Dubious Heroes: a novel Read online

  “We’ll see”, she said, as we cycled through the airlock, and walked through the tube to the port.

  The port end of the tube opened, and we entered what seemed to be a cross between a carnival and a riot. There were more vidcams than I could count, people shouting our names; echoes of Doon and Kyra reverberating through the crowd. I felt like a goldfish in a bowl. A glance over at Kyra showed she wasn’t any happier about this than I was. I knew how they had my name; I’d put it out there myself. That said, how did they know who Kyra was?

  The only thing holding the crowd at bay was a platoon of security people, all wearing drab green coveralls. They were armed with stunners, and I watched as they dropped a couple of the more persistent types. The rest of them took the hint, and stayed back a bit. While most of the security fanned out, forming a corridor for us to get through, a small squad hung back, staying near us. They were armed with blasters.

  No one asked for our weapons; no one addressed us at all, beyond the shouts from the crowd. Not that conversation was possible, anyway; there was just too much noise. As we moved further into the dome, I couldn’t resist waving back at the people, which caused the chaos to measurably increase, and earned me a dirty look from Kyra.

  It took them ten minutes to get us through the mass of humanity and into a building, and then down into an anonymous underground passage. Except for us, the corridor was deserted; either private, or one security had blocked off. I counted a dozen escorts moving with us, as we moved deeper into Triton.

  Twenty minutes later, we entered an office, and were left in the care of another security person. He stepped forward, and extended a hand.

  “Guy Zenovic”, he said, pronouncing his first name like it rhymed with key. The unusual accent was there, too. It reminded me of the British, though with more twang. “I’m in charge of security, here.”

  “Orel Doon”, I said, as we shook hands. “Pleased to meet you. This is Kyra Kane, Security Officer for the Revenge.” They shook hands, as well.

  “I’d love to chat with you sometime”, he said, “But the boss is waiting. If you’ll follow me, please.”

  We walked into an inner office that might have been anywhere in the solar system. It was spacious and well-appointed, but there were no windows, just a few big screens depicting views of the Triton surface. Most places, a powerful position also got you a nice view. Apparently, not on Triton. There was a good reason, though, and it wasn’t financial.

  Anything permanent had to be buried underground, in the bedrock of the moon; the surface was a two hundred meter thick layer of frozen gases. Anytime any sort of light or heat hit the stuff, you’d get outgassing, similar to the sublimation thing, but a lot more violent. Nothing like a geyser of methane to fuck up your day, especially if you happened to be standing where it erupted.

  This phenomenon wasn’t limited to Triton; it happened on most of the ice balls, depending on their composition. Europa was one of the only ones that was fairly stable. Long ago, the original settlers called the eruptions ice volcanoes, and the name stuck.

  While they were beautiful to watch, they played hell with structures. To stabilize an area, you had to remove any of the gasses with a low melting point, like methane, and replace it with stuff like water ice. The process was expensive, and time consuming, so, except for essential things, like the spaceport, things tended to be buried well underground, in the rock.

  A man sat atop a huge slab of stone, which was masquerading as a rather impressive desk. He stood, as we entered the room. He was shorter than me by half a head, though still a striking figure. His long black hair hung was tied back in a ponytail, and visible tattoos on his neck, to just beneath his jawline. While ink was pretty common (I even had a couple of usually hidden tats), it was unexpected to see them on a head of state. Then again, he was only the third one I’d ever met, so that wasn’t much of a sampling. Sleek, dark brows arched above the bluest eyes I’d ever seen. There was an icy coldness to his gaze, which would have seemed menacing, except for the subtle hint of humor it also held, as if he were reminded of some private joke.

  He approached Kyra, hand extended.

  “Sol Arris”, he said, as he took her hand, bowed slightly, and kissed her hand. She managed to look both impressed and embarrassed. I went with impressed, with a touch of envy. This guy was smooth. “So glad you could join us, Commander Kane.”

  He turned to me, and we clasped hands.

  “Orel Doon”, I said. “Nice to meet you.”

  “The pleasure is mine, Captain”, he said, his eyes returning to Kyra, lingering. I tried not to feel jealous, but didn’t succeed. I suppose I wasn’t trying very hard. Kyra returned his gaze, her eyes lingering as well. In the span of ten seconds, I felt like I probably ought to go outside, and see if Guy had a deck of cards.

  I’d been remiss in pulling up the cultural information on Triton, which left me standing there wondering who the hell they were, and where they’d come from. Arris motioned us to a group of chairs; I sat, and did my best to not look confused.

  “May I offer you a refreshment?” he asked. “I was just about to have a coffee, myself.”

  “That sounds wonderful”, I said, and Kyra agreed. Arris spoke to Valeria, and the drinks were ordered. That accomplished, he sat quietly for a moment, regarding us.

  “As you’ve probably already surmised”, he said, “I’ve ordered everyone here to see that you get whatever you need. As much as the people love that you are here, some of us realize that when the UP arrives, if you’re still here, we’re going to be faced with a… dilemma.”

  “We’re aware of that”, I said. “In fact, I was a bit surprised that they weren’t already waiting for us. It seems as though everyone on Triton knew we were coming.”

  “We’ve managed to keep your arrival a local matter”, Arris said, “But only barely. As soon as we got word, I had Valeria begin censoring all outgoing SpeedLink traffic, and we’re actively jamming any radio broadcast that mentions any of you or your ship. As it was, half the crew of the Erebus was trying to sell their story to the newsnets, before they even had you in tow. I’m under no illusion that this will last for very long; someone will get word out, and we won’t catch it. At any rate, there’s been a lot of speculation across the net as to where you lot might actually be. Some were even suggesting that you’d been destroyed. I’m happy to see that isn’t the case, even though your appearance in our backyard was something of a surprise.”

  “I could say the same thing about our reception here”, I said. “There were people hanging around us on Babylonia, but nothing like, well… this.”

  “It’s rather a long way from Luna, isn’t it?”

  “In more ways than one”, I said. “And nothing like where I expected to go, or end up.”

  “No doubt”, he said, regarding us both with an amused look. “How does one handle that which you never could have imagined?”

  “Exactly”, I said. “What’s worse is that this isn’t even real; it’s manufactured. And we have no idea who’s doing it, or why. We aren’t heroes, we’re pawns.”

  “And your take on all of this?” Arris asked, looking to Kyra.

  “What do I think about… this?” she asked. “I’d rather not say.”

  “Very politic”, Arris said, smiling. “Well, while I don’t have a lot of answers, I can tell you why it’s happening. You and your ship are taking on the United Planets, which has never been particularly popular, except among the larger governments and corporations, who aren’t very popular, themselves. That makes you one hell of an underdog. You’re vastly outnumbered and outgunned, and yet, time and again, you seem to prevail. Or so the stories say. And as long as people believe the stories, the reality is inconsequential.”

  “It’s those stories that concern me”, I said. “Most seem to have only a passing resemblance to the truth. So far, we’ve yet to prevail, outside of a few small successes. Hell, at this point, I’m amazed we’re still alive.”

&n
bsp; “All of which means nothing to most people”, Arris said, “Assuming they ever get a chance to hear the truth. As for the newsnets, they couldn’t ask for a better story. As they say in the media circles, you’re good entertainment.”

  “Wonderful”, Kyra said. “We’re famous, for things we haven’t even done.”

  “Like it or not”, Arris said, “You have to admit that it’s useful toward what you’re trying to do. Which brings me to the who part of the equation.”

  “We have our suspicions”, I said.

  “If you’re thinking the AIs are behind it”, he said, “Then I’d say that’s a damn good guess.”

  “They’re really the only group with the motivation, and the means”, I said. “Also, it’s not the first time they’ve tried to engineer situations to help us out.”

  “While DEC owns all of the SpeedLink installations, they’re actually run by AIs”, Arris said. “On top of that, from what I hear, every single one of them is supporting you. Think about this for a moment. What we have here is a group of… beings… who are very good at manipulating complex situations, and, as you noted, have ample reason and the means to support you. I’ve discussed this with Valeria, and she says that AIs very much enjoy these type things, and treat them as a type of game.”

  “I’d hardly call it a game”, I said. “People have died.”

  “And more will”, Arris said. “I imagine the AIs enjoy the challenge we represent; getting the results they want, from that which is largely unpredictable. Also, while they may be enjoying the process, I believe they’re deadly serious about the outcome they want.”

  “Then I suppose it’s a good thing they’re on our side”, I said.

  “For now”, Kyra said, sounding a lot like Cozi.

  “I can’t see how all this… PR bullshit… changes anything”, I said. “Regardless of the stories the AIs are spreading, we’re still involved in what is essentially a war, and we’re still at a huge disadvantage.”

  “I can’t disagree with you on that”, he said. “On the other hand, it’s good to have friends and supporters, and at this point, you have many, us among them. That said, we need to address my primary concern.”

  “I was wondering when you’d get to that”, Kyra said. Arris glanced over at her, then continued.

  “As much as we like having you here”, he said, “I need you out of here, pronto. I know the people love your being here. Honestly, this is more excitement that we’ve had since… well, ever. But it can’t last. Eventually, word of your presence will get out, and the UP will cease chasing shadows. They’ll show up with their ships and their weapons, and if you’re still here, it won’t go well for either of us.”

  “I understand”, I said, “And you’re right. We need leave, and soon.”

  “Whether I like it or not”, he said, “I’m responsible for the well-being of a quarter million people. If the UP makes me choose between them and you, I think you know how I’ll choose. I don’t want to have to make that choice.”

  "As soon as we can get the Revenge ready for space, we'll be out of here", I said.

  "With your permission, I'll put every drivejack, engineer and technician we have on the job", he said.

  "You have it", I said. "Just have them coordinate the work through my Engineering Officer, Cozi Minter".

  "Of course", he said. "Excuse me for a moment". He rose and left the office.

  Kyra and I sat quietly, looking around the room. We had plenty to talk about, but I wasn't about to do so with half of Triton eavesdropping on us. Arris returned after a few minutes, and sat again.

  "I've had to restrict the area around your ship", he said. "Too many sightseers. The port manager can handle the security, plus he's going to tent your ship. The repairs will go a lot faster if the crews aren't having to work in suits."

  "Thanks", I said. "You mentioned something before about the UP chasing shadows. What exactly did you mean by that?"

  "Just part of the rumor mill", Arris said. "Cut off like you were, you probably haven't heard. Someone, probably the AI's, have the UPDF flying all over known space looking for you guys. The word on the net is that they showed up at Tau Ceti, and came in force, with several ships. They were at Babylonia, but I believe they're at New London, now. The governor there isn't allowing them to dock. There was even a report that the locals are shooting at the orbiting ships from the surface, with small arms. Not much chance of them harming a starship, but the UP brass is ticked off about it. I doubt they'll hang around there for long. That's about the fifth place they've shown up. Any of that your doing?"

  "Nope", I said, doing my best to maintain a poker face. I didn't even glance over at Kyra; I knew she wouldn't give anything away. "You have to admit, it's kind of amusing. I do hope no one's been hurt, though."

  "The word is, they just show up, issue a bunch of threats, then leave", he said.

  "One other thing", Kyra said. "How would you feel about us doing a bit of recruiting here? We have a serious understaffing problem.”

  "I don't mind at all", Arris said. "But I should warn you; you're apt to get a lot of people who have no business at all spacing, let alone aboard a warship."

  "Any help we can get in finding some good people would be greatly appreciated", I said.

  "Certainly", he said. "I'd ask one favor in return, though."

  "Name it."

  "I'd like a tour of your ship", he said, smiling. "Perhaps Commander Kane can show me around."

  "I don’t have a problem with that", I said. "Kyra?"

  "It would be my pleasure", she said, smiling politely at the Governor.

  We exchanged a few more pleasantries, then left his office. We rounded a corner, and she elbowed me in the side.

  "Thanks for that", she said.

  "Don’t even pretend you’re upset about it", I said, smiling at her. I caught another glare, but she left me alone. I wasn’t naïve enough to think she was all that put out at the prospect of spending some time with the little bureaucrat, and I refused to be jealous of him; we'd be leaving Triton soon enough.

  And he would not be coming along.

  Chapter 36

  I sat in my office aboard the Revenge, once again relegated to going over a slew of mundane status reports on my vidscreen. We'd been on Triton scarcely two days, and thus far, they'd tented the ship, and crews were tearing into the damaged areas like a vid I'd once seen, of some fish called piranha tearing into a carcass. The ion pulse drive was a total loss, as was a good portion of the shielding on that end of the ship. Cozi said they were cobbling together a new drive of similar size. Fortunately, Triton had the best shipyard in the area (which was why Eng had picked the place), with more than enough spares to build several engines from scratch.

  The hydrogen ramjets were heavily damaged as well, and a special team was handling those repairs. Yet another team was tasked with doing the hull repairs. The latter didn't seem to be progressing well, according to Cozi's notes. He'd put in a bunch of technical stuff about metallurgy, which I doubted even he understood. I finally gave up trying to figure out what the problem was, cleared my screen, and went to go find Cozi for a translation.

  "Angie."

  "Yes?"

  "Where's Cozi?" I asked.

  "Currently outside the ship", she said. "I can see him on one of the external cams, talking to a group of workers."

  "Patch me through to him, please", I said. "Audio only is fine."

  I walked back to my desk, as the screen lit up with a view of Cozi standing outside, two workers in front of him. He reached up and tapped his earpiece.

  "What's up?" he asked.

  "It's me", I said. "Can you stay put for five minutes? I wanted to go over the hull repair with you, or the lack thereof, more accurately."

  "I still have more to do here", he said. "I wasn't planning on leaving the pressure tent for a while."

  "Good", I said. "I'll be down in a few. By the way, wave to the camera."

  He looked up a
t the various vidcams dotting the exterior of the Revenge, but couldn't tell which one was live.

  "I love your consistency" he said.

  “Yeah?” I asked. “How so?”

  “Here we are, billions of miles from home, and you’re still a dick.”

  “That makes two of us”, I said. “Stay put. I’m on my way down. Doon out.”

  I left my office, slipping the commlink bud into my ear, as I walked through the Bridge, and entered the core.

  "Angie", I said, as the elevator began its descent. She replied via the ear bud, rather than the intercom.

  "I'm here", she said.

  "Has Valeria given you a copy of the SpeedLink software?"

  "She has, and it works. I've already used it to contact a few other AI's I know. I'm expecting to receive a new package of DEC software soon, which should update my systems to the latest version out there. I had a feeling that my DEC drive routines weren't meshing well with this newer model of drive. Maybe the update will fix that."

  "Well, since you're talking to people, put one more thing out there for me", I said. "Some AI somewhere may have spotted that pirate ship, or even the Defender. If we can find one of them, we'll probably find the other."

  "I'll put it out on the grapevine, as you call it", she said.

  "Thanks", I said. "We're still okay at this location? I'm concerned about this SpeedLink thing."

  "Not a problem, now", she said. "The system was set by default to automatically send our telemetry to UPDF headquarters. All those UP ships had to do was call HQ and ask them where we were."

  "You still feeding them bogus data?"

  "Yes, I am", she said. "Of course, I have no idea if they are still believing it, though."

  "I'd bet they're still sending someone out to check every new location reading you send them", I said, "Just on the off-chance that one of them is genuine."

  "I'll do my best to keep them busy for a while", she said, and I could hear the humor in her voice. Kyra was right about one thing; AI's did love to pull a fast one on humans.

  "Keep me informed, please", I said, although I knew asking was probably futile; she and the other AIs seemed to relish keeping me in the dark.