Against That Time Read online

  I nodded.

  She cocked her head. “I will observe from behind the frosted glass partition. Take your place, Wrik. Candace is approaching the door.”

  I quickly wiped up the desktop with some tissue and slid behind the desk. Maauro disappeared behind the frosted glass. The door chimed. I hit the switch and the doors slid back revealing a tall, full-bodied black woman in an expensive suit.

  “Hello, Wrik.” Candace Deveraux of Confed intelligence said as she flashed me a warm smile that did not reach her dark-brown eyes. Candace had hired me to take a group of treasure-hunters to the asteroid where I found Maauro, before revealing she was a Confed agent. She’d gotten the base. I’d gotten Maauro but only because she hadn’t known about the android.

  “Good to see you,” I lied.

  “You too, Wrik. My, my, but it’s been almost nine years since Kandalor and you haven’t changed a bit.”

  “Yeah, well you know how hyperdrive travel is.”

  “Yes, Wrik, I know precisely how hyperdrive travel is, which is why that is just another of those insoluble things about you. You don’t have a past. You don’t seem to age. You’re just full of surprises.”

  “You threw me a few curves too.”

  “Well,” she chuckled. “I have those to spare.”

  “You’re far from Kandalor,” she continued, looking around the office.

  “It wasn’t that much fun after you left.”

  She snorted a laugh. “You seem to be doing well in business too with Jaelle Tekala as a partner,” she gave him a speculative look. “You didn’t strike me as a cat person.”

  “I wouldn’t say that around Jaelle if I were you,” I replied.

  “It’s Dusko that I can’t fathom,” Candace said, seating herself across the desk, “once a deadly enemy, now, your office manager?”

  “Yeah, I wonder about that one myself. However, times do change.”

  “So they do. When I met you, you were a no-account local spacer with a bad reputation for bugging out on people.”

  “People change too,” I said tightly.

  “You surely did. You came back to Kandalor an enemy of Dusko and the Guild. Yet six months later you’re still around on Kandalor and the life expectancy of Guild on that world starts getting measured in days. So much so that they start bringing in outside talent that ends up just as dead as the locals. Then Dusko disappears along with a ship; word is that he betrayed the Guild.

  “Soon after we hear of death and disruption throughout Guild operations and start decoding warnings to avoid a ship carrying a human, a Nekoan, a traitorous Dua-Denlenn and the prettiest little slip of a girl. And now, here you are on Star Central.”

  I shifted. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh, please, Wrik. You found something on that dead asteroid base that has made you very formidable. Or should I say that it found you? Very naughty of you not to share that information with me.”

  We stared at each other.

  “Sweetie you’re thinking dangerous thoughts there. I didn’t come alone. Outside this door are six humanform combat robots and a SWAT team. If I yell, or should my heartbeat suddenly cease, it would be very unfortunate. I don’t think even your new friend could handle all of that.”

  “Your assumption is invalid.” Maauro appeared from behind the frosted glass divider. She nodded pleasantly at Candace who moved only her eyes as Maauro walked over and sat next to me, gently putting one of her hands on mine.

  “Is this wise?” I managed.

  “We always knew Confed would eventually learn of my existence. It did happen sooner than I expected. Further subterfuge will avail us nothing.”

  She turned back to Candace. “Let us establish some guidelines for our discussions.”

  “We will,” Candace said. “You’ll be coming with me.”

  The door to our office opened and in walked six HCR robots, slender machines not dissimilar in shape to Maauro, all with long hair that doubled as antenna and cooling. They wore uniforms with colored sashes, their faces held rudimentary features.

  I started to move but Maauro held my hand in place with a gentle pressure. Then I noticed worry and surprise on Candace’s face. The machines lined up next to her. Then to my complete shock, they performed a delicate ballet pirouette, bowed and walked out the door single file.

  We sat in stunned silence.

  “I could,” Maauro said, “as easily had them kill you and your SWAT team. I am quite a good killer, literally made for it. I no longer extinguish biological life casually, unless it threatens me or my friends. Then I do so without mercy. Are you threatening me and my friends?”

  Candace moistened her lips. “Let’s say for now that I am not.”

  “You have come to me because I represent both a threat and an opportunity. Let me respond on both. I do not threaten the Confederacy unless it threatens me. As the Guild has found out with the loss of operatives, ships, stations and command staff, I am a formidable opponent. You will likely overwhelm me with sheer numbers if you need to, but I’ll make it expensive.

  “I am willing to work with the Confederacy as an operative, occasionally, but I am a free and sentient being, not a machine like your dancing robots. I live. I will destroy myself before I allow myself to be captured. That is an imperative placed in me by extinct Creators and I agree with it.”

  Candace looked at me.

  “Doubtless you are thinking that so long as Wrik is here, he’ll be useful as a control on me. Within reason, you’re correct. But I guarantee you disastrous retaliation on yourself and Confed interests if he, or anyone else I befriend, are harmed or imprisoned.”

  “Or you can have what is behind door #2,” I managed.

  Maauro looked at me. “Are we doing commerce again?”

  I nodded.

  “Then perhaps I should leave that to you?”

  “That would be best,” I said.

  “What do you want, Candace?” I said turning to Candace who could not take her eyes off Maauro.

  “Well what I wanted was to turn your—”

  “Her name is Maauro.”

  “— Maauro, over to our scientists so we could build a million more and then I might set myself up as the first galactic empress.”

  “Assume that won’t happen because we’ll all die if you put that plan in motion. You first, Maauro last. And no one will profit.”

  Candace looked at Maauro and shook her head smiling. “I think I believe you. Honey, were you on that asteroid for all that time?”

  Maauro looked at me again, “Honey?”

  “It’s a figure of speech; she’s trying to be nice.”

  “I was on the asteroid for 50,109 years before you arrived there. In case you are curious it was I who saved your life initially by refilling your tanks with oxygen.”

  “Initially?”

  “Wrik later saved both of us when we were attacked by Dusko. After 50,109 years I was not in optimal combat readiness. That has been remedied.”

  “Thank you, Wrik.” Candace said. “I didn’t think you had it in you.”

  “Wrik’s courage has been demonstrated on many occasions since. You will make no further disparaging remarks about that. Nor will you again refer to him as a, “No-account spacer with a reputation for bugging out on people.”

  “Maauro. It’s ok.”

  “I say that it is not ok.”

  “My God, she is alive,” Candace said, “and off hand I’d say she was in love with you. I wonder what Jaelle makes of that?”

  I wondered myself sometimes. Aloud I said, “You won’t learn anything about Maauro’s creators from her, another programming inhibition. Other than that, we are open to doing some work for the Confederacy, for pay of course.”

  “Of course. For an asset like your little te
am I’ll make it worthwhile.”

  Inspiration hit, “And for one other thing.”

  “Yes?”

  “Confed citizenship and recognition as a sentient being for Maauro.”

  Candace started to laugh, then immediately stopped. “Hell…”

  “Yep, full protection under the charter. I think she qualifies in any event. Confed’s extended that right to every sentient we’ve met.”

  “Other than the Conchirri,” Candace said, putting her chin in her hands and staring at Maauro.

  “They were trying to eat us.”

  “And the Evolvers.”

  “Those were AIs, but no one ever proved they were self-aware; merely machines left carrying out instructions from ages ago.”

  “There’ll be a condition on it,” Candace said.

  “What?” I replied in dread.

  “You’ll both accept reserve commissions in the Confed military. You want citizenship, Maauro? That comes with responsibility.”

  “Reserve?” I demanded.

  “Oh you won’t be on active duty; there will be occasional lucrative work for me. But I want to know that if something big and bad springs at us from beyond and I need a superbot and her sidekick—”

  Maauro shifted.

  The humor snapped off Candace’s face, “—if I need the services of Maauro and her valued friend, they will be there.”

  Maauro turned to me. “Commerce?”

  “It’s the best deal we’re likely to get.”

  “Very well. We accept. But I will tell you what I told Madame Ferlan of the Guild before she incurred my enmity and disappeared. If you harm my friends, I will not forgive you. Know now that I mean what I say, exactly as I say it. I will kill you and lay waste to all you value. I will neither tire of this mission, nor feel pity, nor mercy. I am M-7, the supreme accomplishment of my Creator’s science: deathless, unyielding and created for destruction.”

  Candace’s face was cold and remote as she stared back, but I could see sweat trickling down her neck. “And that will be the last time you threaten me, Little Miss Metal, now of the Confed Space Service.”

  “It will certainly be the last time,” Maauro agreed.

  There was a long moment of silence before Candace began again. “I’ll have the papers drawn up. This will have to be done in secret of course. I don’t want to announce to the galaxy at large that there is such a… strong-willed artificial life form running about. However the acknowledgements for your existence will be in the judiciary, executive branches and you’ll be on the military rolls. You’ll have the legal protection you want.”

  “Now, to my business” Candace continued. “You’ll have a visitor soon, a boy named Telberd. He’ll be looking to hire you for a mission involving a company called Udexco. He’s heard enough about you folks through his own criminal connections to approach you. We monitored him checking your advertisement through the net then he started searching for any information that exists on you. We made that easy for him. It serves our purpose if it appears that he hired you and not us, thin cover, but useful in diplomatic circles.

  “Udexco,” I muttered. The Combine was one of the largest human run corporations in space, formed by independent spacers it had always had a tempestuous relationship with Confed, frequently preceding the government in exploring and relations with aliens. Some people considered it almost a government in itself.

  “Yeah, them. Udexco sent a team into Ribisan space two years ago in one of the first joint ventures with the hydrogen-breathers. We don’t know much about the venture; it was done in extreme secrecy, even though we have almost as many spies in Udexco as the Thieves Guild does. We do know it was a biotechnology experiment.”

  “What actions is the company taking to recover the mission?” Maauro asked.

  “None. Udexco has money and operatives, but none in Ribisan space. They have some small warships, but nothing bigger than a destroyer escort. They’ve pressed the Ribisans as far as they can.”

  “They came to you?” I asked.

  “Never. Udexco would turn to the Conchirri before the government. They’ve written the matter and the people off. We’re not content to let it quite ride. First we want to know why the Ribisans had such a desperate need for weapons level human bio-technology and why they wouldn’t approach Confed about it. That’s where you come in.”

  “We’re not a warship,” I said. “You’re not hiring Captain Fenaday and the Sidhe. Our ship is a courier-freighter.”

  “I’d have no interest in someone like Fenaday with his propensity for setting large parts of the galaxy on fire. God knows he gave my grandfather enough trouble—”

  My eyes widened. “You’re grandfather was Avery Deveraux?”

  “You’re being a bit thick, Wrik. I’m Confed Intelligence and the name isn’t that common. Yes, Grandfather ran Captains Fenaday and Rainhell; well to the extent anyone ever controlled either of those lunatics. Of course after meeting you and Maauro, I now feel a lot more sympathy for him.

  “This mission is to be discrete. In the event of…significant armed opposition we would prefer you withdraw— if you don’t think you can handle it.”

  “That would be legalese for, if you get captured or killed don’t call us,” I said to Maauro.

  Candace smiled.

  “We’ll set you up with false identities as being from Udexco, Confed or anything else you need. We can loan you additional ships and weapons as needed, even cover your commercial obligations with Tenevan and her sunstones. Your mission will be to find out what was going on, make a determination if it needs to be stopped immediately, or if there is some value to Confed Intelligence, more specifically me, in allowing it to continue. Otherwise you’ll be expected to protect Confed life, law and the other usual bullshit, without starting a war with the Ribisans.”

  “Is that all?” I asked.

  “Until you get back to me with a plan,” she said, sliding a data crystal across the table to us. “There’s all that’s known and a list of available equipment for you.”

  “As to pay,” I began.

  The haggling lasted a considerable period before I was satisfied that I’d pushed Candace as far as she was willing to go. Maauro sat silent and motionless next to me, watching the Confed agent. I think that’s why she gave in on the last 50,000-credit concession, just to get away from Maauro’s wide, pacific-green eyes. To me they were always big and gentle. Candace evidently saw something else. But when the Confed agent’s ample backside went out the door, I had a deal we could be happy with.

  “The legal recognition,” Maauro said, “was inspired thinking. Even without it being public there will be too many places for the data to be for them to risk reneging.”

  “I’ll insist on some hard copies as well,” I said. “You can spread them around in locations only known to you. They would be hard-pressed to find them all. Make one place one of the biggest law firms on the planet. Spies hate lawyers, for all they have a lot in common.”

  I watch Candace leave. Then, while leaving part of my attention on Wrik, I switch another part to the lead machine of the sextet of HCR I seized control of. This one is a command model and linked intimately to the human controller. The machine is a primitive device, not even the equivalent of a Creator M-1 series in its programming and cybernetics. I have already partitioned its CPU with commands that write and erase themselves so fast that they cannot be detected by the human controller or his electronics, yet they always exist. The HCR and its team are subject to my control anytime I choose to exert it.

  The human woman controller is visibly shaken as she faces Candace. “I don’t understand. All six of my units went autistic, then marched into the office and came back.”

  “I damn near opened up on them,” grumbled the SWAT Commander, a powerfully built human male.

  “Which would have only gotten
you killed,” Candace returned. She is staring at the unit I am using, as if trying to divine something. It is with some difficulty that I restrain myself from making it wink at her.

  “Someone in there seized control of them,” Candace says.

  “Who?” demands the Controller. “That’s supposed to be impossible; HCR secure nets are the best we have.”

  “Never mind. That’s classified over your level. I’m just wondering if we should scrap this entire team.”

  “Scrap them! Are you out of your… this team costs more than a light cruiser, not to mention how long it takes to get a team like this functional? This is a third of the HCRs available for the defense of this planet!”

  “You’ve checked them?” Candace says, looking at the machine I am in with narrowed eyes.

  “Yes, they’re nominal. We’ll run them through every cleaner we have back at the base. There will be no contamination.”

  Candace sighed. “ASAT command would blow a gasket if I ordered them slagged. I have a feeling that I’m going to regret not doing it anyway.”

  Only if you attempt to use a Confed cybernetic system against me, I think with a touch of smugness. I have traded programming blows with the Infester Artifact itself and defeated it. You will neither stop my infiltration programs nor even detect them. My abilities are as far above your computer skills as a laser is above a stone ax. Any cyber system you attempt to use against me will either defect to my control or explode. As Wrik is fond of saying, it is always nice to have an ace in the hole.

  Chapter Three

  As soon as we could raise Jaelle, we told her about Candace. Against my vote, we also told Dusko, who took it in his usual fashion. He blamed me until Maauro told him to be silent. Jaelle wrapped her business up with Tenevan and returned quickly; the sunstone shipment would be moved for her for free, care of the Confed military. We then huddled up with the information Candace brought and tried to sort our next move.

  Maauro absorbed the data crystal instantly, parsing out extracts of information for the rest of us. We studied what was known of the Ribisans and their expedition. It seemed shockingly little. The Ribisans were the least well known of the species of the loose Confederacy, secretive and too different for the oxygen-breathers to deal with easily. Politically, they were associate members, with minimal contacts. A thousand years ago the Nekoan, Ribisans, Vanians and Skurlocks had their own trade empire before the Conchirri and the Evolvers, struck them two centuries ago. The Vanians went extinct under attack from the Conchirri. The Evolvers nearly extinguished the Skurlocks and the Nekoans were knocked out of space by both. Most of the recorded history of their dealings with the Ribisans vanished in those wars. What was known came through the Nekoans, who handled trade relations for the Ribisans after the Confederacy destroyed the Evolvers.