remark. "I wish we could, but nobody knows what has caused her disappearance. She is connected to some pretty ruthless people."

Manuel hurried things along. "Nobody that is, apart from you and me, and your henchmen. You don't have to worry about me Bernardo; I have nothing to gain by this woman re-surfacing. However, as long as she lives, she will be a concern for both of us." He laughed off the insinuation, but the contrived mirth sublimed when Manuel continued, "Look, I think we both agree with your opening remark – we can help each other, but please spare me the violins. Your concern for my mother may be genuine but is eclipsed by your own survival instinct. I have damaging information, now deposited with lawyers, and you have Benitez. Just get to the point."

Without denying that Sandrine Benitez' fate was within his gift, Bernardo squirmed. "We don't know exactly what was in the papers your mother discovered with her lawyer. It would certainly assist with this process if we did."

"I see it very much simpler than that. By the way, it was not only my mother's lawyer who brought this latest sheaf of documents to her attention. A letter from my own legal advisor at the Independiente in Uruguay was sent, at my request, to her lawyers, and they kept this separate from the appended signed document by my father, which also had a counter-signature, yours I believe. We could determine that later. I was a troublesome boy, but my father had made me so by his flagrant disrespect for my mother. It's a pity I can't hurt him anymore, but you could take the pain for him. I'm bored with this charade. The only assurance I need from you is that you will keep this woman under threat, if and when you free her. She should only be freed on the condition that she retracts the newspaper allegation that my mother had anything to do with the whole sordid affair other than picking up the pieces of an arrangement Benitez herself had negotiated out of Antonio Salina. My mother gave Konrad a wonderful home. As far as you needing proof of what I have with my lawyer now, that's easy, just screw up on your handling of Sandrine Benitez and you'll have it free of charge as an exclusive on page one of the Independiente. Seems fair; well thanks Bernardo, it's good to have friends of influence."

Manuel had garnered quite a lot of practice in Uruguay, in manipulating the flow or blocking of information in this way. It was the reverse process of a con, where the mark is relieved of something of value; this was the conference to the target of something they did not want to believe. Bernardo had, over the years, cooked up so many highly sensitive programmes with Antonio, that he had an abundant choice with which to fuel the uncertainty.

*

Tirishev had reached his appointed destination and waited as prescribed. He was eventually approached after they presumably felt all was clear. This must have triggered a pulse as Tirishev stumbled and then seemed to nod to his contact again and again. The vigilant Pierze technical team was on to it, and they delayed adjustment until the two parted. Some two hours later Pierze's shadows reported that he was not going back to his abode. Tirishev informed them of the second phase; he was to kill someone whose name was actually fifth on the list of thirteen. It was to take place in Salzburg. Pierze was certain this would be carefully watched by his controllers. He had an idea but wasn't sure if it was technically feasible. If Vaglio and Kruise, who were first and second on the same list could have their implant altered to have a particular fault engineered into it, they could turn up at the same location in Salzburg and not that of the originally intended third in line. If the controllers fell for the possibility that they had some of their charges running amok, they might withdraw planned activities and transport Tirishev, Vaglio and Kruise to the Balkan Iberian implant base for investigation and remedial work. He wanted to check with the boffins if this could be done to Vaglio and Kruise, while taking out the adjustment facility, which would certainly be exposed by Lopez. This would leave Tirishev as the only one at risk, as he still had the original adjustment and was in a remote location. He would have to be lifted out once the three had met up in Salzburg. He would be instructed by Pierze's team to head back to the third person on the list, mimicking further misalignment in the instruction subroutines. When Pierze was assured this was not a complicated procedure, but would take up to forty-eight hours, he authorised it and made sure that, if at any time the shadow squads felt they had to take action to prevent individuals determined to restrain Tirishev, they should be eliminated. They should also leave evidence that it was the work of protestors who were part of the resistance.

*

Butragueno was telling Manuel and Duarte that the time had come to return to Londonis. "I feel as if there isn't much left for me to do here. Pierze is right, all effort must be on getting to the scientist Viktor Lopez, and that is not something for which my new bosses will authorise my participation, and I'd have to agree with them. In any case I need to begin motivating my team, as we have an increasing workload." Duarte was philosophical and made his exit as he was still sensitive to the regard in which she held Manuel Salina. When they were alone she turned and her smile was a cocktail of regret, sympathy, admiration and not least of all, intense attraction. "I really hope you can protect your mother the way you want to. I'm still coming to terms with what you confided in me about your childhood, and I would just like to say you've come through it remarkably well. You have managed to retain a real sense of proportion which comes with the rigours of life. If you have time before you return to Uruguay, I'd love to catch up. You know where to find me."

"I don't know exactly what to say. It's not like me to be lost for some smart remark, but this is not the occasion for that. I don't know where the rest of this investigation will take me, but one thing I have recently admitted to myself is that I ran away to the other side of the world to avoid feelings which I struggled to control. That part of my life is at an end, as Konrad and father are now both gone. It will sound stupid I suppose but I said farewell to Konrad in Futureworld. The final separation from the man, who is really only Antonio Salina to me, will be achieved when I know my mother is settled. As far as Uruguay is concerned, I won't be going back."

This generated a deliciously uncomfortable speculative experience. One of having countless waves of butterflies roller-coasting through her inner presence, and it was savoured. She managed to hold the potential implications in abeyance with some difficulty. "You're special Manuel. Call me when you know your mother is free of her own emotional turmoil." Those first few steps after they embraced and parted were made more difficult by his gentle but sensuous kiss on the mouth. It was so unexpected and at the same time so desired, that it lingered, and they both reacted with awkward smiles.

*

There was so much going on that Pierze summoned all three SACRED owners to Madrid. It outwardly appeared more than a little heavy-handed, but he had in fact counted on that. He knew they would not take kindly to the brusque demand, and he wanted them to be sufficiently off-guard to let something slip, plus he gambled that they would argue about it amongst themselves. He needed to create some division between them. If the disrespect for their own busy agenda didn't achieve this, his probing questions would. They were, as he had hoped, quite frosty when they arrived. The first question was from Verdasco. "Exactly how long do you expect this to take? We have no agenda from you and quite frankly, we do not know what it's all about."

Pierze placed his elbows on the desk and his fingers intertwined as he faked wanting to put them at ease. "Gentlemen, thank you for being here at such short notice. I won't use the word agenda, because I would like this session to be productive. I have information to disseminate and I was hoping that would guide us in sculpturing what happens next. I believe we really do need help from one another." He was not going to divulge more than was absolutely necessary. Part of his objective was to give extra credence to the misfiring of the 'affected' individuals who were out on the controllers' missions. If all, or any of these three powerful men were involved it would be worth the effort. "At the risk of repeating my firm conclusions, there is now no doubt that SACRED is not the only target involved here. It may not even be the main target. We concede that there are definite links between the deaths and your production Futureworld, but we are perplexed as to why the subjects are chosen, and even more confused by the sequences – which sometimes deliver a headless corpse. Despite having arrested an individual at Rossi's suicide scene, he can tell us nothing and we have had to release him. I can tell you that after my visit to the Borderlands, I have to revise my declaration that Rojo-Negro Mano could not be mixed up in this. The situation there is extremely volatile and there are glaring examples of it not being a simple humanitarian organisation. I know why you have recruited mercenaries from this region, but could you tell me of any of them you may have on the Moon?"

Gretz looked at Boniek, as the one who had set up the lunar base after the internet collapse. Boniek shook his head. "I cannot be precise because some have not had contracts extended, but the figure will be around thirty to thirty-five." Pierze knew from Prometheus that most of the two hundred were from the Borderlands.

"Not so many then, good."

"Why do you say 'good'?" asked Boniek.

"Well I have decided I must go to the Moon, following this antagonistic move by Orient, and my bodyguards need to plan their presence. Was the initial number so low because of its inaccessibility?"

Boniek grabbed at this. "Of course, we didn't see this colonisation arising for at least another decade." Pierze had established the snare.

"So, in view of this will you be taking more Borderland recruits there or bringing those already there back to Earth?"

Verdasco cut in. "Are you suggesting that somehow these people are allies of Orient?"

The reply had been prepared earlier. "Sorry, I thought you may have known already, not all Rojo-Negro Mano employees are Iberian. Many are trainees from the efflux through the Borderlands – from Orient to Iberia. The charitable work often seems to extend beyond physical and mental wellbeing. Chosen individuals are all young, super-fit men, and they are supposed to help stem the tide of immigration, yet it is increasing. The indigenous Borderland population does not like this apparently, but one of the difficulties of verifying this is that ethnically it is virtually impossible to visually differentiate many of the groups. It is a tinderbox, poised for a spark. I have already expressed my concern when I visited Snr. Gretz that if what I suspect is correct, you may have erred in recruiting your defensive battalion for the elevator. It is therefore logical that I visit that location after the Moon." Gretz was about to respond when the other two asked for a break. Pierze complied and then introduced the next trump in his game.

He buzzed for someone. It was Duarte who entered the room. Pierze introduced him and they left the trio to decide where to take their break. They were quite animated when they got out to the third floor landing, because Gretz had pointed out that Duarte knew he was Manuel's sponsor, but he didn't know if Pierze knew that. The implanted uncertainty was what was required. Of the three, Gretz was alone in expressing concern over the dependency on the Borderland recruits which Pierze had highlighted. Verdasco said they didn't really want him on the Moon right now; it could inflame an already sensitive Orient government attitude. Boniek agreed and also questioned what a starchy blowhard politician thought he would find at the elevator. Gretz put his head back into Pierze's office and asked if he could have a quick word with Duarte in private. Pierze joined the other two on the landing. Gretz asked it straight out. "Does he know we are sponsoring Manuel Salina's investigation?"

The riposte was convincing and of course a lie. "Just what do you take me for Gretz, I'm retired and I am only working here because of my son playing football in Madrid. I only consult for Pierze, it pays well and the work is solely checking up on certain trends in analysis of the past deaths. He is big on trends."

Gretz visibly relaxed. He passed on this assurance to both of his co-owners; they were not so easily convinced. They didn't want Pierze involved and said they should legally challenge his right to enforcement of this intent. Gretz however, advised such resistance would foster suspicion that they had something to hide. Verdasco was the more vociferous of the two. "No Sorin, you have dispelled that by hiring Manuel Salina. His report, when finished will crush any such suspicion. Pierze is trouble – he may well be trying to help, but could also slow our preparations and we can't afford that. You know what is at stake, and although bureaucrats like him may accept responsibility, we will lose our investment."

They continued to disagree and the strange split of equity did not help. Gretz had the major share with 43%, Verdasco and Boniek had 24% apiece, and Banco Iberia had a stake of 9%. This had been hammered out for just such wrangles. For Gretz to prevail he had to convince the bank to vote with him. If they voted against him or abstained, the other two would have the mandate to resist Pierze.

They informed Pierze that they would consider the points he had raised with due diligence and get back to him as soon as possible. They left separately as Gretz had to meet with Banco Iberia at their HQ in Swiss Iberia to set up the voting session. Verdasco and Boniek headed for the elevator on the northern 'Pillar of Hercules' – the southern equivalent being a few miles across the sea in Africana.

## Chapter 24

Manuel noticed that the smug expression had deserted Bernardo's face, and he was decidedly fidgety. He seemed keen to get started. "Since we last spoke I have had further thoughts on the situation and I ..."

"So have I," said Manuel, "and it's not good news. It is of course no secret that I'm commissioned to investigate the deaths of protesters against SACRED, you knew that. However, there's a new development which may interest you. One of my sources has revealed that your new boss, Pierze, has somehow acquired names of potential suicide subjects before the events occur. It was hoped this would bring fresh impetus to his task, but I'm told that an arrested individual on his list failed to provide him with any usable data. Pierze is said to be furious at how inept this makes his department appear and is determined to conduct a cull of underperforming executives. You didn't know this did you Bernardo? You were a confidante of my father, and Pierze doesn't trust anyone connected to Antonio Salina. I think our little agreement may be endangered by this. If you can't hold on to, or control Sandrine Benitez I may have to sacrifice you. It's not personal, I hope you understand."

The little man was visibly shaken. Manuel felt he had effectively discharged the agreement with Pierze to leak the false information about Tirishev. He had been quite happy to link this to the new regime's distrust of all prior hierarchy. Bernardo appeared to have forgotten whatever he was going to say and excused himself.

*

To quell his fear, the President summoned Pierze to his residence. Sanchez ushered him into the library. "What news do you have for me?" Pierze gave a very graphic account of the tension in the Borderlands and expressed his belief that Rojo-Negro Mano was a facade for the training of insurgents of some kind. He stopped short of suggesting it was part of the SACRED saga, or indeed sponsored by Orient. "I do think that the Foreign Office should look into whether there is evidence of Orient's fingerprints, as it is clear there are preparations for some purpose other than humanitarian causes going on."

Sanchez nodded, yet seemed relatively unconcerned. "I wanted you to come here tonight because I didn't want to have this conversation in front of my aide – Ortega. I have reliable information that part of your investigation into the SACRED deaths has been shared with Manuel Salina. I don't want to appear unduly melodramatic but it worries me. Before I say why, perhaps you could explain why you feel it necessary to do this."

Pierze was brief in his reply. "I didn't feel it was necessary."

Sanchez was persistent. "Then why is he involved?"

"He is on the periphery of the investigation, but has proved to be very helpful because he disliked everything his father stood for, and I wanted some inside track on Antonio when I found the department I inherited was littered with his loyal acolytes. I am happy that he stays in the team for that reason alone – Antonio may be dead but his ghostly agenda still seems to have momentum."

Sanchez twirled the ends of his well-groomed moustache and grimaced. "There is history between Antonio and myself. What you have said is therefore reassuring. I want you to keep me briefed regularly in this way in future. Ortega is very efficient but certainly not transparent. I'll let you know when to come again. Thank you."

*

The Madrid police needed to interview Bernardo and Manuel's mother again. They had declared Antonio's death as suspicious. Manuel asked if he could be present during their visit to the house. They agreed, as it was said to be informal, not an interrogation. When they arrived Manuel asked if they had interviewed Bernardo for a second time. They said not, he was scheduled for the next day. The two officers requested Senora Salina to re-trace her recollections of the time after she had called Bernardo to the scene. They told her to take her time, as little details could be very important. When she got to the point where Bernardo and his colleagues arrived, she was asked if the two men with the equipment remained together until they left. She said she couldn't be sure as she was downstairs throughout the entire period. While she was explaining that Bernardo was with her for most of that time, trying to comfort her, she did remember hearing the two men seemed to be arguing about something upstairs. Then she recalled a thud on the ceiling, but had assumed one of them had dropped their camera or something. "Did they both have cameras?" asked one of the officers.

"Yes I think so. Well, they both had some kind of equipment. They did not look exactly the same though."

After going over the scene again with her they asked to see the housemaid once more. She confirmed Senora Salina's statement about the difference in equipment. "When I went upstairs to retrieve Senora Salina's shawl, I disturbed them and they were trying to connect one piece to the other. They were surprised to see me and one of them dropped his part. It started another argument between them and I hurried downstairs again."

The officers thanked them both for their help and left. Manuel spent the next hour with the maid, drawing what she recalled about the equipment. Manuel couldn't recognise it from this drawing, but one part could have been a large battery for a portable instrument. It was unlikely to be a camera.

*

Gretz had received a rebuff from Banco Iberia. He had assumed they would vote with him as a matter of course. He should have guessed – these ultra-conservative mandarins were more than a little cautious about any further decline in the value of their stockholding in SACRED. The Orient Moon escapade had already caused a fall of seven percent, and they predicted that Pierze's presence on the lunar surface would raise the tension further. Gretz had to report this to his partners as the bank had abstained, effectively giving Verdasco and Boniek a mandate to try to block Pierze's visit. Gretz also informed them that he had approached the bank to buy them out and they were not unreceptive.

*

Although Vaglio and Kruise had been 'altered' in just over twenty-four hours with extremely delicate, non-invasive microsurgery, they still had to catch up to Tirishev. He had a start, but now had to alter course to Salzburg. He was instructed of their arrival time and told to take a longer route, and then meet them at the north end of the Opera House Strasse.

Ricardo Pierze's plan was neat, ingenious, meticulous in its conception, yet simply flawed. He hadn't heeded his own theory closely enough. In declaring that the controlling organisation initially only needed janitors to function, he failed to apply that to the personnel who would be monitoring the now 'misfiring' drones. They were also drones, and as such had minimal value. Once they had observed the coming together of Tirishev, Vaglio and Kruise, they drove their hire car to the meeting point to pick them up. As soon as they were inside the car, Pierze's team reacted and blocked the exit. Another drone, at a distance of fifty metres used his communicator to detonate the device strapped to the underside of the car. All occupants, six Central Security personnel and seventeen innocent bystanders were atomised by the blast. Many more were injured in the busy street. Pierze heard of the tragedy on the news.

This was a blow to the whole investigation team. Pierze was disconsolate. He received a call from President Sanchez. "Ricardo, this is further evidence that your general prognosis must be correct. These people do not place value on the life of their perceived enemies or their own foot soldiers. You have plans to visit the Moon and the elevator. I suggest now is a good time. I will help contain the growing clamour for information on Salzburg, coming so quickly after Northern Iberiana." Pierze's response was tired but measured.

"Thank you Snr. President, I'll take your advice and contact Gretz. I will however have to rethink the means to protect the remaining names on the list."

*

Sorin Gretz wasn't at his office and his secretary was concerned enough to contact his partners at the elevator. They hadn't seen him nor heard from him. He wasn't at his apartment. The Director of Banco Iberia was expecting him to conclude the sale of their stock. In his absence Verdasco and Boniek rejected Pierze's request to travel to the Moon. He would therefore have to get legal enforcement orders to progress his trip. The Swiss-Iberian police began a search for Gretz.

Meanwhile Pierze met with Manuel and Duarte. "You have undoubtedly come to terms with one of the consequences of Salzburg. We are now in no position to find Viktor Lopez in Balkan Iberia. It will be a painfully slow exercise if we have to comb the entire region, and we don't have the luxury of time. As I got it terribly wrong in Salzburg, I'd appreciate your ideas on how we should proceed to look after the remaining people on that list. And in case you were going to ask, there is no hope of even recovering the bodies of Tirishev, Vaglio and Kruise, let alone identifying or analysing them."

Duarte was more upbeat than Manuel and asked, "What do we really have to lose by bringing them all into protection right here?"

Pierze stated the obvious. "The controllers will write them off and either move on to another batch or just bring forward activating the plague."

Duarte questioned this. "If they've planned a conspiracy, they may not have much flexibility, especially if they've identified key targets for the hundred thousand plus drones. They may still have to produce many more. They may have much to accomplish before Drone-Day. They surely didn't just pick the date out of a hat."

"This is pure speculation Duarte. I am afraid I cannot, in all conscience risk more lives on the strength of further guesswork."

Manuel eventually spoke. "Ricardo, during my last conversation with Bernardo, to leak your 'misfiring' plan, at your request, I found him in a very worried mood. I added to this by saying you were conducting a 'Salina Syndrome' cleansing. Can I ask what contact you've had with him since you took over?"

"None, I was warned that he was joined at the hip with your father, and I intended to ignore him until this case was concluded one way or another."

Manuel made a suggestion. "I'm sure from my early conversations with Konrad, that he knew of some incriminating evidence that my father was involved in some highly irregular activity, other than the protest deaths. If he was, then Bernardo would be up to his neck in it. This is why I bluffed him into thinking I had some such evidence back in Uruguay. He certainly believed me. Why don't we push this for all it is worth before you leave for the Moon? In addition, the Madrid police have interviewed my mother and the maid again. They're going to grill Bernardo too, and they have concentrated on some modular equipment his subordinates were seen assembling." He put the diagram in front of Pierze. "We have nothing to lose."

Pierze's eyes widened as if he recognised what was in the sketch. They all agreed it merited an interview, now that Bernardo had a strict reporting relationship to Pierze. He may have got too comfortable being ignored. The unsettling surprise for Bernardo would be the presence of Manuel and Duarte, flanking the boss.

*

Gretz' face was on world-wide TV, even in Orient. It had become a vaguely familiar face over the time SACRED had been up and running. There were the usual reported sightings all over the planet, none of them of the genuine article. The police were convinced that they should pursue two main possibilities – he had been abducted, or he had deliberately gone underground. Examination of his apartment indicated a partially eaten vegetarian meal, and a strawberry meringue standing by two dishes and cutlery, but as yet unbroken. The coffee maker was primed with grounds but hadn't been switched on. There were dregs of Gevrey Chambertin in two glasses; the analysis of one indicated a powerful sedative. It had the hallmarks of abduction by someone he knew, but the police were not ruling out intent to make it appear that way, as there was no forensic evidence to support the removal of a totally incapacitated person. The scene was pristine, and in keeping with the rest of the apartment.

*

The interview with Bernardo was demanded rather than invited, and coming so quickly after his second with the police, was probably responsible for his deathly white pallor. Pierze beckoned him to close the office door and sit. He added to the tension by perusing a box file marked with the dreaded highest level security seal, now broken. He said nothing for several minutes, and then cast a scathing, predatory eye over the now profusely perspiring Bernardo. He buzzed his secretary to show the other two gentlemen into the office. He then rounded on his petrified subordinate and said, "You will have the opportunity to speak first, and for as long as you need, to get anything off your chest which may mitigate actions to be taken after this interview. Do you understand?" Bernardo could only nod in affirmation.

"Speak up please, for the tape. Do you understand?"

He cleared his throat. "Yes."

"Thank you. Manuel Salina and Maxi Duarte have just entered the interview room." Pierze did not introduce them, allowing Bernardo to wonder whether Manuel had indeed decided to sacrifice him. The diminutive figure slumped forward on to the desk and Pierze described this for the tape while a doctor was summoned. After a quick examination the medical man said the subject was hyperventilating and asked the others to leave the room while he took remedial action and helped calm the patient. Pierze was relentless; he described this sequence for the tape and the doctor was appalled at the apparent lack of consideration. The interview was suspended for over two hours, and despite the impassioned plea from the doctor, Pierze asked Bernardo if he would like to continue or rest at the office overnight. He made it clear that the interview would not be abandoned. This was to deny any further communication by Bernardo to any personnel who could dispose of items pertaining to the enquiry.

"Thank you for your advice doctor, we will only continue when Bernardo is ready."

Several cups of coffee and fresh sandwiches later, Bernardo signalled that he was ready. He took up the offer of Pierze to speak before questions were directed at him. "You should know Snr. Pierze, that we are holding Sandrine Benitez in a safe house for now. We took this step as she was about to reveal further damaging information about Antonio Salina, some of which unfortunately we were compelled to ignore. That had to be seen as his personal problem. However, he must have also spilled certain 'plans' which would bring the entire department into disrepute. We had to take action to prevent that, and she did eventually get the message that these revelations would put her life in danger. She is happy to be in the safe house."

"When you say 'we' Bernardo, you mean yourself and some others acting outside the authority of Central Security."

"Yes." Pierze motioned for him to carry on.

"I have also spoken with the police again and they informed me that they are likely to conclude Antonio Salina was murdered. They believe it was made to look like suicide. I've been asked not to travel anywhere and remain available for more questions as they arise. I'm aware of my duties to the department, but none of them require me to allow myself to be wrongly accused of something in which I had no part. I must prove my innocence, if required to do so by the police. I believe you will be asking me, as they have, about what my men were using to check out Antonio's bedroom, so I can tel..."

Pierze held up his hand. "No, don't make it worse for yourself. I know exactly what you were using. The device was developed under my guidance in my previous department. It is to locate and operate embedded keyboards. I'm much more interested in what you were trying to find with it. Be careful how you answer this, if you want to think about it we have all night. I have a care bed on standby for you in the event of another anxiety attack. Take your time Bernardo we will only have this interview once."

The 'patient' looked into Manuel's eyes and began to choke on his words. "You have no idea what your father was really like, and neither does your mother." He then turned to Pierze. "It's good advice you give me and I will respect it. I would like to take a break."

Manuel, for the first time, believed that Bernardo was resigned to telling the whole truth. This was confirmed by the request to Pierze, after he had switched off the recorder. "Can we conduct the rest of the conversation off the record? I ask because if such transcripts somehow got to the media it would become my death warrant."

Pierze promised to think about it if Bernardo was going to deliver everything he knew. "And I mean everything."

*

The back-up team from Central Security had rounded up some of the remaining names on the list. It hadn't been easy. Some of the surveillance agents hunting each drone crossed each other's path, due to the targets meeting. This caused the agents to back off a little. It was just as well they did. An explosive bullet hit each of the drones and ripped apart their heads – pieces of skull and brain tissue spattered the pavement and the frenzied crowd ran screaming for cover. Those agents returned to base, the others had got to the drones in time. Duarte was keen to interrogate those who were now in custody. Pierze agreed to this as Bernardo had expressed the view that both he and Manuel had reason to respect what he was about to say, but Duarte was an unknown quantity.

## Chapter 25

Bernardo began quietly. "My men were locating the entry panel which was fitted in the Salinas' bedroom while they were on vacation. I supervised the installation of the hidden safe storage area behind the large, heavy mirror which could not be moved by one person. The keypad for this was put in the cavity behind a painting on the opposite wall. We cleared the space of all articles and documents which Antonio felt were to be protected at all costs. However, when we returned to the office I realised some were not there. Both of my men confirmed they had taken everything. Either they were lying or someone had got there before us. After the first interview with the police, it suddenly dawned on me that Antonio could have destroyed them before committing suicide, but after the second interview and their suggestion that he was murdered, he may well have surrendered them to the assassin. He did have his own remote control keypad equipment, but it hadn't been found by me or the police. The missing pieces would have assisted you greatly in your investigation, but I'm afraid I can't remember all of the details with absolute clarity."

He glanced at Manuel before proceeding. "From the instant your father took office in Central Security, he made it clear to all of his immediate subordinates that he fully expected to be moving on to the Presidency in a couple of years. He explained how he would be intolerant of failure and mistakes. He emphasised that he didn't have time to be deflected by motivational practices for his staff, so the sooner they helped him establish credentials, the sooner they would be rid of him. He ruled by fear. They were times of concern that the Republic was developing a soft underbelly, ripe for exploitation by Orient. Antonio found himself with a very strong right wing following, and it was self-fuelling. This order quickly took on the shape of a cult as they became more and more concerned that the ailing President was not only a dove, but one with its eye off the worm. Preparations were made within this cult for Antonio to succeed, but the President's health did not deteriorate at the pace they desired, and they concocted a clever method to help him on his way. Do you remember the Sea Garden virus?"

"Yes." said Pierze and Manuel together.

"Well the virus was largely contained within Orient and for some time they thought it was man-made by Iberia. This was dispelled in the most dramatic fashion by the cult, which by now had a name – 'Sidonia', reflecting the wisdom of the only man who saw through the flawed plans of Philip II. Yet he appeared to follow them until introducing the decisive stroke of genius, which secured England. One of the members of the cult volunteered to sacrifice himself by obtaining a vial of the virus and waited until he was asked by the President to brief him on his recent talks with the Foreign Minister of Orient. It was assumed the vaccination given to all cabinet members would resist the contagion. A dose of this strength had no problem overcoming the weakened President after his Foreign minister had spilled the vial on to the arm of his chair of office, during a sanitary visit by the ailing leader. It was expected that this mini-epidemic would claim both of these men and a number of staff. It went much further as you may recall. The cabinet had to disband for almost two months, until the quarantine procedures could be lifted. I estimated at the time that over one hundred lives were terminated as a result of this plan. The Sidonians felt it was justified, and it had also silenced all previous accusations from Orient. You may ask why I tolerated this, especially as I wasn't a member of this cult. I will get to that later; suffice it for now that Antonio had his personal brand of persuasion.

"When the election produced Sanchez as the winner, against the prediction of all polls, the mood of these Sidonians darkened. That signalled many highly secret activities. They were all underpinned by a single belief – that Orient had to be subdued and absorbed. The world would become a better place for our grandchildren. I hesitate to use two particular words in the same sentence but these people are ruthlessly devout in their conviction that democracy cannot be trusted to the populace. They came to the conclusion that they had to be indoctrinated, in a new way, which would ultimately be inflicted on the citizens of Orient. These Sidonians exist in even greater numbers now, and there are some in Central Security as well as other government posts. You must be careful, that is why I wanted this to be off the record."

Pierze asked if he had names. Bernardo nodded but added, "I know many but not all. There are other things you need to know. The link with SACRED was crucial to the master plan. The 'indoctrination' scheme was to be delivered to a willing audience via interaction with some brainwashing technology. This came from your former organisation. Viktor Lopez was taken and forced to do as he was told or his family would suffer the ultimate sacrifice, an all too common practice. He was to deliver the ACR of SACRED to a man under similar threat. He was to the best of my knowledge to Amplify, Correct and Revise the input leg of subject actions, the man on the Moon was to Encrypt the initial neurogenic message and Distribute to the individual. Coding for future reinforcement was also setup so that the control was retained in the hands of Sidonians, but their actions were untraceable on Earth. I fear you may be too late to stop them."

Pierze couldn't wait any longer to ask the question. "Where is Viktor Lopez now?"

"I was never allowed to know this, but I was curious enough to look for clues. I overheard Antonio tell someone over the communicator that the complex was underground and in the centre of a crescent shaped mountain range in Balkan Iberia. He said it was heavily guarded but I couldn't find out who he was speaking to. You already know that the first wave is imminent." Manuel asked what criteria would cause them to bring forward that first wave.

"Nothing will precipitate that. You have to understand these people to appreciate that they are extremely confident in their destiny, it comes from arrogance in part, but also their ritualistic nature. The birthday of Admiral Sidonia is the trigger for the hive mentality to be showered on all Iberia." This was good news but was soon followed by frightening statistics. Pierze asked Bernardo to confirm that over a hundred thousand drones would be unleashed on that date.

"Yes, but that is the tip of the iceberg. Once this launch achieves the initial objective of capturing key locations in local administrations, the existing staff will be linked as a group to the Balkan neurogenic cascade and be recruited to the ranks of the 'enlightened'. This effectively makes the Moon man redundant and multiplies the army by a factor of between five and ten. It is expected to be a silent revolution, as any resistant types will be eliminated at the local coordinates by the local converts. The next phase is to follow quickly; the step into higher levels of authority can begin. Police and Armed Forces are primed with drones to deliver more control prior to the potentially tricky final coalescence of the masses and the 'unaffected' Sidonians. This troublesome layer of command is anticipated to produce a much higher proportion of resistant individuals, and it is likely that mass extermination will be required. It is therefore heavily dependent on isolating them by a 'ground level up' approach. Even an Admiral is helpless if the chain of command is broken directly beneath him. You should have figured out by now that your resistant victims were part of this plan and also conveniently acted as a distraction which has occupied your resources to their advantage." Manuel reminded Bernardo of the promise to say more about how his father had influenced his loyalty to such a cause.

"It wasn't the cause which imprisoned me, it was cowardice. It's the same cowardly gene which has twisted my innards and my mind to proceed with this confession. I have had no direct responsibility for any of this; my sole crime is that of looking the other way. It sickens me that this is considered an asset if you wish to progress in Central Security, yet I'm not able to pull away from my affliction. It is also why I've thrown myself on your mercy, because I lack the guts to do anything else." Pierze asked again about names.

"I can give you many – I have certain papers. It wouldn't be prudent to allow them to know you have this until you have disconnected the research centre and Viktor Lopez' staff."

Pierze persisted. "Who is the most senior ranking person in Sidonia, now that Antonio is gone?"

"That I don't know, but if Antonio was murdered as the police believe, it will have been authorised by that person. They all accept that when one becomes a liability, erasure must follow – of the individual and any incriminating evidence. I'm sure Antonio wouldn't have resisted termination. The head of the snake can be severed after Lopez is disconnected."

Manuel and Pierze looked at one another, then the latter spoke. "You realise we must detain you until we can verify what you have told us, and that may be for quite some time." Bernardo managed to smile for the first time.

"Of course, I wouldn't want to take my chance on the street."

They began to research the Balkan Iberia ordnance maps immediately. Pierze allowed his lawyers to pursue the enforcement of his Moon visit.

*

The hiatus caused by Gretz' disappearance allowed the only other candidates on the planet who were rich enough, to open negotiations to purchase the Banco Iberia stock. The philosophy of Verdasco and Boniek was simple. If Gretz didn't return they wanted to avoid any inheritor of his dominant position to call the tune. If he did return the stock position would be re-stabilised, without having to involve a fourth stockholder.

*

Orient's latest launch contained three further habitats and connecting units. Apart from increasing the speculation of where they would be deployed, it solidified the belief of Verdasco and Boniek that they were correct to continue their defensive strategy.

*

Both Pierze and Manuel were poring over maps of Balkan Iberia, but each was distracted by different concerns. "Manuel, I noticed when Bernardo replied without hesitation that nothing would change the date of Drone Day, his eyes flickered momentarily and his pupils dilated. I am therefore harbouring thoughts that this isn't true. He was incredibly keen for us to neutralise Viktor Lopez before 'beheading the snake'. I am now of the opinion that the only thing which would guarantee early activation of the plague is a direct threat to the neurogenic source. We must proceed with caution." Manuel concurred and then added his own mental lapse to the puzzle.

"When I first met Prometheus in Futureworld he was sure Gretz was not directly responsible for the threats to his family. He was however, the one who authorised me taking over Konrad's character and he did it face to face with Prometheus. He also told me that Gretz was the only person from whom he took direct orders, although the content for encryption routinely came from Earth. That is assumed to be Lopez. Prometheus was recruited and delivered to the Moon by someone other than Sorin Gretz. He was deprived of visual capability until he arrived and the other person had left. I remember him saying that he would never forget the voice, but I've been remiss in not following this up. Thinking about it now, it seems obvious that it would have to be someone in authority to process this through the elevator checks, past the pilot and lunar security. If Prometheus was hired while the takeover of the colonisation initiative was being finalised with the Iberian government, it was probably a deliberate schedule. It would explain why Gretz was busy finalising the deal and genuinely doesn't appear to know of these neurogenic pulses. It could only have been achieved by two people. Verdasco or Boniek."

Pierze let this meander through his mind, and it did fit with many events which had occurred recently. Manuel confessed that when Gretz commissioned him to conduct his investigation he was assured the others were totally on board. "He said they were but I have never heard it from them." Pierze factored in Gretz' disappearance and suggested it might be opportune to ask them if they were happy to continue with his retainer. Manuel made the conference call and Pierze kept quiet but recorded it. Verdasco said they would like to defer a decision on this until the police had found Gretz or given up.

*

The maps were not much help other than giving names of mountains and general topography. Pierze said that if he was right about Bernardo's cunning, he may want to help them. It would also be a check on whether he was holding anything back. They ran a list of names past him. He stopped them at one, and asked if they had other information about the area, as the name was familiar. The mountain range in local dialect was called Stara Planina. It was in the Eastern Balkan Peninsula and the name approximated to Old Mountain in Iberian. Bernardo was sure that he remembered overhearing a remark by one of the Sidonians, complaining that the security clearance level for the neurogenic hub was too restrictive. He had jokingly said, 'you can only fly there in the Star Plane.' Bernardo recalled that it was unusual for the sect members to criticise such policy. Pierze was sufficiently convinced to investigate further.

"We require a survey which does not alert anyone. I may have to take a certain technology out of mothballs Manuel. My technical contacts in my old job, as far back as three decades ago developed a means of detecting underground structures from the air. Harnessing ELF/VLF radio waves can allow penetration deep beneath the surface of the Earth and interact with the geologic structure."

Manuel motioned for him to back up. "What is ELF and VLF?"

"Sorry – extremely and very low frequency respectively. It enables exploitation of electromagnetic induction to detect and image subterranean features such as tunnels, bunkers and other potential military targets. It was used extensively when territorial sensitivity was high with Orient, and in order to respect tacit agreements, we wanted covert means to check what they were up to. However this is different, the target location is within our own sovereign lands. I'll ask my former colleagues to resurrect this kit and arrange a flyover of 'Star Plane'."

*

The next day Manuel received a call on his communicator. Astonishingly it was Gretz. "I have to be brief. I'm on the Moon. There's no time to explain fully, but I have spoken with a certain person here who says you know him as Prometheus. He had your SACRED data file, including your communicator number. I was brought here against my will and I'm restricted in just about every way. This man both saw and heard my abductor give instructions as to my incarceration. He recognised the voice as belonging to the same person who brought him here. It was Constantin Boniek. Virtually every employee here seems to be loyal to him. Verdasco will not have known of my capture, and I expect to be terminated once they have acquired the Banco Iberia stock. Prometheus tells me that under the new order they will simply close the file on searching for me, and no questions will be asked. So now you know. If you can tell this to Verdasco he may be able to help you in some way, he is a difficult man, but I'm sure he's not mixed up in this." The conversation was terminated.

*

Pierze didn't wait for another invitation from the President, he requested an audience at his private residence. The update provoked a sceptical response from Sanchez.

"You are asking me to take an awful lot on trust. Your suggestion of confidential talks with the Delegate-in-Chief of Orient would be described in normal circumstances as proof of lunacy. If you're wrong it would be the end of our careers, and if you're right it would be the end of our lives. There is an additional difficulty, as I have already mentioned, my aide Ortega doesn't have my trust, but is involved in all matters of state." Pierze asked for time to think about that.

*

Manuel had managed to get hold of Verdasco again. "I urge you to meet with me, and for no one else to know, and I really mean no one. I have to tell you something which may change everything you have planned. I'll come to you at any time of your choosing."

"Snr. Salina, we are due to ratify the stock transfer from Banco Iberia any time soon. It is complex and they are dragging their feet, but I must be available at extremely short notice."

Manuel asked where the transfer was scheduled to be, and it was confirmed as Swiss-Iberia. "I'll meet you at a different hotel from the one in which you make a reservation for Boniek and yourself. Snr. Verdasco, I won't take up more than five minutes of your time."

"Very well, this had better be good."

*

Duarte had asked the remaining people on the list if they had any idea why they would have been chosen to commit induced suicide; they did not. He couldn't establish any obvious links amongst them, other than being users of SACRED. At the end of one session a man approached him. "It may be nothing but I have been threatened to stay away from Snr. Boniek."

"Really, how do you come to know him?"

"We were at the same high school. I was very good at all sports, and he was a bit of an anorak with computers and stuff. He seemed to look up to me then. So when he became one of the richest men on the planet, I wrote and asked him many times for a job interview. At first he just ignored my applications. One night on my way home from a SACRED booth, I was pulled into a dark alley by three very big men. I could only see the silhouette of the figure which approached as I was held, but I knew it was him, his voice is highly distinctive. He warned me to stop applying for a position and insisted I should cancel my subscription to SACRED. He told me it was bordering on 'illegal nuisance' to continue. He never mentioned my name but as he turned to walk away he signalled the others to deliver a taste of what I could expect if I didn't comply. I stopped the job applications, but I refused to give up Futureworld. I can't really see how that should provoke me being singled out for suicide, but he certainly conveyed his feelings – he said he despised all people like me."

Duarte took his name to Pierze and said it was 'interesting'. Pierze however, was fascinated and stored the name Radan Hajek in his cerebral 'to do' list.

## Chapter 26

As Manuel was leaving for his meeting with Verdasco, Pierze called. "If you feel that Gretz was right about him and he decides to help us, I have a favour to ask of him which will test his priorities. All three of these SACRED owners have their private aircraft. Ask him if he can put the one belonging to Gretz at my disposal for a day, two at most. If he responds positively I will fix the details with him personally."

"Ok, I'm in a hell of a hurry, or I would ask why, what if he asks?"

"Just tell him it is crucial to our efforts to stop these deaths, and I will fully brief him when I know he is with us." Manuel departed. Pierze saw an opportunity, if the President would fly to meet the top man in Orient. His argument would conclude with a request for their current Moon habitats to be deployed a little differently to the planned layout. It would mean eating a little humble pie, but the distraction of Boniek would be the payoff. His former technical team had managed to get the ELF/VLF generator ready. He wanted it to be operated from within a remote controlled pilotless probe of the smallest dimension. He knew they had been taken out of service but were very easy to make ready. He said they had about a week before the command to launch would become more critical. He knew these people would not fail him.

*

Verdasco sat down and was about to remind Manuel that he didn't like such clandestine arrangements, when he was rocked by the whispered revelation. "I spoke to Gretz yesterday."

"What? Where is he? Why has he not made contact with us? He must surely know everyone on the planet is looking for him."

Manuel lowered his voice even further. "He probably does know that but he can't do much about it on the Moon."

"The Moon, he couldn't have got there since his disappearance, Boniek took the shuttle there and he has just got back. You're not going to tell me he has been abducted by Orient are you?"

Manuel managed to curb his smile. "Well you got half of it right, he was abducted, by your other partner." This caused Verdasco to pause, while Manuel watched him mentally take the timeline back, to just before Gretz evaporated.

"You have proof of this?"

Manuel replied, "Depending on what you consider to be evidence, I may have."

"Look Salina, I can't just accept your word that Constantin Boniek, who I have known for years, has done what you allege."

"I have my communicator record of my call from Gretz, you can listen to it. We can also check the location – as you are a wizard in this subject."

When he had listened to the recording over and over again Verdasco had more questions. "Who is Prometheus?" After Manuel had explained his 'illegal' entry into Futureworld, Verdasco admitted that Boniek had recruited the encryption guru. He was however, puzzled by Gretz' assertion that he would be terminated after the stock transfer from Banco Iberia to himself and Boniek.

"We found out from the bank that Sorin had bid for the stock, and then he vanished. We naturally wanted to prevent this aggressive increase in his share, but he shouldn't have known we made a counter offer to the bank, as we asked for that to be kept under wraps until complete. I suppose the only people who would have had the knowledge are Boniek and the Director of Banco Iberia, whereas the opportunity is pretty much pointing to my partner. He was on the Moon around the time slot in question, and he said it was necessary to check out our defensive position, as Gretz had been reporting on this. The shuttle is back at the elevator. It all fits in a circumstantial way but I don't want to believe it."

Manuel asked what he would do about the impending stock transfer. "If you don't go through with it there will be suspicion in the minds of both Boniek and the Director as to why. If you want more time to further investigate my claims yourself, or have me continue, it would seem sensible to go ahead. There's another way to get a handle on the veracity of Gretz' story. You have the means to contact Prometheus yourself via the code transmission source in Balkan Iberia."

Verdasco's eyes blazed. "How the hell do you know about that?"

"If you remember, Gretz hired me to investigate everything I felt necessary to explain the deaths linked to protests against your corporation. By infiltrating my brother's character in Futureworld, I was able to piece together information from Prometheus and the link to a missing scientist, who was the foremost, if not the only expert on neurogenic manipulation. It's likely that he was also abducted, and I suspect my father and Boniek were responsible. Have you visited this facility in Balkan Iberia recently?"

"Not for a couple of years, it always seemed to run like clockwork."

"If you were to suggest to Boniek that his diligence in checking the progress of the Moon defence project was exemplary, he would agree. Then when you state that a similar check should be carried out at the one secret installation which has been forgotten about, you would meet with resistance. He will offer to take care of it." Verdasco was genuinely confused but agreed to carry on with the stock transfer and look into means of secretly contacting Prometheus.

Manuel then put the final request to him. "Ricardo Pierze has need of a private aircraft to make a visit. He has to get to his destination without alerting any of his own staff, as it is highly likely that some are implicated in carrying on the unscrupulous agenda of my father. He says the visit is absolutely essential. He's also prepared to pay whatever you consider is acceptable for the hire of Gretz' jet for two days. Please don't ask me for details as he said he would rather discuss that with you directly. He recognises that both you and Boniek have blocked his proposed visits to the Moon and the elevator, but feels you may be willing to revisit that if you call him." Manuel left Pierze's direct number with Verdasco.

*

When Pierze spoke with Radan Hajek he grilled him intensively for almost four hours. Most of it was to determine his familiarity with the terrain near the location of Lopez. The other interest he had was in his early relationship with Boniek. He was satisfied with Hajek's knowledge of the terrain, as he had spent many vacations rock climbing in the region. The 'relationship' was apparently one of envy on the part of Boniek.

"At school he used to try to hang out with anyone who had strong peer respect or adulation. Being good at sport and able to take care of myself was respected by boys, and attractive to the girls. I think this was his problem. I can't remember him having any girlfriends, they thought he was creepy. Perhaps the closest he got to female company was through other boys, a kind of voyeuristic fetish. He was able to call in favours in this respect by doing homework for selected boys who were popular. Maybe that is why he said that people like me disgusted him." Pierze said he may call upon Hajek to guide him around Stara Planina.

*

By the time the stock transfer was completed Verdasco had decided to follow Manuel's suggestion and bring up the subject of protection in Balkan Iberia. "Well Constantin, we can now out-vote Gretz, if he ever shows up. It allows us to get on with securing our investments. I was thinking your recent whistle-stop visit to the Moon couldn't have been better timed with this damned new launch by Orient. We seem to have the elevator covered too. The only remaining concerns for me are the satellite ring, which we can't do much about, and that place in Balkan Iberia. It's a while since I visited the site. Maybe I should make sure we aren't exposed there."

"I don't think we have to worry about it. It is very difficult to find, even if you know about it, which virtually no one does."

Verdasco didn't give up. "Sure, but this Orient business worries me even more than it did before Gretz disappeared, and I suppose we can't rule out them having taken him for interrogation. It bothers me because they have chosen to 'camp' right next to us on the Moon. I think I would sleep better if I paid a visit."

Boniek's prior confidence was giving way to nervousness. "Well if it makes you happy, I will do it. My roots are in that region, I speak the dialect. I know the people and we don't want them to think there is a problem."

"You did the Moon Constantin, and you deserve to have the same time off as I did during your lunar dash. Smell the roses my friend."

"That's a great idea, if I had time off I would like to spend some of it in my homeland, looking up old friends and relaxing. The official part won't take long. I will arrange it immediately." This was persuasive enough for Verdasco to call Pierze.

"Manuel Salina asked me to call you; about Gretz' aircraft."

"Thank you for doing so. I suppose this means he has briefed you on what we believe to be the problem."

"Yes, but I am not completely convinced of his claims. Perhaps your explanation of the request for the aircraft would help."

Pierze startled him with another request. "Certainly, but first I need to know if you can pilot the plane."

"What? Gretz already has a pilot and he tends to go where the aircraft goes."

"This is different. Even if you confirm you can fly the machine I will have to get your clearance from my immediate superior."

Verdasco laughed. "Are you talking about the President?"

"I am. I'm sorry things have to proceed in a certain order Snr. Verdasco, but it is crucial. If you can fly the jet for me I will get the required authorisation and you will be fully briefed on the mission."

Verdasco's mind raced. "As long as you accept that my ability to pilot the aircraft does not imply that I will."

"Thank you for your patience. I will be back to you within the hour, and you will have much to gain if you accept our request."

*

When Pierze proposed his plan Sanchez was nervous about Verdasco. He did however prefer this risk to involving Ortega. "What else do you need to do before I make the person to person call?"

Pierze was economical with the truth. "I have to get him to sign the official secrets declaration. I will get to it right away Sir, we have no time to lose."

When he returned Verdasco's call he was more forthcoming and it was a gamble dictated by time constraint. "I have the President's seal of approval. We will fly direct to Orient. Their air space people will be escorting us once we enter, and take us all the way to Shanghai. From there we will be flown by their helicopter to a private retreat of the Delegate-in-Chief. You and I will be present in the first part of the meeting and Sanchez will conduct the remainder with Din Chow Zen. If you can accept that format you can sign the appropriate paperwork en-route. I don't mean to rush you Verdasco, but there is a hell of a lot hanging in the balance, including your own investment." Verdasco was stunned but hooked.

"What do I have to lose other than everything? Very well, give me the time and I'll have the aircraft readied."

*

Pierze received an incoming transmission that the probe would be ready within twenty-four hours. He acknowledged it and told them to stand by for the signal to launch.

None of them had actually flown through Orient airspace before and didn't expect an escort of twelve heavily armed fighter jets. The view from the specified altitude was restricted, in the sense that the mandatory low flying corridor caused everything to flash by too quickly for recognition of structures. Touchdown in Shanghai was also eerie, as the totalitarian regime had censored the occasion to include only the absolute minimum of participants. The three Iberians reflected on how this could not happen in the Republic. The blacked out limousines sped out of the perimeter protected airstrip, exclusively reserved for Party dignitaries. Less than an hour on the deserted roads took them to a 'reserve' contained by high voltage wires. The cars ground to a halt and the guests were subjected to security scans and then ushered into a comfortable holding building and offered refreshment. It took fifteen unnerving minutes for them to be shown into the opulent main palace. An enormous table confronted them as they were shown into the conference suite. It was difficult from this distance to make out the features of the individual sitting just to the left of the patently reserved 'throne' at the table end. They were motioned to take seats far enough away from the seated interpreter so as to make it difficult to hear soft voices. The entrance of Din Chow Zen evoked the feeling it should have been set to music, so deliberate was the walk. They were encouraged to stand while he acknowledged their presence. He opened the proceedings after asking them to sit, and explaining that although he had rudimentary understanding of Iberian, he had provided an interpreter to ensure he did not miss the nuances of anything that might be discussed.

"Welcome to Orient gentlemen. This meeting will become controversial in both countries unless we produce a joint statement of what we have agreed, not what we have discussed. It may be that we agree nothing. President Sanchez, you requested this meeting, please proceed."

Sanchez rose to his feet to introduce Pierze and Verdasco, explaining their relative positions in the government and the SACRED Corporation. He hesitated while the interpreter was motioned to Din Chow Zen's ear. Sanchez resumed. "I asked for this meeting because tension in both states is running high, perhaps for different reasons. I recognise that Orient's frustration at Iberian sell-off of the agreed colonisation structure is justified. In turn your resumption of this initiative is also understood, it is only the choice of location on the Moon which has raised the temperature amongst our Foreign Office diplomats. I'm sure there is a perfectly logical explanation, which we would be pleased to hear. Our commercial infrastructure depends heavily on Snr. Verdasco's enterprise running smoothly. At present that is not the case. You will be aware I'm sure, from your monitoring of our newspapers that we are struggling to identify the precise reason for the death of many individuals, whose only connection appears to be through SACRED. I'm not able to reassure you that we are close to solving this mystery. In fact we may need your help. I am prepared for your question - why would you be willing to help a nation which has let you down once before? The answer is regrettably simple. We have eventually found evidence of the ultimate agenda of the people behind the deaths, even though we still have to identify all of the personnel involved. If this agenda succeeds it will cripple Iberia, and Orient will be next. I know you will ask for me to flesh out the claims I make, and I will if you can signal a willingness to trust me. I was not in office when you were let down by my nation. It won't happen again during my tenure. I await your reaction. Please take time to digest what I have said."

Other delegates were sent for, appeared, challenged by Din Chow Zen and then sent back to the location from which they had arrived. Din Chow Zen spoke in a dramatic tone. "We will not abandon the colonisation a second time if this is the 'help' you seek. There is no possibility of that."

Sanchez had to decide how big a card he could afford to play at this early stage. He didn't want to get back to Iberia and admit to the nation that he failed at the first hurdle, so he played high. "I wish to assure you that provided we can agree with your future plans for your Moon project we will cover the cost of that, the way we should have done in the first instance. It would have to be a balance of money, aid, and trade which you could agree to. I have Snr. Verdasco here to take note of any request you may have, to use our space elevator to launch jointly targeted transport. His enterprise has to make profit, so our government would pay his corporation. I'm more interested in our two nations having a common purpose on the Moon and more compatible programmes on Earth. This can be achieved through exchange of raw materials, goods, and technology in the attempt to harmonise our objectives. It won't be easy. That does not blunt my pledge to achieve a way of working together while respecting the other's ideology and practice." This gambit took Pierze and Verdasco as much by surprise as those it was intended to shock. It was suspiciously open and therefore openly suspicious.

The Orient leader sent for another batch of experts and then dismissed them as he had the first contingent. "Is this offer you make to finance our colonisation dependent on Orient agreeing to the reciprocal help you need?"

"No, it will happen regardless of your decision. We should have ensured this compensation when we sold the lunar base to SACRED. However, if we don't work together against the evil we have uncovered, there will be no gain for either of us. May I make the proposals which would assist us, so that you can digest the full implications for the entire planet?"

"Proceed."

Sanchez drew breath; he had to get this right. "We both have citizens who wish to overthrow our regimes by unconstitutional means. Our way of life is currently threatened from within by a science which can only be described as dehumanising. I have with me two envelopes. The first is not sealed and covers the plan you can assist us with. The second is electronically sealed with polarised block foil and if opened will reveal the breach. I propose to go through the content of the first envelope with you now, as that describes a scenario in which we may succeed. The sealed envelope will be opened by both of us, here in your palace, if we have succeeded. It contains every detail we have discovered about the conspiracy, and we would then be able to agree a means of ensuring it can never happen again. We would very much like to hear why you have chosen the specific location on the Moon, so that we can determine if our request is feasible and something you can accept."

This time Din Chow Zen conducted a prolonged exchange with the interpreter. "You can ask the favour and then I will be better placed to outline the broad objective of our colonisation plan, it is not complicated."

Sanchez took another deep breath. "It would be of enormous help if you could deploy the latest habitat modules closer to the SACRED installation. This would inject further concern in Iberia, and precipitate the need for Snr. Verdasco to make an urgent trip to his base." Sanchez took out the content from envelope number 1. "We have listed frequencies on which your people on the Moon can contact someone in the SACRED base who we only know as Prometheus. The message that your people should read out to him is detailed in here. It is basically a threat to destroy the base if it isn't surrendered. If the base supervisor is convinced of the veracity he will comply. When your people have secured this situation Verdasco will take over and your men can return to their habitat. This will effectively allow Verdasco to eliminate one leg of the Colossus. In the meantime we have to amputate the other leg pretty much simultaneously, in order to bring down the entire plot. If we do not achieve this in time we will send you the coordinates for a nuclear strike. I have signed a document authorising this, only the location is missing. If you receive these coordinates we will have failed and may have been terminated, in which case you should open envelope number 2, as well as despatching the warhead. I realise this may all sound preposterous to you but it is a very complicated and delicate situation. We must wrest total control of the SACRED Moon base from the conspirators in a low key manner for the next step to stand any chance of success."

The silence was deafening. The Iberian party was requested to vacate the palace and wait in the refreshment area while the full squad of advisors was wheeled in to examine the content of envelope 1. When they were recalled within fifteen minutes, the Iberian party was downcast. Din Chow Zen rose to his feet for the first time. "We have a question. What is to stop us from opening envelope 2, one minute after you leave?"

Sanchez brightened up as he replied, "If we have failed it will not matter. If we somehow succeed, and find you have opened it in our absence, we will know how you felt when your trust was broken over the colonisation pledge. It will ensure that we continue to distrust each other."

The Orient leader looked at the advisors in sequence and they all nodded in turn. "Our objectives on the Moon remain as they were in 2017. Our population growth has slowed but not enough for us to do without a lunar option. The location is one borne solely out of critical path analysis. If we were to encounter life-threatening problems in trying to sustain the expansion, we would be able to call on a neighbour on the Moon for help in such an emergency. We would have had to trust you again, as you now have years of experience."

Sanchez, Pierze and Verdasco looked at one another in disbelief. The President glanced at Din Chow Zen, who spoke again. "Make your preparations, we will assist."

## Chapter 27

When they had arrived back Verdasco had a call from Boniek. "Have you seen the news?"

"Not today, I have had a call from the President, would you believe it? I was just about to call you, anyway go ahead." Boniek was taken aback.

"The President, I think you had better go first."

"No, it's complicated – I'll explain before we hang up." Boniek's voice was very deliberate.

"Those bastards are moving their latest habitat units in a direct approach line to our facility."

"Well that makes what I was going to say a lot less complicated. Surely El Presidente knew that when he called me, but he never mentioned it. I'm glad you called. He wants to visit the elevator and said it would be better than him authorising enforcement from Pierze, which I agreed to. We cannot be seen to refuse the President, and anyway, he won't even know what he is looking at. I'll keep him on a short leash and never let him out of my sight. When he has gone I'm going to take the shuttle to the Moon and see exactly what is going on." This was not good news for Boniek.

"It's no problem, I will do it."

"Not at all, you should finish your break, you've been to the lunar base recently and anyway, I'm already at the elevator. It is some time since I was there, a refresher visit will help. How did you get on in the research unit?" Boniek had to concede.

"Ok, I will head back soon. I still think it would be conspicuous to place defensive armour and personnel here. Its strength is its desolate, uninhabited location."

"Well at least we've checked it out. I'll see you as soon as I get back from the Moon." Boniek said it would be better if he called from the Moon to give an update, in case he had to join him there. "Ok my friend, enjoy what is left of your break."

*

This arrangement prompted Pierze to launch the probe. They knew that Boniek would immediately contact the base supervisor and warn him of Verdasco's visit, and tell him to keep Gretz well hidden.

*

Manuel felt there was more to extract from Bernardo. He found him looking much refreshed and he remarked, "You appear to have benefitted from shedding a great burden."

"Yes, my colour has returned and I haven't felt better in years, regardless of what Snr. Pierze has in mind for me." Manuel said that Pierze was not normally credited with having a compassionate side. Bernardo shrugged his shoulders. "It is done now Manuel, it wasn't easy but it's better than going to my grave in the knowledge that I continued to look the other way. It is a small step but a significant one."

"Yes, it's a pity you couldn't remember more names of the higher ranking officers in this Sidonia sect. It's that kind of recall which I think might persuade him to be more lenient." Bernardo's mind was scanning Manuel's expression. "Anyway I'll ask my lawyer in Uruguay to send all names on the papers which I copied from my father's files. You never know, it may jerk your memory. What I really wanted to discuss with you was my mother's situation. She has put the apartment in Londonis up for sale and I said I would help her by clearing it out. There may be stuff there which could help Pierze; I didn't have time to check it out when I first came to the northern hemisphere. She is talking of moving to Londonis herself, on my advice. She's too recognisable in Madrid. She will have obscurity there. I still expect Pierze will want to speak to you again about Sandrine Benitez, and I hope you haven't forgotten our little agreement, she must be kept silent."

The reply indicated Bernardo's expectation of the temporary amnesia receding further with more relaxation. "Yes, I have not forgotten Manuel but I cannot function efficiently in custody. I suggest you speak with your father's confidante, Constantin Boniek. And when you have these papers from Uruguay and Londonis, let me know, I might recognise more of them by name."

*

The probe's telemetry clearly showed the shape and depth of the Balkan Iberia research facility. There were banks of what resembled huge generators. It made sense in such a remote spot, but at the same time meant that cutting off the power was going to be a lot more difficult than a simple snip. Pierze asked to speak to Radan Hajek again. "How would you like to help even up the score with Constantin Boniek again?"

"How would I do that?" Pierze only wanted an answer at this stage.

"You would be working for the government on a probationary basis. You said you were looking for a job, this could lead to a career for you."

"I am certainly interested in a job Snr. Pierze, but I need to know something about what you have in mind."

"Well I would like to take advantage of your linguistic ability and knowledge of Stara Planina to help trap Constantin Boniek. You see, it is not only you he has treated badly. He has been involved in all of the deaths associated with SACRED that we have investigated. You may also want to bear in mind that the people that Maxi Duarte interviewed, including you, were all selected for the same fate. That is how you came to be in safekeeping with us."

"It sounds dangerous." Pierze did not try to disguise the personal risk.

"It is extremely dangerous for all of us, but unless we stop him you can substitute dead for dangerous. I would also point out that if you just leave here, which you are free to do, you may actually be in more danger. His people have previously terminated selected individuals who we have isolated."

"Tell me precisely what you want me to do."

*

The Orient all-terrain lunar vehicle was ready and waiting for confirmation that Verdasco had arrived. As expected, he was given the censored tour by the base supervisor. Verdasco asked if they had suffered many disciplinary problems in recent times. The question was unexpected but the reply was not. "No, we have managed to convey what we want of the employees during the contract, but more importantly, what we do not want."

"Good, so do you have anyone in the brig right now?" The supervisor wobbled.

"Er, no Sir. The brig is in fact being refurbished at present. It has been declared off-limits until the work is complete."

Verdasco produced palpable concern when he said, "Remind me, if there is time, to see it for myself. I don't want discipline to be confused with prison. Who approved the design?"

"Well it was, let me see – I think it was Snr. Boniek or maybe Snr. Gretz, I can't remember, but I can check."

"Ok, maybe later." When they came to the encryption section he said he was always fascinated with the process and would like to watch a run of a current batch. The supervisor jumped at the chance to disappear and contact Boniek.

"Prometheus I presume."

"Sir?"

"I know that Gretz is captive here. Right now I'm going to signal the Orient base and they will contact you. What they will threaten to do is known to me and you just have to go along with it and advise the supervisor. I will free Gretz once we have allowed the Orient squad to secure the base."

"I see." He nodded and Verdasco sent the signal. When the call came Prometheus put it on screen and asked the supervisor to come at once over the PA system. It interrupted his call to Boniek. When he arrived the message was repeated for his benefit and the Orient Commander drew their attention to the approaching vehicle.

"You have five minutes to surrender the base if you want to avoid termination. We have targeted our electron beam generator at the heat spots – life-forms in your case. The energy will be set at lethal mega-rad dosage, which will penetrate the building with ease and you can look forward to a lingering and painful death. You do have a choice, as you may notice our squad, which is approaching, has radiation resistant clothing. They will either be allowed in by you, or when you have been dosed, they will cut their way in. You now have four minutes to decide."

The supervisor was in a state of mental meltdown, and he asked if anyone knew what the hell this guy was talking about. Verdasco feigned panic. "For God's sake man, you are in charge here, do something."

"I have had experience in EB Sir," said Prometheus.

"Well tell me quickly." The supervisor had more focus on the clock than what he was told, but he realised it wasn't good news.

"Electron beam radiation, when focussed on materials such as certain chemicals, can cause them to polymerise or solidify in milliseconds, compared to hours by conventional methods. The worrying thing is that he said they were going to deliver a high dosage. Even a small dose of five to ten mega-rad, is enough to turn liquid chemicals to solids. What he is threatening will ensure none of us can survive."

The supervisor could not look away from the clock. He took the voice piece. "We may need a little longer to get everyone together." The reply was unflinching.

"That is not necessary, we will see to your safety after you open the airlock. You have two minutes; our squad has parked the vehicle a safe distance away. Decide before I have to."

"Ok, I am despatching the necessary people to the airlock." The supervisor was contradicted once more.

"You will despatch only one person for this task, we will take it from there. Remember we still have the electron beam focussed on you – one departure from what we tell you to do and it will be activated."

Once inside the base, the squad of Orient operatives secured the airlock again and asked for the supervisor to meet them. He nervously made his way there and was hastily anesthetised by a tranquiliser dart. The leader of the squad then asked for Verdasco to join them. When he had done so, they used him for the remaining commands, particularly to get the entire workforce into an area where they could all be seen at once. He recommended the dining hall. Once this had occurred the squad marched Verdasco to join the rest of them and explained the new rules. They were to undergo a headcount and when satisfied that it was correct each person would be accompanied to their quarters, two at a time. They were locked inside and when only Verdasco and Prometheus remained, the latter was asked to take them to Gretz. Seeing his partner there was final proof for Verdasco that Boniek was indeed part of the conspiracy.

"Am I glad to see you? What is the status of the research unit?" Verdasco said that Pierze was waiting for a signal from them to confirm this end had been neutralised before launching that operation.

"We have still to allow Prometheus here to disengage the encryption software and lock it. Come with us and he can do that as I bring you up to date."

He turned to the Orient squad leader and thanked him for his invaluable assistance, and they were allowed to return to their habitat. Their safe arrival would have allowed the electron beam generator to be powered down, if it had ever existed. Verdasco congratulated Prometheus on his vivid imagination employed to pressurise the supervisor, and asked him to finalise the disconnection. The call was made to Pierze. He in turn informed Sanchez, who passed the good news and sincere thanks to Din Chow Zen.

*

Verdasco connected with Boniek and said he had to talk quickly. "Our suspicions of Orient's intent were accurate. They have an electron beam focussed on our position with the threat of our extermination if we do not cooperate. They have already eliminated the supervisor and two other operatives for calling their bluff. We have twenty-four hours to stew on surrendering the base before the rest of us go the same way. Our weaponry here is nullified because this beam has a 'broad-kill' effect. It can take the entire installation population down in an instant, with a wide focus. They obviously want to acquire the base in working order. Where are you?"

"I'm on my way back to the elevator. Just as well, it must be their next target." Verdasco nervously disagreed.

"That may be correct - I don't know. I can't understand their broken Iberian dialect too well, but they keep mentioning a name, which I had to repeatedly deny any knowledge of. Have you come across a 'Viktor La-Paz'? I tried to tell them we have over a hundred thousand employees. They seem to be certain he works here."

"Shit. Listen, I will have to contact the elevator and the research unit I have just left to check their files. His name means nothing to me."

Verdasco kept his nerve. "Ok, but let me know where you will be first. These bastards believe I'm lying. I need to know from you as soon as possible or we are going to die."

"Right, I'll go back to the research base, it is close and I can check the files myself. In the meantime I'll call the elevator and get them to run the search, and then forward the result to me." Verdasco gave the thumbs up to Gretz and Prometheus, and then he called Pierze.

"Boniek is driving back to Balkan Iberia, it is all yours now."

Pierze was relieved and replied, "Our small team is in place. When will you return?"

"I think it's dangerous for us to leave until we can be relieved by new recruits we can trust, to help us ship back these Boniek loyalists."

*

Manuel travelled to Londonis and apart from setting up the estate agent to sell the apartment, he wanted to surprise Butragueno. She was so excited to see him walk through the precinct main office to hers, at which he stopped, and read the name C.I. Butragueno. He shrugged his shoulders as if he didn't know of this person. She threw a previously prepared paper dart at him and beckoned him to enter.

"I've come to take you to dinner, unless you have other plans Chief Inspector."

"I still haven't got used to that title yet. I suppose I could manage to fit you in this evening."

"Great, there is something I want to tell you, and it's important that I bring you up to date with the situation on SACRED, it is at an extremely critical stage."

They met at her favourite bar for an aperitif, and moved on to the restaurant. She hadn't dined there before, but had heard rave reviews about it. He ordered a Chilean white and said, "I have good news, well I hope it's good news. I'm selling the apartment here for my mother and she has decided to live here with her friend Maria, who is recovering from a cancerous tumour operation. The remainder of the proceeds of father's indulgent investment she has promised to me. I'm therefore also in the market for a dwelling in Londonis. I was hoping you might have some time to help me look for something appropriate."

She could not contain her joy. "It will be a pleasure Manuel, but I'll have to register for only short periods of time off, my workload is high. We should be able to arrange some evening viewings." He moved on to the update and when she had heard how delicate the Balkan Iberia plan was, she realised that everything could change overnight. Her mind wandered to the rest of the evening. It was time.

## Chapter 28

The main advantage Pierze had was surprise. They knew the research complex was not heavily guarded, but they had to gain entry and get to Viktor Lopez before anyone could instruct him to activate the drones. It couldn't be a storm-trooper exercise. Pierze had decided on a distraction technique. His idea was one of simplicity, as President Sanchez was standing by with the coordinates for Din Chow Zen's nuclear strike if they failed. Pierze was therefore in 'hands-on' mode, and was one of twelve individuals dressed in local attire, but armed with well concealed stun guns, which were made to look like automatic pistols. They chose a point which Boniek had to traverse in order to arrive at the complex in the valley floor, where the underground entrance was concealed. They also knew from Verdasco that they would be challenged at this point, so it was thought necessary to give the checkpoint guards a short advance warning that they would be arriving soon. They then had to gain entry very quickly. That is why they had planned to capture Boniek before he got back. The accident was set up on the deserted mountain pass. It involved the two vehicles carrying the ten special operations men, Pierze and Radan Hajek. It had attracted the attention of a few local farming people who wanted to help. Hajek spoke to them and asked if they would just flag down any oncoming traffic and explain that it wouldn't be too long before the vehicle recovery unit was there, to separate the two which were embedded in one another. It would be getting dark soon and this could be of assistance.

When Boniek arrived there were another three vehicles queuing to get past the accident area. The local farmer with the flag told him what had happened, but he said aggressively that he needed to push his way through, and got out of the car. As he approached the impact zone he was already remonstrating with those who just appeared to be standing around. "Time may not mean much to you people with your cows and tractors, but some of us have deadlines to meet. This damned recovery vehicle could take hours; surely we can all attempt to manually separate the two trucks, come on let's at least try."

As he wandered to the back of the nearest one, the darkness obscured the triangulated shock from the stun guns. He was swiftly hauled into the storage space and hidden under some straw. Hajek said to the local gathering that they weren't going to wait for the recovery unit until it was pitch black, and would take the risk of reversing both trucks simultaneously. "Both drivers have exchanged insurance details and accept that the crude unhinging may cause further damage." The locals enjoyed the spectacle as if it were the highlight of the week. The de-crunching was artificially enhanced by deliberate grinding of the gears.

Once free of one another the vehicles went in opposite directions until the small 'crowd' had dispersed, then one turned and headed after the lead vehicle. They then returned to pick up Boniek's car which would be recognised by the security staff on approach. When they reached sight of the valley floor they stopped to allow Boniek to recover. Even though he was groggy he knew that he had fallen for a simple con. It could prove disastrous for him. The only faces he could see were ones he recognised, for different reasons. His morale dropped at Pierze's smile and hit rock bottom when he caught the predatory glint in Radan Hajek's eyes.

Pierze ordered a stimulant to be administered to Boniek, he had to be attentive to remember the instructions he was about to receive. Pierze checked his captive's eyes after a couple of minutes and was happy to proceed. "You may know about Orient's capture of your Moon base. So listen very carefully. The lunar part of your system is obviously in their hands. In order to prevent misuse of SACRED and the whole Republic going belly-up again, we the government, need to make this end of the system secure. Don't look so worried, we got this location and its purpose from Bernardo. We have no time to lose or explain things to the security people of this research centre, as we believe Orient's troops are on standby as I speak. So we must at least lock down the system even if we cannot prevent them from taking over the complex. We have alerted armoured divisions to head them off but they stole a march on us. Our intelligence tells us they have been preparing this for months. They also have the complex in the crosshairs of a nuclear warhead. If we can get in and out before they arrive we can avoid the President of Iberia authorising this facility to be vaporised. Don't look so shocked, we can't allow them to take it over intact, and just in case they do, we will destroy their forces along with the research centre. It is a game of high stakes. I hope you are keeping up with me here. Get on your communicator and speak to the entry personnel as we approach. Tell them to let your vehicle and both trucks pass. We would have been in good time if we had not had that damned accident. Do you understand what you have to do?" It was all happening so fast.

"How do we know they took the Moon base so quickly?"

"I will explain later, but in a nutshell the bastards televised the whole sequence from their own base camp, it has been broadcast, where the hell have you been? The entire planet has seen it from their living room. Now make the call." Boniek told the guards the short version, and his disclosure of not one but two nuclear threats did the rest. The complex began to empty of panic-stricken staff. Pierze had his team at the exit checking for Viktor Lopez. When they found him Pierze took him to one side and explained what had to be done. He told one of his team, plus Radan Hajek, to accompany them to the neurogenic station. The look in Boniek's eyes began to betray his recognition of being stung for the second time within an hour. They weren't going to a lockdown terminal. He began to add up the various elements of the game. When they reached the station Lopez was allowed the privilege of taking a sledgehammer to the hardware. Boniek's dreams started to die in front of his eyes. Pierze and Lopez were reunited at last, they left Hajek and the special operations man as referee for the retribution of Boniek, who pleaded, begged and finally involuntarily deposited excrement in his Armani suit, as he was struck with the first right hand. The next few minutes were brutal, but no more so than when the roles were reversed and three of Boniek's thugs had almost cost Hajek his life.

*

Pierze made the call to Sanchez. The President then contacted Din Chow Zen, and made the request for the Orient leader to be the first of that rank to receive an invitation to Madrid for over half a century. "Please bring envelope 2 with you and we can open it together. It will hopefully demonstrate that we can overcome problems by working together. I intend, with your agreement, to begin a regulated opening of our border to accommodate some immigration from Orient to help with your overcrowding, if that is what you would like."

The invitation was accepted.

*

The restaurant was about to close and the waiter was tapping his foot periodically when Manuel's communicator activated. It was Pierze. "Where are you?"

"In a Londonis restaurant, we are just about to leave, why?" Pierze was still cautious.

"We, who is 'we'?" Manuel indicated that he was with Butragueno.

"Oh, then I can proceed. I didn't want to alert anyone that there had ever been a problem with SACRED."

Manuel's face brightened. "You are using the past tense; does that mean it's over?"

"Pretty much Manuel, there will be no Drone Day. The Moon and the research centre are secure and we have Boniek. We have rescued Lopez and Prometheus, and Gretz and Verdasco are safe, so you will be getting paid. However we still have to cut off the head of the snake, so Boniek will be subject to assisting with identifying his cohorts. That task cannot be left in abeyance as we must avoid them going underground and reforming. The sect must be culled. I know you have spoken with Bernardo again, so I would appreciate your presence, and Duarte's, to get all of this finalised before the visit of Din Chow Zen."

Manuel was astonished but intrigued at the possible thaw in relations with Orient. "Ok, I will catch the first flight out tomorrow."

"No you won't, I have commandeered Boniek's private aircraft to pick you up from Londonis in four hours. We have no time to lose. I will have breakfast ready by the time you get here." When Manuel explained all of this to Butragueno and apologised profusely, she took his hand and they walked back to his hotel. When he held her to say goodnight, she resisted and walked toward reception. The look in her eyes convinced him that no words were necessary. During the next two hours she surrendered all of the accumulated passion of the past few weeks. Words were still trapped in their minds; this occasion did not require articulated accompaniment – the cerebral and emotional duet sequestered every note to deliver total harmony. Elle Butragueno was not highly sexually experienced, but this was much more than sex. Manuel on the other hand had always substituted any drift toward relationship by frequent sexual encounters. This was a turning point for both of them. They did not speak about it as she drove him to the airport. Goodbye was not the wrench it had been when she had left Madrid. There was a new purpose in her life, and Manuel had taken the first step to trusting anyone other than Konrad and Senora Salina with his true feelings.

*

When Pierze had a patched-up Boniek back in his office, he made no apology for the plethora of stitches and sticking plasters which characterised his new face. "Surely it is not necessary for me to remind you how these things go. I want names and one way or another I will get them from you or Bernardo. There will be no plea bargaining, the only difference will be in the location of your confinement. There are bad places and hell. Both of you may go to hell. However the vacancies at the bad places are limited to one. Would you like to begin?"

"Names for what?" Pierze glared at him and shouted ferociously, unintentionally misting his interviewee with sputum.

"Not a good start Constantin. You know exactly what I mean."

"It is a genuine question. You must appreciate I have worked with certain people outside of SACRED and I have recruited temporary people to protect that organisation. The two roles are quite different. With SACRED I was in sole charge and have total knowledge – for example the elevator is protected by people who will only acknowledge one master. Like certain canine breeds they are very territorial and extremely faithful. They will wonder where I am. On the other hand the people you seek in both Rojo-Negro Mano and Sidonia are not all known to me, and I wasn't responsible for either recruiting or directing them."

Pierze brought in Duarte. "For the recording \- I am leaving the room and Maxi Duarte is entering to conduct the next stage of the interview." Duarte concentrated on Boniek's last statement.

"If I really understand what you said earlier, I'm supposed to believe you are not the highest authority in this Sidonia organisation. This is in absolute contradiction to our previous information. Would you care to elaborate?"

"I'm assuming you got your previous information from the erstwhile Bernardo?" As this failed to elucidate any response from Duarte he continued. "I will take it that I'm correct in that assertion. I was nowhere near the top of the pyramid. I was in a full time remit with SACRED and that alone would have disqualified me, these civil servants have all the time they need to service Sidonia. I was promised a significant promotion after what you call Drone Day, but even that would have put me at the penultimate level of office. The rules are very strict about that in the brotherhood. I can give you many names but I will not use up this collateral until you have verified what I am saying, otherwise my position is weakened."

After a further exhausting three hours of relentless questioning Duarte left the office to join Pierze and Manuel, who was greedily devouring a mountainous breakfast. He said, "I'm sorry to disappoint you Ricardo, but I believe him. We have to talk to this Bernardo again to highlight the discrepancies in their accounts and go from there. I would suggest doing this before interviewing them together."

Pierze agreed but added one further layer. "Let Manuel reconnect with Bernardo alone first, as he thinks he has returned with papers from Uruguay and the Salina apartment in Londonis. We can observe this through the glass to pick up potential contradictions with what he has already 'confessed'."

Manuel was briefed to slip in a reference in his father's papers to future recruitment policy within Sidonia. "I'm sorry I have to ask you this again Bernardo but it is somewhat different to what I understood from our previous talk. It mentions guidelines and rules. One of the rules states that there are caps on levels of office according to qualifications and character, but also definite time commitment. For example, part-time outside employment would disqualify even the best candidate from becoming Director of the sect. This puzzles me because you indicated that Constantin Boniek had already expressed interest in elevation to such a level of distinction, via his secret association with Antonio Salina. How do you explain that?"

Bernardo had been locked away and like the rest of the populous, knew nothing of the capture of Boniek. He pondered what Manuel had said and concluded that this was verification of him having copied his father's papers. He fell for the deception, this time completely. He decided to twist his story rather than stick to it or change it. "That is true Manuel, but when I indicated that Boniek may be promoted by your father, I am sure I implied that it was dependent on Drone Day being successful. Your father had died, a new leader was required. So I can only assume that Boniek was a candidate to take up full-time status once that was achieved. He was definitely one of the nominees and was confident when we last spoke." Pierze pulled Manuel out by instructing him through his earpiece.

"Excellent work Manuel, now Duarte will join me with Boniek again. This could be checkmate."

When this alternate spin was offered to Boniek he laughed out loud. "You don't get it do you? Who do you think was running this operation for the last few years? I thought you had got past the façade of Antonio Salina. The guy was a puppet. His indiscretions were scandalous and manifold. He was a tolerated liability. It was already in the master plan for him to die unexpectedly. Don't you see what I am saying?"

Duarte intervened. He asked Pierze to step outside, and they re-joined Manuel. "As I'm the only one who has not directly interviewed Bernardo, or even met him until today, I do see what Boniek is trying to tell us without breaking the cult rules. The only one who breaks the rules is the one who makes them. Bernardo is your man." It took a few seconds before it clicked then it was obvious. Bernardo was always protesting he merely looked the other way, but knew of details that he should not have. It also occurred to Duarte, that he may have ordered the death of Antonio Salina.

All three of them confronted Bernardo, told him the game was up, and why. They then wheeled in Boniek, who cast an expression of intense disgust at the hypocritical, cowardly individual to whom he had previously given so much respect. Bernardo decided not to utter another word. He wanted legal representation of his own choice. Unknown to the others Boniek had appropriated a knife from his breakfast platter. As they were both being ushered to the cells he sank it up to the hilt as it penetrated Bernardo's heart. "You deserve a traitor's death but we don't always get what we deserve." Boniek was led away. He accepted his fate and declined to reveal any names.

*

Verdasco and Gretz personally accompanied Prometheus back from the Moon and ensured he would receive substantial compensation and an attractive offer to continue with SACRED under a revised setup, participation in which would be offered to Orient.

*

Manuel resumed his interests in Londonis and Duarte was a constant presence at his son's academy sessions. He still consulted for Pierze, who always contemplated how first impressions could be wrong, when he watched Duarte leave his office. They may never be friends, but had enormous respect for one another.

*

When Constantin Boniek stood to receive sentence, he was first asked if he had anything to say. He had, at the outset of the trial, decided on defending himself, and then refused to utter a single word during cross-examination. He now spoke for the one and only time. "You have avoided coming under Sidonia rule this time. There will be another time. You don't have the means to prevent the brotherhood from reforming. In fact your new open relationship with Orient will facilitate this. I am proud of what I tried to achieve with my fellow members. That is why I am happy to have eliminated the pathetic previous leader. I will be revered for this, and I will enjoy it, as your laws prevent you from giving me the death sentence. That is your weakness. I would have embraced it. The neurogenic technology is, like the lunar colony, but a first step toward a new future."

## Part Two: Divine Extinction
## Prologue

Osvaldo Martinez had served only four years of his life sentence. He had unofficially changed his name. Following his incarceration in Hell's Island high security prison, the Iberian government had dramatically increased their vigilance and investment in Central Security activity. The apartheid world of Iberia and Orient had thawed slightly since they had cooperated in bringing down a conspiracy which would have altered life on Earth forever. The narrow escape, literally by a few days, from the penetration of the SACRED communication system, had illustrated their Achilles' heel, or at least one of them. SACRED was the acronym for the corporation which had provided the salvation of the Iberian Republic, when the internet collapsed in 2016. It consisted of the space elevator, a girdle of gargantuan satellites around the planet, and a lunar distribution point which had been thought to be impregnable. Signal Amplification, Correction, Revision, Encryption and Distribution were operated through membership and licence of guaranteed secure stations belonging to the corporation. Business organisations such as banks had inbuilt hardware, whereas individuals used booths, which were run by SACRED personnel. All users had to be registered with DNA, facial vectors and retinal scans before they could participate. The input side was based on Earth and covered the first four steps. The Encryption and Distribution were executed from the Moon and were thus supposed to be absolutely secure. It quickly replaced the internet and pretty much decimated the personal computer market.

Such was the confidence given by this remarkable achievement that the internet collapse didn't cause the anticipated slide to dystopian society. The initial deaths of protesters against this closed 'big brother' system were considered to be random. When links were eventually established and proven, the deaths increased almost exponentially. Central Security, with the help of the Londonis police precinct, and an independent investigative reporter, exposed an agenda to systematically control the minds of the population. This was targeted initially at the bottom of society's pyramid in order to subvert the masses, and then use that momentum to scale the ladder of control to law and order chain of command, and finally government hierarchy. It was the 'brainchild' of a right wing cult. Isolation of the neurogenic indoctrination within SACRED, and elimination of the head of the cult had prevented Armageddon this time, however most of the enlisted members were still at large, but not Osvaldo Martinez. He had not disclosed the names of any cult members despite an opportunity to plea bargain for leniency if he cooperated. This effectively meant that the task of running these people to ground had to begin all over again, in order to prevent the cult agenda from re-surfacing.

Ricardo Pierze, head of Central Security of Iberia, wanted to retain as much of the original team which thwarted the plot, as possible. Manuel Salina's presence was felt to be crucial. Manuel was the elder son of Antonio Salina, who was Pierze's predecessor and one of the most senior cult members. His exposure had led to his death, and the police suspected he was murdered by the brotherhood, despite it being made to look like suicide. Manuel had despised his father for many reasons. He had moved to Uruguay and worked as an investigative journalist until his younger brother Konrad, one of the key protestors against SACRED, committed suicide. Manuel was then approached by one of the owners of the SACRED organisation, to conduct an investigation into all such previous deaths, alleged to be associated with the very same corporation. This began in Londonis, with his brother's case, and he teamed up with Maxi Duarte and Elle Butragueno, both from the police precinct. They subsequently persuaded Pierze to work with them, and this unlikely alliance became the instrument of exposing the cult and its agenda of global mind control of the population. Manuel was the lynchpin in the strategy, via the improbable participation in SACRED's virtual reality programme – Futureworld. Konrad had pleaded with him to adopt his character after his death, to truly convince Manuel that his outrageous claims of manipulation of the mind were not only possible, but actually happening. This became the pivotal breakthrough in the investigation.

Since then the SACRED system had been purged and additional security measures installed. It was once more considered to be worthy of its former flagship reputation. The rigorous overhaul had even satisfied the government of Orient. The new accord between the two superpowers resulted in a phenomenal increase in customer base for the Iberian corporation. It also worried Pierze insofar as there was now another potential tributary open to corruption.

Osvaldo Martinez had spent all of the four years of his confinement in the pursuit of resurrecting the cult. Despite his conviction and sentence, he still had human rights and one of these rights was access to the absolute fortune he had made as a co-owner of SACRED. It was legally argued that if the wealth accumulated by the other two owners was legitimate, then so was his. One of the first things he did was to instruct his many visitors to keep him apprised of the dispersed brotherhood. He then set about authorising his shareholding in SACRED to be sold to the other two stockholders. The vast funds were then broken up and dispersed several times into untraceable accounts, mainly in Swiss-Iberia, and in proxy names. Having established the means, he began to introduce his 'currency' to the prison environment, and quickly established control of the inmates, then many of the staff. It took the best part of two years to get the funds appropriated to the reformation structure of the Sidonia cult. The research was also underway and his escape was now in the planning stage. Once on the outside again he would need to alter his appearance, voice characteristics and even undergo certain genetic modifications, to truly create a different person. When this was all in place he would once more change his name to sever all connection to his past.

The explosive charges which had been planted around one corner of the outer prison wall, completely opened up the courtyard, and caused absolute panic in the ranks of the guards, except for those who had been recruited by Martinez, with a promise of a lucrative life within Sidonia. In the midst of the chaos at the breach point, many prisoners were let out as an additional distraction. Some got through the cordon, others were shot. Martinez was provided with a guard's uniform and was accompanied by his select band of new Sidonians to the flat roof, where they were whisked away by the circling helicopter, decked in bogus police livery.

The news of the breakout was patched through to Pierze and his overtures to Manuel Salina now had concrete purpose. Even though not imminent, the threat was back.

### Chapter 1

The reconfiguration of Osvaldo Martinez had commenced, now that the various authorities admitted he had simply vanished into thin air. The years he had spent in prison had been productive in the sense that he had still managed to sculpture the new headquarters and hierarchy of Sidonia. The research facility was unparalleled in both personnel and investment. He had ensured that a much stricter profiling programme was instituted for full membership of the cult this time. He was still scarred by the experience he had in discovering that the former leader tried to save his own skin, by becoming an informant for Pierze. Because Martinez had personally killed this 'gutless coward', the remaining members of the cult were able to evade capture. This had been his constant motivation to complete the resurrection, which was now underway.

*

Ricardo Pierze was in a contemplative mood as he awaited the arrival of Manuel Salina. He reflected on the huge slice of luck which brought down the cult four years ago, and how such suppression of information was never going to be an option now. The public outcry which was precipitated by leaks within Central Security had seen to that. It had been the policy to bury any hint of just how close the cult had come to achieving its objective. This knowledge fermented and spawned a new era of openness in such matters. It was extremely unhelpful to Pierze, but 'Manna from Heaven' for Martinez.

Manuel had been delayed. His flight from Londonis to Madrid had been subject to a technical fault. He was brought up to date with the escape of Martinez. Most people had forgotten he had changed his name and missed the connection, and Central Security would be forced to remind them. "Manuel, it's good to see you after all this time, but the circumstances could have been better. We have no idea where he is, who helped him to get out, or what will happen next. The only thing we can be certain of is that his agenda will be unchanged. In the four years since his arrest we have not apprehended a single member of the cult." Manuel was included in the majority who had temporarily forgotten the association of the name Martinez with Sidonia. He had always and deliberately remembered only his original name – Constantin Boniek.

"How could they let this happen? It's not as if he was ever going to reform, he told them that himself! I must say Ricardo that I initially had no intention of coming back here, let alone enlisting in your project. I have a very good life in Londonis now, my private investigation agency is thriving and my mother is happier than at any time in her life. However, I agree with you, Sidonia has to be eliminated otherwise everything we achieved was for nothing. The evil which Mart..., no damn it, Boniek represents, requires total eradication this time. I suppose we can rule out another scourge coming through SACRED. It is much more tightly controlled, Futureworld was scrapped, and anyway Boniek will want to avoid past mistakes – unlike our prison service."

Pierze was relieved that Manuel had already taken the gravity of the situation on board. "Are you and Elle Butragueno still er.. friends?"

Manuel smiled as he nodded. "Of course, but we still live separately. We decided it was best for our careers as well as our relationship. It seems to work at present, but there will come a time when we want other things. How about Duarte, is he still helping you out?"

Pierze buzzed his secretary and Maxi Duarte strolled into the room. It was quite an emotional reunion. "I hope you are taking good care of my favourite police officer Manuel, how is she?"

Manuel gave him a letter from Butragueno. "She said it was private, so you tell me when you've read it. I don't want to seem rude Maxi, but do you really need more of this Boniek stuff?"

Duarte asked for coffee and replied, "None of us do Manuel; it just has to be dealt with. I hope it isn't going to be too time-consuming Ricardo, as my boy is on the verge of the Madrid first team squad and I want to enjoy his first, enthusiastic years for the game while the money is still secondary." They spent the rest of the day sketching the potential 'battlefield', knowing it would have to cover threat of new technology and a new executive structure of Sidonia.

*

Martinez was indeed intent on avoiding past mistakes. He had thought this through very carefully during his incarceration. Using a government department for too many aspects of the plan had in retrospect been a weakness. He felt that the previous hierarchy, being overpopulated with Central Security personnel and other civil service freeloaders, was fundamentally flawed. He did however recognise that some mass communication technology would be fundamental in priming the millions of subjects required to cause the government to implode. He felt that the only other way was for some almost evangelical revolution to emerge, but this was unlikely. The location of the research and operational headquarters had also been a key decision. It had resulted in the chosen facility potentially delivering an option for an obscure inroad to the mass communication industry.

While in prison his already active senior cult figures had used his laundered capital to purchase shares in a major technology supplier to the communication industry. The company wanted to expand their share of the market in Orient, and this was convenient, as it fitted with another requirement for Martinez. Over a period of thirty months he had steadily increased the share of equity in this company in small steps. It finally gave him the platform to cleverly stimulate a clandestine hostile bid from another big player, and the board of directors was only too happy for him to acquire a controlling interest. The board preferred the devil they knew, only to be later relieved of their positions in an orderly but unalterable fashion. The procedure was of course fronted by proxy investors. Martinez wanted to build on the good reputation of the company before embarking on the transformation of his identity. This would give time for Pierze to sweat, and for the diversion of resource to his secret research.

The proxy investors were his two most trusted cult members, who would now turn their attention to quietly extending the recruitment drive. This had to be finely tuned to the anticipated growing influence over the masses. Martinez was as confident in his strategy for this, as he was about his own 'conversion' to another person.

*

Pierze introduced Viktor Lopez to the meeting. Manuel and Duarte knew him as the instrument through which Sidonia had indoctrinated the users of Futureworld. He had been abducted and installed in a secure underground technology centre, and his unique expertise in directed neurogenic emission was the cornerstone of the subversion of individuals exposed to the 'treatment'. He had been working on all manner of possible technology threats since being rescued by Pierze. The problem lay in predicting which new breakthroughs could lend their primary function to adaptation for sinister purpose. Lopez described it aptly. "It is a bit like trying to predict when a sleeping volcano will become angry or even worse – simply become the worst natural disaster in history." He presented some of the things he'd been working on and many provoked raised eyebrows for the audience of three. The meeting ended with the agreement that they were in observation alert mode, and they would re-convene every month unless the circumstances dictated otherwise.

*

The transmogrification of Martinez was an intensive and intrusive process, including genetic alteration procedures to evade DNA checks. The recovery from the procedures took much longer than the setting up of his new identity papers. Lionel Zara came into being on the 18th of August 2027, and this would become the timeline to which several future events could be retrospectively traced. So different was his appearance that his first meetings with anyone other than his two trusted aides would be a charade. The participants would be told that Martinez had head-hunted and installed Zara as the new chief executive. The plan was that Martinez would become a recluse and never be seen or heard of again. Zara desperately wanted to get up to speed with all avenues of research in order to devise a critical path to the decision to initiate trials on real people. It would require procurement of people who would of necessity have to die, whether or not the tests were successful.

*

Olga Assante was overjoyed with her birthday present. It was just one of many to mark her eighteenth anniversary, but she was obsessed with it. Not everyone had the latest 'think-phones' and she would let most of them know that. It had all the usual facilities for those in a hurry to complete tasks, but she liked the more challenging aspect of concentrated thought to execute the same chores, and she was very proficient at it. That was the root of her obsession, and even if others had the device, they may not be capable of rendering the keyboard as one such obsolete feature. It truly was mind over matter.

Frederic Moreno ran a blue chip 'managed fund' financial investment company. It was a juggernaut amongst such institutions. He was so impressed with his recently acquired technology, that he included a proficiency test with it, as part of the interview format, for new recruits. He claimed that if candidates couldn't tap the benefits, the way he had taught himself to do, they were unlikely to excel at the position on offer. Broadcasting this openly within his staff had many of them worried about their future, even those conducting the interviews.

Patrick Kipketer, as an Olympic gold medallist, had a very busy schedule. He wasn't just running at events all over the world, but had to fit in advertising endorsements for his sponsors. He had an agent of course, but still had to be available for contact virtually all of the time he was not asleep. It was however not always convenient to reply in the middle of a training run. After all, it was his running feats which had made him rich, and in demand as a consequence. If he was to continue in this vein, his running had to come first. He had taken to this new technology immediately; it gave him so much freedom and had such a calming influence.

*

By spring of 2028, Zara had increased the stake in his chosen technology company to 77%, thus avoiding power of veto from minority shareholders, and although it was registered within one of many holding companies, he very much wanted anonymity. He would not further increase the equity for another six months, as other elements had to be in place first. One was the perfection of the research on his new brainchild, and the unexpected U-turn he made with respect to evangelism. Having dismissed this at an early stage of his master plan, he now believed it had perfect synergy with the product under development. He wanted a dispersed and uneven geographical approach with the genesis of the new faith, and this meshed well with the research hub being fronted by a legitimate technology business. This business shield now had a name – Cerberus Enterprises Corporation. It had been adopted after careful consideration, being believed to serve many purposes. The ancient Greeks often depicted Cerberus as a three-headed hound which guarded the gates of Hades, to prevent those who had crossed the river Styx, from ever escaping. The balance of symbolism and strategy appealed to Zara. Sidonia was now effectively controlled by three people. The gates of Hades were represented by the legitimate business camouflaging the hell which would be unleashed by the clandestine work of the research arm. No escape meant Sidonians signed up for life, with death upon betrayal ensuring adherence to the mission. Zara's arrogant nature twinkled when the name itself could possibly attract attention, which would subsequently stand up to scrutiny in every way, while breeding the alien venom.

*

The exceptionally hot summer of 2028 heralded the first experiment. Alberto Simone was enjoying the gentle night breeze while walking home from a fraternity gathering. Even though the temperature was still twenty-one degrees Celsius, the perception of headwind gave tangible respite from the afternoon cauldron. This heat wave was into its second week, but it was still only mid-July, and worse was expected in August. The outskirts of Bilbao were not the safest place in which to indulge in solo-perambulation. It would have been reported as a poor choice by the prey perhaps, but an excellent one for the predator. There was to be no corpse, so that judgement would simply never occur. It would merely be yet another missing person, and get lost in the morass of similar cases in that particular suburb. The park provided good cover for the operatives to tranquilise the subject remotely with a dart, and drag him into the bushes before signalling the transportation to collect the 'goods'.

Having isolated Simone in a windowless, locked room, they observed him from a hidden camera while he recovered, and tried to rationalise where he was, and why. After a few minutes he picked up a device which seemed to have been strategically placed on some papers to avoid the only other visible object in the room – a fan, from blowing them around. Despite shouting, knocking on the walls and hammering on the door for a protracted period, there was no response. Eventually he began to examine the device to determine its real purpose. After pressing a couple of buttons a screen came to life. He noticed there was no form of guide or instruction, only pictures. He soon returned it to its function as a paperweight. Immediately he did this, a cavity in one of the walls was revealed as a panel slid open. At first it seemed to house only a bundle of flex, but on closer approach it resembled a headset of some kind. He paused, stroked his chin in a gesture of concentration and suddenly began looking for signs of a camera. A smile fluttered slowly over his face, and he shouted, "Ok, it's a game, give me a signal to confirm I'm right." The lights flickered off and on again. "Do I take that as a yes?" The same thing happened. "You want me to put on the headset?" The on/off occurred for a third time. When he put on the headset he waited but nothing happened. After a couple of minutes he asked another question. "If I continue to get the flicker, do I get out of here?" It was confirmed.

He sat down and began to think about the situation. Another reflex smile accompanied him picking up the device again. Having switched it on he waited for audio contact, but it didn't come. It took longer than the observers expected for him to notice the headset could be connected to the device. He had failed the first real test. When he had connected the two he was a little disappointed that nothing appeared to happen. Suddenly the screen altered from randomly aligned coloured tiles making up a three dimensional cube, to one of total order, with each side only showing one colour, then it reverted to the random display. Only then did it occur to him that this photonic representation of a twentieth century 'Rubik's Cube' was the puzzle. His confidence soared but was then dashed when he got frustrated that he could not find any buttons which enabled him to move the tiles around. He was in danger of failing the second test when it came to him. He put down the device and simply stared at the screen intently. Instead of trying to move the tiles he focussed his concentration on changing their colour. He began to see a red one wavering between yellow and red. He shaded his eyes with his hands so that they could see nothing but the screen. The tile turned yellow and then back to red. Heavier concentration and a deliberate mental effort locked it on yellow. Laboriously, he repeated the process on all tiles on that side of the cube. With the second side, he actually grasped the opportunity to de-focus with respect to individual tiles and increase the concentration on the entire side. It locked green. When he had completed the task, he again asked the question, "Do I get out now?" Instead of the lights flickering, he felt a spasm. It was more uncomfortable than painful, but then the door slid back and two figures in laboratory attire led him out and sat him in a comfortable looking chair. His demands to know what the hell was going on were answered only by another screen which was wheeled in from one side. One of the lab men informed him of a second test. His protest was silenced by automatic restraints binding him into a fixed attitude to the screen. His heart rate went up when another device was lowered from the ceiling to face him. It was a worm screw with a drill bit of at least four inches in diameter. Panic set in as he glanced at the screen and saw the screw replicated there. The device switched on, and simultaneously a group of observers entered the room with notebooks and hand-held instruments. The worm was directed at his heart and although moving slowly he thought he could ascertain it was actually accelerating. The mental turmoil was about to be overtaken by panic, but he tried to banish any thoughts except the worm on the screen. He wasn't successful; he couldn't resist the temptation to glance at the real worm to see if it was slowing, and attempt to assess how much time he had before it reached him. Then his mind's involuntary acrobatics posed a question. 'They wouldn't let me die would they?' He was on the verge of being convinced this was just a test, but then the vague recollection of being hit with something in the park jolted him back to the here and now. He couldn't take anything at face value in this bizarre situation, unless he was dreaming. In a supreme effort of concentration he willed the screen worm to stop. It not only failed but the drill bit had gathered momentum and the distance to his chest was visibly reduced. The figures with the notebooks were feverishly writing and glancing at their instruments; no one was paying attention to him. The acceleration curve was now reaching a point where Simone could feel he had no more than a minute before contact. Out of the maelstrom of mental processing a picture emerged in the calm eye of his personal brainstorm. The screen worm was a perfect replica of the deadly mechanical version, including a number of small but visible touchpads. His focus was for the first time, exclusive to anything other than the pads on the screen. He had finally transported the success with the cube to the worm, the interface between the headset and the screen was the sole way to change any subordinate or connected equipment. The real worm was just a slave to that interface. Its high pitched whirring increased suddenly as he had activated speed control. He began to experience panic again, when he felt another uncomfortable surge. The second pad altered the attitude of the drill toward his face. The third pad was the power switch, and he succeeded in disabling the instrument with less than two inches separating it from his head. He didn't give any thought to the function of the fourth touchpad. His vision was ever so slightly blurred but he thought he could hear strangely distant applause from the notebook figures. He was then plunged into blackness, but only for an instant. He could now clearly see the applauding audience but could only hear one human voice. "Welcome to the Circle of Light. Truth is the only way. Friends can share the Truth; others may only share their fate. You have taken but the first step, friend. In the next test you will make your choice."

Simone did not remember passing out; he was surrounded by people in the park, and a paramedic was examining him. He was being prepared for a stretcher, and transport to hospital when he assured the medic that he had had a little too much to drink the night before, and had stumbled into the bushes and slept off the alcohol. He was helped to his feet and he thanked everyone for their concern as he headed back to his residence. He didn't get there on this occasion.

### Chapter 2

Zara passed comment on the episode. "Simone is an intelligent subject, yet he took time to connect the headset to the device. We must make that more obvious. It will suffice for the disciples we seek, but it must scream out at the subjects who will constitute the following flock. Colour coding and more blatant male/female geometry should help. The same comment can be made about the second test, as less intelligent people will form a large part of our first phase of the campaign. The third test will be assessed differently. If he responds acceptably to reinforcement of the 'Truth' while in a state of engagement, we can expect lower I.Q. subjects to be even more pliable. If not, we must consider a different parameter than intelligence to arbitrate on subject selection."

All but one nodded and closed their notebooks. The comment created a wave of uneasiness in the group. The female researcher was not put off, and the lack of response prompted her to repeat her assertion. "It seems obvious to me that the characteristic of emotional control is likely to be more reliable than blanket I.Q. selection in the reinforcement stage." She was on the verge of leaving with the rest when Zara asked her to stay.

"I'm prepared to hear why you persist with this notion, and how you propose to categorise subjects on this basis, when we move from single conversions to larger and larger groups. What is your name?"

Her confidence suffered a wobble but recovered. "Naomi Boniface. I am pretty sure...."

Zara cut her off as a traffic controller would with a 'halt' hand gesture. "Don't be pretty sure, be absolutely sure. That's why you are paid so well, and it is what I expect. I don't want my staff to simply agree with me, as the rest of your colleagues have just done, but when a challenge is offered, I want it to be something I can expect to be capable of evaluation. Go – think about your proposal and update me within two days." She departed with a cold shiver, courtesy of Zara's menacing smile.

*

Pierze was continually obsessed with trends, both social and political. His collection of raw data on such broad spectra had to be massaged into meaningful categories before he was presented with analytical comment. The one which caught his eye this month was the relative rates of growth of the electronics sector in Iberia and Orient. Allowing for the much lower starting point of Orient and the vast difference in population density, he was still surprised that the predicted crossover point with political shift to democracy was dramatically shortened. He decided to re-prioritise the entire programme to flesh out this trend with more specific research, particularly breaking down the sector into discrete technologies.

*

When Alberto Simone was nearing the park exit closest to his residence, his communicator ringtone disturbed his train of thought. "Hello, Simone here."

"The Truth is elusive." Simone suffered another momentary mental blackout. He was not to know his communicator had been modified during the first two tests. "Illusion confronts us at every turn. Salvation will come gradually within the Circle of Light. You are chosen. Do not spurn the one and only opportunity to be enlightened. The time to decide is upon you. Your response is required." Simone was comfortably confused; it was felt as engagement of pleasant curiosity. He slurred his words.

"What must I do to know more?"

"Proceed to the Chapel of the Truth."

"I, I do not know where that is, please give me..."

"You are resourceful. You will find it. If you do not - then you are unworthy." The line went dead.

*

Ricardo Pierze and Lionel Zara were each contemplating the future – from very different locations and the opposite sides of the situation. Pierze was surrounded by operatives who lived in a relative comfort zone, while outwardly exuding dedication and efficiency. The complex hierarchical command worried Pierze. It would vastly outnumber that of the potential threat at present, and the price of such complacency could be very heavy indeed. He recognised the gradual drift to a 'cry wolf' syndrome – and continual emphasis on a nebulous prediction would actually have the opposite effect to that which was desired. He preferred to keep counsel with only his small team, which had lived through the narrow margin of previous success, at least for now. He was almost impatient for something to happen.

Lionel Zara would exploit the advantage of an almost vertical chain of command. His main concern was to achieve a significant momentum before the authorities realised there was a problem. The technology was not the concern; it would take time, but it would emerge. The means of creating a 'new religion' from within the people – an apparently self-generating, innocent hope was the real challenge. Such faith had to pass through the Pierze scrutiny firewall until it was too late to halt the tide. He was certain that the fatalities amongst protestors within Futureworld had been the undoing of the previous campaign. There would be no repeat of this. He had to nurture the Circle of Light as the choice of the people at all times. This was his paradox; the vertical command of millions in the shortest possible time.

This was the arena which beckoned the two gladiators. They were each familiar with their adversary, and yet this was only useful up to a point. The last battle was fought with a known threat but no idea of the identity of the foe. The current vacuum represented precisely the opposite.

*

When Alberto Simone eventually arrived back at his residence he realised he was extremely hungry. As he prepared some cereal and coffee, he tried unsuccessfully to banish the assertion that if he could not find the Chapel of the Truth, he would be unworthy. He simply couldn't rid himself of the intrigue implied. Finally, he made the connection indirectly – he asked himself – 'How did they know my communicator number?' Once on this train of thought he checked the device; it led to the logical discovery that satellite coordinates had been entered into the appropriate application. Although they didn't specify the target, he knew for certain he had not entered them himself. With his sustenance only partially consumed he checked out the location on his communicator. It wasn't too far away, and toward the other side of town. The urge to investigate further was so compelling that he departed without finishing his cereal. On the way, he tried to rationalise what had happened over the last twelve hours, and why he was unable to let go of this highly suspicious chain of events. He eventually settled for the probability it was merely his perennial obsession with needing to solve a problem, now that it existed. Marginalising the close brush with death vaguely drove him to an expectation of some reward.

When he arrived, his first thought was that the building was unremarkable, if not dilapidated. He had somehow visualised a much more pretentious context to match the imagined image of the Circle of Light. The large, creepy-looking door was locked and he walked around the grounds. At the rear he met a gardener who was engaged in superficial maintenance of the untidy borders. "Excuse me, I've been asked to come here to meet someone. Would you know if there's anyone inside?"

The rather skeletal individual was startled by Simone and appeared to be very nervous. "I know nothing of the building Sir, I am not employed here. I only do voluntary work to keep the place tidy." As the gardener turned back to his toil, a figure, attired as one would expect a clergyman to be, beckoned him while indicating the need to avoid attracting attention. The previously locked door was now standing slightly ajar and he followed the priestly figure inside. The interior looked nothing like a chapel or church, except for the pew-like seating arrangement. He was led to a side chamber, which was spotlessly clean and full of technical equipment. The contrast with the rest of the building strangely produced a sense of foreboding. Without uttering a word the 'clergyman' bade him to sit in a seat which resembled a dentist's chair, and left the room. Simone did not accept the invitation to sit. It was fully five minutes before an individual he thought he recognised from the previous tests entered and welcomed him. The voice was not that of the person extoling the virtue of the Truth. "Thank you for coming. I have been asked to conduct the third test – that is assuming it was the reason you came?"

Simone hesitated. "Well, I suppose you could say that my curiosity is aroused, but I'd like to know a little more about the purpose of the tests, especially as I seem to recall the first two not being voluntary."

The technician stalled. "I am sorry but my only remit is to conduct the test."

Simone began to back-pedal. "I'm not comfortable in taking another test similar to that with the drill unless I have some idea of the purpose or verification that it would've shut off, had I failed to grasp the solution. Surely that's reasonable?" The white-coated man was steadfast.

"I can only repeat what I have already said - my remit is only to conduct the test. Would you like to speak with someone else or perhaps come back at another time?"

The tug of war between curiosity and fear culminated in requesting conversation with a person who could answer his questions. He waited in isolation for almost fifteen minutes, and then his communicator rang. It was the voice he expected. "Welcome once more friend. I am told you have doubts."

Simone wasn't happy that he couldn't put a face to the voice. "Not so much doubts as questions. I haven't been given any explanation of the reason for my involvement with you or the repeated reference to the Circle of Light and the Truth. I believe anyone would find this strange."

The silence was awkward and Simone said, "Hello, are you still there?" The reply came immediately and there seemed to be a more sympathetic intonation.

"I can certainly tell you more of the Circle of Light. As far as your involvement is concerned I have already informed you that you were chosen – and that is all that needs to be said. You are free to choose your path." A cautious Simone asked for more information on the Circle of Light.

"We are of one mind, which deals in the Truth. Other faiths demand belief before acceptance, which can only be truly delivered after death. There is considerable and growing disaffection with this kind of spiritual bargain. The Truth is inescapably enshrined in the laws of physics with respect to our existence. If we breathe poisonous gas or touch high voltage cable, we will die. We are also dying from the moment we are born. There are ways in which medical science can prolong this period, not all of which seem to be without consequence. We believe that people should always have access to truth in these matters, and in that spirit they are elevated to the Truth. In all other faiths the Great One is never accountable for disaster, but always credited with wonder. Civilisation is a word whose definition is rooted in progress, yet since mankind became agrarian and abandoned the nomadic life we have relentlessly diluted 'society' and corrupted the natural world on which we depend. We must ask ourselves – 'Is society not supposed to be one of the benefits of civilisation?' We also owe it to ourselves to question how this rape of the planet will end; it surely was not in the grand design at the beginning? Our philosophy is simple. The great one will not save us from ourselves. We must embrace the Truth and deal with its laws as commandments; we must begin to pay off the mortgage for the civilisation we have taken out over the centuries. The species is under threat from itself. The more our flock grows – the greater the Light of our Circle – and the more we can welcome those who wish to deliver change. We do not discriminate between or deny anyone's religious leanings. The two faiths do not have to be mutually exclusive. We do however stress that ours will be judged within our lifetime and that of our grandchildren. Finally, I would urge you to consider that no matter how unpleasant it may be, the Truth is simple, it is the bending of it to comply with objectives of control which cloud the sky." Simone was aware of another mini-blackout, but only just. He wasn't aware of why he was no longer confused with any aspect of the last twenty-four hours.

"I'm ready to take the third test."

A third chamber was windowless and devoid of light. He was led to an enclosure and then halted and given the familiar headset. Before he could articulate the question, he was in receipt of the answer via the headset. "The Truth requires that you are absolutely certain of your desire to continue. The test will be explained and if you decide to withdraw you must leave and never return. If you elect to continue the test must be completed. The most common obstacle within any faith has always been fear of the unknown. It may however also be considered as the foundation for believing – the 'I have nothing to lose syndrome.' We must all clear this hurdle in one way or another. All members of the Circle of Light need to convince themselves through this test. We all seek to know what, if anything comes after death. If you proceed to the enclosure we will take you there. You will be put into gradual stasis and then briefly experience the state of being clinically dead before being revived. This will potentially allow you to glimpse the alternative to being alive, or conclude like many of us that there is nothing to glimpse. At that point you may accept or decline the final ceremony to membership. Should you declare you have indeed glimpsed evidence to support another faith you will be encouraged to return to the life you already have. If however you still wish to join with us, you may pledge acceptance of the need to subordinate this faith to that of the Circle of Light. It is not necessary to renounce the other faith, but it may limit your involvement in certain activities if conflicting priorities develop. In such circumstances, you may be offered a fourth test, which would result in a definite pass or fail judgement. You must now ask any final questions you may have before proceeding to the enclosure or the exit to the building."

Simone was not unduly shaken by the prospect of 'momentary death' but did want to know if there were instances of failure to revive any subjects.

"No, we had to be certain of this by developing the technique with applicants who had nothing to lose, as they were terminally ill. They were all restored to their former condition. In almost all cases the experience helped them face their already known fate. Some of them are still with us."

When Simone elected to proceed he felt as if he was actually two people, and was being advised by both. With every challenge by his logical self, the thirst to experience a return from the dead actually increased. His niggling apprehension was like the morning fog which miraculously sublimed to total clarity. He entered the enclosure and was positioned on a gurney. The blackness looked and felt solid. He was unable to see the four medical staff, all of whom had a distinct role in his journey to the Truth. The hypnotic voice of the person who he had never met helped his relaxation and prepared him for the anaesthetic delivery. As he went under, his last recollection was one of wondering why he did not pursue the question of what happens when the Circle of Light has all the members it seeks. His revival was even more pleasant than his 'departure'. Still immersed in darkness he felt for the headset and spoke slowly. "Where am I?"

The same familiar voice responded. "You are now returned to us, friend. You will soon recall your agreement to experience clinical death. We await your observations." Simone asked how long he had been 'under'.

"It is four days since the first anaesthetic. The stages of stasis were deepened over two days and the opportunity you had to glimpse the 'other side' was just under one minute. Your revival from stasis was also two days, reflecting the same metabolic change as your entry to the condition. If you need rest, take all the time you want to evaluate your journey."

Two hours later Simone felt that he wasn't going to recall any more than he already had and asked to speak to the 'voice'. He was very surprised when a figure entered the enclosure and the place abruptly switched from total, tactile blackness to soft illumination in the form of a circle of light emanating from the ceiling. The voice and the face were now connected. "Tell us of your journey - in your own time."

Simone stared for some time at the individual before uttering a word. The physical appearance seemed mismatched with the compelling voice. He had rather weak features and yet managed to invoke a shiver of pure evil in the observer. Simone dismissed this as part of his recovery and spoke at last. "I feel nothing. It was reminiscent of a childhood operation I had for removal of my tonsils, but without the discovery of soreness. I'm still a little light-headed, but that's all."

The question came quickly. "We are pleased. How does this make you feel about the Circle of Light?"

Simone was alert enough to begin asking practical questions, such as how members would function and obtain the essentials of life. He was assured that he needn't concern himself over minutiae; the work would be rewarding in every respect. He was also comforted with the statement that he wouldn't be required to change his existing commitments unless or until he was ready. "This is a faith and will help you in your life plans. If you felt the desire at some time to spend more time with us, for example in bringing others to the Circle, then you would be further assessed with that task in mind."

Simone got the feeling that he should go away and give this serious thought. "I can say I am intrigued, and will join the Circle of Light. My family is steeped in the Roman Catholic faith, but I have never been convinced of its merits. So as not to annoy my father I've regularly attended church, but not with the family, at weekends. I like the solitude of the place, especially if there is nobody else there. It affords me space to drop out of the bustle and demands of everyday life, and therefore enjoy quality thinking time. I now feel that the Circle of Light will give me this without the hypocrisy."

A slow smile passed over the face of the figure in front of him and the voice reflected the mutual joy in Simone's decision to join. "Excellent. May I offer you my congratulations and this token of preliminary membership?" As he approached to slip the chain of Truth around Alberto Simone's neck, the subject lowered his head to receive the honour. In an instant of perfectly rehearsed timing, another figure concealed in the peripheral darkness lowered a wire noose over the subject and yanked him toward the circle on the ceiling. There was no cry or struggle as the wire slowly gnawed through Simone's neck. It didn't matter to those observing whether his final seconds were defined by asphyxiation or severance of his head from his body. They merely celebrated a successful experiment. Instructions were left with the noose-operator to take the corpse to a fourth chamber, through an internal door and dispose of it in the furnace. Part of the building was a legitimate pet crematorium. Simone's ashes would be blended with some of the normal clients and scattered on the borders by the skeletal old man on one of his voluntary shifts.

### Chapter 3

When the group convened to assess the Simone experiment, Zara prefaced the discussion by informing everyone that he was expecting an update from Naomi Boniface, on her recommendation, that a change may be beneficial for the third test. This gave an additional edge to what felt like circling vultures picking on the carrion of the pre-combusted Simone.

Zara opened the assessment by asking his chief technical guru, Roland Hernandez, if he was satisfied with the effectiveness of the subliminal input sequences which helped coerce the subject to be relaxed, while leading up to the short, temporary termination. Hernandez was already nervous about the reply he had scripted, even before the prospect of hearing Naomi Boniface lobbying for change. "I'm generally happy with the outcome, but I want much better control of the ramp rate and the interval recommendations. I feel that this requires more work on the equipment, in order to achieve optimum effect. I realise this is disappointing; however, we must bear in mind that this branch of the technology originated in the first decade of this century. From its introduction, it has undergone honing and maximisation of the concept, and this leaves us some way short of certainty with the wide spread of intellect we will encounter. I have to say there will be a delay as we need a paradigm shift in capability."

He was about to add additional padding as justification of more development time when he was cut off by the fury of Zara's response. "Hernandez, you had better state right now how much delay we are facing, before I ask Boniface to outline her proposal, which may well affect the subject differently, with or without over-reliance on your gadgetry." Hernandez considered this threat to his position carefully before answering, and luckily hit a note which placated Zara a little.

"Snr. Zara, I must ask you to verify what I'm about to say with Osvaldo Martinez – this was before you joined us, and I stated that this possibility was always there. It is also in the minutes of one of the early meetings, that I suggested a thorough re-think of the then current state of the art. He acknowledged this, but authorised me to continue with implementation, in order to test my assertion. I accepted this, just as he accepted the possible need for a re-design if results were not reliable enough."

Zara was really rather pleased that he had brought this up, as it had served as confirmation that no one suspected he was actually Martinez. He did also recall the conversation to which Hernandez referred. However, he now wanted to inject new urgency. "Very well, I'll take what you say on trust. Please get on with outlining the delay envisaged and what it will achieve." Hernandez was playing from a strong technical hand, but knew that poker was also rooted in bluffing, or at least embroidery of what was already known.

"We can all recall the first forays into this technology, which were nothing more than a rather simple drawdown of electro-encephalograph design. These crude units were based on a single electrode which measured small electrical neural impulses generated by thought or mental state. Phase two saw additional electrodes into double figures and allowed some personalisation or calibration to the individual subject. Up to that point there was no real feedback to the brain other than visual evaluation. The development of effective devices to deliver non-visual feedback took more than a decade. However, as with many advances, there were side-effects. Such concerns were seizures and minor shutdown bouts. Overcoming this also proved to be a lengthy process, when taking into account many variations within the subjects. It was akin to allergies, where substances can have no effect, death and anything between. That is where we found our starting point and although we have minimised the more serious effects, the trade-off is in personalisation or sculpturing the correct balance for the individual. We must change from evolution of technology to revolutionary design of both hardware and software. First, we require complex hardware filters with independent adjustment of many parameters. The software, which must then relate the individual's profile to specified limits in the hardware output, is of utmost importance. The question of time has been tabled and I cannot see this being prototyped in less than a year. I know this isn't very helpful, but it is absolutely necessary if we are to avoid testing every subject from a central laboratory. For our plan to succeed we are heavily dependent on de-centralised, field testing capability; anything else would attract unwanted attention." The import of this was both annoying and logical to Zara.

"I will judge this proposal when I have heard the update from Naomi Boniface. We will hear that now."

She rose nervously to her feet, cleared her throat and handed out copies of her report. The sheer depth of her research was in stark contrast to the off-the-cuff gambit of Hernandez. The tension ratcheted up a notch. There were many references to experiments, performed by different eminent scientists which supported her assertion that intellect was less reliable than emotional pattern when trying to influence the conclusions of subjects with regard to un-provable propositions. High intellect was more than four times more likely to respond to logic, statistical probability and weighted evidence than rigid emotional profile. It was cast in the uncertainty theorem; lower levels of intellect had to rely heavily on 'transferred belief'. The studies covered many ratios of intellect to emotional stability. "I realise that none of these studies specifically cover our exact process, but for the third test I'm utterly confident that we will have a lower level of conversion if we don't at least include emotional profiling in our algorithms. Just because intellect is easier to quantify doesn't make it a better yardstick. I would respectfully ask you all to take time to digest the scope of this research before tendering a conclusion on my proposal." Zara thanked her and surprised everyone by endorsing Hernandez' request, as long as it catered for the possible inclusion of the Boniface proposal.

*

Zara had always wanted to tour Russia. While he had been contemplating the implications of the enforced delay to the campaign launch, he had read an article in an Iberian newspaper. It was tucked away, as column filler, at the foot of page seventeen, and amongst the eccentric stories of the day. It was treated as a legitimate target for ridicule by the journalist. Zara was amused at first, but then considered another aspect of the story. He was going to need a distraction in order to avoid meltdown of his patience during the technical delay. The article referred to a geologist whose ancestry included a great-grandfather and his family, who had lived on the very edge of the Tunguska fallout zone. Alexei Stepanov claimed that this long-deceased relative, Roman Kondarenko, had been working in Kiev when the disaster occurred. He had returned home to find many of his family had been terminated by secondary collateral damage of the impact. Roman's brother and his wife had survived despite their home collapsing completely. Fortunately, they had been alerted to the fireball in the sky by a neighbour, and had ventured outside to witness the harbinger of death. They were amongst a group of onlookers who had always disputed the 'official' reports of the sequence of events. Despite the absolute consistency in the account given by these people, the authorities in Russia at the time dismissed it as lacking in feasibility. The scientists charged with advising the government as to the cause and aftermath were adamant that the pocket of survivors at this location had suffered distortion of their vision, due to refraction of the medium through which the immense explosive force was propagated.

All subsequent studies and evidence gathered, failed to produce convergence on exactly what happened. The current recessionary situation in Russia had effectively branded Tunguska research as a waste of essential resource. Although many foreign government and individual applications were received, the policy had been modified to prohibit such investigations. It was therefore to become the province of extremely rich Russian nationals, and apparently there were none with any interest in such an indulgent appropriation of funds. Zara was particularly drawn to the claim by Stepanov, that his great-grandfather's brother and others had seen the detonation of the 'object', which inflicted the horror in the atmosphere and on the ground. They had also seen a second, smaller bright object leave the parent just prior to the devastation. They had also described the direction of travel and possible location of impact of this 'Tunguska Minor'. This impact occurred before the main devastation was felt by the observers; otherwise they would not have seen it. Andrei Stepanov had only inherited this account from his father eight years ago, and had been met with scepticism at every attempt to create interest. He had then changed tactics. He obtained permission to personally investigate the claims. The government didn't care whose money was used, as long as it was a Russian who could lay claim to any success, but then acknowledge any accrued artefacts or knowledge was the property of the state. Zara authorised one of his two trusted aides to speak with Stepanov, and if his checklist proved interesting, bring him to a remote venue for face-to-face discussions.

*

Ricardo Pierze was already burning a lot of personal and departmental energy in scanning the entire planet for any kind of aberrational behaviour. It was adversely affecting other important security programmes, and he knew he could expect more regular grilling from President Sanchez. He had not however anticipated what actually came over the transom. "Ricardo, we often have to deliver good news and bad news together, but they are usually separate items. This latest report embodies both in the same sentence. Orient has helped diplomatic relations by declaring further trust, advocating more cooperation, especially now that additional colonisation of the Moon is considered to be futile." Pierze was so focussed on his own maze of operations that he unwittingly transmitted indifference.

"Why is that? Is it really so bad?"

Sanchez' restrained anger jolted Pierze back to reality. "Where have you been lately, surely you saw the Orient lunar geological map. The lack of certain minerals, when added to the extremely poor terraforming potential pretty much writes off the attainable self-sustainability targets. You need to lift your snout from the ether of conspiracy theory every so often Pierze; we do have the here and now to manage. Don't you see that this doesn't diminish the need for off-world exploration? It merely moves the target to a much more expensive one – namely Mars. It also brings the sharing of knowledge into sharp focus, as we will have to be seen to cooperate on propulsion research. You are, and will continue to be expected to monitor this programme, from the sculpturing and screening of the participating teams, through to the implementation. I suggest you exit your cocoon and prepare your people for such a concrete task."

Pierze returned to his office, reflecting on how this could weaken his vigilance on the re-emergence of Sidonia. He reluctantly accepted that he had become obsessed with hunting down and eliminating Constantin Boniek or Osvaldo Martinez once and for all. Perhaps it was time to consider that his adversary may have decided to enjoy his new found freedom rather than risk being recaptured. When he shared this with Manuel Salina and Maxi Duarte, they both uttered the same word in unrehearsed unison, "Never." They reluctantly altered the agreed monthly meetings to a quarterly schedule.

*

Hernandez and Boniface had agreed to strike a partnership. They both realised that their chances of surviving in Zara's crusade would be diminished if they battled one another. They agreed that tests one and two could be optimised by equipment modifications, under the control of Hernandez. These tests would be solely for selection of disciples. Test three, which was to be conducted by those disciples, to attract the requisite flock, would be redesigned by Boniface. It would be split into evaluation and conversion phases. The first part would be a comprehensive personality profiling interview. The second would only involve subjects who passed part one, and then they would be subjected to emotional coercion with equipment specified by Boniface, and built by Hernandez.

*

The aide sent to check out Stepanov, Fernando Moya, was a descendent of a Basque family. He was extremely thorough, and it was said he had an inherited 'distrust' gene. His misshapen physique may have been truly hereditary, and he was universally perceived as someone who should be avoided, unless you happened to be Lionel Zara. His meeting with Stepanov ruffled the Russian in a multiplicity of ways. Having presented Moya with reams of convincing evidence of his authenticity, he was unable to get any answers to questions of his own. Moya indicated that if there was interest from the people he represented, to take the matter further Stepanov would have to travel to be interviewed on more detailed budgeting. The makeup of the personnel involved in the project would have to be available, and a definite period, after which the sponsors could withdraw funding, if nothing of note was discovered, should be set in stone. "You will be assessed on these criteria by the panel acting on behalf of the sponsors."

Stepanov could no longer resist unleashing his nascent sarcasm. "You seriously expect me to furnish such precise information on this project to people I don't know, who are themselves expected to convey this precious data to a set of faceless sponsors. Even if I was stupid enough to comply, the Russian authorities would block the application. They have to know where the money comes from and that it is clean. I fear, Snr. Moya that you are not up to speed with this kind of research and what it entails. I'm not prepared to waste my time on your 'offer', so please tell your source to invest elsewhere."

Moya was not nicknamed the limpet solely as a derogatory gesture. He had earned it, and there was an element of grudging admiration in that judgement. "If that's truly what you want me to do, then so be it. However, I don't see too many other candidates on the horizon, and in my experience with Russian authorities, everything inevitably comes down to the price they require in order to quell their conscience. That's why your budget finessing is needed. I'll leave you a contact number; you can call me when you've had a chance to digest the reality of the situation. I'm authorised to terminate our interest if I hear nothing from you in fourteen days."

The meeting was concluded despite Stepanov trying to restore some of his own brinkmanship. Moya's return and briefing of Zara caused the latter to reflect on the structure of Cerberus Enterprises Corporation. It had sufficed so far, but the technical delay and the potential foray into the unscrupulous Russian regime, warranted change. The portfolio covered critically related activity, and he now considered this to be an invisible threat to Sidonia, unless it was made to appear simply as ownership of businesses operating in markets with minimal synergy. Digital Component Industries was the hardware arm, which was also a cover for the top secret research. Trans Global Connections was a provider of network access for mobile communicators. The third head of the Cerberus hound was hopefully going to be the burgeoning ranks of the Circle of Light, which had to be completely separate, yet run by members of the faith. In reality, Digital Component Industries supplied the constructors who assembled and sold mobile communicators – all of the major players. Trans Global Connections offered some of these communicators as a bundle with their various contract tariffs. This is where the link was to be disguised. The software which could be employed from their signal would only offer control with those communicators in which the secret technology had been installed. This would be rotated with different models to avoid the links being vulnerable to trend analysis. The companies to which the components were supplied would, if they asked, be told that certain hardware elements were built in for general future-proofing, and would remain unused if not required within a certain time frame. All of this influenced Zara's thinking with respect to company ownership and traceable stockholders. He had already used proxy names, but now felt this wasn't enough. He decided to set up a charity which would fund the genesis of the Circle of Light, with the funds coming from Digital Component Industries. This would be concurrent with that company becoming employee-owned. This would give phenomenal motivation to those employees. Other charitable beneficiaries would enjoy similar support to that of the Circle of Light, thus providing the 'haystack in which to bury the needle'. Trans Global Connections was to be owned by Zara, Moya and his other trusted aide Miguel Angel. This demanded absolute loyalty to Zara from both of them. In terms of management structure, Zara would remain with DCI, Angel would head up TGC, and Moya would sow the seeds of the Circle of Light, which would gradually become predominantly self-funding.

Angel was pretty close to the antithesis of Moya. Blessed with good looks and an impressive physique he outwardly appeared to be free of imperfection until his bizarre vulnerability was exposed. His speech impediment surfaced whenever he felt he was under intense pressure. Fortunately, that only occurred frequently in the presence of Zara, who had harnessed this to his own advantage. The only characteristic Angel had in common with Moya was utter ruthlessness. Conducting the rivalry between these unlikely captains proved to be an experience verging on addiction for Zara.

Although Moya and Angel were delighted with the promise of such affluence, in the form of shares, Moya was distinctly unhappy at being 'lumbered' with the Circle. He was placated by Zara, who reassured him this was a temporary arrangement. "I need you to be the figurehead we recognise internally. To the outside world it will be a self-generating entity. I couldn't ask Angel to get it up to speed, with the risk of his impediment surfacing while addressing ever-increasing gatherings of recruits. Public parks, football stadia, and famous auditoria wouldn't make him comfortable – in fact it would undermine his confidence. When the time is right you and I will change positions." This scenario flipped Moya from despondency to absolute delight. The new-found enthusiasm transmitted through to the meeting with Stepanov.

### Chapter 4

The contact from Stepanov was quite predictably, after ten days, just long enough to encourage Moya to believe there was another sponsor in the wings, but well within the specified exclusion period of two weeks. He agreed to meet in Cairo and provide the additional detail requested. He was curious about the location, but finally accepted that his data would be assessed by an Egyptian expert in searching for artefacts, which had eluded others for millennia. He was assured that a decision would be forthcoming, if this expert was satisfied that there was sufficient correlation of data, to identify a credible starting point.

The venue was at the private residence of the expert, hotels would have attracted too much attention. Serif Mohammed welcomed the Iberian party first, in order to sketch in the guidelines and no-go areas for the discussion. Zara, Moya and Angel had arrived under the usual false names and passports. Stepanov entered an hour later, accompanied by another person. The introductions were awkward. It suited Zara, as Stepanov explained that his 'friend' was a government official who could rubber-stamp the permits, but had to remain anonymous. Zara introduced Mohammed and said, "We understand completely, in fact we also want to remain anonymous. It is the project which matters, not who is financing it or indeed carrying out the work."

Stepanov looked at his travel companion who nodded and then whispered something in Russian. Stepanov cleared his throat. "My colleague believes this is the best way to proceed as it is going to be quite a sensitive situation. You already know that the government will not grant permission to any foreign explorer. Their rationale is quite straightforward. After all the previous attempts to come to a definite conclusion about the event, we still have no unifying theory. Most of the dissenters to the commonly held Russian view are experts from other lands within Iberia. This is part of their reasoning, that in the event of finding this agreeable, any discovery is to be attributable to a Russian national. There will be no glory-hunters or money-spinning rights to anyone except Russian explorers and the government. I know this means that any funding from you is basically a philanthropic gesture, but there's no other way. The powers that be are fed up with amateurs scavenging in their midst, and in their view, representing a security risk which needs constant shepherding. The fact that nobody finds anything new simply spawns yet another theory."

Mohammed was not the only one who expected Zara to close his notebook and walk out. Moya and Angel anticipated a rant at Stepanov for not making this clear before having everyone assembled in the desert. In fact they couldn't comprehend his fascination with such a hobby when there was so much work to be done. Zara's slow smile was followed by a question directed to the unknown Russian. "What is your facilitation fee in all of this?"

Stepanov continued as spokesman after conferring. "It is modest and self-financing. My colleague explains that you will save much more than his financial compensation by his provision of the use of state equipment and personnel to conduct the investigation. If you had to employ Russian nationals yourself it would be much more expensive. He's correct, as I know myself in having tried to interest other sponsors."

Zara then asked if Stepanov had brought all of the requested detail. "I have very comprehensive information which should cover the questions arising. I also have with me an account of why there has been difficulty in so-called experts finding agreement. With your permission I would suggest going through this first. It would help set your enquiries into the known context."

This was agreed and Stepanov proceeded with his background stage-setting. "The event itself occurred near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in what is now known as Krasnoyarsk Krai, at 7.14am on 30th June 1908. It is believed to have been an air-burst of a large meteoroid or comet fragment at an altitude of 5-10 km above the Earth's surface. Different studies have yielded varying estimates of the object's size, with general agreement that it was tens of metres across. The number of papers and scholarly publications of the event are in excess of one thousand, mainly Russian, but many from other parts of the world. This is one aspect of the lack of agreement in the conclusions. Although the consensus was that the object burst in the air, it has still been classified as an impact. Energy release estimates fall between five hundred to eight hundred times that of currently known nuclear bombs. Trees were flattened over approximately 5,500 square km. As a consequence of the blast being capable of the total destruction of a large metropolitan area, the discussions moved more to future asteroid deflection strategies. Government financing was directed to this at the expense of further research into the precise mechanism of the event. There was a plethora of eye-witness accounts. I will only cite three to demonstrate why the argument still rages over the nature of the object, and how this may have channelled opinion into such a narrow debate. First, there is general picture emerging from a position northwest of Lake Baikal. A column of blue light moved across the sky. Ten minutes later a flash was immediately followed by a sound, something like artillery fire. Those repetitive sounds were accompanied by a shock wave which knocked people over, hundreds of kilometres away.

"The S. Semenov investigation, shortly after the incident quotes one account – I was sitting having breakfast at the Vanavara Trading Post, 40 km south of the explosion, and facing north. The sky split in two and fire appeared high and wide over the forest. The split grew larger and the entire north side was covered with fire. I became so hot that I could not bear it. Then the sky closed and a strong thump sounded, and I was thrown a few yards.

"A later report in 1926, from Chuchan of the Shanyagir Tribe is somewhat different. We were sleeping and were awoken by whistling. We felt a strong wind and could see and hear trees crashing down. Thunder began and a strong wind knocked over our hut. There was something Russians call lightning, and immediately a second louder thunder occurred. The morning was sunny, there were no clouds, the sun was shining brightly as usual and suddenly there was a second one.

"There was a report from a Krasnoyaretz newspaper in 1908, from Kezhemskoe village. At 7.43 the noise akin to a strong wind was heard then a horrific thump sounded, followed by an earthquake. This first thump was followed by a second, then a third. The interval between the first and third thumps was accompanied by an unusual underground rattle, similar to a railway upon which many trains were travelling at the same time. Afterwards, for 5-6 minutes an exact likeness of artillery fire was heard. The sky at first appeared to be clear, no wind or clouds. However, upon closer inspection to the north, a kind of ashen cloud was seen near the horizon; it kept getting smaller and more transparent. By about 2-3pm it suddenly and completely disappeared.

"Gentlemen, you can appreciate that from these accounts, there is variation and similarity. This can partly be explained by what could be seen from the direction it was viewed. Light and sound travel at different speeds, even though it is fractional over these distances. It is also worth considering what state of panic the observer was in while trying to recall events and their sequence. I chose these three examples because they were considered as bona-fide. The tribal one which was not reported until 18 years after the cataclysm was from the same area as my great-grandfather's account, yet his has been ignored. The appearance of the second sun by Chuchan, was his final observation, or to put it more accurately, his recollection of the order his observations. My great-grandfather's assertion was downgraded as he was relating second hand information. His family's Russian was very poor and when they were questioned directly, the authorities could not make too much sense of their claims. Although my great-grandfather was fluent in both languages, and he tried to point out that the second sun his family had seen was support to that of Chuchan, rather than contradiction of the other two accounts, it was still dismissed. The crucial point about the viewing location being partially responsible for this was given little weight. Because Chuchan's account was published years later my great-grandfather tried again to be taken seriously. He maintained that the first blue light was the original marauding object, but the yellow second sun had splintered off this fragmenting body prior to the main explosion. He even tried to estimate the final resting place of the bright fragment by comparing notes with those of Chuchan. As you can appreciate, if this body could be found intact, it would surely give us definitive information which the air-burst parent has failed to do."

Moya and Angel were finding it difficult to stifle a yawn, while Mohammed and Zara were hooked. The Egyptian was prepared to delay his questions until they had all seen the specific data Stepanov had handed out. His expertise was not in spacefaring objects, but he had lots of experience in evaluation of rock and soil strata. Zara was almost consumed with the prospect of such a clandestine mission. He was uncharacteristically behaving like an enthusiastic schoolboy. "I would like to progress to your data now Snr. Stepanov, could you and your colleague please give us an hour or so to peruse the report? We offer you lunch and a chance to relax in the beautiful garden of Serif Mohammed."

The report was basically a factual embellishment of an extremely large and detailed map. This had been painstakingly been produced by Stepanov and had information on every known recorded observation. Colour-coding made it easy to distinguish exploration sites, eye-witness reports, extent and type of damage to the terrain, wind direction and the generally agreed trajectory of the object. An area shaded in red was about 9 square km. and was keyed with the designation 'second sun'. After some fifty minutes of ploughing through reams of reference data and its relationship to the map, Zara asked Mohammed for his input. The Egyptian was impressed with the data, particularly its reluctance to draw speculative conclusions. "Tell me, Snr. Zara, what is it exactly you hope to unearth?"

The reply was almost beyond the comprehension of Moya and Angel. "The challenge is more important than the prize. I've always wanted to do what others considered impossible, or something the best had tried to achieve and failed. However, in this case there is something else. I need to ask Stepanov one more question if and when you are satisfied." Mohammed asked a servant to show the Russians back into the meeting room. He issued a challenge to Stepanov. "You have not indicated any references to data inside the second sun area of impact. You don't even state whether any geological profiling has been carried out. If it has, then it must have been negative otherwise we would not be having this discussion today. Would you care to elucidate?"

Stepanov looked at his associate, who squirmed and then suggested he would like a private moment with Alexei. After much gesticulating and shrugging of the shoulders they returned and Stepanov nervously began to explain. "There have been only a handful of attempts to excavate in a location which has no official recognition of being part of the Tunguska event. Most of those were at the time of the calamity. There have been two in recent times. The first was unproductive, and carried out by myself and friends. The more recent foray was simply a follow up of something I had observed on the first occasion. I had seen my compass go crazy then return to normal within seconds. I checked this out a few times again and it only recurred once in several days. I felt my co-workers would think me to be suffering from delusional obsession if I told them and couldn't prove it was happening. I was afraid they would desert me. When I returned with my friend here a year later, we patiently searched for the phenomenon and on the eighth day we saw it again. Being able to monitor it continually we saw a pattern. Having returned home to try to decipher this anomaly, we became frustrated, but worse still we felt strangely nauseous. Checks showed we had been exposed to radiation. We have been following our health signs closely since then, and we believe we have somewhere between two and five years to live. This is not simply a calculation based on theoretical data, but on the death of three friends from the first excavation. We have discussed this prognosis many times already between us and we don't want to share this, for fear of the project being hijacked. We both want to see it through, and we have already expensed safe working protection for anyone who will be invited to join us. We want our names to be associated with whatever we discover."

This revelation stunned the audience, even Moya and Angel perked up their interest. Mohammed resumed the dialogue. "So you don't have more information on what may be down there, but you know where it is and that it is a magnetic anomaly which is emitting radiation." Before they could reply Zara asked what they had made of the data they had tried to interpret.

Stepanov said, "Only that it was a repetitive pattern with irregular intervals. There was apparently no pattern with the intervals themselves, but when the spikes occurred they were similar if not identical in magnetic aberration." Zara finally got to his own question, which had been partly answered by them knowing exactly where they had to look.

"How remote is this location, and how would we ensure we do not receive visitors?"

The smiles returned to the faces of the Russians, as Stepanov joked, "No one other than the insane would venture there. During the short window of acceptable weather for survival, the place is awash with flying insects, including some of the largest mosquitos I've ever seen. With respect to anyone following us, we believe we need our own helicopter to ferry in rations and supplies as required. Unless that is, you have a better idea. I would add that my friend has considerable official veto over people even wandering through this region. This edict is still underpinned by disagreement over the nature of the falling body itself. A comet would be expected to completely vaporise, leaving no traces. This theory suggests it would not have reached the lower atmosphere. In 2001 Farinella and Foschini proposed the object had curved from the direction of the asteroid belt. If however, it wasn't a comet, why was there no crater? In the last decade of the millennium, scientists found resin in the trees in the impact area, which was impregnated with materials found in asteroids but not in comets. But then a later study in 2005 suggests that Comet 2005NB5C bounced off our atmosphere, and left a detached chunk heading Earthwards, while the rest went back into orbit around the sun. It's anticipated that this comet will pass close to Earth again in 2045. It would contain evidence which would rule it in or out, but I'm afraid we won't be here to see it."

Zara was happy to tell them he would finance the hire of a helicopter in Russia for the duration of the project, the livery would be left to them. "Please choose something that will not attract attention, a second-hand, reconditioned one, rented as locally as possible would make sense. Gentlemen, we have an agreement. Please return and begin the planning, but only for myself and Doctor Mohammed from our side. This is my private number – memorise it and erase it. Send me a secure bank account to which I can transfer funds to get us started. I'll have the rest available in currency by the time you are ready with the timescales." The meeting ended with this accord, yet Stepanov and his friend didn't quite understand why Zara was so casual about such a weighty investment.

*

The space programme continued to throw up diverging views on when and how to proceed. Orient had become the real driving force for a launch to Mars in 2033, when the planets were closest. Losing this window of opportunity was unthinkable for them. Iberia was not only dragging its heels on economic grounds, but was falling behind in technology terms. This was rather ludicrous, as they had kick-started Orient's appetite just a few years ago by technology licences. It illustrated once again that it can sometimes be easier to take bigger steps when there is less redundant industry to mothball; it can be leap-frogged. President Sanchez and his Orient counterpart, Din Chow Zen could see their hard work to bring trust and cooperation between their nations being eroded. They got directly involved in trying to bridge some of the areas of incompatibility. President Sanchez was to appear on all of the Republic's TV channels to outline a new initiative on the Mars project. It was one of those speeches which could end up affecting everyone on the planet, and the anticipated audience was staggering. It was scheduled for the best compromise time for citizens of both regimes. Ricardo Pierze and Nelson Ortega, the President's chief aide, clashed over the security issue. Ortega claimed that the Presidential residence was not technically equipped or big enough to accommodate the number of international journalists who had applied for attendance. Pierze insisted that the TV studios in Madrid were much more vulnerable to all kinds of incursion. Ortega played the political high card – claiming that the entire population of the world was waiting in judgement. They couldn't afford to compromise the opportunity by selecting who could attend and who could not. The President deferred to Ortega. As he took his position in the TV studio, with the countdown to going live, Nelson Ortega was refreshing his 'cheat sheet' to allow him flexibility, whenever a leading question could not be addressed sufficiently by the pre-prepared autocue.

*

In a multi-storey car park in Madrid, two individuals were busy painting new layout lines on the sixth floor. This floor had been declared closed by multiple signs. It was a sensible decision as most people were expected to watch the broadcast. The two workmen had crates for their spraying equipment and paint supplies. When darkness crept over the city, they retrieved further equipment from the crates, amongst which were black, hooded sweaters and rocket launchers. They settled in the cover of early evening blackness, in position to strike the TV studio fifth floor. They had been given inside information on exactly where in the building the broadcast was to be made. From opposite ends of the car park floor they released their grenades, which flew through the windows of the studio floor. The carnage began. Twisted steel supports buckled under the now uneven weight and the structure lurched toward total collapse. Panic erupted throughout the building as flames licked out of broken windows to parts of the exterior, searching for oxygen to propagate combustion. With seemingly foolhardy arrogance, the two men reloaded and despatched a second round of grenades into the ground floor, presumably to disrupt rescue services getting immediate access. By this time, the employee sitting at the exit toll of the car park had run out into the street, and having seen the second round of rocket fire, rushed back to the camera video output. He saw the two hooded men strolling past the sixth floor camera, completely unconcerned. He contacted the police immediately and was told to get out of there – now. The hooded figures sprinted down to floor 5 and climbed into the stolen red off-road vehicle. Within thirty seconds they had crashed through the exit barrier and sped away into the darkness. Several witnesses were almost mown down by their erratic driving, and some got the plate number.

Inside the burgeoning inferno, the President's security contingent had been seriously reduced in number, particularly by the second blast at the entrance. In the broadcast studio there were many injuries due to the direct explosive force, but even more with shards of flying metal and glass. The President had a gaping neck wound which was going to need emergency hospital attention. His remaining bodyguards formed a protective ring around his prostrate form until first aid staff got him on to a stretcher. The elevators were seen as an additional risk. Nelson Ortega was in contact with Pierze and his security forces remaining on the ground floor, and instructed them to get paramedics up to the fifth floor immediately. The evacuation process of the building was not going well and the chief paramedic, after having staunched and clipped the President's wound, called for a helicopter rescue and Sanchez was taken up two floors to the roof. As the chopper approached, a figure crouched at the top of the rooftop fire escape, was suddenly illuminated by its powerful lights. The man had climbed up from the ground after the first grenade strike and appeared to be trying to settle his laser sight on Sanchez, but the melee of people fussing around the President made his decision very difficult. He knew he would only get one shot. He was not exactly a back-up man, the perpetrators knew that the rockets may not get Sanchez, but he did have the back-up plan. He seemed to make an instant choice. He threw his sniper rifle to the floor and held his hands in the air. Two of Sanchez' personal guards motioned him to one side. Nelson Ortega yelled at them to take him alive, as they needed to extract information from him with respect to any cell which may be responsible for this operation. "Pierze is on his way up here; get this man into his custody, now." The man took advantage of this slender lapse in concentration Ortega's command had created, and sprinted towards the stretchered target. Ortega reacted by blocking his route, and this intervention was critical, as the man pressed the micro-detonator in his coat lapel. The suicide bomb blew many people clean off the roof. Amongst them was Ortega, but he was now in so many pieces it would be difficult to account for each fragment. He had however, saved Sanchez, even though the stricken President took additional trauma to his legs.

In the meantime the two men in the red vehicle pulled up in a back alley less than quarter of a mile from the carnage. They levered off a manhole cover, threw the hooded garments into the sewer and replaced the metal cover, changed into smart suits from the car, left the keys in the vehicle and strolled back to the blazing studio. As they arrived, police were acting on instructions from agents of Pierze in ushering the crowd away from the immediate area. The two men reluctantly complied after taking photos with their communicators.

Ricardo Pierze was contacted by Duarte as soon as the breaking news bulletin interrupted all programmes to reveal the assassination attempt. He was asked to come to the scene. Pierze realised immediately that he would be inextricably bound to this event and its fallout for an indefinite period. "Duarte, I want you to contact Manuel and get him over here. Both of you should begin a period of observance for anything which could be connected to Sidonia."

Duarte frowned. "You mean you don't think this is?" Pierze shook his head.

"No, this is not his style, and anyway the one thing they did get right in pursuing their objective last time, was to start from the bottom of the pyramid. Taking down the head first would be an announcement which would complicate further proliferation. This is either a distraction, or nothing to do with them. Please do as I ask – in case it is a distraction."

Duarte did not really buy into this assessment but respected the fact that Pierze would indeed be deluged by media attention during every waking hour until he had identified the source of the attack. In addition, nobody knew if Sanchez would survive, or even want to return to office. There could be a vacuum, and with Ortega's demise Pierze would be grilled on the advice he gave about the folly of using the studio. He would be seen by the public, in Orient as well as Iberia, as someone who should be part of the interim decision-making team in the absence of Sanchez.

### Chapter 5

The inquisition was underway. Pierze was continually on TV, deflecting questions to which he did not yet have answers. The ripples of the incident had washed over Orient too, causing intensification of security around Din Chow Zen. The sparse intervals which Pierze had, to actually study incoming evidence, only seemed to yield support for his gut feeling. The two individuals responsible for firing the grenades had left the weapons at the scene, along with the paint and the crates. The rocket launchers were just over a metre long and bore the insignia – 'Compact 39DZ' in Iberian and Oriental script. The manufacturers name 'Sukahara' was also evident, but the serial information had been filed off. Fragments of the grenade casings found in the studio confirmed that the system had been produced in Orient. Pierze had pictured these two men abandoning the weapons, flaunting their presence in front of the sixth floor camera, ensuring that bystanders got the number of the truck, and left it where it would be found quickly. He was mulling over the possibilities; it was either a blatantly obvious message from Oriental dissidents or it was intended to look like that. When forensic results began to filter in, he wasn't surprised that no fingerprints were found on the weapons, paint equipment or the truck. Elimination of the DNA of the legitimate owner of the vehicle and his friends and family, left none to be accounted for. The rifle of the suicide bomber was also clean and it was proving very difficult to isolate and match DNA of those who were blown apart. Identification was laborious, as there was no exact way of knowing who all of the peripheral people were on the rooftop, because of the panic. Added to this, there was the small matter that many who were 'alleged' to be there, were not on the DNA database. There were still people unaccounted for, and they could still be trapped in rubble as well as being blown off the rooftop. This may well have included the perpetrator. When Pierze had time to share this data with Duarte and Manuel, he confessed his concern that he would be unable to re-join them on the Sidonia case for several months. He urged them to be extremely vigilant. Manuel agreed with Duarte that the previous Sidonia campaign had been orchestrated to cause Iberia to fall from within. "Although killing the President would constitute a clear alert, it could in itself, ignite a more subtle unravelling of the Republic, especially as the finger is pointing at Orient. We should not rule out the objective of the distraction being global conflict."

Pierze reflected on this analysis. "You may be right Manuel, and certainly Boniek is arrogant enough to try and pull something like this off, but his life-blood is order and control, and this current mess will create chaos. I'm still of the opinion that this is a different threat, and maybe even more dangerous. Keep me informed."

*

Zara had watched this unfolding drama with great interest. He studied every interview with Pierze, trying to read between the lines of what he had to divulge and what he may be trying to protect. He was also curious as to whether his adversary would be bold enough to make the first telling move on the chessboard of this new campaign. Would Pierze remind the world of Sidonia, Boniek, Martinez and the whisker by which the world was delivered from the threat of Armageddon? Or would he steer classification of this assassination attempt toward overt terrorism? He was beginning to believe the technical delay could actually turn out to be a fortuitous advantage. He asked Moya to chase up Stepanov and add a little pressure, by explaining that the President's uncertain life expectancy could assist their cover in Tunguska. He wanted to disappear while the soap opera played itself out. Sanchez was still on the critical list, and his condition was not stable.

Stepanov had good news and better news. The influence of his associate had helped to recruit the necessary Russian personnel for the excavation. The real breakthrough was in the transport search; he still had a little haggling to do, but he had secured a decommissioned forestry helicopter with their livery, so it could operate without attracting any attention. "I believe we can start in one month, maybe three weeks, it depends on finding a suitable pilot."

Moya called him back after briefing Zara. "We don't want to compromise, take your time and get the best pilot – and that means discretion as well as local knowledge. We'll plan on four weeks."

*

Events took a turn for the worse for Pierze. Sanchez had developed a serious infection in his throat wound and it had spread very rapidly through his bloodstream. Backstage preparations were being discussed, as the medical prognosis wasn't good. If he succumbed there would have to be an election, but in the interim an emergency structure would be required while the date was decided. The deputy President didn't have total governing power beyond three months, and the constitution of the Republic didn't allow automatic, full term succession. Pierze was resigned to taking even more responsibility, especially as Ortega was gone. He settled for becoming temporary special adviser to the deputy President, for the three month period, if that became necessary.

*

The situation in Orient was almost as tense. The people were angered by finger-pointing from the Iberian media, who kept on alleging a link between the origin of the rocket launcher and the assassins. They rightly maintained that there were a number of ways in which the weapons could have found their way to Madrid. The government was beginning to pass the buck upwards, and Din Chow Zen found himself under serious pressure to challenge such Iberian arrogance. He knew of Sanchez' condition and decided to contact Pierze, who had impressed him at the summit meeting between the two nations, which had been crucial in neutralising the original Sidonia plot. Pierze reacted positively to discussing the situation, primarily because it would afford him an opportunity to speak directly to Sukahara technicians about the weapon markings. His more difficult task would be to persuade the deputy President not to accompany him. He asked Zen to officially request his presence to discuss security input because of unrest at the border. The deputy President wasn't happy at this rather disrespectful bypass, and Pierze feigned agreement, but also pointed out the overall predicament within the homeland. "Sir, although I don't like broaching the subject, we both know the chances of President Sanchez are not good. This means there is a high probability of an election sometime soon. I'm overstretched myself, and would dearly like to decline Zen's request. You however would be meeting him on rather an uneven playing field. I'm not only talking about rank here, it is perhaps more about you being a front running candidate for the honour in a full time capacity. As we don't know his precise agenda, it may be prudent for you to avail of the option of having someone who doesn't carry the seal of Iberian government in the first session. It could constitute a risk with respect to your election campaign if we engage in unpopular dialogue so soon after the assassination attempt, especially if Sanchez doesn't pull through. I know it could be claimed that I'm advising you in my new capacity, but this is purely a personal concern I have. Any diminishing electoral support at this highly charged emotional time could benefit the far right – they are already showing gains due to Ortega's error of judgement over the broadcast location."

He didn't need to remind the deputy President that the crisis would never have happened if his own advice had been heeded. The response was a clear demonstration of why this man would never succeed to the ultimate authority. "Ricardo, I would actually have declined Zen's invitation if it had been intended for me personally to travel to Orient. I'm needed right here, right now. Our people want strong leadership at this critical time. I am merely disappointed he didn't request your presence through me, I would have endorsed it. It's reassuring that we're in total agreement on how to deal with this man. Make your travel arrangements." Pierze left the Presidential office and with his back turned to the deputy he silently mouthed, 'Thanks - you ignorant, transparent airhead'.

*

When he arrived in Din chow Zen's private palace Pierze couldn't help recalling the stakes that were on the table during his previous visit with Sanchez and Verdasco, trying to convince the Orient leader of the most preposterous conspiracy in their midst. His enduring memories were of Zen's absolute pragmatism, and the statesmanship of Sanchez. He was met by Zen's inscrutable smile and they got down to business. He listened carefully to the account of the outrage felt by Orient's masses at being treated once more by Iberia as some kind of underclass. "It has made my task more difficult than ever, as I was the one to trust your republic again. I want to help you in any way I can to find those who are responsible, beyond any doubt. We need absolute proof, even if that turns out to identify the guilty ones as citizens of Orient. I would hope that you can exercise some influence over your news media, without of course asking for censorship. I am appealing to them through you, to realise that President Sanchez has paid the price of trying to do the right things for his people. I am facing the same kind of threat now, and it is from my own hierarchy. If we were to speculate rather than gather real evidence, we could claim that probability indicates this was a non-Oriental plot. That is primarily because your own findings so far tend to illustrate that those involved were virtually making a case for this to be of Oriental design. The planned carelessness of leaving evidence of everything other than ethnicity is just as compelling as the rocket launchers being made here. There is no repeat of your people jumping to conclusions when you discovered that the suicide bomber was carrying a sniper rifle made in Southern Iberiana. I am afraid that if we cannot see a shift to a more objective way of reporting, I will be forced to concede that we must re-evaluate our diplomatic accord. The question of motive is interesting; I could claim unfairly that the broadcast was likely to be the trigger. Your nation is very nervous about the subject matter – the Mars project. I could speculate that the poorer parts of your republic condemn the policy of 'wasting resources on unrealistic dreams' and being put ahead of real needs. What do you say?"

When Pierze told Zen that he felt exactly the same concerns, the discussion progressed rapidly. "It's why I asked to meet the Sukahara people. I feel sure there will be something traceable they can tell me to nullify or confirm the tenuous claims of our media. I would propose we meet them together and as soon as possible." Zen motioned for something to happen, and within seconds, no less than twenty-three individuals, clad in identical and very expensive looking navy-blue suits filed into the room. They didn't sit until they were introduced by their position in the company. From the General Manager down, every single department was represented. Zen spoke some words in his own language and this initiated a sequence of hierarchical seating arrangement. He then addressed Pierze. "If your questions cannot be answered by these people, you can visit their company and speak about details with other workers."

Pierze could scarcely believe this was happening, but quickly appreciated that it reflected just how serious Din Chow Zen was taking the Sanchez incident. This was also something he could confront the more irresponsible media with on his return. The photos he now shared with the Sukahara people provoked much noise and activity. The seating arrangement became fluid and the jabbering reminded Pierze of a squabble within a flock of jackdaws. There was little, if any abatement to this chaos until one of the technicians whispered something into his supervisor's ear. The gabbling receded with every transmission, and it quickly reached the General Manager. In the now eerie silence he passed a note to Zen. A nod from the leader produced a question from the originator of the observation, who spoke perfect Iberian. "Why have you not removed the bracing clips from the rocket launcher?"

Pierze was confused. "Why would we need to do that?" The explanation made Ricardo Pierze feel pretty inadequate.

"These clips are mostly needed for defensive tactics, when it is important to regroup swiftly, and the weapon is mounted on an open-top vehicle. Because of the precision in our tooling process, which is important for accuracy, we always need to ensure the clips and the barrel stay together. Your military people will know this, and on certain occasions adjustment or temporary removal may be authorised. Therefore, we always have the serial numbers matched on the barrel and the clips. They are engraved on the inner surface of the clips. I would also suggest that if you check the clips and the numbers are still there, the users are unlikely to have had military training. Your own people will probably confirm this."

Pierze thanked the technician for this revelation and did his best to exercise humility while privately seething at his own staff missing such evidence. The Sukahara gathering formed into an orderly exit line and left the room. It was painful for Pierze to watch this twenty-three person delegation, which had travelled over a thousand miles, snake its way out of his sight. He apologised to Zen when they were alone. The Orient leader spoke with dignity. "These things can happen when one wrong decision produces a cascade of consequences, demanding answers ahead of analysis. You now have a new opportunity, but let us not join the throng of speculation. I wanted to speak about the trouble at the border. As you know, since the last time we met, an acceptable level of emigration of our people has been accommodated in Iberia. This incident has inflamed feelings on both sides, especially in the border area. I have had to authorise deployment of army personnel to protect the border control people from anti-Iberian protestors. I do not want to close the border again, even temporarily. It is different for you, because we have little or no immigration to worry about, whereas the Orientals now in Iberia may be vulnerable. Are you able to offer protection if the need arises?" Pierze indicated that he would discuss this with the Foreign Office and they would take joint action, to mirror Zen's military presence on their side of the border checkpoints.

Finally they turned to the subject which may yet cost Sanchez his life. Zen recognised that the insistence from Orient, that Iberia should keep the pledge on joint space exploration may have been the blue touch paper. He therefore told Pierze that he was going to exercise a moratorium on the subject for a period. He wasn't going to announce this; it was just going to be naturally replaced in the pecking order by a few items his people had been calling for over time. He asked Pierze about the deputy President and the advisability of this declaration being passed on. Ricardo Pierze could not help rewinding the tape to the Sukahara meeting. Since becoming head of Central Security he had really had no time to dwell on ideology in a detached way. He was a man who was characterised by order, neatness, duty – banishing emotional overlay at every fork in the path. For the very first time he wondered how the Republic could import some of the advantages of the regime of Orient. This jolted him back to Zen's question. Iberia wasn't doing all that well at the moment, and here was a statesman with considerable gravitas asking about trusting Hugo Falcorini with custody of a subtle timeout to give stability a helping hand. He smiled as he mentally substituted Hubris for Hugo, but knew his reply would be interpreted correctly. "I dearly hope President Sanchez will return. You may be aware that if he doesn't, we are compelled to have an election within three months. My conservative nature guides me to say that you never told me of your intention. In three months I could foresee both Iberia and Orient recognising the need for a shift in priorities."

Din Chow Zen, for the first time, rose to bid farewell to Pierze – a definite sign of respect.

*

When he arrived back in Madrid Pierze had a lot to think about. The same could be said of Lionel Zara. The unlikely cooperation between Hernandez and Boniface, borne out of mutual fear of the boss, had yielded a breakthrough. Although the redesign of components and software was slow, Hernandez had picked up on Boniface's recommendation to tap into emotional patterns of individuals, and it had been fruitful. One of the more enthusiastic technicians had managed to harness certain properties of experimental isolinear microchips in the receiving hardware. These chips had been created by modification of single-axis optical crystals to create a one-way only, repeating instruction. The signal provider would embed the software link to the ringtone and/or vibration instruction to access specific memory in the subject. This implanted memory would be reinforcement of the virtues of the Circle of Light, ingrained during the recruitment phase. The trials had demonstrated that this would apply to changed ringtones on the same device, or on a different device with the same chip, as long as the same signal provider, and hence the embedded software, was used. The import of this was that anyone contacting the subject via the same signal provider could be unknowingly reinforcing the faith of the subject.

*

Zara was therefore preparing to leave for Russia in good spirit. Stepanov had sent the inventory required for the excavation, other than the helicopter and the personnel. These items would absorb the currency Zara would take with him. Because of the radiation risk, they would need many hazmat suits – they were considered to be one-time use only for all but Stepanov and friend. The campsite was to be at least two kilometres from the dig site, for the same reason. There was a requirement, even with these precautions, to have a decontamination shower facility at the campsite. There was a small lake at the site, but they needed water purification pumps. The excavator, like all food and other equipment supplies, had to be ferried to the location by the chopper; fortunately it was a 'flat pack' assembly model with detachable generator. The helicopter was to be fitted with a winch to assist with extraction of any object discovered. The sleeping accommodation was fashioned in state of the art breathable fibre. When zipped up at night, they needed to be totally inaccessible to insects. Liquid air canisters inside these tents would be linked to oxygen measurement monitors to control accumulation of carbon dioxide. A cache of AK-47 weapons would help deter hungry bears and the like. The plan was for Zara and Mohammed to arrive in Kiev, linking up with Stepanov. The government friend and the hired-hands would go ahead of this trio and organise as much as possible on-site before their arrival. Mohammed was on his way to Kiev, with his own array of special gadgets. Zara confirmed his departure time with Angel and Moya, and instructed the latter to get the feel for running Digital Component Industries.

*

President Sanchez had lost consciousness, and his family had been prepared for the worst. The nation was in suspended mourning, with many keeping vigils at their place of worship.

### Chapter 6

Pierze was undecided on the precise way in which he would follow up the Sukahara lead. His proclivity was to keep any crucial information to himself until the maximum benefit of disclosure could be assured. In this case however, he had to weigh up the potential impact of removing the shadow of accusation against Orient. He was mindful of Zen's valid point about the origin of the sniper's rifle. He hit on a compromise, by asking Manuel Salina to meet with him. The session was brief. "Manuel, I have discovered an instance of sloppy investigation in my department, and it could be a simple oversight or a deliberate act. I tend to think it was the former, but I cannot yet dismiss the possibility of the alternative. It is therefore necessary for me to have total confidence in the next phase of the enquiry. I'm asking a lot of you; I hope you can help me out." Having explained the situation with the rocket launcher and the origin of the sniper rifle, he stressed the sensitivity this could have for the entire relationship with Orient. Manuel's expression betrayed serious concern.

"If I was to accept your request, it would alert and probably involve the Southern Iberiana 'mafia'. Are you prepared to accept this risk?"

Pierze knew what he was suggesting. The veracity of any evidence offered from that quarter would be held up as highly unreliable at best, and at worst seen as the government 'sleeping with the Devil'. He paced up and down his office and eventually replied, "Manuel, I know you are right. I also know that the discovery of an internal cell in Central Security would be worse. The timing is also a problem, as you know Sanchez is hanging on to life by a thread. I shudder to think what could go wrong in the vacuum his death would create. The anger in Orient at what they consider to be a false accusation would be dwarfed by a tide of reprisal demands. And then we have Falcorini presiding over the rising tension. I have to take the risk you have placed at my door. You have a lot of experience in dealing with such shady organisations in Southern Iberiana, will you help me?"

Manuel nodded. "Give me the information and I'll make some initial contact through people I can trust." Pierze suggested that they should examine the weapons together and at night, when nobody else was around.

"I don't want anyone to know we have suspicions. We should do it tonight."

*

When Zara and Mohammed met in Kiev they stayed overnight in modest accommodation. Stepanov was to collect them for the onward train journey in the morning. Mohammed described his array of gadgetry to Zara, who was most interested in a laptop programme he had devised for modelling any underground object before any attempt to bring it to the surface. "This is especially important as we are told there is radiation in the vicinity." It was quite ingenious in its concept. Sources of measurements of a different nature could be fed into the programme and harmonised or omitted, depending on the perceived relevance. Magnetic field pattern, thermal imaging, sonar tracing and laser profiling could be input and used to describe the object in their own 'language', or combined to produce a picture. It was likened in effect to building up a recognisable face from a skull, in forensic science. It also could map out the path of least resistance when trying to extract an object.

Stepanov arrived at seven. They breakfasted together and took a taxi to the main train terminal. They had planned to cross the Ukrainian-Russian border and arrive in Stalingrad, change trains there to Irkutsk, on the edge of Lake Baikal, where the helicopter would pick them up. It was to be a weary journey, but it would not attract as much attention as meeting with Stepanov in Moscow. It would also provide Zara with the opportunity to discuss all further financial arrangements with his travelling companions in the privacy of their separate berthed cabins. Mohammed's situation was less complicated. Although he was disappointed that he would receive no joint recognition if they found something significant, he was realistic. He was being well remunerated, and it could easily be a wild goose chase. The conversation with Stepanov impacted Zara more than he had bargained for. When he opened the discussion Zara was immediately put on the defensive by Stepanov. "Can I ask why you are paying such a large amount of money to help us, when you know there is no official recognition on offer for you or Mohammed?"

Zara claimed it was pure fascination with the stories surrounding one of the greatest natural disasters of all time. Stepanov persisted. "We have already explained that my friend and I will get credit for this, and that is all we ask, as we will be remembered for it after we die. There is however, another dimension to what may follow if we find something significant. There will be rights to all manner of distribution of the story, including documentary film. We want to make sure our families are taken care of, and that is why we want recognition. We realise you will not want to be on any footage we produce, so we have something to ask you. If the revenue stream from any discovery was sufficient, we would like to set aside whatever cost you have incurred to pay you back and thank you for making this possible. It is all we have lived for since we found out we were on borrowed time. It isn't much to offer, but it is all we have, or if we are realistic, may have."

Zara was completely thrown by this gesture. He had never experienced respect for another individual in this way. His entire life had been set out on the premise of driving down the cost of getting what he wanted. What others would deem as ruthless, he clearly and unemotionally saw as logical leverage. People only figured as a minor variable in this equation, expendable or an indirect form of currency. This man was not feeling sorry for himself – which did register with Zara – but there was something else. It was a cause in which he wasn't going to let anything, even death get in the way. He realised slowly that what really shook him was that it was an unselfish cause. Zara excused himself to wash his face and rid himself of this debilitating experience. He felt better now and returned to thank Stepanov. However, his discomfort returned when he conceded to himself that his gesture was motivated to make Stepanov feel better. He felt physically sick.

*

In the dead of night Pierze and Manuel found the watchman snoring in his swivel chair in front of the cameras. Pierze tapped his shin with his thick brogues and the man was startled, then profusely apologetic. "Just exactly what do you suppose are we paying you for?" He professed his utter regret but Pierze was unrelenting. "Give me your keys and your accreditation. Call your supervisor now."

The man knew his boss would really appreciate a call at this time of night. When it was answered Pierze grabbed the handset, and the supervisor recognised the voice. "I've just discovered your subordinate sleeping soundly as I paid an unannounced visit to the laboratory section. I could have been anybody. What do you think the press would make of this if I had been someone connected to the recent assassination attempt? Is it just me or do you think this is a time for extra vigilance? Well, feel free to interrupt at any time." Trying to make sense of the conversation when still only half-awake, the supervisor inadvertently made things worse.

"I'm sorry Director - I will take severe disciplinary measures first thing tomorrow." Pierze jolted him with a demand to get to the office immediately to suspend the watchman, pending a check by the departmental staff to see if there was any evidence of intrusion by unauthorised personnel.

"You had better get a replacement here otherwise you will be expected to cover the rest of the shift yourself."

The resigned acknowledgement was followed by Pierze stating that he was going to conduct a cursory check of the premises himself. The handset was replaced and the watchman was told to go to the canteen and await the supervisor. Pierze wiped the CCTV camera recording from the start of the shift, which would imply the watchman had forgotten to set the new disc to record, and ensure he and Manuel would have total privacy in examining the rocket launcher and the rifle in the Laboratory. This stroke of fortune had avoided Pierze having to concoct a convincing reason for the watchman to let them into the lab.

*

The clips on the rocket launcher did indeed have serial numbers and Pierze conveyed to Manuel what the Sukahara technical man had implied. "Most users of this equipment in Orient were military personnel and government security people. It was strictly illegal for civilians to own them. However, any which fell into the hands of the populace via criminal organisations were almost certain to know of the clip identity markings, and their requirement to match the barrel. It's not proof, but does require us to cast a wider net."

The rifle was a different matter. Manuel said it was a model frequently used by mercenaries employed by drug barons. "This is relatively easy for me to check out, but it is in my opinion unlikely that these people would leave markings on a gun which would lead you directly to their door. I'm beginning to agree with your theory that this is a stage-managed attempt to throw suspicion away from the real source of those who paid for the hit."

Pierze was conscious of the impending arrival of the supervisor. "Well, Manuel we are agreed then, we must be open-minded about what the evidence really means until we have solid links to individuals. It's unfair to cast aspersions upon a nation because of the source of manufacture. It would be considered ludicrous if we were drawing such conclusions from a Kalashnikov." They locked the laboratory complex and went to the canteen to await the supervisor.

*

The train from Stalingrad to Irkutsk was distinctly second class compared to the previous one. The three men had just about exhausted their range of common interest, and the never-ending number of stops at tiny hamlets was infusing mind-wipe into their growing restlessness. It was therefore a cause of relief, mixed with concern, that a delegation of soldiers boarded the train at a stop about 200 miles short of their destination. Stepanov listened carefully to the questions they asked some of the local travellers. They were looking for a particular individual who had left a trail of dead bodies in a place they had passed through some hours ago. He explained to Mohammed and Zara that there would be a delay for a couple of hours while they questioned everyone. They weren't allowed to alight from the train and visit the station cafeteria or sanitary facility until they had been accounted for. The boredom had been temporarily fractured by the heavy presence of the inquisitors. Stepanov asked why soldiers were involved, rather than police. He was told that the suspect was a soldier, so they were assisting in the manhunt. "You will probably be stopped by the police between here and Irkutsk. We are trying to close the net before he slips through."

Stepanov whispered, "The soldier had let slip that this man was an animal, and should have been kicked out of the army a long time ago. He had apparently killed a fellow recruit a few years ago, but had managed to convince the brass that it was a tragic accident, while on a tour in Georgia." The train departure was announced and they drank the awful coffee from the cafeteria down to the dregs, and then hurried aboard. Another fifteen miles down the line the train slowed dramatically when it reached an upward incline which twisted and turned as if it made the climb easier for the engine to gather breath. The dusk provided sufficient cover for a figure to leap from the top of the walled tunnel and remain motionless on the carriage roof until he was sure he had not been detected. The creeping darkness prompted him to take the next step of locating the heavy luggage and cargo carriage. He waited again, and then climbed carefully down into a position where he could open the door and gain entry. A few minutes later, after some superficial grooming, he confidently took an empty seat with his newspaper. There had been about a dozen stops in these fifteen miles, with people getting on and off the train, so he went unnoticed. He was seated across the aisle and down two rows from the trio heading to Tunguska, and he reached across to a man and his wife sitting opposite for a light for his cigarette. They struck up a conversation and it gradually got around to the manhunt. The man's wife expressed her opinion that such a callous murderer should be executed, no amount of rehabilitation or faked remorse could even begin to atone for the indiscriminate butchery he had dealt out. Her husband joined in and said that the bastard would probably get away with an insanity plea, and be assessed by egocentric psychologists who had the arrogance to believe they could cure this kind of amoral retard. The stranger laughed and said he was a psychologist.

"I take no offence. My profession has, in some ways, become hostage to its own theory. It took me years of practicing the 'science', if I may call it that, to accept that when the victims are displaced from the central argument about the death penalty being barbaric, the killer becomes the victim." This made the couple feel better about their outspoken views. The husband said it was extremely refreshing to hear this analysis from a psychologist. The stranger asked if they would, in theory, be prepared to execute the subject of the manhunt themselves. "Or would you expect someone else to take care of this, you know, in a paid capacity?"

The couple squirmed a little and made it obvious that they didn't want to continue the conversation. The stranger kept going. "You say things you don't mean. People like you always want others to take care of their whims – no questions asked. That would suggest that the executioners could be as devoid of intellect as you are."

The strain in the conversation was beginning to percolate to the locals, and Stepanov. In the middle of the carriage, the couple rose to head for the refreshment car, and others shuffled in their seats. Stepanov was explaining to his friends that the scene was becoming ugly and they should go to their cabins. The stranger had the final word as he blocked the couple's path. "You people are amongst the non-contributors in society, with your quick judgement and solutions, washing your hands of any cause and effect. You are precisely the weak-willed specimens who would never survive in the real world, the one without welfare safety nets, wealth-related medical care, and scavenging for your own survival without supermarkets."

The husband drew on his small reservoir of dilute courage and began to protest. In a flash his head was blown off. His wife took the next two rounds in the chest. The shock precipitated the other passengers to run for cover, but it was futile for those in his sight line. A second automatic pistol joined in the carnage and seven more innocent souls were shot at frighteningly close range. It was fortunate that Stepanov had alerted Zara and Mohammed in Iberian, they were behind the madman, and they were first through the adjoining carriage door. By this time the gunshots had spread panic throughout the train and fighting spread amongst the passengers. Some even dived out of the train, accepting the risk of death as opposed to certain death. It was a gruelling effort to get to Stepanov's cabin, but once inside, he opened his case and retrieved a powerful Taser he had brought along to demonstrate to the others ahead of arriving in bear country. He was nervous, but pushed his two colleagues behind him.

"If the door opens I'm going to fire, stay down." They sensed the train stopping. Amongst the muffled voices they continued to hear sporadic gunshots, which were actually getting closer. There was eventually a short period of silence, then footsteps and the chilling sound of a new magazine being loaded. The door of the next cabin opened and several seconds later it was closed. Stepanov braced himself and his eyes were incredibly focussed on the door handle. As soon as it started to move his attention was switched to the latch mechanism. He moved fractionally to the hinged side. He grabbed the handle and pulled it as hard as he could. This gave him a crucial element of surprise. The gunman's balance was temporarily shifted, and in the gap of the half-open door he discharged the Tazer. The shock delivered the knockout blow but also triggered muscle contraction which resulted in a 'reflex' squeeze on the trigger of the pistol. Mohammed slumped to the floor. Zara stood in a petrified frenzy while Stepanov yelled at him to help in getting Mohammed out of the cabin. It culminated in the Russian slapping him about the face, after which he complied with the order. The melee outside the train was unaware of the gunman's incapacitation until Stepanov informed a guard, and said he had better hurry to the cabin and recover the weapons before tying him in some restraining cord or rope. Mohammed was bleeding from a shoulder wound and was already unconscious. Stepanov told Zara to follow the guard back to the cabin and recover their luggage. Not being used to taking orders, he didn't respond. Stepanov yelled at him again and he re-boarded the train. As the news spread of the neutralisation of the gunman, many others followed suit. The train driver was trying to tell everyone that the police were on their way after the emergency call had been picked up. This provoked a quick assessment of the situation by Stepanov. He made the call to his friend and summarised the situation. He told him to divert the helicopter to the region, and they would make their way to a point some distance from the train. "I will transmit the exact GPS coordinates when we find an acceptable landing spot, with some cover." Stepanov didn't want the project to become mired in police business, and him emerging as the hero who stopped the killing. They would have to deal with Mohammed later. Zara was updated, and for the second time he was slightly in awe of the Russian's single-mindedness. Horror was added to the chaos as the dead were being brought out of the train, and there were many. This provided the chance for Mohammed to be carried out of sight at the rear of the last carriage. They hauled him over the embankment and proceeded to look for a suitable 'helipad'. The luggage was fortunately not excessive, and the two of them clambered over a grassy rise into the hollow behind. They left their belongings there while they returned to get Mohammed. His supple unconsciousness made him infinitely more difficult to carry than the luggage. They were both in severe oxygen debt by the time they reached their hideaway. Stepanov made another call and said he would transmit coordinates shortly, as they were not far enough from the train.

### Chapter 7

With Manuel working on tracing the registration of the assassins' weapons, Pierze called in Duarte. He knew of many eccentricities the ex-DCI had, but this was a new one. Duarte turned up after having been to see his son, Emile, going through his paces with the first team squad. There always seemed to be a significant number of fans in attendance for these practice sessions; there was also an unhealthy sprinkling of fast food vans. Duarte had developed a penchant for trying everything on offer, as long as it sat on top of a burger. Today was beetroot day. He had come directly to Pierze's office and attracted some attention from the staff as he strolled through the corridor of desks. Pierze looked at the perfect application of purple lip-liner, and his normal suppression of repulsion for once gave way to a smile, then a bout of controlled laughter. He had to sit down in order to retrieve some notes from the bottom drawer of his desk, and this gave him a chance to contain wave after wave of this strange sensation. "Are you alright Ricardo?" This made it worse and the repetitive rush distorted his speech.

"Yes, mm, of c-course, plee-ease take a...sorry Maxi, I er, excuse me...ee."

Duarte's mouth movement, coupled with his genuine concern was the final brick being removed from the dam. Ricardo Pierze fled to the restroom. It was a first. While in the shelter of a locked cubicle, he regained control, and mused that during this serious threat of losing the President, some things just had to go on. Maxi Duarte was a perfect example. Pierze took some tissues back to the office and handed them to the dumbstruck, retired policeman. "You have never called me Maxi before – Jesus, this must be serious." Pierze kept control this time and pointed to a mirror on the office wall.

"Oh," said Duarte, "yeah, I look like a clown on his way to a kid's party." He wiped away the source of mirth which had by now spread through the entire office floor. "What's so urgent? I thought you'd be submerged in this attempted assassination."

Pierze pulled down the blinds in his office. "I am, but there is also the problem of managing the day-to-day stuff which would have gone to Sanchez. I'm helping to babysit Falcorini. I have Manuel on the weapon side, and I would like your help in simply trawling through events in this department in the days or weeks leading up to the broadcast." Duarte threw the used tissues into the waste bin and stared directly into Pierze's eyes.

"You mean you suspect you have a mole?"

Pierze handed him the file which had, amongst other information, a summary of his meeting with Din Chow Zen. "I can't rule it out, but before you ask, I still do not believe this is Sidonia. However, we have to keep an open mind, and I can't be certain. There is good reason to connect the attempt with the subject matter of the broadcast. This wrangle over space exploration is what caused the breakdown in relations between Orient and Iberia last time. I would dearly love to find solid evidence that Orient isn't involved in this plot. Making such a conclusion public would go a long way to stabilising the situation, thinking rationally about who should follow Sanchez if he doesn't make it, and allowing us to resume our watch on Sidonia. Will you help me Duarte?" The response was typically acerbic.

"Of course Pierze, as long as you don't continue to call me Maxi. I don't want people to think we are friends. I have my reputation to think about."

*

Mohammed had recovered consciousness and was informed by Zara that he had taken a bullet to his shoulder from the madman on the train. The relationship of the entry and exit wounds indicated that it had been deflected by a bone. Mohammed began to wonder what he was doing here in the first place. "Why am I sitting in a field? I should be in hospital." Zara explained that a helicopter was on its way to do exactly that. "Where is our Russian friend?" Zara was evasive.

"He's looking for a suitable place for the helicopter to land." This didn't match up in Mohammed's mind.

"Where is the train? And where are all of the other passengers?"

Zara decided to level with him. "This is a very remote place and the police will take some time to reach the train. The rescue service may take even longer. Stepanov called his colleague to despatch our helicopter to pick you up. We needed to get away from the train to avoid others trying to board our transport; it could have got ugly. Stepanov managed to stun the gunman, but not before you were hit. He sent the guard to secure this madman and didn't want to be identified as the hero who 'saved the day'. So, we are out of sight of the train. There were so many people killed and wounded that it will take some time before they realise Stepanov isn't there. We would have been held up and you need medical attention. You are losing blood even though we have a primitive first aid kit and have tried to staunch the flow. We need to get you to Irkutsk." Mohammed felt tired and lapsed into semi-consciousness again.

Stepanov had found a large clearing amongst the trees at the bottom of the hollow. It was the best compromise between total obscurity and the distance they would have to carry Mohammed. He sent the coordinates to the pilot and decided to wait for him to arrive before attempting to carry the injured Egyptian to the landing site. He returned and began carrying the luggage and equipment to the rendezvous point while Zara tried to keep Mohammed awake. After fifty minutes they could hear the changing pitch of the rotor as it approached. Stepanov ran to the proposed drop point and waved his arms furiously. He backed off as the descent was carefully negotiated. The pilot was asked to switch off the rotor while he was acquainted with the plan. It was a painful transfer for Mohammed but once back in the air he concentrated on trying to avoid passing out by rambling on about his new laptop programme. The trip to Irkutsk was shorter than the outward leg of the chopper and the pilot was able to set down within a mile of the hospital, which he knew well. An ambulance which had advance notice of their arrival screamed toward them, with its siren blasting, and in less than 10 minutes Mohammed was admitted, and being prepared for surgery. Stepanov smiled at Zara.

"There is nothing money can't influence. There will be no questions asked."

The pilot re-loaded all of the luggage and equipment other than Mohammed's new stuff. Stepanov had been told that the patient may have to remain in their care for two days. This was not disputed, so the Russian wanted lessons in the use of the programme as soon as Mohammed was up to the task.

*

Manuel hadn't come up with any solid leads from his first general trawl of weapon-associated informants, so he decided to follow the trail of the specific sniper rifle serial number in the hope that it might lead to people who he knew. There was much more chance of this giving a genuine starting point than pursuing the rocket launchers, but it was also risky. He received help out of the blue from one of his former contacts in Montevideo. A reliable informant, this man had sought him out via conversation with his former editor. Manuel agreed to give the man his Londonis communicator number rather than use the office line. When the man contacted him he said he had important information and wanted to know what may be on offer as compensation. When Manuel said it was negotiable the reply was instant. "The first step is for me to come to you. I would need to get out of here. You know me well enough to understand I wouldn't be suggesting this if it wasn't necessary."

Manuel concurred but asked how long he would need to stay. "Forever, if and when you agree to this, and I'll need to become invisible over there once you have the information."

Manuel wanted to know more before undertaking such a commitment. "You don't have to sell this information do you? If you do nothing, why would you need to get out?" There was a hiatus; his voice evoked a sense of real fear.

"Maybe this call was a bad idea Manuel. Let's leave it."

The call was ended and Manuel was angry with himself for pushing too hard too soon. He redialled but there was no response. He called a former colleague at the Montevideo Independiente newspaper and asked him if there was any nervousness about disclosure of specific knowledge that the rifle was made in Brazil, but the serial number was still being withheld by Iberian Central Security.

"Yes there is. Many assassinations have yielded a similar scenario, but the killing of a President is seen as uniting the populous against the perpetrators. Some really heavy organisations are jittery. The word is that they are worried about the lack of information disclosed about the suicide bomber."

Manuel asked, "In what respect?"

The voice became slightly sarcastic. "Come on Manuel. This guy was blown to pieces, but some of those pieces must have been recovered. They know more than they claim to know. In any failed assassination the problems recede as long as the patsy accretes all blame. They must have run all recovered DNA against the criminal databases. Even if they don't have a name they must have a match. Nowadays you go on to these databases if you are caught pissing in the river. Surely you aren't going to tell me that any competent conspiracy to take down the President would recruit a choir boy for the job." Manuel tried to convey the magnitude of the recovery task of all available evidence.

"The fire complicated everything; there was foam everywhere. There were attendees from all over the world and referencing these people, dead or alive, with prints or DNA on wine glasses, furniture, handrails, laptops and briefcases is nowhere near complete. Believe me they're working flat out on this; the pressure to find any lead is intense."

His colleague was unmoved. "I imagine it is, however, why do you think there's a lot of effort going into taking Orient out of the firing line? Why has there been a top level meeting there and yet nobody of any standing has been to Southern Iberiana?"

Manuel paused before asking, "How do you know that?"

There was finality in the intonation of the caller's statement. "Not all of the Iberian government heavyweights are discreet. There's an element of convenience for this to be dropped on our doorstep. Maybe you should look at who stands to gain from responsibility being neatly attributed to gangs who have a lot to lose. A clever picture is being crafted of Sanchez being prevented from saying something which these clans could not and would not accept. Manuel, don't discount the possibility of Sanchez becoming a liability to the Republic in the eyes of those who crave power. I think you'll find it difficult to get more information from this part of the world. Good luck."

Reflecting on this and the previous call, he now regretted even more that he had been less than sympathetic to the cry for help. He was totally surprised when he received a second call from the same contact in the middle of the night. "You tried to get me via call-back. What do you want?"

Pushing back a yawn Manuel said, "I only wanted to say I would have to clear your request with someone I know I can trust, in the same way you and I have worked in the past."

The man was extremely impatient for an answer. "How long will this take, I don't have much time?"

Manuel went with his gut. "I can call you in an hour."

This was refused. "No, I'll call you again. If it's agreed I'll leave tonight. I'll need protection from the moment I get off the plane. In one hour then."

*

Stepanov and Zara boarded the chopper for the dig site, having promised Mohammed they would return for him in two days. The preparations had already begun and the spot of their previous discovery of the strange magnetic readings had been marked out again. The Geiger counters had been employed even though the terrain was quite boggy underfoot, and with all of these factors documented, the team had decided to follow the instructions of Mohammed. Stepanov recalled that the insects appeared to be even bigger than he remembered. It was one of the hired hands who said it could be due to their exposure to radiation over more than a hundred years. Zara's first hike to the object zone left him with the lasting impression that it had to be a candidate for the most depressing place on Earth. Even the polar caps or the ocean bottom had redeeming features to offset the danger to human life. Snow covered mountain peaks and phosphorescent life forms took one's breath away. Tunguska simply neutralised the mind, so that it no longer seemed necessary to breathe. The scanning equipment was set up as Mohammed had prescribed and the laptop was connected to the interface architecture. Apparently it would take between 15 and 30 minutes for sufficient data to be received and rearranged before the final compilation was uploaded to the profiling software. This was going to seem like a long time in the hazmat suits. It wasn't advisable to have gaseous exchange with the outside atmosphere this close to the radiation source, and it was approaching the hottest part of the day. Anyone suffering from claustrophobia would have already run for home. After twenty-one agonising minutes the four LED's flashed from red to green and this was the signal that the upload had started, so they could now head back. The profiling would start automatically.

When they arrived they were all relieved to get out of the suits and take their decontamination shower. They all donned respiration filters and queued for the welcome shot of bottled oxygen-rich air. "My God," shouted one of the recruits, in Russian. Stepanov and his friend were first to react, and joined the young man at the laptop. The emerging picture was roughly cylindrical in shape and currently estimated at a depth of eighteen metres. There was apparently no distortion which would have been expected with an impact.

As more data was interpreted by the software, they couldn't believe what was being suggested. There were three distinct layers; the inner one cigar-shaped? This inner layer was by far the hottest, and the likely source of the radiation. As yet there was no explanation of the magnetic spikes. The layers differed considerably in density and again the inner one was singled out as extremely heavy. If this estimate of weight was correct, the helicopter may be inadequate as a lifting tool. The screen flashed up a rectangular green box stating 'programme complete'.

The discussion turned from disbelief to fantasy. Stepanov eventually shouted down the runaway enthusiasm. "Gentlemen, please calm down. This object has apparently been here for a long time. I say apparently because we are guided by observations made over one hundred years ago, during a massively destructive event. If this object is some part or by-product of that cataclysm, we are justified in thinking it doesn't appear to be a naturally occurring fragment of either an asteroid or a comet. However, let us not forget that this picture we see is the product of technology we are not familiar with. So before we get carried away, I suggest we confront Mohammed with the output of his programme. I will fly with Zara to the hospital in Irkutsk and ask Mohammed to talk us through the findings, before we authorise any more activity."

Zara pondered this 'wet blanket' from Stepanov. He deduced from the visual exchanges between him and his government friend that they wanted to rule out any possibility of unsupported claims; including clever hoaxes from within the group, such as pre-prepared graphic evidence of something too heavy and dangerous to recover. He agreed to make the trip.

When they arrived at his bedside, Mohammed was sitting up, enjoying a coffee. The doctor said he was weak from loss of blood and he had a cracked bone in his shoulder, but there was no infection and he was expected to make a full recovery. Stepanov asked the doctor if they could have a private conversation with the patient. When they showed the laptop analysis to Mohammed he surprised them by his rapid-fire questions. "This is extremely interesting, what is it? When do you plan to scan for the fragment? Can you get the doctor to release me? I am just killing time here." He suddenly stopped and when he was met with silence he said, "What is it? What do you have to tell me? Has the doctor told you something he has not told me? Why have you come back here so quickly?...... For God's sake tell me."

Stepanov gathered he was on morphine and lanced his concern. "Don't worry. We are here to see if we can get you out today so you can return with us. First we need to look at this object. It could be in the way of our excavation of the fragment. We need you to tell us how accurate you think this description is. For example we think the weight may be too great to lift with the chopper. Do you think will we have to excavate around it and descend to get more reliable estimates?"

Mohammed took the laptop and punched in a few commands, then showed the output to his visitors. "The accuracy of overall prediction is circa 87%. There is variation. The shape of this inner material is lower than the average at 59%, and the density of the middle layer is even less at 26%. The total weight however, is much more reliable at 94%. We would be well advised to scan from various angles instead of directly above if we want to improve the reliability further. Anyway, where exactly is this thing in relation to the fragment?"

Stepanov was satisfied and Zara was relieved. They gave him the truth. "Dr. Mohammed, this is the fragment."

The Egyptian temporarily forgot his restricted shoulder movement and winced as he turned the screen back to them. "This is... this thing is the fragment? Surely you are mistaken – look, it is obviously man-made." He looked at them appealingly and realised from their smiles that they had considered this themselves. Stepanov shrugged his shoulders.

"That's why we need you to come back with us. It's difficult to see how this could be man-made in 1908 or before. Even if our government at that time possessed the means of predicting this impact, and kept it secret to avoid panic, this thing doesn't fit. We have thought about efforts to deter any new intruders – a bomb maybe, but we cannot subscribe to this. If that had been the case they would have retrieved this object prior to granting exploration licences to maintain the cover-up. We want to avoid speculation by simply getting on with the task of excavating the surrounding terrain to confirm your laptop predictions. I'm now going to discuss your discharge with the doctor."

As the arrangement to admit Mohammed had been 'off the record' his discharge was of mutual benefit. When the helicopter dropped the returning contingent at the camp site the others were thirsting for news. A quick thumbs-up from Stepanov was greeted with cheers. Now that Mohammed had accepted that the laptop was describing their prized object, he recommended additional scans to be performed. He chose the four magnetic reference points of the compass from which to get lateral profile data. The weather was more forgiving this time, cooler and a few scattered but welcome showers, which helped reduce the plague of airborne chitin.

### Chapter 8

Manuel's contact had arrived in Londonis via a circuitous route. Montevideo to Buenos Aires was logical, but the next transits were intended to complicate any surveillance which may already be on to him. Arriving in Lagos he took an arduous overland journey to Tunis, a sea crossing to the Northern pillar of Hercules, an internal eight seat propeller flight to Seville, and finally Iberian airways economy to Londonis. He was over two hours late compared to the touchdown he had given Manuel, but it was a small concession to ensure his safe deliverance.

They drove to a quiet suburban hostelry by the river. It was a venue in which it was relatively easy to recognise outsiders, and 'foreigners' tended to stand out even more, so Manuel asked the barman to scan the clientele. After the pleasantries Manuel asked his friend where he would like to start. The reply was unambiguous. "I need to have a 'safe house' before I begin to burden you with what I know, and I want to live there for long enough to be sure I haven't been traced before I talk. Once you have the information we will be at a crossroads. We can decide not to exit and just leave it there, or proceed. All exits are into one way streets and will stir up a war. It's just a question of which war."

Raul Ibanez had been interconnected to several illegal organisations and corrupt government heavyweights in Southern Iberiana for a long time. This chameleonic life had aged him prematurely and although he rarely got it wrong, this time he had broken a cardinal rule. He had fallen for an elaborate sting. All of his disclosures to Manuel in the past had been verification of suspicions already publicised in the press as speculation. This helping hand was always in the interest of a particular organisation, which would benefit from a rival gang's exposure, by a corrupt government official turning a blind eye to some of their lucrative operations. In this instance he had satisfied himself that his girlfriend of over three years was genuine. She had groomed him slowly, backed up with passionate sex, and her convincing portrayal of a poor girl swept off her feet by the extravagant lifestyle he provided. The gang she worked for fabricated a situation where the information delivered to the prosecution could only have come from one source. When it could be absolutely proven to be false, he knew he had been cornered. He had been lucky insofar as, at the time they chose to take him out, set up by his girlfriend, he was injured in a car accident. He was unconscious in hospital and his communicator had been broken in the crash. He had heard on the news of the information he passed on being bogus and he left the hospital without discharging himself. He spent two days amongst the homeless, having had no problem in trading his riches for rags, and he then sought out a seaman's mission in which small change could get a bed for the night. When he felt the search for him had cooled a little, he racked his brain for a name that could help him get out of Southern Iberiana. Manuel came to mind and he rang the Independiente from a public phone, asking to speak to Snr. Salina, knowing that Manuel was in Londonis. He explained to the editor that he had information which would benefit the paper, but he could only trust Manuel. He said he had lost the number as his communicator had been accidentally wiped. 'I know he's in Londonis. This is urgent, please contact him with the code word 'Calibre' and he will confirm I'm genuine. I've helped him many times before.'

The editor had been cagey. 'It is probably better if I ask him to call you.'

This had been curtly refused. 'No, it doesn't work like that. I'll call again in 48 hours and you either give me the number to contact him or forget it.' The editor had complied, but Ibanez didn't purchase a new 'pay as you go' communicator, with false personal details until he had Manuel's number.

Manuel was thinking hard on the safe house, and took on board what his former colleague at the Independiente had implied – namely Iberian government involvement. When he aired this with Ibanez, he asked him how he felt about the Londonis police providing his cover. "Are you serious? If I'd known this I would never have come here. Of course I already know of specific and unnamed individuals in the Madrid hierarchy who are in this plot, but asking me to trust the police with my life – no way."

Manuel lowered his voice. "Hear me out. My partner, Elle Butragueno is Chief Inspector of the precinct, and we worked together on the Sidonia conspiracy. If there's anyone I can trust in this world, it's her. She's in a position to lay a false trail, so we can be alerted to any 'sniffing' around, and only you and I know where you actually are."

Ibanez breathed a sigh of relief. "I see where you're coming from. When do we begin the search for a suitable location?" Manuel eased his concern further.

"I'll call Elle tonight, and we start in the morning."

*

The lateral scanning data was uploaded and the constantly changing outline of the object, due to the four viewing points, was generating incredible excitement. Mohammed urged them to be patient; there would be many adjustments before the 'sketch' was completed. That moment was virtually lost amongst the premature celebrations. The side views had shown the overall shape to be like an egg-timer rather than a cylinder. The top was capped with a hemispherical dome, which appeared to have four shaded areas. The bottom half wasn't a perfect match; and this was the cause of the unbridled joy. There was no hemisphere, it was a sharpened pencil. Below this was the crowning discovery – a tripod with what could be shock absorption mechanisms. All of the heat was generating from the innermost layer, and there was evidence of a slight breach through the mid and outer layers, which probably explained the radiation leakage. The density picture was also enhanced by more detail. The mid layer was very low compared to the others, with the inner core being by far the heaviest. The weight assessment was confirmed, and was too high for the helicopter to retrieve. Mohammed suggested excavating a long ramp with a gentle slope down to the 18 metre depth, and then they could consider winching the object up the ramp. They would need to be sure they could lay it gently on its side on a flat plate, and drag it upwards slowly so that the plate could benefit from the 'lubricating' effect of modular roller sections. These would have to be made to specified drawings and laid on 'railway tracks'; he suggested four tracks to distribute the weight. They would need to clear space to land the helicopter and anchor it to a number of sturdy trees. Although the load on the winching chopper would be a fraction of that when trying to lift it vertically, he wanted to do more calculations to ensure over-specification. "We will have to get the plate, rollers and tracks made in a foundry by a steel stockholder. Can you get on to this immediately?" He was addressing Stepanov, and after he had consulted with his friend they agreed that both of them would check out the possibilities in Irkutsk. They were hopeful as it was a major terminus, and consequently a rolling stock provider for the rail network. Stepanov looked at Zara and gestured that it meant more money was needed. Zara nodded and they began the necessary calculations for the fabrication and also the safe ferry loads for the helicopter. While the two Russians were on this procurement mission Zara quizzed Mohammed on his interpretation of the new data. The Egyptian was guarded, but couldn't deny that there were really only two explanations. Firstly, it was made under some secret government project to observe, destroy or deflect the object. "It patently failed to achieve the last two. It may have recorded certain data. This theory is weak because at the time of the event, there is no knowledge of such technical capability. Furthermore, the structure of the object itself suggests nuclear fission is present in a controlled way as opposed to natural occurrence. We know that it was later in the twentieth century that this process was discovered. This leaves the second scenario that it did not originate on Earth. This is a big leap, and any uncontrolled spread of this claim would cause an influx of world media which would be very unhelpful. It wouldn't need to be true – hinting at such an explanation would be enough. If we can get it free from the clutches of the strata in which it is bound, we can hopefully learn more. What intrigues me most is the magnetic aberration. It has to somehow fit with the rest, and it is the only facet of the programme output which remains blank. The consistent inconsistency is a real puzzle. The spike being consistent and the frequency being random could be due to some periodic polar inversion process, or it could be programmed according to some other prevailing condition which has eluded us. It all adds up to the need to get it out of there."

*

Zara was in some kind of suspended reality. He hadn't tried to contact either Moya or Angel since he arrived in what he perceived as a 'hell hole', and he had a strong feeling of belonging to this disparate band of pirates, who were just as motivated by the adventure on the high seas as the promise of bounty. It was a freedom which was addictively new to him. Zara didn't need to worry about Cerberus anyway. Everything was progressing well. In fact, the collaboration of Hernandez and Boniface continued to flourish. Following on from the ringtone success, they had simplified the emotional profiling approach which the disciples would employ to 'pigeon-hole' the potential converts. With the timescale in mind and the difficulty of covering all of the permutations and combinations of personality traits, they split the objective into achievable sub-targets. Boniface had convinced Hernandez that although the required flexibility may be achievable in the future it was beyond their capability within a year. She said that reliability was more important than fancy technology with blank spots. "We should get experience with partial categorisation via interview, the results of which are overlaid with a grid of possible recommendations. The disciples can easily assimilate this approach and assign the final rating out there in the field. This will also be formatted in the required structure to import to our hardware and software ambition, and indeed help to design it in a practical way, rather than a purely theoretical one. The feedback from disciples will form the design template for your equipment research, and it will be a continuously statistical approach, which can only become more valid over time. So, you have a fluid evolvement of requirement instead of projected steps. The final benefit is that this could be ready to go inside a year, which should make our leader a little more understanding." Hernandez concurred with her logic and it had the advantage of being her idea if it failed to measure up.

*

When Manuel floated his request to Butragueno she was resistant to the idea. He persevered and kept emphasising it would only be short-term. He stressed that the precinct wouldn't have to pick up any cost, and she could use his name as the occupant. "This will give credibility. I'm on the assassination case and I'll get Pierze to authorise this on that basis, so you aren't telling lies. It's only stretching the truth because I'm putting myself in the firing line by getting involved in this murky plot."

She relented. "Manuel, I don't like the idea of you sticking your neck out either, but I know I'm wasting my time trying to talk you out of it. I'll let you know when we have the keys, but make sure you have Pierze's written backup - for the files, otherwise you and I will have a problem. Do I have to meet this person?"

She was thrown for a millisecond when he replied, "I hoped you wouldn't, otherwise my plan would be scuppered – it is actually another woman."

She returned the favour. "In that case I would like to meet her. Set it up and move in yourself." Manuel smiled and thanked her seriously for the favour. She got up to leave and couldn't resist a final jibe. "Call me when her demands on your time are less than her demands on your body."

*

While Stepanov and friend were in Irkutsk, the others began the excavation of the ramp. The boggy topsoil made the task a little easier. They were also guided by the laptop programme, which had identified rocky obstacles. The optimum route was for the slope to begin from the southwest. Progress was slow as the earth mover was designed to be more efficient to bore down in a vertical direction. They improvised by drilling down from directly over the object for a metre, then turning toward the intended ultimate ground level point to the northeast, and finally excavate in that direction at the same rake specified from the 18 metre depth. This cycle was repeated for two metre verticals, three metre verticals and so on. It did require reinforcement of the ever-deepening sides of the ramp but it also kept everyone usefully occupied. After a week they were on the last downward vertical section and it happily coincided with a call from Stepanov to say the plate and rollers were ready to be despatched in relays. The helicopter had already delivered the standard length rail-tracks. The object's final exposure was a momentous event. Mohammed declared that something – the atmosphere, the light, the change in temperature – whatever, had triggered a different magnetic signature from the object. It had also begun to generate this on a uniformly repetitive interval. This was perceived as representing a message to somewhere or someone, or both. Stepanov was on his way with the first consignment of rollers when he received the news. The air around the camp site and the incoming chopper was filled with a delicate but alternating diffusion of history in the making, and latent foreboding.

The next three days witnessed a dedicated operation and its supply chain. The magnetic signal had now altered its period of transmission, but not the content. Just as they completed the roller installation and set about securing the helicopter, Mohammed once again made a worrying observation. "The magnetic output has stopped altogether!" After some discussion they returned to their allotted tasks. The plate was positioned and the steel harness cable was secured around the outer shell which now appeared to be ten-inch thick solid lead – but it wasn't. The tension was unbearable – literally. As the winch began to rock the object, the team charged with the role of being the losing side in the tug of war, held their rope as taught as they could to avoid the object crashing down on to the plate. They knew there would be a tipping point at which they couldn't hold the weight. Two of the volunteers were ready with cupped steel struts to support the object, hopefully before this point was reached. The struts were braced together and locked on to the rails. The design called for gradually shortening struts to be applied after the helicopter had replaced the tug of war team. Its job was now to slow the descent of the object to a gentle supine position. There was relief all around when this had occurred. A brief emotional hiatus only served to mentally move on to the prospect of returning the helicopter to its original winching post and hope the calculations of Mohammed were not flawed. It seemed like an eternity for those merely looking on at the pilot; he was by far the coolest of the group during this phase. Silicone lube had been sprayed on to the rollers. Halfway up the slope the object suffered a tendency to slide to one side, so the tug of war team had to try to compensate once more. It was much less stressful while occupied than it was when simply in observation mode. The last part of the ascent was achieved without further incident. It was now time to contemplate the task of restoring the object to its upright stance. They had previously settled for an extension of the ramp equivalent to the height of the object and dragged it to the pre-tipping point over the edge of this extension. It was still secured to the plate and the third session for the tug of war team saw them split into two groups. Each was positioned at a corner which would represent the upper resting plane of the plate. The plate was chocked by jamming the struts between rollers. The combined function of the tug of war boys and these struts was to maintain stability until the chopper played its most defining role. The pilot delicately applied drag to find the fulcrum. They had deliberately made this wide enough for the plate to be able to retain stability, but not so wide as to make the next job more difficult. Switching positions for the last time, the helicopter was ready to hold the plate and the team began to remove a small amount of earth directly under the furthest side of the fulcrum. The pilot signalled that the strain was high enough. They changed sides and took the earth away from the bottom of the ramp extension and used it to back fill the adjacent part of the excavated ramp. By meticulously alternating these actions the attitude of the object was nearing a point where a second plate was placed on the horizontal back-filed trench. When they were satisfied that it was on level ground it was pushed slowly under the suspended object. The helicopter now applied sufficient pull against the leaning plate plus object, and the renewed balancing force of the tug of war squad, to stand their trophy the right way up. All that remained was to free it from its companion steel plate and secure its vertical attitude with steel guide ropes. Despite the draining experience there was a clamour to begin analytical work. Common sense prevailed and they would sleep on prioritising these analyses.

### Chapter 9

Ibanez had spent over a week in his new surroundings and had gradually gained confidence to venture out for walks, food, and simply travelling around to see if he was being followed. He was very experienced in this respect, and also in how to lose anyone acting suspiciously. Manuel made a scheduled visit. He let him know that Butragueno hadn't observed any unexpected reaction in the precinct to Manuel's bogus need for protection, and none of her staff knew of the address. The authorisation she needed from Pierze was not disclosed to Ibanez as Manuel didn't see any point in giving him another reason to be nervous. She accepted this explanation, which was just as well because Manuel had not requested it; he had forged it on official stationery picked up during his visit to Madrid. He hated this deception, but he was highly sensitive to both Ibanez and his former colleague at the Independiente advising him that there was a whiff of government involvement in the plot.

"Very good, now Manuel, can we discuss my permanent hideaway?" It was a good sign; maybe he was even ready to start talking.

"Of course, did you have any particular location in mind?" Ibanez surprised him by the choice and the certainty that the trade would depend on it.

"Somewhere quiet in Orient. Korea would be okay or perhaps Japan. I don't want to go to China and I don't want to remain anywhere in the Iberian Republic." Manuel reminded him that he would be conspicuous in Orient and it would take some high leverage brokering to get this done officially.

"It would, in my opinion be risky. I would have to involve Iberian officials, something I've been careful to avoid."

Ibanez laughed at Manuel's concern. "Who said anything about doing this through official channels? Just get me a long stay package holiday, and I'll simply blend into the new Iberian – Oriental trade membrane. I'll let the travel company know I'm not returning, so they don't look for me. I'll say I have a sister in the country and I'm going to stay on for a while longer. I'll assure them I'm not looking for a refund for the return leg. I'm resourceful at this kind of disappearing act, don't worry I'll find unofficial work. Once I'm settled I'll seek brokered protection as a double agent. Can you get me some brochures to browse?" Manuel nodded and returned to his office slightly confused and a little concerned.

*

The early morning cloud was a blessing for the close-up analysis of the object. They did have to chase a curious bear away from the ramp area. The egg-timer had a thick waist; this had not attracted particular interest while they had conducted the tricky ascent up the ramp. The explanation was quickly revealed by the first new scans. The inner component was not cigar shaped. The all-round access for the scanner resulted in the laptop picture of two pyramids with the bases connected to one another at the central part of the waist section of the egg-timer. One pyramid's pinnacle pointed to the bottom and the other to the top. By examining each pyramid face in turn they saw that only one had any distinguishing marks which could show through the middle and outer layers. The mark was at the top right hand corner of one face of the lower pyramid. It was a large, dark circular dot contained within a larger circle. This motif or engraving displayed such precision that they all knew it was accomplished by some process associated with sentient life. They returned to the camp site and discussed the implications of this. The entire group, except Zara, conceded that they needed the best and most sophisticated scientific expertise on the task. Stepanov made the suggestion that his friend should make an official request to Moscow for assistance. Zara asked why these 'experts' would believe this thing was 18 metres below the surface. "They are just as likely to think we or someone else put it there, and then claimed an Earth-shattering discovery. I would be sceptical in their position."

Mohammed disagreed, arguing that the separation of the layers would surely indicate this was not of terrestrial origin. Stepanov concurred. "The lake was much larger a hundred years ago, and if the object landed in shallow water or the boggy outskirts, it would surely have sunk quite quickly through the strata close to the surface, and continued over time. The other consideration is one of safety; we don't know what we would release into the atmosphere by opening this up."

Zara conceded and the call was made. Mainly due to Alexei's friend's reputation in an official capacity within the Russian Government, their attention was assured. The prospect that this could be the most important story in history, and that it was in the Motherland also had gravitas. It ricocheted very rapidly to the highest political level and hit the news desk before the assignment personnel had been decided. The money which was unavailable previously was miraculously pouring in from all directions, and legal specialists were already busy constructing a bandwagon of tiered participation for foreign interest. It would be ruthlessly exploited – unless something about it was discovered which turned it into a 'weather balloon in the New Mexico desert'.

Yelena Tourisheva, as the current Minister of Science and Technology, was to head up the invasion. She delegated the safety aspects to Vladimir Porec, the government advisor on nuclear science. He was despatched immediately to Tunguska, to make preliminary recommendations before other personnel arrived. Acting on the information provided by Stepanov, Tourisheva selected Anatoly Priskin to recruit a team who would take care of the equipment specification to open up the object and contain any perceived threat. Analytical programmes fell to Georgi Tomashevski, one of the most respected molecular biochemists in the world. When knowledge of this hand-picked team of experts found its way back to the group camped near Lake Baikal, it met with differing reaction. Stepanov and friend could see their place in history being secured. The volunteers imagined a big payday looming, even if they were feeding off scraps falling from the table – they would be immense scraps. The pilot foresaw redundancy. Mohammed cancelled long standing commitments in order to muscle in – as part of the nucleus of pioneers who actually made the excavation possible. Zara felt his new family was being absorbed into an orphanage of bureaucracy. He announced his departure. It was Stepanov who pleaded with him to stay. "This wouldn't be happening if you hadn't been willing to invest in the dream of two men already on death row. Your faith in us has ensured we will be able to repay you in financial terms ten times over, but we want you to share this amazing experience with us. It will simply not be the same without you."

Zara's eyes misted up. He had experienced many new emotions since embarking on this crazy venture. "Very well, but I want to keep out of the limelight, it's your show. Well, yours and your friend's, speaking of him, when are you going to introduce me? His name will soon be known all over the world."

Stepanov told him it wasn't really a big deal now. "He is actually deputy head of a department in the Russian Intelligence Agency. You can see how it might have appeared if we had been followed or made claims which would have made the department lose credibility. His name is Boris Krasnic. You can shout it from the rooftops now – the agency is already doing so." Zara saw the implied irony and simultaneously mused, 'the Russian Intelligence Agency', that could be very interesting.

The survey by Vladimir Porec didn't take long and the appropriate measures were set in motion to stop the radiation leak with a temporary fix. This allowed the rest of the team access to the object. The media were not allowed inside the hurriedly erected exclusion zone which was policed by unfriendly looking guards accompanied by large, growling canines, which were particularly bad tempered, courtesy of the insect population. The rest of the world had plugged into humanity's first contact circus, and Zara received a call from Moya. He played it down and issued instructions to deny any speculation that he had any part in this. "I hope you're enjoying running DCI, and I expect a full interim report on progress toward our objectives. If I'm happy with what I hear we may have a discussion on bringing forward the change of roles I mentioned – on a permanent basis. So, keep my name out of all this and you'll do yourself a big favour Moya."

This was an irresistible challenge for Moya, but one in which there was no room for failure. The only aspect which struck him as strange was the apparent willingness of his boss to embrace, in his opinion, the tedious assignment of recruiting millions of plebs to their cause.

Messenger

Although Porec had fabricated a makeshift means of stifling radiation effuse, he noted that the temperature had begun to rise alarmingly. He figured that apart from whatever cooling system had been designed into the object, it must have benefitted from over a century's residence in the permafrost. He called a halt to all operations until he could restore sufficient cooling to the fission system. A gigantic lifting apparatus eventually arrived from Irkutsk. It had made its way through all manner of obstacles, mostly by brushing them aside. Its huge caterpillar treads allowed a steady five kilometres per hour. It was fitted with a pair of arms which clasped the object and lifted it clear of the plate. It was able to turn forward, back and sideways – but not just yet. Porec had determined that the intense heat was being generated from the top section, just under the hemispherical cap. Closer scrutiny under very high magnification revealed that the outer casing was not totally homogeneous. He asked Tomashevski to look into this. After some heated discussion it was decided to take the risky step of extracting a rod-shaped sample through the hemispherical cap, terminating at the middle layer. This was an extremely delicate task, but when they had drilled less than a quarter of the way the drill encountered a change in resistance. They decided to halt and think about the next step. In withdrawing the drill two significant discoveries were made. The first indicated that there was a thin layer of something else in the lead at the point of altered resistance. The second was purely fortuitous – in retracting the drill, the minute lack of precision in its exit trajectory produced a slight loosening action of the cap. Only now did the dividing line between the main egg-timer and this detachable end appear visible. They eventually found that a specific downward pressure followed by a rocking motion released it another fraction. Repeating this over and over gradually raised the cap sufficiently to be able to get in a fibre optic camera. What they saw was bewildering, and they decided to close it up again until they could improve the cooling. This would also give Tomashevski time to identify the thin layer. This thin layer was shown by computer enhancement of the highly magnified images, to be only one of a number of them, culminating with the innermost residing pretty close to the middle layer. They were also now aware that the complete removal of the cap would expose this layer.

Tomashevski returned with the printouts. "It is Zirconium Silicate." The import of this to Porec was obvious. Research in the first decade of the century had indicated this material was amongst a number of potential candidates being considered as a neutron absorber for improved radiation containment. Those in the on-looking circus, which now included the members of the Stepanov expedition, were getting restless, and this percolated to Yelena Tourisheva. She was a scientist turned politician, and her 'manual of survival' clearly screamed – 'deniability'. There was no means of passing this buck and so she enforced the virtues of caution.

The more efficient cooling system had taken three long days to rig up and they were still debating the next step. It was considered too dangerous to drill through any more Zirconium Silicate layers just to get to the middle layer. The argument shifted to the difference between the top and bottom sections. This threw up the question of why there was radioactive material in the object in the first place. It was Porec who for once removed his safety hat and reminded them all of the historical aspects of why it was here at all. "We have yet to prove conclusively that this thing arrived here at the same time as the destructive cosmic body in 1908. There is much circumstantial evidence to entertain this, but not absolute proof. So if we accept for now that it did arrive at that time and it landed softly, the observations of witnesses should be treated with both respect and caution. This second sun, which is a recurring claim, is important. This object is undeniably a sophisticated device, and its dismantling may yet reveal its true purpose. If the timeline we imagine is correct, the object – which is possibly the second sun, may have been a messenger. If it had soft landing capability it is therefore logical for it to have had a propulsion system. A nuclear system of some kind could be logical. Look at it as if the cap is the rear rather than the top, the other end is more aerodynamic and has the landing gear. It is then like a projectile. Please hear me out. If this projectile was tracking the cosmic body, this would fit with the witness accounts that it emerged rather than splintered from the destroyer. If it was monitoring the giant rock it may have slipped out of the vapour trail at the critical structural integrity breach, and chose to land in shallow water, close to the event, so it could easily be found." The silence was an indicator of either logic or hallucination. Tourisheva shifted uncomfortably at the thought of endorsing this, but like a genie in a bottle, the uncorking had occurred, it could not be unsaid.

The air of excitement had been restored. It had also indirectly led to the suggestion that if the 'nuclear part' was detachable then maybe there was another such section which could be unhinged. They closed the hemispherical section once more and applied the technique further down while gripping the bottom half of the egg-timer. It was a Eureka moment. It came apart at the narrowest part of its 'waist'. The two sections were independently sealed and the base of each pyramid could now be seen through clear material. The opposing sides of the pyramids had what looked like complimentary electronic partner devices. It was a real breakthrough and it enabled the two parts to be distanced from one another to determine if the radioactivity was confined to one, or present in both.

The good news was that it proved to be only the 'aft' section which was generating the problem, and it could now be transported to a safer distance. The main focus was now on the other part. It was assumed that although the 'forward' section was not generating radiation it may still need to be protected from it; and that there may be something in it which was powered by the fission process. They still had to proceed with care. This didn't prevent Tourisheva from stepping forward and releasing the latest situation to the media, as if she had always been at the sharp end of the tense decision process.

A second drilling operation was conducted on an area near the pointed end. This time it was decided to go into the middle layer and extract a sample. It was a very unusual material. Left alone it flowed freely as any other liquid would, but whenever the slightest shear stress was applied it became a semi-solid with elastic properties. This was sophisticated di-latency as never seen before. The white liquid phase could be transformed to the pink, rubbery elastomer by merely poking a spatula into it. Numerous theories were advanced, but it always came back to this layer functioning as protective suspension for the inner components. Confidence was robust. They all agreed to progress further, and reveal the enclosed pyramid.

They allowed the white shock-absorbing component to slowly drain through the aperture. Then by further experimentation, found that they could apply similar 'press and rock' moves, which facilitated lifting the pyramid from its leaden sheath. The anticipation was palpable. It looked unremarkable except for the dark dot enclosed in a white circle. This had been observed earlier with the scanning equipment, but now they could see the insignia was reminiscent of a cartouche, as if it had been pressed into the metallic-looking face of the pyramid. It became a bit of an anti-climax when it didn't respond to any stimuli. There was no option left open but to 'reconnect' it to the aft section. The pyramid material seemed impenetrable.

Fortunately the re-joining process was not too uncomfortable as the cooling mock-up had achieved its objective and the temperature was stabilising. The instant the connection was correctly oriented the 'cartouche' glowed. Totally out of character, Zara asked that some respect should be shown to the man who had ceaselessly believed in his great-grandfather's claim. "Alexei Stepanov has been the sole driving force behind this discovery. His friend and all the rest of us in the expedition have merely assisted. Those whose expertise this has attracted are also in that category. I hope he will not mind me saying that his initial quest to follow his ancestor's assertions left him with radiation exposure which will severely shorten his life. I think he should at least be the first to 'push the button'."

It was a moving scene, as one by one individuals nodded. It reached a crescendo when the press joined in. And so it was that Alexei Stepanov activated the remainder of that face of the pyramid. It was a display of numerals. At the sharp end was a red dot with a white circle; above this were two identical motifs. The third row had three and as logic demanded the fourth had four. The fifth however saw a departure – it had a yellow dot with a red circle. Mohammed leapt ahead to the ninth row and sure enough it displayed two yellow dots with red circles plus a squiggle of some complexity then a green dot with a yellow circle. "It is a rudimentary quaternary arithmetic progression – a counting system." Before the others could challenge this Stepanov could not resist pressing the insignia again. Nothing happened.

Somebody shouted, "Press one of the glowing numerals." He pressed the equivalent of number one. It worked, the glow of all numerals was extinguished and the corner insignia lit up again. He pressed this again and the pyramid rotated one face in an anti-clockwise direction. The same right-hand corner dot appeared and lit up. This picture did not provide a challenge. It was clearly and unmistakably a diagram of the solar system. The sequence was rotated through another dot, another face, another diagram. This was the real beginning of a debate between the scientists and the politicians. The 'drawing' illustrated a cosmic body emerging from the direction of the asteroid belt, and heading for Earth. It was being joined by another small object from a trajectory which would only just avoid capture by Mars. The implications were manifold and Tourisheva tried to close down further speculation by declaring that the object should not be examined further. She said she would make preparations to have it transported back to Moscow and exhibit it in the museum of natural history. "The people of Russia deserve to see this evidence, which at last would help bring to a conclusion the Tunguska mystery."

The members of the expedition were supported by the scientists she had chosen, in resisting this edict. Porec pressed the next button. The fourth and last face produced a highly contentious suggestion. It was however something which would have to be independently checked out. Although there was no way of determining the date of the next predicted event, there was no doubt that the cosmic body was the same parent as the one in the previous face, minus the fragment which actually hit Tunguska. What was more frightening was the critical effect given to the slight alteration in trajectory of this monster, which would turn a near miss into an impact. That dubious honour, it implied, fell to one of the moons of Mars – Phobos.

### Chapter 10

Raul Ibanez had trawled the brochures and settled for Seoul. He asked Manuel to arrange a twelve-week visa holiday for him and assured him that he would never return. Manuel asked Ibanez when he was about to deliver his part of the bargain. "I can do it now if you wish, or when you have the travel documents and new passport for me. What I'm pretty certain of is that you won't want me hanging around after I have disgorged the information. I trust you Manuel – do you trust me?" Manuel could not get others involved in this now; he would have to expense this exodus for Ibanez out of his own business.

"Of course, but if it's as risky as you say it is to have this information, I may as well have it sooner rather than later."

Ibanez asked him to take a walk with him. He was still paranoid about phones and properties being bugged. When they were seated by an artificial lake, inhabited by swans, and model boats, of both anoraks and children, he was about as comfortable as he was going to get. "Take your mind back to the days before Sanchez was elected. Your father was expected to win by a landslide. Have you ever wondered what went wrong? I don't mean that Sidonia stuff - that came out later."

Manuel shook his head. "No, I had a very strained relationship with my father. I was just glad he lost."

This surprised Ibanez, but he continued, "Can you remember the previous election?"

Manuel was losing patience. "What is this? A quiz? Just get on with it."

Ibanez did exactly that. "Ok, the previous election was won, according to the pundits, by very clever campaign management. This was headed up by a former Iberian ambassador to Brazil. His name was Nelson Ortega. Many insiders said he was a much better candidate than the President he got elected. You would have got a different story from the people I used to work with. His nickname in the underworld was 'The Lid'. He came by this accolade because, during his time as ambassador, he would talk to anyone, or do anything if it kept the lid on difficult situations. Regardless of the crime – murder, drugs, fraud or tax evasion, he was prepared to deal under the radar, to keep his career on track." Manuel looked at Ibanez quizzically. "But Ortega died trying to protect the President."

A shake of his head was the precursor to the real substance. "No Manuel, he died because he had recruited the sniper to kill the President. He didn't know about the bomb. He was trying to play the convincing hero when he saw his killer discard the gun. It was quick thinking, but as it turned out he would have died in the explosion anyway. " There was a strained silence.

"You have proof of this?"

Ibanez laughed out loud. "I had dealings with a mark from a rival organisation when Ortega was ambassador. We were going to 'off' this mark, but were frustrated when he managed to skip the country. It took a while to find out he had turned up in Southern Africana, and had somehow brokered significant protection there. When our persuasive interviews were conducted with operatives in this guy's organisation, we ended up at Ortega every time. Our 'employees' in the embassy coughed up the mechanics of the extradition, and the difficulty we might face in trying to get to him. We pressured Ortega, naturally, but we weren't aware of his impending appointment to the campaign director's post for the Presidential election. What we also unearthed was the consistent view of some of the big players that Ortega was never interested in being 'King', he craved real power by being 'Kingmaker'. We know this to be true because after he got President Moreno elected, he contacted me to tell my superiors that he was prepared to deliver the rat who he had helped to elude us earlier. His price was a favour he was likely to need in future. That turned out to be Sanchez. Former President Moreno, and this current deputy Falcorini, were considered by him to be controllable. Sanchez was not and had to be dealt with. We agreed to send one of our contractors. He was told to take a Kalashnikov, discard it and surrender, then he was supposed to employ the grenade. His instruction was to take out Ortega; with the bomb, instead of the rifle, Sanchez was to have been the collateral bonus. I was blamed for not furnishing the Russian weapon personally, and he got a cheap imitation from Brazil; also the stupid bastard didn't pay attention to the specific order to throw the bomb, probably because he had for some unknown reason decided to commit suicide rather than face incarceration in Madrid. We guaranteed to get him out; he was being paid a hell of a lot for this, and that money is still with his family. We couldn't risk taking it back without attracting attention. We believe he wasn't working exclusively for us as there is some intelligence which connects him to the rocket launch attacks. It's credible because he had to know of this to be on the rooftop at the right time; we were astonished. Our people have no idea who these rocket men were. Maybe he was under death sentence from another organisation and this was the best way to free his family. All I can say is that it wasn't my people who sponsored the RPGs. The outcome of all of this for me was that I knew I was taking the blame for the Brazilian rifle which was likely to lead the investigation to Southern Iberiana. I didn't know that I was to be taken out as part of putting the house in order, and also why I was fed 'loaded' information from my snake of a girlfriend."

Manuel tried to digest all of this, to separate verifiable and theoretical stuff, but as he knew from experience, these gangs only stayed in business by amputating loose ends. He did trust Ibanez. He had to think about it, but it did seem like a good idea to get him on his way to Korea, before he acquainted Pierze with the information. Ibanez reinforced this sequence when he told Manuel it was suspected, on the villains' grapevine, that Ortega had moles in Central Security. This was all the confirmation Pierze needed; it would justify his secondment of Manuel and Duarte.

*

The situation in Tunguska was approaching flashpoint. Touresheva's intentions had now materialised in the form of government military police to enforce her demand to remove the object to Moscow. The dissenters had not been able to access the faces of the aft pyramid, as it was still considered to be a radiation risk if they opened up that part of the egg-timer without isolating the source. They had worked through the night on a solution without finding any. Porec did recognise the sense in taking the whole object to Moscow or anywhere else which could provide a containment chamber, with remotely controlled instruments and robots to conduct the necessary surgery. What they suspected however, was that this was a political manoeuvre to avoid panic amongst the populous, and consequently turn the potential goldmine into a target of hate. The only option open to them was to incite the press and TV reporters to canvass for legal action to prevent this agenda. The media were only too willing, as it was the future of the entire world at stake. Russia couldn't be allowed to suppress information which could be instrumental in devising a solution, if indeed this predicted agenda was accurate.

The military commander advised Tourisheva that the protest situation was getting out of hand as live TV pictures were attracting more demonstrators by the hour. Moscow intervened by striking a deal which would allow the two teams of personnel – from the expedition and those hand-picked by Tourisheva, to accompany the object and assist with rendering it safe. They would then be joined by other science gurus to evaluate whatever was revealed.

The transfer took place by a special train from Irkutsk to Moscow. The existing containment chamber in the capital had been hurriedly converted to include the specific requirements for the vivisection. The world was now up to speed on this event and cameras were to relay this to their living rooms. The first welcome surprise was that when the hemispherical end was removed, the radiation threat went with it. The inside of this was a myriad of wafer thin isotope layers. The surface area of these constructs was much higher than fuel rods, and consequently they were a little easier to keep cool. The technology was not fully understood but they constituted an extremely compact mini-reactor which presumably powered the projectile and also connected to the two pyramids. Severing the hemisphere didn't switch off power to the pyramids, again bringing speculation that they had some ability to store power, and like a battery, provide temporary functionality. This unexpected bonus allowed the pyramid to be taken to another conventional containment room. There was no time to lose.

Face One

The message portrayed in the complex diagram was not grasped immediately; it took a few minutes. It was one of the newly recruited government scientists who led the way. The parent of the fragment which hit Earth in 1908 was depicted as having caused other havoc by disturbing a number of asteroids on its trip. Some of these had their gravitational influence between Jupiter and Mars shifted. Some would eventually be consumed by the gas giant, but others would be slung outwards because of their new and exaggerated elliptical orbits. They would ultimately venture closer to Mars. This is where the leap of logic was missed by some of the scientists. Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos. The latter was not in the picture on the pyramid face. Concentration on Phobos had caused the cosmologist who first saw the outcome in his mind, to elucidate. "Phobos is an oblong body – 22 x 21 x 19 kilometres and it orbits Mars every 7.3 hours. It is understood to be 2 billion years old and is said to have a composition very similar to carbonaceous chondrites."

He was asked to pause. "What is the significance of that?" asked Stepanov.

The cosmologist explained. "They are meteorites rich in organic substances and water, suggesting that both of the Martian moons could be asteroids captured long ago from the asteroid belt. Now the crucial importance of this is that the orbital period around Mars is only one third of the Martian day. Together with the tidal effect of Mars, we have known for some time that Phobos has a decaying orbital radius. We assumed that in millennia from now it would either impact the planet or break up into a planetary ring. What the pyramid builders are trying to tell us is that one of the disturbed asteroids in 1908 has fractionally altered this fate with a deadly consequence. It is demonstrating that it would collide with Phobos and disrupt its decaying orbit. The superimposed picture they have suggested is that the parent of the 1908 strike will return and would have had another brush with Earth, but Phobos is now going to deflect it to make a direct hit. I need not labour the point, but if we can somehow verify this, it will probably be the end; this monster is way bigger than the 1908 fragment. The calculations for this prediction are mind-boggling, but we must endeavour to identify this harbinger of death, and embark on similar mathematical computation." This was a numbing opinion which temporarily eclipsed the logical step of moving to the next picture.

Face Two

This face of the pyramid was unlike all of the previous ones. It was composed entirely of symbols. Some were obviously based on the quaternary number system, but the vast majority of them were potential derivatives of that system evolved to higher mathematics. There were two corner buttons on this face. No sense could be made of what was assumed to be the calculations, for which one of the two corner buttons should be pressed to move to the next face. If it was an 'either-or' option they agreed it would be responsible to spend some time on the symbols by trying to get powerful computers to decipher patterns or links to terrestrial understanding of cosmological movement mechanics. Although this could take weeks, it would be preferable to simply tossing a coin and find they were then locked out.

There was no other subject on the news channels, even though 'people in the street' felt the immediate risk was negligible – it would be well beyond their life expectancy. The scientists however, couldn't sit on their thumbs, they had to offer clarity. It took the eyes of the world off the assassination attempt and helped Ricardo Pierze to re-assess his priorities.

*

Sanchez' condition had improved, the infection was retreating. This was a source of relief for Pierze; the investigation could be downgraded from critical to very important. When Manuel broke the news from Ibanez, everything returned to the melting pot. They both realised that if it was true, then there was an implied agenda of the Southern Iberiana mafia assisting in the objective of having a 'compliant president'. Pierze called in Duarte, who hadn't come up with anything concrete on his search for evidence of moles in Central Security. This new source of confirmation of such double-dealing gave Maxi Duarte a new starting point. Pierze was becoming more attracted to the possibility that this was, despite his earlier dismissal, showing hallmarks of a Sidonia operation. His own participation in trying to prove or disprove this, was however to be curtailed. The Tunguska situation had ruffled government feathers all over the planet. The outcome was the formation of a World Security Body, charged with humanity's future safety. Until certain questions were answered about the extra-terrestrial object, its creators and its purpose, absolute vigilance was required. At least that was the view of elected officialdom. Ricardo Pierze was the obvious choice. In the same way that he couldn't have refused to act as special adviser to Falcorini, it would be unthinkable to say he was too busy hunting shadows to save the planet. The potential for Falcorini to be repatriated to obscurity because of Sanchez' recovery would help, but he had to bear in mind that powerful people didn't want that. He felt that his fingers were being prised, one by one, from the trophy with which he was still obsessed. In a curious way he experienced more of those clamouring waves for more order and less chaos.

*

Back in Russia, it was felt necessary to reconnect the hemispherical part. They didn't want to allow expiry of the 'battery' element of power in the separated state. This would continue until the massive computing resource had either come up with salient information or they declared the code was unbreakable. There was now enormous political pressure to reach this point in days, not weeks. This information vacuum left the door open for further debate amongst those who had witnessed the pyramid data revelations. It produced more speculative theory than cohesive direction, and this was particularly true of certain questions. The main ones were extracted from the minutes and posted on the incident board, so that the participants couldn't escape their perceived importance.

'Were the creators of this object solar system dwellers or just passing through?'

'If they were just passing through how did they have time to identify the threat of the 1908 body, work out the threat of the next one, build the messenger, and accompany the fragment to Earth?'

'If they were dwelling in the solar system, and had done so for some time, it would answer some of the above, but not how, or where it joined with the parent body or the fragment. It also begged the question – where did they live?'

Then Stepanov asked another question, which was really a theory. "What if the projectile or a slave controlled by it actually caused the fragmentation? They may have saved us from a much bigger disaster. Up until now it has been hotly debated as to whether a parent body, in bouncing off the Earth's atmosphere, lost a fragment to our planet, or there was no fragment, just the large air-burst rock. I bring your attention back to the study from Roman Iberia which suggested that Comet 2005NB5C fitted the first of the two theories, and furthermore it is expected to return in 2045. Isn't it worth having our cosmologists run calculations on this marauder to see if it fits with this prediction of interaction with Phobos?"

It was agreed but only after the current decoding programme had concluded, and part of the fallout of this decision was for the World Security Body to be closely informed, and ahead of public dissemination of the result. It was therefore seen from a security point of view, a necessary step to interview and produce files on the main players in the saga. Implicit in this policy was another collision. Not one of cosmic proportion, nevertheless it was also a repeat of an earlier encounter, albeit in different circumstances.

*

Pierze would meet Constantin Boniek in the guise of Lionel Zara. The irony didn't stop there. With the weight of evidence suggesting that Sanchez had been targeted for what he might say on the proposed mission to Mars, there was now massive support for finding out if the projectile architects were camping in its vicinity – the solar system.

Zara had time to contemplate exactly where his grand design lurked in this new chapter of the planet's rich tapestry. He had been aware for a short while that he was looking at life a little differently; it had mainly evolved through his relationship with Stepanov. The importance to humanity which was now flowing into the Tunguska discovery added to this feeling. He had always been convinced that with Sidonia, he was a servant of a worthwhile crusade. The route and timing of his involvement in Russia, coupled with proof that humanity was not alone, conspired to fuel his schizophrenia. It was not something he needed help with; his egocentric tendency was nearing uninhibited freedom. He had, from his childhood, been intoxicated with destiny and symbolism. His reptilian characteristic of being able to cast off the redundant skin and seamlessly slide into the new one was, in his mind, set to the music of 'Also Sprach Zarathustra.' This was his destiny. He wasn't simply a servant to this cause; he was the chosen one – that much was obvious. Even his upcoming meeting with Nemesis, in the form of Ricardo Pierze, was anticipated within this belief. He now had guidance from the cosmos, confirming that the way to supplant religious faith was to offer another non-religious faith, with hope at its heart. It was blindingly obvious to him now that atheists and agnostics were peddling fog instead of clarity. Offering people theories and facts didn't tackle the root of their psyche. The ingredients of impending disaster and renewed hope through faith were much more powerful to the huddled masses. The symbolism of humanity's evolution arising 'out of Africana' appealed immensely. He would found the Circle of Light and its bible of The Truth in the Rift Valley. It was a perfect choice – ripe for the fever of salvation and out of focus of the Iberian spyglass. He would spread the waves of enlightenment from there to the 'civilised' world. He was ready to recruit his first disciple. The opportunity to parade his two personalities, on demand, was relished. He decided to contact Moya and give him the good news that the promised exchange of roles was ratified as of now. He closed the conversation with an instruction to get all possible information on a certain individual who would be considered for conversion. "I'm not talking about a rehearsal, as with Alberto Simone, this is a quest to find our torchbearer."

Moya detected something different about Zara, but cared not – this was his passport out of evangelism and into the real world.

### Chapter 11

With his new information Duarte had a loose end, with which he could attempt to unpick the covered trail of shady activity within Central Security. It didn't stop there. Pierze had visited Sanchez in the rehab ward to explain the importance of the information Manuel had unearthed. He gained signatory authorisation from the President which allowed him to bypass Falcorini. Duarte was able to access travel documents from the Presidential office. He went back several years, to a time before the internet collapse in 2016. There were numerous examples of Nelson Ortega flying to Southern Iberiana on the back of rather flimsy justification policy. They often coincided with Sanchez and before that, his predecessor Moreno, fulfilling planned tours of some of the more loosely aligned states in the Iberian Republic. It seemed strange that the return journeys of Ortega's trips were almost always via Southern Africana. When he passed this on to Pierze, Duarte asked if the President knew of this at the time. When asked, Sanchez recalled that Ortega had suggested this, in view of him not being needed on the President's goodwill tours. It was, he claimed, important to make sure that his replacement as ambassador to this unruly sector of the Republic was adhering to central policy. Sanchez had thought at the time that Ortega's reports on what he had achieved seemed trivial, but as he neither liked nor trusted the man, he was just pleased to get away from him on his own tours of 'inclusiveness' within the republican family. Ortega could be counter-productive in those situations. Sanchez now realised his mistake, he should have trusted his judgement and replaced Ortega as one of his first acts in coming to power. Pierze echoed this sentiment when Duarte was able to connect passport control data of three personnel in Central Security with Ortega's detours to Southern Africana. They were personal vacations rather than business trips. One of these officers was in management; the other two were apparently her subordinates. Duarte suggested to Pierze that they should stop digging, so as to avoid creating the buzz of an inquisition. "Now that we know of their presence in the same part of Africana at the same time as Ortega, we should begin to shadow them, rather than allow the grapevine to tip them off. They will surely have to react in some way, as the conductor of their orchestra has perished."

Pierze thanked Duarte and asked him to contract an 'unknown face' for this task. "I'm sorry to ask this of you Maxi, but your own rather loose association with us as a consultant is not understood by the department and yet your face is too familiar to be the shadow. I would engage someone myself but this damned monolith – the World Security Body is accreting so much of my time that I'm not going to be in Madrid as much as I should be in the coming weeks. I can't even keep an eye on Falcorini, but Sanchez is expected to be back soon, and I've briefed him fully on the work you and Manuel are undertaking. He will contact either of you if necessary." The thought of being summoned by the President sounded interesting to Duarte, as long as it didn't clash with his son's matches in the first team. The prospect of Maxi Duarte lounging in a chair while debriefing the President filled Pierze with apprehension.

*

The computational work which Stepanov had suggested and got approval for, was deliberately kept running slightly behind the code-breaking efforts. It wasn't difficult to confirm the comet's return schedule, or whether the larger moon of Mars was on a much slower orbital decay. The assertions about stray asteroids and Phobos were complicated and required up to date observational data from the asteroid belt. Looking for rogue rocks down to ten metres in diameter, with retrospectively altered orbits from such a distance was however, extremely challenging. Although there were unmanned explorer craft data available over a period of decades, it was a cumbersome task to dredge up meaningful reference points of even the major asteroids. They considered sending a probe, and very soon, as the worst case scenario could mean they had less than two decades to confirm such a vagrant body, even if they could find it. Alternative suggestions were offered, one of them being to try to correct the decay of Phobos' orbit. It had the advantage of not needing a search, we knew where it was. The project could begin immediately in order to devote the entire period to developing the solution. This was also rejected as many cosmologists felt a failure to achieve the exact correction could actually make the situation worse. The distillate of these lateral thinking sessions was chiefly focussed on returning to the object itself. Porec questioned the fear of pressing the next button and argued that if the messenger had been carefully instructed to warn us, it would have surely taken precautions against accidental irreversibility. "We are taking so much for granted that some benevolent alien race feels compelled to help us for some unknown, altruistic reason. If this is the case, then it is illogical to mistrust their conclusion that they knew we did not have the technology in 1908, to help ourselves. If I may labour the point, our thinking has changed orbit since we have fastened on to the prediction of possibly being two decades from impact rather than two millennia. We are creating a mental stampede when we should be collecting hard evidence. The code-breaking may yet yield a breakthrough, and the celestial data may yet identify the rendezvous which is supposed to kick off the chain reaction to divine extinction. On the other hand these resources we are committing may deliver nothing, even two decades from now. We have to press the next button."

Although the reaction to the proposal was muted, it did gather support overnight, when the group had slept on all other options. They hadn't expected further political interference. This in itself had sinister overtones and a watershed point was reached. The guarding of the object, now that it was in Moscow was increased, and state of the art detection equipment was fitted to the containment facility. This was a serious challenge to would be intruders. Pierze brought forward his interview schedule with the scientists and expedition members, specifically because once again they were using the media to portray heavy-handed, autocratic, government interference. Pierze quoted the need to be guided by cohesive scientific opinion, which did not exist at present. "It is my remit to help facilitate the consensus we seek, and I make a solemn promise that this will happen." Such a public statement brought about a rallying call behind Porec's plan, but not quite unanimity. Pierze had the platform to begin his corralling of scientific differences into acceptable compromise.

These interviews went well despite the suspicion, and its derivative, palpable tension. Mohammed was the most vociferous in his sarcasm. He maintained that in over one hundred years, no authority had taken Stepanov's claims seriously, and now they were hijacking the project. "This would never happen in my country and I am surprised that the Russian people accept that this newly formed organisation of yours has any legitimacy in their sovereign territory. After all they are not even under the Iberian flag; they are members of your 'commonwealth'." Pierze privately thought he had a point. He had actually shared the view that it was hurriedly conceived and implemented. He realised that others would be making this overture to the Russian leader without declaring such dissent during these sessions.

*

When Zara entered the forum he was extremely calm. Pierze confessed that he hadn't actually realised that there was an Iberian citizen involved in the expedition. Zara engaged with this admission. "Well, I wouldn't want to exaggerate my involvement. I'm basically the only sponsor Alexei Stepanov could find. Having agreed to help, I've become fascinated with what he has brought to our attention."

Pierze was surprised at this explanation. "Is it personal sponsorship or through a company you represent?" The brinkmanship was seductive, as the first hurdles had been safely negotiated. His appearance and his voice had not caused even the slightest hint of recognition by Pierze.

"I suppose you could say it is a bit of both really. I do have stockholding in a corporate group and indeed directly in one its companies. I had shares in two of them, but I pioneered employee ownership of the equity in one, by adjustment of projected salary increases, profit and release of reserves. It struck me that the strongest motivator in this changing world is truly shared incentive. I stand to be corrected, but I believe that the company will actually strengthen its market share and profitability this way. I made a direct plea to the new board of directors, which included people from many levels of the company, to match the contribution I had offered personally to Stepanov." Pierze was now even more curious.

"What is the name of this company?"

The reply seemed to carry a lot of pride. "Digital Component Industries; they are part of Cerberus Enterprises Corporation. I hope my legacy will not be considered as foolhardy in years to come. Anyway I'm intrigued by what your expectations are in conducting these interviews. I have of course heard the party line, but I'm hoping that we can actually do something rather than terminally discussing theories."

Pierze liked this man. He was direct without being rude. He didn't try to blind him with scientific jargon, and despite his comfort in running a large corporation, he didn't try to leverage the fact that he had bankrolled the entire operation. "Digital Component Industries – they are big, if I'm not mistaken number three worldwide." He was quietly corrected.

"Number two now, I think you'll find. We've picked up a lot of customers in Orient. I'd like to think it's because they identify with the employee ownership, but the products are good too. Anyway, I'm hoping I can help persuade you that we should push the next button."

Pierze added DCI/Zara in the margin of his notebook together with an asterisk. "Right, let me hear why."

Zara was now fully confident that he was on safe ground with respect to his identity and said, "I've listened to all of the arguments about whether we should continue to examine the object. Whilst I'm not qualified to judge the chances of either decoding what we already have, or the chances of discovering some wandering rock which says 'I am the one', I do know that it was the object which triggered these searches. It seems illogical not to try to examine the remaining faces; the creators of the information yielded so far surely want us to grasp more than a message saying 'Hello, you are all going to die, goodbye.' The chances of discovering something sinister or being prevented from accessing all eight faces seems remote. They have invested time and energy to warn us and, in my opinion, to stimulate us to think about how to stop a repeat of 1908. The odds of them residing in the shadows of the solar system do not seem favourable otherwise they would be taking care of the problem. I believe they have observed this from a distance, during their travels, didn't want to hang about, and had faith that we could figure out what they have advised us. The solution, if there is one, is in this object. Of course the solution may be to get the hell away from Earth. The sooner we know the better."

Pierze thought it refreshing that this non-scientific approach focussed on cutting short this expensive exercise. It would kill the need to guard the containment area around the clock. The only downside risk was that it would give up no further information, house a lethal device or confirm that we are heading for an extinction event in eighteen years. When he considered that the last-mentioned was what over a hundred top technicians were trying to grind out, twenty-four seven, he concurred that paranoia had taken them on a detour, which was signposted as futile – a notice saying – 'do not throw stones at this notice.'

"Well Snr. Zara I must say your argument is at least as well reasoned as that of most of the boffins I have spoken to. Thank you for your time. I will have a recommendation soon." Pierze was going to endorse this approach and get back to Madrid. He would recommend that Russian interests reflected humanity's interests in this matter, and as it was in their country, they should oversee the project on behalf of the rest of the world. This was as much a political move as one of security. He wanted to avoid Russian protest or hints of secession, and at the same time appear to underpin, in his view, the cuckoo which was named 'World Security Body'. Speaking directly to the Russian leader before delivering this decision would go a long way toward smoothing his retreat. Minutes after this call terminated he announced the decision to the Tunguska brigade.

Face Three

The two buttons were similar but not identical. The furthest to the right was in the same position as all previous ones, including those on the other pyramid. It was ever so slightly smaller. The design was exactly the same as the previous ones in terms of detail. The other button was the opposite in all three of these characteristics – ever so slightly larger, in a different position, and with subtle variation in design. They decided to go with the 'new type.' There was relief, disappointment and even laughter when the pyramid turned back to face two, with all of its calculations. Pierze, Stepanov, Mohammed, and Zara shared a smile. Stepanov immediately and unilaterally pressed the singular button to return to face three, and then the right-hand one on face three. The smiles vanished. There was a picture of Earth and remarkably detailed symbols which could only be their version of coordinates. The detonation would occur over the south Atlantic, approximately midway between the southern parts of Iberiana and Africana. Ominously Porec drew attention to a ringed set of symbols which could be the time of the event. Even if they knew what the symbols represented there would be no way of relating this to cosmic reference data, other than identifying the asteroid which was claimed to have the honour of toppling the first domino. In spite of the gloom Stepanov, who was not going to witness the cataclysm anyway, pressed the next button.

Face Four

With almost everyone in semi-shock, this face at first seemed to display a meaningless scribble. It took almost half an hour for one of the cosmologists to attach significance to the changes in colour of these traces at points of overlap. When he pointed at them one by one he got more concerted attention. Then he accidently touched one of these crossing points and everyone blinked as the area was immediately enlarged to such finite detail that it included cosmic bodies in the vicinity. They grasped the reason for this instantly. If the stars, planets and asteroids had all been on the initial display they would not have been able to make sense of it all. The enlarged picture around Mars showed the suspected asteroid or comet only by relative size and colour. Touching the screen again showed them that this was not just a pretty picture, unlike the original scribbly mess they had first seen. This gave a marker in that mess which could be extracted from what they now believed was the journey the original parent would have taken in 1908, from that time, until the deadly future collision with Phobos. They had the means to identify the 1908 intruder and the time of its expected return. It was a specific task for the computing experts rather than an open-ended one, but still a time consuming one. The originally perceived scribbles, which were reminiscent of an old toy for children, a spirograph, were indeed an ingenious means of communication.

*

Pierze found himself standing next to Zara when these revelations ultimately crunched down to the probability that Earth would have to solve and deal with the threat. Almost regardless of when it was likely to happen, one of the conclusions already drawn was that the time from identifying the asteroid or comet, to taking action to prevent its tempestuous clash with Phobos, could be too slender to guarantee survival. They had to look for and devise a plan to address the problem now. Once they were sure of its match to the spirograph on face four, this should give more time to modify the solution, but it would have to be a mighty big solution. Pierze turned to Zara and offered black humour. "I guess I'll delay my return to Madrid for a couple of days. That should be enough to come to terms with my highest priority objectives. For a moment there I thought I had a handle on getting the job done. You were right Zara; we now know exactly what we don't know. In my experience that is often the catalyst for productive action. Good luck with your employee ownership strategy. It could have wider benefits in general society, galvanising people in the same way that this little cosmic bump could spawn."

Zara shook hands and smiled, thinking 'we will meet again before we know whether we can ever hope to neutralise the advent of Armageddon.'

### Chapter 12

"Manuel it is Maxi, our friend Pierze has decided that I shouldn't tail three of his people who we think were moles for Nelson Ortega. He thinks they will recognise me from my visits to the office, and he wants me to recruit a private sleuth. I know you dug up the connection to the rifle, which got us to these people, how are you doing with the rocket launchers?"

Manuel had come to a dead end with every angle of approach. "It's going nowhere; quite honestly I struck lucky with the rifle. I don't really have the right contacts for this. Pierze seems hell-bent on proving the weapons were only made in Orient, and the attack was carried out by others. The serial numbers on the clips should have got me started but the Sukahara people could only get me as far as the distribution chain. We know they didn't go to their military outlet, but that doesn't help much. The distribution system is meticulously operated – if the article is recorded – these are not. So it looks as if these two items never existed." Duarte asked if Manuel would like to switch tasks.

"If you can use your own private agency staff to shadow these moles, I can perhaps find a loose brick in the Oriental wall."

Manuel was all ears. "You have a deal, but what about Pierze?" Duarte merely brushed that kind of accountability to one side.

"It is one advantage of being a reluctant consultant. I will take responsibility. You needn't know what I'm up to, and I just hand in your reports on the shadow operation, he doesn't care where they came from as long as it's not me." It suited them both, and Pierze was going to be in Russia for a little longer after the discovery of the spirograph.

Duarte left for Londonis. Over the years that he worked in that precinct, he had accumulated a number of informants in the large indigenous Chinese population. These families had emigrated long before the cold war period between Iberia and their homeland. There were many rival clans and he regularly benefitted from their duplicity. Overtly upholding honour, while quietly selling out friends, had become a western virus, in the population of Chinese Londonis. Many of them had still kept in touch with relatives behind the bamboo curtain, and now that it was being progressively dismantled, communication, and reciprocal visits were flourishing.

*

Moscow had become the news centre of the world. The influx of media professionals, science gurus, conspiracy theorists and space junkies stretched the hospitality of the city to its limit, and the prices of everything rocketed. Against this backdrop, Alexei Stepanov called on Pierze to concentrate solely on the cosmic bringer of death. His language was abnormally aggressive, and borne out frustration at the ivory tower attitude of the theoretical physicists. They had become, in his opinion, a self-congratulatory bunch of devil's advocates. "I can no longer take these people seriously. They simply ignore suggestions from the unenlightened amateurs amongst us, only because we do not have a certificate of having spent most of our lives seeking to understand the place of quarks in the formation of the universe. This is our lives they are procrastinating over... sorry, I mean your lives. I'll be long gone by then anyway, but the way they are straitjacketing everyone else's input, then so will you. I urge you to begin a separate project as soon as possible on testing out specific ideas which will take less time to eliminate and move on." Typically Tourisheva in wanting to avoid such a decision, tried unsuccessfully to deflect Pierze. It didn't work. "What do you have in mind Alexei?"

Stepanov reiterated that it wasn't just him who had hunches; there were others with legitimate proposals, which if they had any validity could actually be activated before the aberrant rock altered Earth forever. "I am very anxious to test one set of calculations, anxious to the point of obsession, but I do stress that there are many intriguing suggestions which have been submerged."

Pierze promised to look into this. "I see where you are coming from, so let me start with your obsession." Stepanov shifted anxiously and then began to recite his theorem of coincidence.

"I have studied the Tunguska event all my life, the reason for that is well known to you. The tie-in with what we have learned from the object should be put together with what was observed and investigated at that time. The cosmologists are really confining the historical element to the recycling basket and focussing completely on the data from the object. My leaning is that we should look at both, and rule in or out points of coincidence. The police do this all of the time when investigating crimes like murder. I have flagged up several times that a recent investigation in 2005, by scientists from Roman Iberia, put together a very cogent proposition that this comet 2005NB5C fitted a significant proportion of the observations in 1908. As it will return in 2045, it would be simple to see if that fits the spirograph traces. If it doesn't, eliminate it and move on. The cosmologists don't want know, claiming that this is not how they process data. They backtrack from the known impact trajectory and eliminate known asteroids or comets as their historical trajectories diverge from the spirograph. If I may use the analogy of the police again, the scientists' approach, although more thorough, is akin to having identity parades of suspects beginning with the population of the world. Then they would check these random groups to see if they offer correlation. The police never do this; instead they put a suspect in a small number of individuals who could fit the observations of witnesses. Surely it is worth a try." Pierze was sympathetic to this approach, not least of all because a lucky strike could get him out of Moscow.

"I'll canvass others as you recommend, and I will, while wearing my 'World Security Body' hat bring in a neutral cosmologist to check out your own idea as a starting point."

*

Manuel had seconded his best operatives from his Londonis office to keep a diary on all three moles. He discussed the line of inquiry with Elle, and she said it would be worth checking the criminal database for DNA of each, if he could obtain samples. "They may have been successful in their application to Central Security under false identities, which would show as negative for criminal records, and it's an expensive process to check every applicant's DNA. It's a way which affords a chance to slip through the net. If their false passports, birth certificates and stuff threw up no flashing red lights, then they are in. The worst that happens if they fail is that they're reported to the police. Depending where they are supposed to have originated the local police may have reason to take proceedings. Your targets got in, so it's a long shot but worth a try. If your people follow them to bars or restaurants they have the chance to beat the waiter to drinks glasses or cutlery. If you can get such samples I can check my database, and if that is negative, the main one in Madrid can be accessed by Maxi if Pierze authorises it."

Manuel felt slightly redundant but it meant he could spend a few days at home, starting tonight. "How about we have dinner? You know - to flesh out the details?"

She eyed him provocatively and said, "Flesh and details in the same sentence, count me in."

Duarte's trip to Londonis wasn't known to anyone but his family. He thought it better that way. He had mixed feelings when he began his house calls on former contacts. He had to confess to himself that he did miss the uncertainty of everyday police work, but quickly banished the thought. He was being selectively nostalgic. He tried several of his Chinese conduits without success then he got a reaction from one very old dry-cleaning business owner - that he should forget this enquiry. Duarte took this as a promising starting point. "Just guide me to any method or route to import weapons from the old country. I don't need names." The old man repeated his advice but Duarte was not about to let it go. After raising the potential payoff which might be available, he knew he was on the right track. The twinkle in the octogenarian's eyes preceded flat refusal.

"It does not matter how much you have to offer. What is the price of life? We are talking your life and mine?" Duarte still refused to be shaken off.

"Okay, we never had this conversation. Can you tell me if there is anyone who would give me the same answer as you have?"

The passage of more than two minutes didn't surprise Duarte; he knew that patience was required to break down the traditional stoicism. He also traded on the fact that the old man knew he could be trusted. "If I give you a name, you swear that you will say we have not spoken about this?" An enthusiastic nod, and an embrace that he remembered well, was enough to produce a whisper. "The How Ling spice warehouse."

Maxi Duarte was extremely grateful but didn't offer an insulting transaction fee to his informer. He recalled that the warehouse was a front for a small time gambling activity which he hadn't interfered with. The owner was known to him and vice-versa. They hadn't exchanged information before but the owner knew through his friends that Duarte had turned a blind eye for tips from them. The meeting was set up in a restaurant; Duarte always responded well to culinary pressure. Over the multi-course authentic meal he broached the question. The reaction was precisely the same. "Forget it."

Duarte leaned over the table and reminded his host that there was a new chief inspector in the precinct now and she didn't have such open-mindedness to overlook breaches to the letter of the law. "I'm retired as you may have heard. I can operate without having to consult the police bible now. I simply want to know how I could get any particular weapon from Orient. Everybody knows it happens. Nobody needs to know that I know. I still have influence with Chief Inspector Butragueno, and the Chinese community as a whole would benefit from my recommendations to her." This was perceived as a veiled threat that if he refused, it could cause a lot of grief from other Londonis Chinese big hitters. The warehouse owner was processing the relative probability of reprisal from these big players and those involved in distant arms trafficking. "Please think about it, I'm in Londonis for a couple of days. I'll return to see you before I leave." The inscrutable warehouse owner wrote the name of an import/export company on a napkin, showed it to Maxi Duarte and then dropped it into his glass of mineral water and pulped it with deft use of his chopsticks. It had read 'Ex-Army Stores, Harbour front, Tobruk'. The meeting ended with a polite but grudging handshake from the Chinese man, and a promise from the ex-policeman that he would enable the warehouse to be considered as squeaky clean.

*

The lone recruit Pierze had drafted in to compare the spirograph trace to Comet 2005NB5C had worked non-stop for only four days before he declared an acceptable match. When questioned by other cosmologists they wanted to hear what 'acceptable' meant. "The constant wandering of this comet is not exclusively restricted to the impact predicted by the messenger. It may have had or maybe will have other encounters between 1908 and 2045. You are running checks on all possibilities. I would be interested to hear of any with a higher correlation coefficient. Comet 2005NB5C stands at 0.83 over the 137 years my calculations have taken into account. We may also be required to compare assumptions we have made independent of each other. I leave you with mine."

It wasn't just Pierze who got the distinct impression that these people, largely brought in by Tourisheva were determined to exclude findings other than their own. They were viewed by everyone outside their clique as a self-preservation society. Pierze released his man's findings to the media and revealed that he was on his way back to Madrid to brief President Sanchez and recommend setting up a joint venture with Orient to investigate technical means of averting this threat, and the merits of a manned mission to Mars space. This effectively caused an exodus from Moscow. The media followed events rather than non-events; Moscow was left to contemplate its own navel. Mohammed and Zara bade their farewell to Stepanov and Boris Krasnic, wondering if they would ever meet again. Tourisheva was left guarding the object and an army of non-productive boffins on whom the journalists had conferred the title 'Son of SETI'.

*

Zara was keen to find out more about Patrick Kipketer. Apart from him being Kenyan, an Olympic gold medallist, and being gifted in the use of think-phones, he needed to know about the man. In particular, he was curious about his personality and emotional profile. The career of a world class athlete was only as long as world records and medals kept on churning out. This young man would be looking for another life challenge soon. That was why Moya had been asked to set up the meeting.

*

Manuel's people had information on two of the three suspected moles. The most senior, Alessa Gomez frequented two particular tapas bars regularly after work. She alternated between Paco's and Orihuela. She seemed to keep the meetings with her two subordinates completely separate. There appeared to be information passed on, as she talked and they made notes. One of them never ate or drank in the bar, and he simply wrote what he had to, and then went to his apartment. The other spent much longer with Gomez and sometimes passed her a computer memory stick. The detectives had got napkins and glasses left by these two and had delivered them as requested to Pierze's forensic lab for tests. When Gomez had finished these sessions she almost always met with another man at what may have been his expensive apartment. A really grainy photograph of them greeting each other upon arrival was e-mailed to Manuel. The man had his back to the camera. They also had addresses for all three, which were at variance with those residences in their personnel dossiers, given to his shadows by Manuel. There was more than enough strange behaviour to warrant further investigation. Manuel asked his people to stick with the task in the hope they would witness a break in this routine behaviour.

Duarte also passed information to Manuel about the address in Tobruk, and said, "I should let Pierze know we have switched tasks and ask him how he wants to proceed. I'm not the man for bartering in the Kasbah; he may want specialist people for this. From what you have learned so far he'll surely want to follow these false addresses up even if there are no DNA hits." Manuel agreed and said he was going to return to Madrid so all three of them could review the situation when Pierze landed.

*

The information Moya had gathered on Patrick Kipketer impressed Zara. He decided to run it past Naomi Boniface before he made direct contact with the athlete. Boniface tried to pick out pointers from Moya's summary which were to be used in the interview with Kipketer. His responses would assist in building a preliminary emotional profile. Zara then delegated Moya to contact Kipketer's agent to arrange a follow-up meeting, specifically to make an offer to sponsor him for wearing their DCI logo on his warm-up track suits. "This is the last request I'll make of you regarding the young man, I'll take it from there."

*

Sanchez returned to his office despite medical advice to the contrary. One of his first decisions was to invite Din Chow Zen to visit him to discuss the relevance of the Tunguska event on the proposed Martian evaluation for future colonisation. He wanted Pierze to be in attendance. The Orient leader took much criticism from within his government for accepting the offer. Pierze was brought up to date by Duarte and Manuel prior to the two leaders sending for him.

The meeting began with a review of what was known from Messenger and what was still under investigation. The desire on the part of Orient to get started on the Mars project could now be viewed in two ways. Messenger had tried to articulate through visuals and equations what the fate of Earth was likely to be, but not that of either Phobos or Mars. The impact of Comet 2005NB5C with the moon could completely destabilise or fragment it. Alternatively it could indirectly affect Mars itself by secondary impact or influence of its orbit. Pierze gave his input on these points. "I've gathered suggestions from all of the knowledgeable people in the Tunguska investigation, and while there is still dispute over the methodology of the process they are all agreed on the following theory. Messenger is a warning to humanity, not to Mars or Phobos, as we believe there is no sentient life there. The only other idea they will entertain is that the creators of Messenger could have some outpost there, and they wouldn't need to warn themselves. This has led to the following prognosis – If the comet is the threat and cannot be neutralised, we need to know if Mars is humanity's only escape route. If the comet isn't the threat then we may have more time to determine the fate of Mars, either by direct impact or from the detritus of the 'predicted' impacts, namely an asteroid or another comet on Phobos, then any damaged asteroid or comet on the Earth. It is very complicated. The overall conclusion they have arrived at is that it's prudent to bring forward the Mars reconnaissance to the earliest possible date. It will answer the question of whether there is any sign of Messenger's creators in that region of space. If there is, we must obviously examine it. If not, then we should responsibly prepare to take all steps possible to create a Noah's Ark of some kind to give the species two chances of survival. Parallel to the Mars project we need to examine ways of surviving an extinction event of this magnitude over a period of years. It will have to cater for such criteria as toxic atmosphere, perpetual blocking of the sun's rays, phenomenal seismic activity, high radiation levels, and rapid onset of an ice age to mention just a few. It is considered prudent to go as far underground as we can. This is how some burrowing mammals survived when the dinosaurs failed. However, access to uncontaminated food and water will be a major priority for technologists. The sciences which have attracted ethical objections could be critical, for instance cloning of edible plant species, and designer stem cell research to maximise our metabolism. It goes without saying that in both the underground Earth habitat and the pioneering Martian colony, the survivors will have to be selected. These projects will accommodate a very low percentage of the population."

The two leaders were expecting this analysis; they needed to have it confirmed. It was agreed that they would deliver the plan jointly and authorise immediate initiation of 'Operation Phobos'. Pierze then informed them of the building evidence that the assassination attempt on Sanchez was not orchestrated by Oriental personnel. It was thought to be timely to make this announcement prior to that of the Martian trip. Pierze told Din Chow Zen that no more details could be released without prejudicing the on-going investigation. "We have substantive leads now, but they will require patience and subtlety to nail them down. You will be apprised of any success we achieve."

When they broke up, Pierze told Sanchez that there was probable connection of moles, identified in his department with Ortega, and therefore with the plot. "We'll expose them when we have credible evidence to leverage information on their controllers. These people are but minions."

*

There had been a premature claim that the code breakers had made a breakthrough. It turned out to be a modest inroad which actually threw up more possibilities, but equally importantly, eliminated many dead ends. They had identified certain symbols which repeated in a similar way to our own, in important equations within the laws of physics. Accepting that we would assign values 'x' and 'y' to certain variables, they had seen perhaps 'hot' and 'cold' or 'light' and 'dark' in Messengers patterns which may lead to a better understanding of what they were trying to convey. The only firm conclusion at this stage was that the symbols were definitely structured calculations or equations of some kind. The work resumed with renewed energy; it was the first small step, but it enabled a heavier concentration on this route rather than the broader approach.

*

Zara met with Patrick Kipketer and his agent following an athletics event in Norway – at the Bislett stadium. His approach was to offer a split of sponsorship to him personally, and also funding for the infrastructure of the village of his birth in Kenya. He made frequent reference to DCI being owned by the people, and this would be a benefit to all parties, by 'the people helping the people'. "Your career will hopefully be long and successful Patrick, but when the time comes for you to step back from competitive sport you will no doubt want to find a new challenge or occupation. This may be a legacy you can give to your family and friends, and it won't harm your chances of landing a good position in the future. Many retired sports personalities say they want to 'put something back' into society for being blessed with talent, but you will have already done that at the height of your career. It's not a promise it is a fact. Does something like this appeal to you in principle? If it does then we can begin to put numbers into the mix."

His agent asked for a private discussion and Zara left them to chew on his proposal. It didn't take long for him to be recalled. Zara was invited to make an offer; the principle had struck a chord. "I will certainly do so, you'll hear from me soon." Zara then set about determining what Kipketer was currently attracting from his contracted sponsor.

### Chapter 13

Pierze had to address the Tobruk tip off from Duarte. He guessed that there must be a conduit from the Sukahara distribution point to illegal destinations. He was working with the assumption that temptation often proves too much for certain individuals to resist. He decided that the safest way to progress this was to ask Din Chow Zen, via Sanchez, to request the Sukahara boss to investigate his hunch. They could do this more effectively than he could, and in any case they would want to avoid anyone else washing their dirty linen in public. They also knew Pierze was motivated to declare them innocent in the assassination attempt.

*

Patrick Kipketer accepted Zara's offer and the association began to flourish. It was big news in Africana and the Kenyan people were even more proud of their talisman. As well as the company logo being plastered over his kit, he was given the latest handset which employed DCI components. It was free to him and was already set up on Trans Global Connections as the provider. The questionnaire which Boniface had asked Zara to complete from this interview with Kipketer was, in her judgement, close to perfect in terms of emotional makeup. He was an acceptable target without waiting for the new hardware developments to emerge. The ringtone software was installed. When Zara asked him if he was interested in participating in a survey on 'think-phone' research, he jumped at the chance to show off his considerable ability.

*

The cost of the number of experts back-tracing from the spirograph was escalating and without a date for the predicted impact they finally capitulated. They were stubborn enough to say they would resume if and when the code breakers could give them more information to work with. Everyone else had just accepted that it would point to Comet 2005NB5C, and worked on the premise that it would strike in eighteen years. Consequently, the mission to Mars received every possible source of investment available, and they had set 2033 as the date of launch. It was the year that the planets would be closest. They would however despatch an unmanned probe within six months. The equipment on this probe would make sweeps of the red planet and both moons, looking for any anomalous readings.

As the months slipped by with little to report other than intentions, the population was getting restless. This unease was truncated by the most dramatic breakthrough. The code breakers now had results which could lead to a 'Rosetta Stone' situation. They had isolated what they now believed to be some kind of hieroglyphs or pictographs, from the other symbols. When they submitted only the remaining symbols to all of the decryption algorithms they had devised, they got a hit. They could identify some of the fundamental laws of physics, albeit with slight disagreement on the value of certain constants. They celebrated the importance of this, and suggested the pictographs would now help in pointing them to the equations to which they were related.

*

Patrick Kipketer waltzed through tests one and two. He had concerns about the short brush with death involved in the third and final assessment, but he was also highly motivated by the explanation of the Circle of Light, in the context of the entire human race being wiped out in a few years. Zara had majored on this and pointed out that his people in Kenya already thought he was a god. "If you can pass this test you can become the founding disciple of our faith in Africana, to spread the word, and help your friends and family cope with the impending extinction. They will ask - what is the purpose of life? They will need someone strong to be the cement, with our faith. They will realise that a significant moment will arrive, when the fireball is visible, that they may have been let down by their alternate faith. That will be a difficult time and we should prepare them for the Truth. That is why the only genuine way to see the Truth is to glimpse death."

He agreed to proceed. After completing the ceremony of becoming a disciple he went on to even greater athletic achievements, shattering the world record for the 1500 metres. He was able to gather a very significant flock of followers around him in a short space of time. It began to attract interest from other parts of the world. Zara was ready for disciple number two, but first he gave Kipketer some freebie communicators as incentives for those of his flock who were most successful in recruiting new members.

*

Pierze was losing patience with his lab people; they had not found any matches with the DNA supplied by Manuel's detectives. This led to him suggesting an approach which proved to be decisive. Because the main databases had drawn blanks he worked on the hunch that these people may have been erased as part of their cover. "If the connection we are looking at is valid, maybe we should look at local precincts, where it is more difficult to remove data without someone knowing about it. The Middle East is part of the Iberian Republic or had you forgotten? Let us cast our line in Tobruk." The match to Alessa Gomez came up in the file of Freema Anwar. She was listed, but not in the criminal side of the database, she was in ranks of the counter-terrorism staff.

Pierze wrestled with this for a couple of days, and then arrested her at her apartment. The interrogation was brief. "I'm not going to go into detail Alessa, sorry where are my manners? Freema, we have enough on you to make sure you don't see the light of day again. I will however, share a couple of items. Don't worry it isn't your connection to Nelson Ortega. It's more to do with two of your subordinates and the rather affluent gentleman you visit after you have met with your boys in separate bars. We prefer the Orihuela; it has a much better selection of beers. I don't want to ask you any questions, not yet anyway. I prefer you to think things through quietly, you'll have lots of time as you aren't going anywhere soon. Oh, one thing you may wish to keep in mind – who will help you now? You have become a liability. We'll probably make things worse if we have to advertise your arrest. It's not something we want to do, but we can't hold you forever. I'll be back."

Pierze told his secretary to inform the two subordinates that their boss had called in to say she had been referred by her doctor to a consultant for CT scans. She may be off for some time. He had confiscated her communicator on the near certainty they would try to make contact.

*

Frederic Moreno was fairly well known, especially in the financial world. Meteoric success with his blue chip hedge fund business had afforded the opportunity to diversify into exploration of new forms of energy. Few people recalled that he was the nephew of the former President Moreno. Zara was one who did, and furthermore had tracked his career for some time. He was an ideal candidate for disciple number two. He made a point of attending Moreno's keynote presentation on how the 'Sword of Damocles' was affecting the long term planning of all businesses. He was quite persuasive with his impassioned plea that the human race must work on the assumption that the disaster would be averted. "If we don't, the years between now and 2045 will be intolerable. There will be more famine, more disease, more crime and we will drive ourselves into a downward spiral to absolute chaos. Many people rely on their faith to get them through each day. Why then do we not adopt the same attitude with advent of this predicted event? It isn't my place to try to tell people which faith they should follow. That is a very personal thing. We all have faith in something – ideas, ambitions, political ideologies, medicines and of course some form of omnipotence. Not only must we maintain these values, we must build on them. We are all going to die at some time, and what makes that so acceptable is the indefinite time of death and for certain groups, the prospect of salvation – an afterlife. This should be our focus – to maximise our contribution. Even for an extinction event of the scale of this prediction, the scientists believe some of us will survive. I urge you to intensify your faith." Zara wasted no time in asking Moreno to meet with him to discuss this further, knowing he'd be a harder nut to crack than Kipketer.

*

Pierze had ignored two calls to Freema Anwar's communicator. Then he received a text message from the same subordinate, asking if he could visit her. Apparently it was urgent. He replied, saying that it was inconvenient right now but if it was that urgent he should come to the Orihuela bar immediately after work. Pierze and two officers followed his vehicle and watched him enter the bar, buy a drink and look around nervously. After a quarter of an hour he sent another text. They took photos of him doing this. Pierze replied again, saying Freema was on her way. This time it was signed off with that name. He panicked, ran out of the bar and straight into the arms of the two security officers. His heart sank when he was bundled into the car and sat next to Pierze. On the way back to the confinement cells he was allowed to see Freema on camera before he was introduced to his Spartan abode. Despite asking why he had been detained over and over, Pierze remained silent. The next day, the other subordinate received a text from Freema, or so he thought. It said that she had been rumbled and was in custody, requesting him to go to her apartment and trash everything on her computer. "And I mean everything." They were waiting for him. Now there were three. They were all independently acquainted with the sequence of events. Pierze emphasised to the two subordinates that he had matched Alessa Gomez to Freema Anwar. "I intend to follow the same route to get to your aliases. It will be better if you save me the time it will take, by coming clean. You must realise that you, just like Freema will soon be a liability to your controllers. Releasing you after they find out you have been interrogated will almost certainly lead to your termination. I won't pressure you to say anything you don't want to. I want you to work out for yourself whether you prefer to take your chances with a rock or a hard place. Take your time; you are safe all the time you are in here."

*

The meeting between Zara and Moreno took place in the knowledge that the new hardware prototype was available ahead of time. However, Zara wanted Boniface's input on the emotional profile questionnaire, prior to testing it on such an important potential disciple. He had also thought long and hard about exactly how to lure Moreno into volunteering for the first two tests. He settled for simplicity. "I enjoyed your approach to this countdown to oblivion. I expect you know as much about our company, Digital Component Industries, as I do. You have a reputation for getting the best out of think-phones, and indirectly, your people. I wanted to let you know that we have a new prototype and I wanted to market test it against what we have already. I thought you may have an interest in giving us your comments as a potential user. It would involve a test run on the existing model first then the new one. I realise you are a busy man, so I won't be offended if you can't spare the time – which would be about two to three hours. I'll give you my number if you want to think about it."

Moreno just couldn't resist when he heard there would be several other proficient individuals contributing in this way. "Count me in Snr. Zara, I hope you realise I won't pull any punches if I feel the need to criticise. I think you're going about this the right way, some of your competitors seem to be retroactive when it comes to the need for new applications which we suggest to them." The tests were arranged.

*

Pierze got all three moles together for the first time, after letting them stew for nearly 72 hours. "You will not speak. You must listen very carefully. I haven't charged you with anything yet, but you will have figured out why. The department is investigating an attempted assassination of the President. It would probably have succeeded if Nelson Ortega had not been the subject of a sting; he didn't know of the suicide intention of the sniper. I got you all together by using Freema's communicator; the texts were a bit of a giveaway that you aren't just work colleagues, but we'll get to that another time. What I wanted you to know was that I suspect you of being involved with the assassination plot. The difference between a run of the mill terrorist act and this one is primarily the reaction of the population. There is real anger out there – you saw that before I brought you in. At any time I can charge you. It doesn't make any difference to the crazies out there whether you are innocent or guilty, some of them will tear you to pieces. I may do that – charge you and let you go – and then tell the media that I'm certain you are involved, but embroidering the truth by saying I haven't got sufficient evidence yet. If the vigilantes don't get you the perpetrators of the sting or those who wanted the President dead will come for you. You do get what I'm saying don't you? Ortega was the target of the sting, he didn't merely leap in front of Sanchez; the bomber went for him at the same time. I found Freema's real identity, and she has already lost any mitigating plea on that score, whereas you two have one more day to accrue any credits. The jury will probably be baying for life without any possibility of parole. I can see that it's a very precarious situation for all three of you and you'll need all the help you can get. It is now time to split you up again. I wouldn't want you to be influenced by each other; that could be disastrous. One of you will break before the other two."

*

Moreno passed the first two tests on the old hardware with consummate ease. The tests on the new device were more difficult yet proved more intuitive for him. He liked it – very much. When he was reminded of the tone of his keynote speech and how this tied in well with the Circle of Light he responded well. Boniface had been able to make copious notes on his personality traits and he scored well, but she had one word of caution – he was never going to be grounded by things he was told, he had to arrive at the desired conclusion himself. "He may change direction or tactics very quickly; he has tremendous self-belief, not in an arrogant way, but in adding up pointers to redundancy. He is open-minded and extremely decisive. He will accept your invitation to a moment of severance from what he perceives as reality, without hesitation. He may be much more difficult to keep on board than to recruit."

Zara was prepared to take the risk. Boniface was incredibly accurate with her prediction. "I'm intrigued by the transient experience of non-existence. I am also attracted to the principles of what you refer to as the Truth. I don't think I would make a good disciple. I have never operated to any kind of 'Bible', even in my keep-fit regime; I tend to evolve the procedures myself. When you stop thinking about how change can help, you are shifting the balance of your drive coefficient. You can be happy, but you should never be satisfied." Zara was prepared to take the risk with him because he was sure the new software and the continual ringtone reinforcement would overcome the maverick tendency. He wanted the best and Moreno was the best.

*

It was Freema who conceded first. She said she knew more than the others and wanted to trade. Pierze refused to deal. "This is not an auction Freema. Justice will have to take its course. Where I can have some influence is where you may be detained. As long as you understand that I may be able to prolong your life in that way, and only that way. I just want you to know that you also have a better scenario if as many individuals from your clique are taken down as soon as possible. You have to help me – I don't have to reciprocate. Off the record, justice for me would be for you three to be extinguished by your co-conspirators. I will still get them in the end."

She said, "There is a limit to what I know, it's the same in Central Security – clearance levels. I can give you the real name of one of my colleagues. For reasons unknown to me, I am not in possession of the other's origin, even though he works through me. The man I often meet at his apartment, I only know as his code designation, which means nothing. However, I may be able to offer a password which could be useful. I want to know how offering this would make a difference, still speaking off the record of course." This first point in the first game of the first set was instrumental in breaking the deadlock. Pierze didn't yet need the information; he just needed the others to think Freema had agreed to bargain with their lives. He immediately informed the two of them that although she couldn't give him both of their true identities, he was happy to settle for the one. "So I'm afraid you have now lost the slight advantage you had compared to her. When I have run what she has given me against the local database I will be able to update you and may charge you then. None of you have requested a lawyer, which impresses me. It means we all understand the rules, and more importantly which ones will count for anything on death row. I should be back to see you tomorrow."

*

Moreno was now less concerned about his suitability as a disciple. Unlike either the guinea pig, Simone, or the first disciple, Kipketer, he believed he had recollections of his momentary death. "I can only explain the feeling as one of irritation at not doing some things I had put off for years. I was actually the 'third person' in the movie, watching someone, and talking to another person about the futility of trying to reach him, while pointing at the first individual. He said it was me. I asked how it could be me, and he replied in a disturbing way – 'Who else could know what you are asking of him when he cannot hear you? You are reaching out to him and he does not even know you are there'. I asked this other person who the hell he was and he kept silent, simply pointing at me, I mean me – the one asking the questions. All of a sudden the version of me who was in the movie yelled at us to be quiet, and when I protested he shot me. I didn't feel the bullet travel through my head, just the trickle of warm blood down my face. Each time I tried to explain, another shot hit me. The fountains of blood obscured my vision and I felt my consciousness fading, but nothing else. When blackness reigned I could hear my protests being echoed by the one who I was trying to advise. His mouth was moving, but it was me I could hear. A switch flicked and I was him. I knew what I had to do. How the hell could all that have happened if you say I was only gone for a minute? It seemed more like twenty minutes."

Zara simply said that everyone reacts in their own way. Moreno asked how many had experienced similar vivid and highly frustrating images like his. "None. You are the first. Does that disturb you?" Moreno reflected on the episode again.

"No, it is more to do with interpreting my own neural response. It's fascinating. I hardly ever dream, and when I do the interpretation is logical and I know it was a dream immediately. This was different, being almost tactile, and I did not know I was back with you for some time after you said I was conscious again."

Zara asked if he wanted to rest, and talk about what he wanted to do later. Moreno agreed and Zara gave him a free communicator, explaining that there was no obligation implied with the gift. When he left he was quite enthusiastic about trying the device back at his office. The thought pattern was interrupted by the ringtone and the monologue of the Truth kicked in. He turned about face and looked at the place he had just left. The decision to walk toward it was instinctive, just as was his decision to confirm a desire to become a disciple.

*

Pierze was pleased that the two males requested to see him. He played a little poker with them by informing them he would have to check what they told him, leaving them to fester and wonder who he was checking with. The unravelling gathered pace and he had all three real names, plus another password, this one also claimed to be for the unknown gentleman's computer. It was explained that all of them had different upload content. Freema and the subordinate she exchanged notes with at the bar had the same password. The other male had a different one, and he said that he had to independently verify or contest Freema's input. "I'm not Freema's subordinate, I report directly to the same man as she does. She doesn't know this, as part of my duty is to monitor others. They aren't the only ones. I have others in Southern Africana."

Pierze wanted to digest all of this before pressing for more. He needed more concrete information on the 'gentleman'. They were holding something back. He checked the names out and they did correspond with the local files. Johann De Boer and Andreas Silva were also registered under counter-terrorism in Southern Africana and Southern Iberiana respectively. This bothered Pierze. It didn't feel right; he felt he needed to go softly-softly until he was able to speak with people in these locations that he knew would be discreet. He now wished he had done this when he first had the names. He may have inadvertently opened a conduit.

### Chapter 14

There had been a gradual, then explosive coverage of the Circle of Light in the media. Kipketer and Moreno in their different ways and highly contrasting backgrounds had caught the eye with impressive growth in converts. Zara wasn't alone in recognising that the eighteen year death sentence had assisted this greatly. The 'eruption' of this faith from its wellspring in Africana did not capture much attention from Pierze, but the parallel one in the homeland certainly did. Its epicentre was in Cadiz, and as there was a considerable population of Muslims there, he wondered if it was a likely hotspot for conflict. As he read more on the faith itself, he spotted several references to Lionel Zara. In fact one article claimed he was the founding father. He couldn't reconcile the man he had admired in Moscow with an evangelical persona. Then his thoughts began to drift to Zara's objective in such a need to move the populous to question their existing faith. He then factored in the eighteen year doldrums and decided it wasn't so unusual. He would however invite Zara to come and see him, on the pretext of discussing precisely where the code-breaking effort might lead. He expected him to have a point of view since he financed the expedition in the first place. Zara accepted, but said he couldn't attend for a couple of weeks. Meanwhile he was putting the finishing touches to his approach to his recruitment of Olga Assante. To Zara, she represented the way to influence young people and bring them to the Circle. He recalled that when she was eighteen, it was widely claimed that her ability with think-phones was phenomenal. It was possible that she could surpass that of both Kipketer and Moreno. This element of the younger generation leading the way appealed, as it could be argued that they would have more of their lives curtailed by the predicted cataclysm than the rest of the population. Their faith could well be a beacon in terms of marketing the Truth. Because of the third test being offered at a time in her life when she may never have normally given much thought to premature death, she jumped at the chance.

*

Pierze realised he could rely on Manuel and his contacts in Southern Iberiana to discreetly check out Andreas Silva. However, Johan De Boer was a tricky proposition. He really needed the 'gentleman' to try and make contact with Freema, so he could fabricate some kind of surveillance. He had also informed work colleagues of Freema, Silva and De Boer, via his secretary, that they had been temporarily suspended. He expected this to be queried. As they were detained in a secure location he thought some friends might visit their homes or call their communicators. Neither of these things happened, and then someone from the office asked to see him. The woman, a middle aged software specialist, found it awkward to approach the subject. "I am a spokesperson really, many of us have thought of coming to see you earlier, but we were nervous. I know that in this department people tend to keep things to themselves, but the three people you have suspended were extremely secretive and only communicated with one another. When I was doing a clean-up routine on some of the workstations, I found evidence of activity which seemed strange. It was the same on all of them. Export of files had occurred which hadn't been executed by the person who was responsible for the workstation. They were mainly to do with intended travel arrangements and meetings, mainly for managers, but predominantly for you. The personnel whose station had been infiltrated became so worried they asked me to bring this up."

Pierze didn't want this to go any further right now; it was important and at the same time, a temporary inconvenience. He had to show an interest. "What makes you connect the intrusion to the three people suspended?" The lady said it was always timed at coffee or lunch breaks, when most people were 'off-station'. She claimed that they were the only ones seen unaccompanied at someone else's station.

"This was observed many times before I was asked to watch from my office, then together with the station owner, check the file activity with them immediately afterwards. I have printouts to back this up. We have no idea why this information is so important to them, but it is obviously not something they wanted to ask about openly."

Pierze thanked the whistle-blower and said that it strangely fitted with the reason he had authorised their suspension. He twisted the truth and told her that there had been similar complaints about them from another source. "It's reassuring that you and those you represent have your wits about you, well done. If I may request your help as a spokesperson, please convey my appreciation to them and my request that they just behave as if we never had this conversation, for a little while. It won't stop here but I need to gather more proof of their misdemeanours. It's a sensitive issue and they may lose their positions." Pierze took the wad of printouts offered.

*

The code breakers had made more progress with respect to cosmic equations. There was great excitement amongst the cosmologists that the species which had built the object may have developed a unified mathematical means of describing the infinite and the infinitesimal. As this 'theory of everything' had continued to elude Earth physicists, they were trying to monopolise the efforts of the code breakers to this end. This was blocked by the World Security Body; they wanted any further information from the object, which could be suggestions on how to deal with the predicted disaster. There were some additional references to Phobos which did not seem to fit with the diagrams, but as yet there was no reliable translation of the symbols in that section.

All of the analytical equipment for the probe was ready to be attached. The probe itself would require a few weeks more. There was a sense of inertia with the programme, even though it was well ahead of schedule. It was almost as if each day was falling through a hole of irretrievability, without accountability. More ordinary citizens were turning to the Circle of Light, many of them in a gesture of resignation, as much as faith.

*

When Zara met with Olga Assante just prior to her brief moment of nothingness, he reminded her of his description of how she could help her generation as a disciple. She had originally rejected this on the basis of time. "There are so many things that I've always wanted to do, and now they may have to be achieved sooner, with the impending guillotine of life on Earth." Zara had considered this at length and pointed out that many of these ambitions required considerable finance.

"If you were to accept the role I suggest it would bring its own celebrity and income. I doubt whether you could find a better opportunity. It would also be compatible with your list of objectives, by travelling the world. You would be able to fit the two activities to the same schedule."

Olga thought about this and indeed it made sense, but then she raised another concern. "I don't have the kind of outgoing personality for persuading others to follow me into some allegiance with a doctrine I'm vaguely intrigued with." Zara said she had more charisma than she realised.

"However, that is not the main purpose. We are facing extinction, and even if that is going to occur in eighteen years from now, every minute is important. Many are able to rationalise this fate with the certainty we are going to die at some time anyway. For others it is the indeterminate lease they have on life which is the comfort zone. As soon as a finite time is placed upon their tenure, the neurosis begins. If you can just be yourself I'm sure you will help these folks enormously. You say the Truth confers a vague feeling of intrigue to you, I am utterly certain that this will strengthen as the clock counts down. Finally, there are no targets, objectives, obligations or attendance required in places of worship. The Circle of Light is there for everyone who can or cannot cope with a mass ending. It is an overarching doctrine which welcomes participation from all religions and non-religious individuals and groups. It is not a replacement of any existing beliefs; it is simply the Truth about everyday events and policies offered by the ruling elite. It will hopefully even help these institutions, that we, the contributors to the exchequer, can be trusted with good and bad news without their spin-doctors. Transparency is at the heart of the pledge." Olga was moved enough to agree to at least a probationary period. Zara left to meet with Pierze.

*

When Pierze visited the three moles again, one at a time, with his fistful of printouts, it produced an interesting difference in their reaction. Freema and Silva closed ranks, but Johann De Boer wanted to talk off the record. Pierze laughed at this request. "In investigating the murder of a President there is no off the record. As this is an attempted murder and the President is recovering, the best you can hope for is for me to give you witness protection. I do have to be straight with you, and you will be going to prison if you are found guilty of conspiracy by a jury. I can determine where that will be, and depending on what you tell me on the record, I can make you disappear when you are freed. It's the best I can do."

After a considerable break in the interview, Johann De Boer decided to fill in some of the blanks. "The 'gentleman' you seek is known to the others as Atlas. This is a code name of course and it is not registered with us in any traceable way. That's why you have no number in our communicators for that name or any alias he may have. He contacts us and it is one way only, and we only meet with him when he decides to. That's why the apartment is leased. I have a name in my head, at least the name on the lease, which I assume will not be him. I got this by hacking the estate agent's database. It should be possible to prise something from that name. Maybe more important is the laptop at the apartment. I have a memory stick with what I have uploaded to his laptop, and other data I'm not supposed to have. Freema asked me to trash her laptop to wipe her connection to his, and she also asked me to wipe his at the apartment too. I agreed but didn't do it. He would have known it was one of us and that would have been inadvisable. She wasn't thinking straight. Even if you can't find him you know where the apartment is and I can get you in. I gave you one password already and I know you have another, but they will only get you into general information. The second I can give you will allow access to specific data into which my uploaded stuff fits. There are other files which I don't officially have access to, but I do know what is in there. Alternatively, you may have people of your own who are bright enough to figure out how to break the passwords. You must remember though that getting in will leave a trace. I happen to know what is in there because the fire alarm went off during a meeting and I was in the toilet. It took me a minute or so to clean up, if you know what I mean, and when I rushed past the conference room door I stopped and picked up my laptop. I noticed his was hibernating – he must have thought he had switched it off. I was amazed by what pressing one button revealed. When I got outside he asked where the hell I had been, and I reacted angrily insofar as I was indisposed and nobody had come back to check if I was still in the building. He laughed at my outburst, saying that I had risked my life by grabbing my laptop and risked arrest as I was still unzipped and partly on display. We were then informed the problem was next door, smoke had got through a conduit to his basement and set off the alarm. When we all returned to the meeting room he was relieved that he must have remembered to switch off his computer, when it was actually me. I was glad to let it pass. I want to know what revealing the name, password and secret data will get me. I would prefer to do this in that order and in steps – not all at once."

*

Pierze took a call to say Zara was in his office. "Welcome Snr. Zara, sorry I wasn't here when you arrived. I seem to have an increasing number of irons in the fire at present. Can I get you some coffee?" Zara made him feel comfortable.

"I know the feeling of being submerged in other people's time demands, it was an ancillary reason for taking DCI into employee ownership. Coffee would be great, thanks." Once the secretary had delivered the beverages and closed the door on exit, Pierze got down to business.

"I'm very grateful you could spare the time to give me your input. When we were in Moscow I appreciated your common sense approach to the information held in the object. You weren't alone in that recommendation, but you put it to me in a very easy to understand weighting of priorities. No doubt you will have heard that the World Security Body has felt it necessary to halt the over-zealous cosmology boffins' obsession with a unifying theory, or some such detour. The blocking of this was a bit heavy-handed but it was considered crucial. I wanted to ask you if you and your expedition colleagues feel there is more to learn from the language of the object rather than the equations it seems to use."

The perplexed look on Zara's face was eventually linked to his reply. "I'm not qualified to comment on how near or far these equations are to their Nirvana, or indeed what use we may be able to put them to, or how long all of this would take. My input is therefore exclusively related to the task of preventing the threatened impact, if it is feasible. There isn't much talk about how we may achieve this, only how the builders of the object may help us again. If they were responsible in some measure for altering the course of Comet 2005NB5C in 1908, albeit at the expense of a smaller impact fragment, we are indebted to them. I do endorse extracting all possible information from the object with utmost urgency. It's the only way we'll know if they do offer a solution, and whether we are capable of implementing it. We must answer this question absolutely as soon as possible. The equations business is best considered as mental masturbation for the present, until we know there is going to be a future. I'm not suggesting that this hobby of theirs will yield nothing practical, but we cannot afford to indulge in purely esoteric pastimes with the constraints implied by the object. I would immediately rescind my view if there was a valid argument for near-term concrete benefit which would help divert the comet. The equations will still be there when it impacts, unfortunately we will not."

Pierze had not bargained for such an impassioned plea, but it did give him an entry to the other subject he was curious about. He had intended to leave it until the end of the meeting. "I do appreciate your clarity of vision, yet I find it confusing that you are reportedly the originator of this new faith which seems to be sweeping across the globe. Don't you find that it distracts you from your daily business?"

The reply wasn't what Pierze had anticipated. "It really only came about during the discovery we made in Tunguska." Zara felt at first that he had skilfully lied but conceded to himself that it was at least partly true. "That event was so unique, so fundamental and so thought-provoking that it left little room in my mind for anything else, even my important work with the companies I was responsible for. When I experienced the squabbling scientists putting their own egos above the welfare of the rest of the world, it just came to me. I asked myself – what ever happened to words like 'neighbour'? They are still there, but their meaning has changed. Neighbours are now merely the people who are living close by, whereas not so long ago they were people we spent time with, cared for, and helped when we could. I realised that the cement between people in general has eroded and the major religions of the world have let people down, even though they may not see it that way. I talked to a few prominent individuals I have known for a long time, and suggested that the Tunguska revelation has provided this focus on the responsible things we must do, which in turn has brought us an altered perspective. It then occurred to me that this revelation was probably the worst news we could have received, and still it has sparked genuine desire to work together. It has begun to reverse this awful trend of descending into chaos from order – the increasing shift from the essential needs of the species and environmental benefit, to one of predominance of the individual. When I made a further suggestion that faith in the Truth could deliver where others had failed, it seemed to connect with a lot of people – we can be trusted. Anyway, here I am on my soapbox again. You are in the business of managing the truth, with good intention, but I was focussed on the Truth in Tunguska. I must also add that although these ramblings in my head were as a result of Tunguska itself, the friendship with an extraordinary person such as Alexei Stepanov was a big influence. I'm only the 'facilitator' of this Circle of Light, others have taken it on apace and I'm very pleased about it becoming something that the citizens really seem to want; isn't that how it should be?"

What stuck in Pierze's mind about this declaration was the accusation that society was hell-bent on dismantling order and therefore law, the only substitute being chaos, and therefore the road to anarchy. It echoed his own downbeat projection with the perennial struggle in his daily occupation. It took his thought process to a different plane. For the second time, he visualised the potential benefits of the political system which prevailed in Orient. The first time was when he had visited Din Chow Zen with Sanchez to ask for their assistance in bringing down Sidonia. His mind then turned to the Sidonia cult itself; was it really so bad to subscribe to ideals which could benefit the species as a whole? Maybe it was the method they chose which was unacceptable. Perhaps the end result would have been preferable to the ultimate destiny for democracy. He disagreed with Zara on the point as to whether the populous could be trusted on such complex matters. Snapping out of this cerebral surfing, he looked at Zara intently. Was this a man who could bring humanity to its senses, or alternatively, was he capable of a very elaborate deception? His gaze hardened on Zara's coffee cup.

"I must say I always enjoy our exchanges, they are never dull. I hope I can call on you again when necessary. I'll do all in my power to ensure we take your point on channelling every last drop of resource on to total extraction of data from the object, and also initiating structured proposals for dealing with Comet 2005NB5C. When I announce a steering body for this, will you be available?"

Surprising though the request was, the reply was definite. "Absolutely, as long as you appreciate that I'll always speak my mind, regardless of who it may embarrass." They shook hands on this accord. They spent another hour discussing the makeup of such a 'committee'. When Zara finally left, Pierze resumed his fascination with the coffee cup. His new friend deserved respect, but the professional in Pierze rose to the occasion. He took a tissue, put the cup in a plastic bag and sent it to the lab, asking them to run a DNA comparison with that of Constantin Boniek, alias Osvaldo Martinez.

*

Olga Assante's recollection of her timeout was different to that of Kipketer and Moreno. "I was dead, but able to ask questions – to whom I didn't know. I only had one question. What was it truly like to be dead? The voice was familiar. Like the one which tells of the Circle of Light, like that one but not actually that one. It assured me that being dead was the same as one thousand years or one year before I was born. I simply did not exist. While I was thinking about this I realised I wasn't breathing. I didn't need to. I was still in the womb and I could see that I was dead. There was a difference between seeing and being. It was a frightening and exhilarating experience."

Zara gave her the obligatory free communicator with the appropriate software tweaked to Boniface's preferences from Olga's emotional evaluation. She was informed of the incentive for converts to receive free communicators and the ringtone control was initiated within minutes of her departure from the test lab. Olga was to spearhead her recruitment from Balkan and Turkish Iberia initially, but her personal objectives to travel would fertilise the latent germination all over the world.

Zara had originally expected to engage seven disciples, but the impact of television in spreading information about the exponential growth of this faith, coupled with the real driver – Tunguska, persuaded him to pause at three for a while.

### Chapter 15

Maxi Duarte had never looked worse in the eyes of Ricardo Pierze - who in retrospect was pleased he hadn't been afforded the chance to make a disparaging comment. "Ricardo, I have to quit. Last night – you may have heard actually – Emile was playing for the first team in La Coruna and there was a three-way clash of heads. The others had broken noses and cheekbones, but Emile suffered a neck injury when he landed awkwardly. He's in intensive care right now. He hasn't regained consciousness. They're debating how and when to relieve the pressure build-up in his brain. They aren't hopeful about him recovering the use of his legs, even if they get him conscious again quickly. I er, you must excuse me, I just wanted to tell you personally and I needed to get out of the intensive care unit while they did more tests. I must return now. I hope you understand I have to be with my son from now on."

Empathising with someone in distress had always made Pierze feel inadequate in the past. He didn't experience such negativity on this occasion. "Maxi, please sit even if it is only for a minute. I'll drive you back to the hospital, as you need all your concentration on getting Emile and your wife through this awful time. As far as your work here is concerned, put it out of your mind. You don't need to quit; your presence here will always be appreciated whatever you decide. You have an unofficial contract that only you and I need to know about, and it is valid as long as I'm here. If it turns out that we are only to be friends, then great. Now have a coffee and we'll go back to Emile. I will make some enquiries myself about his prognosis. Sometimes this job of mine can have influence."

Duarte sank into the nearest chair and could no longer hold back his self-criticism. "I've pushed him too hard for his age. My wife warned me, and only now can I see it."

Ricardo Pierze had never got anywhere near contemplating Maxi Duarte as a friend. This sudden predicament of the Duarte family brought into sharp focus his lack of any real friends. He had no relationship which could be described as close. He had constantly buried the offhand family life in which he went to boarding school at the age of ten. He was always distant from others, especially his father and mother. They didn't seem to need him to be there. The irony of his normal sarcastic mental attitude towards Duarte and the overflowing need of this man to declare his love for his son, scratched deeply into the sad assessment of his own father. He actually felt he was needed by Duarte. It was not the same as his job; it was best not to confuse the two – that was merely being in demand.

Having left Duarte at the hospital and squeezed the consultant taking charge of Emile, Pierze left in a depressed state. The prognosis was actually worse than they had told Emile's parents. He wasn't expected to recover consciousness; the consultant feared that it may come down to switching off life support at some time. He contacted the Madrid club and asked what they were doing about the young man's case. The reply was very woolly and annoyed Pierze intensely. "Yes I realise you have medical insurance and he is in a very good hospital, but I also assume you haven't pressed the doctors too hard on the boy's projected chances of recovery. I'm personally going to seek out the foremost authority on such coma-inducing trauma and find out if there is a second opinion and recommendation which offers more hope. I really think you should be pursuing this as one of Iberia's leading clubs. It wouldn't help your academy's reputation if you were seen to be intransigent in the face of such tragedy; the press will be at your door. Let me know if you need my support."

*

Back in his office Pierze found it difficult to concentrate on matters in hand, however he needed to inform Manuel of Duarte's plight and check whether he had more information on Silva. He was about to initiate the sequenced offer of disclosure from Johann De Boer. Manuel had heard about Emile on the sports bulletin and had already made contact with Maxi Duarte and his wife. "Elle and I are on our way to see them. There's probably nothing we can do other than help share the worry, but there is certainly nothing we can do from here. I do have an interesting angle on Silva but that should wait until we are face to face." Pierze respected the need for a secure debriefing and told Manuel that he was about to twist the knife into Johann De Boer.

"Does what you're going to tell me suggest that I hold back on that?" Manuel was quite adamant that Pierze should delay this until he arrived.

"What I have also directly involves Johann De Boer. I don't think we should say any more. I should be there with you tomorrow afternoon after seeing Maxi. Elle would like some time alone with Maxi, they go back a long way."

*

The code breakers were now pretty certain that their perceived discrepancy between the diagrams involving Phobos, and the separate group of symbols, was actually a reference to the moon and not some set of cosmic calculations. They were convinced that the symbols were narrative, and whatever this was describing could apply to Phobos. There was a distinct difference between these symbols and those which fascinated the cosmologists. They couldn't agree on what the description was trying to say; there simply weren't enough of these 'modified' symbols to produce anything better than educated guesswork. It did have the effect of getting the probe launched.

Zara took a call from Russia. It was Boris Krasnic. "Hello Boris, I see you and Alexei have been overwhelmed with offers to publish the 'Cradle of Tunguska'. You must think carefully on the temptation they contain, and I know you'll concentrate on authenticity. Anything less would be unfair to Stepanov's great-grandfather." Krasnic was not calling for that reason.

"It is Alexei I'm calling about. He is very sick. I can only imagine that the expedition has resulted in more exposure to radiation, despite the precautions we took. He was in close contact with the object more than any of us. If you want to see him again I advise you to come quickly. He does talk about you a lot. He isn't afraid, he knows his time is short and he, sorry I should say we, will never forget your unwavering belief in our assertions. I hope you still feel the same connection."

This acceleration of Stepanov's demise injected emotional paradox into Zara's world. He wasn't able to grasp how something which was expected was such a mind-crumbling shock.

"No, no Boris, surely not, there must be some mistake. We mustn't let this happen. Of course I'll come immediately. Please set up appointments with the best experts in your country. I'll underwrite their participation. If there is nothing they can offer I have contacts here with all kinds of cutting edge medical people, including genetic specialists. Tell Alexei I'm on my way." There was a considerable pause.

"Maybe I did not convey the gravity of Alexei's situation. He may not survive until you get here. I suggested to him that I should ask you to come last week, but he didn't want to inconvenience you with a further request. He said we both had to concentrate on building your name into our making of history, even though there might be no history to reflect upon in a few years from now. Here it has been cited as our expedition, but we agreed it should embrace the constancy of your encouragement. It will therefore be known as 'The Stepanov-Krasnic Expedition (Zara Project)'. I hope you will make it in time."

Zara was in meltdown; he couldn't function. He shouted garbled instructions to nobody in particular to hire a private aircraft, if it wasn't possible to get him to Moscow within the next twelve hours. He collected his photos of the expedition and picked up a heavy surplus of cash. He didn't even change his clothes or take a shower. He left for the airport clutching a printout of a booking confirmation, given to him by a subordinate. On touchdown at the airport he contacted Krasnic to give him details of his arrival and apologised for not making accommodation reservations. "Tell Alexei I'll be there soon. Please make sure he knows I'm coming."

*

When Manuel was greeted by Pierze it was muted. They talked at length about how they might help. It didn't amount to much as they really needed the second opinion which Pierze had eventually set in motion. There had been quite a bit of evasiveness – unease at stepping on toes of the original consultant's diagnosis.

When the conversation finally drifted to Andreas Silva, Manuel asked for coffee. "It all comes back to Nelson Ortega. If you recall the information I got from Raul Ibanez, he said Ortega was the target of the sniper. My source who must remain anonymous, confirms this. The reason Ibanez gave me also seems to be correct, insofar as Ortega was perceived as discarding his loyalty to the Southern Iberiana he knew and prospered from. It then gets a bit messy. The people who were after Ibanez for screwing up on the sniper rifle, wanted Sanchez to be replaced with a more friendly President and they had been assured it would not be Falcorini. Ortega had apparently indicated his support for a particular obscure candidate who would have been welcomed by the Southern Iberiana mafia. However, he later argued that it couldn't be achieved in time for the election that would have been triggered by Sanchez' demise. Ortega needed the sniper to be seen to shoot Sanchez and be taken alive, to fulfill his scripted role as the patsy. If the security guards on the rooftop had shot the sniper without Sanchez being terminated, Ortega was in serious trouble. He would have had you delivering him to the wolves about the insecure venue you warned him of, and if his career was wrecked with Sanchez still in power, the mafia would be obliged to terminate him. Without knowing of the bomb he effectively did one part of the mafia's job for them. These people however expected the bomb to take out Sanchez and Ortega. They are still unhappy."

Pierze shook his head vigorously. "I know most of this from what you got from Ibanez, and although it is all still quite confusing, I don't see the relevance of Falcorini or the mystery candidate." Manuel smiled at Pierze's impatience.

"Maybe you would if you knew that Andreas Silva and Johann De Boer fired the RPGs into the studio. They were working for you but loyal to the barons of Southern Iberiana. The rocket launchers were procured by Freema Anwar. Does that help?"

Pierze looked at Manuel intently, and raised one eyebrow. "You don't have any proof of this do you?" Manuel was astonished at the reaction.

"You don't get proof with such conduits which can precipitate sudden death Ricardo. What it does offer you is the opportunity to evaluate what these three moles are fabricating to 'leak' to you, as a means of limiting their own exposure. Changing their identity or trying to secure their protection won't prevent them from being tracked down. It's more beneficial for the mafia to figure out you have been given a false trail by these three people. At the very least you will get an interesting reaction from them, but it may be prudent to let them lead you to the false trail first. If my source is right about this, and I've never known him be wrong, they'll give you the false trail even without your promises. Time isn't on their side. What I have to worry about is the relative ease with which I was able to extract this from this particular source; it is extremely unusual."

Although they spent the rest of the day picking through the permutations of conspiracy, they both admitted that the gentleman was missing from the equation, and if the three moles were so directly implicated in the assassination plot, then he had to be – even more so. He did exist. They had pictures of him and Freema. "Manuel, I'll follow your suggestion, but in the meantime, can you get your source to comment on our mystery guest before Johann De Boer leads me indirectly to him?" Manuel nodded hesitantly and left.

*

Zara was shaking as he entered the private room in which Stepanov was being treated. His anguish was complete when he saw the grey hue of his skin, dotted with blotches of angry red and dark brown. His breathing was laboured and his skeletal form was distorted. His eyes miraculously remained bright. Zara couldn't formulate any words coherently and slumped into a chair, unable to prevent his friend from witnessing this distress. "Lionel, I did not expect we would meet again. This is a wonderful surprise. You mustn't be so sad, we knew this was going to happen; it is just a little sooner than we thought. We all have to go sometime, that is inescapable. We should rejoice that I can soon be at peace, now that we conquered the riddle of Tunguska. Although I never really knew my great-grandfather, I feel so exhilarated that this frustration I shared with him is now at an end. Boris and I have one last favour to ask of you."

Zara was still struggling to say anything but managed to nod in affirmation. "As you know well, Boris has the same fate awaiting him, but for now at least he will be the custodian of our rights for TV, films and publishing. We want to ensure authenticity in all of this. I have signed a side document of my will for my part in this to pass to you. My family will be taken care of financially, but this kind of thing is beyond them, I fear they would be exploited. Boris no doubt will tell you in his own time that he wants to do the same. We have given a significant part of our lives to this, and we would like that to be respected." At last Zara managed a smile and he squeezed Alexei's hand.

"Of course, I will take care that both of your families are kept safe."

The three of them re-enacted the expedition from the train massacre to the moment the human race was informed of final proof of extra-terrestrial life. The reminiscence was cut short by Stepanov's wife and children entering the room. They had been summoned, and Alexei had waived the presence of a priest. "These are the people to whom I want to say my farewell."

Zara motioned to leave the family together and was halted by Stepanov wagging his finger. In a reflex reaction he turned and amazingly felt it was quite natural to hug the children and their mother all together. Only afterwards did it seem disorienting. The doctor arrived with the requested morphine and whatever else was going to help Alexei Stepanov on his way. "I am sure you all understand that I'm in terrible pain, and as I only have a few hours, this seems more dignified."

His two children were lifted alongside him and he explained his desire to go to sleep. They kissed their father and were beginning to wonder what was going to happen. Boris Krasnic's wife entered the room and tempted them to go with her for an ice cream. Zara couldn't help but notice a haunting expression behind her smile, that it could soon be Boris saying goodbye. Alexei rambled on while the morphine took over and the others stood in silence, eyes fixed on his heaving chest. Without any facial contortion it suddenly stopped. The man whose persistence proved we were not alone was gone. In the same instant Constantin Boniek's brief summer of belonging went with him. He began to hyperventilate and the doctor was called. It was several hours before he fully recovered. Boris was still there and insisted that his hotel booking was cancelled.

"You must stay with us. You should not be alone tonight. I am sure you will be staying for the funeral, he would want that."

*

Pierze had spent sleepless nights after failing to find any medical consultant to disagree with the pessimistic original prognosis. He was told by the best that it was too early to be certain about Emile's predicted paralysis, or whether his cerebral condition would stabilise sufficiently to foster new hope. Duarte knew of his efforts via Manuel and Butragueno, but his wife simply refused to accept that he was actually helping in such a tense situation.

He told Manuel he was ready to proceed with the grilling of the two alleged grenade launchers. "As your contact has denied any knowledge of this gentleman, it strikes me that either his disclosure to you is the false trail or you are correct \- that I am to be fed some feasible bullshit. I'm going to test your assertion that Johann De Boer will give me the name of this ghostly figure without getting any assurances from me about anything. Do you want to be present?" Manuel was keen to match up the offerings with those of his contact.

"Snr. De Boer," said Pierze, "let me introduce a colleague who has helped me in the past." No name was offered and De Boer did not betray any concern at a third party being present. Pierze shuffled some of his piles of papers while fiddling in his jacket pocket for his expensive fountain pen. "Yes, where was I? Ah-ha, having considered what you requested previously about a particular stepwise process of disseminating information, I have decided to reject such a proposal. I don't need his name – as it is likely to be false. I don't need you to get me into the apartment, as I have an appropriate warrant. Finally, once I'm in there, I do have high calibre people who can get me the information in his laptop which you claim Freema and Silva aren't even aware of. So, if that is the extent of what you have I'm afraid it is what I would usually term as makeweight. I'll visit you again when I have what you claim to have. If the two match then I'm duty bound to charge you and the others."

For the first time De Boer looked Manuel up and down, as he hadn't uttered a word. He thought he must be one of the high calibre people who were going to crack the laptop of Atlas. As they got up to leave De Boer said it would be better if he told Pierze what he would find. "That way it will prove that I am genuinely in a position to help you." They sat down again.

"Go ahead," said Pierze switching on the recorder.

"The person whose name is on the lease is Stephan Fagor. I have a safe deposit box, I'll write down the details of where it is and the entry code. Inside there is a key to the apartment with the alarm code and also the second password, plus the memory stick with a general description of what I saw on Atlas' laptop during the fire alarm chaos. If that proves of interest I can provide the entire content."

Manuel was now not so sure he had been given solid information from his 'absolutely reliable' contact. Pierze thanked Johann De Boer and said he would be back soon. The only thing he had worried about in breaking in was a call out message to either Atlas' mobile or the alarm company.

*

The presence of Elle Butragueno in the vigil helped to bridge the silence between Maxi and his wife. Duarte had 'adopted' the blame for the entire sequence of events – from his decision to retire and live his dream through his son. Despite Maria reminding him that it was Emile and her who persuaded him to live in Madrid, he wouldn't concede. "Elle, you know him better than anyone, he can be so obdurate. Because there is nobody to blame, he can't deal with the loss. He has to have a villain to arrest. I think it would help immensely if you could get him out of here for a while. He thinks my silence validates his feeling of guilt. I can't seem to get him to understand that I am unable to assign responsibility to a person, an event, or utter the old cliché – 'it was meant to be'. It's just so unnecessary, and all I can concentrate on is Emile, and the fervent belief he may pull through. I will deal with the grief if and when that time comes. I fear this may drive us apart if we need to be at Emile's bedside for a long time, and that seems likely. Will you help me?"

Butragueno looked through the glass which separated the room from the corridor. The silhouette of Duarte, created by the setting crimson sun, grated with the memories of her old boss. He had made a concession to his ridicule of the 'seduction of fashion' by being what he thought was 'appropriately dressed'. The dark blue suit, pristine white shirt and traditional necktie were ill-fitting yet looked expensive. She smiled; at least he had forgotten to invest in compatible footwear. The frayed tan moccasins gave her hope. She turned back to Maria.

"I know just the place to take him. We will be gone for a couple of hours."

### Chapter 16

With the probe on its way there was a surreal feeling of hope running parallel to the global emergence of the Circle of Light. Angel's financial reports confirmed this by the astonishing upsurge in social usage of Trans Global Connections service. The analysis was clearly related to the package with the new DCI communicators. It had become so successful, especially through the ringtone software, that it was becoming difficult to manage. It was not merely the demand for capacity; it had vacuumed up the ever-diminishing labour pool required to administrate the service. The decline in career-driven aspiration was understandable, given the implied retirement from life in less than two decades. In a convoluted ripple effect the 'ownership' of the Truth and its cornerstone philosophy, the Circle of Light had begun to pass out of the hands of Zara and his disciples to the masses. It was becoming the oxygen of hope, which was free and available to everyone. Zara was hounded by both Moya and Angel to help curb the demand. They could have swallowed even some of their main competitors by hostile bids, if it could get past the monopolies commission. Zara was still detached, following the funeral of Stepanov, and yet viewed the situation with a curious clarity. "Gentlemen, you can't keep bleating to me about the challenges you face. Think about it from the extinction angle. Who will give a damn if the monopolies commission is ignored? The very reason you are in a quandary is the bushfire of the faith. Use it, rather than be afraid of it. You can do this by using the power of the Truth – the tsunami of followers can demand such demolition of anti-Truth. There is of course a different indirect competitor we can consider – SACRED. I'm fully focussed on making your task more difficult by creating more demand – not less. You must keep up. It is one of life's salutary lessons. Standing still is going backwards. The initial aspirations for the Truth have been surpassed. It was intended to dragoon policy makers into more and more transparency. Their word for this is anarchy. Now there is a more valuable prize within reach. It has come courtesy of Tunguska. In the shrunken horizon we have left, the people, rather than governments can be the administrators of the Truth. I really believe it is as unstoppable as the dreaded comet itself." Moya and Angel exchanged glances, which only just managed to suppress the implied questioning of Zara's sanity.

*

Pierze had tracked down Stephan Fagor. He wasn't very helpful, despite being threatened with obstructing enquiries of the Republic. "I was approached by someone who said they were representing a wealthy foreign businessman, who needed an upmarket stopover property. I declined at first as he said they didn't want any paperwork involved, but when he offered a year's rent for one month I reconsidered. I always get paid in cash and it isn't always the same person who meets me, and the location varies. I only get notice of the location on the day, sometimes less than an hour before we are to arrive. I've been given no indication of how long this arrangement will be required, or notice of termination."

Pierze placed sentries in the street while he and Manuel entered the apartment of Atlas. Once the alarm had been deactivated with gloved hands they set about taking pictures, many of them, to study and show to Freema when the time was right. The desks were locked with ordinary hardware and therefore easy to open. Apart from bills for necessities there was a short list of pseudonyms, each one followed by a single digit. Atlas was number three.

The passwords yielded exactly what De Boer had told them, general descriptions of project headings. Atlas was again ascribed with the number three. The descriptions were deliberately vague but they did use language such as elimination, procurement, utmost secrecy, price of failure, and ultimate sacrifice. There was no obvious logic to be grasped from the order, for example Atlas was second on the list whereas Medusa, which was ascribed with the number one was actually fourth and last. It was tempting to consider taking the laptop back to his office for his hackers to fight over, but he had to take small steps. They left after less than ten minutes in the apartment. Back at the office, they examined De Boer's memory stick. The uploaded content was consistent with what he had told them – reports on the other two. They were not very complimentary with respect to Silva in particular. De Boer described him as poor with deadlines, sporadically sloppy with his use of words rather than codes, and apparently saddled with a tendency for indiscretion when even mildly inebriated. There were several cautions about his suitability for project 3. By contrast Freema scored well except for the unusually frequent calls she made in Arabic, even allowing for that being her native tongue, as they were obviously argumentative in nature, not family chats.

When Pierze and Manuel digested all of this they agreed that the latter's rather easily gained information now seemed less reliable. Although his source knew of these people it was too convenient just to offer them up as 'President Killers' – and hasten the corollary of 'case solved'. This flavour was reinforced by Manuel's repeated failure to extract anything from the source about Atlas. They decided to talk to De Boer again.

*

One of the code breakers had insisted on visiting the object again rather than just working from the photographs and printouts. He was adamant that they had missed something in the original inspection of the faces of the pyramids. After several hours of working backwards from Face 4 of the upper pyramid, he was about to give up. He had got as far as Face 1 of the same pyramid and what got his attention in looking at the diagrammatic form of Phobos, was a recall of the human prediction that the moon's decaying orbit would eventually cause its demise. However, that same prediction could not and did not take account of the object's warning of interference from a rogue asteroid and subsequent clash with Comet 2005NB5C. He focussed intently on the diagram again and pressed the screen as close as possible to the 'middle ground' of the rectangular body. He blinked as it was enlarged. He did the usual repeat, a facility which they had discovered earlier in the examination, and it continued to enlarge. He exclaimed aloud, "How the hell could they have missed this? Surely someone has enlarged this but not considered the result important." He then felt stupid as he was alone. The blow-up clearly showed a small point at one end of the moon, marked and accompanied by several other symbols, some of which were probably the coordinates of the designated point on the 22 x 21 x 19 km moon. He had to get back to the rest of the team, and also alert the probe mission control of this location as one of prime interest.

*

Pierze put it to Manuel that it would be worth accusing De Boer of being one of the grenade launchers, based on information received. He wanted to do this prior to telling him that they had confirmed what he had told them. "I don't see what we have to lose Manuel. We have to get to Atlas." It was reluctantly agreed by Manuel.

"Snr. De Boer, we have a reliable source who claims that you and Silva fired the grenades which started the carnage and almost fatally injured President Sanchez. The same source revealed that Freema Anwar obtained these weapons from Tobruk. We are following up on other leads this source has provided, for the necessary proof, which, if it is valid, would lead to me charging you." They both concentrated on his body language as nothing issued from his mouth for some time. He was bewildered more than shocked and seemed to be mentally calculating where this could have come from, rather than denying it. Pierze was in the process of rising when Manuel gripped his arm and motioned for him to sit down again.

"I can see you are confused, but I can tell you it's not Atlas, it's one of my sources. It would seem that you aren't denying the assertion."

At last he spoke. "It is the realisation that I'm being set up. I had absolutely nothing to do with the grenade launchers, neither had Silva. It does however, not surprise me completely that Freema could have been some kind of link in the procurement of something from the Middle East. She had multiple heated discussions with someone there, but refused to talk about it to us. I don't think I should say any more until I decide whether to alter my decision about having a lawyer present."

Pierze said he thought that would now be prudent. "A lawyer might be helpful in advising you on how to proceed since we have checked and confirmed the information you gave us regarding Fagor, Atlas' laptop, and your own memory stick. You may want to ask the lawyer about Atlas, now that my colleague here has told you he isn't the purveyor of the accusation. Perhaps you should also ask him about Silva, specifically his frame of mind, when he knows of the accusation. I don't see him being as level-headed as you are. If on the other hand, you want to talk further while we investigate the claims, let me know via the guard."

Back in his office Pierze laid back into his swivel chair and eyed the pile of paperwork on his desk. It was increasing on a daily basis and he felt he was being slowly crushed. The uppermost form was actually one bearing good news for a change. It was every bit as perfunctory as the original request he had sent to the lab. 'Coffee cup DNA not a match to Constantin Boniek'. He was pleased, and sublimely ignorant of what a difference a person-to-person request might have made. The form could have read, 'Not a match, but highly significant overlap of genetic markers'. He at least felt free to continue to enlist the views of Lionel Zara. The next communication in the pile was less rewarding. The scheduled World Security Body meeting location and date had been fixed to the satisfaction of all participants. It was to be held near the space elevator in the far south of the Iberian Peninsula. Since the decision to launch the manned Mars mission in 2033 had been ratified, the security concerns had escalated over its exclusion zone. This was not only for protection against extremist threat, but also the growing discomfort with demonstrations, albeit peaceful, by the rapidly expanding Circle of Light. Their lobbying was for clearer dissemination of the plans for the two alternatives facing humanity. In the scenario where confidence was high that the comet could be persuaded to pass Earth by, they wanted to know the exact mechanism. In the alternate outcome they were pressing for information on underground shelter construction and what chance people had of surviving the impact and its attendant toxicity for years afterwards. A third scenario raised its head as a consequence of these demonstrations. What was the plan for Mars in either event? This had worked its way to the front of the demands as they could foresee a selection process being required for underground survival and getting off the Earth. There was suspicion abroad that this might already have been discussed. Pierze saw this as the thin end of a wedge of social fracture and ultimate breakdown. He would talk unofficially to Zara about his fears.

*

Johann De Boer had wrongly assumed that Pierze had by now confronted Silva with the information claiming that they had fired the grenades. He had met with his appointed lawyer and asked him if there was any possibility he could be extradited to Southern Africana to face any charges. He was told that the list of potential charges was long, and until he was actually charged it would be difficult to answer the question. "If you are hit with attempted murder of the President you have no chance. On the other hand if you were accused of perversion of the course of justice or conspiracy to block the intended broadcast, you may at least get a hearing." He decided to ask to see Pierze with the lawyer present.

When Pierze entered the interrogation room, De Boer asked where the man who had delivered the accusation of firing the grenades was.

"He is not here today."

De Boer's next statement surprised Pierze and the lawyer. "I therefore wish to have this lawyer contact my family lawyer in Southern Africana to represent me in a civil action against this absentee. You will please give this lawyer his name. That's all I have to say for the present."

Pierze handed the lawyer a piece of paper with the name 'Manuel Salina' scribbled in large text. The lawyer showed it to De Boer, whose expression slowly transformed from serious to a broad grin.

Pierze left the room and immediately contacted Manuel. "I had to give him your name as I haven't charged him with anything. I may have to do that to prevent him trying to sue you. If I go that route I need proof other than what he gave us. All that might achieve is dismissal or jail, but he could be out in five years. I think this is what he wants. If we can't get more from your source we'll have to drop the accusation of direct involvement in the assassination plot. He knows if he walks out now his life is at risk, so he must have some plan in mind." Manuel was very unhappy that Pierze had revealed his name, as any publicity of such a civil case would find its way back to the source and may have serious consequences for him.

"Will he give up the civil case if the accusation is officially withdrawn?"

Pierze pondered the question. "He may do, in fact that could be his bargaining point. That may be why he is prepared to risk a less serious charge and jail, especially if he can get me to keep him safe for now. I think you need to be present when I put this to him."

*

Manuel was speaking from the hospital, and he explained to Duarte that he had to take Elle to the airport and then meet Pierze. Butragueno said her tearful goodbyes and said she was going to take some official leave, and expected to be back within a week. Duarte and Maria nodded in appreciation. The news was mixed. Emile was not improving and they had been forced to relieve the pressure on his brain despite the risk. This was slightly compensated by the football club's fruitful efforts to get a highly respected specialist from Japan to examine the boy.

When Manuel arrived, Pierze said after further consideration he was going to charge all three of the moles with breach of security within the department. "Let's do your part first and see what comes of that. One thing is certain. We are being given the runaround by someone."

Manuel asked what had come from the DNA checks from the broadcast studio. "Is there nothing there to connect these people?"

Pierze shook his head disconsolately. "I'm afraid not. I've had to ease up on the team because there is a morass of samples and it is virtually impossible to be sure who they came from. With a bomb blast like that you also get identical samples more than twenty metres from one another, so the work is unavoidably duplicated. In the context of your information though, even if Silva and De Boer did fire the grenades, they were from the multi-storey car park, and you may recall, both the painting equipment and the weapons were clean. The vehicle they used only had prints and DNA from the owner's family. I have to break the lock-jam Manuel, despite the consequences."

*

The three subjects were informed that they would be updated separately and then charged together. Freema and Silva looked distinctly uncomfortable, De Boer was relaxed and he was asked to remain while the others were shown out of the room. Pierze acknowledged De Boer's entering lawyer and gave the floor to Manuel. The recorder was overtly switched off. Manuel began.

"Snr. De Boer, I have pursued my source, the one who made the accusation, and he has failed to come up with any hard evidence of your involvement with the grenade launchers used at the broadcast studio. I have therefore advised Snr. Pierze that this information has to be considered as unreliable."

De Boer looked at his lawyer, who said nothing. He then made his own comment. "Just like that eh, it's very nice of you to apologise. Do you think that makes any difference to how I feel? You have not budged me from my intent to take out a civil case, but thank you anyway for at least retracting the accusation."

Pierze stepped in. "I have to remind you that we aren't recording at present. When this accusation was brought to your attention we were recording. It was made crystal clear to you that this information had been passed to us. We felt you should know about it, and we stand by that. You were always being held on hard evidence from our staff – these printouts – and what you yourself have subsequently told us, which we have verified. You have not been held against your will and it is also on record that I was considering charging you several days ago, but deferred that decision. At that juncture, all three of you preferred to remain in the safety of this establishment. This will be interpreted by any legal authority as a fear of reprisal from some organisation which sponsored the activity with which you will be charged today. We have diligently tried in the meantime to find out more about such connections, as much for your sake as our own investigations. Now Snr. De Boer, before I switch the recorder on again, is there anything more you want to say? It is your last chance before charges are made."

De Boer glanced at his lawyer, who nodded. "I am prepared to consider not proceeding with a civil suit, but I'm awaiting arrival of my family lawyer from Southern Africana. What I would need in return would depend on him lodging a successful appeal to my homeland government for me to face these charges there. An application from them to extradite me would be the first step in the normal procedural sequence. You could facilitate this by not objecting."

It was rare for Pierze to laugh out loud; he had considered a number of means of leverage that De Boer might trot out, but this was ludicrous. "And how do you believe that justice could be administered by a trial for the others in this jurisdiction, and you being spirited away to a domain where there are serious discrepancies in interpretation of Iberian – Africana law. Why stop there, Freema can go to Libya, and Silva to Brazil."

The lawyer spoke for the first time. "Snr. Pierze, there is a difference. My client is a birth national of a sovereign state not under the Iberian flag. Although it is aligned by treaties, common market undertakings and military cooperation, that is different from Arabic Iberia and Southern Iberiana. One such example is the charge of treason against De Boer, it could not be seen to offer an unbiased trial under our law, whereas it would on a constitutional basis for the others. Therefore, in the absence of homogeneous International law, I don't see this as an invalid request. Furthermore, if you were to agree to this, my client may be able to add to the truthful information he has already submitted to you. This information has already indicated that there is a difference in the nature of his remit compared to the other two to be charged. He hasn't been involved in hands-on subversive action against Iberia. His main task was to report on others, who may yet have to try to prove their innocence of such a charge. That may be more difficult if my client reveals evidence to the contrary. He's asking you to weigh up the pros and cons of separate prosecution of your case."

Pierze and Manuel decided to adjourn and think this over. This chessboard was becoming congested, not with the actual number of pieces, but the permutations and combinations of available moves. Pierze detested compromise when it was not on his terms, but Manuel was more pragmatic and brought up yet another possible move.

"Ricardo, I think we both agree that my source has stirred this concoction of ours deliberately, I stand by my belief that he is reputable, and he must therefore be under pressure to get a result for someone. We unfortunately have to let go of him, and I think that will cause problems for him. If De Boer can really give us more, we should at least hear him out. I say that because he is assuming that the Southern Africana hierarchy will want to help him, when it is just as likely they don't want anything to do with this. It could rebound into a diplomatic nightmare for them. Despite what this lawyer says, Africana is expecting to continue to benefit from Iberian investment. De Boer is taking a calculated risk. You could save him the risk on condition he gives us sufficient evidence of a credible justification of different charges."

They mulled it over for more than an hour. Pierze then went to the office gym to replace the mental fatigue with physical tiredness, and a compensating release of endorphins. When he returned he agreed to commence the end-game with Johann De Boer.

### Chapter 17

End Game One

They reconvened. Ricardo Pierze talked very slowly and very carefully, describing the attendees, the time and date. He then switched off the recorder. "Very well De Boer, you have one shot at sketching in what you can illuminate for us. I'm making my offer, I will not to block any extradition request from your homeland conditional on this 'sketch' delivering valuable information. We have to take these pledges on trust. Please begin."

The lawyer interjected. "There is also the small matter of separate charges, provided you concur that what my client discloses constitutes probable evidence that his involvement in the irregularities is limited to reporting on his colleagues."

Pierze was beginning to exhibit signs of impatience. "Yes, yes, now can we get on with it? I am now turning on the recorder as you claim this will become evidence for your client's defence – if it indeed merits a lesser charge." Consensus reigned at last.

De Boer was handed a pre-prepared statement from his lawyer, from which he was told not to deviate. "I must make it absolutely clear that I know nothing of the greater agenda of the people on whose behalf I was recruited and later engineered into Iberian Central Security. My controller, known to me as Atlas required me to ensure that my working colleagues, Freema Anwar and Andreas Silva, kept to protocol and target reporting schedules. I wasn't permitted to know the details of what they reported, and they were instructed not to allow me access to such information. Things did not exactly work out that way. Although Anwar and Silva initially respected my remit, they began to object over time – to me, they didn't dare confront Atlas. The three of us became increasingly concerned that we would need to be erased at some time. This fear originally came from Freema. She came to me before Silva did, as he was technically her subordinate. She confessed that although she was instructed and informed by Atlas on a need to know basis, she was able to connect how her information uploads dovetailed into Project 3. She didn't know the target, place or time, but it became obvious that mass murder was the only possible result. We had all been groomed for espionage tasks, but this made her realise that we would, of necessity be one strand of the links, which would have to be severed to protect the architects. She had sensed my own discomfort, which had been triggered by what I saw on Atlas' laptop the day of the fire alarm. We were very nervous about sharing information, nevertheless the inevitable fate of doing nothing convinced us to include Silva, as we all had to be acting as one while we planned our disappearance. Events overtook our departure otherwise I wouldn't be sitting here. We felt we had to continue to act as normal and Central Security was as safe a refuge as we could expect while we extricated ourselves. I can provide details of my individual plan to get back to Southern Africana. I have travel vouchers which were purchased before you brought me to confinement. I have also made arrangements with people there who can confirm where they were planning to 'bury' me. I'm happy for you to check this out. The others have made similar arrangements. I would now like to progress to what knowledge we gathered, which I must stress again, we were officially prohibited from having.

"Atlas met his counterparts from a list of four controllers, on a scheduled basis, sometimes overseas and occasionally at the apartment here. I personally have only seen one other to whom I can assign a code name. Medusa was here recently. Freema believes she has figured out the other two. I got the picture from Atlas' laptop when I re-entered the meeting room during the aforementioned fire alarm. From the structure of the other data I saw at that time, we tried to put together the sequence of these projects. This was assisted by the information pattern of what Freema and Silva were asked to gather. We had already come up with the order of the projects as 3-2-4-1. This was what panicked us, as the one we were hired for was to be first. I have the picture and the rest of this information copied on to a memory stick, in a secure location."

The statement was handed back to the lawyer who returned it to his briefcase and said, "Over to you gentlemen. This memory stick will be made available if you are now prepared to discuss how things will proceed, if you find my client's account is verified, and it consequently leads you to arrest of the persons who are really responsible for the savage loss of life we all witnessed."

The recorder was turned off. Pierze looked at Manuel. It was agonisingly tempting, especially as their own enquires had foundered. The tension was reaching a crescendo when it was punctured by a rendition of the 1812 overture. It startled three of them but De Boer exclaimed, "That's my ringtone!"

Pierze was catapulted into a frantic search through his pockets. He had communicators from all three of them. He tipped the mobiles plus his own on to the table, and urged De Boer to answer the call.

"Yes." A short pause followed while De Boer asked for a pen. He scribbled one word – Atlas. "Yes sir, I understand, when?" There was another brief silence while Atlas discharged further instructions. "I see. Will you be speaking with the others or do you want me to do that?" He then tried to keep Atlas on the line while he wrote – 'Get Freema and Silva'.

Pierze despatched the guard to bring them into the room immediately. Just as he was debriefing Freema on the situation and De Boer was nodding affirmation her ringtone sounded. She was told to answer. The same conversation occurred, but this time Atlas told her to inform Silva to attend. The arrangement was for all of them to attend the apartment. De Boer was scheduled for fifteen minutes ahead of the other two. He explained that it was highly unusual for them to be called to attend within such a short period and they had never been there all together. It convinced the three of them that this was dangerous. Pierze and Manuel had a private word and concluded that if the latter's contact had been forcibly primed to make the accusation against De Boer and Silva, then sufficient time had elapsed for all three to be in custody. These calls may well have been feelers to determine if the three of them could attend, or if they didn't answer the calls because they had been investigated. Pierze came back into the room and said he wanted them to keep the appointment so he could pick up Atlas. They were understandably nervous and mentioned that Atlas always had the apartment surveyed before he arrived and if they were right about the danger he may have arranged for a third party to administer his intention. As the appointments were for the following morning it was agreed that marksmen would be stationed on adjacent rooftops and inside the apartment. If it turned out that a contract had been taken out then those in the apartment would disarm the assassin and extract the payoff location. Contracts were never paid in full prior to proof of the work being carried out. If Atlas was waiting outside for his executioner to return or he came to the apartment himself then he would be taken by Pierze and additional ground forces. The marksmen in the apartment and on the rooftops would be posted during the night. "It is therefore important, De Boer, that you take us to the location of your picture so that we have visuals of who we are looking for. He was originally seen while you three were under surveillance but it was from a distance and the digital images were very grainy and dark, as it was late evening. We were never able to enhance or clean them up to be of much use."

Freema and Silva were returned to their respective rooms wondering what the hell had been going on with De Boer, who now took his lawyer, Manuel, and Pierze to see what was on his memory stick. When it was retrieved and hooked up to his laptop, he double-clicked on the picture in question. A simultaneous 'Jesus Christ' was uttered by Pierze and Manuel. Pierze recognised Jose-Maria Olmeda, who had been the legal counsel for Manuel's father Antonio, who in turn was Pierze's predecessor. "Which one is he?"

De Boer replied, "That's Atlas, do you know him?" Before he could reply Manuel clamoured to know one of the others.

"Which one is he?" the reply meant nothing to Pierze.

"He is Medusa." Manuel sat down and looked sheepishly at Pierze. "No it isn't, it is Raul Ibanez." It now did mean something to Pierze.

*

Olmeda had of course been one of the first casualties of Pierze's appointment. He had been ultra-loyal to Antonio Salina and it was felt to be inviting trouble if he was asked to work for Pierze. While investigating his background at the time, it was not thought significant that Olmeda's ancestry was rooted in Inca bloodlines. He had gravitated from post-university employment in Peru to a prestigious legal partnership in Madrid, and then to Central Security. He had obviously returned to his native Southern Iberiana following his dismissal by Pierze. Manuel was utterly embarrassed about Ibanez and now seriously concerned about his unnamed contact in Uruguay. Pierze agreed to check on him through the local police databases.

"What is his name? Manuel we have to do this."

Reluctantly, and admitting that he had not been able to reach this man despite repeatedly calling him, Manuel uttered, "Leopold Rodriguez." Pierze also said that once Olmeda had been apprehended he would ask Sanchez to enlist the help of Din chow Zen to get Ibanez out of Korea.

The process of apprehending Olmeda went smoothly; it did conform to expectation that a contract killer or an underling was issued instructions from his parked vehicle. When this man arrived in the apartment he got the message immediately when confronted with eight armed security personnel. A quick message to Pierze from the leader, confirming that the neutralisation of the assassin had been completed, allowed the ground force to move in on Olmeda. He tried to end his life as the vehicle was surrounded but one of the sharpshooters fired a shot into his shoulder. The rest were on him in a flash and they brought him in for medical treatment. He wasn't going to be easy to crack.

Pierze gave Manuel the bad news. Leopold Rodriguez had been found floating face down in the Montevideo estuary two days ago. Needless to say it was treated as suspicious. The Uruguayan police would cooperate. Sanchez made the plea to the Orient leader and was promised that Ibanez would be attended to with some urgency, as it would finally clear Zen's domain of any involvement in the attempt on Sanchez' life.

Having patched up Olmeda's shoulder, he was transferred from the hospital to Pierze's office. He was accompanied by medical expertise as he had already tried to take his own life. As Ricardo Pierze sat across the table from Olmeda he noticed for the first time the ethnic features of original natives of Southern Iberiana. Although it had been known over the centuries since the Conquistadors raped the sub-continent, that there was some lingering hatred of Spanish imperialism at the time, it was never really thought to be a simmering threat. Pierze had to revise that perception as he looked down at information just received from his people in Southern Iberiana. Raul Ibanez had similar lineage to Olmeda. It seemed rather obvious now that after Olmeda's dismissal, he had been vulnerable to extremist influence. He would see dual targets, Pierze as the person who ended his ascension to greater things, and the Iberian juggernaut regime which, in reality, still treated Southern Iberiana as a colony. Pierze also needed to extract information on two fronts. First priority was the extent of Project 3, and then the wider issue of covert uprising or even secession agenda. The expression on Olmeda's face was a composite of disgust and contempt. Pierze decided not to fuel his deep-seated emotions at this interview. He confined his delivery to the evidence accumulated from De Boer, Freema and Silva. The photographic and computer data came next and then he paused. Sensing that Olmeda's intention was to remain silent he shuffled through his papers and began to rise to leave. "Oh yes, I thought you may want to know that we are currently awaiting Raul Ibanez – he is on his way. More worrying for you I suppose, is the probable murder of Leopold Rodriguez. It occurred at about the same time as you left for Madrid. Pierze was alert for and did notice there was no reaction to Ibanez being hauled in, but there was undeniable shock at the Rodriguez disclosure.

*

Having left the interrogation room, Pierze made a further call to Zara. "I wondered if you could spare the time to visit again. I'm sorry to make this request at such short notice, but something has come up and I could benefit from your expertise. If you aren't able to come to me I will visit you."

Zara was cautious. "Can you tell me what it's about?"

Pierze said it needed to be explored in an absolutely secure location. "I would have to avoid sharing such sensitive probing on communicators. If it isn't convenient right now we can fix a time to suit you better.

Zara relaxed a little. "No, that won't be necessary, but it would help if you came to see me."

*

There was a message for Pierze to call President Sanchez. It was news he could have done without. Ibanez wasn't in Korea, he hadn't even stayed for the full duration of the holiday package. The border control records showed he had left after four days for Southern Africana. From there he had taken a flight to Tobruk, and then the trail went dead. Manuel was profusely apologetic to Pierze, as both of his trusted contacts had provided disinformation. He told Pierze he was going to Tobruk.

"He will be easy to spot if he's still there and I know what he looks like better than anyone. It would help if you could get Freema to tell us where the weapons contact is in the city; that can be the only reason he's there. I know Freema has denied direct involvement in the weapons procurement, target, delivery or use, and I'm prepared to believe that is true, but she is likely to have helped in setting up the contact. She may see this as a chance to mitigate judgement on her part in this saga, it's worth a try."

Pierze saw no reason not to proceed with charges against Freema and Silva directly. He did feel that De Boer had given him information which ultimately led to the capture of Olmeda. This process would take some time to get to court and the three of them were happy to remain in the safe custody of Pierze's people until the other big fish had been landed. De Boer was told that he would be able to serve his sentence in his homeland if, as he surely would be, found guilty. They were all weighing up the merit of pleading guilty.

Freema didn't know the arms importer in Tobruk; she did however have the go-between's name. By revealing this, she knew she was providing evidence that her controller had asked her to obtain this conduit. Even if she didn't know the details of the purpose, she had sought out and passed on connection to an illegal weapons merchant. Pierze passed the name of Habib Al-Ahmed to Manuel.

"I have also contacted the Tobruk police precinct and asked for their cooperation. They are more than willing to help, as we are looking for a specific person, who could actually help them bring down an arms ring. Please be ultra-careful Manuel, if Ibanez finds out you are on to him he won't hesitate to kill you."

Jose-Maria Olmeda was still under the impression that Ibanez was on his way into Pierze's custody. When it was time to question him again it was thought this might be useful. Pierze began with Antonio Salina, which surprised the prisoner.

"It was not a personal reprisal when I fired you Snr. Olmeda. You know that you were a victim of circumstance. I had to cleanse the department of all those who had been close aides of Salina, as he was directly involved in the Sidonia cult. I couldn't take the chance that you and many others were not, as there was too much at stake. It seems you may be part of a different cause at present, and as we know where the weapons came from in Tobruk, we will be able to pin this on you, and confirm it by the evidence from your moles in my department. Antonio Salina's son Manuel is in Tobruk at present, and will, with the help of the local police bring the dealer here. It's unlikely he will protect you by lying, especially if his incarceration would amount to the rest of his life, with the spectre of it all coming to an end in a few years from now. Speaking of the Comet itself, I could also understand you wanting to be with your family when the end comes, that is, if we cannot prevent it. I know you tried to eliminate yourself from my enquiries when you were captured, but that was a snap decision. You didn't have time to think it through. Those with whom you are involved in this crusade wouldn't want you to talk, and that is indirectly going to bring pressure to your family. Both your co-conspirators and your family will be worried about you, wondering where you are. That will change soon when I charge De Boer, Anwar, and Silva. Imagine what they will think when both you and Ibanez follow on. The loyalty of those executives of the cause back in Southern Iberiana will be severely tested, in the same way they will believe yours and that of Ibanez will. It's a kind of 'chicken game' to decide who jumps out of the path of the train first. Your family can't afford you to lose. I have until your arrest and charge becomes public to get your family out of there and to safety, if you can help with our enquiries. Alternatively I can assist in another way; I can let you know when your family has been kidnapped or worse. So you see, I think your wife and children need you to stay alive. I can't believe you are a selfish man - surely you just tried to kill yourself out of misplaced loyalty. I'll leave you to think about things. I'll have all the evidence I need when Manuel returns. One more thing you possibly want to consider – Ibanez didn't try to end it, and he strikes me as being more flexible when prioritising his loyalties."

Pierze recalled that De Boer had mentioned previously that Freema believed she had figured out the code names of the other two controllers. He believed that if he could dislodge one more crucial brick in the wall, there was a chance that Olmeda would fold his poker hand. Freema was allowed to visit De Boer for a short period without any officers present. She was beginning to see, with De Boer's coercion, the sense in cooperating. It was rather naïve to assume that she could limit the degree to which she was a liability in the eyes of the ruthless people who approved her recruitment. She either was or was not, there was no in-between. She asked to see Pierze.

"I am able to relate certain categories of information we were asked to obtain, to code names and project numbers. I am not able to put faces to the code names, but if you have Olmeda and Ibanez in custody I can verify the former is Atlas. De Boer says your man Salina recognised Ibanez from the picture and he was according to Johann – Medusa. That leaves Thor and Poseidon. Atlas you already know is the overall controller for Project 3, which was to terminate Nelson Ortega and President Sanchez. I have collected sufficient information for Medusa to believe he is going to wreck the space elevator, under Project 1. Thor wanted habitual updates on any contact between Central Security and the two owners of Sacred. I don't know why. Poseidon is the strange one. The others all had traceable communication trails to Southern Iberiana. Poseidon has never surfaced, and he or she requests information through the other three. There is evidence, if your computer people are up to the job, on Atlas' laptop, of allocation of data to each project. Poseidon's come from sub-folders of the others' information I had to upload. I hope this may be considered in me appealing for the same deal you have given to De Boer." Pierze said he would let her know if this proved to be useful.

*

Manuel had struck lucky in Tobruk. The local militia had taken Ibanez, Al-Ahmed and the man at the sharp end of the arms importation. He was on his way back, assisted by two militia men, with Ibanez. It was expected the Tobruk police would get the opposite number of the dealer in Orient out of their captive.

Before Ibanez arrived, Olmeda was given sight of the picture of all four controllers. Pierze went through his well-rehearsed routine. "We have all of the code names and project objectives. The only details we are missing are the real names of Thor and Poseidon. We will get this one way or another. The information base is in Southern Iberiana, but there are repeated connections to Southern Africana. You should also bear in mind that your organisation recruited all three of your moles from counter-terrorism units, and they are busy with the tracing mechanism. They don't like people poaching their highly trained staff, and they have to ensure they haven't slipped through to the other side of the rather porous membrane."

He then suddenly started to yell at Olmeda. "How the hell do you think we exposed them? You are bloody amateurs. It is a cardinal commandment of this line of work that you don't underestimate your adversary. I have adhered to that; it seems you have not. Oh, I forgot why I really came to see you. Ibanez is expected within the next two hours. I can't see him being quite as self-righteous as you are. He knows Manuel Salina very well and more importantly he knows that he can get these two names from his contacts in Montevideo. You never know how much he will be prepared to implicate others in his desperation to survive. He made no such heroic attempt at martyrdom as you did, and there is the small matter of the lies he has already told us. Manuel says he seems rather keen to make amends. We will interview you together after we have final statements from each of you; even if you maintain your silence you will be able to hear what he has to say. I doubt if any of his concern will be directed at your family Snr. Olmeda."

The wall of silence was breached. "I can see you are trying to divide us by fear of each other's capitulation. Normally I would hold firm, but Ibanez is not known for putting his head on the block. He is a poker player and a good one; he has a sixth sense of when someone else is bluffing. Your information, albeit fragmented will make him uneasy. I need some guarantee you can get my family to safety before I fill in some of your blanks."

Pierze asked the guard in attendance to leave the room, and turned off the recorder before assuming his natural predatory ability to recognise the moment for the kill. He spoke very quietly and very politely. "I began my first interrogation of you with the declaration that had it not been for your previous association with Antonio Salina, we would in all probability have been working together now. Precisely the same probability can be ascribed to Manuel getting me the rest of the information I need; it is, and I repeat, purely a question of time. You have to help yourself before I can consider helping you. If I decide to do that, then you have my word. I can keep my word – simply because I don't see why your children should suffer for your misjudgement."

Olmeda took a deep breath and indicated he was ready. Pierze switched the recorder on again. "I am a lawyer by discipline and my experience persuades me that you may indeed have the means of building on what you have already, in order to determine the names of those you seek. I am therefore not willing to be associated with giving you such assistance, but you may be more successful with Ibanez. I can also envisage that your tenacity will deliver more on the connection you referred to between Southern Iberiana and Southern Africana. The analysis of the project data will also yield information which will compromise this overall strategy, if your computer forensics people are good enough. If I therefore accept that I am weighing up my family's lives on the basis of you having the data a little ahead of time, I have no choice. I repeat that I will not give you names. I will trust you to keep your word.

"Southern Africana and Southern Iberiana have a fundamental historical injustice in common. Our lands and people were subjected to the most barbaric destruction of our culture and enslavement of our people by imperial invasion. Although these atrocities began hundreds of years ago, the effects are still seen today, in terms of living standards and true freedom from corruption. For some time there has been much contact on the benefit of a southern hemisphere state. It would require secession by Southern Iberiana, but Southern Africana has only agreed alignment to Iberia, the only other historical choice having been Orient. As with all such grandiose ideology, it always comes down in a practical sense, to the power conferred by wealth. Our information, being filtered from Iberian Central Security out into the trading world was critical. We needed to know what share of Iberian technology we would need to acquire to become self-sufficient. That was Poseidon's remit. Thor was to explore the possibility of obtaining a controlling ownership of SACRED. We believe that the owners are not unwilling to consider a buyout. This would have given us strong leverage in the coming years, as it still owns the only space elevator. Medusa was to identify weaknesses in the security of this elevator as it was such a critical pivot in our plans. We needed to quantify risks of terrorism or military action. This project was to be last, simply because it would be irrelevant if the others could not be successfully completed. The only act of inhumanity in all of this was the need to remove Nelson Ortega. That did not seem too high a price to us when compared to the butchery of the Incas by Herman Cortez. We were prepared to countenance this because he was plotting to remove Sanchez, and install Falcorini. Because Ortega is seen as the modern day Cortez, due to his treachery while he was ambassador in Southern Iberiana, and his agenda after the planned death of Sanchez, we felt his removal had to be executed first."

The expression on Pierze's face was circumspect. "Well that does neatly stitch together the disparate knowledge we already have. I have two questions. It seems as if you are saying Project 3, which you were responsible for, didn't include the elimination of Sanchez. How then do you explain the grenade deployment on the fifth and then ground floors, prior to the sniper appearing on the roof?"

At first, Olmeda looked confused. "We were all primarily responsible for overall control of one project, but we had to draw upon each other's talents and demonstrate four-way sign-off evidence as a security measure. I am sure you will agree that I was better suited to evaluate the benefits and legal implications of acquiring SACRED, but I drew the short straw. The others felt equally disadvantaged but it was intended to act like a five-point mortice lock. It was Ortega's plan to procure the Southern Africana individual to deal the fatal blow to Sanchez. Our intelligence there alerted us, and the sniper was persuaded, don't ask me how, to target Ortega himself. It was supposed to be with a rifle – no collateral damage. We were amazed when we saw the carnage on the roof. The rocket launchers were only supposed to strike the ground floor entrance and cause the people to ascend to the roof, where our man was waiting. I don't know why the fifth floor was hit first. The arms procurement was part of my delegation to Ibanez, and it obviously went wrong somewhere, as he even got the gunman's weapon wrong. Perhaps you had better ask him."

Pierze was satisfied about this in a general way, and then posed his second question. "Despite our tapestry of evidence being inescapably but gradually completed with the appropriate missing pieces, you surprised me with the speed of your transition from silence to pragmatism. Would you care to elucidate?"

Olmeda managed a smile for the first time. "I thought you may have figured that out for yourself; it was due to more influential factors which are outside your progress in this investigation. It was expected to take more than a decade to even approach finalisation of the economic strength to trigger secession. That timescale has now to be set in the context of two apparently separate, but intrinsically linked items - Comet 2005NB5C and this Circle of Light. They each in their own way ask whether we all stand a better chance of survival if there is unity. I hate the cliché, but the timing could have been kinder. Project 3 was initiated before we knew of these issues otherwise Sanchez would not have been unnecessarily injured."

When Ibanez was grilled, having listened to Olmeda's recording, he gave the names and completed the picture, by daubing in the final details. Pierze had to arrange an urgent meeting with Sanchez.

### Chapter 18

"Snr. President, I now have an almost complete picture of the assassination attempt and the good news is that it clears Orient of any wrongdoing, other than someone at Sukahara illegally selling their arms. We have confessions from two of the four men controlling projects, of which the studio attack is one. The other two names are not familiar to us but Manuel is confident he can get the real background on them by going to Montevideo then Africana, and he is on his way. The more disturbing side to all this is the bigger picture we have unravelled. As you know Olmeda from his days in Madrid, I need not remind you of his ethnic origin. Ibanez is from similar lineage and I'm guessing that the other two are descendants of anti-colonial martyrs in Southern Africana. They were part of a detailed timetable of Southern Iberiana's secession from the Republic and the joining with Southern Africana in a super southern hemisphere state. Its name was to be Liberta. The people who were to head up this state used the deep-rooted hatred of these men to fuel their elaborate plan. The vice-president of this new alignment was to be Samuel Managway, written as 'Manague'. He has been on our security radar over the last few years, but only for inciting political radicalism, we have never had proof that it went any further. The intended President is a different matter. Falcorini has played a superb role as an incompetent 'sleeper' in our midst. I've had to dig deep to find out why. Tracing back his family tree yielded the answer. Falcorini is not a typical indigenous Iberiana family name, but his grandmother's maiden name was Cubillas. Historical records of the Conquistadors throw this name up frequently and there are many references to this mini-dynasty taking several Inca royal princesses as concubines, into their bloodline. I'm not too hopeful that I could ever authenticate this in terms of law, but we may provoke him into exposing it through his own desire to become a martyr, now that we have uncovered his plan. Falcorini has been happy to be your deputy and study the legal complications of secession from within the enemy's camp. His access to all kinds of information have helped the four project controllers build their strategy. By being considered a liability as a diplomat, he has also been ignored as a danger. The one remaining area I want to clean up before this hits the media, is the fate of the two people who fired the grenades. Ibanez says Falcorini wanted to arrange this himself. Although this appeared irregular, and it was not executed to the agreed plan, it seems only Falcorini knew of the changes. The initial objective of the plot was to take out Ortega by sniper, having blocked the ground floor by grenade fire. The changes orchestrated by Falcorini were twofold. He altered the rocket launchers' plan to hit floor five first in an attempt to eliminate you. He also arranged for the sniper to use the bomb which was to remove Ortega and you, if you had survived the grenades. Bear in mind this whole episode came about through intelligence that he had on Ortega, who had already planned for the sniper to execute you Snr. President, with a rifle made and supplied from Brazil. Falcorini was so pleased with the outcome, apart from your recovery, that he invited Ibanez to his residence, the purpose being to feed Manuel disinformation. During the alcohol-rich self-congratulation he couldn't resist telling Ibanez that he had paid off the unnamed grenade duo by drugging their celebratory champagne. He laughed about storing their limp bodies in his large basement freezer, and when they were rock hard, he processed them through his powerful wood-chipping machine, together with logs he had set aside. According to Ibanez he was particularly proud of scattering the conglomerate of tissue, bone and sawdust on his borders as plant feed. He expected insects, rodents and birds to purify the scene. We should be able to find traces of human tissue as it happened only a few weeks ago."

Sanchez sat shaking his head, partly at the complexity and the time needed to connect all of the stray dots, but also at the realisation of the enemy within. He sanctioned Pierze to arrest Falcorini. He was to be interrogated on the detail involved with projects 1, 2 and 4, once his arrest had been accomplished. As he left Pierze, tried to reassure the President. "I've thought about Olmeda's statement that their grand design was already in jeopardy anyway, due to support melting away. He claims that Tunguska and the Circle of Light have conspired to cause this eclipse. I have an appointment with Lionel Zara and I will ask for his help in moderating the demonstrations before they turn violent."

During this intense effort to close the assassination case, Pierze hadn't found the time to digest the latest advance by the code breakers. Using the meanings ascribed to the growing list of symbols understood, they had applied computer pattern algorithm programming to develop the rudiments of a language structure. It wasn't an obvious or indeed logical approach, from a human viewpoint, and in fact it was this already recognised probability, which led to the flexible orientation of the algorithms. Although it was early days, they were sure they could expect a true breakthrough. A valid test of this assertion was requested of the command of the probe on its way to Phobos. If the early structural linguistic concepts were correct, the coordinates on the moon diagram, discovered earlier, were the location of a device of some kind. They wanted maximum resolution pictures of this location and the surrounding area.

*

When Pierze addressed Zara he was quite hopeful of a positive response. He even took the risk of filling in some of the recently acquired details from Project 3. "I wanted to ask you, as being credited with founding this faith, for assistance in tempering some of the demands being made. Your influence would go a long way toward instilling some patience in the followers. Their ranks are continuing to swell at an alarming rate, and all of our experience with such trends is that they suffer splintering when they perceive inertia from the elected government. The process almost inevitably spawns violence. Are you in a position to convey to them that this Truth they crave can only be obtained by mutual trust between government and citizens?"

Zara looked him straight in the eyes. "The short answer is no. Firstly, I'm now only a figurehead. That is the way I want it, as too often with matters of faith, those initially worshipped become perverted by the temptation of power. Secondly, what kind of truth gets hijacked by compromise at the first hurdle? This isn't politics we're talking about; it is the remnants of our severely curtailed future – and yours. Third, and probably most important, is the issue of unity. It's a word which gets bandied about quite a bit, but my fervent belief is that it is the only real weapon we have against this planet-killer. Its shadow has become part of the drive for such homogeneity. The species comes before individuals, groups, cliques and governments. These are all products of so-called civilised society. The comet is a product of the unthinking, indiscriminate laws of physics – alias the Truth. Snr. Pierze, you seek order in your remit, and probably in your personal life. The Circle of Light seeks that same order. As soon as someone in government decides what is acceptable for others to know and what is to be withheld, that's the equivalent to the cosmic outcome in which matter prevailed over anti-matter. It becomes a step in which it is virtually impossible to foresee any route to reconsideration. That is what is meant by the Truth. You want order; so do they. I'm surprised at your request because you are fortunate to have the means in your own hands; you don't need my help. I fear you can't see this and even if you could it would make you afraid."

A puzzled Ricardo Pierze asked Zara to be more explicit. He complied.

"It is the orientation of your perspective which filters the blindingly obvious. Join them and you will see things differently. Your fear is the temporary dislocation of the order you know, but that is a type of order threatened by its own censorship. You may be very surprised at how such discomfort disperses like morning fog on a clear, sunny day. This comet has to be viewed in two ways; it is either the end, in which case we need one another to be strong, or its galvanic conference produces the very order you fear. You must therefore see this comet as an unlikely return to the matter versus anti-matter pivot, and such an opportunity may never come again. There are millions of people out there who don't want to miss out on the change it can bring. This is what they understand as the Truth. Everything in life is relative, and that applies to the fear of extinction. Currently, yours is more intense than theirs."

Pierze didn't feel in control of this discussion because he had, like everyone else on the planet who could grasp what was coming in 2045, begun to adjust his life expectancy to a finite point in time. He was disturbed to admit this to himself. It was a very subtle point that such a relatively small change from indefinite life expectancy to the opposite, was akin to degrading of mental cement. It was faced every day by many unfortunate sufferers of terminal conditions, and even that terrifying prospect was imprecise. This was the entire population of the Earth, and the time could be predicted by atomic clocks to a millisecond. His original request to Zara was founded on concern that as that time approaches, anarchy will prevail. Now he was being asked to tackle that head-on by a method which was totally alien to every lesson he believed he had learned. He was both pleased he had been able to share Zara's view, and at the same time, really scared that he no longer knew how to do his job. Without the type of control he had acquired by eradication of Sidonia, he felt he would fail. He returned to his home rather than his office, and as he had nobody to engage with, he began to sink into the beginnings of schizophrenia.

*

Duarte's son remained unchanged. The highly regarded specialist brought in by the club had concurred with the original opinion. He believed that Emile may regain consciousness in months or years to come, but it wasn't likely. He completely ruled out surgery, having seen all the scans and test results. Apart from the crippling financial prospect of contributing to the costs of keeping him in care and on life support, there was the ethical dilemma. Maria wanted to wait for at least the period of cover by the club's insurance, before even discussing voluntary termination. Duarte was trying to imagine the boy's attitude, if he recovered consciousness, toward a life without the capability of walking, and impending extinction. The two of them resolved to keep counsel to themselves for the time being. They knew they had to be ultimately of one mind, not only for Emile's sake, but for their marriage.

*

Manuel had been directed from Montevideo to Gauteng province in Southern Africana, and the City of Tshwane Municipality, in particular. The names and correlation to the picture allowed several people to identify the two remaining controllers. With Pierze taking some time off, Manuel had to ask Sanchez to speak with the Southern Africana hierarchy. All avenues seemed to lead back to Samuel Manague, which wasn't very helpful. It was difficult not to draw the conclusion that the entire government apparatus was involved in this agenda. Sanchez told Manuel to get the hell out of there as soon as possible. The trip wasn't completely wasted insofar as his former newspaper editor had made him aware of two well known 'professionals', who had been independently reported missing by their families. This he said was only likely to occur if their employers concluded they had outlived their usefulness – it wasn't a warning, or a hint. It usually indicated they were already dead. If there was recoverable DNA in the grounds of Falcorini's house, it could be compared with what was on file for the two missing men.

*

Pierze couldn't focus on anything but his last conversation with Zara. He had gone sailing, on a private hire ocean cruiser, with a group of totally unknown passengers. The chatter always had its daily ration of opinions on what should be done about the wretched comet, as if it was some sort of unwelcome door-to-door salesman. He tried to ignore the gulf between their artificially sculptured lifestyle and the world he was supposed to sweep under the carpet. He continually avoided commenting on their ability to personalise the inevitable fate of the 'poor people' being identical to their own. Eventually, skating over the moral arguments of selected individuals deserving more protection, they began to argue about how well-heeled one would have to be, to guarantee such a stay of execution. Whether it was emigration to Mars or a concrete-lined mine shaft, it was being resolved into money or power, which was eventually reduced to money. They really believed this was how it would be, and gave little or no weight to the true attributes which would be required to sustain these fragile escape strategies. All of a sudden one of them recognised him. "I have been wondering for a couple of days where I had seen your face. You are the person investigating the assassination attempt on the President." The focus was switched to how many drinks it would take for him to be indiscreet. The threat of the comet had 'wandered off course'. He informed the skipper he would be disembarking at the first opportunity and then he would board a commercial ferry to return.

Once ashore, he called Zara. "I've really thought about your position on the issues I raised. I'm beginning to see the arguments you made in a different way. I am currently on a short vacation, and if it has done nothing else it has immersed me in other peoples' take on this predicament. I still have many other seemingly futile tasks to attend to, yet I want to explore what you propose. It's rather an indelicate way to put it, but would you consider lending your persuasive ability to my department?"

There was a long enough silence for him to ask if Zara was still there. "Yes, I'm here. What exactly do you mean by lending?"

After dancing around the semantics Pierze just blurted it out. "Will you come and work in Central Security and help in getting your message across?"

The reply resembled a very slightly delayed echo. "Would you consider joining the Circle of Light?"

Pierze tried to huff and puff, to buy thinking time, but was cut off. "Snr Pierze, I've spent my whole life railing against what your department stands for. Don't misunderstand me - I haven't always been a great advocate of faith as a binding mechanism for humanity, like a spiritual DNA. It's just that Tunguska has made me aware that the order I used to crave in my business management is being supplanted by the order I believe will get us out of this very same straitjacket. If I can make such a fundamental transition, so can you. Think about it a little more and call me again. I'd like to help, but there's much I would have to know about what I would do, and how that would relate to the Truth." The conversation ended.

The journey back for Ricardo Pierze was much more stimulating than the outward leg. His first task was to visit Maxi Duarte. They walked in the park as they had done on several occasions in Londonis, beginning in the days when they paraded their dislike of one another. They were both in need of comfort at present. "You know Maxi, loneliness has many disguises. The unease at the commitment necessary for a true relationship or friendship, and the willingness to subordinate contact to duty is one such example. I could list many that I have brought to life in the last few days. Some are self-inflicted, like mine, others are cruelly forced upon us, like yours. They are never far away, like viruses. You and Maria give me the strength to see things in a wonderfully uncomplicated way. I have heard that the insurance cover for Emile's care will run out after a certain period, now that the second opinion confirms the first. I also know what implications that may have in the decision which will face you at that awful moment. I want you to know that I won't rest until I find the right neurological specialist to treat your boy. I may be taking more time off in the future and that will be my focus. Those who have examined him so far have exercised common practice. We need someone who may be prepared to put reputation aside and attempt a revival strategy, even if it takes a few years. There have been examples of people coming out of comas and declaring that they were actually conscious, by their own definition, and could hear what was being said about them. We mustn't allow any possibility of that happening, quite the reverse; his carers need to continually stress the positives and the rest will be down to us. I have in mind to visit a friend who can converse with these consultants in their own language."

*

Duarte was moved by this willingness to engage in practical help. At the same time he wondered what change in Ricardo Pierze's life had sprung this river of vulnerability. "I can't find the words to say what I'd like to. I'm sure I will when I have spoken to Maria. At the moment I'm simply humbled by your concern for us. It's just great to know there is someone else in your corner. Forgive me for asking, but you seem different since your break, a little more distant yet relaxed. Are you alright? Am I imagining this?"

Pierze had never put his arm around anyone's shoulder, let alone that of Maxi Duarte. "No, it's not your imagination and you had better get used to it, this is how it is going to be for at least the next eighteen years. Should we have a coffee before you talk to Maria?"

Maxi had rarely been known to refuse a coffee and this wasn't going to be one of those occasions. They spent over an hour on small talk and reminiscing. Duarte thought he was going to wake up pretty soon. When he got back to Maria and the vigil, he asked her to take a little fresh air with him. "I have something important to say and we need privacy."

They strolled to a seat in the sun within the hospital grounds and he held her hand firmly while he repeated the news. She was overcome, they were both overcome with emotion, but did not draw on any words – the eyes spoke.

### Chapter 19

After the recent progress, the code breakers were in full-on mode. They were not expecting such a potential train wreck. Two observatories had simultaneously reported a strange phenomenon. Since asking for the probe to send all available high definition footage of the Phobos 'device' area, many observatories had taken an interest. The ones who broke the news, Hawaii and Chile, were soon followed by all of the others. It couldn't be a mistake, there was activity. There was clear evidence of light emanating from the exact coordinates. The ultra-efficient panic machine kicked into gear. Tourisheva called Pierze at about the same time Boris Krasnic contacted Zara. The object had begun to 'calculate' something. Symbols were flashing up then being 'updated' with new ones. The code breakers had to abandon their array of behemoth computing hardware to observe the continual spewing of data from the object. Krasnic had the presence of mind to begin to take still photographs of each batch of symbols in the sequencing operation. He had missed the first two but he hoped that it was a loop and he could capture them later.

*

Pierze called Zara. "This is a stern test for your belief in the Truth. The media can always be relied upon to inflame the feelings of the populous. It appears, according to some of them that we are about to be invaded by super-intelligent aliens, and we have invited them in by the back door by digging up this object. You are being portrayed as an irresponsible, indulgent thrill-seeker. It's good to see their objectivity is reflected in the quality of their prose. I think it might be a good idea to meet."

Zara appreciated the calmness conveyed by Pierze's voice. Their previous encounter had convinced him that the Central Security chief was becoming quite emotionally frustrated. "Yes, I concur. You know what I'm going to say, surely. This is a golden opportunity not to be missed. Guiding the Truth to overcome the 'blah-blah' is a process, not an instruction or edict. We will be well advised to issue a very short statement that the observatories have given us earlier signals than the probe. This is welcomed as it should speed up our understanding of the remaining data in the object. The media should be allowed to embarrass themselves. We must refrain from engaging them directly. It's much more important to remind everyone that the builders of the object have consistently demonstrated through the most basic visual techniques that we must concentrate on 2045. This is logically part of that process. We need to refresh the memories of the object having emitted magnetic signals since it arrived in Tunguska, and how they changed when we unearthed it and began to analyse it. We are now witnessing the next stage of their advice. It should have occurred to our species, were it not for its diversity of purpose, that the builders could have pressed home their vastly superior technological advantage over our brave soldiers with their 1908 slings and arrows. If we state our intentions and keep the world directly informed of our findings, we will gradually marginalise the less reputable 'little green men' peddlers. I can get to Moscow whenever you are ready; we should travel together."

Pierze cleared the plan with Sanchez and asked him to consider requesting a suitable representative from Din Chow Zen to join them. He didn't want this to become bogged down by the World Security Body.

*

By the time they had come face to face with the object again, the flashing symbols had terminated their activity, and unfortunately Krasnic reported there had been no loop or re-run. The observatories, on the other hand maintained that the activity on Phobos continued. The code breakers were already analysing the Krasnic stills and were busy separating familiar symbols from those which were completely new. Despite Zara's calmness there was an air of anticipation building in the hall where he and Pierze would speak to the world.

Pierze began proceedings by emphasising exactly how much resource was focussed on this subject. He also appreciated the hunger for more information and promised it would be made available as soon as it was considered reliable. He explained that he wasn't speaking so much as head of Iberian Central Security or the World Security Body, but using those roles to ensure the total preparation for 2045 was met in good time. He surprised everyone, including Zara, by hinting that this would become his sole objective. He was advocating a consultative process to refine what were essentially the strands of contingency, such as leaving the planet, subterranean location and habitat, pre-prepared modular reconstruction kits in this safe storage for post-impact consideration, urgent medical research into radiation resistance via genetic manipulation, and many others. He stressed that the list had to give priority to methods of destroying, deflecting or harnessing the comet. He finally returned to the object and reinforced the message that this was actually the source of the prediction and that it would be verging on insanity to believe in the prediction but not the accompanying solution. When he handed over to Zara he delivered his second surprise. "In any situation which threatens our existence, many of those who cannot comprehend the complexity of the threat turn to their faith. It is a happy coincidence that at this very time a new faith has spread across the globe. Although I only know the basic concept of the Circle of Light, I can see that it has a very important role in bringing together people of diverse religion and culture. We will need this in the coming years. Even if the comet changed its mind at the last moment we would still have to live through those countdown years. It is critical that we understand there may be very difficult decisions ahead, but my pledge is that they will be discussed openly and that confers responsibility on this faith to deal with it in the best way for the species, and particularly the new arrivals between now and that time. I would urge everyone to listen carefully to my colleague Snr. Lionel Zara, who coincidentally was the founder of the Circle of Light prior to his sponsorship of the Tunguska expedition." He handed the floor to Zara amidst the rumblings over his unexpected declarations.

Some of the media were cowering at the probability of being admonished, building on Pierze's last comment. However Zara did not refer to their demonization of him following their recent scaremongering coverage of the activity on Phobos. He instead invited questions and very articulately steered all of them to the same answers. He concentrated on the 'coming together' which was flourishing at present. The core of his argument was fashioned around the eclectic elements in what was to become an iconic sentence. "This comet, fortunately for us doesn't recognise individual human rights, yet its spectre encourages us to concentrate on our collective responsibility to one another." He was able to gradually confer the value of the Truth to the listening audience, without challenging the media directly to raise their game. The session was concluded with the Orient representative, who underlined the importance of the programme presented by Pierze, and pledged their support.

On the way back, the aircraft had a technical problem and made an emergency stop in Ukraine. The preparation of another plane afforded the opportunity to Zara to ask Pierze about his emerging openness. "Are you moving closer to being interested in the Circle of Light?"

Pierze was still in the discomfort zone of thinking like two different people. He did admit that he was finding his code of duty coming under increasing challenge from the other voice. "The question which repeats in my thoughts is one which has always been there, but kept dormant by my disciplined effort. 'What is it all about? What is the purpose of it all? I then jump back to my objectives as a servant of the Republic and it is quite easy to re-join the rail-track to some kind of familiar station. Then the question comes back, like now. To answer your question, I may be teetering on the edge of change, and the first step is to get this contingency plan moving. It's the only item within my current duty which blots out the repeating question."

When they arrived back Zara asked Pierze to call him if and when he was ready to learn more. The offer was met with a corresponding one to assist more actively in the contingency development. Zara hesitated then nodded. "I may call you."

*

Over the next two weeks the embryo of language had taken a more skeletal outline. The 'calculations' were still not fully understood, but there was rudimentary agreement that the cosmic alignments of Earth, Phobos and Comet 2005NB5C were being mapped. It wasn't possible to say for certain, but adjustments from the original 1908 retro-positions seemed to be a factor. They set about trying to correlate this to Earth's archive data. This was important, because if it was correct, it would imply that the object builders' legacy was indeed to help. Just as crucial was the calming influence it generated, about the insinuation of them having some one-hundred and something year-old agenda to take over the planet. This was welcome news for Pierze and gave him the final push to speak to Sanchez with some urgency. He wanted the indictment of Vice-President Falcorini expedited in order to pave the way to him relinquishing much of his current remit.

*

The friend Pierze visited to help Emile Duarte was Viktor Lopez. Maxi knew him as the man who developed and was forced to use the neurogenic pulses for the Sidonia campaign. He had always wanted to test out their relevance in medical applications; that was why he had put most of his life into this work. Pierze had teamed him up with a prominent neurosurgeon, one who would be willing to work with Lopez, who was essentially a technocrat. Their first task was to acquaint themselves with the existing test results and rather negative prognosis. Their approach was to find a safe means of delivering neurogenic pulses to Emile's cerebral interface, on a regular basis, to encourage consciousness to return. They both felt it would be best to encapsulate the pulse in a dream about playing in an important football match. The hospital management was unhappy, and didn't approve of their facilities being used for such amateurish medical experimentation. Pierze had to intervene with the question of how the press might interpret this, as it was the boy's last hope of recovering, compared to their advice to switch off the life support. He vowed to take legal action on behalf of Maxi and Maria Duarte, before they gave way and allowed the procedure.

*

The different cases against Falcorini, Olmeda, Ibanez, Freema, De Boer, and Silva were all set up through the prosecution service. Pierze honoured his implied assistance to the last three on the list. They would be tried for breach of security protocols, in supplying information to persons outside the organisation. It would weigh in their favour that there weren't any state secrets involved – only travel and business meetings. However there was the shadow of an attempted assassination implicit in the knowledge they passed on, even if they did not know the President would be involved. He had agreed that whatever sentence was passed on them would be served in their country of origin. By contrast, the others would be tried for treason against the Republic, attempted murder of the President, and actual murder of many innocent people in an act of terrorism. It was anticipated that they would never be released.

End Game Two

The probe had reached its destination. The pictures transmitted back flipped the mood back to one of extreme apprehension. Although they were a little grainy, the consensus was that the location had all the hallmarks of a silo. There was some dust on the surface of Phobos, but with it having such fractional gravity compared to Mars, this layer was pretty thin. It could not hide the outline of a circular depression, with a dividing line bisecting it. The lights were still flashing, but not continuously any more. They were on a regular cycle every 22 hours 37 minutes. No significance had yet been attached to this. It meant that several things had to occur. Some could be initiated and readied immediately, whereas others would remain captive to time and anticipated progress. Nuclear strike capability was first. The agonising code-breaking effort had to be somehow cranked up to a quicker delivery of meaningful interpretation of the calculations. The third and most controversial topic was the debate on destruction of the object, as some of the experts had become advocates of that being a controlling source. The argument was predictably paranoid – 'if we can't be certain it will help us then we should eliminate the threat of it harming us'.

*

It was little consolation to Pierze that the reaction to the interpretation of the probe pictures convinced Sanchez to fold his resistance to his 'virtual' resignation. The President recognised that focus on comet-related contingency planning was the key to him remaining in office. The first thing Sanchez had to do was find Pierze's successor, and quickly. The pressure was coming from the media on two fronts – destroying the silo or the object, and the order in which they should be done. Contrarily, it was a great consolation that the same reaction had persuaded Zara to join him in the contingency platform, adding that it needed a much more positive name. "We would give ourselves a helping hand if we transcribe a phobia into an embrace. What about 'Rescue 2045'?"

"I like it. You're absolutely right, in fact we must draw on collective support to feed the 'mission of leaving no stone unturned'. The participants, in delivering the practical solutions must feel they are the chosen few, who could never have dreamed of holding the balance of the species in their hands. Apart from us dividing the tasks of Rescue 2045, what do you intend to do about the ever-increasing flock of the Circle?"

Zara shrugged his shoulders. "It isn't necessary to do anything, other than keep producing the Truth, at present. As I said in Moscow, the media will have to turn to a positive spin eventually. As the dreaded day approaches they cannot continue to stir trouble if we are open to account. This would become disrespectful to their patrons, and they would become part of the sweeping away of certain institutions. However I wouldn't see that as helpful. We need order and they are part of it, only not the part in which they currently see themselves. Returning to your question in the longer term, I believe we will see as we enter single figures in the countdown, more anarchical trend. I think we are agreed we need order, and maybe this is where the Circle of Light can maximise its influence. It would make things decidedly simpler if we marginalise these anarchy pockets ahead of time by increasing the recruitment drive for the Circle. I have to say that it would help enormously if we, and the chosen few you refer to, were active members, in the capacity of ordained disciples."

In the absence of knowledge of the power over disciples and their converts Zara had through DCI and Trans Global Communications, Pierze finally capitulated. He did like the prospect of order being maintained in the run-up to 2045, and he admitted to himself there was an attraction of at last 'belonging' to some 'family', even if it was through a faith.

"Ok, set it up, there is not a moment to lose with Rescue 2045. I would like you to announce this name as soon as possible."

"It would be better received if you have already become a disciple. It could appear a little contrived if you join the faith just to get their attention, after all, it is the Truth we believe in."

*

The pendulum was poised to swing again. The code breakers had found another interactive area amongst the calculations displayed. It was an accidental discovery, but produced the additional incentive of looking for others, as they realised there were symbols denoting such spots. These weren't like the original face-turning buttons; they were simply embedded in the language. Many of them appeared to be references to another set of calculations or conclusions drawn from them. This latest decoding was one of the latter. Engaging the interactive area brought up a sub-menu of different orbits of Phobos around Mars. The frustrating part of the whole effort was the lack of a celestial clock. The species involved did not have one, did not need one, or had one so obscure the code breakers would never find it. It wasn't the concept of time itself which was missing, as the calculations were obviously based on trajectories of asteroids, comets, moons and planets. It was the lack of a declared starting point, such as the Permian extinction or the delineation of BC/AD. The displayed orbital change of Phobos could be either historical or future. The fact that it was linked with the flashing light era was a strong hint that it was associated with their project to intervene in the 1908 event. It seemed extremely unlikely that it was a historical display of what used to be the natural orbit of Phobos. This would imply that this species had been in Mars space for a very long time. After much deliberation they were prepared to announce their hypothesis that the silo was in fact a potential means of gradually altering the orbit of Phobos to one in its ancient history. This would, if successful, avoid the deadly ricochet with Comet 2005NB5C. There was no real alternative to tracing back from the predicted impact time between the two, and then checking for connecting information from the diagrams related to this retro-extrapolation. It was tedious but successful. There were multiple references to 'phases of orbital manipulation', and hazy reasoning that these steps would be achieved over time rather than a simple manoeuvre. The logic of the cosmologists on the team saw this as an eminently sensible approach, as it would help confirm the orbital decay rate from the intended new position, and give data on any effect on the behaviour it would imply for the other moon of Mars. It was a balancing act. The derived trigger point for this delicate operation, according to superimposition of Earth time, put the initiation step at the comet's emergence inside the Kuiper belt. The calculations to justify this were obviously based on knowledge of the means of altering the orbit of Phobos. This resulted in an immediate clamour for a manned mission to this Martian moon to inspect this silo. It would not replace the intended 2033 exploration of the ability of Mars to sustain human life. That was still a valid part of the plan, but this close inspection had to be done earlier.

*

It fell into the lap of the yet to be announced Rescue 2045 team. Ricardo Pierze and Lionel Zara had much in common. They were both 'addicted' to order, and suffering from schizophrenia. There were however important differences. Zara's dual personality was something he was aware of and now in control of. He had seen with Sidonia, the fallout of control by dictat, and now the beauty of voluntary submission to control. There were now almost one hundred disciples in the Circle of Light, which had been estimated to have attracted over half of the world's population. This had been facilitated by its practice as a secondary faith rather than a competitive one. He had genuinely become infatuated with helping the species, and this fuelled the demise of the voice of the previous devil on his shoulder. Pierze was at a different stage; he often wondered if his methods of protecting the Iberian Republic were in reality all that different from the aims of the Sidonia cult which he brought down. He kept justifying the ever-diminishing confidence that there was a difference between state manipulation of information, and the sinister use of technical mind control. Recently he had seen the same result by Zara's evangelical persuasion and leadership by example. He also had commissioned the same technical neurogenic pulse method to revive his friend's son from a coma. He was obviously not in control of either personality, regardless of which shoulder upon which they appeared. The other significant potential commonality was their future 'temporary death'. That discussion had not yet taken place. Zara decided to hold back on it until they had spoken to the SACRED owners regarding the use of their space elevator for the urgent despatch of the Phobos inspection craft.

Zara had already suggested to Moya and Angel that they should consider making a bid to buy out Sorin Gretz and Andreas Verdasco. They hadn't acted on this. He now suggested to Pierze that the Iberian government should do this. "The arguments are simple. I've heard that the owners are willing to talk, as they feel they have restored the good name and reliability of SACRED. It isn't just the space elevator which is essential to Rescue 2045. If for some reason we suffer serious threat to life but not an extinction event, the communication facilities on the Moon and in orbit will be invaluable in finding and helping survivors. It would also be an essential long term recovery tool for 'civilisation'. Having these assets secured and operating within our plan would also be perceived by the faith as important – collective ownership as opposed to private objective."

Pierze was sold on the merits of this and played the advocate role in convincing Sanchez and his inner sanctum. They accepted that the fiscal impact of this investment wouldn't matter if the comet wasn't deterred, and if it was, the SACRED infrastructure would have even more value. This importance in the post 2045 years could be leveraged in many ways. Pierze and Zara set off for their meeting armed with the green light to open discussions with the two owners. It would be another opportunity for Zara to parade his new identity, with it enhanced by his new standing as a world celebrity. The small matter of his detailed knowledge of the system would prohibit excess profiteering by his two former colleagues.

Having secured their agreement to host the launch to Phobos, they explored what help SACRED could offer in actually furnishing the spacecraft. Pierze led the discussion. "We want to get there as soon as possible, and to that end we are only envisaging two personnel making the trip. They have to be capable pilots and at least one needs to be proficient in operating the analytical equipment. As Phobos has virtually zero gravity, a landing would be risky. If we can match speed and trajectory, one of the crew can approach the surface using personal thrusters. It really is a 'get in – observe – get out mission'. We know you have several shuttles now, but this is a much longer journey than your lunar trip, and velocity is critical. We have to get the information we seek quickly, otherwise there is an increasing risk of it being valuable but redundant. Can you help?"

Gretz and Verdasco conferred and put forward a novel suggestion. "We have a modular design for our shuttles because they have to perform so many different functions. If you're certain about only needing space for two people, we can consider modifying and fitting one of the most powerful and quickest drives to a small cockpit. It's fortunate that we have a prototype drive already in production. It has been a programme on which we have worked tirelessly for some years. It has been frustrated by many events and the latest is the impact of 2045. Vacations on the Moon were the initial objective, but we had to re-establish confidence that the Sidonia legacy has been extinguished. Once we did that our horizon expanded to Mars. The technical hurdles were challenging as the vacation would have to be similar to a gap year in education, unless the trip time could be decimated. We were then put off by insurance considerations with respect to physiological after-effects. This doesn't really apply here as you are talking a one-off government mission. Depending on the final weight specified we could maybe get your two people there in nine months or a little less."

Zara chimed in. "How long would it take to make the modifications to re-jig this new drive to the small cockpit?"

Verdasco responded, "Not more than five to six weeks, but it would make sense to begin with a test run to our base on the Moon, inspect the compliance to specification there, and depart from there to Mars space."

Pierze thought this was as good a time as any to raise the issue of acquisition. "The Republic has a legal responsibility to its citizens and a moral one to the rest of humanity. We've been authorised to ask if you would be willing to consider selling your interest to the state. This isn't a normal approach; it is part of a set of contingencies which will hopefully ensure that there is a republic to maintain well into the future."

The two owners asked for a break to explore their initial individual reactions and then give a considered response. Gretz added the assurance that whatever developed from the proposal, they would still assist in preparing the Phobos craft.

*

On the return journey Zara slipped in the scheduling of their joint ordination as disciples. "I haven't raised this issue so far as it is one of potential controversy. The normal converts to the Circle are not compelled to take, nor are they required to pass any of three tests, it is their choice. However, this is considered necessary for disciples or anyone who has aspirations to become a disciple. They, as reference points, must be able to declare that they have witnessed the Truth. That is done in the third test. Even after the first two tests, it is perfectly acceptable to decline the third, and the ascension to disciple with it. I have already taken the first two during the foundation period. The third I have delayed, because even though I introduced the entire concept of the Circle, I couldn't devote the time to being a disciple. That has changed and I'm ready to proceed. The Truth is experienced by a controlled, very short exposure to the state of clinical death. If you're willing to join me, I'll precede you in this process. If you wish to withdraw I'll understand."

This thunderbolt precipitated a barrage of questions from Pierze. Zara tried to answer them by quoting the variation in response within those who had undergone this test. "Some feel and remember nothing, others have had very vivid subconscious or 'death state' personal experiences. So far nobody has encountered an omnipotent presence or evidence of another life. That could be because of the short residence in the altered state, but the vast majority of the subjects said they couldn't offer any evidence which supports the world's major religious teachings. Many who have had serious operations during their life couldn't discriminate between the effect of a general anaesthetic and this induced state of clinical death. The procedure is tried and tested which has reflected 100% success in revival without any side effects. Why don't you take the first two tests and then decide if the third is for you?"

"Can I speak directly to some of those disciples who have been through the procedure? Zara nodded.

"Of course, I'll set it up. Take the first two tests and if you don't want to proceed, there's no need to go further. If you are still curious I'll have some disciples on hand to talk with you. Even then there is no hurry, take all the time you need."

*

Rescue 2045 had to be progressed despite the wish for Zara to have both Pierze and himself established as disciples before any announcement. In the circumstances they drew up a list of ancillary projects which would be necessary or desirable, in order to broaden the survival plan. The research on synthetic, non-perishable food was to receive heavy funding. World maps of high-mountain or deep-earth natural caves were to be produced. The thinking was that such havens would benefit from water slowly filtering through rock strata which would have been in the 'pipeline' for some years, thus being largely free of radiation. If the proposal with SACRED came off, there would be the same need on the Moon. The first forays to Mars would also benefit from such research. Anti-radiation clothing and masks were also a post impact priority, and because of the numbers involved they may have to produce 'fashionable' types in order for people to purchase them; it was a subsidised investment they would have to consider. The two of them knew they would have to be realistic in outlining the selection procedures, if at some time it was known that the comet could not be stopped. With Mars and the Moon options providing no certainty of survival if the Earth was off-limits, there may not be a big issue. The underground concrete dwellings would not get anywhere near housing even one quarter of the planetary population, even if they could build them in time. The natural caves would be in such high demand that a type of policing would be needed. All in all, it had to be faced, as most of the human species would perish. The Truth would come under severe scrutiny. They had to make a precarious start on categorising 'priority for selection to live'. Pierze was apprehensive about this but Zara had a long-standing strategy which he decided to unveil only after their impending ordination.

The day had arrived. Pierze was, although fascinated with the concept of the think-phones, rated only as 'acceptable' in the first two tests. He was expected to have scored much higher, given that his work demanded focus, willpower and patience to succeed. When they were ready to move on to their flirtation with death, Zara went first and said it had been agreed for Pierze to witness the episode in order for him to see that there was minimal risk. It did confer the feeling that it was less uncomfortable than a visit to the dentist. Pierze asked Zara what he had experienced. "Absolutely nothing I'm afraid, it was a bit of an anti-climax. Nevertheless it is something I can convey as a disciple, even if it suggests there is no afterlife, it is the Truth – albeit only my truth. It may well be different for you."

Pierze's disconnection was different. "I saw myself as a child standing on a rock. There was water – I was surrounded by water. I was fearful of the water, how deep it was - what might be lurking in it, how cold it would be. I looked for my parents, but there was no sign of them. It was getting dark and I started to scream. That was when I 'woke up'. Only now that I'm now recovered does it seem silly, as I've never really known my parents, having been farmed off to boarding school, then university. It was a worthwhile experience because it didn't feel like a dream. I guess that is it then."

"Not quite," said Zara, "Boniface just needs to compile our emotional profiles, and then we are fully fledged disciples of the faith."

This session was short and only administered to Pierze, who believed Zara was to be next. The deception was complete as Zara entered and appeared to be ready for Boniface, when he handed Pierze one of the latest think-phones. "You said how much you liked these gadgets, and this is our top of the range model. It's already set up and it's yours. I hope you'll find it useful during our Rescue 2045 campaign." The mischievous glint in Pierze's eyes confirmed that he would become a true convert.

As Ricardo Pierze left to see how things were progressing with the Duarte family, he received a call on his new toy. The ringtone flicked a mental switch and he then felt at ease with the voice of the Truth and its reinforcement of his new feeling of belonging. He was no longer suffering from schizophrenia.

### Chapter 20

The news from the hospital was mildly encouraging. After only a few days of exposure to the pulses, Emile was showing sporadic signs of twitching in his right hand. Lopez suggested they should now change the stimulus from a wake up prod, to one of participation in exercise, such as playing his favourite game. It was good for Pierze to see Maxi and Maria in a positive frame of mind again. The cautious optimism had even captured the interest of the purveyors of the original diagnosis. It was Maria who hugged Pierze; Maxi merely tipped his now infamous pork-pie hat in a gesture of appreciation and affection. Twice in one day – the feeling of belonging was extremely pleasurable.

*

When he teamed up with Zara again the strategy was aired. Zara didn't see the selection process as a problem. "It is my fervent hope that this will demonstrate the power of the Truth. It's important, as you have said, for us to get a broad assessment of the demographic implications of the doomsday scenario. By tackling this first I believe we can set the tone for all other outcomes. The simple truth in this respect is the same as the Truth. Why do I say that? Because I believe that surviving the full impact of the comet, may be a fate worse than being extinguished in a millisecond. The honest portrayal of the conditions in which we would have to cope won't be too appealing, there could be years of the hunter-gatherer existence, only to succumb to a lingering, painful death. In addition, without the umbilical support of mother Earth, any volunteers for the Moon and Mars will find it equally difficult to prevail. It would be different if we had long established colonies there. So if we present this worst case scenario first and responsibly ask the populous to decide whether they prefer survival in advance, we may find there are more who will opt to accept the alternative. I see more difficulties arising if we have partial success in minimising the impact damage. If we are able to avoid an impact altogether it will be almost impossible to curb the future colonisation of other worlds. The human race is genetically programmed to care for their unborn descendants. This brings me back to my first prediction – they may not want to leave a legacy of agony and radiation deformity for those few of the unborn species, who will know nothing but suffering from cradle to grave. Of course I could be totally wrong. Do you agree it would be helpful to find out?"

This was an interesting pivot in the relationship of the two former enemies. If Pierze disagreed then Zara could wipe away such sentiment by a single ringtone. That was not what he wanted. His own feat of clambering out of the quicksand of schizophrenia was unassisted, and was thus also desired for his 'friend'. At least they could now announce the comprehensive headline plan of Rescue 2045, with the pledge to keep the consultative process at the forefront. The first seeds of the selection process were to be aired in the coming months.

*

The two-man Phobos crew had been selected and completed their training, and their craft was ready to go. The owners of SACRED had haggled a little and eventually accepted the Iberian government offer. Zara reflected on how things had changed since the prison breakout. Apart from his new appearance and flourishing Cerberus business group, he had masterminded the think-phone control interface and recently imported Pierze into it. Now, via the Iberian acquisition and Pierze's position, he effectively had one hand on the rudder of Earth's destiny. However, because of his almost primal relationship with Alexei Stepanov, he no longer felt any motivation to abuse this fountain of power. Quite the opposite in fact, and it was underpinned by what he would have previously considered the most unlikely element of all – faith. He did still enjoy the inner feeling of a paternalistic global benefactor. It was therefore disturbing that he could hardly wait for 2045.

Having completed the launch and settled into their long journey David Ortiz and Michaela Cordone would also end up in the list of potential history-changing celebrities, or simply never return. Meanwhile the code-breaking effort continued to dredge up snippets of information. Most of these were to do with the apparent orbital alteration of Phobos, and as yet they remained imprecise in terms of comprehending the interlinking of the calculations. One important piece of data was however, crystal clear. It was also extremely helpful in warding off more paranoia over the sinister claims against the object and its designers. Having probed continuously for more interactive panels or buttons, they had eventually found confirmation that the object itself and the 'silo' on Phobos were connected only by one-way signals which would terminate if and when all data in the object had been viewed. This implied that there may be much more to discover, but critically that any control mechanism for whatever was on Phobos, would have to be activated from there. This calming information did have a price. When the comet cleared the Kuiper belt, there would have to be someone on or near Phobos to 'engage the solution'. The responsibility of such a burden or destiny could and would probably attract many volunteers. It also affected the astronauts who had just departed. Instead of only one of them surfacing on the moon and leaving final interpretation of the footage to the code breakers, both of them would take turns to study the silo and add their individual input. It had suddenly become too important to rely upon transmitted images alone. The crew hoped this would be the most exciting change they would have to consider as they had only just warmed their seats. Michaela Cordone was nominally commanding the craft but she had just been made to feel the stealthy hand of remote control. "David, do you still want to surface first, while we have the authority to decide? I wouldn't be surprised if there is another change by the time we get to the Moon."

Both of them were of the opinion that there hadn't been enough simulation of two people being cooped up in such a confined space for nine months. With just one more person it would have been easier. Although it would still not have been possible to find solitude, the differences between the other two crew members would provide distraction. The powers that be knew better, or so they believed.

*

Zara made sure via the ringtone connection that Pierze was fully on-board with the emphasis he had previously outlined, to address the world on some of the timescales leading up to Rescue 2045. The representative from Orient had seen and approved Zara's proposal to tackle the selection issue early, as he maintained their society was cohesive enough to handle the possible decision to die rather than face a 'future with no acceptable future'. Zara had one more personality to introduce to the global stage. Boris Krasnic was nearing the final stages of his radiation-induced hell, and he wanted to add the weight of his perspective, to give the audience a feeling of what the choice of survival may bring. The various polls from around the globe indicated a muted, but general acceptance of the proposals. They were considered to be thorough and open. The last thing they wanted was to be told 'everything was going to be alright, just trust us'. They were promised periodical updates. There was considerable introspection following the utter humility of the final speaker. Boris Krasnic wasn't comfortable with public speaking, and this added to the authenticity of his message. "I am about to die. I don't know precisely when but it will be long before 2045. If I only had myself to consider, it would be today. I watched my dear friend Alexei Stepanov suffer an agonising end to his life from the same radiation sickness we inherited from Tunguska. He only had peace during the last few days when it didn't really matter if the morphine dosage was too high. However, I have my family to think of, and somehow they can't bear to see me beg for assisted termination. I believe that will change in the coming weeks as my time is shortening rapidly now. Conditioning oneself to this departure from family is the most difficult aspect for me, but I can truthfully say that if I was going to be here in 2045, I would recommend we all face what was coming together, as I would not wish my condition on my worst enemy." There was a last minute but fitting decision by the producer of the broadcast to delay the planned commercial break, and allow a prolonged silent contemplation. Zara, Pierze and Pak Sung Do, the Oriental delegate, all instinctively stood as Krasnic refused assistance while shuffling his fragile frame off the set.

*

This short talk influenced a few individuals around the planet in another way. Rather than simply wait out the development of Rescue 2045, they decided to alter their lifestyle immediately. For most of them it was a more negotiable step than it would have been for urban inhabitants. One such pioneer was Bertil Nordsen. He was still following his family way of life – farming. He lived in Northern Swedish-Iberia. Not too far from his established way of life was a mountain range – Ahkka (or Lule Sami, meaning old woman) was a massif with eleven individual peaks. Bertil had known, from early childhood, of a remote cave in the highest one – Stortoppen, which had probably offered sanctuary to either Homo-Sapiens or Neanderthals, long ago. He decided to stake a claim to part of this 'holiday home' which was about one third of the way up the mountain. He wanted his family to get used to such a challenge, by learning foraging techniques while they could be supported by their existing produce. The family would tell nobody about this.

*

Emile Duarte had shown further hopeful signs. His eyelids were twitching regularly and both hands were moving periodically into a gripping mode. There was no response from his legs and he hadn't fully opened his eyes, but the treatment had still been delicately controlled. They were seriously considering increasing the intensity.

*

Although both Manuel and Duarte were aware of Pierze's withdrawal from Central Security and that he had secured their services for his successor, they had both declined extending their involvement. It was understandable that Duarte had more difficulty in giving time to the 'hunt for Sidonia', and his failure to notice behavioural changes in Ricardo. His eternal gratitude to the man he once despised prevailed above all else. Manuel however, could see his new preoccupation with Rescue 2045 virtually rendering his interest in Sidonia to zero. Not particularly wanting to work with the new incumbent, he decided to return to his agency in Londonis. He had noticed the change in character which had bypassed Duarte. Whenever he challenged Pierze about this, he could only elicit one reply. "I'm much happier being involved in a positive environment. Central Security was becoming an increasingly difficult orbit, in which one's sanity could not be guaranteed. Everything ends up as minimising negativity. I needed the change more than I realised."

"What about Sidonia?" Pierze shrugged his shoulders. "It doesn't seem to be so relevant since the Tunguska discovery Manuel. They, if they are hatching some new plot, must have been affected by this, just like the rest of us. Maybe they see how futile their desire to control humanity really is, when humans may not be able to control a wandering block of celestial ice and rock. You have a lot of living to do before we find that out for certain. I'm sure Elle would say the same to you, perhaps she already has?" Manuel was slightly uncomfortable with his new, easy-going friend. His persona seemed diminished despite the protest about fulfillment. It was almost as if he was on drugs or medication, and it had got out of control.

"Ok Ricardo, I'll take your advice and pass on your regards to Elle. We will stay in touch."

End Game Three

The Lights of Hope

Ortiz was desperate to get on with the task of 'walking on the moon'. He and Michaela Cordone had managed to stay in control of their inability to relate to one another's little foibles. At least this was the case for the first half of the journey. The imminent danger as they approached Phobos was a welcome relief to the physical and mental confinement of the past months. With only a tiny space to perform the prescribed calisthenics their bodies were already showing clear signs of muscular degeneration. The dancing lights were getting closer and the pattern of this display was embedded in their cerebra, in the same way as the harmonics of a favourite song would be.

There was barely room to turn around in the tiny airlock let alone change into the suit and arm oneself with the primed thrusters. Cordone was initialising the mechanics of attitude adjustment to match the computed instruction. It took several attempts to reach the point at which the display eventually flashed 'locked-on'. By now they could appreciate the size of the circular surface of the silo. It was much bigger in visual than anticipated, even though the observatories' pictures should have prepared them. The camera was the final acquisition for Ortiz before the airlock was activated. It was fitted to his helmet and he had a small wrist screen to see what he was actually transmitting. His pulse raced compared to even the most strenuous exercise during the flight, and he felt 'heart flutters' as he engaged the thrusters. His umbilical was secured to the innermost wall of the airlock, but there was no other way to test the computer's readout that they were close enough to the silo to reach it without running out of this lifeline. Despite many simulations back in training he didn't manage to avoid tumbling, but he had under-thrusted, so that he would be able to correct this disorienting method of locomotion. Cordone was actually more nervous than he was. The thought of something going wrong and having to investigate herself, with nobody in the vessel, was not embraced easily. After two corrective thrusts Ortiz confirmed to Cordone that he had more than enough umbilical. She could see the display at the same time as he did.

"Jesus Christ, what the hell is in there. It certainly isn't a missile as we would recognise one. David can you see the inside from your wrist screen? I have a perfect view but I would like your assessment before the short delay to Earth is consumed and we have to follow instructions." His reply was confirmatory.

"I can see inside and a long way down too. I am not able to get much detail on what looks like a pad inside the clear, protective surface dome. Is that what has got your attention?"

"Yes, that has symbols on it just like the ones on the object in Moscow. On my high resolution screen I can also see diagrams which almost certainly relate to these symbols, but actually tell their own story. Why don't you satisfy yourself that you have missed nothing within your eye-range rather than the tiny wrist camera, and then return? I'll take over and you can see if I'm overstating what seems to be obvious."

They agreed to let any incoming questions from Earth wait until Ortiz had seen the large images from the cockpit. He was getting restless because it took Cordone a lot longer to get into position. When she eventually did she heard what she had hoped she would.

"From the diagrams alone it can only be a gigantic propulsion device. We are looking directly into the outlet or exhaust chambers. God knows what kind of drive this is, but presumably they calculated what would be necessary to move this entire moon against the gravitational pull of Mars."

"That is exactly what I saw too. There doesn't seem to be any means of opening the dome. Can you see something I can't?"

Ortiz scanned around the perimeter. "No, maybe it doesn't need to be opened."

She was not convinced. "That's why I wanted you to see it from there. I recall that the code breakers concluded that something would have to be activated from here when the time comes, but what? I think we had better swap positions again while I get to their questions."

She needn't have been overly concerned. The eyes back on Earth had also concluded that this device was the means of shifting the orbit of Phobos implied in earlier decoding. They had wrongly assumed at that time that it would have employed explosive weaponry, whether out-and-back missile, or residence-based. The calculations were already underway to determine precisely what magnitude of thrust would be required to achieve this feat. They wanted steadier, closer pictures of the symbols sent back so they could fit them into their crunching algorithms. They were also puzzled at present about the lack of any opening mechanism for the dome, as nobody could envisage a propulsion system which would operate in a totally closed space, unless there was some type of ingenious energy recycling facility within the housing. It seemed feasible, as the Moscow object was, although not fully understood, also propelled by a drive where the exhaust was apparently completely contained by lead shielding. It was the difference in scale which was confusing. Cordone duly asked Ortiz to get to the optimum position to see the symbols so she could send the improved images directly to the code breakers.

*

Maxi and Maria Duarte were almost in sleep-mode, when suddenly several new lights danced on Emile's monitoring system. They sought Lopez and the consultant surgeon from the hospital cafeteria in panic. When the two dashed back they took in the visual changes and then embraced each other. Lopez spoke to Maxi and Maria. "Sorry, we were lost for a moment in taking in the good news. There is increased brain activity of significance. We both believe that Emile will now recover consciousness. This is still a prognosis and not an assurance, but we are both extremely hopeful."

The emotional shock for both parents was almost as acute as the first news of his accident. They decided as a group that there would always be someone at his bedside as Emile would need recognition criteria as soon as he resurfaced. Duarte called Pierze and told him of the news.

"I'll be there right away Maxi; that is if it's acceptable to you and Maria." It was more than acceptable.

*

After two days of grappling with the new symbols the programme spewed out the most likely fit they had in the multiple stages of orbit manipulation diagrams on the Moscow object. When the sequence was input there was an absolute explosion of data displayed. This time, the 'pages' were repeatable, and this avoided the need to capture them on photographs. Unknown to the code breakers at the time, this unlocking of data was the final one, and the link with the Phobos silo was severed. They were told of this indirectly by Cordone, as both she and Ortiz watched in amazement as the silo dome began to retract by dividing and sliding back into recesses. They were quite nervous about the possibility of being asked to venture inside. That didn't transpire because the plethora of new data cleared up the missing links in the language structure and, as a consequence, revealed the 'ignition' sequence. Furthermore, it emphasised that it was crucial to delay any engagement of the propulsion until the previously prescribed time. There was to be no practising this sequence or getting it wrong. It was a one-time only programme, and as previously thought – had to be activated on Phobos itself. That raised the question of any volunteers having to sign up for a possible suicide gesture. Cordone was given the signal to return to Earth.

### Chapter 21

When Emile Duarte's eyes opened it was the catalyst for tears in the eyes of others, not just his parents, but Lopez and the consultant surgeon, the nursing staff, and two of his fellow young players at the club. The process of nodding acknowledgement of hearing and understanding what was being said soon progressed into signals which formed the basis of 'conversation'. Without this being sophisticated, his chilling insistence that he had been able to hear discussions about unplugging him from the life support equipment left his parents emotionally shattered. He was gradually told what would happen next, but all he really wanted to know was whether he would walk again. For someone so young, he disciplined himself to accept it was unlikely, but then so was his current consciousness just a few months ago. Duarte spoke quietly.

"Son, this may be the toughest fight of your life, but you know what it takes – you've already demonstrated the tenacity to reach the pinnacle of success in your football, against the most formidable competition. Combining that tenacity with discipline, and the help of all these people here, you will have greatly increased your potential to beat your own expectations. It's just that we have to be realistic in terms of how long it may take. We, your mother and me, will never give up hope of you walking again, you can be certain of that."

Emile nodded his appreciation and asked via several attempts at meaningful one-way charades, when he could go to a football match. His attitude humbled everyone except his father who, immediately went out to procure a large flat screen for his private room. He would ask permission to install it later.

Manuel and Butragueno were compelled to come to Madrid to see the young man and decided to make a vacation of their time in the Capital. They wanted to help Maxi and his wife in whatever way possible. It was Butragueno's idea, as she hadn't been able to cope with the stricken state of Emile and the depression of her former boss. She hoped he would understand, but then Maxi Duarte always did. Pierze was quite the opposite; he had been in the midst of the rejection of the pessimism of the initial medical staff, which had cast him in their eyes as being extremely unhelpful. His altered personality ensured there was no 'told you so' as he came to see the miracle for himself. It was curiously, only now that Duarte had the mental space to notice this. The other giveaway factor was that Ricardo Pierze was ever so slightly inebriated. He had, upon hearing the news, opened a very expensive bottle of champagne and as he was alone, consumed almost half of it on an empty stomach.

Maria was to stay with Emile while the four responsible for bringing down Sidonia dined out and reminisced over those times. The mutual empathy of this and Emile's partial recovery ultimately wandered on to Pierze's relaxed attitude. None of them had been officially told of his entry to the faith. They listened intently while he explained his deliberation about doing so, and how his re-evaluation of his career had been the overwhelming reason. When he was at the restroom, they huddled closer together and kept their voices down while they determined that they simply didn't buy into this. They were very happy to see him flourishing without his former burden. They would reserve judgement until he had more time to demonstrate his happiness was going to endure. It just wasn't the kind of position you retired from until you were pensioned off, even if you wanted to. They had to look out for their friend. As Duarte was living in Madrid, he was asked to keep the others informed.

*

At the other side of the world from Bertil Nordsen, a Peruvian family was embarking on a similar shift in lifestyle. Luis Alvaro Mamani lived a short distance from the famous Machu Picchu ruins. He had never known anything other than mountain life, and the hardship it inflicted. His family was well used to self-sufficiency and how natural phenomena could be so cruel. He had heard of the prediction that the world would end, not from TV, simply word of mouth. His interpretation was that the gods were dissatisfied with human behaviour. The cave he knew of would allow him to continue herding sure-footed mountain goats and chickens. He and Nordsen had some common objectives; feeding the family could be sustained with milk and protein from the livestock. The bigger problem was to ensure the animals could flourish. They would have to locate plentiful supplies of underground nuts and roots in order to keep the effects of radiation to a minimum. They had fire and were well used to making candles. The prospect of such austerity would be televised at some point, and it was expected to strike fear into those whose existence depended on modern infrastructure. Moreover this radiation fallout 'prison' could last for many years; it wasn't easy to predict an 'all clear' situation. Despite this, there were many families following the example of Nordsen and Mamani, although the majority of them believed that Rescue 2045 would render their holiday homes redundant.

*

The least complex part of Rescue 2045 was the assembly of a nuclear arsenal to strike the comet, if all else failed. The critical part of engaging this option was to decide on the exact time of despatch. The three dimensional cosmic billiard-board would be difficult to take into account. Trying to graze such a body to merely deflect it would be an extremely difficult task. Impacting it head-on could fragment it, and ultimately make it potentially more dangerous, by spreading fireballs over a wider area of the Earth. Another unknown, even for the Tunguska object builders, was the possibility of Comet 2005NB5C to have had brushes with other billiard balls in the time it had been wandering since 1908. Even a fractional alteration to its anticipated arrival trajectory was important in terms of where to steer Phobos, or target the warheads from Earth. Knowing absolutely precisely that the object-builders were correct in their calculations may not be possible until the comet was inside the asteroid belt, rather than the Kuiper belt. It would be a nervous time, because the strategy of relying on shifting the orbit of Phobos had no correction facility – it was completely dependent on the comet having enjoyed an incident-free tour. The recent dialogue on such uncertainty severely tested the cohesion between Zara and Pierze. Ricardo was suffering reversion to his former character by suggesting it should not be aired. Zara tried unsuccessfully to convince him of maintaining the policy of the Truth, and he had to resort to several ringtone reinforcement calls to settle him down. What he didn't know was that in the meantime, Pierze had shared his doubts with Duarte. It registered curiosity, during Pierze's visits to the hospital that he performed such a rapid volte-face. Duarte was even more convinced that Pierze was not himself.

*

The essence of these cosmic deliberations was duly disseminated by Zara, despite the lack of confidence it could generate in the personnel responsible for Rescue 2045. It was part of an update which included announcements of the crews for Mars 2033 and Phobos Activation 2045. The detailed supporting missions to colonise the Moon and Mars were also outlined but the personnel had yet to be nominated. The date for people to register their preferences for off-world transport, subterranean accommodation, cave allocation, or none of these, was set at 2040. This was to give a real idea of the logistics challenge; it didn't offer guarantee that preference meant selection. This caused more discussion than the uncertainty which had worried Pierze, and it would prevail for some time.

*

Emile Duarte had uttered the first primitive sounds since his revival. Viktor Lopez was preparing audio tutorials which Emile could use when he wasn't conversing with others via gestures of nodding and shaking. Combining the standard audio with regular pulses was new territory, but there was nothing to lose. One of his physiotherapists had noted during leg massage that there had been a few instances of toe movement. She wasn't sure if they were the result of her efforts triggering semi-dormant reflexes or Emile's own neurological progress. The resident team would do more independent tests. Emile was getting a steady stream of the club's players coming to see him now that there was rudimentary understanding of what he wanted of them. It was mostly requests for video footage of the latest games, music and other young people's interests. This regular interaction was considered to be important in helping him build on the success so far.

*

President Sanchez was back in hospital having suffered cardiac arrest. As the new deputy was catapulted to temporary office, one of the first decisions he made was to ask Pierze to return to help out in the interim. The polite refusal stunned Alonso Ferreira, and astonished Manuel and Duarte. They both contacted him to determine what it was that really made him turn his back on the Republic. Their concern deepened when the reply lacked emotion or the wish to continue the discussion.

"I'm currently very busy trying to save the human race. Perhaps the Republic would be better off by engaging with the Circle of Light, it has certainly made me aware of what is really important and what is merely hubris."

This was so alien compared to the man they knew, that Manuel said he would come back to Madrid, to investigate this rather sinister cleansing of the soul, of a former detractor of such blind faith. His professed role as a disciple was even more difficult to comprehend.

*

Knowing that the severed link from the object to Phobos meant they had all of the data, the code breakers had begun to fill in the blanks in 'translation' of some of the earlier stuff which they had glossed over. There wasn't actually much which they had not figured out, but two were of note. The observation that the original magnetic emissions had changed was indeed significant. Not only was the conclusion they had drawn about this sending some kind of signal to another location correct, it went to two different destinations. They were triggered by the exposure of the pyramid data faces to daylight. The one they knew about was of course Phobos. The other was quite sobering when they worked out how it related to the Earth database. They were certain it was in the constellation of Virgo, approximately 28 light years away. The numeric data indicated a star we knew as 61 Virginis. Comparisons to our sun were a good match for what they had derived. Its spectral type was G5V (Sol G2V), Mass 0.954 (Sol 1.0), Radius 0.945 (Sol 1.0), Temperature 5531K (Sol 5778K), Metallicity 0.008 (Sol 0), Age twice that of Sol, and it had 4 planets. The diagrammatic representation didn't delineate constellations and galaxies in the same way we did, and this caused some confusion. Our concept of a constellation embodies a cluster of stars which appear close to each other from where we look at them. Galaxies are considered to be clusters of stars which actually are close to each other. The appropriate galaxy would in this case be known to us as Sombrero. Whatever squabbling the experts indulged in, over this classification, the discovery meant that it was highly likely that this species was long gone from the solar system, and the signal would not reach their origin before 2045. The speculation raged however, over whether the close match they noted between the two solar systems meant they had been on the lookout for a new home. If that was the case why would they stop their search just to help us?

*

During Manuel's visit, the news broke that Sanchez had been advised on medical grounds to retire. This wasn't unexpected but meant there was definitely going to be an election. It also increased the determination of Pierze to stay clear of the inevitable saturation coverage this would command on TV. Manuel had felt it might help him get Pierze to open up.

"Ricardo, I know you've explained how your new found career path gives you such purpose again, but Duarte and I know you aren't yourself any more. It's the abruptness of the change which makes us worry about you. You seem to be spellbound by something or somebody. If it was simply a switch of remit, surely it would not bring such a massive personality change with it. You appear to be a completely different person."

"Manuel, I know your intentions are well meant, but you must accept that I feel I have served the Republic well in my time. You know what it entails; you hated your father because of it. I was beginning to realise that more pressure was coming my way, and it was going to bring its share of 'dirty dealing' with it. How come you can't see that? Central Security, Special Adviser to the deputy President, and Head of World Security Body – it was relentless. The icing on the cake was the guy I was advising as President, Falcorini, turns out to be at the core of overthrowing the Republic. I admit I was obsessed with Sidonia, but this is worse – I was actually contributing unknowingly to the plot. My change of personality is a requirement for erasure of what I used to be proud of. I'm lucky to have this opportunity to really serve the species, not just the damned Republic. I acknowledge your concern, but it is misplaced. In fact, you would do well to consider embracing this faith yourself. It's something I feared initially but it turns out to be so liberating. Now let's go and see our friend Maxi, and the boy. These are the really important things in life - your friends; we should have a beer together."

It was more convincing than the last protest but Manuel could not shake off the feeling that there was more to his condition. He did realise however, that if he continued to probe unnecessarily, it would be perceived as interference rather than concern. When they arrived at the hospital, they were able to share the good news. Emile had uttered a sound which had definite form. Refusing the headphones he clearly articulated a 'naa' and then smiled as he was able to repeat it over and over. Pierze suggested that Lopez consider drafting in a speech therapist to assist, at his discretion. Manuel and Duarte glanced at one another as if to say – 'that is the Ricardo we know, strolls in, assesses the situation and takes charge'.

When they had a beer to ease the awkwardness left by Manuel's analytical questions, it reminded them of some of the nights they spent burning the midnight oil in Londonis. One of the most vivid examples was when news came in of several of Pierze's agents being killed in a bomb blast in Salzburg. The familiar camaraderie was returning when Pierze took a call. It was of the ringtone variety. He kept repeating the same syllable. "Yes – yes – yes – yes – yes, I see, I will be there. Thank you." His voice returned to normal and he insisted on getting another round of beers. Manuel shot a question at Duarte while Pierze went in search of the waiter.

"Did you notice the change in his voice Maxi?" The nod was partnered with a frown. "Do you think it had something to do with the call? It was almost as if he was under hypnosis."

Duarte couldn't disagree. When he came back Pierze apologised for having to leave after consuming the fresh, cold beers. Duarte took up the gauntlet.

"That was a first for me Ricardo, I have never seen you chase down a waiter, it is usually the snap of a finger or a flea in their ear."

"Yes I'm a little more considerate than when I was so uptight about everything. I am a little short of time too, I have to meet someone."

Duarte pressed on. "Oh I see. Would that be the person who just called?"

"I'm sorry Maxi, what do you mean?" Duarte waved away the need to respond as if he may have a date, and not want to admit to it. When he was gone they both knew for certain there was a problem; he didn't even remember the call – only that he had to meet someone. Manuel thought out aloud.

"If it's something to do with the call maybe we can get hold of his communicator and check the number. Did you notice it was one of those fancy new think-phones?"

"I've never had the interest to know what is in fashion Manuel. You are asking the wrong person."

*

When Pierze arrived for his meeting with Zara he was informed of the urgency. "This latest stuff the code breakers have produced is worrying. Indicating the alien species has traversed such vast distances is one thing, but the idea they might be looking for a new home has caught the attention of many. According to our disciples around the world, it is the first major item to cause conflict with religious leanings. It isn't so much that the existence of the species challenges theological doctrine, it is the sudden fear generated by their 'ordinary' character. All the time they were anonymous and benevolent they could be accommodated as part of their religious beliefs, almost as justification of them. You know the expression 'God works in many ways'. Of course this doesn't affect atheists and agnostics, but we are reliant on all denominations to maintain cohesion."

Pierze apologised for being a little late, and explained that he had been with friends. "They were expressing concern over my withdrawal from Central Security and my general disposition. I was trying to explain that I have never been happier, when they asked me who had called my communicator. It threw me, because I didn't receive a call at that time, unless it came when I went to order more beer. Anyway, here I am. I'm surprised to hear your concern, you've always been supremely confident that the Truth will prevail. Are you asking me what we should do?"

"I just wanted to make you aware of the reports of the disciples. I would like to dig further into these revelations of the code breakers to see if there is more content which helps clarify why the species was in our space. Personally I can't see why they would devise such an elaborate solution to the comet impact if they were looking for a new home. Can we do this together?"

Pierze was enthusiastic. "Of course, I think we need to know whether or not we have missed something. We know the display of data is complete, but not the task, if the translation still has embedded detail to be accessed."

Zara mentioned that he had noticed Pierze's think-phone had not responded on some occasions, and that it might have developed a fault. "Let me have it and I'll get it checked out. In the meantime I'll get you a replacement." He was annoyed with himself for careless overuse of the ringtone facility. He would ask his technical people to wipe the software connection from Pierze's phone for a period.

The two of them spent weeks with the code breakers, who were fairly confident that they had extracted all of the important content, but agreed to go through the area of explanation of the signal destinations again. The one in the Virgo constellation yielded nothing new, in fact it had never implied that this was the location of their home, planetary or otherwise. One of the people whose responsibility was to check the matching of computer output to the individual and grouped symbols, noticed an error. "It might be nothing, but we have some incorrect input of two symbols which are very similar. It would be easy to get this wrong, especially when we have done this hundreds of thousands of times recently. It is only to illustrate what I mean, but in certain human fonts, it is very easy to confuse a capital 'I' with a small 'l', you know 'aye' compared to 'el'. The importance in their symbols is that one changes the context, whereas the other does not. We can re-run this with the correct input."

It turned out to be a rewarding observation. The signals had not been sent separately. The Moscow object had alerted and partly activated the Phobos device. Then when all data from the object had been accessed, but just prior to severance of the link to Phobos, a check box instruction was transferred. The Phobos device then onward transmitted the status, and the destination in Virgo would be informed in the future as to whether the comet had been neutralised. This would be represented by the registration of impact or a final message denoting success, ergo - box checked. Zara was particularly pleased and Pierze was impressed by the man's dedication. It reinforced his feeling of achievement and its resultant contentment. The consensus of the experts was altered accordingly. The new explanation of the signals indicated closure, and the object builders reclaimed their perception of good Samaritans. Although nobody knew why they apparently cared about a relatively primitive, warring species in 1908, the question remained dormant.

*

When they returned to Madrid, Pierze had further good news. Emile had progressed to short but decipherable phrases, especially related to the hospital food. His favourite demand was for pizza. Manuel and Duarte concocted a plan to get at Pierze's think-phone as the former was sure it had something to do with Ricardo's aberrational behaviour. However, the one which Zara had given Pierze temporarily didn't have his own number, nor did it have registration of the disturbing call. Manuel and Duarte's simple ruse was to remind Pierze of the ruling about mobiles in hospital wards. Manuel said he was expecting a call from Elle and he did not want her to get the unobtainable message, so he was going to take a break outside.

"Ricardo you should switch yours off if you are staying for a while, I've already had two warnings of confiscation."

Pierze didn't want to switch it off as he was also expecting several contacts. He gave it to Manuel and asked him to alert him immediately if there was a call. When Manuel was outside and examined the call registry he could not find anything suspicious or indeed the particular call in question. He could only imagine that Pierze had deleted it. It was a classic example of no evidence creating more suspicion.

### Chapter 22

2037

Despite the formidable challenges of living on Mars, the seventy-six colonists were forging ahead with programmes to decrease their dependency on regular shuttles from Earth. The same was true of the Moon, which was also being used to prepare emigrants for the relative isolation at lower cost than Mars, and ease of returning those who failed to settle. The stark reality of this assessment was the minimal impression that colonisation was going to deliver by 2045. Consequently, the selection options available to individuals in 2040, was in effect limited to underground silos, mountain caves, or their existing domain. The perception of the Truth was that the need for such preparations would materialise. The Phobos manoeuvre and the array of warheads were however, expected to render the choice, and subsequent selection decision as redundant. The psyche on the two off-world locations was however changing to one of being emotionally stranded. The hard scientific facts, or the Truth, whichever they chose as a reference, clearly demonstrated that it may take a century or more to make these cosmic bodies into a rewarding habitat. There was a psychological barrier, implying that these pioneers couldn't expect to fulfill their ambitions within their own lifetime, and that the burden with which they struggled, would be the only legacy for their offspring.

*

The Circle of Light had managed to regain its former momentum, somewhat against this trend to further uncertainty. The recent upsurge masked a dichotomy to some degree. There were those who combined access to the Truth with their religious belief; it was all part of God's great plan. The minority, mostly non-religious people, simply saw the threat as no different to an earthquake, tsunami, tectonic movement or volcanic eruption for those directly impacted. They tended to want to concentrate investment of resource on producing aid by those who did survive. This was likely to shape the demographic outcome of 2040. The most worrying aspect which had become more evident in the last five years was the dropout rate. This wasn't just made up of families like the Nordsens and the Mamanis; there was a steady increase in 'underground, mafia-style organisations' which offered people special privileges up to 2045. Payment in advance was required for this standard of living assurance policy, which expired, whether or not the policy holder survived, in the year of the comet. There were suspicions of this policy including influence of getting your preferred selection approved. It was feared that this black market would mutate into a locust storm which would strip the integrity from Rescue 2045.

*

One of the regular tasks of the fledgling Martian colony was to visit Phobos and check for any observable change in output from the device. It had afforded many opportunities to go deeper into the bowels of the drive system. They had reported that the periodic change in the display from the lights of hope on the surface were synchronised to another one below. When one was on, the other virtually closed down. It was absolutely precise in terms of the interval of operation and relative inactivity. The general conclusion was that it resembled a 'charging cycle' of some kind. Other than this, no other activity had been observed.

*

Up until the present, the ticking clock had been an exclusively future consideration. It had now drifted into a conscious time frame of eight years. There was discernable reduction in people investing in savings, and corporations making five to ten year plans. This added its own momentum as an acidic corrosive of established cohesive doctrines.

*

Emile Duarte had come a long way toward rehabilitation. He was able to hold his own in conversation. His upper body faculties were doing well. He had made some progress in getting on to crutches and swimming. Lopez had declared his expertise was at an end and it was time to follow the neurosurgeon's advice to conduct exploratory surgical investigation of his lower vertebrae. They had avoided this until all other therapy had been optimised. They had known from the beginning that his accident had caused vertebra number three to crack. It was distorted and applying pressure to the soft tissue of the spinal column. They had decided that there was a high risk in physically moving this cracked plate, and therefore wanted to make certain that his brain would recover sufficiently to warrant this exploration. That time had come. His parents were cagey as they had got used to the fact that he had miraculously been 'brought back from the dead'. Emile's view was perfectly understandable. He may only have eight years, incapacitated or not. He wanted to enjoy that time. He was incredibly positive about the chance to walk unaided. The surgery was scheduled. Pierze gave him a high five and then hugged Maria before turning to Duarte. His embrace was so intense that it pushed back the pork-pie hat. Emile burst out laughing and his father, still embroiled in the hug, thought back to the Pierze of ten years ago. His behaviour had continued to gravitate to this eccentric variety compared to his original reference point. However, Duarte had so much to thank him for, and was satisfied that there was no substance to the concerns he and Manuel had previously shared. He and Maria were happy, Emile was happy and Ricardo was happy, that was all that mattered. Manuel had not shelved his doubts but accepted that there was no resultant sinister outcome to Pierze's more human persona.

2040

The results of the individual selections of the population were starting to filter in. There had never been an 'electoral' process of this magnitude in human history, and corruption was an issue, but it barely mattered. The populous had been told that it wasn't possible to change their selection once it was made, even though they may be entering choices on behalf of minors, who were not considered capable of understanding the implications involved in each option. Practical circumstances would be taken into account as they arose. These included terminal conditions, immobility – especially amongst the elderly. There needed to be quarantine of contagious disease. The list was very comprehensive.

After their years of work in sculpturing such a complex operation Pierze and Zara were visibly nervous about the outcome and even more about any knock-on effects which would have to be addressed in the next five years. One such effect which had been largely ignored until now was the declining birth rate. Since the discovery in Tunguska and its implications, many people had decided not to bring new life to the world, only for it to be cut down in the flower of youth. This, almost invisible trend, patently didn't correlate to the belief that the Comet's mission would be thwarted. Zara saw this becoming a potential backlash if the Phobos project was successful, and people then felt deprived of having children.

The early trend in selection was nevertheless in line with optimism that life would go on after 2045. Over 60% had so far registered to take what comes. This actually exceeded Zara's own predictions of a few years ago. If this proportionality was maintained it would keep the lid on the concrete bunker programme being behind schedule. The main problem was always going to be allocation of places for the other 40%. When the results were displayed by geographical location, this concern was exacerbated. They had to take into account that the predicted impact was in the Atlantic, midway between Africana and Southern Iberiana. At the very least, the coastal populations of those regions, plus Northern Iberiana and the Western Mediterranean would have to be relocated to inland bunkers. Population migrations of this magnitude had to be orchestrated in digestible chunks. World history was littered with disastrous examples of uncontrolled migration. Although this was in the plan, it meant that a sub-selection process had to occur, in order to begin this exodus now, a full five years prior to the fireworks. Pierze's years in Central Security warned him that this well-planned, apparently logical cog in the overall scheme should be reconsidered. He could not convince Zara, who said all alternatives were less acceptable.

"Lionel, the hidden danger in this well-meaning process is the space it will create for opportunity, which breeds temptation. Resistance to temptation of personal gain is difficult in normal circumstances; in a period where the world civilisation may be coming to an end, it will be irresistible. In both the regions which are being emptied and the ones which are being overrun, morals and rule of law will break down."

It was the first major disagreement between the two disciples. Zara felt he had no option other than restoration of Pierze's ringtone connection. The spat was smoothed over.

As more results came in, and despite some regional variations, the general pattern held. The extrapolated expectation was cautiously set at 64% electing to sit out the event in their own homes. This was based on the already skewed preponderance of Orient, North-Eastern Iberia, and its acolytes believing that they would escape the initial destructive waves of searing heat and tsunamis. These regions contained much of the more remote pockets of societies whose selections were not electronically linked to the registration hardware.

2044

The breakdown in society Pierze had predicted was well underway. Zara was dismayed yet clung to the hope that it would recede, with the increasingly tangible shadow of oblivion approaching. Pierze was, in view of his soothing ringtone sessions, remarkably philosophical. He thought it was a pity that a self-generated ripping apart of the tapestry, known as civilisation, should precede one of cosmic eradication.

This had affected almost every aspect of Rescue 2045. The plans for the bunkers had been sabotaged regularly and wouldn't now accommodate anything like those selected. The designated caves were occupied by self-appointed vigilante groups, and offered to individuals, with demands of surrender of their homes as payment, non-refundable if the comet was neutralised. A new chequerboard of 'nations', which were run like tribes, had evolved. Central government influence had declined in both Orient and Iberia, due to law enforcement becoming swamped by anarchists. Power generation slowly petered out and water treatment plants ceased to operate. Industry was beleaguered by product shipments being ambushed, and these deliveries included essential medicines for serious conditions.

Zara was now suffering death threats, as the Circle of Light could simply not keep up with developments, and was viewed as a sham. He had long since neglected his 'control' of Pierze, and confided in him that he was close to deciding his own fate. Pierze stayed loyal to him, and empathised with his feelings of abandonment by those he had tried so desperately to help. Pierze reminded Zara of a particular item in the original preparations which had so far been immune to this social meltdown and its wanton vandalism.

"The nuclear arsenal is still only operable by a handful of personnel, who are still aware of their duty. If it was known to these mobs that we were about to pull the plug on this, and become totally dependent on the Phobos project, it may make them stop and think. The futility of saving the physical world and having to transform this regressed 'stone-age' culture to a new civilisation within a few years, may get through to the masses who bend the knee to these 'tribe' leaders."

"I'm beaten Ricardo. The Truth hasn't been able to withstand human frailties. I was wrong. I cannot continue and must make preparations. I see you are still able to find the energy and insight to see this through. I genuinely wish I could help you, but the reality is that I would be a serious millstone."

Pierze recognised that the collapse of order was a major factor in Zara's plight. It had appeared, in Zara's mind, out of nowhere to infect a trend, which had been happily ploughing its furrow in the opposite direction. There was no longer any official channel to engage in order to execute his dismantling of the nuclear missile array. He had the codes. He contacted every base in turn to inform them of the decision. Their code counterparts were input and the warheads were de-commissioned. He told the various commanders of these stations to begin disseminating this deactivation by word of mouth, the message being that this had been rendered necessary by the actions of the leaders of these pseudo-nations. This was irreversible as he destroyed his own reactivation protocols. The stations were abandoned.

The rapid spread of realisation, that there was only one hope of survival remaining, caused only momentary hiatus in the slide to anarchy. The atrocities of human upon human then accelerated to new levels of ruthlessness. Pierze and Zara became 'most wanted' by the tribes. They reluctantly accepted the need to disappear. Zara still had contacts with disciples who themselves had gone underground. He set up separate, convoluted itineraries for the two of them and they said their farewells as they didn't realistically expect to make it. Pierze had a lot of thinking to do after Zara's parting gift.

"Ricardo, we have been through a lot together, actually more than you know. This may be the last chance I have, so I feel compelled to set the record straight. You knew me formerly as Osvaldo Martinez, and before that as Constantin Boniek. I know this will be a shock for you, but I truly believe we aren't so different in our ideals. We both have dependence upon order, the vision for the human race as a whole, and the tenacity to see things through."

Pierze was dumbstruck but allowed Zara to continue. "We may have gone about the pursuit of these objectives in a different manner and been on the opposite sides of some arbitrary law, but I have honestly enjoyed every minute we have worked together. We have come within a whisker of success, and it was my stubbornness in ignoring your advice which has brought us to this point of frustration. It's the second time for me, as you thwarted Sidonia, but you will get over this as I did back then. What is different for me this time is the true feeling of belonging I have had with Alexei Stepanov, Boris Krasnic, the Circle of Light and of course, yourself. I hope you won't judge me too harshly, I can only ask you to remember it was you who suggested we work together on Rescue 2045. We both enjoyed this because we have changed."

Pierze had recovered sufficient poise to identify with most of what Zara said, and promised to meet him at the eventual destination they had planned.

## Chapter 23

End Game

2045

The comet had arrived within the prescribed arc of the Kuiper belt. The delegated team from Mars was standing by close to Phobos. The chief technical officer was awaiting the signal from Earth to engage the drive activation sequence. For Enrico Calzado, this was a terrifying responsibility. One mental lapse of concentration or accidental movement in zero gravity while attempting to input the information would sentence the Earth to an extinction event not known since the dinosaurs were erased. It had felt like an honour when he was told of the distinction of his selection. The additional pressure of his family being on Mars was not to be discounted. His failure would also pass a sentence of death in isolation for them. His mouth was very dry and he felt he needed a tranquiliser, but that was out of the question.

The situation on Earth was complex. Only the remnants of ordered society were able to take pictures relayed from the Moon. For them, the feeling of helplessness predominated. Other scattered groups who had stayed with their faith in the Circle of Light were primed to begin looking out for a bright object in the sky, and follow its trajectory. If it struck Phobos, they knew they would probably perish. The anarchists, in the main, preached the gospel of a hoax. They wanted to hang on to what they had if the collision with Phobos was prevented. They claimed various versions of disinformation having been peddled by government for their own benefit, and would be able to parade 'proof' that they had ingeniously saved the planet. They thumped out the message that there never was such a potential threat.

The Moon and Mars were basically in the same predicament and reflected that, by having paused all but essential programmes to take in every pulsating minute of the drama.

Pierze and Zara had miraculously made it to a remote inland hideout of one of the disciples in Southern Africana. When asked by Pierze why he had chosen this place, Zara replied, "To be with those who have chosen to remain here and keep their faith in the Truth. If they perish, I choose to stand with them. There's nothing left for me either way. I knew we would be safe here from the tribes, and I can get my people to get you to another safe location much further to the north, which will provide a cave sanctuary. So it really is goodbye Ricardo, you must depart soon as there is only primitive safe travel overland, and it's a long way." Zara broke down when he realised Pierze's shake of the head meant he was staying.

"Belonging is preferable to surviving in the age of chaos."

The first tranche of good news was that the incoming trajectory of comet 2005NB5C was perfectly in accordance with the calculations of the unknown species. That it hadn't encountered any mischievous obstacles in over a hundred years lifted the spirits. Enrico Calzado was on his way and benefitted from the action having started. The waiting had been agonising. With stability achieved inside the silo he approached the blinking control panel. Having rehearsed this manoeuvre many times, he forced himself to think three times and act once. He had the sequence emblazoned on his suit sleeve as well as having it ingrained in a prominent cerebral location. He was also in audio contact with the vessel matching the path of Phobos. It had been agreed that he would gesture pushing each command and give the back-up in the vessel time to confirm or dispute the selection. His intake of oxygen-rich air seemed as if it could actually be pure, as it made him feel light-headed when he came to the final symbol to push. Apart from getting it wrong, nobody knew exactly what he could expect if it was indeed correct. He had known it could produce a 'suicide' situation if the drive fired immediately. He hadn't shared this with his wife, but she now knew from the Mars commentary. She was distraught. When he completed the push, the plan was to get out of there as quickly as possible, but avoid headlong panic for the exit because that could result in severance of his umbilical. He tried to blot everything else out of his mind as the pressure of his finger ignited a fresh sequence of lights. There was cheering at the various locations watching the video feed. Enrico was incredibly disciplined in not looking back. If the sequence had been wrong he would have failed but be clear of danger. He couldn't afford to underestimate the calmness required to get back to the awaiting vessel at the first attempt. The sequence initiated by his actions had begun to cycle through internal checks of readiness of each system in the drive fire-up. Enrico was well clear when the first evidence of movement was detected and he was back on-board when the naked eye could confirm the telemetry. The relief in every location was evidenced as dissipation of physical tension. The vessel headed back to Mars with a historic sense of pride. The next correction thrust was not for another two days.

The brave individuals who had elected to carry on as normal, received the news as it filtered by word of mouth, to those who couldn't bear to watch the live performance, and impromptu celebrations began to spread. The gloom had begun to lift as the human race collectively felt they hadn't only been spared, but given another chance. Zara was ecstatic, feeling his life ambition had been achieved. Pierze was more circumspect, wondering what career path would now beckon. The Duarte's were delighted that their son, who was able to take his first short walk unaided, would be able to enjoy a near-normal life. Manuel and Elle Butragueno now had the urge to think about starting a family. It would be interesting to see who would fill the role of main breadwinner.

It was too early to see how the repair to society would be shaped, but the feel-good factor was gradually being twinned with introspection of the narrow escape, and the lessons which could be learned about the darker side of human civilisation. The rubble of the former society, which for so long flattered to deceive in this respect, had to be seen for the imposter it was. That was at least a starting point.

The lights on Phobos were flashing a new message. The code breakers gazed incredulously at the display. It was reporting a failure of thrust at stage two of the orbital alteration programme. The tracking of the orbit confirmed that it was no longer changing. Urgent calculations were made to see what the initial shift would do to the predicted collision with the comet. Their best estimate was that it would no longer avoid impact, and the resultant strike zone would move closer to the coast of Africana.

With the nuclear deterrent stood down and no chance of restoration, it was also recognised that there was no longer sufficient cohesion or chain of command to commission new missiles in time. Coming so soon after the joy of the first burn, this failure focussed attention on the anarchy which caused the species to stand in the dock, accused of self-indulgent genocide.

Pierze and Zara were devastated but steadfastly remained with like-minded people in Africana. Manuel and Butragueno shelved their newly made plans and set off to console the Duarte's who could simply not believe what they had been told. They chose not to tell Emile until the comet was visible with the naked eye. Thousands of pilgrimage sites were set up around the planet and droves of people elected to spend their last days there.

There was really only one remaining move to avoid checkmate. It was a long shot and devoid of a plan. Although they understood that there would be only one shot at activation of the Phobos drive, it had to be worth testing this out. Perhaps a second input would clear the problem, if it could be done in time. The vessel set off, it was a unilateral decision by the Mars colonists.

As the comet made its way toward Jupiter space, the vessel approached Phobos. Time was becoming critical now; even reactivation may not avoid a glancing brief courtship between the two celestial bodies. Accessing the silo was achieved within half of the time of that recorded for Enrico Calzado. It was to no avail. The lights stubbornly blinked the same infuriating message. The EVA was terminated and they returned to Mars.

The evening sky vigil had become a community testament to the mistakes made over modern times, none more so than for Ricardo Pierze, who had killed the only viable back-up to the Phobos project by standing down the nuclear option. With the commanders of the system scattered to the four corners of what was left of society, he couldn't undo his final contribution to the potential demise of Homo-Sapiens. He disgorged his profound regret to Zara, who reminded him of his good intent.

"This is what we must try to remember, although more immature at the time of Sidonia, my intent was honourable in my distorted vision. The price of a few individuals at that time seemed eminently more reasonable than millions of victims of a world conflict. I don't think your burden is as onerous as my own Ricardo. It may be a blessing that we won't grow old regretting our misdirected efforts."

Each night the light grew brighter. The air was thick with the sentiment that all hope was now in divine hands. The shoots of cohesion were fashioned only from common fate, and as such could at least allow the eternal imposter to embark on a further tour of deception.

The light could now be seen clearly in daylight, giving the sense of extra warmth. It became a hypnotic ritual which unerringly issued the challenge of how such a beautiful sight could be so cruelly blind. Last preparations were made and significant numbers of suicides, assisted and conventional littered the landscape.

The bright light began to display a halo as it entered the Earth's atmosphere. With its tail visible at the same time, it conjured up a likeness to the devil, losing its former beauty. The real increase in temperature was now evident. The clash with Phobos had created a fault line and the abrasive upper atmosphere completed the fracture. The two components of what had been Comet 2005NB5C fanned apart and struck out for different destinations. One impacted the west coast of Africana, the other veered off toward China. All over the world, just as there had been in Tunguska, people viewed different consequences of the intruders. Pierze and Zara witnessed the ground shaking, a dark red glow and then the searing heat of oblivion. The tremors were felt in Madrid fractionally before the second hit between China and India. It was not too long before the consequent tsunamis and tectonic jolts made their effect known. The choking gas clouds began to spread and the world started to sink into darkness.

From a Copernicus vantage point the Moon and Mars colonies grasped their own isolation. The Moon had a panoramic view of a mini-Jupiter with two dark red eyes. The Martians could only imagine what the brightness meant in terms of human suffering.

The huddled families of Nordsen and Mamani were grateful that their respective caves had withstood the initial holocaust. That night they both, in their own way, contemplated the way in which mammals had derived supremacy from the ashes of the dinosaurs. They wondered how many other humans they would ever encounter if they survived the aftermath of this extinction event.

## Part Three: The Ice Wars of Dominia
## Prologue

It was just over one hundred years and approximately four generations since Comet 2005 NB5C was deflected by the larger moon of Mars, into a collision course with Earth in 2045. Phobos played a critical part in all respects. During the comet's previous altercation with the planet in 1908, witnessed as an air-burst, a large fragment caused devastation over Tunguska.

Unknown to mankind at that time, an intelligent alien species travelling through the solar system predicted this impact, and had engineered a dual strategy to protect the Earth, and as much of its flora and fauna as possible. The first part of the plan was to steer the comet to a safe trajectory in 1908. It was only partially successful because the incident energy which the alien species released splintered off a fragment, which was responsible for the hell unleashed on Russia. They knew the comet would return in 2045, and devised the second ingenious solution. They had correctly identified Phobos as having a decaying orbit around Mars, which was destined to eventually impact the planet. They embedded a colossal propulsion device into Phobos to gradually nudge the little moon out of the comet's trajectory, and the consequent deflected head-on encounter with Earth. They had in 1908, also sent an object to the Tunguska region to be discovered by investigators of the affected area. They knew that Earth science at that time was not advanced enough to visit Mars, but estimated that this would occur before 2045. What they couldn't know was that the soft landing of their object would be in very boggy terrain, which would allow the device to be swallowed quickly. In fact it wasn't discovered until some eighteen years prior to the return of the comet. When the object was recovered and analysed, it outlined the need for a landing on Phobos to activate the propulsion device at a precise point in time. This critical point was when the comet was nearing the Kuiper belt. Everything went well and the first gentle stage of shifting the orbit of Phobos was achieved smoothly. The additional benefit of this elegant plan was that Phobos would no longer be lost to Mars; it would inherit a stable dance around the red planet. The second stage propulsion burst failed, and as human experts had decided to stand down nuclear strike capability, due to the danger it posed in fragmentation of the comet, the monster reclaimed its pinball route to Earth's atmosphere. It then split, resulting in two extinction impacts over Southern Africana and the Chino-Indian area.

The resulting cataclysm dispensed instant death, radiation sickness, incredible climatic change, viral explosion and famine. This sequenced march to extinction affected the vast majority of species, including most of humanity. In the immediate aftermath, the slender grip on life held by the surviving humanoids virtually wiped the prior alien intervention from their minds. It was just as well they had forgotten that automatic messages had been triggered to inform these entities of the failure of their plan. Although the messages were apparently sent to the 61 Virginis system, in the constellation of Virgo, the humans weren't to know that this was not their home. In fact they didn't have a 'home' as such; they considered themselves to be 'Travellers'. Another false judgement by those extracting data from the Tunguska object was that these aliens were benevolent beings. The simple, but disappointing truth they would eventually discover would reveal that they were merely engaged in cosmic horticulture. They had wanted to preserve the garden of the solar system and the fauna which thrived with Earth's flora. They had no particular allegiance to Homo-Sapiens or any other individual species. As they were busy tidying up other marvels of the Milky Way galaxy, they had despatched a small contingent to assess what, if anything, could be restored on one of their favourite herbaceous outposts.

At the time of the 2045 impacts, certain hopeful preparations had been made to assist survival of humans. These plans hadn't delivered the results expected. Some underground bunkers and synthetic food supply had been orchestrated, but this was woefully flawed and only delayed the inevitable. Other individuals who were used to living alongside nature at altitude found caves, most of which were known to only a few, and their ingenuity in sequestering uncontaminated food and water gifted them a chance. The cities suffered worst in trying to negotiate virtually every hurdle which had to be overcome. If they were lucky enough to escape the searing fallout, then radiation sickness, they were facing infection. Having the more robust genetic code to sidestep these viruses only presented them with the challenge of obtaining and then decontaminating adequate sustenance. City life hadn't prepared them for such hardship. When lawlessness was introduced into the equation their world became a battleground in which only the fittest would survive.

The already advancing ice age which had been predicted in 2045 had received a boost from the disaster, thus forcing all life closer to a tropical climate. As the years passed, this trend accelerated and the habitable zone was condensed into a band of latitude, 15-30 degrees north of the equator, which was in places, less than two hundred miles wide. This progressive herding of humans into an ever-decreasing domain would ultimately have far-reaching consequences. Failure to survive accounted for billions. Those who did, and managed to procreate, did not avail of the luxury to plan the revival of basic technology and communication facilities. In fact the demographic makeup of these chosen ones didn't have a significant proportion of such specialists to galvanise the required resurrection. The lack of appetite of the majority, for anything other than simply clinging on to life, ensured that the rapidly advancing ice sheets imprisoned these derelict centres of opportunity under several metres of impenetrable whiteness. Even if they could have been restored to function they would have fallen victim to this encroaching death. These people had to continually relocate ahead of the glaciers, and that was the major factor which differentiated those survivors from the ones who had prevailed by already being within the band of the temperate zone. Temperate had to be viewed as a relative term; however, with the band continually thinning, it became clear that these individuals had a head start on the 'nomadic variety' in both technology and structural society recovery. As time moved on through generations this life-supporting strip narrowed to under eighty miles. The indigenous population of this zone had descended into a pseudo-mediaeval regime, and the rulers were determined to cleanse their newly named habitat Dominia, of all incoming savages. These intruders, or Loci, as they had been named by the Dominians, had no alternative to surfing the front of the approaching glaciers, yet they recognised the distinct probability of ultimately being exterminated. What neither of them could possibly realise was that the Travellers' delegation had settled between the Sun and Earth to observe. They had concluded swiftly that the difference between this 'mediaeval' society and the original one, from over five hundred years ago, was that the technology records already existed. The previous period had to develop toward such efficiency. The Travellers knew that as they wanted to avoid a repeat of human pollution of their 'garden', and they had to harvest energy for their own needs, it would be beneficial to filter solar energy bound for Earth. This they thought had the merit of greatly accelerating the ice age, and supplying reserves of energy before they surfaced on to the planet. It was a prime requirement for polymorphs to reside close to their fuel, as shifting shape had a voracious appetite for consuming energy.

## Chapter 1

The narrow, habitable band had stimulated cartography. Charting this in detail would be strategically advantageous to Dominia. The only available land that they thought was left, running from west to east, almost produced panic within their ranks. Mexico and part of Nicaragua, Algeria and Western Sahara, Libya and Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India, Thailand and Southern China were the only territories they assumed were not yet gripped by the white death. Dominians therefore had good cause for concern. They did not realise that Mexico, Nicaragua, India, Thailand and China had already succumbed.

Bertil Nordsen was one of the original 2045 cave-dwellers, and he was still remembered for his leadership, which had not only helped others survive the early post-impact years, but produced the vision he later conferred to the scattered groups in the mountains of Swedish-Iberia as it was known at the time. He had declared that the Iberian and Oriental eras were over, and the survivors had to be prepared for a nomadic life, although that was the last thing they wanted to hear. Many who ignored his warnings perished for their intransigence. The rest progressively helped him to forge a mini-nation. One of the first things he instilled was a new identity. They conferred the name of Aurorans upon themselves.

His great-grandson, Grenthe, had recently assumed leadership of the fledgling, mobile nation by birth right, dispelling any further acceptance of democracy. As he assessed the chances of resisting the Dominians, he stressed the need for seeking alliances with other Loci. It wouldn't be easy because they would have to skirt the borders of Dominia, and slip through the lookout network. In addition to this they had only rumours to work with; they had heard of some from the East and West, but none from the South. They didn't even know if these disparate nations would welcome their entreaties, or whether they had already capitulated to Dominia. He wouldn't have to wait long to find out.

*

The Mamani family in Peru had achieved similar cohesion to these Aurorans from the Northern lands, albeit by a highly contrasting route. Their enforced descent from the Andean reserve near Machu Picchu, had given them a little more time to consider heading East or West. They chose the Atlantic over the Pacific without much internal dissent, but the decision to wait for the ice to close in on their coastal stopover almost cost their demise. As the polar push from Antarctica was considerably quicker it resulted in a steeper drop in ocean levels between the sub-continents of what used to be Southern Iberiana and Southern Africana. It also created the conditions for the temperate zone to be skewed toward the northern hemisphere, and eventually created a land bridge between the two sub-continents at precariously cold latitudes. They assessed this to be slightly less risky than an ocean crossing in constant and violent storms. It proved to be correct, but only by relentlessly emulating Eskimo habits, and moving on every day, for over two decades. The descendants of the original Machu Picchu tribes, over time dropped the second part of their name and sufficed to refer to themselves as the Machu. This helped them to accrete support as they travelled. The leader was now bestowed with the title of Altocotl, a new word for an old position of being next in the hierarchy to a God.

*

From the East, it took a little longer for the acceptance of nomadic necessity to take root. It eventually fertilised sufficiently in Japanese Orient to begin the exodus. Knowing of the total devastation throughout the northern extremes of China and the Indian sub-continent, the overland route would be dangerous, but necessary. They brokered deals with many isolated communities by arriving with some preserved technology. Not all surviving humans immediately grasped the significance of the almost vertical rate of disappearance of industrial and consumer society. Apart from loss of the obvious necessities such as fuel, power and agriculture, there were no longer any domesticated animals. Survival progressed without transport, and therefore communication. Metal extraction and refining of oil disappeared, with the knock-on effect of loss of medicines, and chemicals in general. Although plastics had historically in some respects become a planetary curse, society had become somewhat dependent on them, for example, in insulating against heat loss, sterilisation and extending the shelf-life of hard-won perishable nutrients. The support these people garnered was also assisted in a similar way to the Machu, by their choice of identity. The hybrid nomenclature of Tor-Azen was symbolically marketed as being 'for the common good'.

Hiroi Komatsu was amongst the first to exploit the doctrine of a technology-lifespan coefficient. He postulated that in post-cataclysm periods it was even more relevant to survival than ever. Despite having the detailed knowledge of how to reconstruct a technology tree, as opposed to having to discover it, it could consume a significant part of the life expectancy of an individual to make even modest inroads in a practical way. He likened it to the construction and demolition of a pyramid. A century was but a fleeting moment in this context. His philosophy was built upon by his offspring and was now in the safekeeping of Sendzai – Chief Sage of the Tor-Azen.

*

As these ordered Loci nations were being constantly 'extruded' by the ice advance into Dominia, there were pockets of resistance to sharing land, from isolationist tribes. These disparate bands were tolerated by the Dominians, and were now seen by them as a buffer to the emerging problem of the Loci. They were referred to as Korellians, people with no interest in alliances, cooperation or social structure. They took what they wanted or cowered and backed off from unwinnable disputes. They wanted technology, but not by barter or negotiated acquisition. They were an irritant to progress and a threat to survival in a shrinking world.

*

A further element of influence was watching from the gigantic sun-filter. The Travellers were themselves not immune to danger while gleaning and storing up solar radiation. Any intense solar flares had the potential to convert these entities to a shape they did not want to shift toward – that of non-sentient energy. It could be described as the equivalent to slow human death. They had decided that they had sufficient fuel to make their descent. It fitted with the developments in Dominia, and they temporarily dismantled the filter. This had a slight reversal effect on Earth climate. The ice march would slow; this unexpected breathing space would have its own significance.

In many ways this mediaeval world was even more primitive than its authentic counterpart. In such ordered historical progression monarchs had availed of armourers, livery stables, tax collectors and crude but effective communication. In this new mediaeval throwback, the context was akin to that of hunter-gatherers. Every activity drew on the entire Loci kibbutz-style sharing of the load, at least for now. Darwinian law had kicked in again with a vengeance, and the Dominians had already negotiated many pitfalls which stood in the path of the Loci.

The delegation of Travellers numbered only nine, but this had been considered sufficient for a project team. Their brief did not extend to overt intervention. The guiding principle was to remain anonymous, and rank the ecosystem as a whole, above the needs of any particular flora or fauna. That was a perfectly understandable view from the distance of 61 Virginis, but it could look different once on the surface of Dominia. Five of the nine set off for this habitable band, one to check out each 'nation' and study their objectives. The other four were to assess the regions under the ice and prepare a report for reverse engineering it to a more 'acceptable' domain for all species – similar to the one around the time of the dawn of mankind. This would then be the subject of a review, which would definitely engage in serious intervention where necessary. When in their natural or resting state, the Travellers recognised one another by designations of multiple 'wavelengths of personality'. They now needed to take on references and shapes which would be sympathetically viewed by the respective nation to which they had been assigned. They were quite excited as this was a very rare activity for them, it could be described as one small step for the Travellers but one giant leap for shape-shifters.

The first Traveller made landfall in the main barricaded settlement of Dominia. The use of cement had been recovered and deployed to build a 'fortress city'. Although there were other minor settlements throughout the region he decided this was the best place to begin – close to the fountain-head. It was located some distance from the western bank of the barely liquid river Nile. Taking on the guise of an agricultural labourer, he began to observe. The ruling structure was loosely based on the feudal system of Landowners and Serfs, but without the Serfs being sold with the land. As yet there had been no restoration of currency. The Serfs had been systematically weeded out since 2045 as the weaklings, and they either accepted employment or starved.

He chose the designation Karim. He quickly picked up on the pecking order of the landowners, which once more reflected the uneven balance between the weak and the strong. Khaled, leader of Dominia, was continually accompanied by henchmen and advisors. All others bowed in his presence. Karim told all who were interested that he had come from a settlement toward the west. He related tales of the increasing probability of conflict and stated that was his reason for seeking safety. He had the ear of many Serfs because they rarely heard of battles with the Korellians or other incomers; they were kept in the dark. He made friends with one Serf who agreed to speak on his behalf with the landowner about work. Amir kept referring to the city as Carthos, and indicated that his master had access to the ear of Khaled. When he was summoned to meet the landowner he was expected to deliver knowledge of the situation in the settlement from which he had come. Karim's knowledge was based on orbital observation and he was able to sketch in rough detail of the Loci to the west.

"There is a very long caravan of these people heading this way. We knew this from scouting parties and captives we took. They tell stories of there being no living space between here and what used to be Mexico."

The landowner, Reda seized on this as being useful to discuss with Khaled. "Do you know how many of these Loci are in the caravan?"

Karim shrugged his shoulders and said he didn't know. "I could try to find out, but it would be dangerous."

Reda said he would get back to him and in the meantime he could work the land for his keep. Karim gladly accepted and went off with Amir to inspect his place of employment. Even from this short interaction he began to question how he could comply with the directive of observing this nation with precision, yet avoid any kind of intervention. He actually wondered if he had already breached the designated code of conduct.

Having decided upon the name Ragna, the Traveller assigned to study the Aurorans appeared just behind the frontline with Korellia and therefore Dominia. He had taken note of the steady rate of arrival of new units from the Machu caravan and quickly concluded that this pressure for food and space would determine when skirmish would turn to war. From orbit he had seen precisely what the Aurorans could only hope for – that other Loci weren't far away. The immediate problem would be the Korellians, especially those contracted by Dominia. His knowledge of how to find the Machu and the Tor-Azen would be valuable, but like Karim, he wrestled with how blending in could clash with intervention. After much deliberation he felt compelled to help. This urge was at least fractionally influenced by the observation of Grenthe's daughter Meridia, during a rally of the clans to discuss strategy. She was very striking for two principal reasons – she was the only female allowed into the inner sanctum, and she was a fine example of breath-taking Nordic beauty. Ragna couldn't quite comprehend why he felt quite so strongly about this. Observation from orbit had indicated that all of these nations relied heavily on male decision making, even though the females seemed more prepared to negotiate rather than fight. His vision of her flawless appearance was even more difficult for him to reconcile, except for the Travellers' natural tendency to generally take pleasure in categorising nature's perfection. This felt somewhat different.

While listening to conversations on the periphery of the large meeting area, he picked up several interesting views of what the future may have in store for these people. There were those who were completely fed up with nomadic life and extoled the virtues of going head-to-head with anyone who denied them arable land. Others were certain that Grenthe's plan was the only way to establish the bedrock of an agrarian society. They conceded that it could be dangerous to seek out allies purely on the assumption that they were in the same predicament. The majority however, felt that the Korellians would have to be dealt with sooner or later, and that should be determined by the Auroran ranks being swelled to the optimum numbers for such a pivotal conflict. The common view was that whichever plan was agreed, the only leader they could envisage was Grenthe. Ragna decided to proclaim he had knowledge of the other Loci, not their philosophy, but their position and numbers. He established a significant audience very quickly, and this registered with one of the senior guards. Thinking it was some kind of wrangle over food he acted swiftly, and encircled the group with fighting men. When he heard the explanation from one of the participants, he quickly arrested Ragna and began interrogating him.

Ragna's claims were considered to be pure fantasy and he was thrown into custody. The jailor was sympathetic, as he liked a good story, but was horrified that Ragna was no longer in the detention hut when he returned with a culinary bribe of stewed fruit. He instantly panicked, knowing that his own freedom was in danger of being compromised. Having done his research carefully, Ragna walked up to the guard who had arrested him, and calmly stated that his powers as an escapologist were conferred to him by the same source as his knowledge of the Loci, namely the ancient Nordic icon Odin.

"You may attempt to imprison me again, but it will not be successful. I have offered information which is of great benefit to Aurorans and when I am eventually proved to be correct, you will be considered as having been the one who could have prevented serious errors of judgement. You cannot change this sequence of events. I advise you to take my information very seriously."

The guard thought about this and hurled a spear at Ragna. He couldn't believe his eyes as the weapon passed through space left by Ragna's torso, which was no longer there. Ragna was already regretting his own haste in trying to gain counsel with the inner sanctum. He had attracted another crowd and was already perceived as different by these Aurorans. He decided to seek cover and ran at breakneck speed to the shelter of a wooded refuge. The guard also had another problem to contemplate. Not only could the crowd verify the claims of knowledge of the Loci, but they had witnessed the extraordinary powers which tended to support these claims. He conceded to inform the Auroran General, Sondor, of the stranger in their midst. Sondor was irate at being dragged out of the strategic council for such a preposterous report. He summarily instructed the guard to produce this stranger, as he was probably a spy. The guard was at least relieved that he had apparently managed to avoid serious repercussions; he simply had to locate this spy.

## Chapter 2

The third Traveller had given more thought than the others about his chosen character. The Tor-Azen were fastidiously true to the old ways of the Samurai in terms of honour and philosophy. Choosing to be a member of the servility would help to minimise the attraction to intervene. Kiozo wouldn't stand out as anything but a loyal sword-maker. The Tor-Azen not only felt they had superior technology to aid the quest for suitable living space, they were extremely confident in their firepower to overcome those who chose not to share their culture. Therefore they were not disposed to proactively seek allies simply to increase the flock. Kiozo had no difficulty finding a sponsor for his attributes in making superb weapons. He had failed to predict that this in itself would bring him to the edge of intervention.

He was well received by the House of Torramita, one of the founding tribes of the early Tor-Azen, and a primary patron of Sendzai's order. This honour was restricted to three houses, and was accompanied by pledges to enforce the 'Hagora' – the doctrine of the immediate post-cataclysm era. Having failed to blend in, by offering superb craftsmanship, Kiozo was immediately deluged with ideas for new weapons. So many had been unofficially submitted, that the Head of House, General Nakamukin called on Sendzai, to form a cliquot, to assess the relevance of these requests to the central cause of the Tor-Azen. Kiozo had been in attendance, and swiftly realised his error in becoming such a high profile presence. His clumsy attempt to extricate himself from this envied status only compounded his predicament.

"My expertise is simply in crafting blades from plans of proven design. It is an undeserved honour for me to be involved in the creation of new concepts."

This utterance was taken by Nakamukin, and indeed Sendzai to be one of genuine humility. Set against his outstanding skills, this ready observance of his place in terms of hierarchy particularly impressed Sendzai.

"Your skills in fashioning our weapons of close quarter combat give you the right to show what you may be able to contribute in alternative weaponry. I cannot imagine that you are ever satisfied with what comes from your hands, without considering improvements you have in your head. I therefore authorise Nakamukin to ensure you are enrolled in the cliquot, even if it initially merely helps to avoid costly time being wasted on impractical suggestions."

Kiozo offered his profound appreciation and observed the ostentation of the fawning Nakamukin as confirmatory proof of his own naivety. It was a salutary lesson in the difference between orbital and surface perspective.

*

Having seemingly drawn the short straw of studying the Korellians, the newly-named Rubina appeared to be content as she gained her first employment in a 'tavern' of reasonable repute. The passing trade provided a continuous flow of information, especially with respect to possible contracts from Dominia, skirmishes with Loci, and the constant jockeying for position of the various internal clans. Broken agreements and backstabbing were not only the norm, but served as a kind of invisible ranking scale, which ultimately translated to kudos, as perceived by the Dominians. The filthy home-brewed liquids on demand were purchased on the barter system. The tavern owners were the entrepreneurs of this rag-tag nation, and garnered much wealth and influence as a result. Even in these days of bleak prospects, information was power. Rubina was instantly aware of this leverage, and at the same time horrified at the prospect of consensual rape being part of her unspoken duty. It had been assumed that everyone knew of this, except those whose 'upbringing' was nurtured in orbit.

Her tavern landlord, far from expressing understanding of her horror, quickly added, "And you must demonstrate feelings of enjoyment and satisfaction."

A change of career was urgent, but the location was ideal. Feminine guile was sought from her contemporaries in the tavern, as she was patently out of her depth in this carnivorous society.

*

The Machu had eventually begun to see their numbers increasing. Their journey to Dominia had been the most tortuous of all, and the losses were compounded by the trials of battle. Altocotl had, upon arriving at the gates of the Promised Land, declared a recuperation period. This defensive tactic was temporarily possible because of the Dominian distraction with the other Loci, and their hurried assembly of phalanxes of fodder in the form of Korellians. These were the preparatory phases, soon to be dovetailed with converging strike strategy. Altocotl knew more than anyone that this recovery break was not going to last long, and he constantly estimated the fluctuating rate of arrival of new, exhausted recruits from the western ice bridges. Rotation of his warriors was more critical than for any of the other Loci.

Ventaninho had considered this very carefully before alighting on to the surface. He prioritised his information gathering to the first probable membrane of conflict – the West Korellians. Finding out how flexible the fragments of these barbarians might be would become crucial, especially the ones who missed out on the lucrative but dangerous contracts from Dominia. Having furnished himself with orbital positioning of the nearest of these scattered bands, he posed as a former Machu cartographer, who had been told his expertise was of no value while they were constantly travelling through unknown ice-covered lands. Now the situation was different, he was in demand. Knowledge of his maps spread like wildfire and he was soon summoned to meet with the exalted one.

"We understand your family has been involved in charting the lands in this region since you arrived. I would like to see the results of this work, but first acquaint me with what you know about the competitors for the available space. The details of the territory will then be more useful. Proceed."

Ventaninho politely acknowledged the demi-god and sketched in some broad demographic numbers, which astonished the gathered sages. His next postulation widened their eyes even further.

"The Korellians may be the key to survival."

*

Meanwhile, the surveyors of the ice patterns had already computed two possible scenarios, and requested their kin on the surface to join them at prescribed coordinates close to the North Pole. This was acknowledged and agreed. The debriefing began with the prognosis derived from their short but frequent operation of the solar filter. It was estimated that the ice would have taken more than a millennium to recede far enough for ocean levels to return to those of two million years ago. The expected average temperature would be a little lower, but on an upward trend. As the solar filter was no longer present, regardless of the reason, this condition would be reached in less than six hundred years. These preliminary predictions had to be confirmed or refuted by data from the South Pole. However they didn't anticipate any major departure from the numbers generated so far.

Considering that these timescales were well beyond the life expectancy of the next few generations of humans, a debate emerged. The surveyors were only concentrating on restoration of all species. The surface polymorphs had already become entangled in the chameleonic nature of the sentient survivors. The surveyors insisted that with the filter removed, the planet would provide the fresh start specified in the directive they were given. Furthermore, they could basically just leave and allow this natural progression to occur. Their job was done and another team could make a confirmatory visit in about five hundred years. The surface Travellers disagreed. They maintained that without their influence, humans would evolve on a new path because so many other species had perished. They felt they should remain until they could assist the re-emergence of some of these missing fauna. They also argued that humans could only concentrate on survival for the foreseeable future, and they should be given credit for having clung on to life so far.

*

The esoteric arguments could not be resolved. Either way, a new evolutionary tree was going to develop. It eventually came down to which of the two ways was a closer fit to the achievement of the directive, but even that was disputed. The surface five maintained that if intervention was permitted in acceleration or retardation of the shift in climatic change, then why was there a restriction on nurturing the life which struggled under such intervention. They considered it completely illogical. The surveyors' position was unchanged; to them the directive was clear and interpretation of it was not permitted.

After several hours a unique situation occurred. An agreed compromise was hammered out. The Travellers had never experienced the feeling of compromise, and it was unsettling, but the adoption of the plan was swift. The surveyors would depart, taking the filter with them. The consequences of this were ranked in their potential import at HQ. Firstly, the mobile hierarchy was not in 61 Virginis, they had headed to a part of the galaxy well beyond that region. Exact coordinates weren't available, but it would take many more light years for the surveyors to reach them. Once they had, the receipt of the update would have triggered clear instruction; those remaining on Earth would be expected to allow solar flares to absorb their sentience. This may however not be necessary because the solar filter would have been permanently removed, and they would probably have run out of energy in a few thousand Earth years. The surveyors departed.

A strangely pleasant wave fluttered through the shapes of the Travellers who remained. The prospect of an inexact but limited life was a new and thrilling addition to that of concern for humans. They actually felt the battlefield had become more even because of their potentially shortened life expectancy. They still expected to survive longer than those they were trying to help, unless they overemployed their human shape. It also occurred to them that they were now in real competition with one another – giving rise to a second wave of euphoria. They felt it as a sharp increase in life-density. Their previous existence was pitiful as measured by such indices. They separated with the agreement that they could call upon one another to meet up at any time, whether that was one-to-one or as a group. Just prior to re-surfacing, they accepted what was for them a further departure from their past - the obvious equation that the longer they spent in shifted-shape, the sooner they would 'die'. It was decided that it was an individual choice as to how long and how often they employed the on/off switch. The third wave was one of personal freedom, and was the strongest of all.

## Chapter 3

The pseudo-mediaeval strategies were to receive a jolt in terms of communication capability. Although the individual Travellers felt it wouldn't be helpful to disclose their extra-terrestrial heritage for the present, their ability to feed in accurate troop movements would transform any military campaigns.

Ventaninho informed Altocotl that he knew of two Korellian tribe leaders who could be helpful in delaying major conflict until arriving reinforcements swelled their own numbers to the desired level.

"These men are reputed to be sworn enemies of Dominia, and although they have no love for one another, they are united by a common foe. They would want to know what benefit they could expect in return for agreeing to a temporary alliance."

Altocotl sat in silence for some time. His facial expression finally and suddenly changed.

"We would be ill-advised to enter into transient pacts with barbarians, sooner or later they would concede to their innate ways. However, if they were to remain independent, we could encourage their struggle with Dominia by offering them a very valuable commodity. We have learned that this 'temperate zone' has little to offer in the way of agriculture as yet. Every day is a struggle to hunt or scavenge sustenance. We have traversed thousands of miles to get here, and it has all been on the edge of the ice bridge. For over a hundred years, the oceans have shrunk, and the marine life which survived the toxic era, have steadily flourished without the quota fishing of our ancestors. There is an abundance of seafood for the comparatively small number of humans of today. We have very efficient means of harvesting this resource. We can offer these people training and access through our settlements to benefit from the plentiful supply. We will not place a burden of debt upon them for this assistance. This may help them to conclude that it is wise to remain as the buffer between ourselves and the Dominians. Can you arrange an introduction to these two leaders?"

Ventaninho was at first confused by this offer of an olive branch, but gradually began to appreciate the thinking of Altocotl. It didn't have to involve joint strategic planning with its attendant risk of spies weaving their cloth.

"I can try. I will need to take a detachment of fighting men, as they will respect a display of strength. One is a veteran of many years of incursion into Dominia for booty. His name is Berbus, and he has a reputation for being extremely decisive and somewhat obdurate when others challenge him. The other is very young for a leader, and is apparently blessed with a desire to continually improve the effectiveness of their tactical prowess; he is known as Salamand the Wise."

Altocotl nodded and asked how Ventaninho would ensure there was no ambiguity in his offer. The reply was accepted. "I have come to learn the various dialects of Korellian Dominesque language in my time here. It will not be a problem." He set off with two hundred warriors.

*

Ragna had, in his leafy refuge, avoided the guard and his ten subordinates who were now hunting him. They had clearly become frustrated while he had been in orbit with the other Travellers, and testimony to this was all around. Corpses with agonising facial contortions confirmed the purpose of physical restraints, and the extent of the brutality was sickening. There were Korellians and Aurorans amongst the victims. Ragna was dumbfounded by such disregard for the lives of their own citizens. He had thought that acquisition of the spoils of war was enshrined in some kind of code of hypocrisy; this was outside his concept of sentient behaviour. He decided to challenge the guard in front of his underlings.

When he appeared suddenly in a clearing during their midday break, a slow, evil grin permeated the guard's increasingly erratic demeanour. The prospect of having this stranger surrounded with spear-bearing elite soldiers was uplifting – for all of thirty seconds. The command to hurl their weapons at the brazen quarry was executed with admirable precision. Eight of the eleven projectiles struck their intended target. They were then just as quickly plucked out of his torso by the rather puny-looking prey, and all but one thrown to the ground. This lone spear was a blur as it hurtled through the recipient's chest and protruded through his dorsal skin. Ragna picked up the skewered, screaming guard with the free end of the weapon, and planted it into the sodden forest floor in a perfectly vertical attitude. The wriggling, dying guard pleaded for mercy, but his cohorts simply ran off in all directions. Ragna was confident that this would be reported to Grenthe as some kind of wraith in their midst – but happily not extra-terrestrial presence. He was equally sure that he would be pursued with even more vigour.

News of this incident had reached Dominia and therefore Khaled, via his contracted Korellian mercenaries. They had themselves been hunting this Auroran guard, who had tortured some of their people to death. His impaled body was gratefully discovered by one of their patrols. They celebrated the find by carving up the corpse and eating most of it. The remnants were taken back to their camp for others to enjoy. Many Korellian tribes had been forced into cannibalism after the great impact, but most had gradually drifted away from this kind of ritualistic devouring of foes. Some tribes still honoured their dead by 'transferring the spirit of their kin by digestion', but the North Korellian habit was still simply driven by scarcity of food, although it was officially against the law. Those from the more fertile east and west declared such consumption as unclean compared to eating one's ancestors, but even that was a diminishing ritual.

Khaled summoned Reda and Karim to his palace.

"We must have more reliable knowledge of the death of this guard in the northern wastes. Certain stories have spread of how he met his death. They may have been conceived out of fear, but the North Korellians are not normally prone to exaggeration; in fact they rarely speak of anything remotely out of the ordinary. I want you to bring me the leader of the North Korellian tribes. I may have further business to offer him."

The Commander of the Dominian army, T'slane, stepped forward but was immediately halted by Khaled. "This is a diplomatic opportunity T'slane, your delegation of a melee unit to Reda will suffice for such an exploratory exercise."

The Commander bowed respectfully but wasn't happy at the prospect of two civilians leading one of his elite praetorian squads into diplomatic peril with cannibals, still he deferred. Karim knew from the influx of stories that Ragna had to be involved in this episode. He would go along with the plan at present, but would also want to talk to his fellow Traveller at some time, in order to know the real truth behind the hysteria.

*

Kiozo had presented outline ideas for the construction of man-powered chariots, armed with multiple pikestaffs pointing at variable angles to groups of the enemy. He felt that the tactics of the East Korellians were based purely on concentrated, swiftly employed phalanxes of men. They were effective in an offensive sense, but he determined that these chariots would stiffen the defences against them, and offer mobile retaliation capability. The chariot would have a single occupant who would have steering control. The drive would be from four others pushing from protected shielding at the rear. Each unit would be flanked by conventional front line soldiers. When it was sketched out as a line of up to fifty, capable at any time of forming a defensive circle, it could also act as a lure to the enemy, leaving their rear vulnerable to further units emerging from cover. Kiozo had deliberately dumbed down the design to fit with the expected obstinacy of the military. He would need to establish a credibility bridgehead with these overly proud and dogmatic Generals.

*

Rubina was struggling to placate a client of the flesh. He had insisted on getting what he had paid for, whereas she pleaded that she hadn't been informed of such acts of barbarism being on the menu. She tried to distract him by saying she had reliable information about the now widely feared wraith in Northern Korellia.

"There is a rumour of a reward of a parcel of land to anyone who captures him alive."

His interest did precede a new, powerful flush of testosterone, which made him even more insistent on deliverance of her obligation. When she squirmed away he swung a heavy, carved club at her, thinking the only way he was going to obtain his craved relief was when she was unconscious. As the club seemed to pass through her body without impairment, he hesitated while examining the knurled end of the weapon. The absence of blood puzzled him. Rubina now knew that this had to end abruptly. Grabbing the club from the startled aggressor, she delivered several accurate blows to the face. As he sank to the floor, the mush that was once recognisable Korellian ethnicity began to spurt fountains of blood in all directions. It was a peculiar feeling which now possessed Rubina – she couldn't escape the sensation of swift, clinical resolution compared to the discomfort of persuasion earlier in the encounter. It was quite pleasurable. A subsequent fleeting self-rebuke was eclipsed by waves of justification. He had asked for it, she would do it again. She had to get the corpse out of the room, but the fracas had brought her employer to the doorway. He gaped in horror at the carnage.

"You are a mad woman, do you not know who this is – or was? He is the brother of Kyklos, chief of the eastern corridor dwellers of Korellia. You will forfeit your life for this; I must summon one of the Patrols. Come with......"

It was a blow of amazing force which almost severed his head. This time she did not wait for visitors. She ran out into the night and requested the other travellers to meet up.

## Chapter 4

Karim, Ventaninho and Kiozo declined as they were heavily focussed on their respective tasks in hand. Ragna agreed to meet Rubina in orbit. When they linked up Rubina said she had to abandon her watch on the Korellians.

"These people are no more than wild animals; sentience is wasted on such barbarians. Our original mission was to help restore this planet to balance. The Korellians will not benefit from our assistance, so they should be left alone. What have you observed?"

Ragna recounted his first run in with the guard, followed by the incident which created the wraith.

"I have not had any success yet in meeting the real leaders, but from my initial contacts I would also question whether the Aurorans are ready for our help. I am being hunted by both North Korellian and Auroran patrols. It will be difficult to convince them that I could be an ally, without them demanding an explanation of our abilities."

"Perhaps that would not be such a bad idea. At least we could then access their rulers and determine if we are simply wasting our time. If we are, it would not be too late to conserve our shifting energy and then try to find a way to return to relative immortality. Do you think it would be worthwhile for us to work together?"

Ragna said that this would constitute an alteration which would require the other Travellers' input. They agreed to approach them again.

*

Karim and Reda had located signs of a recent North Korellian camp. They despatched a small scouting party, carrying the accepted banner of desire to meet with the head of Korellian tribes. The black flag with a white circle denoted respect of the territorial boundaries. This was being observed from well camouflaged hides. After moving to several locations the party was ready to return when they were surrounded by heavily armed warriors. The scout leader offered food and trinkets to the most regaled individual. This provoked a command from him, to a lower ranking soldier, to retrieve the gifts. The scouts were asked to sit while the offerings were assessed. Eventually they were asked to explain what they wanted in return for the items. The scout leader explained that spokesmen from Khaled the Great would like to speak with their leader. It seemed like this was a mistake, judging by the threatening display of warlike gestures. It calmed slowly and the senior figure stepped forward.

"You will not find Lupus in this territory, and you will risk your life by mention of his name. State your reason for requesting to speak with the chosen one."

The scout leader selected his words carefully. "Khaled has a proposal which may be of great interest to your leader. It is not another simple contract he is considering – it is much more. We do you the honour of speaking to Lupus first. If what you hear is not to your liking then we will approach another."

This seemed to be respectful enough to cause a huddle of the most decorated warriors. The same senior presence then announced, "Follow us."

The scouts were not at all sure whether this was a trap, but they realised that there were more than enough of these Korellians to dispose of them at any time of their choosing. They complied.

When they emerged from thick forest on to an almost inaccessible ledge of rock, just below the tree line of a majestic mountain, they were asked to wait. The senior figure disappeared into a dwelling and then several minutes later, after a crowd of curious onlookers had assembled, the imposing figure of Lupus emerged with his Commander.

He had a disturbing presence. The ornate helmet was so large it created a virtual centre of gravity well above waist level, and the facial scars told of a life of violence and survival. The two most striking examples were carved across the bridge of his now grotesquely disfigured nose, or what was left of it. This in turn distorted his voice, and it was not easy to hear precisely what he said, but they need not have been concerned, he mostly spoke through his Commander.

"We will hear your offer now."

The scout leader nervously replied, "It is only for the ears of Lupus and Khaled." He deliberately emphasised the order of the two, implying total respect for the former. The Commander, Negrosa, wanted to know where his leader was expected to meet Khaled. There was no negotiation offered.

"It must be at the palace of Khaled."

This sounded risky to Negrosa, but Lupus intervened impatiently, "Convey to Khaled that I want to hear what he has to offer, but it can be handled in the same way as his contracts – in a scroll, securely delivered by one of his trusted aides."

The scout leader asserted that the only way for such a delicate discussion had already been explained.

"This is a matter of such importance that it cannot involve others. My instructions are to pledge on behalf of Khaled, that you will be totally safe, and Khaled, as you must know does not offer pledges lightly. Here is his invitation, with the said pledge and you surely recognise his seal."

Lupus and Negrosa retired to the dwelling, and only the latter re-emerged. He was clearly unconvinced, but dare not say so, and was instructed to agree to the meeting. The proposed time was two days hence.

*

Meanwhile, Ventaninho, who had no experience of commanding anyone, let alone two hundred mean-faced troops, decided to pass this precarious task to Aquades, a time served, hard-headed battalion leader. This relaxed the men and allowed Ventaninho to concentrate on diplomacy. The camp of Berbus was near, and not too difficult to find. Straying into it unannounced was however another matter. Aquades waved the obligatory black flag with white circle, or Pax-Insignia, as it had come to be known. A delegate arrived at the edge of the camp, no doubt covered by invisible archers, and enquired as to the purpose of the column of fighting men. Ventaninho cut off the reflex response of Aquades.

"We bring an offer of friendship from our deity, Altocotl. There is much for you to gain by accepting his invitation to assist you with the establishment of a reliable food supply. We also bring his solemn undertaking of avoiding military conflict with the West Korellian tribes."

The messenger reported this to another, who disappeared into the shadows. Upon his return he motioned for Ventaninho to accompany him.

"No," said Aquades, "this is not wise; to venture into their domain alone is inviting trouble."

Ventaninho reassured him that it would help Berbus to see that the offer was genuine. He proceeded to follow the second messenger and found that they had entered some kind of elaborate maze. They soon arrived at the entrance to a large tent of extremely opulent design. He was ushered inside and presented to Berbus. The craggy face in front of him bade him to sit. From his perch-like seat, he had to look up to Berbus, and he saw a very rotund frame. Silence prevailed until Berbus had completed his thorough visual checks of this person with the soft hands.

"You are not a soldier. You fight with words. Speak."

Ventaninho articulated the principles of Altocotl's offer, and stressed that if he declined, it wouldn't offend the Machu chieftain.

"It is purely to explore how we can best live alongside one another. He feels this is important because we will not withdraw. We have travelled too many decades running away from the white death to turn back. Our esteemed leader is also willing to share our knowledge with the region's tribes so that there can be gains of a mutual nature."

The old man eyed him steadily without speaking. He then conferred with an advisor who was patently not born in this part of the world. The statement finally came.

"If we are to progress this offer I must be able to study your leader. A place of mutual satisfaction will be considered. That is all we will agree to for now."

Ventaninho acknowledged the test of trust and assured Berbus he would return with the reply from Altocotl. When he re-joined Aquades there was visible relief on the faces of the entire contingent. They set off in search of Salamand.

*

The meeting in orbit was tetchy to put it mildly. When Ventaninho, Karim and Kiozo heard the proposal they accused Rubina of manoeuvring, simply to overturn the allocation of their tasks. She protested vehemently.

"I surfaced close to the loosely agreed boundary between the northern and eastern tribal lands of Korellia. In my employment at the tavern I heard many stories similar to my own, and the accounts of Ragna fit with the probability that they are just not capable of changing their concept of what will help them survive. Even the accounts of Ventaninho and Karim suggest the Korellians will not alter their deep rejection of trust. Only Kiozo has so far avoided direct contact with them. At least if I was to work with Ragna and the Aurorans it would help the nation with the greatest disadvantage by far, in terms of numbers."

Kiozo was keen to return and signalled his willingness to compromise. Ventaninho was eyeing the potential benefit to the Machu which Ragna and Rubina could deliver. The proximity of the unpredictable North Korellians to their western neighbours could become a problem. He saw a window of opportunity in having more time to bring the West Korellians into line before the inevitable confrontation with Dominia.

"I suppose it could be worth trying on a provisional basis. They are after all prone to fight amongst themselves without much provocation. I withdraw my objection to this trial period."

Karim began to see this as isolating Dominia. He was worried that the Tor-Azen, with an undistracted Kiozo, and their technology plan, would be troublesome, even without the unhindered build-up of Machu resources. If Ragna and Rubina inadvertently managed to fuel more rebellion in North Korellia, Khaled would become more vulnerable.

"I cannot agree. If Rubina will not accept the challenge as it was given, then let her withdraw. This proposal changes the entire plan."

He was outvoted and demonstrated his anger by threatening to ignore all of the other rules they had agreed.

"From now, I will not attend any more of these meetings. The campaign will be decided by other means, and I will remind you at that time Rubina, that you were the cause of that outcome."

The session terminated bitterly as the others noted Kiozo was already gone. A new dimension of time entered the theatre, because of this discord.

*

Kiozo pressurised Nakamukin to get Sendzai to authorise a simulation to evaluate his new chariot. This was declined simply because the way of the Tor-Azen was to avoid first strike. They were confident that they could absorb East Korellians as they had done with other cultures. Having the new chariots would simply reinforce such strategy. Kiozo was disappointed. He had however learned from one of the cliquot, that Sendzai had retained the outline technology for the production of gunpowder. Without the complementary precision in tooling, firearms had been considered as unattainable for the present. Kiozo had a new challenge.

*

Ventaninho and Aquades had located Salamand. The contrast with Berbus was stark. He had an easy manner. His long blond hair and fair skin were unusual for a native of these parts, let alone a tribal leader. He was also confident enough to dispense with subordinates at the meeting. He wanted to hear what they had to say in isolation. They were offered sustenance, a noble gesture in a land of famine. They respectfully declined. When Ventaninho had concluded his presentation of the offer, Salamand surprised them by accepting the invitation immediately.

"I will meet with your leader, but this does not imply that I will take up his offer. I will have many questions, but I can see that only he can give me answers upon which I can rely. It therefore makes sense for me to return with you. I have however one question for you. How many other tribal leaders have you invited to participate in your plan?"

Ventaninho immediately saw the thrust of Salamand. "Only one, Altocotl has restricted this initial offer to two tribes. Berbus has also been invited. Is this a problem?"

Salamand's face slowly changed from business-like to smiling recognition of the real reason for the offer.

"Not at all, that would be truly logical. Let us prepare to leave."

*

Ragna and Rubina decided to make a more accurate assessment of the forces of each nation. They quickly confirmed just what the Aurorans were up against. Their current rather threadbare 'army' could only muster three thousand souls, and this included teenagers and a sprinkling of Nordic-hardened females. By contrast, both the Machu and Tor-Azen could comfortably whip up well over fifteen thousand trained fighting men. The difference between these armies, which effectively bracketed Dominia and the respective Korellian buffers, was the potential for further recruits. The Tor-Azen were complete in this respect, whereas the Machu ranks could continue to grow to seventeen thousand over time. If the Korellians could set aside their differences they could number close to five thousand soldiers at their disposal, but this was not likely to happen. Dominia could boast of nineteen thousand, well drilled recruits. They also had the option of training up to about four thousand reservists. Although this could in theory provide an extremely difficult conquest for any other single nation, it raised the issue of the danger of alliances being forged by the outlanders. A potentially more worrying aspect was that of sustenance. Dominia, unlike the others was now surrounded by potential conflict, and except for the relative trickle of the Nile, it was now landlocked. This creeping siege scenario had been flagged up by T'slane, but not taken too seriously by Khaled. The almost concurrent arrival of the Loci had woken him to his Commander's concern, hence the rather belated strategy of contracting Korellians.

Ragna suggested to Rubina that the Aurorans' best option was to seek talks with the Machu.

"Failing that, and considering the strategy espoused by the Tor-Azen, we should consider whether Dominia could see the attraction of cooperation. If they were to exercise more control over the North Korellians, which we believe they want, we could complete the wedge between the Machu and the Tor-Azen."

Rubina was unconvinced. "Our knowledge continually highlights their intention to rid themselves of all Loci. We cannot trust them. I think it could be better to share the siege situation with both the Machu and the Tor-Azen. Whilst the latter may not be keen on joint military battles, they could surely see the benefit of starving Dominia into submission. Their fortress of Carthos becomes their Achilles heel. The Korellians would see an opportunity to return the treatment they have received for decades, and the Machu can share the benefit of the collapse of the one common foe. This way, no nation has to lose more of their fighting units than necessary. It might also make the post-conflict settlement easier to implement. This is important because if we avoid multiple battlefronts we have less trust to recover."

Ragna nodded in approval, despite the veiled duplicity. "Another aspect of your suggestion would then become decisive. The Dominians have developed over the last few decades by the classical circular fortress expanding into already cultivated land. This required the arable land to increase in proportion and shape to sustain the increasing numbers of mouths to feed. This has worked well with only the Korellians to deal with, because they are not united enough to exploit the fatal weakness. Defending their food supply against a coherent siege strategy of acquisition of their crops would be much more difficult than the sporadic incursions of the Korellians. It would be interesting to know if they are preparing another survival plan since the Loci arrived."

They decided to speed up their access to Grenthe even if this meant they would be seen as being suspiciously different from pure Aurorans. It would at least dispel the bush fire of wraiths and spirit people.

*

General T'slane was reflecting on the tightening noose facing Dominia. In terms of trained warriors, technology, and the transition from nomadic to agrarian society, they should have been in a better position. He firmly believed this was no longer the case, and the blame lay exclusively at the door of Khaled. The choice was stark. Either remain loyal and face virtual certainty of death, or leverage the support of the army to overthrow the leader. It wouldn't be easy because Khaled was a paternalistic ruler, and the people did not fully understand the approaching threat. In addition, this 'farmer' Reda was given too much influence by Khaled, simply because he helped keep the masses quiet with his control over the Serfs. This was however a military matter and T'slane felt duty bound to act before it was too late. He was also suspicious of Karim, and how he had come by the information he had passed on to Reda. It disturbed the General that his own intelligence people should have been able to confirm or refute this data, but could not. The final straw was Khaled's frequent refusal to deal the Korellians a fatal blow. They had always been a nuisance, but now the military landscape had provided them with the very platform he had predicted. They needed to be neutralised. He arranged for a clandestine gathering of his most trusted aides.

*

Salamand listened intently to Altocotl's proposal through the interpretation of Ventaninho. He didn't interrupt at all, carefully weighing up the assurances and evaluating the risks. Eventually he spoke.

"Your information gathering on our tribes seems to be quite accurate, and your conclusion that our most feared enemy is famine, can also be conceded. Many of the Korellian citizens simply see this as how it has always been, but the primary responsibilities of leadership are safety and sustenance. You do not ask anything in return for the great favour you offer. That makes our natural tendency to mistrust others come to the fore. Allowing us safe passage through your ranks will plant seeds of a trap in the minds of many tribal chiefs. However, my main question is of a different nature. What is it you are expecting from me that would balance the bargain which is too good to refuse?"

Altocotl knew he was not dealing with a barbarian, which fitted the generally held reputation the Korellians had earned for themselves. He decided on reciprocal honesty.

"We have a common difficulty with Dominia. You have to live with their tolerance of you as an underclass. Before any Loci arrived here, they could have wiped you from the face of the Earth at any time. I will not insult your intelligence by elaborating. For us, the problem is their legitimate need to prevent us and other Loci obtaining living space. They have to change their priorities sooner rather than later to avoid war on multiple fronts. That is an absolute certainty, defined by the Loci having nowhere else to go. The ice will take longer to recede than we have the luxury to procrastinate. Your part in all of this will define who will prevail, regardless of whether your people actually survive. So, you also face a difficult choice – who can you trust most? You have a long-standing history to judge them, we are new and you must find a means to apply the same judgement to us. The decision becomes academic if you starve. The Dominians will also come under pressure for sustenance when the war begins, so you will find it even more difficult to feed your people. I would venture to suggest you will not be afforded any help from them; they cannot guarantee it anyway. Your safety in our domain is underpinned by our own need to stand firm with you against their inevitable strike. We would be incredibly stupid to harm you."

Salamand acknowledged the logic and agreed to the offer.

"I request an escort back to my people, so that we can begin to learn the fishing and farming techniques from you. I think you will find that it won't be long before Berbus is willing to accept your strategy. He will make gestures of bravado and try to drive some kind of bargaining, so he can maintain his image in the tribe, but he will ultimately concede."

## Chapter 5

The temperate zone was not completely infertile. A century of cool condensate, evaporation, and re-precipitation had slowly woven conditions which transformed desert into wooded and grassy lands. So far, only the Dominians had truly capitalised on the opportunity to cultivate this vegetation and breed protein from the pockets of surviving burrowing mammals and avian species. Even in only four generations, this had produced physical distinctiveness between themselves and the scattered tribes of Korellia. Although these brigands, with the exception of Salamand, had never tried to emulate the Dominian culture, others would now enter the fray. The Loci had in their different ways mentally retained the fundamental principle of graduating from nomad to farmer. The cardinal rule of continually winning a surplus from nature in itself depended on a cohesive social order. This was something the Korellians had never mastered. Salamand was determined to change this, now that the perfect conditions had arisen, with the influx of the Loci. The offer from Altocotl was the first step. The initial training had been confined to his most trusted advisors who had a leaning toward science. This in itself had been a difficult grooming task for Salamand, as the more vociferous hawks in the tribe had castigated such folly, declaring that the only productive investment in their youth should be one of military prowess. The small group, including Salamand quickly picked up the key techniques in construction and application of bulk net-fishing in the precarious tidal conditions. The new supply of these nutritious shoals began the erosion of the resistance of some of the warmongers, and the news spread to Berbus. The sight of the two tribes working alongside one another, albeit in silence, was a pivotal point in the shaping of the power shift to the west of Dominia. It was also helpful to T'slane, in the execution of his strategy to save the Motherland from 'falling from within'.

*

As Lupus was making his way toward the outer walls of Carthos, his escort was suddenly ambushed while refilling their water containers from a stream. The lookouts had been posted, but became the first victims with an accurate and concurrent hail of short arrows, discharged from crossbows. The design of these weapons had been developed over time to near perfection, especially with the ingenious targeting system. Although the range was short, this compromise was balanced with lethal damage through even the most robust armour. The leader was the last man standing and immediately gestured surrender. He was bound and blindfolded for onward transit. His visual capability was restored once inside a dark cave, and as his eyes adjusted to the dimness, he recognised the voice of T'slane. The words emanating from the Dominian General were unambiguous.

"Khaled will not be meeting with you today. The plan he had devised is obsolete. We represent the future of Dominia and therefore your fate. Unless you prove your worth in this campaign, you and your people will become the first casualties. We will assist you in seizing the lands of Western Korellia. If this is achieved with the expected efficiency, you will continue to benefit from our protection. That is all you need to know for now. We require you to instruct your army through my Commanders. Decide or this will end now."

Lupus had no choice. He scrawled an instruction for Negrosa to join him at Khaled's palace and it was delivered. His interception was equally efficient and the enforced treaty was acknowledged. T'slane asked Negrosa to return and prepare for further instruction. There was now sufficient momentum for the coup to be initiated. T'slane issued orders for his praetorian units to storm the palace, but not before they had captured Reda and Karim. The operation was precise and Khaled was escorted to the subterranean keep while he awaited the arrival of the new architect of the nation's future. T'slane delayed this meeting until he had witnessed for himself the incarceration of Reda. He took Karim to one side and explained that there was nothing to fear if he declared his support for the new regime.

"I still wonder where you obtained such accurate information regarding the Loci. However, I am more interested in what other attributes you may have. One example would be what you will do after Reda endures the ultimate sacrifice. This is a necessary first step to rid Dominia of dangerous distraction such as diplomacy."

Karim was appalled at the dismemberment of the landowner in public, and its accompanying declaration of an end to appeasement of the uncivilised barbarians at the gates of Dominia.

T'slane added, "All reservists will be called to action to underpin this war of survival. Make no mistake – it is them or us. Diplomacy can only return when we are secure once more, and with the necessary leverage to talk from a position of strength."

He then delegated Serfs from Reda's estate to run the land for the new government. Having conveniently rounded up the other landowners, the policy was repeated, and their remains, like those of Reda, were scattered over the respective pastures as their final contribution to Dominia. Karim was told it was time to decide. Despite his horror at the depravity of recent events, he had not forgotten how he had felt let down by the other Travellers, and agreed to assist.

*

Kiozo had assembled his first prototype hand-held gun. He had decided to begin with a pistol rather than a rifle because it would appeal to the Generals as an additional, easy to carry weapon, rather than a replacement for one of their favoured assault swords. The psychology paid off. The short range meant that it would be used as a last resort, and therefore its effectiveness would be given over to the warriors rather than be subject to the conservatism of the high command. The tests went well; Sendzai congratulated Kiozo and set up a meeting with just the two of them. He had noted the muted support of his top military men, and detected their unease. His concern didn't have to wait long to be validated.

First Strike

Kyklos had interrogated just about every person who had been in the vicinity of the tavern when his brother was bludgeoned to death. The fear he had generated, together with a lucrative reward, had the unfortunate effect of breeding inventiveness. It caused him to believe more of what he wanted to hear, rather than sifting through the contradictions of the eye witness accounts. The distillate of it all was that the culprit was ethnically different and had definitely sought out his brother. No real explanation of the tavern owner's death was offered or pursued, and Kyklos fashioned his own identikit image of the aggressor, which precluded females. He had been looking for a reason anyway. Thirty of his elite bodyguards conducted a 'guerrilla' incursion into the peripheral camps of the Tor-Azen. The disguised purpose was to be seen to exact only retribution for the brutal murder, but in the mind of Kyklos he was simply fed up with waiting for the wars to begin. He was utterly convinced that it would produce a temporary outbreak of bushfires and then recede, as it had always done with the Dominians. This had reliably produced opportunities for the East Korellians to profit, then 'disappear'. He hadn't counted on the response of the Tor-Azen being so thorough and clinical. His men slaughtered eight families, mostly women and children, and left daubed messages of why this was a necessary disincentive to these usurpers of their lands. The name of Kyklos was emblazoned on each dwelling, almost as an invitation to anyone who dared to respond.

Sendzai received this news and asked his court to be cleared of all but the two most senior Generals, Nakamukin and Mitsuno. He then asked their opinions on how they should cleanse the temperate zone of the perpetrators. The advice offered was typically different from each officer, and in Sendzai's mind they had misunderstood the question.

"I want a solution, not a response. If we do not demonstrate the absolute folly of engaging with the Tor-Azen, it will fail to deliver the message to the other protagonists who will ultimately be in our way. Fear is a weapon when managed correctly. I am inclined to reject both plans you have put before me. I will not respond too soon in order to implant the feeling we are weak, and encourage more foolhardy action from these barbaric hordes, so we must be ready to deliver a riposte which shocks the entire temperate zone. Bring me Kiozo."

This fear Sendzai described had found its way to the minds of Nakamukin and Mitsuno. They felt threatened. Their voyage from their homeland had always flourished by a strike, followed immediately by cultural absorption. The image of a prolonged or continuous offensive campaign was a departure which didn't sit comfortably, yet they knew of the outrage of the families still living so close to the invaders; it demanded justice and also restoration of the safety which would head off the escalating panic within their midst. They conferred on the second worry – that of the instruction to summon Kiozo. Mitsuno was guarded in his criticism of Sendzai, citing such humiliation as a sin. Nakamukin agreed, while contemplating how to turn this to his advantage even if it meant further misery for Mitsuno.

Before Kiozo arrived, Nakamukin requested a private word with Sendzai, having already informed Mitsuno of his intention to rebuke their leader for such an embarrassing indiscretion.

"I will comply with Sendzai's wishes by producing the underling Kiozo, who I sponsored, but remind him of the traditional protocols of the Samurai."

Mitsuno appreciated this selfless gesture and happily returned to his camp to await the outcome. The private audience went well, and Nakamukin made sure that Sendzai took full account of his revised advice.

"Great Leader, my original proposal was partially based on the invisible weaknesses in our trusted strategy in this new environment. Unfortunately, one of those handicaps takes the form of Mitsuno. He is not receptive to many of the ideas which Kiozo has presented, and I have to point out that he casts derision on the cliquot which you formed, while the rest of us can see the wisdom of your insight. If this irritant was to be removed, progress would advance rapidly. I am sure Kiozo will convince you of that himself. I would relish the opportunity to push this forward with him, and seed the ranks of our militia with the energy you outlined, for a salutary lesson to East Korellia and those who merely observe events from their realms. I would feel privileged to support and direct my sponsored weapon designer toward these goals, and I humbly request to be present during your briefing of Kiozo. This will ensure he remains focussed – I will see to it." Nakamukin held his nerve as he awaited Sendzai's response.

"Very well, bring him in; we will discuss Mitsuno in good time."

Sendzai came as close as a leader could to an apology to Kiozo, for not endorsing his request to conduct real trials on the chariots.

"I have reconsidered this suggestion and we may now have such an opportunity. I would therefore ask you to enlarge on any new ideas you may have, as the level of our response to East Korellia will undoubtedly bring war throughout the habitable zone. We must therefore have an inventory of surprises for the sterner tests which await us."

Kiozo was unprepared for such openness and glanced at Nakamukin. The slimy smile he received warned him to be careful.

"I have stressed to all of the Generals that they should quickly decide on the value of the pistols I gave them. The step to long range rifles is but a refinement, yet the potential to change their effectiveness is immense. An added advantage is that the source metal ores are not available to our competitors – this is in contrast to the chariots – as they can be copied. I have also been working on other attributes of gunpowder, and I have already produced a prototype cannon. Nobody else knows of this. The design is largely taken from historical records, but the projectiles are the key to their devastation potential. They are not simply high speed wrecking balls. The morality may be questioned and I am not sure you will approve."

Nakamukin scolded Kiozo for such disrespect.

"Intimating what our leader may or may not think is not the province of any who serve him. Confine your comments to the technical aspects and know your place."

Kiozo began to realise he would soon have to eliminate his sponsor from any involvement in his future plans. At this stage he needed to retain his contrived goodwill. He decided to retain the further proposals for another time and offer only the projectile suggestion.

"Each projectile would contain sealed quantities of substances, and upon impact would fracture, then react violently to produce hydrogen cyanide, the gaseous form of which would spread quickly in the wind and terminate all who could not outrun its dispersion. It is invisible death. The idea itself is not new, but the absence of corrosion-resistant breathing equipment would render the enemy helpless within the strike zone. There is no shelter. Of course, it will not discriminate between soldiers and civilians."

Nakamukin was silent, desperately wondering how Sendzai would judge such a departure from their code of warfare. The worst scenario was upon him. Sendzai frowned and turned to the worried General.

"What is your view on this concept?" He paced the floor, gesticulating but saying nothing.

"I ask you again, what course would you follow in my position?"

Kiozo was about to say something but Sendzai held up the hand of restraint.

"I will come to you Kiozo, but first I need the position of my senior General."

This was embarrassment added to turmoil for Nakamukin. His gut told him that Sendzai was steeped in generations of moral discipline, yet the acidic earlier rebuke of Mitsuno and himself centred on the need for change in this precarious situation. When he factored in the barbarism of Kyklos and the message Sendzai intended to deliver, he felt he could not simply dismiss the potential to establish such psychological superiority throughout the temperate zone. His reply was littered with caveats and hesitation, giving the listener no clear indication of how he would actually deal with the proposal, if indeed he had sole responsibility. Sendzai thanked him and despatched him to order Mitsuno to court, knowing that he would do it personally, and that they would discuss the matter on the way back. Kiozo was also preparing to leave and began folding his papyrus plans.

"Not yet. I want you to prepare the projectiles and the cannon. How long will this take?"

Kiozo scratched his head, and said that the cannon had already been assembled for use with conventional ammunition, but the encapsulated type would require at least two more weeks.

"Then proceed, and no other person shall know that you are doing anything but preparing the cannon for normal ammunition. Do you understand?"

Kiozo understood perfectly and could already visualise the impending discussion with the two Generals.

## Chapter 6

Ragna and Rubina dispensed with the consequences of appearing out of nowhere and intruded into the family midday meal. It could only just qualify as a meal, despite their privileged position. The guards rushed forward with reflex haste and were further confused by the disappearance and relocation of the shape-shifters. Grenthe called a halt to his floundering, dutiful protectorate, and merely said to the apparitions, "Well?"

It was Rubina who took the question.

"You will be given a demonstration of our usefulness to your nation, but first we need to dispel the rumours of ancient mythical beings such as wraiths. I will let Ragna explain how this inaccuracy came about. My name is Rubina and I will tell you more about the death of the brother of Kyklos – who as you may know, is the leader of East Korellia."

As Ragna recounted the events since his initial surface appearance, Rubina studied the gathering. Grenthe's wife, Emana, was a spindly woman, clearly shaken by the apparition. She continued to peck away at the food rather than listen to Ragna. The elder son, Grun, was like his sister, a fine example of human architecture. His broad-shouldered frame remained still and his eyes were locked on to Ragna while he listened intently to the story. The other male sibling seemed out of place, mainly due to his albino characteristics. Pure white hair, eyelashes, and red-rimmed piercing blue lenses. The rather awkward smile never left his face during Ragna's account. When this was over Grenthe bade them to sit, and offered them the remnants of their meal. Only then did he notice that Emana had all but cleared the table. He proceeded to introduce the family. Meridia's gaze had now transferred from Ragna to Rubina, and as soon as her father had dismissed the guards she spoke.

"You have omitted to disclose from whence you came; it is obviously not from these lands. Are we expected to believe you are some kind of genetic mutants with special abilities, or are you going to explain your dramatic intrusion in words which support the story we have just heard."

Rubina mused that she was going to be the most difficult to convince of their veracity; the others seemed keen to progress to hearing how they could be of assistance to Aurorans. A quick conference between Rubina and Ragna yielded the futility of continuing to protect their true identity. Time was already against them, adding to the numerical disadvantage. If they didn't act swiftly there may be nobody to hide their origin from. This time Ragna gave the floor to Rubina.

"You were not born then, but your ancestors have surely made you aware of the disaster which struck the Earth in 2045." She paused to hear affirmation of this; it only came from three of them – Grenthe, Meridia, and Grun. A quick exchange of glances and Meridia conferred with her father. The whisperings concluded and Emana left with the younger son.

"Continue please," said Grenthe.

"Do you also know of an earlier devastation by the same comet in 1908?" The nodding was conveyed with building impatience. "Good, then you probably recall that your forefathers knew of an attempt to evade both of these catastrophic events. Humans were not involved in the first, but later discovered an object near the impact zone which indicated that an extra-terrestrial species in the vicinity had almost succeeded, but caused a fragment to splinter from the parent. Although this was not what was planned, it did give Earth a second chance. The subsequent event was monitored by your scientists and they employed a device left by these extra-terrestrials on Phobos, the larger moon of Mars. The device did not function consistently and the deflection of the comet by this moon caused the extinction scenario in 2045. It is difficult to say whether the comet's cleavage into strikes in the African continent and Chino-Indian region created more havoc or was marginally less devastating than the whole body impacting the southern Atlantic Ocean."

She paused. "Is this all familiar to you?"

Grenthe replied that most of it was, but the years since then and the struggle for survival had dulled the detail. Rubina resumed.

"We are members of the species which tried to save your world. We were sent back here following the messages we received from our own instruments, which verified the rescue attempt had failed. Our purpose when we arrived recently was to begin restoration of the planet's ecosystem. We had not expected to find human survivors. We must also make you aware of a disagreement we had with other members of our species, who have since returned to join our kin, a long, long way from this solar system. They will return at some distant point in the future. The five who remained were assigned to help each nation. The Dominians, Tor-Azen and Machu have already received assistance from their respective polymorphs. I was posted to help Korellia, but that proved impossible for me because of their chaotic social order, or rather the lack of any order. Ragna was to be your guide, but as you have heard he was thwarted by the over-zealous guard and the wraith rumours. We decided to join forces and offer help to you, because without it you will become highly vulnerable to the superior communications, technology and tactical advice capabilities of the other polymorphs. You may decline our assistance, that we will accept, but you cannot harm us. The wraith incident and my slaying of the animal brother of Kyklos testify to our abilities. One further point for you to contemplate is that the other Travellers, as we are known, have already demonstrated unilateral agendas. What started out as a period of observation and derivation of common objectives for your species has since disintegrated to match your own struggle of survival of the fittest. The Korellians are the only nation without the option of our help. Those Travellers aligned to the rest do not yet know of our intention to disclose the entire truth to you. They still pose as humans. We considered this carefully and then chose to inform you in this way, as we believe it is crucial to your chances of survival. Whether or not you agree to our participation, you would be wise to allow your enemies to remain in the dark about the presence of any Travellers. We will leave you now to return to orbit, where we can resume our natural presence. This will also be explained if you decide to engage with us. We will return tomorrow."

The stunned silence was pierced by Meridia.

"How can we ascertain whether they are telling us the whole truth?"

Grun then asked, "You mean you believe they are from another world?"

Her sarcasm embodied the full sentiment that Grun was never going to be fit to succeed her father. "Do you have a better explanation? In any case it is not that relevant right now. Whether they are from where they say or the bowels of the Earth itself, we do need more than speculative information at present. Relevant information is power Grun, and they seem to have an abundance of it. My question is still whether they have given us all they have, or simply what they think we need to know. Father, I cannot see what we have to gain from refusing them the opportunity to answer this one way or the other."

Grenthe also knew that one day Grun would be disappointed that his sister, his younger sister to boot, would lead the Aurorans, but only if they survived the coming war. It was irregular from the standpoint of one hundred years of nomadic wandering, for a female to ascend to this responsibility, but Meridia was equipped with the analytical acumen, patience and nerve to do what was required when the time came.

"I agree. They are correct in their assessment of our numerical and technological deficit. I suspect that whatever they will say tomorrow about their change of form to their natural presence is of considerable significance; otherwise they need not have mentioned it. Let us prepare a list of questions of our own to determine as much as we can before making our decision. We should do this individually, and then compare our reasoning, to ensure we cover all issues of importance."

*

Sendzai wasted no time asking Mitsuno why he didn't value the ideas coming from the cliquot. He wasn't totally surprised at the astonishment betrayed by the General's protest. He proceeded to ask him about the pistols Kiozo had developed.

"I am anxious to try them out. I know they are presently considered as experimental, but if they are successful it would give us high leverage to produce longer range weapons, which would change the whole nature of protracted war. I believe we are relatively secure with skirmish campaigns. I still believe the suggestions I made earlier were valid with the current technology we have. I can see however, that an exceptional situation has arisen with this barbarian Kyklos. I concede that it should be treated as such and apologise for simply trying to fit it into our overall strategy."

Sendzai accepted the genuinely emotional regret, and told Mitsuno to prepare for instruction to deal with Kyklos.

"I will have the rudimentary requirements soon; in the meantime, speak with Kiozo about furnishing you with as many pistols as he can provide. You will need to employ no more than two cohorts of men for this riposte. You are correct – this is a lesson not a campaign."

When Mitsuno had gone, Sendzai ordered Nakamukin's presence once more. The meeting was short, and so was the General's life. In keeping with tradition, it was considered one of the major charges an officer could be discredited with. Betrayal of another of equal rank was to be greeted with disgust. To do so for personal gain required the ultimate sacrifice. To be found out meant instant judgement. Nakamukin was marched to a place of privacy and handed the sword with which he was to commit Seppuku. An honourable death was recognition of previous contribution or gallantry. Falling skilfully on to the ritualistic weapon ensured quick fatality.

*

The loose accord between the Machu and the two tribes of Berbus and Salamand had been strengthened by the luxury of full bellies. It was therefore a total shock when news came in from Ventaninho of the scale of the attacks by combined Dominian and North Korellian forces. The immediate reaction of Berbus was that he had been tricked.

"I have always harboured doubt as to why he would give us something for nothing. Altocotl's treachery will be punished."

He prepared to leave to defend his lands. He was checked by Salamand.

"Why aren't you asking the obvious question – if Altocotl wanted rid of us - he could do so right now. We are virtually helpless here on the edge of the ice without reinforcements. I need to know if he intends to help us protect our borders, because I believe he also feels the Machu are under threat from Dominia. The obvious point you miss is why would Lupus fight alongside Khaled? He may have attacked us on his own but he hates Dominia more than we do."

Berbus stopped to consider this last remark and agreed to speak with Altocotl. When they arrived they found he was already busy briefing his subordinates to make the army ready to move.

"You have heard the news I presume. Ventaninho has more details on the attacks, including reports of East Korellian atrocities against the Tor-Azen. It seems the wait is over, we are at war. When Ventaninho has fully briefed you I will be ready to ride with you to check the aggressors."

Berbus felt a little ashamed of his knee-jerk reaction and thanked Salamand for calming him down. Salamand asked if Ventaninho had any idea about what had persuaded Lupus to join forces with Khaled.

"Your information is out of date, Khaled is no longer in power. He is apparently in custody awaiting accusations of negligence by the new leader – T'slane."

Salamand turned to Berbus. "Therein we have the answer. Some kind of personal threat to Lupus would be the most likely reason. T'slane always argued against Khaled's policy of contracts. The problem is even more serious than we thought."

Within three hours the first detachments of Machu warriors were heading east, joining with the tribal units of Berbus and Salamand. The borderlands with North Korellia were the initial priority, and the rank and file were instructed to show more respect to other Korellians than to T'slane. Salamand volunteered to spread this pledge of assistance by the Machu. This he hoped would sway many to join with them and face Dominia. Salamand headed off to the North and Berbus led Altocotl's warriors directly east, into the area of the attacks. They soon encountered small bands of civilians fleeing from the conflict. They were persuaded to return by the impressive appearance of the Machu elite soldiers. When they reached the edge of the battlefield their enemies were clearly surprised by such a rapid and disciplined response. Karim disappeared to assess the follow up forces. Having reported back to T'slane, the General ordered a withdrawal to a better defensive position. This period of relief for the West Korellian fighters enabled them to re-group in the nearby thickets. Ventaninho reported that Salamand had brokered support with some of the North Korellian reserves.

"Salamand believes it would be prudent to try to inform those who had been forced to fight for T'slane, that they would be killing more of their kin than Loci. He suggests finding a wounded North Korellian who can deliver this message."

The search didn't take long. A pike-man with an arrow all the way through the soft flesh of his groin had been left behind in the rapid withdrawal. He couldn't walk unaided and was given treatment. He was told to wait for the arrival of Salamand.

*

The return of Ragna and Rubina was earlier than expected. Ragna reported the bad news.

"We can tell you of two events which mean you have even less time to decide upon our involvement. War has already broken out on two fronts. An alliance between the Machu and West Korellia has responded to attacks on the latter by Dominia, and strangely with the help of North Korellian tribes, instructed by Lupus. We have yet to find out how this came about. This incident is the most pressing, but the second could become equally important. Kyklos, in having exacted revenge for the murder of his brother, upon innocent families of the Tor-Azen, has fuelled the anger of Sendzai. The lack of response from him as yet probably indicates that this will not be considered as an isolated aggressive act. The East Korellians will be made to pay dearly for such unjust provocation. As Rubina has already told you, she was responsible for the death of the brother of Kyklos. We have discussed both scenarios and we concur that it could be prudent to condemn the Dominians, and offer to assist the Western Alliance. Despite the wrongdoings of Kyklos we advise leaving the retribution to the Tor-Azen for now. This advice of course is based on the presumption that you wish to avail of our help. If you have decided otherwise we will leave."

*

Grenthe referred to their parting remark from the previous visit.

"We would like to hear about the significance of your need to return to your natural form. There is also a concern that you may have not told us everything you know about your fellow Travellers. Would you care to elaborate?"

Rubina was happy to describe the need for all travellers to take time out from maintaining human form.

"Our existence requires certain energy balance to be sustained. Although five of us elected to remain we did so in the knowledge that we would ultimately die. However our individual longevity will be dramatically affected by how much time out we can engineer. We normally harvest filtered solar energy, as the risk of flares can seriously damage our matrix, which confers sentience. At this distance from Earth orbit to the Sun, the replenishment of energy is much lower than that expended to maintain polymorphic shapes. As this deficit increases we may have to consider going closer to the Sun. One way or another we will eventually expire without a filter, and we cannot replicate such complex technology here. We have observed that Kiozo, the Traveller assisting the Tor-Azen, has been so busy designing advanced weapons that he has had no time in orbit. This will significantly shorten his life, as there is an energy level below which the matrix destabilisation accelerates."

Grenthe interrupted, "If I have understood correctly, you are saying that the assistance of the individual Travellers may cease at different times."

Rubina nodded. "That is highly likely, and we must also factor in the pivot point of matrix destabilisation threshold. If the exact point is predicted and no further human form is engaged, the individual may extend life by either operating solely from orbit, or seek reversal from prolonged periods closer to the Sun, with its attendant risk. If however, the point is predicted and there is failure to act in time, then the process becomes irreversible and the end will come at an accelerating rate. This would leave the individual with the dilemma of residing mostly in orbit, with infrequent, short surface visits, or to make concentrated surface visits for critical discussion with the appropriate reduction in lifespan."

Meridia pounced on this rather stark explanation.

"It would therefore be a distinct advantage to have two Travellers who could alternate on the surface and thus provide continuity."

Both Ragna and Rubina concurred. Meridia went on to ask if there was any plan for the two of them to persuade other Travellers to defect to the cause of the Aurorans. Rubina thought such a proposal was unlikely to find favour with them right now, but if for instance, talks with the Western alliance could be arranged, it could lead to agreement between the various Korellian tribes involved, and the two Loci nations.

"If such an improbable accord has already been founded with the Machu, Salamand and Berbus, we should encourage the trend. Looking at it from another perspective, if Salamand manages to inspire North Korellians to join the coalition, Aurorans could see themselves isolated in a diplomatic sense. It is extremely urgent, and we can if you wish, act as intermediaries with Ventaninho, the Traveller assisting the Machu."

Grenthe asked for a moment with Meridia and Grun. They all agreed that events were overtaking their own conservative plans. The possibility of being squeezed back to the ice wall was not an option. It was agreed. Ragna and Rubina outlined how they would have to contact Ventaninho, and pending him seeing the mutual benefit, they would expect him to ask for proof of the Aurorans' intentions to rally to the objective of pushing back Dominia.

## Chapter 7

Kiozo had not even considered what Sendzai would do once the cyanide projectiles were ready; he just thought about how to beat the deadline for making them. Mitsuno had been ordered to take his heavily armed troops into East Korellia and return with more than six captains of the scattered tribes, as prisoners. The terrain chosen was the most open they knew of, as Sendzai wanted the demonstration to be observed by as many local people as possible. Mitsuno was also under strict orders to ensure no women or children were injured. The raid was swift yet risky without the cover Mitsuno would have chosen himself. In giving his warriors permission to use the pistols as they saw fit, he underestimated the combined effectiveness of Kiozo's inventiveness. The chariots struck fear into the defenders of the first encampment and the relative neutralisation of their archers caused many to visualise certain death. When this was confirmed by barrage after barrage of coordinated pistol fire, the senior warriors couldn't prevent the ranks from melting away. The falling of comrades who hadn't even got close to the enemy, injected mass hysteria amongst those supposed to follow up the charge. The chariots seemed impregnable and at the same time death was being dispensed from invisible weapons. The resistance became a shambles and Mitsuno had his captives without sustaining a single loss.

*

Ragna and Rubina split up to save time. Ragna went in search of Salamand and found him a little despondent at the caution of the remainder of the North Korellians. It was partly because they didn't believe Lupus had joined forces with Dominia. Ragna decided to go with the magic appearing act. It startled Salamand and those that he was trying to convince. He disappeared again and made his second entrance as an extinct avian – a golden eagle. When he morphed back to 'Ragna the human' he had their attention.

"Fear not, I bear good news. First, I am actually the celebrated wraith which is claimed to haunt these lands. As you can see, I am no such creature. I can be whatever I desire to be. If you do not believe me perhaps a volunteer can skewer me on a very sharp spear or lance. I will not retaliate and the volunteer will not be successful, as I merely wish to set you all at ease."

There was no movement and certainly no volunteer.

Salamand responded, "You have told us what you are not; perhaps you could tell us what you claim to be?"

Ragna was happy to do so, and impressed them with his knowledge, as he articulated the role of the shape-shifters in the historical cataclysms – and, he did it in the North Korellian dialect.

"Before I continue, you must really test my abilities, because time is running out for you to halt the Dominian aggression. I assume that is what Salamand is trying to tell you."

It was Salamand who challenged this, "How do you know who I am and what my purpose is with these people?"

Ragna wasted no time in filling their heads with military intelligence, the various agendas, and the probable outcome of conflict, if nothing changed.

"I know much more than we have time to debate at this moment. I can enlighten you with all the data you need during the conflict. My purpose here is the same as that of Salamand, except that I bear the pledge of support from the Aurorans, whereas he represents the Machu. Is this not correct Salamand?"

They were all staggered, none more so than Salamand himself. Ragna continued.

"The Aurorans are already on their way to speak to and offer support to Altocotl and Berbus. You see, I have been keeping an eye on all developments. Without the combined efforts of the North and West Korellians, the Machu, and Aurorans, Dominia will be extremely difficult to turn back. I must make you aware of two other important situations. First, the Dominians also have one of my kin assisting them, his name is Karim, and he will be able to give T'slane all the troop movements in the same way I can do for you. If you do not have this information you will stand little chance of survival. Secondly, the leader of North Korellia, Lupus is not a willing participant to this apparent alliance with T'slane – he was forced into compliance by being threatened with Dominia attacking the northern lands before those of your neighbours in the west. I am sure Salamand has already mentioned this, but the initial defeat of West Korellia would merely delay the assault on the north. Ask all you need to when the Dominians have been halted completely. Their present defensive position is a ploy; they have mobilised all reserves to descend on to the battlefield at very short notice. Diplomacy is not an option until the first real encounter is concluded. I urge you to follow Salamand, as I have to return to the conflict zone."

Ragna disappeared with the same panache, leaving them to act or accept the consequences.

Salamand produced the clinching evidence of the wounded North Korellian soldier. The barely conscious recruit confirmed Ragna's assertion that Lupus was acting under duress.

"He had however secretly instructed Negrosa, to make the troops ready to desert the Dominian oppressors; the signal to do so would have been the arranged accidental death of T'slane. This was never achieved, because Karim reported that Machu reinforcements were arriving rapidly to bolster the counter-attack."

Salamand proclaimed it was now or never. The reaction was inspirational; never before had the two mini-nations of Korellia stood together for the same cause.

*

Rubina created the same surprise by her precision in appearing in the space between Altocotl and Berbus. The latter demonstrated phenomenal awareness as he tightened a garrotte around her neck, before she had time to introduce herself. His bewilderment at her immunity was the catalyst for Machu warriors to protect their leader. Rubina thwarted their tactics by seizing Altocotl's ornate dagger, which he had already drawn from its sheath, and swallowing it. Having retrieved and inspected it during the freeze frame this created, she then returned it to the wide-eyed leader, and a sense of calm descended on some of the onlookers, but not Berbus. He swung a huge granite club at her. When it passed through her head, she appealed for cessation of such mindless aggression.

"I shall return – you have one last chance to hear what I have to say."

She reverted to her normal form, and in doing so produced a light and sound intensity which caused disorientation, and severe aural pain to all within earshot. The lesson was brief as she reappeared as the double of Berbus, quickly shifting to Altocotl and finally back to Rubina. At last they appeared to be receptive to listening rather than hacking and slashing.

"I need you to consider what I have to say extremely carefully. The alliance you have formed is not yet strong enough to defeat T'slane. As I speak Salamand is bringing North Korellians to your flank. This can also be strengthened by Auroran forces, which are loyal to Grenthe, and willing to join you in your quest. I can tell you that if you pursue T'slane into the shadows you will fall into his trap. He was surprised by the presence of Machu, and the speed of your response, but his tactics remain unaltered. If you wait until Salamand arrives and the envoy of Grenthe follows, you will be able to assess the situation in much more depth, especially as you need to know T'slane has an advisor with the same capabilities as I do. We can talk more of that later. I must again impress upon you that to attack the apparently helpless retreating Dominian cowards, as much as it beckons, is a fatally flawed plan. You will not get another chance unless you wait to hear from Salamand."

Rubina disappeared and joined Ragna. Together they insisted that Karim should meet them for the briefest discussion. Having already been surprised at the Machu-West Korellian alignment, he surprisingly agreed, but didn't know Ventaninho would also be there.

*

The four travellers stood on the ice wall to the north. It was so high that their vantage point was clearly visible from the western battlefield. When they shifted from humanoid shape the intensity of the light from the four of them even caught the eye of Kiozo. At this distance it looked like a cosmic event to the Tor-Azen, but Kiozo recognised the signature of the Travellers. He initially gave only brief thought to his absence from a gathering in which all of the others seemed to be there. He chastised himself, and vowed to take some time out from his prodigious technology efforts. The view from the top of the ice wall instilled a real sense of perspective, yet one of sadness. This last bastion of life-supporting potential for what was left of the human race was heaving with latent self-destruction. This was why Rubina had chosen the location, rather than ascending to the detail-obscuring vista of orbit. She let the scene wash over Karim and Ventaninho before explaining why she had insisted it was crucial for them to meet; it had the desired effect judging by the muted state of the two guests. Karim had not even protested about Ventaninho's presence.

"We wanted to reflect on whether we should reinstate some kind of regulation of our activities before the landscape we gaze upon becomes the final blaze of human existence. Down there, this criticality is not easy to see. It is all about military strategy and its potential to marginalise the fears of each individual nation. We have not yet mentioned to these remaining torchbearers of the species, that the ice will slowly recede. This may be important because this fear is actually driven by the diminishing habitable zone and increasing population. We wanted to re-examine our own motives while there is still time."

Karim snapped out of the semi-trance, into which the view and Rubina's commentary had led him.

"You chose this time to maximise the effect this potential coalition of the Loci and barbarians might have on me, and therefore on the Dominians. Your speech was indeed very challenging Rubina, but if you remember, it was you who first broke the rules. We have all sentenced ourselves to lives of a finite length, so we have now something in common with the humans, who you now seem to respect so much more than you did when abandoning the Korellian nation. If you had stayed with them you would have found out as you have now, that there are exceptions. Salamand is nothing like Kyklos. I also have acquired an admiration of the precarious lives all humans simply accept. They have faced extinction by natural causes and are understandably not afraid to meet the same fate from within their species. I enjoy the unpredictability of it all and I don't want to give it up for the pretentious morality you are preaching. I am surprised the rest of you do not admit to the same feelings. I am going to return now unless you wish to discuss tactics."

Ragna turned to Rubina. "I did try to tell you this would be his reaction. To him this is nothing more than a game in which he indulges, prior to his own expiration. The fate of the humans, or even the entire planet for that matter, means nothing to him."

Karim laughed, also an acquired human trait.

"You are deluding yourselves, don't you see that there is no purpose to this species, planet, solar system or even the Cosmos. It is just behaviour in adapting to equations governed by the laws of physics. Our own species dabbling in planetary horticulture was, and always will be, a pointless indulgence. At least the humans have a foreseeable end to such life-consuming hobbies. These wars are much more enjoyable. I can see you have not taken me seriously. I will therefore work on the premise that from now there are no rules of any kind to be observed. Oh, one final word of advice, you should make absolutely certain that this alliance you claim to have is not a weakness, since you obviously consider it as an advantage. I am sure you will see what I mean when the foe is engaged."

Ventaninho had remained silent while Karim was present.

"Part of what he says makes sense to me. I do not see this as a game, but with our own existence ebbing away we have limited time to achieve something worthwhile for each of our nations, and indirectly for ourselves. In human terms it could be called a legacy. It is only a question of how seriously we all take it. Karim takes it extremely seriously, but only as a game of finality. Our species has very little experience of finality – we have all but engineered it out of polymorphic existence. I see it as a challenge to help the Machu, the people who trust me. It is not so different to what Karim meant. What does concern me is his intention to countenance no kind of behavioural regulation. At least we know how he will operate. I propose we get on with more pressing matters. The news that you represent the Aurorans is a surprise, but if you have achieved nothing else so far, you have crucially facilitated bringing them together with the Machu. Left to themselves, and the Korellian tribes sandwiched between them, it would probably have come too late, if at all. Karim did not seem to be overly concerned about this, that is troublesome don't you think?"

Ragna and Rubina nodded in agreement, and Rubina suggested that they return to their respective nations.

"Can we agree to the three of us meeting here regularly, if the opportunity to discuss sensitive matters is not afforded to us during the campaign?"

Ventaninho said that was acceptable, and further proposed that they should advise official recognition of this coalition – with the Korellians as equal participants in every respect.

"I suggest we take all the time necessary to promote absolute solidarity before offensive military action is even contemplated. We know that T'slane withdrew his forces before he was aware of defection of any North Korellians to Salamand, or that the Aurorans were backing them up. Linking this to Karim's confidence, I do not believe this retreat was to simply defend from more secure territory."

Accord was reached. There had been no mention of Kiozo, who had made a breakthrough; the prototype cyanide ammunition was ready to test.

## Chapter 8

Sendzai did not want to wait for experiments to confirm Kiozo's confidence. He split the seven East Korellian captains into three groups. Three were taken downwind, and to the limit of the cannons' range. There, they were tied to vertical stakes which faced the weapons. He explained to the others, now divided into two pairs, that they had a choice.

"We will discharge our new ammunition at your friends in the distance. If we miss them or they are merely injured, two of you may go to rescue them – we will not interfere. If they are killed, then those who volunteered to rescue them will take their place at the stake, and we begin the tests again. You have a minute to decide which of you believe we may need more than one shot to cause death."

The minute elapsed without any agreement, so Sendzai chose the pair who would conduct the first rescue or suffer next at the stake. The deafening noise didn't prevent the pair from tracking the trajectory of the projectile and they were mightily relieved that it fell and exploded some twenty yards short of its target. They were released and sprinted to the stakes, only to find that as they got within ten yards, all three who were bound to the stakes appeared to be lifeless. They closed in to check and began to choke on invisible fumes. They fought to get back to the location of the cannons, but only made a few yards before they collapsed and screamed for help. Once there was silence, and Sendzai was sure they had expired, he led the remaining two toward the fallen pair. They were filled with apprehension but Sendzai calmed them down.

"As long as you are with me you will come to no harm. We shall inspect the bodies together."

They only went as far as Kiozo advised and then halted. Sendzai spoke very deliberately to the remaining pair.

"You have observed our capability to kill without actually striking the target. You may call out to those at the stakes or those who believed they were still alive."

When they received no answer the two East Korellians were certain that Sendzai would order their own execution. They were amazed at his next declaration.

"You must now return with us; you are not safe without my presence. Tomorrow I shall give you papyrus which describes what has taken place here. You are advised to take this to your highest military officer other than Kyklos. Tell them that unless they surrender Kyklos to us, I will authorise this invisible death to rain over your entire population. No one will escape. You know, just as your Generals do, that this has been caused by the killing of our innocent women and children by Kyklos. He was intent on seeking revenge for his brother's death, which had nothing to do with us. We do not wish to inflict harm on the East Korellian nation – only their animal of a leader. You will have one additional day to deliver Kyklos to his fate with us. You must remain here until tomorrow then."

*

The advice of Ventaninho was heeded, and the leaders of all nations of the alliance congregated at the battlefront. All except Lupus. Upon the return of Karim the fate of the North Korellian icon was sealed. T'slane had been briefed about the success Salamand had achieved with the subjects of Lupus, insisting that this meant the real power now lay with Negrosa. The body of Lupus was taken during the night and tied to a lone high tree, where it would be seen by the enemy lookouts. This in effect hardened the resolve of Negrosa and his inherited army toward these treacherous beasts of Dominia. The most reluctant were now the most vociferous in the clamour to attack T'slane. When the advice of all three Travellers and Salamand was offered, offensive ardour cooled sufficiently for the leaders to thrash out a treaty which satisfied all participants. The most contentious point was the division of land after the conflict was over. This had to take in the assumption that any which was currently Dominian territory would be included in the equation, once the regime had fallen or surrendered. The far-reaching prospect of there being no Dominia was appealing to all Korellians, and fuelled the clamour for closer ties between them than anyone could remember. With the draft treaty in place and all available manpower registered, the thorny problem of command reared its head. The debate centred on whether there should be one overall Commander, or each nation would play the role agreed at the outset of the march on T'slane. The Travellers chose to remain as information gatherers and giving tactical advice based on such verified data. The potential stalemate melted away when both Altocotl and Grenthe endorsed the option of one Commander-in-Chief, and simultaneously declined the honour. It left only three possibilities, and the choice was made easier by Negrosa's inexperience and the hot-headed nature of Berbus. The weight of the Loci vote helped cement Salamand as the temporary figurehead of the coalition.

Accordingly the battle formation was set out, and they now knew it would find its way to T'slane via Karim. This was to be a war in which the protagonists could count on the adversaries having almost instant access to the intentions of their respective enemies. The outcome would therefore hinge on other means of prosecuting a successful campaign. The coalition recognised that they would have to maximise their three-to-one advantage of Travellers. Salamand conferred with and eventually convinced the others that the two flanks should set off with the objective of forming a pincer on T'slane's position, but break forward at the last moment and apparently head straight for Carthos. This task was requested by Negrosa and Berbus. Salamand would lead the head on attack on T'slane's position with the Machu and Aurorans on each side. The strategy was based on the proposal that information should be perceived by the foe as possible disinformation. Flexibility would become an important weapon.

The central thrust began and the expected staggered hail of arrows darkened the sky. These longbow flurries were easily absorbed by the attackers hunkering down in protective formation behind their sturdy shields. The slow progress toward T'slane's position was going well and conserving ammunition. Karim informed his leader that Berbus and Negrosa were closing the circle around them. This caused T'slane to issue orders for the longbows to switch their attention to the rear of the Dominian forces, and prepare the crossbows for the frontal defence. He stated that the heavier, short range arrows would penetrate the enemy shields. Karim suggested he should consider retreating some distance to ensure they were not cut off from their backup forces. T'slane didn't like such open challenge to his command, even though some of his long-serving officers obviously agreed with Karim. When Ventaninho appeared, first alongside Negrosa and then Berbus, he gave the signal for them to turn toward Carthos. Karim's interpretation of this confirmed his earlier concern, and he repeated his suggestion to pull back. T'slane lost patience with his advisor and told him to merely report on the movements of the enemy, and leave the strategy to those who had experience of warfare. He also reminded his Generals that there was more than enough reserve outside the gates of Carthos to despatch the barbarians heading that way.

"In fact, they are doing us a favour – we only need concern ourselves at present with the foe ahead of our position. Let them come."

He countermanded his previous order for the longbows to switch. By the time Karim had returned with the news that Berbus and Negrosa had now joined forces and were heading back towards them, there was little time to regroup. In the confusion, the communication from Ventaninho to Ragna and Rubina triggered a swift advance from Salamand. He had detailed the Machu and Aurorans to fan out and distract the crossbows while his own warriors produced their first retaliatory hail of arrows. At this short distance the power of the bows ensured maximum damage to those enemy archers with the deadly crossbows. The ranks of T'slane's prized front line were decimated in very short order, but not before some of them had struck Grenthe and Sondor while they were exposed and barking out orders. Sondor sustained instant fatality as the arrowhead took much of his brain with it on exiting his head. Grenthe was not so lucky, as the short arrow travelled right through his throat, and although it miraculously severed only minor blood vessels, it split his trachea. A second, longbow arrow penetrated one of his lungs. He was immediately surrounded by attentive pike-men and stretchered to a safe distance. He motioned for Grun and Meridia to join him as he was unable to speak. The meaningless noises only added to his frustration. He realised he was dying as blood trickled into his sputum and emerged from his mouth. His sole intention was to confer the leadership of the nation to Meridia. He died without being able to articulate his wish, and according to tradition Grun took command, although the Aurorans would now contribute little to this ensuing battle.

The well-rehearsed Machu tactic of applying camouflage to their person and scaling trees provided them with a good vantage point for their blowpipes. Salamand's thrust was now to flush the rapidly depleting Dominian contingent into the path of these Machu poison darts. Meanwhile, Berbus and Negrosa had begun to pepper T'slane's rear-guard. His Generals were now emboldened to overtly criticise his handling of the encounter. They maintained that there was only one option left if they wanted to preserve significant forces for the next skirmish. They insisted that they should take Berbus and Negrosa head-on while they still had the potency of some crossbow units. T'slane refused to hear of such cowardice and reasserted his defensive strategy, while ordering Karim to instruct the reserve at the walls of Carthos to deal with the attack from Berbus and Negrosa.

"The Aurorans are paralysed with grief now that we have slain their leader. We must try to achieve the same with Salamand and the Machu."

Before he left, Karim put it to the Generals that there was a third option.

"We still have Khaled in our armoury. He had never wanted this confrontational solution. He has always tried to use the leverage of barter contracts with Korellia, and it has been successful. If T'slane had continued this with the barbarians, they would have been fighting with us against the Loci. I suggest we send an envoy to Salamand with a papyrus to explain T'slane's error of judgement together with his head. I am certain that this will buy us safe passage back to Carthos to return Dominia to its rightful ruler. They may want negotiations on terms of peace since we committed the first act of aggression. We can agree to talks – what they bring will then be fought across the table of diplomacy."

*

The Generals were able to envisage an extension to their own lives this way and that was a good starting point, everything else could be debated later. They agreed the plan and ended T'slane's short reign in his own war tent. The envoy departed with the written offer of an end to hostilities, and T'slane's open-eyed head, while holding the Pax-Insignia aloft.

The peace plea produced a dilemma for Salamand. He did favour dealing with Khaled rather than another General who could replace T'slane, but he also tried to look ahead. He was not sure that Dominia – under any individual ruler would accept the kind of treaty the Machu and Aurorans had forged with Korellia. He also had one eye on what impact upon unification of all Korellia the Tor-Azen may inject. He was in addition, sensitive to the need for Grun to be able to speak with his nation sooner rather than later. He opted to meet with the Dominian Generals, but only if the other Travellers were satisfied that via Karim, they could confirm a surrender of arms as a first step.

Karim had to agree to the first step of meeting with the Travellers of the coalition, to understand the laying down of arms must occur before any talks could begin. This gave an opportunity for the Aurorans to withdraw to safety and for Grun to address the nation prior to considering funeral arrangements for his father. Meridia knew from many discussions with Grenthe that he wanted her to assume leadership of the people, but he had never told Grun. He had felt it would be necessary to inform the nation himself of such a departure from tradition. He had envisaged this task being completed when he knew he was dying of natural causes, and gambled on that being some years ahead. Meridia could have challenged Grun's automatic ascension, but she was astute in all things political. That would have been seen as divisive and therefore suffer failure. She kept counsel to herself for now, but realised her path to power would now have to be re-targeted.

When they met, Karim told the other Travellers that the current offer was his idea, and he was only able to sell it to the Generals if the remaining troops were allowed to return unharmed to Carthos.

"Please tell your leaders that I wanted to save lives on both sides. I was not against T'slane's plan to seize Western Korellia, but when I realised the armies of Berbus and Negrosa were not heading for Carthos, and T'slane refused to listen to me, I could not condone the price both sides would have to pay for no strategic gain; we will deposit our weapons as you request as long as you allow me to report your willingness to stand aside while we return to Carthos. We both know this is only the beginning."

The others conferred and Rubina eventually spoke.

"We are apparently not in the same position as you appear to be with respect to advising, and indeed processing military detail. We will relay your request to our leaders, however as observers, we cannot seem to concur with your analysis that this is only the beginning. If Salamand agreed to your bargain he would appear to be spurning a victory by not taking this segment of Dominian forces out of the equation, as prisoners. In addition, with no report of exactly what has happened filtering back to Carthos as yet, the reserves there would only see the enemy arriving at the gates unchallenged. That would inject demoralisation, and the realisation of what T'slane was trying to prevent – siege and famine. We do not think you are in a position to make demands, and if you try to deliver a different story to Carthos yourself, there are three of us to cause continual malfunction of your matrix, which would eventually mean your premature expiration. It is not too late to join with us in promoting a peaceful solution for all of the humans."

Karim was beginning to regret his declaration that he would acknowledge no rules of engagement at their last meeting. He accepted that he was going to have to make some concessions in order to survive. He had however inadvertently gleaned an important fact; Salamand was at the head of the pyramid for now.

"Very well, please return to your Commander and deliver my proposal. He may see things differently to the three of you. I will ask for the weapons to be surrendered and await his deliberation on whether he wants my help in restoring Khaled to power. This in itself would fit with your desire to give peace a chance."

Salamand listened carefully and said he would think on it for a couple of hours. He had become leader of his tribe when he succeeded his father Durand, following his short illness. He had been able to grasp the principles of the role of a paternalistic figurehead quite quickly, and when this was coupled with a demonstrable willingness to value the lives of all of the nation's people as he would his own, he had outstripped even Durand in terms of respect. His clean-shaven face was framed by long flowing hair and slender shoulders, and he was a very powerful orator. His first point of clarification rested on the condition of the arms to be handed in. He specified to Rubina that they must be inspected, and if they were not in working order the amnesty would be nullified. He clearly wanted to be able to copy the design of the crossbows.

"Also I would like you to tell Karim that not only will we allow them to return to Carthos, I will escort them back personally. I wish to meet with Khaled to ensure he is alive and reinstalled as leader. Any further negotiations will be with him and no one else. If this is not acceptable to your fellow Traveller we will resume hostilities immediately."

Karim accepted that he had been outmanoeuvred to a degree but was willing to put this to the Generals. He feigned much more disappointment than he actually felt, yet they still took the survival route. The slow moving column of warriors began to deposit their weapons into the clearing between the two camps, under close scrutiny of Salamand and his armed inspectors.

*

The two East Korellian warriors who returned were very cagey about sharing their rather unbelievable encounter with Sendzai. They assumed their story would be reported to Kyklos and this would ensure their demise. They had therefore asked the leader of the Tor-Azen before they set off, if he could allow a party of high ranking officers to come and inspect the bodies without being under threat themselves. Their argument made sense, if Sendzai wished to unite the hierarchy against the leader, they would have to be totally convinced of what the alternative would cost them, and especially their families. They had been given this assurance and they proceeded with the task even though they suspected that Sendzai may have even more devious plans in mind. They approached a senior officer, and though no longer a General, they knew he would believe them, as they had served under him many times. Thule was still a highly respected soldier amongst the ranks from which he had been demoted. The fact that Kyklos had obtained power amidst a strange sequence of deaths, in the then leader's family, had always troubled some of the military. He had quickly installed a mechanism of fear and backed it up with unprecedented ruthlessness in dealing with dissent. Thule decided to take the unit under his command to the place of execution, and as Sendzai anticipated, they were confused by the absence of any obvious cause of death in such fresh corpses. They left and Thule asked the two informants to go through their story again in meticulous detail. When he could find no logical explanation in their account he took the risk of returning to the borders with the Tor-Azen and asked to be shown to Sendzai, carefully explaining why. He was surprised that within half a day he was escorted to the Grand Leader.

*

The funeral of Grenthe was one of traditional rejoicing in his life rather than dwelling heavily on the grief which gripped his family. His body was clothed in a hand-embroidered gown, denoting his place in the post-cataclysm era. Only his face remained uncovered as the pyre was lit. The loss was felt deeply by the military, being so soon after arriving in the temperate zone, and occurring at the same time as General Sondor. It prompted many to question the benefits of the coalition, as there had been no reported casualties amongst the Machu. Grun could see he was going to need persuasive arguments to resume the conflict without causing a schism in the Auroran ranks. Grenthe's widow, Emana, had to deal with the personal loss and that of her younger son Lennart. She was concerned that the family would splinter, primarily because she had once overheard Grenthe's promise to Meridia that she would succeed him. Her husband had never confided in her on matters of state, but she knew Meridia wouldn't accept being subordinate to Grun. She also knew that Grun would struggle to live up to what was now expected of him, and the time he used to spend with Lennart would be consumed by his new and onerous duties. The young man would not understand, as he idolised his elder brother, yet he did not appear to be badly disturbed when looking at the contortion left on the face of the corpse which had been his father. The young man's mental difficulty in processing the permanent loss of his father, who had treated him well, and the temporary loss of the connection with Grun, with whom he had a very strong emotional bond, could become a defining challenge for the new leader. Grenthe's ashes were retained in an urn which would be kept alongside those of previous leaders, beginning with Bertil Nordsen.

*

Thule's audience with Sendzai was more civil than he had anticipated. He realised that the ruler of the Tor-Azen apparently wanted to avoid conflict, but was prepared to prosecute a war with East Korellia unless justice was seen to be done for the families Kyklos had slaughtered. He acknowledged his agreement with Sendzai's position, and his sincerity prompted the ruler to add more detail for him to persuade those who would need to deliver Kyklos.

"The use of this death weapon, which was witnessed by your two informants, is not something I would like to repeat, but you must convey my absolute determination to avenge the atrocities perpetrated by your so-called leader, upon innocent civilians. If he is not seen by his own people as a murderer, I will have to purge your entire nation with this weapon, to apprehend him. There is no shelter from this invisible death."

Thule left assurances that he would do his utmost to right this atrocity in the minds of his own people as well as the Tor-Azen. He had time to dwell on exactly how he might pull off such a dangerous coup while he travelled homeward. A helping hand appeared out of nowhere. Following the return of Dominian forces to Carthos, Karim had freed Khaled. One of the first things he did was to get the inner sanctum of Generals to recount the folly of T'slane, and crucially, his own part in deposing the dictator, while brokering the cease-fire and safe return of what was left of the army to the city. The re-establishment of the former leader was emphasised. When the Generals were dismissed Karim updated Khaled with the formation of the troublesome western alliance.

"It is not just the numbers which are of concern. The geographic spread is now particularly worrisome. We are effectively under siege from the west and north. This leaves only the East Korellians and the Tor-Azen as neutral nations. However they are on the brink of war with each other because of wrongful and mindless revenge killings by Kyklos, for the death of his brother. He is an extremely temperamental leader and rules exclusively by fear. I need to inform you of my real identity in order to make sense of what I am about to propose."

*

Khaled's head was in a spin. He had gone from expecting execution to freedom, then to his former position of power in very short order. Never had a ruler of Dominia survived such a deposition. He was now supposed to believe that his trusted aide was not who he had claimed to be; he was not even human? Khaled asked Karim to slow down.

"Before you demonstrate proof of your claim, I want to hear more of how the western alliance came into force. It is very difficult for me to believe that Korellians, who I have tried to convince for almost two decades to join our culture, would align themselves to any other nation. They are nomads – descended from wanderers of the ancient deserts, and I cannot see this hegemony lasting."

Karim conveyed his belief that it was a cause they rallied to more than any obligation to alter their culture.

"Khaled, you must not underestimate this change in the political as well as the military landscape. Firstly, the offer of sustenance by the Machu was made without conditions. Secondly, Salamand is different to other Korellian leaders, both in terms of his way of involving the people, and his diplomatic astuteness. He is currently the nominal Commander of this alliance campaign. I agree we must address this at the right time, but the most pressing problem is one of feeding our people. That would be best achieved by making certain that we can preserve our farms to the East. One thing T'slane did predict correctly was the vulnerability of your strategy of relying too heavily on contracting dissident Korellians to help protect our agricultural dependency. This is of course located exclusively outside the city walls. However, we have no time to waste – we have to make absolutely sure this siege potential is not repeated to the East. I would like to explain how I know who murdered the brother of Kyklos, and how that knowledge can be used to secure our eastern border."

At last Khaled relented and listened intently while the somewhat preposterous story was told in full. Karim outlined the content of his secret appearance in Kiozo's research facility.

"He was very surprised to see me, but when I told him of the western alliance he said this would mean more interesting work for him. The technology he is working on will place the Tor-Azen at the top of the pyramid of military power, and I believe it will then turn to economic superiority. I was able to get the true story of Sendzai's reaction to the Kyklos raid. The ammunition employs deadly gas capsules which have a wide kill radius. Also, Sendzai has despatched a well-respected officer of East Korellia with an ultimatum to hand over Kyklos to the Tor-Azen. This is a precarious task and one where I believe we can gain some common ground with Sendzai. The Tor-Azen are not conducive to joining forces or objectives with others, and this western alliance will make them nervous. If I can act with Thule, the officer charged with undermining Kyklos, he will report this to Sendzai. As we would not be asking for anything in return for our help, other than seeing that justice was done, he may feel obligated to us in future. They take such honour extremely seriously. In the meantime I would humbly suggest you begin peace overtures with this western alliance to at least buy some time, to begin storing and preserving food."

Khaled began to see the sense in Karim's tactics; he also saw him as a potential threat to the stability of the entire region.

"How many of these polymorphs now reside in the temperate zone?"

When he was apprised of the three who were with the western alliance he was also made aware of the fact that Rubina killed the brother of Kyklos, and that the Travellers did not actually reside on Earth.

"We must spend as much time in orbit as events permit, otherwise our life-expectancy will be diminished to well below that of humans."

Khaled made a mental note of Karim's assertion that Kiozo had already suffered significant deficit, while he guessed that the others would be able to have a rota for essential time in orbit. He also correctly guessed that Karim would be somewhere in between, and couldn't help wondering if this had some bearing on what he had proposed. He nodded his endorsement of the plan and asked for more detail of how he would assist Thule.

"I will simply shadow him when he contacts those that he hopes to persuade. If they try to harm him I will intervene and apply persuasion of my own. If they simply decline his request I will demonstrate abilities which they may fear more than reprisals from Kyklos."

Khaled was now more certain that this vague explanation was confirmatory of some unilateral agenda.

## Chapter 9

In the hiatus precipitated by the confirmed restoration of Khaled, Altocotl visited Grun to pay his respects. He was accompanied by his own son, Itzan, who although a mere fifteen years of age, realised what a dangerous world they had been forced to inhabit. He was uncomfortable with the knowledge that in another two years he could ascend to the leadership of the Machu. The death of Grenthe had underlined the possibility of such an event occurring, as much more of a reality since the nation signed up to the alliance. Itzan was somewhat of a disappointment to his father because he always shunned political leadership discussion; his thoughts were mainly centred on science and its applications. He had collected many fine examples of Nobel Prize winners' work from his ancestors. These papers were highly valued in the early years following the 2045 event, but they just became collectors' pieces when access to practical, working products derived from the theory were either destroyed, or those running them had perished. The availability of the materials to re-make them was also a problem. Whilst large scale facilities such as electricity generating systems were simply out of his reach, he had made novelty products such as crude batteries. He felt he needed to complement this with a source of light. It was almost as challenging as it must have been for Edison all those years ago. It was not helped by his father's disinterest in this dabbling, when he felt Itzan should be maturing in terms of a successor. This war had made it even more difficult to get Altocotl's support, but as yet they were both sublimely ignorant of Kiozo's work.

*

Grun was grateful for the visit and managed to inadvertently remind Altocotl of how much the Machu leader would like to see his own son so ready to lead the nation, in what could be described as its darkest hour. He did however snap out of his daydream when he was introduced to Emana, with Lennart cowering behind her. He didn't get the chance to experience the worldly awareness of Meridia on this occasion, but his thoughts did extend to what a breathtakingly beautiful woman she was, and how much longer he would remain a widower. These were however, issues for more politically stable times.

*

Salamand was contemplating the overtures of Khaled's envoy. The invitation to visit Carthos and bring the other leaders was described by both Berbus and Negrosa as an unacceptable risk. Altocotl and Grun admitted they had no experience of how much Khaled could be trusted or how different he really was from T'slane. Salamand suggested that he should be the only leader to accept the invitation.

"Khaled will know from Karim that you asked me to take temporary command of the battle with T'slane. This is a convenient point upon which I can hear what he has to say, but make it clear that I cannot speak for the rest of you in diplomatic terms. If the meeting goes well and I return safely, he can be invited to come and address us as a group. I do believe Khaled has demonstrated in the past that he keeps his word, and he knows that if I do not return unharmed, he will face the bloodiest battle in the short history of Dominia." The envoy was despatched with this reply.

*

Thule had approached three Generals he knew well, and was confident that they wouldn't betray him to Kyklos. They were his subordinates before he was demoted, and the reason for this loss of office had never been accepted by them, although they were afraid to speak out. Thule had challenged Fangorn, the now deceased brother of Kyklos the usurper, about the demands on the population to produce more food and goods. The reason given for this pressure, and the consequences of failure were supposedly to prepare for an all-out war with Dominia. Kyklos had quoted various levels of intelligence which all pointed to the impending danger. The demand for goods was skewed toward barter value rather than weapons. This had struck Thule as a strange strategy for defence against a nation who had tolerated incursions from East Korellia for decades, and had always retaliated with like-for-like strikes. His suspicions were shared with other Generals and all of them had concurred with this view. He finally unearthed evidence that most of the food and goods were destined for nobles, who had pledged their support to ratify Kyklos as leader, instead of him stepping down from his temporary position. It also coincided with the near term coming of age of the rightful heir, who conveniently disappeared around the same time. Thule had advised Fangorn to persuade his brother to reconsider the burden he had placed on the populous, suggesting there were much better ways to motivate people, in order to increase productivity. He didn't realise that Fangorn was even more devious than his brother, and that he would seize the chance to report that Thule was preaching treasonable actions to the military. The three Generals he now spoke with remembered this period vividly, and yet they were still afraid of the tentacles of Kyklos - his spies. This was the cue for Karim to appear. He chose to impersonate Kyklos and stated that this was a true test of their loyalty.

"You are all guilty. The charge is not one of disloyalty to Kyklos, but to Thule."

They couldn't interpret what they were seeing. The power of Kyklos was even more sinister than they had believed, and they therefore expected the worst, as did Thule. The head-scratching started when they tried to reconcile that the charge was 'disloyalty to Thule'. They became even more confused when Kyklos morphed to a likeness of the missing young heir, painted by Thule, and hanging in his tent. The boy had almost been forgotten in the years of austerity since his disappearance.

"You must remember me, even though you have deserted me. Thule was the only one who tried to find me, against the wishes of the usurper. I am still alive. You must seriously consider assisting Thule to deliver our nation from the clutches of Kyklos, or there will not be any of you left to live in the shame of failing to avoid the genocide planned by the Tor-Azen."

*

Karim disappeared without explanation of whether the boy was indeed still alive, simply because it created hope. The Generals were imbued with the feeling that perhaps Thule had somehow become a more powerful being than Kyklos. This transference of fear had the effect of all three admitting to themselves that it would be better to perish in a noble cause than to suffer the same fate by continuing the pretence that they had a third choice. They agreed to bring more of their ranks to meet with Thule, who was just as disoriented as they were.

*

Salamand and his escort were greeted by Khaled. He bade them to sit in a circle of which he was a part. This was a departure from Dominian protocol, which surprised the guests. The outline of proposals which Khaled delivered wouldn't sit well with Karim, as they went much further than he had recommended.

"My incarceration in the filthy dungeon provided me with time to cast a much wider view of the issues which face all humans left on the planet. I must also confess that I found it strange that I was preoccupied with elements I could no longer control, and indeed rebuked myself for such fantasy. The reality was that I had been scheduled for execution. The miraculous events which conspired to free me, your alliance being one example, have reinforced the mission I must now pursue. I would like to begin with a completely open discussion on how we can forge an agreement in which all nations will have to make compromises in order to achieve a core of common objectives."

Salamand couldn't have prepared for this opening gambit, but reminded himself that words were not deeds, and waived any response at this time. He merely invited Khaled to flesh out some of his thoughts he had configured during his imprisonment. What followed would affect the strategic thinking of all nations and the Travellers who advised them.

"I tried to put myself in the position of the Loci and then the Korellians. Such distraction is possible when you expect every opening of the dungeon door to be the last. All of the Loci would have preferred to remain where they were born, and would have done so but for the ice. It was a combination of fear and duty which set my agenda to this approaching threat to everything Dominia had achieved since the cataclysm. That is still a factor, but I can see now that it is precisely the same for the Loci. Given any other scenario they may not even be here, but the instinct to survive runs deep, and although we may label hindsight as an exact science, we can still learn from it. When I reflect on Korellia, I have to concede it is a different picture. They were born here, but due to their nomadic heritage, did not achieve the prosperity of Dominia in the last century. This is simply a repeat step of evolution which characterised the first move to agrarian culture. What I missed is that there is room for both. We Dominians allowed our protective reflexes to deny Korellia resources capable of being shared, in favour of keeping them at heel. The result was incessant incursion. The pattern was set before my time; it was all I knew. I now fervently believe that if we follow the same path with the Loci, few of us will survive. Is that victory? I must now turn to another element in the equation – these Travellers. Their intentions may have always been good, from 1908 to the present, but they only have negative results to show for the efforts. They did not prevent Tunguska, and they did not prevent 2045. Who can say that their claimed mission to restore their 'horticultural jewel' will fare any better? The very fact that they are themselves a splinter group, from the objective of their species is a concern. The others did not wish to confer any special status on humanity. Having been told that those five who remained have effectively sacrificed their existence sounds noble, but it also may bring the craving to realise something of value, during that now finite lifespan. I draw your attention to the way that they decided 'how' to save us. It has not been a cohesive plan at its core, and it has unfortunately mutated into providing advice for one or another nation to prevail. The comparison with humanity over the ages is frightening. Without claiming that this is their intention, I urge all nations to act in a way which takes us out of conflict for a protracted period, in order to observe what they will do next. It would surely teach us more about what advice they could offer in such a cooperative agreement. In other words, if we can transcend the cultural rifts and work together, can they demonstrate the same ability to facilitate such compromise? I for one am not sure."

The subordinates of both Salamand and Khaled looked intently at the expressions on the faces of these two men. It was as if they were grappling with something which didn't make sense, and thus produced total incredulity. Salamand was first to break the uneasy silence.

"There are many elements in your declaration which would be desired, especially by those who are suffering the most deprivation. I must also remind you that some of the historical events to which you refer as retrospective errors by Dominia have left deep scars. They cannot simply be washed away with one bowl of sustenance. I am curious as to why you believe those who have suffered over the years will suddenly be able to trust you. They will most likely be disposed to think it is just another layer in the tissue of lies they have heard in the past. In this respect, I feel you may be wise to act upon your statement that the Loci are different from Korellians. Perhaps you should also take account of the difference between the western alliance and the hatred generated in the East. The alliance may not last, but the hatred demands resolution. The Loci may provide your point of origin for this grand scheme, as they have no history with your nation. If you are successful in constructing bridges with them, West Korellia will have this in common with you. You may also wish to speak with the Tor-Azen with some urgency, because although we all sympathise with them in seeking justice, cleansing the temperate zone of all East Korellian people is not the answer. Finally, I have to inform you that this is only my opinion; the other leaders in the alliance must speak for themselves. I therefore cordially invite you to address them in our encampment."

There was palpable relief around the table and Khaled nodded.

"Your advice shall be heeded and I accept this invitation. I can tell you that Karim is already assisting with the situation in East Korellia. I do not know exactly how he intends to execute this aid, but his objective is to facilitate the deliverance of Kyklos to the Tor-Azen. When this is achieved we will hopefully have avoided the genocide they threatened, and I will then speak to their leader as I have done to you. When you have briefed your allies I would appreciate a message to signal the time of my visit to your camp."

The gathering dispersed more quickly than the air of expectancy. Whether it fuelled hope or scepticism, the proclamation was permanently stored in the cerebral archive of all who attended.

*

Kyklos had been the beneficiary of a leak concerning the mission of Thule. The bearer of the information had overheard Thule's discussion with the three Generals. His opportunism to earn reward swiftly ousted his paper-thin loyalty. He hadn't expected the reward so soon. Kyklos thanked him personally and told him to accompany one of his aides to receive his payoff. The aide passed him on to a grisly-looking guard who ushered him forward and then directed him to halt. A crossbowman appeared at the other side of a sandpit. The guard explained to him that he had ten seconds, to decide - either the deadly arrow or the pit. He should have chosen the arrow. As he leapt into the pit he noticed a slight undulating movement as the grains fell away. The radiation levels of the cataclysm had not adversely affected the desert scorpions, in fact they had thrived and mutated throughout the period. At least thirty of these creatures – each the size of a giant turtle, converged toward him. The screams were heard back in the tent of Kyklos, whose tongue curled around his upper lip, as he visualised the flesh being torn from the hapless informant. He turned to Curaan, who was his most trusted General and smiled.

"One's good fortune must be shared. For even a single citizen of my nation, even an informant, to think that I can be overthrown is not an option. Strength is only preserved by no weakness being perceived. The informant will now understand this and be at peace. We must then turn our attention to this wretch Thule. I should have had him buried alive for his previous treachery, this time there will be no concession to the support he may have. Death will soon be his companion."

A contingent of only fourteen warriors plus Kyklos himself, ventured to the secret location given by the informant. The rapid encirclement of Thule's position left no obvious means of escape for the four who plotted the extradition of Kyklos. Karim however, who had been following these developments appeared at precisely the moment the conspirators were called from their tent. This time they were not quite so shaken by his appearance, even though he was dressed to match perfectly with Thule. As they exited, Kyklos was thrown off-guard, but gathered his thoughts quickly and instead of delivering his pre-prepared speech he ordered the death of all five. Karim's contingency plan was costly but necessary. He created a diversion by leaping over the cordon and apparently running for cover. Kyklos barked out the countermand to the first order. He could not rationalise why he felt this particular version of Thule was the main threat, but his instinct told him the other one was going nowhere. As ten of the fourteen pursued who they thought was the real Thule, to a distance of around two hundred metres, he stopped, turned and faced them. Karim created a ball of lightning which incinerated the figures within its radius of contact. The charred, skeletal remains of the upright ten, frozen in time, produced bewilderment in the mind of Kyklos. As they crumbled and fell one-by-one, bewilderment was turned to fear, which was then intensified by the immediate reappearance of the quarry, less than spitting distance from him. The remaining four of his warriors had seen enough and fled, casting aside their weapons, in a subconscious plea for mercy. Kyklos found himself surrounded by the genuine Thule and his Generals.

Before Karim's final disappearing act, Thule called out, "Who are you, and why do you assist me?" There was no comfort in the reply for him or his captive.

"My identity is of no consequence, but avoiding delay in completing your mission is paramount. Deliver this apology for a human to the waiting Sendzai, there is absolutely no time to lose." He was gone.

## Chapter 10

Sendzai was impressed with the efforts of Thule and vowed to return the favour if the opportunity ever arose. When Thule spoke of the ethereal help he had received, the Tor-Azen leader was intrigued.

"We must discuss this when we have dispensed justice, in front of the families who were deprived of the loved ones terminated by this pathetic coward."

Although Thule had never forgotten the young boy who had rightful claim to lead the nation, the fresh hope ignited by Karim that he may still be alive, catapulted to the forefront of his thoughts.

"We should perhaps consider such discussion simultaneously with the disposal of Kyklos. This 'presence' I have described indicated that our true leader, whose position was usurped by Kyklos, is probably a captive of your prisoner. The favour you offer me could be to help in the search for this young man. If this is true then Kyklos must have knowledge of his whereabouts. Would you consider ways to extract this information from him, before his fate extinguishes this information?"

Sendzai stroked his chin as he considered the request. This Thule was a man of principle. He could have made good use of being the saviour of East Korellia, but chose the honourable path of restoring the lineage of the ruling bloodline.

"Perhaps we can achieve both at the same time. You must stay with us overnight and enjoy our hospitality, while I set in motion the ceremony I have in mind."

He issued orders in his own tongue to a subordinate, and Thule noticed the reaction in his entire entourage; it produced tangible electricity amongst the Tor-Azen elite. The resultant celebration provided insight for Thule and his cohorts into the order and strength of this nation. Exotic vegetables and spices, exhilarating beverages and a display of master swordsmanship would endure in their memory. This was not a nation to provoke unnecessarily.

When morning came Sendzai informed his guests that everything was arranged. The event was to take place in a circle which had been carved out of the forest overnight, cleared except for four trees. The families of the victims were settled in a place of prominence. The crowd which had gathered were impatient but orderly. Kyklos was led to face the families and given a chance to kneel before them. Thule could scarcely believe the next few minutes, as he was receiving commentary from Sendzai, which was running fractionally ahead of what was unfolding.

"This is an information extraction technique we acquired when we moved through China. The tribe was known as 'Chen Xiou', and the procedure as 'Han Zitsu'. You can be assured that if he knows where your boy is he will tell us."

Large wooden constructions appeared and it was soon apparent that they were to be the secondary application of restraining force which would elicit the information required. Loops of rough rope were thrown over each young tree and the machine operators began to wind handles which caused the trees to bend toward a central point. It became obvious that each one was to be attached to a different limb of Kyklos. The tyrant's eyes began to betray his panic. He was yelling his innocence and insisting that he had been the victim of a cruel charade.

"I will personally hunt down this imposter from my own lands and cut his heart out. You must believe me, I am not the beast who committed these acts of violence against your people."

The procedure continued as if he had never uttered a word. He was then acquainted with the order of events. When his arms and legs had been secured to the arc of each tree, a slight easing of the machine force was applied. Kyklos abandoned his protest in favour of involuntarily screaming at the onset of searing pain. Sendzai indicated that this was not the point of interruption. Two more notches on the devices were reached, and the agony Kyklos suffered was felt by every single spectator, in absolute silence, other than the echoes of his own voice. The next stage of enlightenment for Kyklos was that if he told of the whereabouts of the young heir, he could look forward to being instantly ripped apart, and it would be over. If he did not, each hour would see another notch of power returned to the trees. The lingering, agonising death he could visualise was sufficient for him to elect for the brevity of dismemberment, and he divulged a location where he said the boy could be found. He was told he would be returned to a level of acceptable pain while his disclosure was investigated. If it proved to be false, then the quick way out of his mortal coil would be rescinded, and hours if not days of unbearable agony would be irreversibly set to claim his wicked soul.

Thule wandered to the cover of a thicket and surprised himself by talking to the apparition in an attempt to summon it, or him. He simply couldn't watch more of the procedure, even though he despised the recipient of the pain. He was relieved when Karim appeared as Karim, and was still indulging in self-congratulation, at his lucky guess that the boy still lived.

"I know what your request is Thule. I can check the veracity of Kyklos' confession very quickly. What I am wondering is what the incentive is for this third act of indispensible assistance I will have given to you. Even if we find and restore the boy to sit as the figurehead of your nation, you will be perceived as the hero of the people, and surely retained in an advisory capacity to him. I would like to think we could work together on achieving this, without anyone else knowing of our agreement to do so. Is this a reasonable request?"

Thule was impatient to conclude the awful procedure, and despite the thirst to know more about the apparition, he wanted to get to the boy as soon as possible. He agreed and Karim disappeared once more.

*

The boy was in detention in a cave close to the ice wall to the extreme north of East Korellia. It was such an inhospitable location that those guarding him only stayed there for one month at a time. Karim feared that if he could be proven to be the heir, and not a decoy, he could well be mentally scarred, and this would be very unfortunate. He appeared in the corner of the cramped, cold enclosure as a rat. The boy instinctively looked for some loose stone or suitable implement with which he could bludgeon the vermin to death. He was stopped in his tracks when the rat spoke.

"It would be unwise to kill your best chance of escape. I am only disguised as a rat in case the guards arrive suddenly. I am an emissary from your former people; they know of your predicament and I am here to verify your identity. What is your name?"

The boy backed away and buried his head in his hands, believing that he was hallucinating. Karim began again.

"We have to be sure who you are before any further steps to your rehabilitation can commence. Now, what is your name?"

He curled further into the corner and refused to speak, and this prompted Karim to be more sympathetic.

"Have you been ill-treated by these guards?"

A nod was the only response.

"We must therefore act quickly to get you out of here, your name can wait for now. Call the guard and tell him there is an intruder in the enclosure. Leave the rest to me."

Nervously the boy complied. The guard ran down the ramp to the covered entrance and slid back the outer skin of the enclosure. What he saw was the boy looking in astonishment at a scantily clad young woman. The guard shouted at the boy to move to the far wall and sit in a squat position on the floor. He then opened the door with his heavy set of keys on a thick stone ring. His eyes were now fixed on the young woman.

"How did you get in here?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Answer me or you will be flogged."

She spat on the floor and showed no trace of fear. The instant the guard decided he was going to have this woman, after her eviction from the confinement chamber he effectively signed his own death warrant. He stretched out his free hand to grip her arm and felt the key-ring leave the other. The speed of Karim's execution was a blur to both the guard and the watching prisoner. The guard was beaten about the head with the key-ring until he was unrecognisable. They left him on the floor and Karim began the silent ascent of the ramp. He knew there was only one other guard to deal with and decided to retain the form of the woman.

"Stay here until I call you. Do you understand?"

The boy nodded. Karim took the key-ring and swaggered into the warmer upper level room.

"Hey, I found these keys beside my uncle. He seems to be ill."

The second guard had been half-asleep and did not react immediately.

"I think he needs help and I did not want to leave the keys down there."

He jumped to his feet and brushed past her in his panic to get to his colleague. When he saw the door of the enclosure open and the guard on the floor with blood oozing from his head he turned to return for some article with which to beat the boy. The stone ring cracked his skull and he slumped to the floor. The woman reverted to Karim and he dragged the unconscious guard to join his deceased partner and shouted for the boy to exit the prison. He locked the door and threw the keys inside through the vent. The two of them scampered up to the surface. They walked for several miles before they came across a dwelling. Karim explained to the occupants that he needed to get medical help for the boy.

"It would be much appreciated by my master if you could do something about his malnutrition before he is collected. I realise food is scarce but you will be amply rewarded if you can keep him safe."

They vaguely recognised the boy and were glad to be able to help. Just as Karim prepared to leave the boy whispered his name.

"I am Jaden. I was always told that to tell anyone would cost me my life, but you have rescued me. Why can't I come with you?" Karim explained that he could travel very fast.

"I mean extremely fast, like nothing you have ever seen, and this means the master will come for you sooner. He will make you safer than you have ever been. Your new life begins now."

He smiled and tousled the boy's hair, but this didn't put him at ease. The second reason he needed to get to Thule immediately was down to his little stunt with the lightning ball. He had consumed much more energy than he should have, and he desperately wanted to get to orbit after setting Thule on his way.

When he appeared in front of Thule he stressed the need for his imminent departure.

"I can only tell you that he was reluctant to utter his name, which after the rescue, he claimed was Jaden. I can now shift my shape to his, rather than that of your painting, and you will have to decide if we have the boy we seek. The people looking after him seem reliable."

Thule was happy with the likeness of the polymorph to the boy that he remembered. There was a birthmark which he could only check when they were face-to-face at the location given by Karim.

*

When Salamand had briefed the other alliance leaders he was mildly surprised that there was no beating of the chest and outright dismissal of Khaled's proposal. Even Berbus, who he had thought would be vociferous in his objection, was quite rational.

"We all want to see an end to suffering, and that includes war. We have also learned that T'slane was much more ruthless than Khaled. My major concern is to be able to distinguish between fine words and actions which follow. We would need to plot verifiable checkpoints which satisfy everyone. It is up to him to demonstrate that he can make them available."

Salamand agreed and the others followed suit. It was Altocotl who suggested Salamand should extend his military role to become the diplomatic representative of the alliance, if Khaled could deliver on the checkpoints Berbus had called for.

*

Thule was ready to set off to meet the boy. He made a parting request to Sendzai.

"I believe from the information given by the apparition, that we have the boy in safe hands. I therefore ask if you would honour your bargain to Kyklos and cut the restraints on the trees."

Sendzai looked confused and pointed to the families who had suffered worst by the actions of this man.

"This is not the way of the Tor-Azen. As long as you have doubt the bargain is not made. Then there is the unfairness he thrust upon you. How can you forgive this?"

Thule shook his head wistfully and then looked Sendzai directly in the eyes. "I agree he has to die, and suffer, while he passes to the next world, but this has already occurred to an extent that I feel further prolonging of his suffering is meaningless. If you freed him now he would still die. The apparition's description of the boy matches my own, and I can't see how Kyklos could have fabricated a decoy with such convincing accuracy from his tortuous position, when you offered him a quick death."

Sendzai walked to the affected families and put Thule's point to them. They didn't take long to agree with the plea – they had seen enough. The cutting of the ropes, although practised didn't quite guarantee even torque on each limb of the adhesive - namely Kyklos. The grating noise of the separating joints wasn't completely masked by his weak verbal response to even more pain. Although it could be described as swift when compared to the mundane splintering of an inanimate object, this separation lingered in the retinal capture of the spectator. Kyklos' agony was over before the first portion, a leg with various dangling organs, allowed the respective tree to resume vertical pose. The spine gave way to allow almost synchronous rupture of the tissues preventing the other three trees from emulating the first. The final arrangement, which was etched in Thule's memory, was that the process had created an illusion that the separate parts could not possibly have come from the more compact whole. This was primarily because of the dripping blood, conceding to gravity and marking every step of its way over tissue and organs, to reach the ground. As Thule cast his mind to the journey ahead, the parts of Kyklos were being loaded for delivery to East Korellia. Only his head was cleaned up, so that recognition would complete the lesson.

*

It took several days to reach the humble dwelling of the temporary guardians of Jaden. When Thule entered the abode at their bidding, the boy demonstrated that he was still wary of strangers. He always seemed to find more comfort in the corners. Gazing intently at the imposing new arrival he gradually but visibly relaxed. It wasn't just the kind face of the warrior he was examining in laser-like detail, but a vague feeling of recognition. After Thule asked the inhabitants to give them a moment alone he whispered in a low voice,

"Show me the crimson blemish hidden by your right arm, and then I will be certain you are Jaden."

At first there was no response. Then the boy asked, "Who sent you?"

He had suddenly thought that this unusual kindness could be to lure him into saying or doing something for which he would be punished – a test of his obligation to conceal his identity. He began to suspect that this may be why he had a vague recollection of Thule's appearance. Seeing the boy's facial concern he switched the conversation to the last days of his father's life. It had all been a kind of whirlwind for the future leader at the time.

"You were very worried then. Losing your father and being celebrated as his successor in such a short time was too much for one so young. Don't you remember the man Thule, who took you fishing at that time, and the supper we caught?"

His brow furrowed as his mind raced, and then suddenly a smile emerged. "But his name was not Thule."

The silent concentration didn't produce the recall immediately.

Several minutes elapsed and then he exclaimed, "General, yes that was his name – General took me fishing." The explanation was not so easy for the boy to grasp, because of the length of time he had been shut away from anyone but his captors, but Thule pressed on.

"In those days the leaders, like your father, just referred to his most senior warriors as 'General'. It was a word for the level of one's position. When there was more than one General present, he would have to use both names to make sure everyone knew which General he was talking to. In my case it was General Thule."

The patient approach suddenly broke the emotional dam and precipitated Jaden's need to embrace his old friend. It also brought tears to the eyes of Thule, with the realisation of just how much psychological damage would have to be repaired. Without further ado, the birthmark was revealed and the smile transformed further to a broad grin, and a passable attempt at laughter. Thule thanked the couple who had tended to Jaden and left provisions far beyond their expectations. The man thanked him profusely and asked if it was best to pretend the boy had never been there.

"Not at all, you can mention with pride that Jaden, the lost son of Goran has at last been found again. And it is a time for a double celebration – Kyklos is dead!"

*

Now that the tyrant had been removed, the Generals who had hesitated to support Thule in his quest to find the boy conveniently found their courage, to proclaim the return of Jaden. There was also unanimity amongst the military that Thule should be asked to act as a kind of regent, until Jaden was fully rehabilitated, and could demonstrate the maturity he would need to assume the weighty responsibilities. Jaden was overjoyed that he could look forward to stealing back some of the childhood he had lost. Thule accepted the role he was offered, but made a vow to himself that he would gradually weed out the cowards who had refused to see Kyklos for the monster he was. He began his caretaker role by promoting the three Generals who had been so loyal to him. Their new status reflected the need for East Korellia to be more informed about developments throughout the temperate zone. He wanted to build on the accord with the Tor-Azen, and collect intelligence on events to the west. At this time he was not aware that when Karim returned from orbit, he would offer an alternative. He did recall however, that Sendzai wanted to discuss the apparition when Kyklos had been eradicated. The triumvirate of Generals would be referred to as the Council. The role of envoy to other nations was invested in Abarra, and he set off to invite Sendzai to East Korellia, in a gesture of thanks for the trust in Thule, which he had clearly demonstrated. The post of head of the military was given to Ordan, mainly because of his proven strategic thinking capability. Deniz was handed the task of gathering relevant facts about the other nations, in both social trends and military statistics. The former confidantes of the Kyklos regime were unhappy at being passed over but even more suspicious of the motives of Thule. Jaden was not overburdened with the nuances of this subtle distribution of power, but he was given a chance to complete the basic training for warriors. It was important in Thule's opinion that the scale of Jaden's recuperation should not become a point of concern for the people, and definitely not perceived as a weakness by the rest of the military. He would ensure that the young man was seen to grow in stature at every opportunity.

## Chapter 11

The political landscape was very fluid. Intrigue could be detected in all nations, and this in itself provoked a question to the Travellers. How did they see their role changing? This challenge seemed at first to imply to any neutral observer, that a homogeneous response should be forthcoming. As the question was posed by the Travellers themselves, the same observer would have to concede that homogeneity was no longer a trait they either retained or believed in. On one hand, Ragna, Rubina, and Ventaninho had been fully focussed on the military alliance, which could soon become redundant. On the other hand, Karim had spent much precious energy surfing the curling political wave between Dominia and the Tor-Azen, trying to decide whether that should become a similar military alliance or shared social objectives. The peripheral projections weren't without influence in the coming months. Kiozo's technology drive was gathering momentum again, and the air was thickening with rumours of proposals for unprecedented discussions between all three Korellian societies. This fluidity could also be impacted by the energy clock which was ticking for all Travellers. It was this aspect which convinced them, even Karim, that it was necessary to at least attempt to have another meeting, with all five attending. They selected the northern ice wall again.

Kiozo was unusually the first to make a statement. "Although I have agreed to attend, I concede that I have become aware of many events which have simply passed me by. It is entirely my fault because I have become obsessed with the research on new ideas, to the exclusion of all else. However, I must now make you aware of something important."

Flicker

It was only a matter of minutes after he had shifted to Kiozo that there was periodic evidence of matrix destabilisation.

"I can tell you that this is a very uncomfortable feeling. We all know that stray, unfiltered solar energy of sufficient intensity can cause loss of our precious sentience. We were told this, but none of us knows exactly what it will feel like. We can only assume what such non-existence brings; perhaps it is somewhat analogous to human death. No human can relate to any other human what that is actually like. This flicker may be their equivalent of the onset of a terminal condition. I suffer loss of retained data, I am not able to maintain constantly flexible boundary shape, and I can't perform certain simple physical tasks. I should have heeded your entreaties to spend more time in orbit, but my deteriorating condition is telling me that trying to restore the credit to debit balance could be a forlorn pursuit. You would be well advised to avoid my condition. Anyway, I am stressing this because, regardless of what the rest of you decide, I must press on with my work, and I will not be returning to orbit or further meetings. It is no longer a question of disagreement with the rest of you – it is totally about the legacy I can leave behind. I hope you can accept this. Now if you will excuse me I must return."

Karim was more concerned than the others about this demonstration because of the huge deficit he had created when making the decision to 'group-fry' Kyklos' men. That kind of exhibition seemed, in retrospect, like a gesture one would attribute to a child. He wasn't going to declare the extent of his self-inflicted disadvantage, but felt he may have to rethink his elaborate political roulette strategy.

"Well, Kiozo's honest admission is certainly food for thought. I have to feel sympathy for him. I was wondering just what the chances of reversal would be in relation to the risk of being closer to the Sun. There must be some crude formula which allows us to gamble where the odds are in our favour. Does this make sense?"

Ventaninho said that it wasn't really possible unless they could predict the frequency and intensity of the solar flares in advance, and very accurately.

"The equation you speak of is quantifiable, but the unpredictability of these other factors would in my opinion disqualify your suggestion. Without this knowledge it would be extremely risky, and you can count me out."

Rubina reminded Karim of another oversight.

"Have you also forgotten that when we normally regenerate with the filter, our movement faculty is seriously retarded in order to ensure absolute precision in the distribution of the replenishment within our matrix? If this does not occur the regeneration rate is no better than unfiltered solar energy at a safe distance, such as we have at present. That is exactly why the filter was developed."

Ragna added a philosophical anecdote. "It was said earlier that Kiozo is likely to be the first to face loss of sentience, which as he pointed out, we have often compared to the unknown on the other side of human death, if there is indeed another side. Our species has seen many incidents of accidental matrix loss, but apart from that mechanism we are virtually immortal. Humans have so many defects that the threat of death is ever-present. They have managed to deal with this over millions of years by accepting that until technology develops artificial intelligence, they can only incrementally prolong their lifespan by fiddling with their organic disadvantage, or invest faith in some form of afterlife. I would draw your attention to the current possibilities for change they are considering in terms of peaceful, negotiated social cohesion. It may be some way off, but I sense they have all recognised the futility of war, in what they believe is still a shrinking habitable zone. It is time we also review how much we should adapt to their evolution as opposed to advising them on how to alter it. I remind you that our original remit of restoring the planet to our own 'arbitrary specifications' was disputed with the Travellers who returned. We did this in the certain knowledge that our existence, and therefore our assistance would be finite. You will no doubt remind me that humans do not have a good record of perennial harmony, and perhaps this situation is likely to reinforce that trend rather than prove to be the exception. My answer is simply that they have never had the option of listening to another species which has existed for much longer than their planet. If we only advise them on strategic, tactical or political policy, they may lose this crucial opportunity to see beyond survival by conquest. The current hiatus means we have nothing to lose by at least discussing the redefinition of our role."

Ragna was unsure whether the silence was a sign of introspection. He didn't have to wait long to find out. Karim was adamant that the sacrifice he had made to accept the fate of loss of sentience wasn't going to be wasted on some dull altruistic nurturing of humans.

"I was drawn to the finite lifespan because of the excitement it promised compared to the aeons of monotony we have experienced. I do confess that I look upon the challenge of controlling humans as a game or pastime. I have never before felt anything like the pleasure of refining and honing my devious leaning, following our descent to the surface. It is exactly the same in this discussion, I am telling you I am not to be trusted – and that, I am afraid, becomes your problem. I only suggested going closer to the Sun to prolong my existence, not to indulge in being a good role model for the organics. They are merely attributes by which the game can be won or lost. I think you will therefore realise I see no further interest in your well-intended cooperative suggestion. However, if I can find a safe way of reversing matrix degradation I will pass it on to you, as I imagine the game won't be quite the same without your interference."

When he had gone Rubina looked at the others and said, "Well, we now know that we will ultimately lose both Kiozo and Karim. It depends on what they do in the meantime which worries me. Ragna, I empathise with your plea, but unless we, and those we represent survive the short term, it will all become academic. It may even be that the most important task right now is to circumvent what Karim and Kiozo are trying to achieve."

Ventaninho interjected in an attempt to clarify what she had just said.

"Do I take it that you mean we should subscribe to this 'game', and if necessary, terminate Karim and Kiozo?"

Rubina affirmed this and cited the veiled threat that Karim had left with them. She then stated that at present, Karim was the problem. Kiozo was a more indirect threat and he was well on the way to non-sentience anyway.

"All we have to do in his case is encourage him to continue his obsession and this will accelerate his regression. Karim has warned us that he will not hesitate to neutralise us, if he is lucky enough to dodge solar attack. He also knows that we will not engage in such a gamble, so the very least we should do is monitor his condition. The declaration that he does not want to meet again makes this difficult for us. That is why I implied that we should destabilise his matrix now. He has in effect said that his next objective will be to dispose of us. It is time to decide."

Both Ragna and Ventaninho were uncomfortable with such direct aggression, but they concurred with Rubina that Karim was out of control. They also acknowledged that their new adversary would be far less concerned about the unethical removal of one of his own. Reluctantly, they fell in line with Rubina's suggestion to be proactive. It was now a question of how. As they all had virtually the same means of absorbing, storing and dispersal of energy, they would have to make their number count against him. They decided to use the hiatus on the surface to maximise their regeneration and then contact Karim to say they had thought about his analysis of the situation. They would feign agreement and had a proposal to even the playing field of the game, and that would not only negate the need for his foolhardy solar project, but create more fun on the surface. They would need to meet one last time before resuming the challenge. The invitation was delivered to Kiozo, based on the hypothesis that Karim would meet him again. Rubina suggested that Karim was indeed devious enough to steal Kiozo's ideas and eliminate him before coming after the three of them, one at a time. They each made their respective nation aware of their need for a 'vacation'.

*

Khaled's visit was a landmark in itself. No Dominian leader had ever conceded to visit the lower orders of the temperate zone. Having been introduced to all of the alliance senior members he was acquainted with the interest and concerns of his proposal. He was asked to flesh out what he meant by sharing resources, and how it would be managed. His reply was half-expected insofar as he had only considered the concept at present.

"I had to know if you would reject the principles of my suggestion out of hand before embarking on detailed implementation plans. Now I can do this, or alternatively you can tell me what you would prefer to see. That could save us a lot of time."

Berbus was becoming a bit of an orator and stood up to declare, "The Machu offered us unconditional training and access to their fishing farms. This was the most convincing way to gain trust. You could do the same."

Khaled indicated that he would personally have no problem with that method, but he would have to instruct his people that this should be developed into a manageable activity. It would mean all of his people would have to accept a shortfall compared to what they were used to, but it would be underpinned by the pledge of peace, and that there was to be no abuse of the system.

"I am sure we all realise there are those in both sides of this project who would endeavour to procure more than their share, and this would derail the objective. We must be able to agree suitable disincentives for anyone who is found guilty of such greed. I am experiencing the growing conviction that this one element of the entire agreement should be accomplished before embarking on more complex areas. I thank Berbus for his emphasis on trust being earned rather than assumed, and without wishing to oversimplify the challenge I would rather get on with it than talk about it. You shall have my suggestions for the next steps very soon. I would then appreciate spending the rest of our allotted time in speaking to all of you individually, as I have little knowledge of your various cultural backgrounds. This of course includes Korellia, as I have only brokered contracts through others. This is not the ideal way to feel the heartbeat of a nation."

The social graces were played out with others joining the leaders. Amongst these were family members and high ranking officers. Meridia found this a convenient opportunity to trawl the party to evaluate those who she had only heard about, but never met. It was soon apparent to her that her brother would become a servant of this grand design rather than an artisan or even an architect of it. She made a careful first cut at sorting individuals into two distinct categories; those who exhibited interest in her, and those who were of interest to her. Both categories were important, depending in what they ultimately had to offer. Her demeanour was very business-like until she shared her views with Salamand. She found it difficult to confine the exchanges to the politics of the temperate zone, as her own normally cool zone was suffering, because of inexplicable failure of her ever-reliable thermostat. In addition, he was one of the few who demonstrated genuine interest in her opinions. She knew that he would be a serious challenge, and made a mental note that a short list was the objective, all else would wait.

*

The regeneration break of Ragna, Rubina and Ventaninho was intended to ensure they were all in prime condition to confront Karim. That became the problem, they couldn't find him, but they did find that, as expected, Kiozo had been visited. His matrix was not stable enough to converse in his shifted shape for any length of time. This had also caused concern amongst the Tor-Azen, because he had apparently disappeared on a number of occasions. Communication in their natural form revealed that Karim had convinced Kiozo that he knew of a safe location in which to fully restore matrix power. He had demonstrated this by repeating his trick of creating ball lightning at will, without causing even the slightest flicker. The lure was overwhelming for Kiozo, but then Karim had stated his price. It was exactly as Rubina had predicted – the complete data for all projects on which he was working. When Kiozo had hesitated, Karim pointed out that Khaled was in favour of seeking an alliance with the Tor-Azen, so they would probably end up working on the same things anyway. The disclosures he was requesting would simply speed up the progress of the joint objectives. Kiozo found this quite convincing, and when Karim lied about the urgency of visiting the secure energy supply location because it was about to disperse, Kiozo surrendered his data. He immediately became the target of a controlled but powerful lightning ball.

"I do not have much time left and my grasp of the data I gave him is slowly draining away because my ability to retrieve from storage is prone to periodic malfunction. I must also tell you that when Karim left me, he was actually in the form of Kiozo. It seems obvious to me now that he wanted to take my place with the Tor-Azen. I hope you will be able to stop him, because I do not think he really wants to help them."

Ragna and Rubina assured him they would do all they could to neutralise Karim, and in the meantime Ventaninho would stay with him. It was clear that Kiozo was afraid of the unknown. They concluded that Karim had no such safe location but had gambled against solar flares, and won this time, otherwise he could not have sustained the energy emission which Kiozo had described, without ending his own sentience. All of a sudden the odds were not in their favour.

The vigil brought it home to Ventaninho that the forfeit of their relative immortality, despite it having been taken rationally, was now mixed with more trepidation than he had expected. He had never presided over another's passing, and that was a big part of his discomfort. Thinking ahead to his own impending demise, it was not the process of death which worried Ventaninho; it was the thought of not being here anymore that had the potential to nurture panic. He began to think that they may have made a hasty decision. He had to snap out of this self-doubt and help his friend deal with the here and now, and his transition to nothingness. Kiozo found most comfort in telling Ventaninho how much satisfaction he had imported from designing crude but effective devices from the very basic materials available.

"I had to be continually aware of what the Tor-Azen could be expected to understand, after the century of primitive technology they had retained. I was driven on by the belief that I could increase the rate at which this nation could assimilate new ideas. The Tor-Azen are very cohesive people. They do not spend too much time bickering, and although they keep their traditions burning brightly, they are receptive to new concepts. Strangely, this results in even more reverence of the bedrock founded by their ancestors. From what I understand of the other nations, they are very different, and these cultural chasms may be the main roadblock to the present peace initiatives. The Korellians are a perfect example, having brought the worst out of Sendzai. I envy you the chance you have to see this through. I must try to regenerate now, even though it is painful, inefficient and a losing battle."

*

Ragna and Rubina assumed that Karim would be taking his next gamble close to the Sun. They were correct. He had decided on trying to utilise the orbit eccentricity and spin of Mercury to reduce the probability of being disabled. With a single Mercury day being exactly equivalent to two of its orbits, or years, it was possible to reside in near-surface locations at which the observed rising of the Sun would only reach halfway before it set, then began to rise again - all within that same Mercurian day. He could therefore be protected from about half of the Sun's efflux, and moving to total safety was no great distance, which helped compensate for movement retardation when in regeneration mode. It didn't eliminate the risk, but fitted with his gambling instinct. The two Travellers seeking him were looking in what would be the right place, but at the wrong time. They had blended in to the Tor-Azen landscape, thinking that he would have already begun to pose as Kiozo and ingratiate himself with Sendzai. They ran out of patience, believing he couldn't survive close to the Sun for such a long period without damage. They decided to approach Sendzai directly. Normally it wouldn't have been possible to simply request an audience and have it granted, but as they claimed to have news of Kiozo, they met with favour. As their description of Kiozo's condition was related to Sendzai, they had forgotten that he hadn't been fully enlightened about the Travellers, and Sendzai insisted they had one of the best medical facilities in the temperate zone. When they tried to explain his condition was terminal, Sendzai became suspicious of their intentions. Rubina was forced to reveal the theft of Kiozo's data by another individual – a serious error of judgement. The Tor-Azen leader was now convinced that this was heading to a ransom demand. He rose to his feet, but before he could deliver his withering order to place the two of them in captivity, Kiozo appeared in his own tent and then casually walked into Sendzai's main reception marquee. The leader was confused, but Rubina and Ragna weren't. When Sendzai witnessed a massive energy bolt which vaporised Rubina, he assumed the concurrent disappearance of Ragna was simply collateral damage, when it was actually very quick thinking. Karim, even in the form of the new Kiozo, disliked Rubina intensely, and the split second of satisfaction he savoured had allowed Ragna to escape. Karim simply explained away his prolonged absence to Sendzai as secret forays into enemy territory, to study their weaknesses first hand.

"Why then did you not make this clear before you left?" Kiozo apologised but said he knew Sendzai had been extremely busy in dealing with metering out justice to Kyklos, and felt it wasn't safe to send a message which could have prejudiced his mission.

"A secret mission is exactly that, the fewer the better who know about it. I think you will be pleased with what I have discovered."

His story was accepted, but Sendzai wanted to know more about this weapon he had employed to evaporate the wretched ransom seekers.

## Chapter 12

Ragna wasted no time in bringing the western alliance leaders up to date with the actions of Karim.

"This may change everything. The items which cannot be altered are the accelerated demise he has inflicted on Kiozo, and the actual eradication of Rubina. Ventaninho is currently with Kiozo, and wants to remain so until the end. They are both required to stay in natural form for long periods. This leaves Karim and me, as the only active Travellers at this time. The remainder of what I am about to say is speculative, but we must make preparations to counter the possibility of it being realised. Karim has already convinced Sendzai that he is actually Kiozo, and has the data he needs. He still seems to enjoy influence with Khaled, and that means he is aware of the intent of his peace process invitation to us. Whether this means it is a tactical distraction technique by Khaled, or that Karim pretends he is in favour of it, we cannot know at present. The third option would be for Dominia to align with the Tor-Azen – with Karim playing this dual role. What I can relate to you is his assertion that this is all just a game to him, and we must bear this in mind when trying to predict his next moves. Let us remember that he freed Khaled and the purpose of that could be to seduce the alliance into complacency, while the military technology of the Tor-Azen is brought to bear on us. If Khaled's initiative is genuine, I cannot see Karim being part of it, which in turn would suggest he will try to derail it. Finally, I have to inform you that having found an acceptable risk method of super-regeneration, he not only avails of immunity to human weapons, as I do, but he has destructive powers to bring death to your species in vast numbers, whereas I do not. He will not be idle as we speak, and therefore, we also have a time constraint to implement whatever we approve."

Salamand seemed to be the only one who thought they owed Khaled a chance to hear this information.

"It would seem that much of the threat you imply hinges on Karim retaining his dual role. If Khaled knows of this, our path is clearly marked. If he does not we have to find out for certain, as he would be just as concerned about Karim as we are." He then turned specifically to Ragna. "Is there any way you can upgrade your capability to nullify his mass threat to humans?"

Ragna replied that there was no safe way to emulate Karim's power, and he wanted to discuss the problem with Kiozo and Ventaninho while that option was still there.

"I could take the same risk and potentially eliminate him, if I knew where he was harvesting the solar energy. If I try to follow him, he would surely eliminate me. I think it would be a better alternative to study how we may be able to defend ourselves against this kind of energy discharge he used on Rubina. I must speak with the others and leave you to decide on whether or not to approach Khaled again."

When he re-joined Ventaninho he was informed that the end was approaching. Kiozo said he wanted to have one last discussion with Sendzai. It could not be in the form which the leader would recognise. It could not be together with Ragna in his surface form either. He suggested Ragna shifted to Kiozo's shape and simply appeared in front of Sendzai.

"If we belatedly explain the presence of our species he will not be immediately receptive. If I can be there in my normal form while Ragna is thought to be me, he can ask Sendzai what would be the one convincing artefact which would make him sure that Ragna was the genuine Kiozo. I am certain he would refer to the seal of office which he gave me for my successful inventions. I believe I have just about enough energy to make one last short appearance, while holding this seal. Although he will then be totally confused, handing him the papyrus scroll will assure him of its authenticity and he will be able to read our account of what has happened. It can then be verified by Ragna oscillating between shapes, including Sendzai himself. Then we must ask him a question \- what was the final instruction to me when we fired the cannon with the gas projectiles at the East Korellian captives? He will remember that only he and I know this. I can repeat this to him and suggest he asks the same question of Karim when he next poses as me. If Sendzai can do this in such a way that he is asking if we could consider extending the lethal area of the projectiles, Karim should not suspect it as a test. If this convinces Sendzai of the imposter, you will have a chance to use this test to catch Karim off-guard."

This all sounded plausible but Ragna was missing how this would stop Karim from despatching him in the same way as Rubina.

"Fear not, Ventaninho and I have discussed this; he has the plan for the next step. We must hurry, as I am fading and Karim will not take forever to regenerate."

*

Khaled displayed amazement when he was apprised of the antics of Karim. He denied any knowledge of approaches to the Tor-Azen, although he admitted that he had intended to discuss their inclusion at some time in the near future.

"I recall saying that my proposal was for all nations in the temperate zone. I wanted to get the momentum of western and central provinces moving before any overtures to the eastern nations. There is also the small matter of the Tor-Azen and East Korellia settling their differences first. All of this is extremely frustrating as I have had a better reception to the proposed food-sharing than I expected. It was helped enormously by the Machu's willingness to reciprocate with their fish farms. In fact you may have noticed my caravan is quite large; it is a goodwill gesture of sustenance from my people. If what you say about Karim is verified, then I will have no hesitation in dismissing him."

The body language around the table was mixed. Surprisingly, Grun made his first contribution on behalf of the Aurorans.

"If indeed what we have been told is true, you may wish to reconsider any overt attempt to dismiss Karim. It could prove to be your last act. It would be better for all of us to allow him to think his cover is intact until we have means of neutralising him. This has to happen regardless of your offer being accepted or rejected. I can repeat my support for it, but he is the priority."

Khaled thanked him and asked if the others concurred with Grun's suggestion. Altocotl and Salamand raised their hands in solidarity, but Berbus and Negrosa merely supported Grun's call to deal with Karim first. They did however thank Khaled for the welcome sustenance he had brought.

*

Thule was making excellent progress with Jaden's re-integration into normal life, and the young man was thriving on his one-to-one military training. It was time for Thule to consider his long-standing intention to invite Sendzai to see the progress of Jaden, then to determine whether stronger ties between their nations would appeal to Sendzai, and most importantly the apparitions which had intrigued both of them. When they last spoke Karim was due back from orbit and was intending to indirectly provide an alternative to what was in the minds of both men. His spectacular destruction of Rubina was the catalyst for the change in Sendzai's horizon. Thule would unknowingly provide the enablement. They spent the first day discussing how long it would be before Jaden was expected to take interest in, and then ascend to the leadership of East Korellia. The next day brought disappointment for Thule. He had felt certain that the capture and execution of Kyklos had established a bond with Sendzai, which would lead to closer ties between the nations. He was now confronted with reluctance, and Sendzai tried to cushion the blow.

"You do not really know us, yet you must also respect our ways. Our survival has only been possible over the last hundred years because of our caution and prudence in choosing our allies. This offer may come to you one day, so what is important now is your willingness to be patient. If we were to rush headlong into pledges things could so easily go wrong. What we do as individual nations may seem very strange to the other, but if that was to be discovered after officially becoming allies, tolerance of these eccentricities would be replaced by expectation. I can see you are sad now, however you must take heart in the fact that your people have made a very good impression with us, and that is the key to building trust. We will both know when the time comes to convert such trust into integration, which in our experience is more likely to last than a contrived alliance. Now can we speak about the apparition?"

Thule was not used to such long term thinking. However, he quickly realised that the reason for this was the Korellian nomadic lifestyle, in which virtually everything was transient. He managed a smile and assured Sendzai that he fully understood the position.

"I will need to bring new ideology to my nation, and I will soon have the perfect candidate to promote it. Jaden's mind is not cluttered with limitations of what is considered to be possible. Now, as you reminded me, we need to discuss the apparition. This entity has saved my life and been instrumental in finding Jaden. In both cases, he or it has appeared out of thin air, and is able to alter his appearance at will, while availing of truly formidable abilities. I do not have any idea why I have been selected for such assistance, and as preposterous as it may sound, I cannot accept that this entity is human."

Sendzai paced around the perimeter of the tent and eventually asked, "Please tell me more of these extraordinary abilities."

Thule described how the apparition had immunity to their weapons, yet could despatch fireballs of destruction which could fell many warriors simultaneously. Sendzai reacted immediately because of the incident in which who he thought was Kiozo, had completely vaporised Rubina, who was assumed by Sendzai to be human.

"I believe I have witnessed something very similar to this fireball, and it left no trace of the victim."

*

Karim had been careful to limit being in the presence of Sendzai and Thule at the same time, and had not expected them to meet again after Kyklos had been delivered. When he realised that Kyklos' public execution would indirectly elevate Thule to a position of influence, he wanted to expedite proceedings and allow the two nations to return to normal. He had plans for both, but not at this time. He could never have predicted the two men would become close friends, let alone discuss apparitions.

When Thule asked where Sendzai had witnessed the power of the fireballs, it caused the Tor-Azen leader to think carefully.

"That is a good question; I was being told that Kiozo had been taken from me and his life was seriously under threat, by two strangers, when he walked into my tent."

Thule asked him to slow down a little. "Who is Kiozo, and exactly who was it that walked into your tent?"

This interruption broke Sendzai's concentration for the second time and he explained that Kiozo was a citizen of the Tor-Azen who had literally emerged from obscurity to become their chief researcher, particularly for developing new weapons.

"I simply assumed, as Kiozo is very reliable, that these strangers were just trying to extract a ransom. Now it is puzzling, because if Kiozo was still with us, why would they make such a preposterous claim, knowing there would be repercussions. This also causes me to wonder once more why Kiozo eliminated one of them without hesitation. It was very much out of character, even if he believed I was in danger. I let it pass at the time because I was very angry – now it bothers me again."

Thule added to his discomfort when he stated that if the fireballs were the same as the ones he had seen, they could not have been summoned by a human.

"In addition to this, the apparitions who visited me were capable of materialising in an instant at any location – as one did with his visit to Jaden, and the return to confirm he had found him."

Sendzai stared blankly into the eyes of Thule, and then uttered, "Are you suggesting Kiozo is not human?"

Thule shrugged his shoulders in a gesture of confusion. The two of them sat in a bemused silence for a protracted period while they each carefully recalled the sequence of events around their respective incidents. They concluded that Thule had either experienced several manifestations of the same protagonist, or there were multiple apparitions. It also implanted more doubt about Kiozo in the mind of Sendzai. He made his apology for leaving abruptly, and set off to find and question Kiozo.

## Chapter 13

Karim had been away longer than planned. His ingenious Mercurian regeneration idea in theory, reduced his charging cycle to attain full power, and would give him an advantage over the remaining Travellers. The shelter of the little planet actually worked out better than the theory, insofar as he had not correctly accounted for the deflection effect. Solar flares heading for Mercury could have their trajectory slightly altered by the build up near to the surface moving outwards, as well as being absorbed by the planet. Even at a low percentage deflection at the start, this build-up would ensure a gradient of intensity from the surface to free unobstructed space. Once he realised this, he became greedy and began to move his position to take power from a larger sector of the Sun. By ignoring the increased time taken for him to get back to a sheltered spot, he was hit with a flare, but luckily for him it was of low intensity, and only left him with the inconvenience of having to regenerate again.

With full power, he now contemplated the inevitable death-match with Ragna and Ventaninho. As Rubina was gone and Kiozo was as good as gone, he only had to make sure he confronted the others one at a time. Individually, they would provide no challenge.

He needed to check in with Sendzai before disposing of these remaining threats to his grand design. He had no idea that his patron had been searching for him, or that he had been visited by Ragna and the failing Kiozo. Sendzai was conservative by nature, and although he had seen a link in their accounts of Kiozo's impostor, with the evidence from Thule, he needed absolute proof. He had agreed to wait for the return of Karim and expose him to Kiozo's test.

When Karim did materialise, he repeated the sequence of taking shape in his own quarters before walking to Sendzai's reception. This also gave the other Travellers a crucial margin of error.

"I have very good news Sendzai, Dominia and this western alliance are discussing terms of peace. It will afford us the time and opportunity to become the most powerful nation in the region. It is my opinion, from the intelligence I have gathered, that this peace will not last. It would therefore seem prudent to be ready when it crumbles."

Sendzai nodded and asked what he meant by being ready.

"Apart from the fish farms of the Machu, there are only primitive attempts at agriculture by Korellians or the Loci. Dominia is the only exception, yet they are vulnerable to siege and loss of this food source. If we strike against Dominia at the critical moment we will be able to acquire and sustain this agriculture. Our defence against the others would by then be far more of a deterrent than Dominia could unleash."

Once again Sendzai nodded, and then queried the plan of entering the theatre of war at all. He challenged Karim's confidence in simply brushing aside Dominia. Karim's arrogance didn't give much weight to Sendzai's respect for honour, even in warfare.

"It will be straightforward because we will have made an alliance with Dominia when their relationship with the others begins to fail. They will feel weak, and we are the only comfort left. I have been able to assess the balance. If you can solidify the support of East Korellia via Thule, then negotiations with Khaled would become even less complicated – he has no choice. The combined forces of the three nations would tip the scales against the western alliance, and the new weaponry at our disposal would ensure victory."

Sendzai was almost convinced that this was the impostor parading as Kiozo. This entity was amoral, politically opportunistic, and had an ego which presumed to tell him how to guide his nation. He was the antithesis to Kiozo. He went along with the charade and feigned enthusiasm.

"I congratulate you on a clever strategy. I am ready to push your weapons production to become our most urgent priority. I assume you have many new ideas but I wanted to ask you about further development of an existing weapon. It struck me after you disposed of those ransom seekers. The death radius of that fireball was impressive, is this something you could equip our warriors with?"

Karim tried to avoid the implications of this by claiming he had much more powerful ideas in the pipeline. This gave Sendzai the chance to allow Karim to retreat.

"I see, well then do you think we can extend the kill radius of the gas projectiles? I like the idea of such non-contact warfare."

Karim could not resist moving Sendzai away from his lightning ball capability and its potential for revealing that he was not human.

"Of course we can do that. I will begin work on it immediately. What range do you have in mind, considering it is indiscriminate and may also kill civilians?"

The moment had arrived, and the Tor-Azen leader was ready to move his position subtly away from Karim. He began to pace up and down, pretending he had not given it much thought.

"Well, let me think. When I gave the order to fire on those East Korellian captives, you indicated that you were going to test the potency by aiming for a pre-placed boulder, instead of the captives. I must admit I cannot recall the exact distance, but I think about three times the radius of that demonstration would be frightening for the opposing ranks. What distance was the rock from its victims?"

The root of Karim's confidence was in his arrogance, and impatience was driving him toward his next target – Khaled.

"It was almost exactly five metres, and yes, we could easily make that fifteen. Well, would you like me to begin to evaluate the intentions of Khaled in person while you convince Thule of the benefits of alignment?"

Sendzai was now some distance from Karim, who was standing on an iron plate, disguised by a sprinkling of soil and enclosed by large oriental carpets. The answer should have been twenty metres, and this was the final proof Sendzai needed.

"I have been so impressed with your devotion to our nation, with your diligence and the risks you have taken, that I bestow you with the honour of Commander-in-Chief of our army. You must kneel before me and repeat the words of duty which accompanies this elevation."

Karim was only too happy to oblige and made contact with both knees to the iron plate. Ragna appeared with the flickering Kiozo. Realising he had been exposed Karim's reflex response was instant. He unleashed an enormous fireball at Ragna. The electromagnetic force which struck the target was redirected to an iron conduit which was connected to the plate on which Karim was kneeling. This was Kiozo's thank you to Karim for his treachery. The shield he had asked Ventaninho to design was a simple lightning conductor, adhered to an insulator of rubber, and fitted vertically to the wall behind Ragna and Kiozo. When the anticipated fireball was activated Ragna executed his pre-rehearsed shape-shift to relocate immediately behind this device. Even so he took considerable damage in the interval of milliseconds between the two actions. It was thought to have been worth the risk in order to ensure the destruction of Karim. It didn't quite succeed. Karim had been jolted but had the presence of mind to disengage the lightning in time to save his badly damaged matrix. He disappeared and headed back to Mercury.

Ragna was also in need of significant regeneration, and Ventaninho appeared on schedule, just before he left for orbit. Kiozo utilised all of his rapidly waning control to thank Sendzai for the chance to help his nation. He then turned to his kin and pleaded to be released. Ventaninho's image was beginning to lose phase control as he declared he couldn't do it. Sendzai rebuked him.

"I do not know you, except for the fact you are a brother of Kiozo. My heart is every bit as heavy as it would be if my own son was dying. You can hopefully accept that our way is to honour the request of those we respect, to pass beyond mortality in a dignified way. If I had the means to help Kiozo I would not ask this of you, I would ease his journey myself. As I can't do this, I implore you to comply with his wish to be released. Despite my recent realisation that we are from different species, I believe I have more fondness for him than any human outside my family. If he could be saved I would bring him into my family."

*

Ventaninho fought back the fluctuations running through his matrix and looked directly into the calm eyes of Kiozo. The last words he spoke would stay with him until his turn came to pass on to the unknown.

"Do not be too sad Ventaninho, I would not have chosen any other way to leave. I am, as you well know, obsessed with research and I will be the first of our species on this planet to find out what comes next. It is important for a researcher to be first with the proof. You will make this possible for me."

The intensity of discharge energy required was very low and Kiozo's image melted away. Ventaninho asked to be excused and Sendzai nodded sympathetically, but when the Tor-Azen leader was alone he struggled to accept what had happened. He did not yet know how, but vowed he would find a means to remove the impostor he now knew as Karim.

*

Having shared out the sustenance left by Khaled, the alliance leaders evidenced the gratitude of their respective people for this gift. The mood was therefore shifting toward resuming talks with Khaled. The meeting was interrupted by Ventaninho's appearance.

"Please excuse the intrusion. I have grave news, and it is important that you are made aware of it immediately. Our attempt to eradicate Karim was not successful. He managed to disengage his lightning discharge before his matrix collapsed. We were only seconds away from achieving this, but he must have employed lower energy levels than we anticipated, which probably meant he was conserving energy for some other target. He was quite badly damaged and he will require a full regeneration, but he now knows that Sendzai is aware of his agenda. He will therefore modify his plan in some way, as Kiozo has passed on. I know that Sendzai is furious that Karim took advantage of Kiozo's naivety and accelerated his demise. We can expect some reaction from the Tor-Azen. Also Ragna took minor injury and will be in orbit for a while. Neither he nor I can afford to be in need of significant regeneration when we encounter Karim again. This will mean at least one of us being in orbit most of the time. Some of the time, we will both be there, as it conserves energy while we are exploring ways of destabilising him. At present we are not hopeful."

This information injected frustration into the discussion. Grun exercised his new-found confidence and declared, "We can no longer rely on these Travellers. We must devise a plan of our own. There are only three of them now, and although Karim is by far the most hostile, he must have some weakness. I suggest we speak to the Tor-Azen and offer our help to rid the Earth of this scourge."

This war cry gained support from Berbus and Negrosa, who pointed out the superior weaponry of Sendzai's army. Altocotl asked for calm.

"We should not act in haste, but rather review all options open to us. I would venture to suggest from what we know, that Karim was working on some obscure plan to create war between Dominia and the Tor-Azen. Exactly where East Korellia fits into this is puzzling. If he had intended to advise both sides, he could have completely orchestrated the conflict to whatever result he desires. Does this not mean we are not likely to be involved in this phase of his grand plan? He will come for us later, because he knows from his time with T'slane, that we would be a formidable obstacle for any single nation to conquer. It would be more profitable in my opinion, to utilise this time to help fertilise the embryonic call for talks amongst all Korellian tribes. East Korellia would be a very useful asset to us and one which Karim could not simply ignore."

This suggestion found favour with everyone, but Salamand added, "Then why would we not simultaneously strengthen our ties with Dominia? Karim would then be left without a nation which accepts his advice. He will then have to find a new disguise or simply begin wiping everyone from the face of the Earth. Our Traveller friends have told us this is all a game to him, and if that is true, I cannot see him wanting to embark on total genocide. He is surely more driven by prolonging this game for some time, especially as Ragna said he can now super-regenerate. He may want to play until he runs out of luck with solar flares. He could have something more sinister brewing than mindless culling of the human race. I too support Altocotl's idea, and I would go further – let us ask Ragna and Ventaninho if they could get a message to him, indicating that we humans would like to discuss with him our intentions of a total peace accord in the temperate zone. If I am right, his ego will not entertain such a scenario, but he will be hungry to know how to derail the accord. We need to know more about our enemy."

The subtlety of this was lost on all but Altocotl and an eavesdropper outside the tent. Meridia wanted to get to Grun as soon as the meeting concluded.

*

Thule was amazed at the continued progression of Jaden. He mused that some adults would have buckled under the cruelty and helplessness of his time of confinement by Kyklos. His first meeting with him had reinforced this concern, the boy had been incredibly nervous. The trigger for his current confidence had in all probability been his eventual recognition of Thule as one of his father's most trusted officers. This mental regression to a safe childhood was a refuge of sorts, and Thule's role as a regent provided the familiar context for him to flourish. He had already shown excellent progress in the art of individual combat, and the same survival discipline ensured he was a fast learner in many other respects. What really surprised Thule was the young man's hunger for the acquisition of all kinds of information. It was almost as if he accepted his childhood was gone, irrecoverable and dwelling on it was futile. He had been allowed to listen to certain discussions between Thule and his subordinates. Although he asked few questions, and only addressed them to Thule after the sessions, his grasp of what was going on was impressive. He was intrigued by the accounts of the apparitions, and Thule's revelation that he had now been informed by Sendzai, that they were from an alien species. It was not a fascination with the abstract notion of first contact, but rather their motivation, from 1908 to 2045, and particularly the present. He had tried to see beyond their individual differences and humanoid role-playing, to how they could help circumvent roadblocks in trying to restore the technology tree, but in a way which was more compatible with their original horticultural ideals. Thule could only imagine this insight was born out his experience of living through a situation of no hope. The longer it went on the more confirmatory it became. People had all but forgotten about him by then. His restoration to heir-apparent could have altered his disposition - that anything was possible. He simply refused to acknowledge that the situation was quite as predictable as a one-sided coin, offering only the portents of disaster. Thule wanted to expose Jaden's ideas to someone who would be better placed than he was to consider the implications. This was not only about the Travellers, but his protégé's other obsession. Jaden had repeatedly tried to convince Thule that this new approach was required because, unless there was an economic structure in place to support all communities, sustenance from the spoils of war would have to continue.

"It seems obvious to me that we need to accelerate cooperation to a full agrarian lifestyle and beyond. This particularly applies to communities such as ours, and the other Korellian tribes. We cling to our nomadic heritage even though we become further disadvantaged because of it. The Dominian culture would be the next logical step, but these Travellers could create opportunities for paradigm jumps. Looking at this through the other end of the telescope, the Dominians put up with our incursions as an acceptable price to avoid all-out war. Things won't change until we do have global war, or we focus our combined attributes on the technology tree shortcuts. Don't ask me how to get others to see this; I just know it is important."

Thule asked him how he had come to such precise conclusions about society, when he had lived most of his learning years in solitary confinement. His reply took Thule back to his own transition from boy to manhood.

"There was one guard who was kind to me. He secretly brought me books to read. I have read many, and my favourite ones were historical accounts of the period when the Arab world was at its zenith of architecture, culture, science and its application. When the choice is between books or nothing, there is no choice. I would have preferred exciting stories about pirates or adventurers but he did not have access to that kind of book. The ones he gave me had been recovered from a waste disposal site, obviously considered to be of no value, and destined to be incinerated."

Thule smiled and promised Jaden that, on his sixteenth birthday, he would begin to broaden his education by introducing him to Sendzai.

"He presides over the most advanced military technology of all nations, but I believe him to be equally interested in cultural advancement."

## Chapter 14

Meridia called on her brother to tell him that Lennart was missing him so much, now that he had to spend more time with the alliance.

"As I passed the meeting tent today I could not help hearing some of the talk. Do you seriously think that brokering an alliance with the Tor-Azen will solve our problems? Altocotl should be heeded – the Tor-Azen could have been this Karim's first objective. If Sendzai's weaponry is as good as we are being told, it would explain why he could have chosen to attack Dominia. Combining the military and cultural advantages of the two nations would provide the weaponry and sustenance to defeat us. Every lesson in military history underlines that the victors had the best equipment and the optimum supply of basic needs. You need to stop thinking like an opportunist and use political intelligence to maximum effect. For example, now that Karim knows Sendzai will not tolerate him, he must find another way to achieve his objective. This is very important, and if we have to sacrifice one of these Travellers to find out what that will be, then we should do so. Until now they have been gathering information for us which has been almost exclusively related to the conflict. We are not making best use of our assets; get one of them to defect to Karim. Grun, information is power, this war will not be won simply by the side which deploys the smartest tactics; disinformation can also be a very powerful weapon, and adherence to honour can become such a burden. Salamand is also thinking well by suggesting Ragna and Ventaninho could ask Karim to meet, but although I agree that, we should know all we can of our enemy, we already know he will do anything to disrupt the peace initiative. Furthermore, he has significant advantages over humans in being able to verify what we might tell him directly. We should leave that to those who can do the same to him – Ragna and Ventaninho. We can support this counter-intelligence strategy by officially putting the peace initiative on hold ourselves, giving him perceived leverage on Khaled, who, if we ask him, will go along with the pretence. So brother, Altocotl is partly correct, as is Salamand, but neither has yet shed this onerous virtue of ethics. What are you going to do?" Grun felt decidedly out of his depth.

*

Karim realised just exactly how lucky he had been. It wasn't just the deflected power which caused the damage. On this regeneration trip he had felt a similar disorientation to the first Mercurian one. Careful observation led him to believe that in both instances, matrix twists caused by the initial damage had allowed space dust from the surface of Mercury to breach his particle barrier. He didn't feel any after-effects other than a gritty sensation. He would attend to it when back on Earth. That return was uppermost in his thoughts. He had to revise some elements of his plan. If Ragna and Ventaninho could refine their deflector principle, it would be dangerous to confront them together. One could deploy the equipment while the other finished the job with normal electro-magnetic discharge. He wouldn't be so lucky a second time. He would obviously have to abandon the guise of Kiozo, and Sendzai was now sensitised to the ploy of shape-shifting. He had to assume Khaled may have also been informed of his deviousness by those with whom he sought peace talks. He briefly considered Thule, but discounted it on the probability that his relationship with Sendzai would complicate matters. He was quite pleased that the game had seen a tilt in the playing field; the challenge had become more intriguing. He had to count on Ragna and Ventaninho seeking him out, either because they had developed weapons of a different kind, or to try to convince him that the gathering desire for peace would effectively end the game. When he thought about this in more detail, it led him to two main conclusions. He would spend some time in each nation simply as an observing peasant, going about his business without much interaction. This would hopefully underpin his main conclusion – that he should find covert means to kill off these peace talks. If these tactics didn't prove successful he would consider the challenge of fostering an intermediate diplomatic phase of the game – it was an alternative route to domination. He felt it would also be interesting to observe what they all made of his non-appearance.

*

Ragna had returned and wasted no time in contacting Ventaninho. The latter was still in mourning over the loss of Kiozo. Ragna sensed he wasn't emotionally ready to engage in planning an offensive against Karim. He suggested that they visit all nation leaders in turn to stress the importance of vigilance and the urgent need for the proposal of Khaled to be widened from the western province to the whole of the temperate zone. He remembered that although the Travellers had predicted a reversal of the extension of the ice sheets, since removal of the solar filter, they had overlooked making the humans aware of it. Although it would be a painfully slow process, it carried the very important message that the temperate zone would not continue to shrink. This in turn had the potential to erase the hundred year evolutionary pressure to live by the rule of the ice. The Loci would be free of the need to acquire more land just to offset the shrinking habitable world, which they had been forced to vacate. The knock on effect on Dominia would be one of relief of the creeping claustrophobia of relentless immigration. Ragna also theorised that such news might help hasten the touted talks between West, North and East Korellia. His idea was sufficiently uplifting to raise a smile from Ventaninho. The fly in the ointment was always going to be Karim, and sooner rather than later, the situation had to be addressed. Ragna floated the proposal that they regularly tried to contact him by the usual method, even though he had almost always ignored their calls, and his declaration that such communication was over.

"I do not expect a positive response, following the use of the deflector, but even a refusal would tell us he is back in Earth space. This we must know."

They decided to tackle the most difficult trip first, as this idea rested on unanimity, so if there was resistance they should know at the outset. They appeared in front of Sendzai, who had now almost adjusted to such invasion of privacy. In this case he accepted that it was important, and in any case, he needed their help to begin fulfilling his vow to avenge the murder of Kiozo. The anticipated resistance which was virtually inbred in the Tor-Azen toward negotiated treaties was encountered immediately, but when the revelation of the halting of the ice advance was truly inserted into the equation, Sendzai became uncharacteristically introspective.

After digesting the significance of this, he called for Mitsuno to attend, as he had redeemed himself in the eyes of the leader. Before the General arrived, Sendzai asked if this was simply a prediction or a certainty. When he was assured it would happen, and given the explanation of the effect of the removal of the giant solar filter, he asked if the ice would merely halt its encroachment or whether there would be reclamation potential of lands already under the glaciers. Ventaninho said it would be a slow process, but the ice sheets would retreat. This statement brought about another few minutes of reflection, by which time Mitsuno had arrived. He was introduced to the two Travellers and became only the second of the nation to hear the full extent of who they really were and the abilities they had. Sendzai then explained the news of an end to the need to run from the white death. It was as though Mitsuno had been sentenced to a different kind of death, as his face expressed severe anxiety. Sendzai basically confirmed why this was the case.

"Our primary objective has been achieved. We have outrun the devil, and along the way we have outstripped those who saw us as enemies. It was never in our heritage to kill in order to survive, but we had no choice except to meet fire with fire. We have always used minimum force to convince our various opponents of the wisdom in adopting our culture. This strategy has served us well in most respects, but it also had a price, especially in the beginning. The battles in traversing Chinese lands took all three of my sons, and when the youngest was slain, my woman took her own life. This was not an uncommon sequence of events for many senior warriors, and underlines why I had considered bestowing Kiozo with the honour of inclusion into my family heritage. The original pledge of the Tor-Azen became a dual one – we would survive the ice at any cost – for the nation, and those who did their duty but are no longer with us. Mitsuno suffered in the same way I did. In many respects it was harder for us to continue to live through this than it would have been to end our lives."

Ragna and Ventaninho were spellbound and had no idea what was to follow. Sendzai continued. "This information you bring will signal a new era for us. The Tor-Azen, under my guidance, have always tried to keep our blood pure. Part of that discipline was to avoid unnecessary alliances, especially through strategic marriages. Mitsuno and I never thought we would see the taming of the ice in our lifetimes. It is also enshrined in our law that if such an event did occur, it would require a new approach of social order and diplomacy, rather than military leadership. I now have to let the people know that the new leader can be chosen. I will be the first to retire, and that will be quickly followed by Mitsuno redeploying warriors to the new cause. The peace invitation from the other nations will now be of interest to whoever becomes leader. I can concentrate my full attention on Karim. You see, one of your kin Kiozo, became the son I never really got to know. I am therefore available to participate in any way you have in mind to gain justice for your lost brother."

Mitsuno echoed this commitment. Ragna promised to involve them both in some way and said they felt it would be prudent to inform the western alliance that the new Tor-Azen leader would welcome peace talks.

"We should do this with some urgency as we do not know where Karim is or when he will strike." Sendzai acknowledged this and asked Mitsuno to assemble the Sages.

*

Things were moving so quickly, now that the ice was going to relent. The long-mooted discussions of all Korellian nations had been timetabled, and Thule wanted to meet with Sendzai before this date. Even though he understood his friend was stepping down he wanted Jaden to benefit from his wisdom. As Sendzai was in less demand, now that the selection process of a new leader was underway, he readily agreed to have the future figurehead of East Korellia stay with him. This was appreciated by Thule and it negated any premature official requests for the heir to be introduced to the new Tor-Azen leader.

*

Karim was ready to blend into his temporary observation role. His options had shrunk, being persona non grata with both Sendzai and Khaled. He ruled out Korellia even if they joined forces, feeling they were unmanageable. It left only the Aurorans or the Machu, and although he knew little of either, he did know of the death of Grenthe. Having a transitional leader did appeal, as he could be malleable, so he headed for the northern province of the Aurorans. His assumed character was in the expanding agricultural initiative. He was banking on this activity becoming a very important cog in the machinery of brokering and maintaining peace. It would initially be subordinate to diplomacy, but that would be too high profile for him at present, and in any case he was intending to sabotage the process. He became known simply as Aggar. There was one aspect he was concerned about. The gritty feeling he had contracted with the space dust around Mercury, although not really harmful, was not showing signs of decline, and actually altered his voice projection from time to time. He really needed to spend some concentrated time on removing this irritant.

*

The meeting between Salamand, Thule, Berbus and Negrosa was not overly ambitious in its objectives. Furthermore, there was the small matter of Negrosa being officially ratified. Lupus had left no heir, that much was undisputed, but with peace in the air, many North Korellians were contemplating whether a military leader would disadvantage them when the time came for negotiation of the terms of integration. Salamand and Thule only really knew one another by name, although they had heard of the respective feats which had been attributed to all prominent Korellians over the years. They seemed to find instant accord, and this left Berbus and Negrosa feeling a little isolated. What they all agreed was that apart from any interference they could expect from Karim, a total peace accord throughout the temperate zone was even more likely, because of the receding ice pronouncement. Berbus thought hard on this and reflected on the situation of the Tor-Azen. He articulated an offer to support Salamand - to be the sole representative for West Korellia.

"I am not getting any younger, and my experience is not in the arena of diplomacy or agriculture. I have to confess to have been influenced by the declaration of Sendzai that the time has come for a change. Although I have never met him I empathise with his decision. I pledge my support for Salamand, in any capacity asked of me."

He admitted to himself that Negrosa's situation could end with him being passed over by his own people for the honour of leader, and Berbus did not want such humiliation to tarnish what he had achieved for his own tribe. The broad principles of short term objectives was reached surprisingly quickly, and the most pressing one they listed was for the overall peace process to acknowledge the amalgamation of the common borders of West, North, and East Korellia. This had to be completely accepted by all other nations, and effectively meant they were creating a block of land which separated the Loci from each other. Prior to this declaration of intent, there had been corridors of access, albeit dangerous ones. A consequence of this demand would mean there were no direct borders between the Loci and Dominia. This would have been welcomed by the Loci before the first strike, but it was now seen as an unnecessary hindrance to cooperation. It indirectly put pressure on the Loci to move agriculture to the top of their priority list. Passage through Korellia would be permitted, but the introduction of border controls would be seen as a lack of trust, especially as both the Machu and Aurorans had fought alongside Korellians against T'slane. The ripples of this new cornerstone of Korellian identity brought every nation to the same table for the very first time. The Tor-Azen were represented by Sendzai, as the election of a new leader had been put on hold. The euphoric air of the drive toward peace was stuttering slightly, and illustrated the chasm which could open between concept and implementation. One individual was enjoying the building apprehension.

*

The provisions which Khaled had left with the western alliance were hurriedly shared and consumed during this shadow of unease. This knee-jerk response was in total contradiction of the previous intent to use the gift sparingly, while the agricultural era was set in motion. Prudence had lost out to panic, but worse still, a lot of people became seriously ill. The condition began with retching and fever, soon followed by skin discolouration and extreme weight loss. The worst affected by far were the Aurorans. Although all other nations had sporadic clusters of the 'plague', there were few fatalities. The Aurorans were decimated and within three weeks their numbers were down from just under three thousand to approximately four hundred and twenty. Despite crude quarantine procedures, and the incineration of all provisions supplied by Khaled, the death march showed no signs of slowing. It did however allow idle minds to suspect the sustenance had been knowingly infected, as there were no reported fatalities in Dominia. Further decline of Aurorans, including Grun and Emana, caused a spill over of anger, when no other so-called allies offered any help. The reality was that they were simply scared of creating the same epidemic levels of the plague within their own nations. The truth may never emerge. The problem was nothing to do with Khaled's gift; it was caused by Karim, alias Aggar. Even he didn't know that the space dust harboured long dormant viruses, now enjoying climatic conditions more to their liking, and a relative abundance of hosts within which to flourish. The past hundred years had seen these Loci nations and the Dominian-Korellian interface evolve in isolation. A fractional difference in genetic shift became the Achilles' heel of the pale skinned northern people. When Karim had settled amongst the Aurorans, and finally rid himself of the irritation picked up around Mercury, he had unknowingly created the epicentre for nurturing the virus in the most fertile hosts. The entire peace process receded much quicker than the ice, and fear reigned once again.

## Chapter 15

According to Auroran custom Lennart should have succeeded Grun, but everyone knew he was not even capable of sustaining a straightforward conversation without being distracted by anything and everything. This left Meridia, but she was not prepared to preside over the nation's slide to extinction. She left her brother and the people, heading toward the western province of Korellia, to tell them it was a mercy mission to ensure they got medical help from their nearest ally. Even though the integration of all Korellian nations had stalled, Berbus did not withdraw his gesture of inviting Salamand to represent both tribes. Meridia felt it was only a matter of time before Thule saw the sense in asking Salamand to bring Jaden under his wing. This was underpinned by Negrosa having failed to convince his people of his credentials to officially succeed Lupus. The fear of contagion was greater than the threat of war, they were dangerous times. All Korellians began to feel that a new leader should be able to cover both military and diplomatic strategy. To Meridia this was an opportunity not to be missed. She wanted to be perceived as more forward-thinking than any of her male counterparts. Most of the other nations had already blamed Khaled for the Auroran plight, based solely on the coincidence of consuming the provisions and the outbreak of the plague. She seemed to be the only one who insisted that, as the sustenance was shared evenly, there should have been more casualties in the other nations. She knew that her most difficult task in this plea was to convince them that she must have had sufficient immunity to survive, and her contagious period had passed. Her natural instinct was to blame Khaled, just as everyone else had, but there would be a much better time to settle scores, such as when she shared greater power. The Aurorans had become an irrelevance in terms of numbers – that needed to change.

She had chosen Salamand as the first target, because he fitted exact the profile which was increasingly demanded by Korellians for any new leader, in the event of the integration talks resuming anytime soon. They also saw, as Meridia did, that attracting East Korellia into their alliance would help offset the loss of so many Aurorans, which would otherwise have reduced the potency of their collective power. She correctly assessed that the sticking point with the other Loci was still the intention of Korellia to ratify the effective sealing of their borders. If, as she expected, even Salamand the wise could not broker support for compromise on this, she would complete her task by turning to Altocotl. She sensed he had desire for her, and by gallantly trying to resolve the Korellian question when her own nation was suffering so badly, she would gain respect. In the back of her mind was the Korellian access to Machu fish farms; it was this bargaining point she was really after.

It actually turned out better than she could have hoped. She was halted at the border and ordered not to proceed further. When she explained why she wanted to see Salamand, the border guards told her they would convey this request to the leader, and she would have to wait at the border for a response. Salamand didn't arrive until the next day and kept his distance. Meridia made her appeal.

"It is clear that some of us will survive. Others could benefit from Dominia's medical expertise, but Khaled has been found guilty without a fair hearing. My own condition is such that I no longer pass the plague to others who have not been infected so far. We need our allies to assist in reconstruction of what remains of our nation. At the very least we need access through your lands to other Loci if we cannot expect help from you or Khaled. Are you going to abandon us?"

Salamand tried to explain that he could not take decisions which may put his own people at risk.

"They are rightly worried about further risk of infection, so we need more time to be sure the quarantine can be lifted. On the second point, regarding our borders, we can only open them on specific request for exceptional circumstances. All of our people are adamant that Korellia must be considered as being equal to every other nation, and that includes respect of our designated borders. I can see this may appear different from your perspective, because a united Korellia is the only territory which effectively cuts off all other nations from one another. We can only make a special request for your passage to Dominia if we could somehow be presented with proof that Khaled was innocent of inflicting the plague on us. We are at present in a state of 'undeclared war' with Dominia. This special request would also depend on irrefutable proof of all Aurorans having been cleansed. I am sorry to deliver such news to you but there is nothing more I can say at this moment."

Meridia looked scathingly at the potential new leader of Korellia and released her tirade with a frenzied passion.

"So this is what we can expect from the western alliance. With friends who behave as enemies, I must question the point of being a member of such a fickle association, which is guided by a leader who cannot be relied upon when his supposed allies are struck down. I realise that we Aurorans have little in the way of fighting men to bring to the table now, compared to the time when my father gave his life voluntarily, to help you repel Dominian aggression. The plague was a common enemy, and we will survive without your help. You may consider our membership of your clique is at an end, but I ask you one last favour. Please send a messenger with the outcome of this meeting to Altocotl. I request him to visit us, as we cannot be granted access to him through your sacred territory"

She departed in a buoyant mood, now that she had all the ammunition she needed to speak with Altocotl. First she needed to make sure Lennart's recovery was keeping up with her own, as he would evoke a more subtle but sympathetic response.

*

Karim had enjoyed the accusations which rained down on Khaled, but was disappointed that it hadn't provoked a return to direct hostilities. The cold war which currently prevailed did however mesh with his previous intent to introduce a diplomatic phase to the game. He seemed at first to have chosen the wrong nation from which to observe developments, especially as the Aurorans had lost around eighty per cent of their number. He changed that view when he heard of the appointment of Meridia, whose reputation he had studied carefully. One difficulty he had encountered was to keep out of the way of Ragna, who fortunately met with Ventaninho frequently since the plague had descended upon humanity. These intervals of absence gave him the chance to appear in front of Meridia, posing as his arch enemy, Ragna. On the first occasion he had hoped to scavenge more detail of what was brewing in her mind. He was therefore astonished but delighted at the welcome he received.

"How many times must we go over this? You advised my father and my brother – how did that help us? We find ourselves in the most serious situation since the cataclysm, and all you seem to talk about is the threat of this Karim. I did say talk about, as you never actually do anything. Why don't you go and join your friend Ventaninho and bless the Machu with your indispensible theories? I really don't see the point in you hanging about here, and I have no intention of listening to any more of your entreaties to concentrate on things other than our immediate predicament. Now please leave."

Karim had a flash of inspiration and morphed to Aggar. "I am honoured to meet you at last. You will not know me but I currently help in the agricultural programme. Of course this is a subterfuge."

He then shifted shape to Karim and although Meridia had never met the former advisor to Khaled, she began to fathom what was happening in front of her, and said, "Please terminate this performance, and state your purpose, as I am expecting guests."

The admission that he was indeed Karim opened up the scope of the dialogue dramatically. She had not forgotten Ragna's claim that Karim was all powerful and feared by Ventaninho and himself. She also recalled that he was considered to be devious and untrustworthy, and such a combination spiked her interest further. Karim could not resist the opportunity to flesh out his strategy for the game.

"It may be a game to you but I am afraid it is all too real for humanity. Nevertheless I can spare you a few minutes – proceed."

When Meridia had digested the mischief proposed by Karim, she pondered how he could be of use. She finally offered him a challenge.

"Would you be interested in disposing of Ragna and taking his place? This would offer you an excellent cover for your plans, and more importantly for me, the chance to completely redesign the Auroran nation."

Karim jumped at the opportunity, and said it should be done as soon as possible, suggesting she sent a message, apologising to Ragna for her recent rudeness, and her hope that they could make a fresh start. He said he would track his fellow Traveller while he worked as Aggar, and then suddenly materialise to obliterate Ragna. Meridia accepted his suggestion, and acted on it immediately, because she wanted it out of the way before hopefully being able to engineer a second meeting with Altocotl, assuming the first went well. In any event, as she could not despatch her own messenger to Ragna because of the quarantine, she would have to ask Altocotl to deliver her false apology. However, she didn't want Karim to be involved in her initial seduction scene with the Machu leader.

*

Sendzai welcomed Thule and Jaden, but made it clear that the plague, and the uncertainty it had spawned meant he would have less time for the young man than he had promised.

"I am sorry to tell you this but we are in a state of flux, our council of Sages seem incapable of taking interim decisions. The people are worried and I have had to step back into the shoes I happily vacated."

Thule understood and in fact claimed he was in a similar quandary. Apparently Salamand had overstated the unanimity of all Korellia when he rebuffed Meridia.

"Only Berbus and I challenged his action. He did not ask us to join him, to meet with her, and although we concurred with keeping the quarantine in place, we did want to allow her passage to Altocotl. We could have cleared this route of any vulnerable citizens. Berbus also made the point that as all nations have had fatalities we need to benefit from knowing exactly what the human vulnerability is. It is obviously more acute in Aurorans, yet some have the immunity we all require. There is even a difference within Meridia's family. The interpretation Salamand conveyed to Meridia has angered many Korellians, some from his own tribe. I have to depart to help quell the unrest. I understand your situation completely, and so I am grateful for any time Jaden can spend with you. He is a keen observer and a quick learner; he will not get in the way."

*

Altocotl received the request from Meridia via Salamand's messenger and responded positively. She was pleasantly surprised to hear that he had somehow negotiated her very passage through West Korellia which had been denied by Salamand. It had been assisted by the pressure of Thule and Berbus, and was granted on condition that Altocotl's men provided the escort for Meridia through to Machu territory. It meant that she had to take Lennart with her. Apart from overturning Salamand's edict, this concession highlighted the differences which had characterised the Korellian tribes for a century. Salamand sensed this wasn't a good time to allow these minor cracks in policy to spread. He stopped short of an apology for his unilateral action, but admitted his oversight of future immunity to another attack from the plague being absolutely crucial. His excuse was that there was no real evidence that the current threat was either under control or over. He successfully convinced the others that he had acted purely only out of concern that the quarantine would be compromised.

When Meridia arrived she was seen as both a risk and a heroine. Her Machu escorts were asked to remain separate from the rest of the population for a period of observation. Only Altocotl was allowed to be in her presence initially. He began by asking how he could help. She thanked him profusely for accepting her request when her nation had endured such devastation.

"Apart from the emotional loss of family, we have had to discipline ourselves to burn the corpses as soon as they had lost their battle with this pestilence. When only one in four recovered from the initial symptoms, it was almost impossible to keep to this most urgent task. We believe we have got through the worst and now seek help to rebuild our nation, even though it is now in reality but a community in terms of numbers. I would however like to explore the accusation that the food donated by Khaled was truly the cause of the pandemic, and even if that was proved, why the Auroran people have been affected so much more than others. There is also the small matter that, contrary to early reports, Dominians were more vulnerable to its symptoms than Korellians, Machu or Tor-Azen. Does it not strike you as strange that Khaled, if guilty of such treachery, would fail to protect his own citizens from contracting the plague? He has the best medical expertise and facilities by far of all nations, in what is left of this habitable space, and I want to avail of that knowledge if he is willing to help. Can I persuade you to join in the war against a possible repeat of the infection? We may suffer even more if it mutates to other means of spreading; we do not know if it infects us by one exclusive method or can employ multiple contagion mechanics."

Altocotl found her logic persuasive, and agreed to speak with Khaled directly, if he could not convince the West Korellians of the benefits in understanding more about the plague. This in effect, meant reinforcing the pressure on Salamand, as he was aware of the lobby of Berbus and Thule to the same end. Altocotl enquired about the health of Lennart, who was, as usual cowering behind Meridia. She began to explain and lost composure midway through the tale, having implanted the picture of an astute diplomatic leader impaired by the duty of caring for an utterly disoriented sibling.

"It has been difficult for Lennart, with most of his family dying in such a short time. He has always been uncomfortable with people outside his family, now he is so traumatised that I fear his health will continue to deteriorate. I will never desert him, and will not dilute my pledge to continue my father's work for our people. He used to say 'these periods of adversity must be seen as character-building', even if at the time they appear to be insurmountable."

Altocotl asked if he was just as uncomfortable with young people, and Meridia locked onto her objective with a balance of humility and determination.

"Not quite so much, for some reason he does not feel he is being judged by others of his own age. Of course there are exceptions – especially younger children can be cruel. This has been another problem for him, insofar as we lost proportionately more young people than adults to the disease." The seed had been successfully sown. "You must have had the same concerns for the youth of your nation. When they disappear in such numbers it produces a different kind of threat – one in which the number of fertile couples remaining can give up hope so easily. I do have a complex task to tackle, but I will succeed."

The offer came without more violins being required, Altocotl mentioned his son Itzan. He saw this as a two-way therapy. Lennart would avail of a new friend and Itzan would benefit from having the presence of someone very much less fortunate to consider.

"When we are absolutely sure that both you and Lennart are no longer able to pass on the infection I will ask Itzan to begin to gain your brother's confidence, and now I will travel to Korellia. You can stay here until I conclude my discussions with the Korellians, and one of our medical people will monitor your condition, so that I have proof you are clear to mix with others when I return."

## Chapter 16

By the time Altocotl was cleared to enter Korellia, the pressure on Salamand had now been intensified by the North Korellians choosing to install an interim leadership concept, and it didn't involve Negrosa. They felt that there was no single person strong enough in all aspects of strategy to cover the present fluctuation toward war or peace. They wanted to exhaust every possible avenue to a lasting peace agreement yet have the reserve option of staying alert for signs of fragmentation, which could so easily descend to renewed hostility. They therefore chose Moussa as the military aide to Quervos. Moussa was perceived as being more oriented to military diplomacy than Negrosa, and as such would assist Quervos in pressing for peace talks to resume. This included making Salamand aware of their recommendation to investigate Khaled's claim of innocence more objectively. Salamand was now in no doubt he had to reconsider his stance on Meridia's plea, before she was officially declared risk-free.

*

Jaden had quickly become fascinated with Tor-Azen history and culture, especially their prowess in swordsmanship. He had, in his years as a hostage, learned to be extremely observant of detail, and he applied this almost photographic memory to sketch the construction manuals and operating principles of their cannon, pistols, rifle prototypes, and chariots. He was able to peruse these when Sendzai was spirited away to strategy council. He correctly determined that the materials and techniques required to build the arms were to the east, and those which constituted the ammunition, depended on the formulation of gunpowder.

*

Both Meridia and Lennart were now considered to be of little risk in passing on infection, and Altocotl had returned without persuading Salamand to give a definitive answer. Altocotl claimed he would ultimately concede, but at present there was only procrastination in the air. When Itzan was introduced to Lennart, both Meridia and Altocotl were amazed at the immediate affinity which developed. The adults of the various Loci nations had painfully accumulated vocabulary of the language of their counterparts, but detailed semantic interpretation was often provided by their chosen linguists. Itzan had always been too preoccupied with his fascination for all things technical to pick up even rudimentary foreign expressions. The efforts of Altocotl to push him to at least try to learn Dominian words fell on stony ground. He had once again stressed to Itzan that when he became leader, Dominesque would in all probability gravitate to the 'world language', and the Korellian dialects were rooted in the same mother tongue. Lennart had never been asked to engage in such lofty aspirations, because of his perceived disability, and this was the source of astonishment of the two leaders. Within just a few days Lennart was talking more than at any other time of his young life, and much of it was in Machu. Meridia had some difficulty holding back her emotions.

"How can this be? He has never shown any signs of such abilities before."

Her sadness turned to embarrassment, a new experience for her. Altocotl suggested that perhaps the demands of nomadic life didn't easily accommodate the honing of skills which didn't offer obvious or direct benefit to the group.

"This thought has just dawned upon me because I have all but categorised my own son as a failure, simply because he has no interest in being my heir."

Meridia immediately shed her pangs of guilt and registered the import of what Altocotl had revealed in his own moment of introspection. Lennart was obviously gifted with the ability to recognise and store letter and word patterns. He now had someone who was interested in helping him articulate this ability into speech. Meridia, at that moment saw that the boy could actually become a powerful asset. A perfect example of this assessment was provided by Lennart offering to help her improve her Machu vocabulary, by revealing that he was helping Itzan in designing a simple wind turbine. She instantly saw a discrete aperture in the great chasm of opportunity. The lag in technical development was inexcusable, because the technology tree was already there, even if the materials available had currently only permitted mediaeval products. She concluded that even the Tor-Azen had not maximised the fast track to industrialisation, and the historical excuse of nomadic life had become difficult to dislodge from their psyche. She laughed as she challenged Altocotl to think about the microcosm of what they had witnessed with the boys, and then to consider using this nascent potential as a springboard for their nations' ascension to power through technology. He sat in silence for a long time and then questioned the access to the essential raw materials. She astounded him with a proposal so radical that his head was spinning with the potential implications.

"This is simply a hurdle rather than an impasse. The reward is the security of economic dominance. There is currently a lot of sleep being lost about the Korellian intransigence over the sealing of their borders. Because the Auroran population has now dwindled to less than five hundred, we have a surfeit of living space. If the Tor-Azen were willing, I would be prepared to offer them the vast majority of our more fertile domain. The proviso would be the need for them to secede all of their current land to Korellia, who would then have to agree to two access strips, one which runs east to the raw material source, and the other west to the Machu. The advantage to the Tor-Azen would be to live adjacent to Auroran Loci, with access through the last mentioned corridor to the others. The Korellians would benefit from far more land, which still surrounds Dominia, but with no potential enemy to the East. The creation of such a techno-economic bloc would leave us well placed to benefit more than the others from the receding ice, as your domain already borders on the ocean. The fish farms would be a powerful inducement to the Tor-Azen if you were willing to make them an offer in exchange for minerals. You do not need to rescind the current allowance to West Korellia, but they will now have to pay, just like the Tor-Azen. They must also accept that this was all provoked by their edict on border controls. We merely say that we respect their need to do this, and the fish supplies will become a trade rather than remain free. One example of barter could be the supply of nuts, berries and scarce fruit. This would allow us to keep our technical strategy totally secret, as we are just trading one food source for another. Turning to the boys, I have gleaned from Lennart that your son is obsessed with creating electricity. He has apparently already made primitive batteries, but is frustrated by not being able to match them up with items which could be useful to our societies. He dreams of using electricity for giving light, powering of inanimate objects for transport, and most importantly conversion to heat. If we can help him, the demand from other nations would bring true economic prosperity to the new Loci bloc."

Altocotl suddenly found pride in his son's distractions and was surprised at his response to Meridia.

"I think it would be wise for the Machu and Aurorans to detail a constitutional pact before approaching the Tor-Azen, and then Korellia. This would possibly encourage Khaled to express interest in such economic trade, especially as they can offer medical science, homeopathic and synthetic prescriptions, and patient treatment. This would eventually become redundant as we progress."

They agreed, and Meridia kept her proposed agenda with Karim to herself for the present.

## Chapter 17

She sought out Ragna and asked Ventaninho to give them some privacy.

"I just wanted to apologise for my outburst when we last met. The nation has suffered so badly, including my family. You are not alone in being on the receiving end of my frustration. I have tried to repair the rifts I have caused and I would be grateful if we could begin a new page of cooperation?"

Ragna had seen just about every facet of human nature and it was therefore not unusual for such a request. She was right, they had been to hell and back recently and he agreed to return as soon as he was finished his collaboration with Ventaninho. Meridia would have liked to ask what it was about, but decided not to alert suspicion. Her tearful expression when they said goodbye was very convincing. She returned to speak with Altocotl.

"Will you travel to see Khaled? My quarantine still applies as far as Salamand is concerned, so I will ask Ragna to appear in the presence of Sendzai. He will carry a papyrus which outlines our proposal and with my nation's official seal. I know you felt our pact should be enshrined in our laws before testing the principle out on the Tor-Azen, but if we meet with little enthusiasm, I have an idea which could still allow us to get our technocratic model underway. It is also something which I would need to check with Ragna, as it depends on the extent to which we can harness the ability of the Travellers. We really have no time to waste, and if I remember correctly, you feel that Salamand is killing time for some reason. We can benefit by resolving his dilemma. By hearing of provisional agreement between the Loci, and hence the offer of much more land for his people, plus the waiver of our objection to the border closures, his reputation is restored, even though it is by luck rather than wisdom."

*

Altocotl was getting more enthusiastic about the plan and decided to wait a little longer before declaring that his notion of the pact was not only between nations, but on a personal level. He was infatuated with this woman. Lennart was more than happy to stay with Itzan.

*

Ragna duly appeared after Altocotl's departure. He didn't even get the chance to say how pleased he was that they had reconciled their differences. His residual non-sentient energy dissipated into the atmosphere of Altocotl's tent and beyond toward the wintry star-laden sky, from which his species had evolved billions of years ago. Karim was asked to shift to Ragna to avoid awkward questions if they were seen together. Meridia felt relieved that it was over, but that did not last. Karim had deliberately left it until now to admit that he could not pose as Ragna to Ventaninho.

"Our normal recognition protocols would give me away. I have thought about this, and you could no doubt give Altocotl a feasible explanation of Ragna's misfortune, but Ventaninho could never meet me. It is also for the best if Karim is thought to have been consumed by solar flares, as he is universally hated. Everyone would be happy to construe his absence as demise. However, if I cannot appear as either Ragna or Karim I cannot be part of your plan. The most sensible and safe solution is to liquidate Ventaninho, and then I simply assist you as Ragna – nobody else must know."

Meridia realised she had been hoodwinked, but there was too much at stake to allow Ventaninho an opportunity to expose the bigger picture. Karim said he had sufficient remaining power to destabilise his fellow Traveller before requiring another supercharge. Meridia reluctantly agreed to visit Ventaninho, demanding to know why Ragna had failed to keep his promise to re-join the Auroran people. It was brutal, Karim struck his target from behind, but a much larger energy discharge was required than for Ragna, and the victim didn't simply disappear in a puff of smoke. Meridia was the first human to see two Traveller matrices in a prolonged conflict. Eventually Ventaninho's gave way to nothingness and Karim stated that his need to regenerate was critical, and then he also disappeared. Meridia was exhausted by the sheer apprehension that it was all going wrong. She felt the need to sleep but knew she would lie awake all night thinking about how she would be able to deal with Karim in future if he was seriously injured, especially as she depended on him for contact with Sendzai.

*

Altocotl's mission to Khaled confirmed Meridia's assertion that the Dominians had suffered significant mortality from the plague. Khaled's response to the accusation of the food being the source of the epidemic was impressive in its simplicity.

"Bring me what you have left and I will instruct my people to join me in consuming it. No one has come to challenge me face-to-face as you have now, otherwise you would have already accepted this means of proving our innocence, and many more lives may have been saved by availing of our medicines. Testimony to this is the very high infection rate we suffered, but we had nowhere near the fatalities of the Aurorans. This was because we had much higher numbers of the infected individuals actually recovering. We were about to let all nations know of the successful combination of medicines which resisted the disease, when the accusations filtered in and communication ceased. My real regret at that time was that we could have saved many more of our people and yours if we had hit on the effective combination earlier in the quarantine period."

This was quite a credible explanation and again Meridia was proven correct about Dominia's medical resource being a desirable trading option. The fact that they already had a treatment added weight to getting the pact being documented quickly. Altocotl asked Khaled to do him the honour of a visit to meet with Meridia, leaving the impression that it could be the way back to peace talks, if that was still his objective. Khaled accepted.

*

Ragna and Ventaninho had been secretly working on a method to nullify Karim's potency. They had theorised that their ability to shift shapes smoothly was dependent on precise phase separation of the consecutive images, and that it could be worth tinkering with the mechanism. They realised there was a risk of irreversibility, so they decided that only one of them would act as guinea pig, and that was Ventaninho. After many unsuccessful attempts, they made a partial breakthrough. They managed to trigger a locking sequence or 'freeze frame' on the first image and a subsequent automatic and instant reversion to normal form. The hope was that if they were attacked by Karim, the frozen image would provide sufficient distraction in terms of time for them to escape. There was no perfectly safe way of testing the idea but Karim's plan had seen to it that they would have a real test of its validity. Unfortunately Ragna was the first target, and perished without resistance. Ventaninho sadly proved the feasibility but was extremely disturbed by the loss of his last remaining friend. His disappearance to the top of the ice wall gave him the time to plot his next actions. The energy discharged by Karim to vaporise the frozen image all but consumed Karim's reserves and Ventaninho knew he would have to head to his supercharge location.

The vigil would therefore not be very long. Ventaninho was able to detect from this high vantage point the origin and trajectory of Karim's ion disturbance trail. As this had a short decay time he had to act immediately, and followed it at the maximum safe distance. He didn't have to go the full journey before he realised the benefit Karim had been afforded by Mercury. He halted briefly in the turbulent gas clouds of Venus while he rehearsed the sequence once more.

When he appeared alongside Karim he quietly said, "Wait, do nothing. You must appreciate that if you have already destroyed me, you cannot inflict further harm upon me. Alternatively, if you have not destroyed me, you will know that I have currently more energy than you, and I can easily inflict upon you the mysterious loss of sentience that has intrigued us recently. You therefore need to listen carefully. I have the common view of Kiozo, Rubina, Ragna and myself to pass on to you. We feel that you alone have ruined our experience of finite existence in the human quest for survival. Now that you are alone you will probably realise that this means there is something beyond your knowledge. Yes, you did destroy me as you did the others. We will be waiting for you – and you cannot escape."

Ventaninho had thought very hard about this, and although he had just lied to Karim - he had not in fact been destroyed - he felt existence without his friends was futile and therefore not desired. His last act was to add to the bewilderment of Karim, as he turned and undertook the iconic Icarus journey of flying directly into the Sun. Karim was quite shaken by this disclosure and needed time to contemplate the future after he had regenerated.

*

Having returned to the Earth's surface he was somewhat subdued. Part of his fascination with the game had been in outwitting his contemporaries. This was gone, but he decided to resume his manipulative role with the humans, while he pondered the reception he would face by his fellow Travellers on his expiration. The first port of call was Sendzai, posing as Ragna, who to the Tor-Azen leader knew was the friend of Kiozo and Meridia. When he had espoused the strategy of the other Loci leaders, Sendzai asked many questions which Karim acknowledged as pertinent to the reshaping of the territory, plus the consequent shift of economic and military power.

"That is why we invite you to discuss the detailed plan with Altocotl and Meridia. You should also know that I have just been briefed that Khaled has shown interest in the concept. He has apparently satisfied those I represent that he is innocent of causing the plague, and furthermore claims to have a successful treatment for it, which he would share if it returns. Can I ask if you are minded to travel to Machu territory, as Meridia has now been declared as free of contagion?"

Sendzai could visualise this proposed alignment becoming very strong with Khaled's support. He also saw that it might initially seem attractive to Korellia in terms of land gain, but over time they could become economically frustrated. This had implications for The Tor-Azen, as they would effectively then be isolated to the East. This was one scenario which he felt could justify a departure from their normal rejection of formal alliances. He agreed to talks - but not more at this stage. When Karim reported this back to Meridia she said that it was necessary to brief Altocotl.

"I want all interested parties to meet as soon as possible, but we first need to clear the way with Korellia, and I am still not permitted to cross into their lands, so we must once again ask the Machu leader to act for us. It is useful anyway because he is independent verification of my absence of infection risk. At this stage he must not declare the involvement of Khaled, or that the fact that he has a treatment for the plague."

## Chapter 18

Salamand received Altocotl, and when he heard the suggested realignment of territory he knew he had to call for the other leaders to attend. Although Berbus had officially stepped aside so that Salamand alone could speak for West Korellia, he was invited. He declined, and this began to alarm Salamand. He sensed he had dodged an accurate arrow when he alone rejected Meridia's plea for help, and emphasised the collective Korellian resolve for closed borders. Thule and Quervos arrived and were briefed. The proposal didn't strike Thule as one which would interest the Tor-Azen, but when he heard that Sendzai himself had agreed to talks, he realised it had to be taken seriously. This had the effect of shifting the balance of power within the Korellian triumvirate. Without Berbus or Negrosa, the military bias was eroded, and Quervos was already known to be in favour of resuming peace talks. The relationship between Thule and Sendzai became pivotal in the outcome of the discussion. All three Korellian tribes were nervous about a corridor in their land which connected the Loci nations. They accepted the principle of trading nuts, berries and fruit for fish. They liked the net gain in land, and appreciated the benefit of reducing their borders with other nations from the current four to the proposed three. Altocotl left them for a time so they could finesse their views. Salamand was most uneasy, as the initial concession of land to the Tor-Azen and Machu corridor would have to come from West Korellia, and then the entire resultant Korellian migratory drift would push east into the larger vacated space. If the tribes simply moved proportionately to the new domain, East Korellia would no longer border with any of the Loci, they would be buffered by the other two, and lose lucrative contracts. Furthermore, it would also leave the inter-Loci corridor solely in the new territories of West and North Korellia. This proved to be a sticking point, until Quervos accepted that all Korellians should forget the corridor and yet maintain their Dominian border. He introduced a modification to Meridia's plan.

"In the interests of more cohesion for Korellia I would ask you to consider an alternative. If we can agree to re-settle all of the new Korellian land with a mix of all tribes it would give us a more acceptable counter-proposal. There are few Aurorans, and if they moved with the Tor-Azen into part of West Korellia there would be no need for a corridor there at all. All Loci would be together and we drive the argument for all vacated Loci land being seceded to us. If we are serious about re-uniting Korellia, they must support us otherwise we should be suspicious of their motives."

Salamand in particular was relieved to hear this, as he felt he would need persuasive arguments for any concessions to be shared unevenly. Thule felt it was fair in principle, but also saw the implication that improved prosperity would ultimately bring focus to the obvious – one nation required only one leader. He was not sure that Salamand the Wise had managed to grasp that he now had serious competition for that honour. When Altocotl was asked to convey the modified concept back to Meridia and Sendzai, he laughed.

"You have conveniently forgotten that our plan required a corridor running east of the current Tor-Azen territory. This is non-negotiable."

Thule asked why this was so important, knowing the answer. He wanted the others to hear it from Altocotl. The mineral import route spiked the interest of Quervos.

"If this is so critical why can't we simply allow access with an appropriate tariff?"

Altocotl asked if this was their final position.

"I very much doubt this will satisfy Sendzai. He is being asked to uproot his people completely, take it on trust that he will have a peaceful neighbour in Dominia, which he currently does not have to worry about, and your trust is so weak that he must pay you to retain his mineral supply. The Tor-Azen are absolutely pivotal in this concept. If they do not move, the whole idea is redundant, and they are perfectly capable in a military sense, of taking care of their own interests. In fact they will get comparatively stronger as time passes."

Thule now had his platform and confirmed that the technical capability of the Tor-Azen could wipe out all Korellian resistance with impunity.

"I have seen Sendzai's development programme, and as East Korellia is the only nation which borders with them we are the most vulnerable. I will go as far as suggesting to my people that if hostilities came about, we would be well-advised to renew our alliance request with Sendzai, rather than pursue this ideology of a unified Korellia. At present, that is all that it amounts to. We have to earn trust - all of us - and that applies to the three Korellian groups. Perhaps it would help if we made a gesture similar to that of Altocotl, when he allowed access through his land to the free resource of his fish farms. Only West Korellia enjoyed this benefit, so you Salamand should be the first to accept the Loci corridor, in a reciprocal act of trust. I would then be happy to recommend to my people that we should comply with the eastern corridor. This would give a more concrete basis for Quervos' alternative redistribution of land – it could meet everyone's needs."

Salamand saw that Quervos agreed, and realised that he had been manoeuvred into exactly the position he wanted to avoid. Thule gifted him a chance to restore his recent decline in statesmanship.

"Instead of imposing a tariff for passage through the corridor, why don't you suggest to your nation, as I intend to, that we can negotiate a special trade for some of these minerals?" He nodded reluctantly and Altocotl departed.

When Karim learned of Itzan's work he suggested he may be able to assist, and it also fitted with the discussion between Meridia and the returning Altocotl. Karim, who was still thought to be Ragna by all but Meridia, lauded the alternate plan of Quervos.

"Even if the corridor changes to 'escorted passage' and is only available for a finite time, it makes sense. I have been considering another means of access to the mineral fields for some time, and this proposal would justify such expenditure of energy." The others asked him to continue. "Well, as the ice is now slowly receding, I can produce major cracks at certain points. If they are carefully placed they will join to make a channel in whatever direction we desire. The northern ice wall could be sculptured to bypass Korellia and head directly to the mineral quarries. The application of more gentle electrical discharge will produce melt water in sufficient quantities to allow travel by simple wooden barges. Once we have this we are not entirely dependent on the whims of Korellia."

Meridia was intrigued; Altocotl asked how this would help Itzan. The answer was simple.

"There will also be areas I can assess for relics which are trapped by only thin ice. If I can free them, we will avail of ready-made objects which only need repair as opposed to complete construction. Wind turbines will be a prime example. Together with the availability of metal ores we can shortcut a lot of tedious metallurgy for Itzan."

It all sounded too good to be true for Meridia and she asked how they would convince Sendzai to reveal the location of his mineral sources. Karim said that wasn't necessary.

"I can follow his caravans to these places, and he knows of such abilities of the Travellers from Kiozo. The barges will increase the inflow dramatically, and Sendzai is not stupid, we could do this without him, his quarries are not the only sources, they are merely the known ones. If we appeal to his acute sense of pride in his nation he will agree, for example, we can name the route as the Sendzai Canal. He would also benefit when moving to the proposed new territories, as the canal avoids any hijacking by untrustworthy Korellians."

It was now important to invite the Tor-Azen leader while he still enjoyed that position, to cement the Quervos land distribution plan, and then sign up Khaled as soon as possible afterwards. This was considered as an urgent step, and required complete ratification before the fickle Korellians had another change of mind.

Thule believed he had created sufficient turbulence with Salamand to counter any immediate ambitions he harboured to become an obvious candidate for overall leader of Korellia. Quervos was new and had a reputation to accrue before he could become a problem. He now wanted to consider Jaden's next objective.

Advent

It could always be described as winter in Dominia; it was a relative term. The shortening days were however anticipated with a sense of foreboding. Food stocks were critical over this period, and the precious daylight hours could not be wasted on anything but essential tasks. The timing of the grand summit for the proposed redistribution of land could have been better. The surreal hiatus in concentration finally revealed a factor hitherto ignored or not considered as an anti-lubricant. While the nations were busy with wars and politics, no irritant in the form of God, or gods had the required oxygen to surface. Unless it was broached in some way, it could become the most dangerous iceberg in all Dominia. Curiously, it was Jaden who brought it to Thule's attention prior to his departure for the summit. It had been a source of hope for the young man in the worst days of his solitude. His innocent question to Thule was comparable to an unintended rapier strike.

"Do the citizens of all of the other nations believe in the prophet?"

The ramifications temporarily side-tracked Thule and he offered no reply. When Jaden repeated the question it didn't seem so innocent in its intonation. Thule answered honestly.

"I do not think that will be the case. Some of them come from faraway places and over the period since the cataclysm there has been a general feeling that people's faith has let them down. Our ancestors had to save themselves; there was no sign of any kind that divine intervention was about to rejuvenate our souls. It is a good question you ask Jaden. The Loci are from parts of the old world where other faiths were commonplace. Apparently there was a long history of wars, persecution, and power struggles rooted in religious intolerance. We do not have the luxury of time to make such mistakes. We must try to find out in an ordered and calm fashion if the residues of faith are important to any nation at the outset of the summit."

The second controversial element for the three Korellian delegates was the relatively short notice they had received from Altocotl that Khaled would be present to represent Dominia. It was portrayed as being polite, it was a new beginning; they should have a say in the proposed inheritance of an altered pattern to their shared borders. There was no disclosure at this point about intended cooperation with the conceived Loci techno-economic bloc.

Altocotl was nominated to chair the historic attempt to produce a charter of mutual benefit for all nations. It was burdened with ambition beyond its capability to deliver, but this didn't matter to some of its architects. On the other hand some of the individual aspirations were perfectly capable of being achieved – either through the charter or in spite of it. Even the name should have raised concern, but when the heady infusion of the aroma of personal gain abounds, the potential sacrifice of those who are being represented conveniently moves to the column of greater good. Altocotl made everyone aware of an anonymous request. It was to underpin the grandiose commitment to the rights of independent national laws within the framework of the charter, by the same respect for various faiths. With the gathering euphoria nudging toward exponential levels, the accommodation of more and more nebulous sub-clauses seemed acceptable. Thule began to wish he had kept the religious issue to himself. The free-for-all continued until the entire concept came full circle. It had, in essence, become an agreement to ratify the proposed land border changes, and everything else under the watery sun was pretty much as before. The morass of independent rights, in practical terms condemned the Charter of Five Nations to be a reference guide for the same hegemony which already existed. And that had always been how some had wanted it to remain.

## Chapter 19

The transition began with the Tor-Azen moving into the vacated West Korellian space. The Aurorans joined them and Salamand had satisfied his people that the other Loci plus the independent medical expertise of Dominia had declared the former Auroran territory as safe. Migration was slow in the beginning, but the populous fastened on to the opportunity of first come – first served with respect to the best sites. The Korellian integration would have to wait for a little longer to gain momentum, and the required access for the Tor-Azen to the eastern mineral deposits was set up. The trading of these metal ores with Korellia would begin when the unification was in place.

Dynasty

Altocotl felt it was the ideal time to ask Meridia to consider the advantages of marriage. She had always known this would happen and agreed to think about it. Having done so, she had a number of questions for him. The uppermost in her mind was the fate of her people; at least that is how she put it to Altocotl. He recognised that she would have a choice of whether to ask the remaining Aurorans to elect a new leader, or ask them to migrate a step further – into Machu land. He was sure she would like neither, and he didn't want her to be distracted by having to rule her people from within his family. She had another suggestion but wanted it to be his idea, and she got her wish.

"My son is happier than I have ever known him to be, and much of that is because of his friendship with Lennart. Some of it is because I have ceased pressurising him to walk in my shadow. He can be of great value to his nation in another way, and it was you who made me aware of that. He would be pleased if I told him my successor will be Meridia of Aurora. If you and the remnants of your nation are prepared to move here and work toward the birth of a new nation I will revise my last will and testament."

Meridia feigned embarrassment and at the same time asked how the rights of her people would be taken care of while he lived.

"You will be their champion and nobody else will know that we rule together. This will also serve to encourage integration if we are successful in our joint duty."

She could abandon her list of demands if he would concede to one final question.

"I am, like any other woman or female leader, conscious of continuing the family lineage. If I marry it must be in a union which bears fruit. How do you feel about such an obligation?"

It would not be seen as such by Altocotl – they both had good reason to see a future heir from their own bloodlines. The announcement was well received by all Loci, and Dominia. It confused most Korellians. It disturbed Thule.

*

Karim wasted no time in beginning to carve out the canal, now that the charter was in place. He began his lightning strikes at the mineral fields and would work backwards toward the new nation. It would give time for the wedding and re-naming of the combined Machu and Auroran territory. It was a long project and he wanted to keep his promise to Itzan to find a derelict wind turbine. Frequent regeneration became the norm, and this kept him out of the emerging politics. Not long into the programme of joining the cracks in the ice which he had created, a potential problem raised its head. The melt water from these cracks began to expose and carry well-preserved corpses of many species to the lowest point. He determined that the radiation which had probably caused their death was still at a troublesome level, and contact with the plentiful supply of oxygen had initiated breakdown. The accumulation of rotting tissue could pose an infection risk to humans piloting barges of metal ore. They had to be extracted and burned. He didn't want to introduce hysteria which would cause the humans to block the project, especially those who wouldn't be the long term beneficiaries of its impact. He decided no one else needed to know until the canal was completed.

*

The wedding was a triumph and the people embraced the name of Machora. The Tor-Azen were pleased that they didn't have to share their land with anyone and became more receptive to trade treaties with the new nation. Sendzai chose retirement and set the date for the election of a new leader. Dominia also ratcheted up their formal involvement with the Loci bloc. The Korellians now began to glimpse how their desire for more land had been used to outwit them. Not only was the increase in their territory more difficult to police, it would be infinitely more complicated to defend if either Loci or Dominia had cause. Thule had a strong hand with which to call for a review of the integration plan. It would almost certainly question the acumen of the leadership, including him. His advantage over Salamand and Quervos was that he didn't want the position; he wanted more time to groom Jaden. The meeting had to be broadened to include disappointed citizens. There was now a requirement for accountability in going forward. Salamand the Wise was now seen as having reached his limit of seniority, with whispers deriding him as Salamand the Simple. He didn't even suspect that Thule had engineered his fall from grace, purely as a consequence of his main objective of keeping Korellian tribes separate for now.

*

Karim's patience was being tested. Six months had passed and he had still not finished the preliminary phase of cracking the ice by directed lightning balls. He had taken extreme care to ensure the depth was regulated for fully laden barges. He desperately wanted to declare that these barges could be built, but Meridia had insisted that this would only happen when the canal was complete. She maintained it would not be prudent to advertise in advance that they no longer needed Korellian assistance to bring in minerals.

"They would then have leverage which could disrupt other programmes. There is also the small matter of me being pregnant. I want to be free of such distraction when the canal route opens."

Karim noticed that Altocotl deferred to Meridia on many issues. It appeared as if he had found contentment in his marriage, Itzan's happiness, and the prospect of a new heir. Life was good in Machora.

*

The Tor-Azen had chosen their new leader, confident that the charter would endure. Kanzaki was by far the best technocrat they had ever produced, and had assisted Kiozo in many of his designs. He had also demonstrated impressive acumen in economic theory; it would now be tested in practice.

*

Khaled had already structured Dominian muscle toward trade and had cleverly controlled the pace to suit the emergent economic practices of both the Machora and Tor-Azen. Thule had also negotiated concessions from Dominia to invest in more efficient agriculture. Having done this without reference to Salamand or Quervos annoyed them, especially when Khaled said he had reached the limit of his trade balance, but said he could review the situation in the future. Thule's initiative was not solely angled toward trade, as he had asked Khaled to take Jaden under his wing, so he could assimilate the Dominian economic model. He had asked Khaled not to disclose this most appreciated favour to other nations. The unease in the western side of the new Korellian territory was palpable as there was a perceived wealth gap with their kin in the eastern region. This developing rift was accentuated by another knee-jerk reaction from Salamand. He persuaded Quervos to support an increased demand for technology from the Loci for the protected passage of metal ores through Korellia. Predictably, Thule vowed to distance himself from this myopic strategy, claiming it was the first step to permanent cleavage between his tribes and the rest of Korellia.

"You are arguing from a point of weakness, as we have not yet developed practical uses for the minerals we have already bartered for, with precious winter sustenance. Our food surplus is thin and to demand a change in the rate of trade with the Loci will prejudice fish imports. Even if they were willing to gift us the technology you have in mind, where does the implementation expertise come from? You are putting the cart before the horse again. I will not be part of this."

Salamand and Quervos were furious at what they considered to be intransigence, and decided to press on with their demand. Once again they played into the hands of Thule, who wanted to be seen to have been forced to forge a separate path from the backwoods mentality of the other Korellian tribes.

The Loci response was predictable, and Meridia mirrored Thule's delight in having to respond to the veiled threat. It got worse for Salamand and Quervos. The Machora and Tor-Azen were joined by Dominia in their condemnation of this opportunistic blackmail. Meridia had prepared well; there was more than enough mineral stored to bridge the gap until Karim's project came online. She was able to play the statesmanship game with both Kanzaki and Khaled.

"I realise you each have a shortfall to consider, but I can redirect supply to you until this dispute is resolved, and believe me, it will be. We have to make these people realise they cannot behave in such a cavalier fashion with the lives of those with whom they have made commitments."

Kanzaki was not totally convinced but Khaled agreed and said he was pretty sure Thule was against this action.

"I may be able to get him to bring ore through his territory to Dominia, and it is then a very short journey from our western border to the eastern equivalent of the Machora. If necessary we can detail military escort for this stretch." All of a sudden the scent of conflict was in the air again.

Thule and Meridia were sublimely unaware of each other's agenda, but that would change by the course of events which had been set in motion. The different orientation of their strategies had fortuitously one thing in common – to set Korellia on collision course with the building muscle of Loci and Dominian power. This ignorance of the other's agenda would have its own influence on which piece of the jigsaw would fall into place first. Meridia's canal or Thule's enforced defection from Korellia?

*

Karim had delivered the damaged wind turbine to Itzan. It was of former industrial size and standard. The next issue was to be able to interface the generated energy to outlet facilities. Itzan asked his father if he could ask for cooperation from Kanzaki. The request received an enthusiastic response and Itzan travelled to meet with the new Tor-Azen leader, accompanied by Lennart, from whom he was now inseparable. Lennart's confidence had soared in recent times, and his skill with semantic interpretation of other languages validated his contribution to such matters of Machoran ambition. Karim was very close to completion of the canal. The concept depended on both the extraction and receiving ends being kitted with a means to lift the ores up to the ice ledges, and the same requirement to lower them into the barges and distribution points respectively. He decided to construct a type of ski-lift to raise buckets of the ore to the ice ledges. This would have to be mechanical at first but would become one of the early uses for Itzan's 'national grid'. The distribution point would be placed at the most westerly point above Machoran territory, making it very difficult for any other nation to hijack the product. These lifts would also transport the manpower to and from the ice ledges according to demand. As the ice gradually receded, the stockpile would be naturally lowered, and therefore Karim's canal had been set quite some distance into the ice wall over its entire course except for this final distribution point, ensuring a timely reminder that things would change. Only Meridia and Karim knew of the intended advance into Korellia. By the time that was necessary, the Korellians would hopefully be involved in civil war, and Machora would be supported by other members in the techno-economic bloc in helping to quell the threatened genocide. It would be perceived as a selfless act. Karim gave the signal to begin constructing the barge and ski-lift components, which he would have to transport to the top of the ice wall.

## Chapter 20

Thule received the ultimatum, but not quite the one he had expected. Salamand had managed to place informants near to the Korellian border with Dominia, and the reports confirmed the extent of the trading between Thule and Khaled. The accusation was not contested; it was defended vigorously as the sensible way to progress along the road of catch-up to the Loci in living standards and technology. Salamand saw it differently, and stated that this was a betrayal of the unification ideal.

"We could not understand how your tribes prospered so much more quickly than our own and you did not share this intent with us before you acted unilaterally."

Thule's rebuttal was based upon the many disagreements he had encountered with Salamand and Quervos, including the naïve pressure they had tried to exert on the Loci over passage of minerals.

"You have realised now that I was right, and yet you protest that we have opted out of your doomed tactics of the past – namely acquisition by threat. Well, look what has happened, the Loci have suspended transportation of ore and we are all worse off. Do you call that beneficial? I was not going to accept your dictate that we have to suffer for your misjudgement, and I did the only thing I could. The Loci did not differentiate between Korellians, as I said would happen, and the only person I could appeal to was Khaled. He was sympathetic and has helped us through the worst of the food shortage, but we will have to repay this at some time. You left me with no other choice."

Salamand began to shout at Thule, and this indirectly led to entrenched positions on the issue. His lingering venom toward Thule exploded into a further accusation of treason.

"I have given you time to offer transparency about all of your dealings with Khaled, but you have failed to mention the plot of bringing metal ore through your territory to Dominia. Is this a separate agreement from the one we had with the Loci?"

A considerable silence ensued before Salamand angrily demanded an answer. The implications reverberated in Thule's mind and he decided to provoke his contemporary even further for his lack of respect.

"No, this is a request from Khaled which is part of my on-going trade with him and a means of reducing the deficit we have, so that we can avail of more food, especially fish from the Machora. Just exactly how you have the effrontery to label this treason is beyond me. You seem to blame everyone else for your mistakes and I am afraid you have become delusional in the process. I think you would be well advised to calm down, and think about the decision process which got us into this position, and who recommended it."

The ultimatum was articulated as this line of reasoning was brushed aside, and as a personal threat to Thule.

"You will be judged by the majority of Korellians. I hereby charge you with the offence of privately selling that which is under common ownership of Korellia. The agreement to allow transport of foreign goods through common land, as defined in the charter, does not permit such unilateral departure. I will be supported by Quervos in this assertion, and you will face arrest in the coming days."

Thule disputed the validity of the claim on the basis that the charter did not depend on a united Korellia, which had not occurred anyway, and only detailed the sub-clause of ore transport through Korellia.

"Although the charter ratifies which land is Loci and Dominian owned, it only implies by subtraction that the remainder is conceded to Korellia. Until there actually is a united Korellia, our former lands, wherever we have retained them, still signify the sovereignty of West, North and East Korellia. The charter did not specify which route had to be used. Your bullying tactics were branded as ill-advised by me, and yet you allowed your hot-headed tendency to prevail over the common good. You then have the nerve to accuse me of betraying your ludicrous policy, which will lead our nations into poverty. Of that, I stand guilty as charged. It is you who should be punished for this error of judgement."

The dam burst and Salamand abandoned the political approach, his departing threat was that Thule should be ready to defend what he thought was his land.

"Quervos and Salamand will bring justice to Korellia. We will be redistributing territory following the justifiable assimilation of this proposed transport route of ore to Dominia. If you persist by opening another route you will face military conquest of all remaining land to which you have laid claim."

Thule lost no time in informing Khaled who in turn passed the news to the Loci. It was the signal for Meridia to offer military assistance. Khaled felt obliged to echo his nation's solidarity within the techno-economic bloc. Meridia could now legitimately reveal her 'emergency plan' to protect the metal ore transport, by circumventing Korellia altogether. She informed Karim of the situation and suggested he could extend the target completion date. Without this facility in place, she had two legitimate reasons to temporarily acquire western Korellian land. It would commence with seizure of the southwest strip which separated Machora from Dominia and would secure her overland shipment of minerals.

*

Altocotl had good reason for his apparent withdrawal from front line decision-making. He had not been feeling well and Meridia had called in one of Khaled's most reputable physicians. The diagnosis wasn't good. The brain tumour was considered to be inoperable and unstoppable. The physician wanted to leave him adequate medication to dull the advancing pain, but Meridia asked for her husband to be taken to Carthos.

"I do not dispute your findings but there are many aspects to consider. We are about to enter into conflict with Korellia and I want our leader to be safe. Carthos is the safest place for him, and it gives you a chance to confer with your colleagues on Altocotl's condition, even if a second opinion confirms your diagnosis. You will also be able to monitor his condition and the appropriate levels of medication to be given. I am about to give birth to his child and I will travel with you so that the infant will also be safe. Altocotl needs this assurance so that he will avoid unnecessary anxiety while he fights his personal battle with the tumour."

The physician did not dispute her logic. Meridia left her objectives and the military execution of them to Aquades. He had been nervous of her presence at first but gradually recognised that her understanding of military strategy matched her political nous. Before she left he was handed the part the Tor-Azen would play in the initial phase; it had already been negotiated with Kanzaki, who had restored Mitsuno to lead their contingent. Meridia also told Aquades that she would be able to keep an eye on how Khaled marshalled his contribution while she waited for the arrival of the child. She had also overseen the construction of chariots and cannon, having had access to the original designs of Kiozo. Itzan had been supervising this work in secret for some time, and he was to accompany Aquades to the campaign, to provide technical advice and repairs. Lennart would be useful if prisoners were to be interrogated in their own tongue. Meridia's image with the Machu element of the new nation was one of an inspirational figure. Heavily pregnant, she had found a way of protecting their leader and the unborn infant, organised the economic and military response to Korellian threat, and brought both the Tor-Azen and Dominia with her.

*

When rumours of the gathering forces and vastly superior armaments reached Quervos, he declared his North Korellian tribes were to remain neutral in this ill-advised conflict. He maintained he hadn't supported the imposition of the higher tariff by Salamand for the mineral caravan rights. He had advised discussion to explore longer term valuation of a number of trading concepts. While he made it public that he believed Thule shouldn't have made a separate deal with Dominia as a matter of principle, it served as an example of what could have been achieved by negotiation. Thule used this duplicity to persuade his people to seek even more formal alignment with Dominia. His rationale was simple. Korellians had never been able to embrace compromise, and in this new evolutionary world, failure to adapt to such trends would all but guarantee extinction. He wanted the entire temperate zone to be aware of the difference between East Korellia and other primitive nomadic tribes.

Salamand was isolated and he realised his Sun had set. He had the choice of standing down or continuing to fight for a fair share of future wealth for his people. His Korellian heritage would simply not allow him to spend the rest of his life deflecting abuse for leading his nation so badly. Those citizens wouldn't remember they had conferred the name of Salamand the Wise upon him not so long ago. He frantically tried to find a way of limiting the carnage coming his way by contemplating a predetermined cease-fire. He hadn't accounted for the utter ruthlessness in the execution of Meridia's plan, or the unbridgeable gulf he had unwittingly gifted to Thule. He still believed everyone had a modicum of honour; it was only a case of finding the appropriate appeal.

## Chapter 21

Meridia gave birth to a son in Altocotl's presence and they concurred on the choice of his name. It would be made public after the conflict was settled. The tactics Salamand faced were confusing. Aquades advanced from the southwest and Mitsuno from the north. They engaged artillery followed by chariots, and then halted. At first he thought this was a chivalrous gesture to allow him to claim the fallen. However, the advance wasn't resumed until offensive units had been sent to widen the flanks, and even then they didn't advance as far as they could have done. The range of the artillery was increased and inflicted more casualties. This repetitive sequence finally caused the retreating Salamand to grasp the implied intent, but not before the rabble which had been his devoutly loyal army began to desert in groups. The enemy had suffered no losses, and such one way attrition was senseless. Salamand had no option but to call a total retreat in order to regroup and round up as many deserters as he could. The following forces of Aquades and Mitsuno were in no hurry to pursue them, the point of which was to allow Salamand to run into his real enemy to the East. Thule's tactics were not so sophisticated. He had also benefitted from Jaden's recall of the same Kiozo designs when he was with Sendzai. He didn't have access to gunpowder, and therefore cannon, but had fabricated many chariots. His front line was instructed to stand firm in defence of their land. Salamand wasn't to know this, and discussed the situation with his Generals. It was unanimous – deserters had nowhere to go. He could have chosen this to be the predetermined cease-fire, but he was convinced that his earlier venomous verbal attack on Thule would have destroyed any hope of leniency. He had been sure his call for a temporary halt to hostilities would have been to the Loci, and followed by a diplomatic settlement. What was left of the tribal fighting force opted for the traditional glorious Korellian sacrifice. They relentlessly charged and impaled themselves on the stationary chariot pikes. The East Korellian forces were dumbstruck and couldn't quite take in the reality that apart from women, children and invalids, the West Korellian nation was gone.

Meridia's instruction was for the western drive to remain at the last artillery discharge point. She wanted to espouse the message that no further aggression from Korellian forces would be tolerated. As Thule had effectively demonstrated exactly that, and inadvertently reflected Meridia's proclamation by his stand against the self-inflicted elimination of Salamand's army, it left only Quervos to state his intent. His belated shelter of neutrality wasn't accepted as sincere. This gave Meridia and Thule the opportunity to occupy the territories gained until Quervos agreed to make these concessions legal and permanent – the price of a salutary lesson. The import of this wasn't lost on Khaled. His forces had been in readiness behind the front line of Thule, but not needed. He saw the expansion of the Loci land as both a threat and an opportunity. When combined with the news of the canal, the technical potential, and the economic diversity, it painted an embryo destined to dominate. His intuition told him that they would ultimately not need what Dominia had to offer; they would gradually develop the expertise to be totally self-sufficient. It accelerated his interest in the overtures of Thule for closer cooperation – much closer. In addition, the pipedream of a single Korellian nation was a corpse awaiting the official funeral.

It was convenient for Thule to respond to Khaled's sudden interest while Meridia and Altocotl were still in Dominia. He was curious to see if she had discovered that Jaden was being 'mentored' by the Dominian leader. It was bad news. Meridia seemed have inbuilt radar when it came to matters of state. She had also noted that Khaled had no heir as yet; his wife was thought to be barren by his medics. He had stubbornly refused to have a surrogate child. This caused Meridia to pay more attention to the paragon of modesty and humility by the name of Thule. She enquired as to the nature of his visit and was given an unconvincing explanation that he was here to officially ratify the overland mineral route to Dominia. Khaled made it sound more plausible.

"Now that the former Korellian strip between our nations is under Machoran control, the route could be extended directly to your territory."

Meridia reminded him that the mineral fields belonged to the Tor-Azen and although they all had a lot to gain from the distribution of these ores, the owners should be present when alterations to the supply were discussed.

"They were made aware of our intention to create the canal, and you should really inform them of this proposal to add to the agreed routing. I could imagine that they would rather the extension delivered the product to their territory than ours, but I may be wrong."

Khaled agreed and said he would therefore confine the discussion to the principles of Dominian and East Korellian supply. He added the barb that if he and Thule could satisfy one another on this, they would be unlikely to need extra tonnage from the canal option. Meridia allowed the use of the word 'tonnage' percolate for a moment. It reinforced the request of Itzan of the increasing need for an industrial scale forge. She was convinced that the future economic war would involve only two nations. North Korellia accreted importance as a consequence of this logic. She decided to leave with her son, who now had a name – Erik. Altocotl needed more homeopathic treatment before he would return, and it was time for Meridia to catch up with Karim.

*

Quervos had to decide which way he would turn to extricate his nation from its predicament. He had avoided similar fate to Salamand, but his reputation had suffered with both his people and the other nations. On balance he felt that resuming relations with Thule would be very difficult, if not impossible. The advancing Loci hadn't attacked or provoked North Korellia when they could have sought justification for doing so. His instinct was that a period of reflection was advisable, even though there was a preferred choice. One thing was certain. They could no longer delude themselves about the need for internal change. If this was not addressed their nominal bargaining value would decline further.

*

Karim had finalised the downward leg of the ski-lift apparatus to take controlled amounts from the ice wall stockpile to the ground. He headed for Machora as Ragna, and Meridia was reminded of what a phenomenal asset he could be, if only he could be trusted. His account of his observation of the development of the new order was incredibly accurate, and assimilated while finessing a project beyond present human capability. He offered his congratulations for the design and implementation of her spider's web and asked, "What now?"

After some time they chose to prioritise their help to Itzan in repairing, modifying, installing and interfacing the wind turbine. Karim acknowledged Itzan's insistence that they had to construct a forge. It also fitted with Meridia's suspicion that East Korellia would ultimately be absorbed by Dominia, and therefore the Loci should counter that by tackling the old chestnut of enticing the Tor-Azen to soften their resistance to pooling power.

"We should build a forge which has capacity for both nations and allow Kanzaki's people to witness the philanthropic nature of our techno-economic bloc."

Karim knew that she wasn't suffering post-natal depression, and sent for Itzan and his shadow.

*

Thule listened carefully to Khaled's reasoning on how he imagined the future to unfold. It was a clever way to highlight the advantages of closer ties between their nations without actually saying so. Most of it he couldn't dispute – the aloofness of the Tor-Azen, the transparency of the original Machu being clouded by the opaqueness of Meridia's Machorans, and their advantage of having the last Traveller to advise them. When Khaled added the unpredictability of Korellians, he hinted at the likelihood of Quervos being spun into Meridia's web. Thule took issue with this and asked Khaled if it was appropriate to offer a history lesson. The response was positive.

"In the immediate aftermath of the cataclysm our ancestors had nothing to contemplate other than how to look after their families. The identity of all nations around the planet was temporarily lost. It was only when the next generation came along and knew nothing other than the world into which they were born, that society began to re-emerge. At that time there were but two old regions in what we now call the temperate zone, and they both decided to translate the original names into ones depicting hope. You must recall how the subsequent branching occurred. The western culture of Illia remained relatively unaffected until Korell divided. The part of Korell which is now Dominia pressed ahead with the desire to restore agricultural society, with its attendant need for laws, and punishment for breaking them. The part which became disaffected with such homogeneous demands in the new world, wanted to retain the nomadic culture enforced by the cataclysm. They moved on and gradually integrated with Illians. The term Korellians is testimony to this. The remaining pure Korell wanted to differentiate themselves from this nomadic way of life, and chose the name Dominia, which my grandfather said was to define the land, or in his words, dominion to which they laid claim. You do know which part of modern Korellia represents the breakaway Korell don't you?"

Khaled did have a sketchy picture in his mind of what Thule had outlined. History lessons had pretty low priority in advancing Dominian culture when he was a boy, so he accepted that the detail of Thule's monologue may be correct. However, the question asked of him did require corroboration from his Elders, because he didn't know the answer in precise terms of how or when, and Thule's assertion could potentially become political dynamite.

"No, I am afraid I do not know, but I am certain you will tell me."

Khaled's eyes widened when the claim was fleshed out. As it unfolded, his mind kept returning to the unmistakable visual evidence to which he had never given a second thought. East Korellians were far closer in appearance to himself than to either North or West Korellians. He told Thule that he wanted to invite some of the Elders into this fascinating recapitulation of their brief post-cataclysmic history.

*

Meridia asked Karim what he considered to be the weakest link in their plan. He didn't see any glaring oversight and assumed she did. She kept returning to the nuisance potential of North Korellia.

"I am untypically indecisive in my assessment and therefore do not have a plan which is compatible with the overall strategy. Eliminating them would invite dissent from Thule, and he is now close to Dominia, who I see as the real problem. Allowing them to become part of that axis is equally worrying if harmony is not maintained. If for some reason they turn to us, I would have grave reservations about being sympathetic, as they would surely become an unwanted distraction."

Karim asked why she was so consumed with Dominia being the major problem, especially as they stood to gain from the trade pact for some time to come. When the reply was forthcoming she admitted it was more of a feeling than as a result of thorough analysis.

Karim asked, "Have you forgotten, or did you miss something when the Travellers indicated the ice would begin to relent? The topography of this region clearly shows the dish in which Carthos lies. The melt water will gradually meander to find its own level. Streams and rivulets will be welcomed at first, but when the acceleration takes hold, most of the water will try to reach the Nile, but Carthos will be surrounded by a lake. This inconvenience may occur to Khaled's scientists, but the power to remedy the advance of flooding will not be within their capability. By contrast, the ability of a Traveller to accelerate the process is certain; it would be merely a question of when. I cannot disagree with your view of the North Korellians, but Thule is different. I would suggest he has similar reservations about leaving them to their own devices. He may even have a solution in mind, as he knows his better choice would be to stand with Dominia, and they will not entertain Quervos' rabble. Do you feel better now?"

The smile was testament to the affirmative, and she wandered off to see Erik, before returning to Dominia to pick up Altocotl.

*

While Karim was guiding Itzan on the assembly of the repaired turbine, Lennart recovered a healthy quantity of cable and interface parts. The question arose as to storage of the generated power. Karim suggested that for now it might be prudent to simply divert excess to a means of melting ice. He described it as giving nature a helping hand.

"As more functions are added to the primary uses of electricity, the demand will rise to consume this surplus. We should be ready then to install a second turbine and then seriously look at storage."

Itzan nodded and said, "That fits with my other project. One hundred years ago, this place was desert. Sand is silicon dioxide and if we opencast mine it we can make glass in our new forge, when it is complete of course. With sheet glass we can increase the productivity of our agricultural programme. It would also make sense to construct stone buildings and glaze the openings to retain the heat from our turbine."

Karim patted his back and encouraged him to prioritise his work better, reminding him that unfinished prototypes aren't any more useful than no prototypes. He also said that he should always mention these ideas to Meridia, as she was utterly convinced that technology would be the arbiter of success in this new world. The young man was now even more motivated, however his own world was about to be shattered.

*

Altocotl's return saw him looking frail and tired. He gathered the Generals together and in the presence of Meridia, Itzan and Lennart, he told them his time was considered to be very short.

"There is nothing more to be done other than for my last wishes to be respected. My succession has always worried Itzan, as his talent lies elsewhere. He has made it clear to me that he wishes to serve his nation by technical innovation. You must all, as I have, allow him this freedom of choice. My other heir, Erik is not going to get to know his father, and that I will certainly miss. His time will come. I therefore wish Meridia to continue as your leader until then. I am sure you will agree that together we have carved the blueprint for a better future and you know her well enough to be confident this will continue under her guidance. If anyone has concerns or questions please raise them now."

The silence was interrupted only by restrained whimpering from Itzan. His father beckoned him to come and sit at his side. He comforted the boy by telling him that it was goodbye but not farewell.

"I will be with you in all that you do my son, and I will share in your pride. You have already shown me that our future is inextricably entwined with your dreams of technology for the people."

The attendees began to file out of the tent until only Aquades remained. He knelt as he pledged to protect Itzan, Erik and Meridia in every way possible. He also made Altocotl's burden a little lighter when he sincerely endorsed Meridia's role.

## Chapter 22

While Quervos was procrastinating over every consequence of turning to the East or West, he was informed of the advance of Thule's chariots from the East. Thinking that it heralded important discussions he quickly raised an escort and headed off to meet the incursion. His rehearsed indignation at such an unprovoked display of force would count for nothing. He soon discovered it was a decision he had to make rather than a discussion in which he expected to participate. Thule explained that both he and Khaled were wary of the Loci expansion and in order to preserve balance, thus peace, the Korellian integration would finally happen.

"You are either with us and you stand down immediately or we will take control of the region by force. I apologise for the abruptness of this action but we could not allow similar terms being dictated to you from the Loci."

Quervos had deliberately chosen a small escort because he knew that his army was ludicrously deficient in comparison to that of Thule, with or without Dominian support. He therefore confidently challenged the effrontery of issuing such an ultimatum on his sovereign territory. This was his long-awaited moment of oratory as leader of his people. His torso was peppered with more than twelve crossbow arrows of Dominian origin, and he lurched then slumped to the ground. Thule indicated to the escort that Quervos had misunderstood the message.

"I shall repeat this one last time. If you do not have the ability to comprehend what I said, look at it this way. The urgency is solely to act ahead of the Loci. You would not have exactly the same choice with Meridia. She may offer the same terms but they would in reality mean the cleansing of North Korellian people from the face of the Earth. We cannot countenance that and must intervene. You will have the chance to integrate with our nation or defend what you believe in – decide now."

Thule marched on to personally guarantee the safety of any citizen who joined the cause. Faced with that or certain death it became a bloodless coup.

Thule's first action was to begin to position chariots at the borders with the Loci. His second was a swift return to inform Khaled of his action and the reasoning behind it. At first the Dominian leader was angry at the news, and began to think this former General was wedded to the display of military power as a deterrent. Thule asked for patience while he explained.

"It does not matter much who took the territory as such; it is the people who represent the latent problem. I suspect that Meridia may be pleased that we acted first, and that our reaction would have been exactly the one you have just displayed to me, if she had taken North Korellia. When calm heads were given their say, regardless of where they were from, it would have been one of relief that the rogue piece has been removed from the chessboard. Of course she will make the most of her indignation, from claims that it threatens the stability of the region, to overtures for restructuring trade agreements. You may be asked about any intentions you may have in future relations with my nation, by her, and by me. When all of this is played out, what remains is that the way is clear for a race to economic supremacy. Anyone who believes Meridia will be happy with shared dominance is naïve to say the least. I am trying to help in creating a fair competition for the accolade of last nation standing. All of the temperate zone was our land after the comet struck; it belonged to the Illia and the Korell. While I can understand and accept the Loci had no choice but to precede the ice, and arrive in this domain, they are immigrants. The obligation is on them to respect our culture, not try to impose theirs upon us. If Grenthe was still alive maybe that would be possible. The same would apply to the failing Altocotl, but not Meridia, or that Traveller. Now we have the chance to show them that there are only three nations competing for the spoils, and that may soon become one. It is implied and not spoken. It is also a question of how this eventuality is realised. A military engagement by them would not be supported by the Tor-Azen. I know Sendzai is retired, but this would not be their way, and I have a strong personal relationship with him. Meridia will be aware of this and be cautious about alienating her neighbour. We should seek ways of endorsing the independence of the Tor-Azen, by increased trade for technology and an upfront commitment to lasting peace with them."

Khaled digested this analysis and admitted that Thule had made some points which resonated with Dominian objectives. He was curious about the upfront cost he had in mind, as he was sure it would land at the door of Dominia. He was wrong.

"In the interests of further cooperation with the Tor-Azen I am going to gift them a substantial part of what we took from North Korellia. I hope you have not forgotten how nervous Sendzai is about Korellian neighbours. I believe Kanzaki shares this concern. We will be neighbours they can trust. It would also be helpful if I gave them the history lesson and you were able to welcome back the descendants of the old Korell to your nation. The Tor-Azen are fastidious in their respect of tradition; this will be a very powerful argument in building our relationship with them. It has the merit of making Meridia suspicious of any increase in independent dealings with us. Did you discuss the history with the Elders?"

Khaled indicated that Thule's account was indeed accurate. He had sensed this moment had been threatening to arrive for some time and confessed that there was enthusiasm amongst the Elders for the return of the prodigal nation. Thule was quick to stress the cornerstone of such a reunion was Khaled's leadership.

"This seat of Carthos is the ancestral home of all Korell and you must guide us through any stormy waters we may encounter."

He knelt and kissed Khaled's hand, his eyes remained steely despite the trickle of fluid they could not contain.

*

Altocotl was at peace and Meridia knew the people would demand a traditional funeral. It concerned her that the leaders of all nations would be expected to attend. She didn't want to reveal the wind turbine at present and authorised it to be decorated by the citizens. It was unpopular with Itzan, even though he was distraught at the loss of his father. He had only recently got to know him as a friend rather than a leader, and he was proud of the esteem in which he was held by everyone, so he didn't allow his worry about the turbine to surface. Lennart comforted his friend, relating his own sadness at the passing of Grenthe and devastation over the loss of Grun. There was a role reversal as Itzan took a closer interest in Lennart's efforts to produce a dictionary. It was no ordinary explique of words in one language. He had made journals of the various verbal translations he had performed. It seemed logical to him that a cross-reference of all the words he knew in every dialect in the temperate zone would be useful for those occasions when he couldn't be in two places at once. Itzan was so impressed that he suggested a further 'refinement'.

"Would you be able to use this to create a short language which is derived from all of the others? I seem to remember there used to be something like that in the twentieth century – it was called Esperanto. It never really succeeded, maybe because English had become the business language of the world. You could make yours a business language to help all nations cooperate."

Lennart thought this was a fantastic challenge and hugged his friend. Meantime Meridia arranged for a barge to be built by the people, ready to be launched into the western ocean. It was quite a trek on foot, and this might dissuade other leaders to attend, but if not, it was well away from the forge and the turbine. She had arranged for Karim to ignite the pyre with 'lightning from the heavens', but only told the citizens their pilgrimage to the ocean would be rewarded spectacularly.

Lennart's revelation of his dictionary to Meridia spawned another strand in her relentless attention to detail. She offered his services to other nations in producing written copies of trade treaties in any chosen language. As the boy was considered by those who didn't really know him, as retarded, he was by the same judgement assumed to be apolitical. She began by deciding to offer this service to the Tor-Azen for their mineral trade. It would be casually mentioned after Altocotl's ceremony.

The traditional lighting of the pyre before launch or with flaming arrows after launch, paled by comparison with Karim's firework display. At least that is how the people felt – spellbound. Others had seen similar examples before, usually to cremate the living rather than the dead. It was a reminder that the playing field was not yet even. Kanzaki welcomed the chance to have Lennart write the trade agreements in his own tongue.

Khaled nudged Thule and said, "The young man would be a perfect choice to draft our intentions in both dialects, so that there is no semantic misinterpretation." Thule shuddered but deferred to his future leader.

Lennart was also the centre of attention with his dramatic vocal translation of the old Machu words uttered by Aquades as the fire consumed Altocotl's final form. These words were spoken with true feeling in all languages. It impacted everyone, particularly Khaled. The ceremony was one of speaking to the Incan Gods, not offering thanks – simply telling them the story of Altocotl's life. When it was over Khaled made a point of asking Lennart about what he had said in his Auroran and Tor-Azen tributes. A striking similarity existed in the concept of multiple deities. At the subsequent feast Khaled spoke to Aquades, Meridia and Sendzai about this curious common practice. The stories he heard struck a chord of concern in his mind. The Loci had all faced similar emotional and practical challenges in the great aftermath. They had however issued a challenge of their own – to the monotheism which had previously enveloped most of the planet. Their feeling of abandonment, even within their different religions, was contagious. Each in their own way and timescale had sought more practical interaction with powers of inexplicable dimension. It steadily became a throwback to ancient beliefs, without the nonsense of sacrificial offerings to please anyone. The Tor-Azen had roots in both Shinto and Buddhist doctrines and gradually shaped their enforced nomadic life around Amatsu Mikaboshi, the God of Evil, and Izanagi the God of Creation. Evil had to be purged regularly and the force of creation continually respected. It was simple and appropriate to the focus of a struggle to survive. The Auroran adoption of old Norse Gods was only slightly different. The Chief God Odin relied heavily on his two ravens Huginn and Munin – Gods of Thought and Memory. Respect for those who had made personal sacrifice for the new nomadic nation and introspection on how the beneficiaries could pass on the hard-learned lessons. The Incan influence was yet another variant on the theme. Apocatequil was feared as the God of Lightning, more commonly considered as natural disasters. Ataguchu was revered as the God of Creation. It suddenly occurred to Khaled that this logical pattern was crafted by the relentless difficulties strewn in their path of survival. These deities were no more than icons to keep minds on the never-ending tasks ahead. They were the glue of their ancestral societies, and now the character of the present day nations. This was a very different century of evolution to the one experienced by the indigenous population of the temperate zone. He visualised an unbridgeable gulf in the dependence on faith, between Loci and the merging Islamic culture of Dominia and Korellia. He did not detect such concern in Thule, and this increased his determination to discuss it with him. His instinct led him to delay the activity of scratching to relieve an itch, and inadvertently causing a wound. It would wait. He encouraged Thule to make haste with his intended gesture of more land for the Tor-Azen and then they could begin to implement official Dominian citizenship for all Korellians. Exercising much more decisiveness than that to which Thule was accustomed Khaled insisted that this process would be expedited in stages.

"East Korellians will be first, setting the example to their kin from the north. It must be done in digestible steps. It will be documented as we agreed in both languages, by Lennart. This of course is not necessary for your gift to Kanzaki, through your friend Sendzai. You must do that however you think best."

*

Thule had been preparing to confront Khaled with an eminently sensible proposal of a different kind, but decided Khaled may be more receptive when his two demands had been met. He asked for an audience with Sendzai upon his return; it was not appropriate to tarnish Altocotl's funeral with politics.

Itzan and Karim pressed on with their grail of creating usable electricity. The young man had managed to turn his grief to a dedication of the first lights to his father's memory. Karim had helped short-circuit much tedious development work by scavenging compatible components from locations still under the ice. A good example was the extraction and refinement of tungsten for filaments. Itzan was hungry to investigate newer technologies such as LED, but Karim urged patience.

"The people will be a little nervous about change, even if it is for the better. The sooner we can convince them of how it can make their lives more enjoyable, the sooner you will have the demand which will attract trade benefits. At this point your position will be strong enough to convince others to invest their assets in your research. It is all about momentum."

The first lights weren't just an abstract testament to his father's selfless care for the nation, but a touchable communal ring of illumination to help dispel the nocturnal compression of social interaction. Citizens congregated every evening to talk about the hardships of the day and all manner of trivia. Itzan realised at this moment he had created the first step to usable leisure time. He smiled at Karim when he was deluged with questions as to when this could become a domestic commodity.

*

Sendzai took Thule to see Kanzaki once he had satisfied himself that this was in part a repayment for the trust which had developed between them. Thule had helped Sendzai in his hour of need by delivering Kyklos to his fate. It had in certain respects put both nations on a better path toward their long-held aspirations. Thule was convincing in his desire to increase tolerance among nations, and this was the first time he had been in a position to back up the words with meaningful tribute. Kanzaki did query what would be expected in return and the question was returned with interest.

"That is up to you. My fervent hope is that we simply build on such a moment in whichever way is agreeable to both nations."

He explained the detailed history of his people once having been from the same nation as Khaled's, and deliberately let slip the intention of a reformation of the Korell nation, under the banner of Dominia. His misty-eyed tale was one of uplifting emotion, and registered with the Loci defection from monotheism. It was different in its outcome, but seeded by the same destructive forces of nature. Both Kanzaki and Sendzai warmed to the honour bestowed on them as having been a small part of this process. Thule handed them the deed he had drawn up to legitimise the transaction.

## Chapter 23

The tug-of-war for the hand in marriage with the Tor-Azen was in full swing, despite the potential bride's reluctance. They were quite happy to be the beneficiary of the overtures without committing to any agreements from which they could not extricate themselves. The months of courtship had however produced the slightest evidence of a schism. Kanzaki was virtually wedded to the theory that the scramble for technological supremacy would determine the future of all protagonists. Sendzai, although in retirement still had the ear of the Sages, and continued to extol the importance of a cohesive society. This difference in ideology ebbed and flowed as certain milestones were recorded. The vastly more efficient transport and purification of metal ores in their forges, coupled with many mechanical tasks being powered by electrical energy, allowed the Machoran advance to a semi-industrialised nation. The same metallurgical enablement, albeit on a smaller scale, and social support, led Dominian medical expertise to the first real signs of extending life expectancy.

*

While all of this bubbled along, another event which had been authorised long ago was nearing implementation. Unknown to any of the four survey Travellers who were still heading back to base, the obligatory follow-up mission had set off approximately six years after the original one. It was the way Central Command operated. The first mission had objectives related to their horticultural appreciation, and the operatives for such missions were never told of the audit procedures. All energy requirements had to be accounted for, especially ones of strictly aesthetic value. The audit teams also had an indirect purpose of grading project teams and individuals for future promotion. The briefs were totally different. The project groups had instructions to achieve designated targets. The audits had instructions to judge the probability of those targets potentially being met. The interpretation of 'potentially' was of extreme importance. The project teams would never know whether their work had been successful, as it was considered unhelpful to overall progress. This particular project was different insofar as the first Travellers had split. Those who had remained on Earth wouldn't be discovered until the audit group arrived. The fact that only one had prevailed would also cause consternation. The audit team had a prior stop to make for assessment of an important construction project, so the visit to Earth had a place in a schedule rather than an exact time of arrival. It was expected within two years.

*

Itzan now had spare time to show Meridia his sheets of glass, and some experiments to demonstrate their benefit in the agricultural programmes. She had no hesitation in endorsing his work, and asked him to mechanise more farming tasks to free personnel to man the glass factory. She wanted to get this underway before constructing the first stone dwellings. When Karim checked in with her he reported that the ski-lift which was downloading ore from the western end of the canal would have to be moved.

"The slightly higher ambient temperature of Machora is working with the natural ice recession, and the lift is not secure. I suggest you re-deploy workers and soldiers to do this. My time is better spent on unearthing useful old relics. It is the one ability that Dominia and the Tor-Azen can't replicate."

Meridia couldn't be sure if this was the genuine reason for his strident advice, but it did make sense. She didn't want to re-direct workers who were already struggling with their primary output, so she summoned Aquades. It was further evidence of her technical revolution outstripping the supply of workforce, and it would get worse. She set up incentives for families to have more children, to assist in the long term. The immediate gap could only be plugged by a few methods - more efficient processes, attracting immigrants with better lifestyle prospects, or conquest. She would have happily been ruthless enough to tackle all three, but conquest at this stage would be counter-productive. She recalled a conversation with Karim concerning natural disasters. She needed to revive the detail of what he claimed to be possible.

*

Thule had chosen his moment carefully. The Dominian progress had been spectacular in its own way, and with Khaled's hand at the controls.

"I know you have been suffocated in the past by concern from the Elders about your succession. I have also been lobbied to talk to you on this matter. In hearing about their discomfort with the prospect of you dying without an heir, I totally understand your reluctance to impregnate a surrogate mother. On the other hand, I can also appreciate the harm which could be inflicted on our society if there was a scramble for the leadership. There is perhaps one serendipitous alternative."

Khaled was all ears until the name of Jaden was mentioned. His contorted expression was ignored by Thule.

"His father had been the legitimate leader of East Korellia, and, had the usurper not intervened, Jaden would be standing here now, speaking for himself. His father was also highly respected amongst Korellians, and even by your own regime, judging by the contracts he earned from you. The young man has impressed everyone he has spent time with, including yourself. It almost seems as if this was his intended destiny with our Korell nation now reunited. Please remember that he, you, and I are Korell. I am sure it would be seen as facet of our unity if you legally adopted him to give him the father he never had. Your decision on whether or not to nominate him as your heir could be held in abeyance, and this would also enable you to gauge reaction to rumours of that nature."

*

Aquades was reluctant to detail highly-trained fighting men to an engineering project, and it was his first confrontational discussion with Meridia. As always, she was persuasive but he made certain that she fully understood the increasing vigilance required at the altered borders. The direct border with Dominia was good for trade, yet vulnerable to defend if that became necessary. The high ground at the edge of the Dominian basin gave a tactical advantage to any incursion from the east. Aquades gave way on the understanding that the relocation of the ski-lift would be a one-off occurrence. Meridia agreed but privately made a mental note that the porosity of the southeast border with Dominia could be interesting if immigration became attractive.

*

Kanzaki put the point to the gathered Sages. "Our military advantage over Dominia remains, but that is no longer the case with Machora. They have used our weapons since the battles against T'slane, and since then produced many more, with enhancements. Their harnessing of electricity has been the major factor in their rise to military and economic strength. Of course the sharing of their massive forges has helped our own development, but it is subject to their trade surplus being leveraged for more and more minerals. Unless we dedicate our energies to close the technical chasm which is widening each day, we will soon become but a servant to their cause. I want to begin to redress this trend by reminding both Meridia and Khaled that the supply of minerals is not endless, and that we are considering a quota system."

Sendzai asked how he thought this would be interpreted by Meridia. Kanzaki's response was that she wouldn't like it, but that she would be likely to try to gain advantage over Khaled by ensuring that he suffered more.

"I am however more concerned with our situation in relation to Machora. Meridia represents both the most immediate danger to us, and the best source of technical assistance. By introducing a quota system she has a choice – credit the mineral supply with increased value or accept lower levels of supply. The same applies to Khaled, but Meridia has much more to offer us to keep the supply levels as they are, and she would be happy to see Khaled's quota diminish. We can modernise our industry in the same way she has, if we trade minerals for electricity stations. Then we really have to put much more effort into research. In the field of dreams, standing still is falling behind."

Sendzai wasn't totally convinced but could see that this argument had swung the Sages' thinking sufficiently to endorse it. He added his recommendation to the proposal.

*

Karim wasn't happy. When he was asked about his previous confidence that he could cause flooding around Carthos he seemed quite diffident.

"Meridia, I have recently finished the canal and outlined what needs to be done to the ski-lift, and I have actually felt like a Serf. I want more involvement in diplomatic and technical design rather than long implementation spells which require many round trips to Mercury. I will do what I said was possible, but not yet."

Following her disagreement with Aquades, she held back the usual rapier-like counter-argument. She couldn't afford to lose Karim despite the industrial edge they currently enjoyed over the other nations. She agreed with him just as a breathless Itzan preceded her young brother into the tent.

"While some of the operatives were mining a new patch for silicon dioxide, they began to complain and move their equipment to another location. It was Lennart who noticed the thick, black, sticky stuff on their arms. Come on, you must know it can only be bituminous crust from oil deposits."

This news could not have been better timed. Itzan was already mentally down the road of replacing electrically driven machinery with internal combustion engines. Karim was more excited by the rewards which could be sequestered by secondary refinement of oil. Plastic materials were the foremost example, as it was an area in which he had prior experience. The Travellers had over aeons extracted carbon compounds from comets, which had then been modified with unique inorganic reactants to make plastics which humans had not been able to produce. Meridia had hit lucky again, Karim's petulance had been therapeutically doused, and Itzan was chomping at the bit. She promised them both that she would personally get the glazed stone dwellings started and let them play with their chemistry sets. She wanted Lennart to transcribe her ideas on building and sewer constructs into to papyrus documents, and reminded the other two that it was about time they thought about paper-making.

"If we are going to have heated, draught-free, sanitary comforts, we also need to take the rough edges off this wretched papyrus."

*

Khaled did expose the adoption of Jaden to the Elders, and Thule was correct in his prediction that they would see this as preferable to having no candidate who could be considered for succession. He sent for Thule to say he was going to bring the young man into his home. Having thought that declaration would be accepted with some kind euphoria, he was surprised to hear a collateral request.

"Great leader, with this news I feel that my days of diplomacy are at an end. I would humbly suggest that you allow me to serve our new nation in a military capacity. We are the weakest of all three protagonists and that must change."

Khaled was stunned and his thoughts meandered to the scenario of Jaden as heir and Thule heading up the army. It drew a picture of an arranged accident. He acknowledged the suggestion but said he wanted to sleep on the implications of losing Thule in his capacity of political advisor. Thule didn't show disappointment; he seemed quite confident that this was merely Khaled's indecisiveness, having conceded to a much more important step already.

*

Kanzaki's visit to Meridia confirmed to him that his nation had much ground to make up. It was the first time he had been able to inspect the various technical achievements he had heard about. It was the collective progress which impressed him most. The individual projects were remarkable but the way Itzan and Karim, who was still parading as Ragna, had interlinked the benefits in such a short time was nothing less than awesome. The vision of the new oil ponds applied the final push to his determination to jolt the Tor-Azen out of their comfort zone. Meridia didn't respond immediately to Kanzaki's nervous explanation of why the price of minerals was effectively going to rise when the quotas were announced. She thought that in his place she would have done the same, but only if the rights over mining the ores were secure. When she eventually spoke it was to challenge this point of legality, having previously endorsed it to Korellia – now it was time for the truth.

"The opencast operation is in lands which you travelled through on your way to the temperate zone, but found they were not desirable enough to put down your roots. I am certain you will agree that in this world we now inhabit, possession is nine tenths of the law. You have never occupied the mineral territory and neither has anyone else. Perhaps we should sit with Khaled and discuss how we are going to solve this irregularity. I can see that you want a better trade agreement so that you can deliver progress to your nation, and I want to help you. The things you have witnessed today are not out of your reach, but they will be, if you try to extract what you want from us by threats to slow our momentum. I suggest you reconsider your approach, and reveal exactly what it is you want from us, and then maybe we can jointly explore the most beneficial means of assisting you."

*

Kanzaki had overplayed his hand and knew what he could expect from the Sages if he returned without concessions, and Meridia's veiled intention to take the ores for free. He decided to follow Meridia's hint to be specific about the items the Tor-Azen coveted.

"The most useful commodity for our nation would be access to electricity. The second relates to my original concern about the mineral supply. It will not last forever, and at present we take distribution from you and Dominia via their overland route. However, the total import from these sources is not sufficient to support the kind of progress you have generated. We would like to use barges, and our own ski-lift to deliver bulk lots directly to our domain. There are other things which I have seen today which reinforce my request, but I believe they can come from our own efforts, if we avail of the basics I am asking for."

Meridia was ahead of him and in a conciliatory manner referred him to the political landscape, which had changed dramatically in recent times. She stressed the need for the entire population of the temperate zone to survive, but said they must also face reality.

"If everyone was made equal by declaration today, it would only take until tomorrow for some of us to work on dreams which cause the pendulum to register a slight swing back to inequality. It is an integral part of human nature, and maybe the single most important reason why the species survived 2045, when so many others did not. You have your traditions, which I respect, but it is your responsibility to determine whether they hold back your progress. I am willing to help you with the items you mentioned, but if I do, then I must have commitment from you of a much more binding nature than the Tor-Azen have so far been prepared to consider. With respect to the ores, you are correct about the quarries becoming exhausted and we are already looking at other locations which also 'belong' to nobody. I suggest you tell Khaled that the time has come for all of us to access the supply freely, to enable more technology. He will gratefully accept, but later realise that he cannot progress at the same rate as your nation and mine. He will then approach us with the same argument you did – which we will both tell him is not an option. Please take time to reflect on what I have said."

Kanzaki capitulated to this logic and not wanting to return with empty hands, confirmed that he would be willing to prosecute the need for a break from the traditional psyche which was indeed impacting the potential of his nation. Meridia had revived the courtship with the Tor-Azen, and was philosophical about the mechanics involved. She marvelled at the proof that the infinite variation in human complexity had self-engineered this accord, when her meticulous but oblique overtures had consistently failed.

## Chapter 24

Khaled had been hit from both sides. He had not yet come to terms with Thule's suspicious motives, when he received Kanzaki's pronouncement. The Elders didn't really grasp the significance of Dominia's potential economic isolation. Listening in on the fringes of these conversations, Jaden's interest promulgated a private audience with his newly acquired 'father'. The session was very therapeutic for Khaled, as the immense thirst of the young man was fuelled by his ability to see beyond the obvious, and perhaps more importantly, the absolute lack of any hint of an agenda. Khaled decided to keep Jaden at his side in all future discussion with the Elders and Thule. It would be a better way to approach the thorny problem of his nomination as heir-apparent. He decided to reject Thule's call to be reunited with the military for now. This simple decisive session, coupled with Jaden's receptiveness had somehow made him feel more in control. It had halted this feeling of increasing isolation.

*

Journeys along the canal were often set in a context of snow-laden sky, vertical white walls, and darting cameos of sunshine. The dust generated at both ends was an unwelcome intrusion into an otherwise secluded mini-world. Some of the barge operators had reported rising water levels in the canal. This was good news and bad news. The slow march of melting ice would mean that in the short to medium term, the canal could take heavier barges and thus lead to further efficiency in ore transport. It also heralded an erosive era whereby falling ice and flooding would bring new dangers. Karim, upon hearing the reports, subordinated his prior petulance and admitted to Meridia that they should consider inducing the proposed 'natural' disaster which would envelop Carthos, well in advance of acceleration of the predicted general erosion era. Meridia was delighted to hear his volte-face and wanted to hear the details. Karim's wicked smile returned.

"As I said previously, most of Dominia is part of a natural basin, and Carthos is at a low point in this depression. If I produce a fracture line at a predetermined distance to the south, and encourage the detached part to splinter further, it will produce an ice avalanche, which falls toward the city. I will calculate the volume of ice, which is less dense than its liquid alternative, necessary to inundate the surrounding agricultural land of Khaled. It can be tailored to the rising sides of the depression to give different depths of water from the subsequent melting of the fallen ice, a process in which I can also assist."

Meridia was intrigued by the fact that such falling ice was going to affect all nations sooner or later, and would therefore not arouse suspicion of foul play. She would be able to exercise concern for the people of Dominia and offer them refuge via meaningful employment. This would be marketed as an opportunity to stand together against the perils of over-reliance on Allah, or blaming the appropriate god, and instead taking direct remedial action.

"When can you begin?"

Karim said he would make sure that the work of Aquades' men on the repositioned ski-lift was up to specification, and finalise the prototype oil-refining plant with Itzan, before engaging in the preliminary ice sculpturing.

*

Lennart's dictionary of business-related terms was ready to be proof-read by representatives from each nation. It was yet another layer of Meridia's image management to offset the perception of her tunnel vision to rule the world. She despatched her brother, in the care of Aquades, to ask for comment from the Tor-Azen and Dominia. If there was general acceptance of its usefulness, she had authorised Aquades to offer multiple copies to Kanzaki and Khaled. Lennart was, despite his impressive lingual achievements, considered by some of Khaled's physicians to be afflicted with personality disorders, including autism. The genuine caring attitude of Khaled was invoked by these repetitive claims, and he wanted to encourage the young man in his prodigious efforts to fit in to the world of others. He granted Aquades an initial audience and enquired as to whether Lennart would be more comfortable if someone of his own age was present – nominating Jaden. Aquades explained the relationship which had developed between Lennart and Itzan, and assured Khaled that his suggestion would indeed diminish the young man's nervousness. It was agreed and depending on the outcome both of the boys could present the content to the Elders. He did not want Thule involved until later.

*

In this frontier world accidents were frequent, but most were caused by visible, well documented hazards. The small boy who was electrocuted by a compromise in Itzan's power distribution system had not been made aware of the invisible danger. It had the effect of galvanising significant numbers of the Machoran population to question the safety implications of increasing dependence on domestic electricity for heating, and other appliances which were currently under design. The ripples spread to the Tor-Azen who were already more cautious in character, and suddenly inertia was in the air. Thule seized on this and requested Khaled's permission to visit Sendzai, in an attempt to promote the case for a return to more compatible ties with Dominia. Khaled wasn't hopeful but sanctioned the trip. Thule's primary agenda was to get first-hand information on the extent of Kanzaki's future commitment to Machora, and more pertinently, the degree to which Meridia's tentacles could still be untangled. Sendzai indicated that although they weren't happy at the way Kanzaki had committed certain promises to Meridia, there was general acceptance that they could not ignore her logic, or the power she could wield by applying it.

"It is really up to you to offer alternatives which are of interest to us, but grate less with our social aspirations. I do not really need to emphasise the obvious – that you are trailing further in her technical wake than we are. This unfortunate accident with the Machoran boy is regrettable but it will not derail her campaign, and we will learn from the risks of electricity rather than abandon its advantages."

Meridia acted swiftly. She visited the parents and made sure it was not a truncated public relations exercise. She stayed the whole day and asked how they wished to mark the passing of their son. They responded positively and wanted to make sure his death wasn't without influence on other children. Meridia assured them that Itzan had suspended the power supply and his workload, to address the safety issue comprehensively. He had been sent by Meridia to talk to the people in groups to explain the immediate action to be undertaken, and the solution in hand with Karim's plastic insulator concept. The fact that the supply would not be switched on again until the populous was happy, was deviously clever. The demand increased by the day, and yet Meridia refused until Itzan had checked out the entire network and refitted all deficient insulation points. The boy's funeral was declared as a rest day so that all adults and their children were reminded of the fact that electricity did not offer a second chance, if there was unintended contact. This personal way of dealing with a tragedy was only possible in small communities, and Meridia was more acutely aware of this than anyone else.

*

Karim calculated the approximate energy requirements and it equated to roughly seventeen trips to Mercury. When the first lightning bolts were noticed from Southern Dominia they were treated as the logical consequence of more warm air mixing with tranches of the cold variety – the normal recipe for electromagnetic storms. As the frequency increased and the people heard the sound of huge blocks of ice being split asunder in the distance, it was still thought to be part of nature's reversal of the ice age. It was only when the avalanches began that they visited the ice wall, and the magnitude of the problem struck home. The reports reached Khaled immediately and prompted a high level investigation team to deliver prognoses. Khaled travelled with Thule, three Elders, and Jaden. The panic which had been generated by the first observers was being dissipated by those Elders who specialised in science. Unfortunately they were no more than token physicists and could barely muster enough knowledge between them to convey any precision upon which to base recommendations. Thule and Khaled were debating whether to send them back to Carthos when Jaden intruded.

"One of the books I was given by my jailor dealt with calculations involved with global warming at the end of the twentieth century, and how they were altered to reflect new observations ten years later. A period of ten years is nothing in such climatic shifts, so the conclusion was that there were other factors involved. I still have this book and I would like to retrieve it before coming back with equipment to measure temperatures of ice cores, taken at different places. From some of the illustrations in the book, I do remember that ice blocks from which these combined avalanches occurred represent a serious problem. It is a very rough comparison I make but there is potentially a dangerous amount of water here, only held in check by temperature. We should be determining the worst case scenario instead of empirically dismissing the threat."

This was all the persuasion Khaled and Thule needed. The whole party returned to collect the equipment which met with approval from Jaden, however, the rather sophisticated operation of ice core-sampling was beyond their current ability. They reluctantly asked for help from the Tor-Azen, and when they drew a blank they went cap-in-hand to Meridia. Not only did she respond positively – she offered a magnanimous gesture in the form of 'Ragna', alias Karim.

"He is the one true source of cosmological expertise that we have. His knowledge of such things is manifold, and perhaps you would permit Itzan to join him as we are also noticing cracks near to our canal. The problem may be more widespread than we think. Any recommendations from your avalanches could help protect our mineral supply."

The offer was greatly appreciated and threw together Karim, Itzan, and Jaden. The admission of problems in Machora served to increase the concerns of Khaled for Dominia, but Thule was totally focussed on difficulties with the canal. Khaled travelled with the new technical trio to the avalanche site. Thule decided to make a covert inspection of the eastern end of the canal.

*

Lennart's dictionary had received many plaudits and spurred him on to begin his project on a 'universal' language. It was such a complex project that he wanted to choose a niche subject to narrow the initial scope. He also wanted to begin with something which all nations had in common, and which would have some pre-existing documentation. Without consulting anyone, he chose religious beliefs. He had never been so motivated; for the first time in his short life he knew that no one else was capable of completing this task. With everything else that was going on, and Meridia having sent his friend Itzan to Dominia, he had been a little out of sorts. Itzan had protested that he was too busy with really important work to lose time simply 'taking the temperature of some fallen ice', but Karim promised to help him catch up when they returned. That was good for Itzan but had left Lennart unable to contribute much. Now that he had taken his first independent decision, he was happy.

## Chapter 25

When Thule arrived at his inspection point he didn't see evidence of avalanches. The cracks appeared stable except for general indications of slow melting. The vertical walls contained sporadic specks of darker matter, and on moving closer he realised they were corpses of many species, including humans. They were concentrated toward the bottom of the chasm, and seemed to be both above and below the waterline. Those above the water level had already begun to succumb to interaction with oxygen, and some putrefaction was evident. He was puzzled. The temperate zone did have surviving species of burrowing mammals and insects, but the rate at which bacteria had found these pristine corpses was difficult to comprehend. The only other biological entities which had come anywhere near them were Machoran barge operators. Then his mind flashed on to how the canal would have been carved out of the ice, in only a period of months, and more pertinently by whom. It had to have been Karim, who he still thought was Ragna. The plague entered his cerebral traffic from a slip-road and he wondered if this could be the beginning of a different kind of pandemic. He wanted to confront Meridia immediately but hesitated, and started to head back to inform Khaled. On further consideration he decided it would be more interesting to pass the concern on to Sendzai. If there was anything to squabble over, why not engineer the rift to occur between others? He would return to Dominia first to hear of any developments from the team investigating the avalanches. He wouldn't be disappointed with Jaden's findings, and more significantly, the impression they would leave on Khaled.

If Meridia hadn't insisted that Karim and Itzan accompany Khaled to the southern ice wall, she could have disputed the claim. She wasn't to know that Jaden would be able to use them to verify rather than dispute the measurements. The ice cores clearly showed variation with depth – that was expected, but the near-surface variation was greater and yet random. This occurrence of warmer residual signatures was proving elusive until Itzan made the observation that the density of the ice was different in the same spots. Karim kept quiet. Jaden and Itzan concurred that the most likely cause was the recent electromagnetic storms. It bothered both of them that the position of these spots in the resting place of the avalanche mass roughly conformed to a curve. They looked at one another and agreed that lightning should have struck in a totally indiscriminate sequence. This was all very interesting and would be pursued at another time, because, however it had occurred, it still represented a major threat. The only good news was that if lightning was the cause, it was unlikely to repeat itself soon. The weather trends had always shown storms of this intensity to be the exception rather than the rule. On this point Karim added his affirmation. The urgent question which had to be faced was how to attempt control of resulting melt water, if indeed such a feat was possible. Both Itzan and Karim were glad to head back to Machora, albeit for different reasons.

Armed with this supposition, Thule told Khaled he wanted to have one last approach to Sendzai.

"This precarious situation demands we seek help from all of our neighbours instead of acting alone. I am sure the Tor-Azen will respond to this kind of alliance. Perhaps you can do the same with Meridia."

Khaled surprised him with a detour from the crisis in their midst. He declared that he was ready to announce Jaden as his heir.

"I have thought about this many times since you mentioned it, and I have seen for myself, that he has substantial qualities, found infrequently in one so young. I have yet to think of the form of words I want to use to make this public. The Elders will not be a problem, but I have to consider the feelings of my wife. This concession implies that I have given up hope of her conceiving, and that must not bring her humiliation."

Thule was delighted but Khaled wasn't finished.

"Returning to the Elders – they are living only in the past. Your request to return to the military is very sensible, but it is even more important that I can rely upon solid advice from the Elders. I therefore want you to accept the task of rejuvenating their ranks with more modern thinking and intellect. I would like to display my faith in you by asking you to accept the role of Head of the Elders. Will you help me Thule?"

He had to agree to this, realising he had been outmanoeuvred by underestimating who he actually considered to be a contemporary leader of the Korell. He set off to see Sendzai, feeling as if he had been thwarted at the very last hurdle.

*

When he did arrive, his first appeal was for any help the Tor-Azen could give in tackling the avalanches.

"Whatever you can offer would be appreciated – technical expertise or simply manpower to spread the mountain of ice. We believe that if the problem is not addressed, the rate of melt, and the consequent flow of ice blocks close to Carthos will cause serious flooding. We may even lose our food source."

Sendzai was sympathetic and promised he would convince Kanzaki to authorise aid. Thule then turned to the canal.

"I have never been there but I hear rumours that rotting corpses are floating alongside barges. If this is the case there may be risk of infection of some of the operators. I also understand you are not only taking supply from this route, but also considering a delivery point direct to your domain. This may be unwise until it is checked out. I would do it myself but as I have just elaborated, I must return immediately to join the effort at the avalanche site. Thank you for your time my friend. I hope the rumours I mentioned prove to be groundless."

## Chapter 26

Karim was having difficulty convincing Meridia that he should give the melting avalanches a helping hand before the collaborative effort to distribute the ice was mobilised. She favoured trying to convince Khaled to build dykes around the plantations.

"He will not be advised to pursue such a fruitless venture. This young man who now advises him is smart. He will know that they cannot stop the water from brushing aside flimsy barricades once the flow gathers momentum. I would not rate their chances of spreading the ice thinly enough to stagger the flow as very likely either, but it does involve the possibility of invoking soak-aways, and thinner layers will re-freeze more easily. I do not see why you will not trust me. If I work at night no one will see anything – they are all afraid to be close to the avalanches in case they trigger more. I will only employ low energy discharge from the top, angled to a central location to fill it with water, which will boil as the energy continues to convert to heat. As this is repeated, a tipping point will arise, because of the greater specific gravity of water, and the whole mass will move. This will in turn divert some of the warm water to melt adjacent ice. The ultimate effect of continuing this cycle will produce more water in an expanding cavity and this discrepancy in specific gravity will take care of the whole mass upending itself. It does not matter if it cracks in the process, it will have moved a significant distance closer to Carthos. Panic is our ally. They will conclude they do not have time to do anything but seek refuge. You wanted to encourage immigration – you will be inundated. No matter how they try to assure the people that everything is under control, the stampede will occur."

Meridia's gut was telling her that this carried a risk of being found out. Karim's response let her know precisely where he stood.

"So what if it does, we are strong enough to walk in and take over Dominia. The Tor-Azen would object but do nothing about it. If we are going to continually vacillate between keeping the neighbours happy, and plotting their downfall, I will withdraw from my current role"

She needed to buy a little time and feigned agreement.

*

Matters became even more complicated when Sendzai passed the rumour of bacterial invasion of the canal to Kanzaki.

"When was Meridia going to tell us about this? Would it have been before we import ore via our own ski-lift they promised us, but have not delivered? I would suggest you inform Khaled so his medical people can at least asses the risk. We may be on the cusp of a second plague."

Kanzaki could envisage a serious backlash if he did nothing; he heeded Sendzai's advice. When Khaled heard of this he felt as if he had reached the limit of his modest lateral-thinking capability, and held his head in his hands as he briefed Jaden and Thule. The circle was complete as Thule strode around in a fabricated rage. The meeting was interrupted by one of the Elders insisting they return to the avalanche site immediately.

"We have a reliable report that the entire mass has lurched toward the city. A rumbling noise was heard before dawn, and it was accompanied by a slight tremor. No one dares to go closer to the site to confirm this. We must take that responsibility."

Jaden and Thule volunteered. Khaled appeared to be suffering a personal meltdown and waved them on their way. The reporting of the incident became the accelerant to Karim's predicted bush fire of panic. The exodus was spearheaded toward both Machora and the Tor-Azen. Jaden and Thule couldn't find any logical reason for the movement to have occurred, until they noticed water trickling from inside the mass. Karim was heading for orbit, needing a normal recharge, and could observe the two of them. Jaden was puzzled as to why the waterfall was coming from the inside, especially as there were no significant signs of external liquidisation.

Thule said, "There is only one way to find out." He began to scale the ice mountain.

"Wait," said Jaden, "it may not have reached an attitude of relative equilibrium. It is dangerous."

He nervously watched his mentor clamber upwards, using his dagger to assist with handholds. After some thirty minutes he had not made much progress, but he was far enough away from Jaden to render verbal communication redundant. The crack was like an amplified thunderbolt - an ear-splitting, immobilising groan which caused the mass to shudder. Thule's grip on the imbedded dagger was shaken loose and he plunged to the ground. The fall was enough to kill him instantly, which spared him the conscious experience of being crushed. Jaden was not so lucky. He could not outrun the gravitational adherence of unfettered ice to Newton's Law of Gravity, and the fragmented ice mountain shifted gear. His screams went unheard as he slipped and was consumed by the solid tsunami. They would probably not be found until the glacial edifice released their preserved bodies into what would become a new lake.

*

Aquades had been proven correct. The border patrols kept the fleeing Dominian citizens at bay until Meridia arrived. She asked Aquades to spread the message that these refugees would receive help. It had to be done in an orderly fashion.

"Make sure they understand they will have to earn their keep. We need to make an inventory of skills they offer and Itzan will direct them to their workplace and shelter. I will organise food to be brought here for those who have to wait in line. Priority will be given to medical expertise, but do not make anyone else aware of this, send them directly to me."

*

The Tor-Azen were not so well prepared and the border was overrun. As the refugees were almost exclusively civilians, they were not difficult to round up. They were taken to a hastily arranged detention centre and held there while Kanzaki met with the Sages. As the Tor-Azen were not short of manpower, they could not offer even temporary meaningful employment in the immediate future. Coupled with their 'genetic' paranoia toward uncontrolled integration and perceived loss of identity, they unconsciously conveyed a total lack of compassion. The detention area grew while the Sages' intransigence deepened.

*

Khaled was continually fed news of unfolding events, but all he could muster was orders to bring Thule and Jaden back from the south. The Elders gathered and debated the various options open to them. None of them could rely upon Khaled remaining in command; he was obviously suffering a breakdown. They pressured the Chief Medical Elder to document this diagnosis, as they were effectively proposing mutiny, in all but name. A quickly arranged election was invoked to nominate a temporary leader to oversee the emergency. Hestanus came to temporary power.

*

Karim was rather pleased with his night's work, and for the first time in a while he savoured the re-invigoration of a relaxing restorative session. Far from the tumultuous events on the surface, his vantage point helped to shape a predictive view of what was to come. He applied his usual assessment criteria, the most dominant of which was that humans fell into only two categories – useful or useless. He was not afflicted, in his view, with shades of grey. Accordingly he rated the Dominian Elders as dinosaurs, destined for extinction. The once-feared Tor-Azen were wallowing in their own moral quicksand, and only needed a nudge to disintegrate into a military-led cleansing of their domain. He basked in the sharpness of the picture he envisaged. He felt that he had achieved this chaos single-handedly and would harry Meridia to take over Dominia, offer a solution to the threat from the ice mountain, while allowing the Tor-Azen to socially implode. She would then be requested to bring them to heel in an act of mercy, freeing any remaining detained Dominian citizens – which by then would be her citizens. He was not comfortable with trying to include human propensity of non-conformance to expectation, so he ignored it.

*

Kanzaki had heard nothing back from Khaled and didn't know why there was no response. He felt that his case in challenging Meridia about the bacteria was already weakened by their own lack of capability to mirror her compassion for Dominian refugees. Without Khaled's support and medical people, it became a pointless exercise at present. His meeting with the Sages had become more of a séance than a plan of action. All he had a mandate to do was provide the refugees with food and shelter. Meridia heaped more moral impotence on them, simply by the efficiency with which her industrial organisation sucked up the queue of Dominians at her southeast border. This gainful employment allowed her to open the northeast border with the Tor-Azen as a gesture to welcome those being treated like cuckoos at the detention camp. Some of them did break out of the confinement and headed for Machora, bringing the total influx to over two thousand, almost ten per cent of the Dominian population.

## Chapter 27

When Karim returned he was incensed by Meridia's flat refusal to follow his advice. It was the first time she had tested him to the limit. She argued that a bloodless campaign would deliver what he had suggested within the same time frame.

"Conquest by force always carries the legacy of bitterness and dissent from within, and that has to be added to any losses we would suffer. We are at the point of Dominia's dilemma and their decision will specify the next step. If the Elders do nothing, the people will continue to flow out of their homeland. We will take them on the understanding that when the crisis is over they may have to be repatriated, to raise the phoenix from the ashes. If the Elders ask for official help to save their city we will react and leverage the case for the formation of a United Nations Senate. The shape of this will reflect the fact that on their own they would have failed their people. We will not have to try hard to convince the populous of their incompetence, when thousands opt to stay and work as Machoran citizens. The Tor-Azen, as you say have become an irrelevance, and are better left to brood on their pathetic performance of stubborn independence. The time to rub their noses in this self-perception is not now. When Dominia falls into our hands, Kanzaki will accrete all of the responsibility for lack of vision, which the Sages themselves forced upon him."

Karim could see that there was merit in this stepwise coaxing technique, but still preferred the more direct offensive. In reality he had never been able to control Meridia in the same way he had done with Khaled, and the way he had outwitted his kin. He missed this type of cavalier approach, and had concluded that the gameplay had been sacrificed to the detriment of the player's experience. He decided that the diplomatic phase of the game had been completed.

"I hereby deliver notice of my resignation from your cause."

Meridia was apprehensive, but stuck to her agenda. She asked what he would do next, knowing that he wouldn't reveal a single clue.

"That is something you will have to determine for yourselves. However, I can eliminate one option I could take; it may help you or it may not. I will not be advising any of the other human contingents again."

She asked if he would help Itzan develop more types of the unique plastics which had been suggested, as the young man was fully occupied training and delegating refugees.

"I will give him the process parameters to be used with the light end of the fractionated crude oil. He will have to do the rest himself."

Meridia thanked him and he left. She now had yet another dimension to ponder, but her first thoughts centred on the anticipated plea from the Elders to deal with the encroaching avalanche. She didn't even have time to reflect on when they would gather sufficient resolve to ask for her intervention. The reports filtered in immediately, and she knew Karim had continued his obsessive desire to flood Carthos. His overnight activity had exhausted his reserves even though he was in his natural shape, but it had caused multiple points of friction as well as temperature increase. The friction not only produced further cleavage amongst the blocks – it added to the temperature increase. His continual re-targeting released sufficient water to carry medium size blocks to the warmer air at the edge of the basin. The inundation had started. The structure of communication also melted away and many thousands drifted to the borders. Dominia had become a nation of nomads. Meridia instructed Aquades to close the borders with the assurance that the flood water would not rise above the basin. She knew this from Karim's calculations, but she had to demonstrate willingness to prove her prediction. Typically she agreed to take an escort and lead the agitated Dominians, as the fictional pied-piper would have done. They settled as close to the northern end of the basin as they could. She addressed them with her usual oratorical passion.

"We will stay here and begin construction of a bridge to the top of the walls of Carthos. Sustenance will arrive soon. We must have a rescue route for those who believed they would be safe inside the perimeter walls. This would not have been necessary if your Elders had placed sandbags at the main gate. It will be an emergency wooden bridge only. If we do not get these people out they will either drown or starve. We must show them that they can exist here in Dominia, at the rim, until we can modernise our society to one which does not depend on Carthos in the immediate future."

She placed very strong inflection on 'we' and 'our' throughout her clarion call. The feeling that at last someone had a grip on reality, and was prepared to deal in action rather than rhetoric, spread through the huddled Dominian masses. She had managed to sweep away the Elders without trying to achieve their abandonment. No one listened to them anymore. When she retired, ready for sleep, she was visited by Karim.

"Congratulations Meridia. You have acted expeditiously, and negotiated the first challenge successfully. This will become the normal sequence from now on. You will all face hazards and adapt accordingly. The game has changed – I am now the sculptor, not a player."

*

In less than a month, the landscape had changed so much, even though Karim had merely observed. The level of water in the lake had stabilised now that the avalanche ice had melted to a small mound. Over a thousand citizens had remained in and around Carthos. There were those building the bridge, others belatedly sandbagging the main entrance and baling water out of the city by suction pipes. The spirit to restore their home was uplifting, especially as they couldn't be sure that the flooding was a one-off disaster. They conferred the name of Lake Korell to what looked a gigantic moat when viewed from the rim. The name was chosen in reverence to the two Korellian men who gave their lives trying to prevent the catastrophe. Meridia was never slow to seize an opportunity and this was no exception. She galvanised this spirit by promising to apply all Machoran technology in the restoration of Carthos. As she now had a surplus of labour for Itzan's projects, she began to encourage the spare personnel to re-join the resurrection of Dominian pride. The Tor-Azen, just as she and Karim had said, had almost become the predicted irrelevance. They had what they always wished for – splendid isolation. Their tried and tested method of subduing other cultures by patient absorption into their own had served them well, but like all ideologies, had to take prevailing circumstances into account. Kanzaki had recognised this ahead of his Sages, but their dithering proved to be an insurmountable obstacle, and one which actually turned the mirror of culpability back to him. He was booted out of office in the pretence of a new beginning. With Sendzai refusing to return to office for a third time they were left with the stultifying prospect of running the nation by committee, in a time of momentous change.

*

Another six weeks saw the wind turbines, which had been promised to the Tor-Azen, erected and operating around Carthos. Electrically driven pumps ejected the water more efficiently, operated through the night and freed up manpower for cleaning and sterilising the city dwellings. The compounding progress was enhanced by the determination to excavate a narrow canal from Lake Korell toward a natural conduit already heading for the banks of the Nile. There was ample capacity in the former giant river to accept any number of repeat avalanches. Meridia was hailed as the saviour of Carthos. She contemplated how to infuse the notion of making Carthos the heartbeat of Machora and Dominia combined. She missed Karim. She was also aware of the recent neglect of her son Erik and brother Lennart. The infant was well cared for by a dedicated nurse, but Meridia felt guilty at the lack of contact. It was always justified by one crisis or another, however not everyone saw it that way.

*

Lennart was in his own little world of Quinteric – the name he had ascribed to his brainchild of a common phonetic language. He had relished the difficulty of trying to bring threads of convergence to languages with different alphabets and word-roots. The religious overlay helped him to concentrate on a single strand of each cultural and lingual origin. The Tor-Azen had encountered the most diverse phonetic variation in their trip from Japan, through China, India, and culminating in the Middle East. The Auroran and Machu were much less complicated. The trek from Northern Sweden had taken in both Latin and Germanic structures and their present day spoken language inherited some of each. The Machu, if he ignored the pre-Conquistador period would have been pretty much an assortment of Spanish dialects. However, he wanted the religious derivative of the Incan deities to be reflected, so he had to weave the presumed phonetic intonation purely from research. His unswerving patience was a tremendous asset in the face of running into multiple culs-de-sac. Eventually he forged a basis which satisfied him. He would found his cornerstone on this phonetic hybrid and when he had field tested its receptivity, proceed to an entirely new written form essentially based on Arabic – the indigenous language of this pre-cataclysmic region.

*

Itzan's oil fractionation process was inefficient in terms of isolating the component prescribed by Karim, but still offered a route to plastics which were well known in the twenty-first century. He had his super-insulating material. He also had a fuel for his Heath-Robinson internal combustion engine. His drive to get the two connected was for safer pumps and transport engines. Not surprisingly, Meridia and the hovering Karim eyed armoured vehicles with weapons strategically mounted to give three hundred and sixty degree rotation. Meridia believed the march to lasting peace would always be accompanied by an effective deterrent. Karim wanted a catalyst for military corruption and espionage to emerge and would consider providing a serendipitous means for the Tor-Azen.

*

The Audit team of Travellers was now in the process of completing their report on the construction project and would soon be on a direct route to Earth. This report had taken a little longer than expected due to the survey revealing poorer than expected results.

*

Because of Meridia's impetus on the reincarnation of the city, she was absent when Lennart reached the point of intended field testing. Itzan advised him to just get on with it.

"Meridia has not even shown enthusiasm about the upgrading of safety of our electrical installations with the new plastics we made. I am disappointed because when we suffered the awful fatality of the boy, she declared that there was nothing more important. I have therefore reprioritised all of the on-going projects according to my vision of what benefits they will bring. She will be furious when she bothers to ask about progress, but as there is only one other who can fill my position, there is not much she can do except complain or send Ragna back here. Do you know where he is?"

Lennart shook his head and Itzan continued.

"Your project will yield an excellent unifying medium for the people. She cares little about that at the moment as she is more interested in unifying power."

Lennart was a little hurt by this uncharacteristic judgement by his friend but knew he was right. He set off to distribute copies of his core proposal.

*

As if she was acting out Itzan's prophecy, Meridia had garnered enough popular support for her to take the next step toward legitimising the United Nations Senate – a body of true democracy, elected rather than based on hereditary claim. At least that is how it was sold. The slight delay in progressing this until now had been over the inclusion or exclusion of the Tor-Azen. Meridia had acted instinctively to canvass for the new organisation immediately after the political demise of Kanzaki. She argued that if they were to wait for that nation to shed its fixation with isolationist ideology, the next ice age would be on its way.

"They can decide to join at any time. I am not hopeful that will happen but the door remains open. I cannot advocate putting our social and economic progress on hold because they are unable to come to terms with change."

She won the argument and within weeks she won the accolade of becoming the first elected head of the Senate. She hadn't sought out Lennart to document the inaugural deed, with his usual diligent multilingual acumen, because she wanted to avoid any hereditary links. This decision, although eminently sensible, would become one of immense consequence.

## Chapter 28

Khaled had suffered a stroke and with his self-imposed reclusive existence he denied himself any specialised treatment or therapy. He deteriorated quickly and was reduced to a mobile chair. His eyes rolled uncontrollably and he lost his speech, together with distortion of his mouth. Paralysis of one side of his body was accompanied by constant salivating from that side of his mouth. His body was discovered next to his wife's. She had obtained poison from an unnamed medic and ended their lives together. The task of investigating who prescribed the toxin was sympathetically aborted and the former leader was given an appropriate funeral. It marked the end of an era. Grenthe, Altocotl, Thule, and now Khaled had passed on, and Sendzai had retired. These men, in some considerable way, had all contributed to the embryonic genes of the early temperate zone. The new era had until Khaled's suicide, managed to obscure such retrospective reflection.

*

Karim took advantage of Meridia's preoccupation with the Senate to blend into the multicultural workforce of Machora. He posed as a Dominian refugee, Borath, who possessed basic skills in metalworking. There was no shortage of work for churning out components to interlock the wooden struts for completion of the bridge over Lake Korell, to the north wall of Carthos. He blended in quite easily and his work rate was soon rewarded by the supervisor, who promoted him to the design office. Here he was able to peruse and memorise plans for just about every technical advance Itzan had developed. The two he wanted to 'sell' to the Tor-Azen were for the electricity project and the internal combustion engine. He could have designed them himself but this was more fun. Once he had what he needed he crossed the border at night. Shifting shape to an indigenous citizen he put a smudged copy of the engine through the doorway of one of the Sages, with a note detailing where he could be found, if the recipient wished to see clear assembly plans. The Sage furtively made his way to the public place which was lit by a full moon. The exchange was brief.

"I have a trusted contact in Machora who does not like the way Meridia is forcing integration with the Dominians upon them. He prefers our way of keeping the race pure. I have been offered these plans and the essentials for constructing our own electricity supply. He has a third set of drawings for what seem like invincible armoured vehicles. These have been put on hold until this Senate ratifies the objective to march on the Tor-Azen. Meridia is said to have always wanted absolute power, and now we are the only remaining obstacle to that becoming reality. He says that she knows we will not conform, so it will be a battle to the death. Without these battlewagons we will stand no chance. If we produce them secretly before Machora, we can be successful in defeating her. Please consider this and I will return here tomorrow night. I know you will ask what he wants in return for this information. It is not a material reward he seeks, only a written pledge to be allowed to become a citizen of our nation. I promised to ask this of you on his behalf. I cannot reveal his name unless you can help him, but my name is Yakuto."

They parted. Karim's lie about Meridia's plans for the Senate was unfortunately very convincing.

*

Lennart had distributed all of the copies he had painstakingly produced and returned to Machora. He was unusually tired but could not sleep, alternately feeling confident and apprehensive about what kind of reviews they would receive. He gave in to this restlessness and went to see his friend. Itzan had the opposite problem; he was so tired he couldn't stay awake. He invited Lennart to sleep at his abode and they would talk at first light. This companionship helped to cage some of the new words which were flying around his synapses, in the same way Itzan would have imagined particles racing and colliding in his photograph of this strange underground machine, in what was old Switzerland. Lennart drifted off into another private world.

*

Without the hysteria created by Carthos becoming lake-locked, it would never have been ignored. Too many people knew about it. Some of them had died but the word was already out. Meridia herself had heard the reports. The neglect of disposal of floating corpses eventually infected some of the barge crews and a second wave of more personalised hysteria raged through Machora. The Tor-Azen immediately closed their borders. The Senate had its first big decision to make. The spectre of a second plague turned the panic into lawlessness before the Senate could act. All of a sudden Carthos was thought to be the safest place to be. An enormous influx of people forced the inhabitants to sever part of the newly constructed bridge, denying entry to any more. The infection spread more rapidly than the plague, but didn't inflict many fatalities. The physicians who were stranded amongst those locked out of the city diagnosed it as a severe strain of influenza. The panic subsided but the post-mortem did not. The Senate had another demand in their midst. The first thing they had to respond to was the statistic that more people died by being knocked off the bridge by soldiers than those who succumbed to the infection. Number two was whether the corpses would be cleared from the canal, or if it would be closed.

*

The hazy image of Jaden's body through the ice attracted many visitors. As the ice would eventually free both his and Thule's remains, it was decided to extract them immediately and give them an official funeral to cement their martyrdom in Dominian history. In a strange way it fashioned a short period of introspection, which was a welcome break from the recent frenetic activity inflicted by the lake and the canal. The ceremony itself had to bridge the contrasting lives of Thule and Jaden. The sequence of events which had led to their reunification had a profound effect on all attendees. Meridia deferred to allow personal friends the chance to speak about their lives. It provided a platform of poignant recognition of their heritage being firmly rooted in old Korell. People couldn't help comparing the current situation to that of their ancestors who had to deal with much greater loss during the cataclysm. The massive gathering imbibed this elixir of the mind, and its resulting reflex of determination to overcome.

*

The two mini-crises caused another change of events. This one wasn't really perceived as important, it just happened that way. The rising chaos had seen Lennart's hard work apparently fall on stony ground. The copies of his précis had quite logically been abandoned and were now scattered everywhere. It meant that he didn't get the structured reviews he craved, but paradoxically more people got to see them when calm had once more descended. Although the desired direct feedback didn't materialise for him, people did talk about the concept. As devastated as he was he didn't let his normal intensity of reaction ferment. He simply bypassed the consultative stage altogether. It was difficult for him to rationalise the greater importance of other things in the minds of the afflicted majority. His happy persona prevailed, attributing no feedback as being synonymous with total approval. He began to construct his new written language around the skeleton of Arabic.

*

When he spotted the Sage, Karim became Yakuto and was quite convincing with his furtive body language. The Sage indicated that there was general interest in the proposition.

"It is a departure from our strict policy but we can tolerate one exception. Do you have all of the legible plans?"

Karim mused that if he really was Yakuto, he wouldn't have trusted this man – the one exception could easily disappear after he got what he wanted.

"Yes I have them. Do you have the pledge with the seal of our governing committee?"

The Sage produced the papyrus with the appropriate signatures, and a blank space for the name of the applicant. Yakuto was asked to fill it in and the Sage countersigned it. The plans were handed over and Yakuto said that when Borath was welcomed he could help direct the fabrication of all equipment. Yakuto bowed graciously and left. When he appeared at the border as Borath two days later he was given an escort directly to the chamber of Sages. He fielded the questions with reassuring aplomb and many men were put at his disposal. Karim was still sure that his own disposal would be attempted when he had nothing more to offer.

*

The work ethic had returned following the double funeral, and Carthos was bristling with activity. More citizens had returned from Machora and the forlorn, mud-stained city was beginning to look regal again. This reverse population drift would have bothered Meridia a few months ago, but with the Senate operating out of Carthos now, she began to visualise Machora as the industrial heartland of the new common cause, and the city as the centre of excellence in all things political, technical and medical. After all it was the only truly grand symbol of civilisation in the temperate zone. When she found time Itzan would be instructed to glaze the Senate building with appropriately patterned designs to convey the required opulence. She didn't seem to consider that this was her first mental departure from allocation of resource to necessity. To say that Meridia had always possessed a disreputable gene would be accurate, but at least it had previously been twinned with the Auroran nation's best interests.

The Audit Travellers estimated that Earth orbit insertion would take approximately eight months.

## Chapter 29

The calm prevailed, at least on the surface. Itzan had taken it upon himself to instruct the barge operators to fish all corpses from the canal and use empty barges to bring them to the Machoran ski-lift. He provided them with plastic suits to minimise the chance of repeat infection. The rotting remains were to be lowered to the stockpile area and incinerated. From then on, regular retrieval of corpses was to occur as an on-going process. He was becoming fed up with Meridia's absence, as he was effectively being deluged in problems she should have solved. He was acting as the virtual leader of the Machu, plus a few Aurorans and Dominians - a role from which his father had eventually seen fit to allow him to default. When he received the instruction to glaze the Senate building he decided to ignore it. When a second message came, it was in the form of a command to attend discussions on which type of glass would be used. Itzan thought long and hard about his response. He opted to obey the order to attend, and then speak his mind. It was actually his first experience of the interior of the building and he was highly impressed with the architectural blending of functionality and beauty. He patiently sat through all manner of seemingly unimportant agenda items, and then wondered if he hadn't heard the title of the next subject correctly. Meridia had selectively made promises to various Senators in exchange for their willingness to suggest this discussion. She couldn't be seen to be interested in such blatant ambition. The opportunities and difficulties of harmonising Machora and Dominia in a process of evolving to one nation, was to be debated. Itzan sat in silence and marvelled at Meridia's performance. She picked fault with many of the quoted opportunities, and was unconvinced about the assessment of difficulties, but concluded by saying that there was no deadline to make a decision.

"I am sure you will agree that if we can see incentives for such formal union, we owe it to the citizens of both nations to put all considerations before them. We will discuss this again."

Itzan knew that the Dominian people held her in very high regard and would vote her in now rather than have more 'order – counter-order – and then disorder' from the Elders. He got the distinct impression that this was exclusively for his baptism with the concept. He would be expected to report this burden the Dominians were trying to thrust upon her back to her own people, together with her resolute resistance. There was never any need for him to be in this meeting. His input on the glazing of the building in which he now stood would remain unaltered, but the intonation with which it was delivered would be unrecognisable from his normal implacable style.

"I have decided to prioritise my workload as follows. Number one, having cleared the canal of rotting corpses I will detail a special group to keep it free of infection sources. Number two, the internal combustion engine has many uses, and I will test it out in various functions – but for trade-related transport we need better roads – that becomes number three. Number four, the upscaling of production of plastics is required for all sanitary and preservative purposes. Number five, we need bigger oil-refining capability if we want to make uninterrupted use of the fuel derivative in the above projects. The return of Dominian citizens to their homeland is understandable, but reduces my workforce to the point where the time has come for you people to obtain, dress and bolt your own timber for repairs to the bridge over the lake. Number six, the request you made some time ago for the replacement of papyrus with paper is unlikely to begin any time soon. I apologise for this inconvenience, when the Senate needs to produce copious mountains of minutes for their crucial guidance of the people. Lastly, the glazing of this wonderful old structure will become number seven unless something else displaces it downwards. Still, there is no real issue about the urgency of self-indulgent desires, especially when they would intrude on the only architectural wonder in the temperate zone. However, I must concede, as this habitable region grows we may encounter emigration to new frontiers. Should this happen I will most likely be one of the first, so I won't make promises I can't keep."

He gathered his charts and walked slowly out of the building. It should have been an embarrassing reality check for Meridia, but somehow she treated it exclusively as insubordination. She followed him out of the building and confronted him on the steps.

"Just what was all that about, you...."

Itzan was prepared for the test of nerve, and he faced her stare.

"You have not been to see your brother who aches for your company, and the child you gave my father has rarely seen you during his brief existence. You have basically left me to take care of our people to further your obsession with power. I have therefore decided that as Erik is obviously too young to fulfill your intention for his succession, I will at last take the responsibility my father always wanted of me. I will be the new leader of Machora, or alternatively the Machu, if you want to recall your few Auroran kin. Please do not challenge me on this, as I have the support of all true Machu, and if you don't believe that you had better get your sycophantic Senate to prepare their nation for conflict."

This time Itzan strode away from her and ignored commands to halt, merely staring ahead and waving his hands in a gesture normally reserved for subordinates.

This altercation reverberated throughout the entire zone and caused a rethink amongst the Sages of the Tor-Azen. Sendzai had convened a special meeting to emphasise the importance of this spat between Itzan and Meridia.

"It is not just important for those nations. We must consider two elements which are critical to our own future. Firstly, these plans we have acquired by dubious means were created by Itzan, and we were preparing to use them against Meridia and therefore him, as they are both Machorans. He would have recognised our armoured vehicles as uncanny replicas of his design. That would not matter if we were in conflict with him. Now that he intends to break away from Dominia, and probably Aurorans, we have an opportunity to take advantage of the rift. We should tell him that we support the independence of each sovereign nation, and say that we are prepared to fight with him on that basis. It matters little that he can crush Dominia as easily as stepping on an insect; we align ourselves with him in a political and military sense. To do this we must show him that one of his Machoran citizens betrayed him to us. We only took the plans to convince him of this. The defecting individual could be Machu or Auroran, previously loyal to Meridia or himself, we don't know him but we have his name. I implore you all to ratify this strategy as such a chance may never arise again."

It did not take long for them to agree and Sendzai was asked to visit Itzan to return the plans.

*

Lennart was ready to circulate his glossary of terms for the new written language. Being so focussed and lacking in guidance he decided that the first means of selection he had employed wasn't to be repeated. The fact that there was so much political tension in the air eluded him. He was thrilled to be able to hand them to anyone he encountered. Wandering to the intersection of the border between all three domains, he distributed his bundles of papyrus over a period of two days. It was a further two days before his body was discovered hanging from a tree. It was naked and he had been castrated. His red-rimmed eyes were fully open, and appeared to stare right back at the observer, wherever they stood. Daubed on his chest was a selection of words he had created, which had caused offence. A note was also pinned to his left hand, saying that the expressions on his chest were considered to be hideously insulting to the prophet, inferring depravity. The impact of this incredulous act impinged on individuals of all faiths, but the note was in Arabic, and therefore the feelings were split. Those of Muslim orientation were scared; the others were incandescent with rage. The sad irony of the situation was that the young victim was probably the only person in the whole of the temperate zone who was incapable of anything close to malice. Itzan was distraught with grief, every bit as much as when he lost his father. Meridia professed that she was riddled with guilt, too little too late, in the minds of the remaining Aurorans, who conducted his funeral quickly, and with the same gentle simplicity which reflected his view of life. Although Meridia knew of this she apparently had more important things to do.

*

More dislocation of normal life resulted from this than any other single event since the arrival of the Loci. The vast majority were convinced that war was inevitable. Karim was included in this persuasion, but in fact by being thwarted in his plans for the second time, he stopped to reflect on the period during which he had observed Lennart's progress, from being viewed by strangers as the runt of the litter, to the opening up of his true ability. He actually felt from the perspective of a Traveller, that Lennart was the only human who was remotely normal. Had it not been for this wretched assignment and the subsequent game mode he had adopted, he would have remained immortal and continued with boring but at least logical duties. He vowed to withdraw altogether from human interaction.

*

Sendzai was probably the best person to identify with Itzan's mourning. He had of course witnessed the scene of Kyklos' butchery of some of his people.

"I was faced with the dilemma of sentencing this murderer to some kind of incarceration or to inflict the same kind of brutality on him. I chose the latter because I did not believe confinement would send a message of disincentive for anyone else to refrain from such acts. I also had to think of the families of the slain. It is a precarious balance, violence can beget violence and appeasement can do the same. I do not envy you your situation."

When they got around to the purpose of Sendzai's visit, Itzan was astonished at the claims until he saw the plans. He responded positively to the clarion call for preservation of independent, manageable nations, and accepted the willingness of the Tor-Azen to expose the treachery of the stolen plans. The old man left him with another offer, which had only arisen since the murder of Lennart.

"If you decide that my way was not so wrong, then I will join with you to hunt down the perpetrator, even if that takes the rest of my life."

Itzan embraced him and said he truly appreciated such an offer, and that he needed no more time to agonise over the wider implications of the senseless loss of his best friend.

"If there is one religious bigot there will be many more. I am not going to take this risk on behalf of any other citizen I represent. I will march on Dominia and they will be subdued. If they resist they will perish. If they surrender and accept the task of bringing these murderers to real justice, and any such subsequent acts of religious intolerance, we can withdraw. In view of this action I will accept your generous offer to join my cause."

Sendzai genuinely felt a twinge of deja-vu, as this young leader reminded him of his own military baptism many years ago. He also believed that at last he had found an ally he would be prepared to recommend to the Tor-Azen in a formal way.

Itzan was perfectly aware of the consequences his message might have for Meridia. She would be placed in an invidious position with the Senate and the Dominian people. As the message was being delivered, he decreed that all Dominian immigrants be escorted to the border control and from there, officially deported. Because many had already begun to drift back to assist in the restoration of Carthos, this was more of a symbolic act than an inconvenience to Machora. It had the desired effect, the all too familiar scent of recent human suffering was in the air, but this was even more worrying, as it was exclusively driven by human indignation. Karim, in his lazy orbital seclusion thought he had seen every illogical aspect of the behaviour of the species. He had even emulated some of it with his notion that it was a game. He simply couldn't come to terms with the predominant effect an abstract concept such as religion could foster. There was little or no proof of the existence of any omnipotent presence, the teachings of all religious leanings were founded on tolerance and mercy, yet a very real pernicious undercurrent was nurtured as part of the process. How was it possible that an act of intended vocal and written harmony of these theological concepts, by a boy searching for a personal niche in an alien world, could spawn such hate? He extrapolated this paradoxical nonsense to the distant horticultural world of the Travellers. Merely gazing upon such random examples of cosmic beauty could obscure the entrails of evil. He began to recall his last conversation with Ventaninho.

## Chapter 30

The Tor-Azen had mobilised in readiness, and this time were the beneficiaries of Machoran weaponry, including the secretly fabricated armoured vehicles. Meridia was imprisoned, having been charged with secretly masterminding this conquest of Dominia, and thus considered as a valuable hostage. The cocktail of anarchy and fear in Dominia produced the illogical defiance which would in all likelihood guarantee their demise. It was also a product of religious distortion – the defence of unknown killers, in the name of the offended deity. Itzan now had another threat for the Dominians to digest. If they harmed Meridia before he rescued her they would pay dearly, and he left the detail to their imagination.

The battle was hardly worthy of such a title, yet it heralded the end of an ancient culture. The appearance of the armoured vehicles, never having been seen before was treated with derision and promptly peppered with wasteful but valuable arrows from Dominia's most powerful weapon. The laughter turned to fear when the odd-looking metal tanks breezed through the expected hail of death, and their projectiles were dispensed with accuracy and incredible repetitive speed. The crude 'machine guns' were ultra-efficient killing tools. With their muzzles poking through a three hundred and sixty degree slot, they could fire in any direction. The coordinated surge of Machoran and Tor-Azen tanks needed no backup. The Dominian rabble fled before them. The advance of the aggressors could be described as a stroll, fanning out into a crescent toward Lake Korell. The sight of accumulating infantry, chariots and cannon to support the tanks, panicked the bedraggled, retreating enemy to seek the sanctuary of the walls of Carthos. This false hope was dispelled with a vengeance. The cannon blasted away the wooden bridge and then carved gaping holes in the ring of fortress walls. Now the panic redirected mass evacuation from this 'sitting duck'. Those who managed to swim across the lake ran into phase two. The signal to bring forward the chariots to intersperse with the tanks provided a wall of a different kind. Dodging the machine gun fire and the nimble chariot onslaught was unlikely. Dominian corpses were strewn everywhere – at the edge of the lake, in the water, and back in the city. Still there was no surrender, and yet the outflow from the city had petered out, while the red-streaked lake attested to the futility of further resistance. Itzan hadn't counted on the attraction of martyrdom as described in certain scriptures. The promise of a glorious afterlife was appealing despite the possibility that no one may be accountable for default of the bargain. Itzan's offer of an allocation of a small, separate, patrolled state, and the consequent tyranny it implied, added fuel to the fire of the seemingly pointless Jihad, and the carnage raged on. There was a discrete group of Dominian citizens, not dressed in their usual saintly attire, who tried to send a message to Itzan. The Elders, who were the actual purveyors of the idyllic afterlife, weren't keen to set a spiritual example to the plebiscites. The messenger was intercepted, and angrily confronted with the cowards who had despatched him. The Elders were thrown into the lake and consumed multiple Dominian crossbow arrows as testimony to their duplicity. Itzan was now worried about the plight of women and children; he need not have been – it was too late for that. The dwindling band of devout defenders rounded them up and made the well-hackneyed promise that they would join them very soon. The helpless, wailing relatives of the fallen and those still upholding their faith, had furnished the females with poison from the medical stores, and instructed them accordingly. When adherence to this blind atrocity was complete, the last charge on Itzan began. It only required one tank to finalise the cull of Dominia, Korell and all which had gone before. The gun fell silent and another episode of mass incineration of human corpses began. The enormity of what had just occurred percolated through the 'victorious' armies, and was predictably distasteful. The same lesson learned, always with the ardent vow of never again. The search for Meridia proved fruitless until a soldier beckoned Itzan. Her body was amongst the other women. He couldn't know whether she willingly took the poison, but there were no signs of bruising or restraint. Karim was not easily shocked but the cleavage between this reality and what he had treated as a game, was the catalyst to call time on this horticultural jewel – Earth.

*

The situation had almost come full circle. Independent nations were striving to eke a living from the icy habitat, and a delegation of Travellers was on its way. The differences were interesting. The thaw was accelerating, the craving for power was dormant, and the superficial protestations that bigger was better, had been well and truly slain.

The thaw threatened to compromise the canal, but all consumers now had overland access to the essential mineral supplies. With Carthos being pretty central, it was fully restored and kept as a museum, reminding everyone that it contained a government warning – absolute power corrupts. The temporary co-habitation of the Machu and Aurorans had served its purpose and the amicable divorce came in the spirit of small is beautiful. The Tor-Azen could have introduced discord by saying that they had always known this, and had continually tried to impress it on everyone else. They finally believed that the others had got the message.

The resurgence of technology for the people could begin. Invention was to be exclusively focussed on making life easier to bear. Top priority was given to whatever the retreat of the ice would inflict upon them. It had to be the subject of a cross-nation directive, purely because the melt progression, except for the unexplained creation of Lake Korell, was skewed to the north. Finding solutions ahead of the problem being manifest was a daunting challenge, but it was one in which they could not afford to fail. The immediate concern was how to channel floodwater away from the inhabited areas. Karim, or Ragna as he had been perceived by all but Meridia, would have been very useful. They could not begin to guess what had happened to him, let alone think that he could be still observing them. He was suffering the Travellers' equivalent of neurosis. He had no intention of re-joining the fray, there would be no further interaction, but he was besieged by a dilemma. Ventaninho had said there was something after loss of sentience, and they would be waiting for him. That appealed, except for the near certainty that they wouldn't welcome him, and he couldn't know in advance what that meant. His other option was to stay in orbit and optimise the time he had left in this 'life'. He had shifted his interpretation from a game to a book, or such a script. Experiencing the natural outcome would allow him several thousand years if he disciplined himself to fastidious and distant regeneration without shifting shape. It could get monotonous, but so was his previous function as a Traveller in the Cosmos. The relentless evaluation of each option could only be broken by making a choice. He never seemed to be aware that the choice of joining his former colleagues wasn't much different from human faith in some elusive deity. He nevertheless opted for the ringside seat to witness the performance of the final solution.

*

Sendzai's stock was higher than ever because of his masterful alignment of philosophy with Itzan. He used this to usher Mitsuno into office. The people had embraced Sendzai's assertion that they had been lucky, and that human aggression toward one another was but one of the hazards facing a frontier civilisation. He was careful not to belittle the Sages while insisting they were necessary checks and balances for incisive leaders. One of his first recommendations to Mitsuno was to limit occupation of the new inherited land until the progress on managing the thaw was evident.

"We do not need this land at present and we would be better advised to withdraw bright young people who are involved in manual tasks, to ingest the technical knowhow we lack. We must have candidates as bright as Itzan; we just have not tried to find them. We now have no excuse for failing to do so; let us set up a new education initiative which respects and preserves our traditions, but does not confine us to simply accepting the hardships we are dealt."

*

Aurora was a mess. Itzan had pleaded with the most influential representatives to remain with the Machu until they had derived some kind of stable structure, but they refused. Whatever they decided, it would be the end of Grenthe's familial reign. As the only living relative of Erik, Itzan had insisted he stayed with the Machu. For the isolated little Auroran group, small was going to be hard as well as beautiful, until they didn't need food donations from the other agricultural nations. The aspiration was to have another attempt at democracy, but deep down they knew it was premature. They opted for a democratic election of a paternalistic leader. After three rounds of elimination, the head-to-head contest brought Alen to power. He was from a well-respected family and his first act was to appoint a representative to the cross-nation study of containing the thaw. He chose a young woman who had demonstrated considerable prowess in breeding hardy, edible plants in unfavourable environments. The connection with nature was, in Alen's mind, crucial to human survival as a whole.

The first meeting of this study group was given the remit of exploring all feasible means of surviving the big melt. This was broadened slightly to research the archives for any similar historical events which had managed to harness the power of the melt water. Mitsuno had like Alen brought a technical advisor. They were both astonished that the Machu had only sent one representative. Itzan hadn't wanted the gathering to be overly influenced by political leaders, and as he was by far the best technical brain of his nation, he felt it was unfair to take advantage of such a dual role. He designated Antrix, who had studied the changing condition of the ice, either side of the canal, and spoken about it several times in the past with Karim. It was valuable experience with which a template could be applied to other sites. They would first have to determine how much this location was influenced by the industrial complexes of the Machu. This raised another concern. What if the evidence indicated that they had to move again? The prospect of dismantling, and rebuilding turbines, forges, oil refining plant, and plastics production, would be tiresome, but hauling the components over long distances and difficult terrain would be a daunting prospect. As the discussion was descending into detail, Alen was prompted by his nominee, Varna, to remind the others that Aurora didn't have any industrial pollution capability, and suggested that they concentrated their expertise on the escape route of returning to nomadic life in the short term. She advocated exploration of areas of thinner ice caps over high ground. In some respects it was the reverse of fleeing from encroaching ice. She made a request for the construction of equipment which could measure the ice thickness, because it would assist correlation with the measurements from the canal. This was agreed, and because time was critical, many other ideas were quickly listed or discarded. Antrix produced the ultimate eyebrow raiser when he half-jokingly said that the transportation of any of life's necessities would be facilitated by light aircraft. It wasn't listed, but he would discuss it with Itzan. His alternative justification was that if instrumentation to measure ice thickness was successful, data collection would be infinitely quicker from the air and produce information on currently inaccessible terrain. Such locations, even if uninhabitable, could pose the greatest threat. And they needed to know where not to relocate, as part of choosing suitable sites. At the close of the meeting both Mitsuno and Alen were happy to follow Itzan's example and let the technical people get on with the study. They were comfortable that the focus was apolitical.

Itzan didn't think that Antrix' proposal was so ludicrous. Putting aside the power necessary to carry industrial components, he was convinced that a very light machine would decimate the time required to collect precious data on ice movement as well as ice melt. They had engines, durable plastics, textiles and fuel. If the altitude ambitions and airspeeds were kept in check, the take-off and landing potential would become more feasible. He instructed Antrix to get started on collecting archive aviation data, and began to pull manpower from other projects to assist in developing a means of at least estimating ice thickness.

Independent of the study group Alen asked Itzan for access to the libraries of Carthos. He wanted to check whether there was any useful information in recorded history of flooding in the vicinity. His thrust was based on the Egyptian way of not only handling the flooding of the Nile, but their dependence on it. His enthusiasm wasn't blunted by Itzan despite the reminder that the Nile flood was an annual event, and quite predictable in terms of the final watermarks.

"That is true. However, unless the Earth is going to be completely covered with water, there must be places other than mountain tops which evade inundation. I am not a scientist, nonetheless I know that water will always try to find its own level and that is due to gravity. That is why I come back to the Nile. If it was somehow possible to channel water toward the river it still has enormous spare capacity to accept melt water, but that may not always be the case. I also thought that underneath large areas of ice, there is sand, which is not so stubborn to excavate as rock. I am looking for topographical records of water tracts leading to the Nile from higher ground. The irrigation networks of the fertile banks will still be there and may facilitate our cause. You never know, we could be ignoring nature's help, when replicating it is beyond our humble status as tenants."

Itzan smiled and gave him every encouragement, requesting an update when his trawl was complete. The cyclical process of human cooperation and aggression was once more a source of mirth for Karim. He bookmarked the phase and headed for regeneration.

*

The improbable had happened. The credibility of a light aircraft had risen in contrast to the frustration of how to measure even relatively thin ice cover. The concepts such as sonar and refraction depended on technology currently out of reach. Varna hit on the idea that if they took temperature measurements in the canal at multiple points along its length as well as depth, it could show a pattern to which they could attribute the industrial output effect. This fitted with the Auroran plan to seek out high ground and thinner ice, if they could technically eliminate the human pollution factor, or at least account for it. Then the process of mechanical drilling of ice cores would be more useful. She argued that the purely climatic temperature distribution in the deep canal walls would give valuable information, including the snapshot gradient of the top few metres, yielding clues as to what lay beneath. She believed the canal walls had the embedded story of what had happened during the freeze, and although more difficult to extract, the crystal ball version of what was about to happen. She wasn't easily put off and bullied her leader into assigning personnel to the task, insisting that this was basically the same theoretical way as archaeologists made their claims. The Audit Travellers were gradually making progress as estimated from an earthling's view, whereas in reality they were closing the gap at colossal velocity. They were no more than five months away from intruding into Karim's literary enjoyment in his orbital armchair.

Alen was feeling a little guilty. He had not intended to spend so much time in Carthos but it had been rewarding. He left and returned to the pressing problems of his people. Before becoming embroiled in and separating the musts from the wants, he handed the data he had retrieved to a messenger, sending him to deliver the package to Varna. She was pleasantly surprised at the relevance of the detail. Locations of pre-cataclysm undulations of worthwhile magnitude were displayed, and there were quite a few which corresponded to the temperate zone. She knew that the ice itself could have altered or dislodged them, but it certainly was worth the effort to see if there was any correlation with the results she was about to generate. On that score she was having difficulty bridling an early claim of success. The temperatures of the deepest points in the canal showed a clear decline as the distance from the pollution increased, and the surface temperatures reflected the same trend but a steeper curve. The hard part lay ahead – sampling the intermediate depths. Lowering volunteers appeared to be the only quick way to do this. She picked out the minimum number of points which would give some statistical reliability and set them out in a Latin Square, which would enable predictability of temperatures at points not actually checked. Subsequent sampling at a select few would authenticate or disqualify the process. The project to produce a thickness tool for the ice was abandoned. Antrix announced that the prototype air-travel machine was about to be tested. The weather had a big say in when this could occur as the flimsy kite was so light it would be affected by anything other than modest winds. The proving trials were mostly to evaluate aerodynamics and manoeuvrability. The Tor-Azen's conservatism was pierced by this news and wished to attend. Sendzai and Mitsuno were cordially invited. The wait was not too long, and three days later Antrix mimicked 'those magnificent men in their flying machines' by travelling the perimeter of the zone, dropping brightly coloured garlands in each domain to mark the historic trip. When he returned to base, apprehension temporarily ousted euphoria as the landing approached, but Antrix brought the craft down as if he was a veteran flyer. The minimal time taken for his circuit of the habitable area demonstrated the potential reward for what could easily have been an expensive pipe-dream. Antrix debriefed Itzan and the workers who had made it possible.

"Our Eagle needs a few refinements in handling but nothing major. Let us get to work."

*

The various strands of the programme were beginning to overlap. At first they had appeared disjointed and now the second meeting of the study group could further shape the project. Even the detractors of the very idea of taking on nature's help were forced to admire the doggedness and application of those involved. Old topography, pseudo-archaeological mapping of the ice and aerial observation of the terrain melded into a ray of hope for those who claimed that independence did not have to mean isolation.

## Chapter 31

Three months had passed and Varna had analysed her results many times, and she was satisfied that she had a reliable prediction guide for thickness of localised ice. It was derived to employ findings from two metre deep drilled cores. They were ready to try it out on a small distortion just northeast of the canal. It coincided with visual observations of dark streaks from the air, and Alen's topography maps. Getting the drilling gear up the ski-lift and over the icy terrain was the most difficult part of the exercise at this stage. There was cause for muted celebration when the temperature results came in line with the other parameters. They gradually lengthened the drill bit and hit rock at roughly fourteen metres. This was good news if the calculations were correct. Antrix and Varna had jointly postulated that anywhere over twenty-five metres would not be exposed before the temperate zone was inundated. This was reported as a successful conclusion to stage one. The next test would check the area to the northwest of the canal. The striations here were, unlike the first test, running away from the Nile. Therefore they were more of a threat, and also more affected by pollution, and would melt earlier. Once more there was good correlation of all three parameters and this drilling operation found rock at nine metres. The import of this was to justify urgent action for both the Machu and Tor-Azen. The creation of trenches through their territory to Lake Korell was recommended. The lake could accept much more water before reaching the top of the walls. They knew that seepage under the foundations would occur, but at a rate which would allow it to be pumped to soak-aways to the south. The trenches would have to be originated at points in the ice wall to which the water would naturally flow. The choice was just as much based on observations of trickles already in progress as it was on calculations. The effort of all nations was focussed on building and operating mechanical diggers in as yet uninhabited areas. They needed to reach the edge of the basin of old Dominia for the concept to stand any chance. If they were wrong they may face selection of individuals to be airlifted to the higher ground to take their chances with foraging for food and probable starvation. The willingness of the Aurorans to pitch in with this approach was symbolic of the nascent cooperation which flourished, especially as the prediction was that their new territory would probably escape lethal floodwater.

Itzan had just about found a balance of fond memories and grief over the loss of Lennart. He would, at the appropriate time try to breathe life into the lingual concept of his best friend. The current spirit between nations would ensure receptivity, if they could only get through the next year or so. Language differences hadn't been a barrier during this period of danger, and he thought that a new common reference guide would be productive, if it was presented as an option, and not a requirement. He was also motivated by his present experience of travelling along the partially surfaced road to the Tor-Azen. He met with Mitsuno to apprise him of a decision he had taken with the backing of his nation.

"As your land will probably be first to feel the icy melt water, and in line with the Auroran sacrifice to protect all of us, I carry this message of all Machu. We have throttled back our industrial output to the minimum which is needed for the recommendations of the study group. It seemed a natural decision as the operation was advancing the thaw in a small way, and we need to buy all the time we can to dig the trenches. I wanted to come and tell you in person and congratulate Sendzai on his wisdom in advocating occupation of only a small part of your domain. It has made this task clearer and easier. We have therefore adopted a similar approach."

Mitsuno responded with the usual gesture of appreciation. "This news is very good for the morale of my people and will inspire even more determination to overcome the dangers we face together. Will you stay and have some sustenance with me? I think it would also be good for you to tell Sendzai in person. I am of course the official leader, but who do you think put me there?"

Itzan felt he should return as soon as possible but also recognised that this was a very rare invitation to socialise with the Inscrutables.

"I am honoured by your hospitality and I would like to see my wily old friend."

When Sendzai arrived, the welcome was unusually vigorous. To any observer who hovered invisibly over this reunion, they wouldn't have guessed at the gulf in experience between the two. A snap visual assessment would have compared it to a grandfather showing the patience the father lacked, in speaking to the newly matured grandson. This was a conversation between two vastly different cultures, and a skipped generation, but it was also one of perceived equals. The talk went on well into the night and Sendzai retired with a typically acerbic judgement of recent power struggles.

"It is a great pity that the coming together of the Loci did not favour us with fortune. If the Machu and the Tor-Azen had originally been neighbours we would undoubtedly have been better off today. Being at the opposite ends of the temperate zone was a handicap which has eventually but painfully been rectified. Goodnight my friend."

Altocotl would have been proud of his reluctant son.

*

Something had been overlooked. Rising water levels in the canal had been observed many times, but it was an orderly, slow process. When the walls began to groan, and large chunks of ice plunged into the water below, the possible consequences loomed vividly in the minds of the technical people. The first action was to abandon mineral transport through the canal, as the barges and their operators were at serious risk. The more sinister scenario was one which they wouldn't be able to prevent. When Karim had blasted his way through the ice with his ball lightning discharge, he had unknowingly created fault lines. The thaw was slowly exposing them and some were becoming cohesively compromised within the walls. Avalanches of giant ice blocks were predicted, and another two derivative problems could result. Even if the blocks obliged by making a clean splash, their subsequent melting was going to conform to the laws of physics and produce liquid of lower volume but higher specific gravity. The resultant accumulative weight increase would severely test the solidarity of the southern wall, which could only move toward the Tor-Azen. If the falling chunks of ice were big enough to produce a wedge, and gravity then predominated over melt rate, the pressure on the southern wall would intensify. In a worst case projection this could render the trenches completely inadequate. An ice fall of this magnitude, and its accelerated liquidisation at the lower altitude of the temperate zone could engulf most of the land, including Carthos. A constant vigil was set up to record the rate of progression. The work on the trenches continued with more urgency but less enthusiasm. It was Alen who raised the rather unpopular suggestion of preparing to abandon the zone and move to the East en-masse, until the eventual outcome was more certain. He argued that, like many natural processes, this impending equilibration of forces had to be viewed as having general and specific phases.

"It would be prudent to at least move some of the precious earthmoving equipment to safety. If we agree that the trenches could not survive a total collapse of the southern wall, neither will the diggers. The obvious sequitur then requires any human survivors having the means of combating the general thaw."

This spawned a vigorous, on-going debate about priorities. The Tor-Azen were naturally the most nervous and began to rally to Alen's suggestion, despite the prospect of food shortage in the East. They argued that an avalanche of this mass was unlikely to give much warning, failure in adhesion or cohesion would have a sharp end-point, and observational data could be so easily overtaken by the result. The resistance of the Machu was critical as they basically owned the majority of the useful equipment and the means to power it. They eventually accepted that the risk analysis was not robust enough to gamble with. The compromise was to move a third of the earthmovers and fuel supply to the east. The more difficult question was how many people would join the exodus, and who would remain behind to continue the work against the general threat. The enforced return to nomadic life was a bitter pill to swallow for many people, and Itzan in particular. He began to ask for volunteers to stay with him.

*

The trail of evacuees snaked through virtually the whole length of the zone, with those arriving making preparations for others who were to follow. Itzan was left with more diggers than operatives, and although it was demoralising, he logically asked for the surplus machines to go east with the rest of the caravan. Antrix wanted to stay but Itzan persuaded him that he would be needed if all of the volunteers perished.

"We must have insurance to cover both outcomes. Hopefully we will work together again soon."

When the last of the departing citizens were out of sight the hardy little band of brothers took on the dubious quest of a hope forlorn. It was proving emotionally difficult to reconnect with the dig.

Sunshine

Intervention came from a totally unexpected source. Sendzai had made his farewells and travelled to the dig site alone. Itzan was astonished to see him but knew there would be no point in scolding him, or even employing logic to get him to leave. The view from orbit grated away at Karim's vow to remain inactive. It was the first time he had witnessed the unconditional and ultimate sacrifice by humans for the benefit of others. He had been addicted to the progress of the study group, and when they had eventually discovered his oversight with the sculpturing of the canal, he relished the unfolding drama. His own assessment of the sequence of falling blocks of ice was even bleaker than those monitoring change on the surface. He was expecting a domino effect from cracks the humans could not see, the result of which would jeopardise the entire population. Apart from the admission that the canal was his idea, and that the flawed implementation was solely of his design, this willingness of the few to die to save the many, was a curiously new factor. He had learned many things about human characteristics, most of which he could not rationalise, and others that he despised. Of all the individuals he had encountered, Itzan and Lennart were his favourites. One was already gone and the other was about to follow. His eleventh-hour rescind of interaction was for him, insanely based on the premise that in horticultural terms, one flower is a reward, even if it is in danger of being choked by weeds. It was this sentiment which altered his mind-set that humans weren't worth preserving. When he appeared as Ragna, Itzan was so happy to see him. Sendzai was more circumspect. The work came to a standstill. Karim asked Itzan to walk with him, but was met with a barrage of questions.

"Where have you been? We have missed you, and you have missed Lennart – sadly he is gone. I have wondered many times what you would have done in our predicament. Do you have any information which can help us to determine the probability of collapse of the southern wall of the canal?"

Karim smiled and repeated his invitation to take a stroll. When out of earshot he explained the situation.

"The wall will indeed collapse, and bring with it a tide of ice, water and rock. No one will have much chance of survival. Only one course of action can prevent this catastrophe, and you are not part of it. Go, and take your vehicles, I will precipitate the inevitable when you are safely ensconced in the lands of the mineral mines. Carthos may be lost; it is difficult to be precise. However, if I can efficiently and consistently recharge in the shadows of Mercury, I may be able to evaporate much of the floodwater. I will contact you when the worst is over. Now, you must hurry, and no arguments please."

Itzan found it difficult to take it all in so quickly, but trusted Karim implicitly. The others were happy to accept the change of plan and leave, even Sendzai couldn't disguise his relief.

Karim waited until all inhabitants were encamped around the quarries with stockpiles of food before striking the first blow. He targeted a deep crack on the northern wall. The energy widened the fissure and caused collateral rifts all the way up to the surface. The next discharge from the electromagnetic hammer loosened two huge chunks of ice about two thirds of the way up the wall. They creaked in unison, simulating a war cry, to claim the first fall. The smaller of the two oddly-shaped icebergs rocked and ground its way past the inadequate restraining force, and plunged downward, but its coalescence with water was thwarted by the narrowed walls just above the surface. Faced with an overhang the larger block quickly followed suit and struck its wedged predecessor, adding to the spreading force. Karim departed for Mercury. His upbeat persona was back, minus the cynicism.

## Chapter 32

Explaining the situation to all citizens was a tiresome task, and Itzan mused how Lennart's brainchild of a common language, semantic nuances and all, would have helped considerably. He didn't try to hide the potential for Karim's procedure to wreck all of the industrial complexes, and that the city of Carthos could be submerged or even flattened.

"I am as much dismayed by this as anyone, having put all of my energy into building our economic and technical infrastructure, but people must come first. We are three nations, each with different priorities for living our lives, but we are bound together by the simple need to survive. There have been many instances of unnecessary conflict since the Loci joined the indigenous occupants of this habitable frontier, and if survival is to be wrestled from this latest curse, we must pull together in every respect. We have to summon the spirit of our ancestors, who faced much worse than we fear, and somehow came through it. Can I remind you that they lost much more in living comforts than we have ever known? We need steel of the mind as well as that from the forge, for restoring whatever we will lose."

Deep down they had to accept this focus on reality, but coming from someone who had already written off their own life so others could survive, it was easier to swallow. In the absence of dissent, the next challenge would be to rebuild morale. Itzan spoke to Sendzai, before calling on Alen and Mitsuno.

The stoicism which characterised Sendzai was, in the eyes of Itzan exactly what this situation needed. Morale could be whipped up by Alen or himself, but there may well be further setbacks, and an older head which could claim closer understanding of the struggles of great-grandfathers would be an asset. Age would also preclude any agenda of ambition. Sendzai was not receptive, but his young friend would not give up.

"This is a fight to the death with an often invisible enemy. Even Ragna is uncertain about the degree to which he can apply control to this chain reaction he will set off. Alen and I have youthful vision and bottomless vigour; in some ways these can be commendable strengths. However, in dire circumstances they can be associated with immaturity. We all need a figurehead who can claim to have been there and done it before. There is also the perception in which the Tor-Azen are held by the rest of us – not you personally, the nation." The old man was a little confused.

"And what would that be?" Itzan fixed his gaze on the wrinkled face and came closer.

"You exude aloofness in almost every aspect of life. Your unanimity shines through the compromise of others. I know at times you have made concessions, but they are exceptions. At this time I fear the erosion of the cement of society more than the crushing weight of the ice. I am young and have to believe in victory over the individual hazards, this one is no different, but I am not the best choice to manage expectation which I know I can't deliver. My demeanour would betray me. There is no one else who can coach those who fall ill with broken dreams, to slake their thirst by not only accepting, but embracing reality. This phase demands nurture today, Alen and I are for tomorrow, when we all agree there will be one."

Sendzai asked if he had spoken to the other leaders, and when the reply was negative, he said he would sleep on their conversation.

*

Varna and Antrix ventured further east to the Nile. They wanted to keep an eye on the level first and foremost, and then try to determine if it could be a viable food source. There wasn't much evidence of fish in the section they checked, however there was an abundance of frogs on the damp slope of the majestic river it once was. At least this was a source of protein. They also noted trickles of ice water which had already made its way from high ground to this western bank on which they stood. This was in sharp contrast to the opposite side, which was quite dry. They could understand why the frogs were attracted to the moisture, but were not sure why only one bank was so wet. When they traversed the meandering water course they found a clue. The optical illusion of the vegetation undulating was in fact not an illusion; it was happening on a barely perceptible scale. Pulling up segments illustrated a carpet of thousands of larvae gorging themselves on wild asparagus roots.

Varna exclaimed, "I have read somewhere that asparagus only likes a certain type of soil, one which is not too moist. I think the old city of Frankfurt was in such a region. I digress; these plants appear to extend for miles. This is a harvest which we should address now by sending groups of pickers."

Antrix made the less appetising reference to the other delicacy – the larvae. Varna shuddered at the thought but knew if things got really bad, they would find their way on to the menu. When they walked further east again, to produce an estimate of the crop, they concluded that this region could be a better settlement than the mining area, if Karim was not successful. It was so dry and they couldn't see any near threat from ice banks. They returned and Antrix asked Itzan to release the aircraft for a reconnaissance trip. It was approved and he was to set off the next day.

*

Sendzai conceded to Itzan's plea with a stipulation that the other leaders had absolutely no concerns whatsoever about the proposal.

"I also want the three of you to ensure that I am going to have a role where people come to me with their questions. I will not hold an office or a title. Like a physician, people will be happier when they don't need to see me, and this will also tell us if the proposal is worthwhile."

Itzan hugged his make-believe grandfather and set off to see Mitsuno and Alen.

*

Karim was back. His first super-regeneration for some time was ready to go. He repeated the previous strategy and after four carefully targeted discharges with increasing power, toward the pollution end, there was an almighty rumbling which preceded the spectacular demolition of the entire southern wall. It was as if a series of explosive charges had been hand-placed to inflict controlled damage. The noise and the upward thrust of all manner of particles and objects were vividly etched in the minds of the eastern settlement. Even Antrix got a grandstand view from the air. It was impossible to know exactly what had survived this engineered violence, and Itzan had to remind everyone of the necessity for Karim to declare the site safe for inspection. He duly arrived with mixed news.

"The majority of the Tor-Azen land is now under a mountain of ice, and their small industrial complexes have gone, as have the northern walls of Carthos. The Machu territories are as yet unaffected except for blocks of ice which have been catapulted by the force of impact with the ground. However, as I predicted prior to clearing away this wall, the canal has started to empty on to the fallen ice, and that ice will now melt relatively quickly to spread on to Machu land, and further into Carthos before it seeps downward. Your trenches will offer some uptake for this in both territories. I need to do a detailed assessment of the new ice mountain before any of you should venture there."

Armed with this précis, Itzan did not have much resistance from Mitsuno and Alen to his suggestion of involving Sendzai in keeping up morale. The prognosis of Karim, although confirming that left to its natural collapse the wall would have killed thousands, was not brimming with inspiration. The word was spread that the man who had led the Tor-Azen through many more dire situations than this, was available to anyone who feared they could not carry on. The invitation was not restricted to such individuals, anyone who was interested in hearing a good yarn, even if they had heard it before, was welcome. Itzan's idea was to keep the group ethic at the forefront of the enforced social cohabitation. Sendzai was once again impressed with the leadership horizon of one who had been so reluctant to step into the breach.

*

Antrix returned with a crude but interesting sketch. On a heading north of the asparagus fields, there was clear evidence of high ground which had already shed most of its jacket of ice, and the rest was running in distinct rivulets toward the west bank of the Nile. He said this at least partially explained the contrast in the moisture content of the opposite banks.

"The area seems to be free of risk from further melting ice and has a ready-made food source to sustain us until we hear that it is safe to return home."

The use of the word 'home' sounded strange, stranded as they were between two sketchy alternatives. Antrix tried to add a little comfort.

"I am aware that it is likely to be colder to the northeast even though I can only guess at the altitude, but there is evidence of slopes which are riddled with large caves. This is surely worth exploring."

Sendzai made a mental note to bring this up in his talks. Apart from the grinding nomadic trek from Japan, his ancestors, in common with other Loci, had originally survived the cataclysm in such caves.

*

Karim's second inventory of the actual damage was a little more encouraging.

"I have checked all Machu industrial plant and there is only superficial repair required. The ice which broke through the northern walls of Carthos is gone, I have melted it and fortunately the bulk of the water has flowed into the lake. My energy is now low, so I must return to orbit for a short time. The picture of when the bigger masses of ice will melt, and precisely where the water will end up is still uncertain. I could return to Mercury and attempt to split it into smaller blocks, but I do not believe it will have much influence on where the water goes. I will continue to recharge and warm selected areas. Alteration of the rate of liquidisation may give you the best chance of diverting it, when it is safe to do so. When I return, I will begin this process at the eastern end of the industrial cluster, to encourage more water to carve its way to the basin and onward toward the lake. It may come down to a difficult choice – to channel your effort to save either the industrial complex or Carthos. I will know more when I make my next visit."

Itzan disclosed this summary at the same time as he officially reinforced Sendzai's role.

"I have learned much from my friend in the short time that I have known him. It is not in my field of technical expertise that I have found new angles from which to see things, during my talks with him. It is in the experience he has in dealing with hardship and overcoming it through men and women, who all have a part to play. National heritage, culture and religious leanings remain, however they alone are invisible to our enemy, just as they sometimes are to us. Being of one mind in the face of danger is our greatest strength, and the mind of Sendzai has many lessons from which we can learn. I have some better news of the lands we left behind, but it is not yet safe to return."

A suggestion was tabled after hearing this crumb of comfort. Varna supported Antrix' appeal to explore the northeast territory, and asked for it to be taken more seriously. She had already sounded out Alen, and he had agreed.

"Apart from the air report, we need to collect more data from a survey of the surface. When that is complete we should set up a small colony there to determine whether it is indeed a truly habitable prospect. The nation which has the least to lose, and some ancestral experience of living in such caves with a predominantly vegetarian diet, would seem to be a logical choice. The Aurorans match these criteria and volunteers have come forward. We believe that it could benefit all of us in the event there is to be no return to our former domains. On the other hand, if it is deemed possible to restore what we appear to have lost, we have a choice. Perhaps we must also look forward, and if we survive, provide our grandchildren with suitable space into which they can expand and prosper."

There was silence. Those who heard this for the first time may have thought it was running counter to the recent drive to togetherness, but it was in fact reinforcement of the willingness to make sacrifice on behalf of others, even if they were not born yet. Alen's overlay of Varna's appeal made that crystal clear, and the small party prepared to leave. Another small party – the Audit Team had made up some of their lost time and was about three months away.

## Chapter 33

Karim's diligent work rendered the industrial complex safe enough to allow Itzan's operatives to return. The earthmoving vehicles set about carving additional trenches to lead away melt water, and the technicians began to restore power to the complex. Varna's small colony hadn't only survived but had been joined by more volunteers. It was becoming apparent that they, as a nation, were more mentally prepared to deal with a return to the harshness of nomadic life than the others. The odd ones out were the Tor-Azen. They shared the zeal of the Machu for some of the comforts of life which could be won from nature, but would have to begin all over again. Sufficient ice had melted away to reveal nothing had survived the impact of the collapsed wall. Itzan promised to share all technology with them and assist in the re-genesis of their infrastructure. They also mutually pledged to restore as much of Carthos as they could, and declare it as the joint focal point of both nations, agreeing new borders. The west to east border would almost dissect the city. There wasn't as much damage as Karim had feared, mainly due to his instructions for the extra trenches Itzan's diggers had cut, and his relentless and precise thawing activity. The walls were most affected but the stones were recoverable. The internal buildings had all suffered water ingress and it wasn't yet clear how much compromise of the foundations had occurred, but it was going to take some time to dry naturally, and forced drying was ruled out. Sanitary systems had collapsed in places and would have to be refitted in stages. Miraculously the medical stores had survived. This restoration would be planned over a long period and only after everything else was working, so that it would become a deliberate reminder of its narrow escape and yet with the objective of illustrating what unity of purpose could achieve.

As the drift back to normality proceeded in the temperate zone, Alen announced that all Aurorans wanted to join the mountain colony of Varna. It was accepted with genuine sadness by the other nations. The brief but fertile period of living together had allowed the insanity of Lennart's assassination, and its compounded suicide of a nation to defend its purpose, to become a new social cornerstone of tolerance. None of them could be sure how much they would see of one another, and so Alen offered the open invitation.

"In many historic periods, humans have demonstrated their love of travelling to places other than to their neighbours. Our colony is just far enough away to foster such longing, and we will have cause to come to the city for certain items, if we are welcome." He was assured of that.

Sun God

Time began to pass quickly for a change, and the progress was remarkable. The Machu domain was taking a shape reminiscent of what it had been before, with all industrial processes up and running. It was once again adding to the melt rate, but in a safer situation. With the help they gave to the Tor-Azen, their phase of catch-up was well underway. In another month they would be able to start thinking about the shared task of Carthos. The orbital commute of Karim gave him the first sign of the Audit Team. They were assembling their solar filter. He wondered why they were here. He knew approximately how long it would have taken them to cross the interstellar void, and therefore when they had been instructed to set off. He also knew that his former mission colleagues were 'in another plane' so they couldn't be involved. Because he didn't know of the audit principle, he assumed they were another project team, but couldn't fathom what would have happened to authorise such duplication. He concluded that they must be of higher authority than the original mission. He was therefore certain that his explanation of what had developed from the original remit would not be tolerated. The strict instruction to avoid interaction had clearly been transgressed and his project colleagues were 'dead'. He couldn't approach them, but they would surely get the truth from the surface. He stayed in orbit to contemplate his options.

The assembly of the solar filter took longer than Karim expected and it was only when the final web structure was revealed that he realised it was a more sophisticated type than the one which had returned with the other four Travellers. His curiosity got the better of his trepidation and he took a little closer order. He didn't want to remain in stationary mode for fear of detection, so he was only able to make deductions on the basis of a brief lateral detour. He concluded that it had much better deflection technology for solar flares. That at least explained why the assembly was quite a bit closer to the Sun than the original would have permitted. He returned and struggled to make much sense of why this mission was so much better equipped, but couldn't find any logical explanation, and therefore escape from the trap in which he had now found himself. The initial departure from protocol which the five had agreed upon carried the known penalty of finite existence, and they had gambled that they would have faced that termination well before a second mission would arrive. That assumption had been based on the returning four reporting their insubordination and the time it would have taken to return to exercise the sentence. It was no use, there was no way he could negotiate his way out of the situation, and so he accepted that he had only one real alternative. Aimlessly shunting around the galaxy had no appeal. Ventaninho had said they would be waiting for him, and although the reception would be hostile, that would be more satisfying than waiting here for an impersonal execution. Moreover, there was always the chance that he could indeed find solace with them in the cosmic afterlife, which they were obviously enjoying. He wanted to say farewell to Itzan and remind him to find a way to honour Lennart's memory. It was disturbing for Itzan to hear of another contingent of Travellers who would undoubtedly be descending upon them. The two of them found it difficult to express their feelings adequately and separated with their emotions suffering diminishing control.

Karim took a trajectory to the Sun which he hoped would not be detected. He made it, and flew into the corona at maximum speed. The loss of sentience was not gradual, it was instant. If either he or Ventaninho had been in this afterlife, they would both have enjoyed the irony of Karim having been hoodwinked by a now posthumous entity about an abstract concept, and that neither of them could appreciate the said irony, now or ever. That had been Ventaninho's last thought, so he had at least known of the possibility of what had just happened to Karim. It all made a kind of convoluted sense, arguably a lot more sense than what was to come.

The first surveys were being conducted from orbital cover. Itzan had informed the Tor-Azen of the new situation immediately after briefing his own citizens. He wondered exactly how much more change to their existence people would be able to tolerate. Unsurprisingly, the more inscrutable former oriental nation didn't overreact to the news. He didn't have time to travel to the northeast personally, so he asked Antrix to fly there and inform Alen.

The Audit Team reconvened and took little time to come to consensus. They began to manoeuvre the solar filter closer to the Sun. When they had reached the desired location, the web structure was reset, and they set off for the Virgo constellation. After they had re-checked their calculations they sent a message to another location. It read – 'Audit survey of horticultural body, galaxy location reference 000101101013 complete. Survival species limited. Re-pollution of body has already commenced - by same dominant species responsible for climate change prior to second comet impact. Although most of body is still under ice the undesired emission volume so early in the new cycle presents a low coefficient of potential success. Project team not in evidence, therefore it is assumed they drew same conclusion and left. We ratify their decision, and assess their performance as acceptable. Action taken has been limited to precise positioning of degradable solar filter. It will reverse natural cycle of climate to completely cover surface with ice, and disappear in circa two millennia. New cycle will begin then without complex life forms, but potential for simple versions currently in metabolic stasis. End transmission.'

The fact that this second delegation of Travellers did not emerge on the surface was considered a good thing, as the temperate zone began to feel a little less temperate with each passing year. The social accord had never been better and the statue to a remarkable young man was erected in the main square of Carthos, the legend being in some strange language derived from its phonetic equivalent - Quinteric, which had gradually wormed its way into daily conversation. It would gather momentum, unlike progress against the catharsis of the white death, until there was conversation no more.

