“Mr. Clay, I am delighted to meet you,” Prevo began finally. “Just to be clear, I will be filing a grievance with Sol Directorate. I’m sure you understand, but legitimate investigation or not, the presence of a Division 5 field agent conducting operations on Notosian soil is an act of war.” He shook his head and made a “tsk tsk” gesture with his finger.
“Chancellor Prevo,” Clay said sarcastically. “Please forgive me for not standing. It’s been a very bad couple of days. As to my presence, I can only apologize. We at Division 5 consider the murder of a Directorate board member and several prominent businessmen by your agent here to be equally offensive.” He gestured to Ursza. “They were your orders, I presume?”
“Officially? I know nothing about it.”
“Unofficially?”
Prevo smiled and nodded. “I learned of Keraunos some months ago. I’m not so foolish as to believe that Locke would openly deal with a government not on the best of terms with his own, but with careful guidance and the right motivation, he finally saw our point of view. Pity what happened to him.”
Two Tokusha troopers picked up Clay and dropped him in a conference room chair next to Prevo. He felt his muscles beginning to tense up again. “You don’t mind if I sit? Cerberus tortured me to death yesterday while I was waiting for you, and I’m afraid it’s not as pleasant as you would think.”
“My apologies, then.” Prevo smiled. “Not to worry, though. You will be treated humanely and given the best medical care as a state prisoner, and I’m sure we can arrange for some sort of agent exchange with your government once the dust settles.”
Clay looked at Ursza, who sat cross-legged on the table, regarding both of them through distant eyes. He still wasn’t sure what was going on. Saleh had assured him there was a plan, but had told him none of the details. He tried to remember the exact words. I don’t want to prejudice your decision. You only need your intuition.
Like hell, Clay thought. Was Ursza really working for Saleh, and had just helped him escape Prevo? Was she working for Prevo and had just led Saleh out of the rooms and into Tokusha custody? Did Prevo know Saleh was alive? Did he even know Saleh existed?
“So, she’s been your tool all along,” Clay tested, poking a thumb at Ursza. “You used her and Keraunos to stir up the factions and the Syndicates into fighting each other for it until they were sufficiently weakened, at which point your ‘warmaster’ here, whom everyone else thinks is a poor victim, manipulates them all in one place and wipes them out for you.” He turned and looked at Ursza accusingly. “Was there ever really a Shard addiction, or was that an act too?”
“Oh, she had a very real addiction, I assure you,” Prevo said, a hint of remorse in his voice.
“Well then, either you’ve got a stockpile of Shard hidden away, or…” His voice trailed off, and his heart sank. He looked back at Ursza. Her expression was still detached and gave nothing away.
“Or I have found the key to breaking the addiction cycle.” Prevo nodded.
“The yorohito training.”
“The refocusing of the mental pathways, producing enough endorphins to override the pain and its unpleasant consequences.”
“Only hers is the corrupted version. Like Vivaine.”
“The downside is, that it takes a tremendous amount of violence kept up over the course of days. Sometimes there just aren’t enough enemies to keep her satiated.” He patted her leg in sympathy. “Then there’s the inevitable insanity, of course. Until she’s finally beaten the withdrawal and her endorphines return to normal she, I believe the classical term is, a berzerker?”
Clay sneered in disgust wondering, beyond Talbott and now Prevo, how many more puppet masters had controlled that girl’s psyche like a broken marionette, and how many were still lurking in the wings? Insanity was inevitable. Hell, she was lucky she was still functioning at all, even as a psychopath. The expression on her face was truly horrifying.
“So now you’ve had your insane murder-ninja take out all of the heads of the competition. Very smart, but surely those organizations aren’t just going to curl up and die.”
“Certainly not,” Prevo said, “but Mother Eye and I, with the help of Warmaster Venter here, have spent the last several weeks sowing the seeds of discord between them. Now, with the strike on Cerberus, and Mother Eye to spin the right version, all trust is gone. All alliances stand on the brink of collapse. After tonight, they’ll fight among themselves for months accusing each other of planning this strike, after all, they’ve all worked with Hei Gezi before. It could have been any of them. Meanwhile, my warmaster watches and quickly does away with any potential alliances or anyone looking to become the next Omari.” He gestured to the woman’s corpse on the floor and smiled. “No, I think it’s safe to say my control over this world has just become much more secure.”
Clay snorted. “That’s exactly where things start falling apart, in my experience.”
“What experience do you have that compares to a feat like this? I am the only one who has been able to consolidate power on this planet. I am the only one who has been able quell the violence and unrest and end the cycle of fear. This has never been done by one man on any planet. Now, with the factions and the rebels under control, the people can be without fear and at pace at last.”
“You’re not even the real Prevo.” Clay winced as he laughed. “You’re a correction Mother Eye issued six years ago. What actually did happen to your predecessor? You’re starting to believe your own press, also supplied to you by Mother Eye, ironically. The planet’s not even close to being what you think it is. No, I think your days are numbered. Maybe not the next rebellion, but possibly the one after that. Your enemies are getting smarter. Eventually one of them is going to get it right.”
“My enemies have a very short lifespan. With the hound of Cerberus neutered and the Eyes of Baal plucked out, there is no protection going forward. It’s only a matter of time before I send my troops into their territories and reclaim them meter by meter.” Prevo smiled and regarded Ursza.
“And you still have Keraunos,” Clay said, still fishing. He was beginning to piece the sequence of events in his mind.
“Yes, there’s still Keraunos. Once you so kindly hand over the real cipher that you so cleverly stole from dear Ursza here, that will be our platform to a legacy of greatness, power, and a wealth undreamed of.”
“Well, you see, I can’t do that. I have very strict orders to kill her and retrieve Keraunos for the Sol Directorate, and I hate disappointing my superiors. Maybe I can’t get the datarod, but it’s nice to know you can’t use it either.”
“And we can’t persuade you to partner with us?”
“I quite literally died refusing to deal with Cerberus yesterday. Do I really need to determine my stubborn dedication to duty again?”
Ursza placed the datarod on the table next to Clay as if challenging him. Prevo regarded it and smiled wickedly. “Cerberus? They’re thugs. What could they promise? I can offer you so much more. Do you really want to spend your final years putting your life on the line for Division 5? Allow me to give you options. What would you like? A continent to govern?”
Clay pretended to be considering the offer while he watched Ursza intently for some clue as to what she expected him to do. She stared back stoically, still without recognition, but he began to see the cracks. A brow that began to sweat for the first time. An eye that was welling up and refusing to shed a tear. She was fighting. As each minute passed, he was more convinced the girl from the shrine, the one he rescued from Prevo once, the one who left him at the terraforming station, was still fighting from behind those cold eyes.
“I never had that craving for power, sir. The only things I might want, you can’t offer me.”
“I’m disappointed.” Prevo frowned. “You seemed a pragmatic man. I would have appreciated your counsel as we finally finish building this world in our image.”
“You could still have a part to perform,” Ursza said with definite strain in her voice. She did not look at him, but subtly gestured to the datarod that sat between them. This must have been Saleh’s plan all along, and Ursza was still playing one final game. This was the “little job” she was doing for Noto Lib. Prevo didn’t know about Saleh, or her betrayal. He really was convinced he was winning.
What was “his part,” though? Clay wondered. Come on, girl, what was Saleh’s plan. Give me a clue, a wink, something to go on. I know you’re in there, fight harder. It couldn’t be Keraunos in exchange for killing Prevo. They had to be kidding. Slowly, he removed the plaser from his pocket and aimed it squarely at Prevo’s head. The two other guards instantly drew plasrifles and aimed at him. Prevo raised a hand and motioned them back.
“So, she did have one last trick up her sleeve,” Prevo nodded to Ursza in respect. “Pity she was incapable of doing the deed herself and had to involve you like this.” He calmly looked from Clay to the Tokusha and back to Clay. “Well, you seem in pretty bad shape, but you might be lucky enough to get off one shot after they gun you down.”
“You really want to put her conditioning to the test right now? I bet she can shuriken those two before you hit the floor.”
“No, my friend,” I know her far better than you. “It took all her strength to keep from telling me you had a gun, and that was simply because she enjoys the rush of knowing violence is coming. Right now, she’s eagerly waiting for my order to snap your neck. You can see it on her face.”
“You would lose any chance of getting the cipher if she did.”
“Kill him, Clay,” Ursza smiled and whispered.
“I can’t just assassinate a head of state, kid,” Clay protested. “I don’t have orders. It would mean war between Notosia and the Sol Directorate. I’m not going to be responsible for all that death.”
“You owe me! I saved your life!”
“I never asked you to. It was supposed to be the other way around.”
“Shall we end this?” Prevo asked sympathetically. “She won’t betray me, but neither has she any qualms about sending you to your death in a futile attempt. Frankly, I’m surprised she had the fortitude to take it this far. We’ll definitely have to adjust her conditioning tomorrow. If only you hadn’t fragged poor Dr. Talbot for her.” He looked at Clay expectantly.
Clay looked at Ursza, confused.
Prevo continued. “Oh, I have no doubt he’s the one got her addicted again. He wanted her to kill me; I wanted her to kill him. Unfortunately, she was conditioned so thoroughly that she was incapable of harming either of us; otherwise, she would have slit his scrawny throat years ago. I always wondered if she was strong enough to put people in his path who would have no qualms about doing her work for her. You must have been like manna from heaven.”
Clay shrugged and set the plasgun on the table. The two guards lowered theirs in return. “So, I may not have any compelling reason to kill you, and you obviously can’t kill me. That means we’re still at a stalemate unless somebody else has an original, new idea for moving things forward.” He looked from Prevo to Ursza expectantly and caught a streak of light on the horizon outside the window. It straightened out and settled on a beeline course straight for them. He recognized it instantly, grabbed the datarod from the table, and barely had time to shout a reflexive warning before the missile struck the balcony and detonated, shattering the transplas with a blast of heat and flame that launched everyone toward the room’s far corner.
Thanks to the heavy table, Prevo, Ursza, and Clay were spared the worst of the blast. The guards standing against the walls were not so lucky. Clay slid on his side along the floor and impacted the wall behind him. His already useless muscles protested as he tried to right himself and get his knees under him. The datarod was still secure in his hand. Ursza was already up and at Prevo’s side, checking him for signs of injury.
In the distance, an aircar sped along the skyline, heading directly for their position. Ursza frantically pushed Prevo toward the conference room exit, then nodded to Clay, pointing to the aircar. As she and the Chancellor exited the room, the full intent of her plan came into focus. She knew the attack was coming, that was why she meticulously placed the datarod on the table beside him right before the missile hit. Amid the carnage, she had handed him Keraunos, knowing he had already secured the cipher.
The door shut as soon as she dragged Prevo into the hall outside, leaving Clay and the unconscious Tokusha for dead. With every ounce of strength and every muscle screaming, he got himself to his feet as the aircar, driven by Tarek Saleh, screamed up to the terrace outside, its door opening, allowing him to climb in.
“Mr. Clay, it’s nice to see you again,” Saleh said as he motioned Clay inside. “I see your instincts are as good as ever. I have orders from our mutual friend to get you to the starport and on your way home as soon as possible. I assume you’re okay with this despite the incompleteness of your mission?”
“More than satisfactory, Mr. Obryn,” Clay confirmed and collapsed into the passenger seat. As dusk settled and they made their way for the starport, he could see that several city blocks were currently in flames. “What’s happening down there?”
“The first chink in Prevo’s armor. Mother Eye boldly announced Prevo made a major move against the syndicates and resistance movements. He doesn’t realize that, many of his citizens are protectorates and sympathizers who hate and fear him more than they do the underworld and rebel factions, however. This is the elastic snapping back. The next few weeks will be very interesting for this world.”
“So that massacre wasn’t you?”
“That massacre was a compromise. Prevo ordered Ursza to assemble the factions so they could take them all out at once. He didn’t know I already controlled the bulk of the most powerful ones. All she had to do was let me escape.”
“So does he control her or doesn’t he?”
“I’m afraid he does. Talbot figured out the Shard allowed her to break her conditioning, and her conditioning allowed her to beat Shard withdrawal. He kept her addicted for his own needs, meanwhile, she was using the temporary sanity to plot both Talbot and Prevo’s downfall.”
“I recorded the formula with my ocular implant when I was in Talbot’s office. I’ll give it to you. You can make more. Bring her back. Help her.”
“She is already gone, Mr. Clay, and she wants it this way. The girl who helped us was a temporary aberration, a lapse in judgment. She told me the night you brought her to us to leave her there, change all of the safehouses she knew about, and forget any plans she was privy to. She said the girl who helped set all this up was dead, and we should make no attempts to rescue her. I, for one, will respect that, and I definitely won’t allow anyone to endure what I saw that girl go through these last few weeks. If I ever find that formula, I will destroy it, for her sake and the sake of everyone who was ever a slave to that awful drug.”
Clay fought back anger. Whether the pain was gone or not, like the yorohito, he hated leaving her like this. “She found honor on this planet,” he begrudgingly admitted, “and told him to abandon her.”
“You have the data, and you can get to your cipher,” Saleh continued. “You will get Keraunos away from here. She was very insistent on that much.”
“It’s all arranged, yes.”
“I’ll let Prevo’s empire burn tonight. He has conveniently removed the last of my opposition. What remains of their forces may yet rally to our cause. Then, tomorrow, I will call for order and begin to unite the people under one mission and purpose: to take down Prevo together.”
“To what end? Are you really prepared to make this a free society? A democracy? A corporatocracy? A communal government? Will they get to choose?”
Saleh regarded Clay for a moment. The only thing people know is what Mother Eye has shown them. Now, I think they’re cynical and distrustful of everything else. Any form of government will be a tough sell to most. We only know it won’t be the whim of one man, and no one will censor it.”
He brought the aircar into a rapid descent and landed it in front of the main entrance to the Nakano starport. “Here is where I leave you.” He handed Clay an identicard. “You have a seat on the Express Shuttle Anago. This diplomatic ID will get you onto the jump station, but I would ditch it once you arrive. Despite Prevo’s blustering, the station remains neutral territory in this system. The station isn’t directly hooked to Mother Eye and doesn’t answer to Prevo. You should still be able to resume your Girard cover identity to get you onto a ferry and back to Directorate Space.”
“Good enough,” Clay said, extending a hand to Saleh. “Thank you.”
“Good luck, Mr. Clay.”
“To both of us, sir.” The two shook hands and Saleh sped off into the night, back toward the flames of the metroplex.
Clay limped through the starport and immediately made sure his face was not on any wanted posters following his prior visit before he even checked the departure boards. Sure enough, it showed the Anago, leaving in one hour from Bay 27. He flashed his credentials at the security checkpoint and was instantly waived through. He reached the gate and checked in. The clerk at the kiosk scanned his ticket and directed him to a seating area. Unbelievably, everything had worked. Once at the Excipio gate station, he was outside of Notosian jurisdiction. He could find a transfer office, move credits from the mission expense account, and buy a ticket home. He could even risk contacting Division and requesting a new alias if it appeared the Girard cover was getting too much scrutiny.
He was finally getting off this insane planet.
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