As Tony’s mind intertwined with my own controlling my movements, I wondered what Calista knew or might be close to discovering that would compel someone to attempt to kill her, especially on a planet where women are supposed to be safe. I sensed in Tony’s mind as he reflected over the last three days. My legs carried me as quickly as my body could manage.
Tony was unwilling to deactivate my deflector shields to allow more available quantum power to support my other systems. There seemed to be no need to evade detection as the enforcer mechs completely disregarded my presence even when I fired on them or otherwise attempted to hunt them down. They seemed to refuse to waste ammo on me nor waste any time not moving towards Calista. My hands fired my stolen phase rifle again and again, until all the ammo was gone. My hands then replaced exhausted weapons with more stolen weapons and each attack only eliminated the slowest enforcer mechs, which only slowed to avoid debris and wait for other mechs to vacate an occupied pathway. I could hear gunfire coming from inside the wreckage, and estimated that Calista was still alive and able to fight off the onslaught on mechs that harassed her. The mechs showed no concern for their own self preservation and their only goal was to relentlessly kill their target. Even if I had ran away, at least Calista had a fighting chance. I wondered if I had not been there, if Calista would have survived the crash or the first attack from the mechs.
I was now within sight of the final cart. My eyes looked at the phase rifle, which could kill maybe three or four mechs before it exhausted its ammo. I definitely didn’t have enough phase or stun ammo to stop all of these mechs, as they rushed into the rear cart. I imagined that each moment that passed could mean a mech catching Calista or shooting her with volley of bullets, with risk of certain death increasing with each time she searched for ammo, evaded attacks, or looked for time to fight back. Then I heard mechs moving inside the monorail wreck from the direction the front, moving towards Calista. Both Tony and I wondered if she knew. I wanted to yell, I tried to call out Calista’s name, but nothing came out, with Tony’s grip over my mind.
“I have an idea. But this is something I’ve never tried before.”, Tony’s thoughts reached me through the cyberlink.
My hands dropped the phase rifle, and my hand furthest from the wreck reached out to the mechs. While they were far out of my arm’s reach, that didn’t seem to be a factor for Tony’s mind. As if I were passing my hand through a hologram of falling water and could sense each mech trying to obey the command, “Attack Calista and anything that gets in the way!” From the far corners of Tony’s mind and passing through my cybernetics, that command changed to, “Attack enforcer mechs!”
The response from the mechs was slow at first. Some mechs twitched and shuttered, some mechs completely stopped moving. Slowly each enforcer mech change the target of its attacks to another mech. Some mechs fired their weapons at each other, when they exhausted their ammo they either attempted to reload or they attempted fight in close combat. Some mechs ripped each other apart, smashing into each other, and no matter how much damage they each sustained they continued to attack. My body turned towards the front of the of the monorail and I sensed Tony’s mind reach out again, and he turned the remaining mechs against each other as well. I could hear the sounds of gunfire and smashing metal, and then nothing.
“Why didn’t you just tell them to stop?”, I sent my question through the cyber-link.
“They were sabotaged. ‘Attack’, was the only command in their memory. They are also missing all their tactics and strategies. They aren’t even using a basic search pattern. They probably can’t even open doors. I have to disconnect now.”, Tony’s thoughts reached me through the cyber-link, and then quiet, as we disconnected.
“Calista! I’m clear, I think we got them all.”, I yelled out.
“Jhessyreen! I’m clear. I’m climbing out.”, Calista yelled back.
From the rear cart of the wreckage, I could hear the sound of Calista pushing disabled enforcer mechs. Enforcer mech heads, arms, and legs fell over and I finally saw Calista. She was covered in cuts, scrapes, and bruises. Her silk courtroom suit was torn and burned. I deactivated my deflector shields.
“Where are the emergency rescue drones?”, Calista asked.
“I haven’t seen any.”, I replied.
“That’s strange. They should have shown up by about now. The risk to both passengers and anyone nearby the crash site has a ninety-nine percent chance of being a woman.”, Calista replied, as she examined the area around the rear of the crash site.
“What reasons would activate emergency drones?”, I asked.
“Drug overdose, suicide, attempted suicide, medical emergency for the elderly, and dead or dying pets.”, Calista replied.
“That sort of answers the question. A catastrophic failure of infrastructure on a planet that’s safe for women wouldn’t be expected, especially involving self correcting technology. We’re lucky the monorail had enough built-in safety mechanisms.”, I replied.
“So we’re on our own then? Where do we go?”, Calista asked.
“If you need to go to the hospital then just go, but we did just fight off wave after wave off malfunctioning enforcer mechs. We were supposed to report in.”, I said.
“I don’t think I would be safe with either of those.”, Calista said.
“What makes you think that?”, I asked.
“This is the third attempt on my life, I’m sorry you’re getting involved. I thought abandoning every lead except for my assigned case would resolve this. But whoever wants me dead isn’t going to stop, and they’re trying to make it look like an accident. I think they’re watching the courtroom, my home, maybe even following me. I don’t know who to trust. I have nowhere to go.”, Calista said.
“Just to be clear. I don’t care about what you got going on, but whoever tried to kill you just tried to kill me. Three attempts is definitely a pattern, but three attempts and they still can’t hit you? That’s just not how we do business on the Something Clever. What I’m trying to say is you might have something we want, that means we can make a deal. My first question is, How do you feel about faking your own death?”, I asked.
“What do I do?”, Calista asked.
“Do you got something called a phone or device that is unique to you?”, I asked, as I returned Calista’s badge.
Calista presented a small rectangular object that appeared to be an electronic device.
“Good, cover it in some of your blood, smash it, and leave it here. Find a mostly intact enforcer mech, put some of your blood on it’s hands. Make whoever set up the attack, think they got away with it. Assume your money is no good anymore, anything that can prove you’re alive, or give away your location, don’t use it. Unless you’re actually dying, then you’ll have to risk it.”, I said to Calista, as she dropped her badge on the ground.
Calista seemed to listen to me as a matter of life and death. I was surprised at how Tony’s plans were so versatile, and I could easily copy them.
“But what if they figure it out?”, Calista asked.
“You’re not the the one looking for you! Someone else who doesn’t know you will be looking for you. How many times has a Huntress needed to vanish to evade assassination? Who on this planet is ready for that?”, I argued.
“Good point. Then what?”, Calista asked as she relented.
“Why would someone want to kill you? Something to do with the trial case?”, I asked.
“I don’t think so, not if this attack is connected to the two previous attempts.”, Calista replied as she theorized.
“Well this method of trying to make it look like an accident is unfamiliar to me. I only know one assassin on Venus. You’ll need to speak with the Phantom, we have one crew member waiting with our ship. But be aware, I would be hesitant to let you hide in the ship or grant you asylum. The Phantom already has enemies.”, I said.
“What will you do?”, Calista asked.
“I need to report in. If my theory is correct. Whoever sent the enforcer mechs only sabotaged them and isn’t watching. The other monorail stations didn’t have passengers boarding, only any exiting, and launched the attack when rescue would be unlikely. If I’m now a target, then the safest place for me is in the Senate. But more than likely, whoever was behind this attack doesn’t know I’m even here. If anyone asks, I’ll say that you were trapped in the Monorail but I got out…to look for help.”, I said.
“And no one can accuse you of lying without revealing they sent the mechs. That’s smart. How many times has your crew done this before?”, Calista asked.
“From this side of the attack? None. We’re normally the ones who are shooting, throwing explosives, and planning a getaway.”, I said, but I was lying.
I suspected that whoever wanted to kill Calista, could also see the Cooperative’s reports from other Huntresses, and could therefore also see the Cooperatives files on me. The only people on this planet who can do that are Huntresses, which would mean the only possible threat is from another Huntresses. If Huntresses are trying to kill each other, Ylisaya’s and Tony’s vision was turning our to be true.
Calista dropped her phone, the phase rifle, and vanished into a section of jungle, which would allow her to move quickly and avoid being noticed. Such a move is possible during the day, but dangerous at night because the jungle floor is soft and uneven. Any injury that would put Calista in a hospital would also reveal her location. I followed the monorail track to another monorail station and waited for the next monorail to bring me to the Senate.
When I arrive at the Senate I found several Senators and Huntresses. Almost no-one noticed that I had been in a monorail crash, or were simply too busy to notice. My deflector shields meant I was only in slightly better shape than workers who were ordered to remain in the Senate since Saressah’s surprise announcement. I suspected if anyone who wasn’t allowed to leave the Senate tried to see how far they would get before the enforcer mechs responded, or how the mechs might respond. I wasn’t sure who expected me within the Senate, so I headed towards Meiyo’s office. So far so good, no one was trying to stop me, at least not trying to kill me, so I concluded whoever tried to kill Calista either had not yet considered me to be a threat to them or at least did not have a plan to kill me within the Senate. I imagined my deflector shields could stop two or three hits from a phase rifle, but fired too fast for me to just rely on my shields. But a Huntress could just as easily attack with an energy blade and overload my shields in one hit. I considered it foolish to assume that the Senate was immune from sabotage, without knowing the identity of the killer.
When I reached Meiyo’s office, I found the office open but it seemed empty of any people. I hesitated to walk inside, and a feeling in the corner of my mind calculated the chances of walking into the office might be a trap, either for me or Meiyo. I was reminded of the time when Tony fought the Black Dragon Enforcer. I sensed someone was approaching.
“Are you still a Huntress?”, Meiyo asked me as soon as she saw me.
I was stunned that I could be reporting if I were not a Huntress. Meiyo was wearing her Tri-tech armor and she only wore a hand a handgun hanging from her belt. Meiyo walked into her office and gestured for me to follow her.
“I was thinking about resigning, but I’m guessing new opportunities are opening.”, I replied, as I followed Meiyo.
“Good guess. Half of the Huntresses resigned, so any opportunities I have are just their dropped cases.”, Meiyo said, and I suspected she wasn’t telling the entire truth.
“How does that affect the Cooperative?”, I asked.
“Well we didn’t have enough Huntresses, last year, last month, or last week, so nothing changed there. But for the Senate, this means additional debate. Some in the Senate want to keep the promise of freedom which might break the Cooperative, some want to place control of the Huntresses directly under Senate and set us on the path towards giving power to the Patriarchy, and some want to deal with the real problem and forcibly implant mind control technology in the last non-cyborg slaves. The biggest issue right now is keeping our budget.”, Meiyo said, as she sat down in the chair behind her desk.
“How are a few thousand slaves the problem? What’s the connection?”, I asked.
“The strategy is a gamble. Rewriting the minds of the last thinking males on Venus proves that the Patriarchy cannot protect them. If the Patriarchy cannot protect a few thousand, then no one can expect them to protect a planet. When the Cooperative becomes the only valid government, that makes a lack of huntresses, six women murdered, or even infinite debt tax into problems that do not require solutions, because life has no other alternative and the Cooperative turns more into a cult.”, Meiyo said, and I couldn’t determine which path she supported.
“Sounds like you don’t like any of those results.”, I replied.
“I stopped caring about the Cooperative when they started sending Huntresses to kidnap girls. We robbed them of any other future, in exchange for a few more years before our extinction. I only came back because I need an army. Before I left, both Mars and Venus had an army for me to command, but now Mars’ was lost to betrayal, and the Venus’ command codes were stolen. So where do I get an army now?”, Meiyo asked, as she activated her workstation.
I suspected Meiyo knew more about the stolen command codes, but revealing I knew about the assassination attempt against Calista would link me to any of her suspicions. It was possible that Meiyo didn’t even yet know about Calista, but I wasn’t sure who to trust yet. I thought it was odd, that she mentioned needing an army so casually. An army would be useful now that the command codes were stolen, and could have been really useful against the Black Dragons, but they just disbanded. I began thinking she might have told Tony, and suspected talking to one of us implied knowledge to the other. She could only logically say this if she knew the enforcer mechs had been compromised. I decided not to press her.
“I once heard from an Earthborn that once is bad luck, twice is coincidence, but three times is a pattern. Now only one planet has an available army.”, I said.
“Earth… and that’s no coincidence. I’ll need to consult the President. Are you able to continue investigating the Star?”, Meiyo asked, as she accessed records in her workstation.
“I imagined that’s why I was summoned, but I should also let you know my next report will include my resignation.”, I said to Meiyo.
Meiyo turned the display of her workstation towards me, stood up, and started walking towards the door.
“The interviews with the crew of the Mermaid were just filed into records. You can send them to the Something Clever if you want a copy. Buy Mykayla’s still in interview. I need to meet the Sisterhood Union, they’re offering security consultants, and I’ll have no time to review the interviews.”, Meiyo said, as she walked out of her office.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
I felt like I was being watched. I opened the first available file and I saw Vickessah sitting at a table, and her image looked right back at me and then she looked around the room. I suspected the camera was set on the table, and the interviewer sat or stood behind the camera.
“How long were you Chief Medical Officer of the Mermaid?”, I heard a woman’s voice ask through the video.
“Since the Parasite wars, but we just call the job, ‘Ship’s Medic’. Rylkonians are not as obsessed with titles and privilege.”, Vickessah replied, implying that the interviewer was an Earth born.
“Are you aware of any attempts to prevent the Cooperative from acquiring Rylkonian genetic material?”, the interviewer asked.
“Yes, the Protectorate would never allow that.”, Vickessah said as she almost laughed, but she was more puzzled than amused.
“Why wouldn’t the Protectorate want women from Venus to raise Rylkonian children?”, the interviewer asked.
“Well I can think of a few reasons. Rylkonians rely on space travel, but the Cooperative won’t let them leave. The Cooperative copied the one gender policy from the Ugian Emperor Xi-Ji-Pooh, the Golden Bear, Earth’s history is easily available. So all of these new Rylkonians will be girls, in thirty mega-cycles they’ll have the same exact problem, again. We don’t even know if the Protectorate will still be here, so that leaves only one alternative, they’ll try to mate with Earthborn males. We don’t even know if the’ll remain under the control of the Cooperative, the opposing political movement on this planet is the Patriarchy and the next closest faction with healthy males are space pirates. All Rylkonians are cyborgs to some degree, we are born that way. So the risk is cyborg space pirates, nobody wants that! There are just under one-hundred-thousand women with parental licenses, who haven’t had children yet. If the Cooperative relaxes the requirements for eligibility, then the women who either just adopted or recently had a child and are also the most influential, will see their children treated unfairly in the Cooperative’s new society. If the Cooperative keeps the requirements, these Rylkonians will become a minority, and there’s no guarantee they will be a privileged minority. And I’m just a medic, the Protectorate has definitely considered the consequences of Rylkonians beyond their control and protection.”, Vickessah said, and the recording ended.
I activated the next interview, and saw Janodine’s image on the display. Janodine leaned to one side as she ran her fingers through her dark hair.
“How long have you been the Chief Engineer of the Mermaid?”, the interviewer asked.
“Eight mega cycles ago, after my teacher took an assignment on Orion Station.”, Janodine said, as she seemed unenthusiastic to speak to the interviewer.
There was a long pause after Janodine’s reply and she seemed puzzled and annoyed with the interviewer as she looked in the interviewer’s direction.
“Five years!”, Janodine added, as she realized the interviewer didn’t know how to convert Rylkonian measurements.
“Are you aware of any attempts to prevent the Cooperative from acquiring Rylkonian genetic material?”, the interviewer asked.
“Well, why does the the Cooperative need any?”, Janodine asked.
“Are you aware the planet is severely under populated?”, the interviewer demanded.
“I’m sorry, it sounds like you’re asking me if I care that a planet with a population that’s ninety-nine percent female, has a problem with under-population? I heard some funny words that fit perfectly. If the Cooperative wants to be patriarchal, dogmatic, and draconian, I’m not a Cooperative citizen, I don’t care what the Cooperative does on their planet, even if it leads to your extinction. The only reasons the Cooperative can’t solve this problem is because they promised freedom from Patriarchy, forcing pregnancy is slavery, and this planet some how still offers unlimited maternity days. Now that’s a riddle an engineer will never solve! But odds are ninety-nine percent of workers will not need any, if they can’ even apply for a parental license.”, Janodine said, with no fear of any consequence.
“Are you suggesting that we waste our planet’s limited resources raising non-contributors?”, the interviewer asked.
“Right now you’re planet’s problem is lack of any contributors. Nobody says, ‘I wanna move to Venus so I can die alone.’ They think they can build a future, and one percent will succeed and escape. The Cooperative sends me and my crew to bring back the other ninety-nine percent, who haven’t earned that. The Cooperative is paying to protect their credibility and their investment. I know this is true because working on the Mermaid pays very well.”, Janodine said.
“You’re heartless!”, the interviewer accused Janodine.
“I’m heartless?…If no-one finds them in time, they get caught by space pirates, who will take their babies away, and force them into slavery or prostitution. Their daughters will suffer that same exact fate, and their sons will become future space pirates if they survive. Sending them back to a planet that will have them is all the mercy the Protectorate can offer to a Non-Protectorate citizen. I’m not the one telling them if they fail a psychological or financial test, that their children aren’t good enough to be part of your planet’s future but still owe the Cooperative a tax-debt. So you tell me who’s heartless?”, Janodine argued.
“Why wouldn’t the Protectorate want women from Venus to raise Rylkonian children?”, the interviewer asked.
“Seriously? Ninety-seven percent of your women fail your test. I know I don’t want to take your test, just to tell me that I have a healthy body, mind, and enough money to have kids. If Rylkonians take your test, we only add validation to a system we don’t believe in. If these Rylkonian daughters take your test, we can’t stop you from making the test more lenient or strict to fit some political agenda or spread some narrative we don’t support. You can’t guarantee you’ll protect them. I’m not aware of a single Rylkonian woman who would want her daughter to go through that.”, Janodine said.
“We’re not talking about Rylkonian daughters from Rylkonian mothers. This is about genetic material that comes from Rylkonian men. The women of Venus will be the mothers.”, the interviewer argued.
“I think you’re making a lot of assumptions about Rylkonian men. What makes you think a cyborg who can access the collective knowledge of our entire race, can be fooled more than twice? Even if you offered all the wealth in your economy, and promised to dedicate your lives to the prosperity of these children, Rylkonian men already know it’s safer to keep our races separate, because Rylkonian women already know the risks. This is not rejection of your society, we’re simply asking you to respect our society.”, Janodine protested, and the interview ended.
I activated the third interview and saw an image of a Rylkonian man of the Ayrada’an clan. He stroked his silvery beard, and his other arm curled around the opposite elbow. His eyes seemed to watch the interviewer who was out of the the view of the camera.
“What is your name?”, the interviewer asked.
“Rydako Ayrada’an.”, the man said.
“What is your job on the Mermaid?”, the interviewer asked.
“I’m the Supply Chief.”, Rydako said.
“And what does a Supply Chief do on a gunship?”, the interviewer asked.
“Fuel, cargo, payroll, and the kitchen.”, Rydako replied.
“So the engineer, medic, gunner, and cook need you to do their jobs?”, the interviewer asked.
“I am the cook.”, Rydako said, and the interview ended.
I thought it was strange to end Rydako’s interview because if anyone on a gunship could figure out if the ship was involved in an attack without direct knowledge, the supply chief has the highest chances of success, because the supply chief will see which weapons were used. Anyone else will have to be present and participating to achieve a gunship’s optimal performance. I’d never expect Rydako to betray his ship, captain, and crew, but a good cook makes life on a gunship significantly better. I activated the fourth interview and saw an image of Kellenra, sitting straight and flat in the chair in the interview room. Kellenra’s eyes examined the room around her.
“How long have you been the First Officer of the Mermaid?”, the interviewer asked.
“Five years ago, when I first became a Huntress.”, Kellenra said.
“What was your job before that?”, the interviewer asked.
“I was the Captain of the Mermaid.”, Kellenra said.
“How did you lose the title of Captain?”, the interviewer asked.
“I didn’t lose anything. Being a Huntress pays better. The Mermaid had another Second-class-citizen, who was eligible for Captain and because he isn’t employed by the Cooperative he can be the overseer of the Venus colony infrastructure. If I kept the Captain job, I’d give myself a conflict of interest, the stress of a third job, and lower earnings.”, Kellendra said.
“Are you aware of any attempts to prevent the Cooperative from acquiring Rylkonian genetic material?”, the interviewer asked.
“How does a Rylkonian give away the secrets of our blood? How does a Rylkonian say its fine to give a barbaric race an opportunity to collect a sample to design weapons against Rylkonians? If the Cooperative has the ability to manufacture Rykonians, once they buy a viable genetic sequence, what would stop the Cooperative from selling Rylkonians? Consider another possibility. My crew includes four Huntresses. We already know the Cooperative plans to replace us, at least the three of us who are Protectorate Citizens. I think it’s ironic your plan is to grow a solution instead of just hiring bounty hunters who would love to offer competing bids for work. But if the Cooperative had it’s own Rylkonians, they could control their own Rylkonian Huntresses without any Protectorate oversight, and if nothing is stopping the Cooperative from abusing this capability, why not just combine these new cyborgs with the army of enforcer mechs? Those are all the questions you forgot to ask.”, Kellenra argued.
“Why do you think the Protectorate doesn’t trust the Cooperative with Rylkonian children?”, the interviewer asked.
“Because we watch you. The Cooperative wants power, control, privilege, and titles, looking for any opportunity to further their ambitions. We watched you flee the Earth, because you claimed the governments there were too corrupt. But then you traded away the futures and lives of your male slaves to exchange them for more opportunities for female citizens, and now you want to exchange these female citizens for Rylkonian females. Are you noticing a pattern? We don’t want to curse another Rylkonian with a life of betrayal and suffering.”, Kellenra argued.
“But that doesn’t stop your ship and crew from taking contracts that oppose Protectorate interests.”, the interviewer objected.
“That’s not us, those contracts come from the Cooperative, which are insured by the Cooperative…barely. If we took contracts from the Protectorate’s brokers, that’s a conflict of interest for my Captain. The Protectorate is well aware there’s a risk in Rylkonians taking opposing contracts versus other Rylkonians, which is why they employ brokers and sell insurance policies. If we participated exclusively in that system, we can’t share this Rylkonian built colony with Earthborn colonists. Otherwise, we might have to evict the planet, and if the population drops far enough and risks waste and trade shortages, I may suggest my Captain make that recommendation to the Protectorate. That will be the first time you see the Protectorate abandon a trade partner. Don’t insult me again.”, Kellenra said, as the interview ended.
I activated the fifth and final interview, and I saw the image of Captain Rythizon. His golden hair was cut short, but the image was unusually dark, the camera seemed to have trouble keeping Rythizon in focus.
“Hi, I’m Lisella, and I’m really honored to meet you.”, the interviewer said, but her tone seemed sweet and inviting, completely unlike her previous interviews.
“Hello, Lisella. I just want to say my crew is only entertaining these interviews as a diplomatic courtesy.”, Rythizon said.
“This doesn’t need to be so formal. Let’s make this a game. My job is to ask you questions. How about we take turns asking questions and get to know each other?”, Lisella asked.
“I want my crew released immediately, and I’ll allow it.”, Rythizon asked, as he suspiciously looked around the room.
“Done. Mykayla will be released as soon as her interview is finished. So now that’s up to her. The others are free to go now. Will that suffice?”, Lisella asked.
“It’s a start. Is there something wrong with the lights? Why are you using candles in here?”, Rythizon asked.
“I don’t get to meet celebrities in my line of work, so I don’t think the same methods are appropriate. Are you hungry? What do you feel like eating?”, Lisella asked.
“But I’m not a celebrity, and not really hungry either. We both know my crew and I are not guilty of anything. It’s some kind of joke to treat us like criminals. Did you forget Rylkonians can share our collective knowledge?”, Rythizon asked.
“Nobody is joking, and nobody is being deprived of their freedom. I was surprised when I found out, but the Cooperative needs you on our side. We are about to lose a political election. We made a mistake. We thought our two peoples would naturally become one, stronger than either was before. But every time we requested the Protectorate take a look at our offer, you rejected it, and every time we tried to bring our case directly to the Protectorate’s council, they promoted you. Now you’re the most powerful man on a planet intended for women. Don’t you think that means the Cooperative’s success is exactly the reason they sent you here, and empowered you to that goal?”, Lisella asked.
“You make a lot of assumptions about my job. First, my citizenship hasn’t changed, only my pay rate and work load. This planet makes me work harder with every law you vote on. Originally my job was to spy on the planet after we handed it over to you Earth born to make sure it doesn’t turn into a base for space pirates. We were expecting problems, but nobody could have predicted the Cooperative. Second, the colony was never designed for just women. So when you say “two people become one people”, I know it’s a lie. I know you’re hiding the way you treat men. I watched you kill them, I watched you evict them, I watched you blame them for everything wrong on the planet Earth, and then say they have no right to rule Venus. I reported that to the Protectorate when the Cooperative took to power, and I stand by my report today. We already gave you a new planet to colonize, freedom to govern yourselves, and no taxes besides whatever you vote on. Why should we throw our children into your failing system?”, Rythizon asked.
“Why can’t you see the opportunity here? The Protectorate clearly wants the colonies to be successful. Why else send a ship to protect us from space pirates? Imagine how receptive the Cooperative and all of her citizens will be if the Protectorate replaces the genetic material that was destroyed on the Star. That’s the whole point of interstellar trade. Everybody wins. Don’t you want to be a hero?”, Lisella asked.
That’s when I had the thought, “It’s no wonder now why the Mermaid keeps double-crossing us, they keep taking contracts from the Cooperative.”
“Hero is a title earned through sacrifice, a hero is not bought and sold. There are sources for genetic material on Earth, Mars, and Mercury, that can save Venus from under-population, for just a fraction of the price you offered the Protectorate. You can even try to use the few slaves you have left to save even more money, and the Department of Genetic Research, can make them successful contributors and the Cooperative can lead Venus to her full potential. Why do these children need to be Rylkonian?…Actually I withdraw the question, I already know the answer. They’ll automatically have Protectorate Citizenship and now I have a better question to ask. Do you have a better plan than copying a TV show? My entire crew has watched Contest of Crowns Season Four. What makes you think these Rylkonian children can serve on a Protectorate Council?”, Rythizon demanded.
“Well if we’re going discuss hopes and dreams, if just one can prove her worth and join the Council, with the support of the entire Cooperative’s economy, when the full Rylkonians like you return home, the true rulers of the Protectorate will be loyal to Venus and our vision. Who is better suited to fill the power vacuum left behind by the Rylkonians?”, Lisella asked.
“It seems you don’t understand the meaning of a Protectorate system of government. We are the servants of our society, not the rulers. I think you either forgot or are choosing to ignore the number of Earth born colonists who are third class citizens. Allowing one planet’s vision to rule over the Protectorate would betray the fundamental values of the Protectorate. When we leave, the Protectorate’s future is up to the Earth born. Why would be let one planet enslave the others?”, Rythizon asked.
“Do you honestly believe there is no risk of a space pirate evolving into a warlord? Your people are right to want to avoid risk, but those threats can just wait till you’re gone or move onto the next opportunity. When you leave, the pirates will rule this space unchallenged and uncontested. We need a government that can command a fleet to keep the pirates suppressed. If the Rylkonians are truly dedicated to the colonies, then what is the Protectorate’s response to the growing threat of space pirates, when the Rylkonians leave us?”, Lisella asked.
“The space pirates are not our problem to solve, not until they interfere with our survival. They have just as much right to live the way they want. But if the Cooperative will listen this time, we just haven’t decided yet. Maybe Earthborn are just cursed to suffer and become tyrants. Maybe correct allocation of resources, opportunities, and privileges, will enable the right people to lead your society to greatness. Or maybe the Dread Pirate Ryfez is right. Have you given any thought to the effects if the public became aware that the Cooperative blew up the Star of Hope to hide the fact that it was empty, and the money has been spent paying off the Cooperative’s debts? Or if we tell them nobody approved the sale?”, Rythizon asked.
“If we fail that’s on us, but if you cause us to fail, then what’s your plan when the Protectorate asks what happened to their colony? Our proof is there was one invisible ship with enough firepower flying around when the Star was destroyed. We already know the Protectorate can exonerate you, your ship, and crew. But we also know we have more time to waste. There’s a chance however slight, the Protectorate will replace you with another second class citizen. We might not get justice, but we didn’t really want that. We want a future with the Protectorate. That’s worth the risk.”, Lisella argued, as the interview ended.
I made a copy of the recordings, and Meiyo’s workstation revealed a data stick from the center of the desk. I felt a strange satisfaction watching the Cooperative double-cross the crew of the Mermaid, and the Mermaid essentially failed to blackmail the Cooperative. I wasn’t thrilled with the fact that the Cooperative is willing to blame anyone, and even frame them for major crimes. But the Cooperative effectively calculated the odds that they will never get caught. I wondered if Meiyo knows, or if she even had the time to learn this fact. Meiyo seemed to have gambled correctly, the Something Clever doesn’t have enough time to fully investigate this situation. Even if we sent copies to the Protectorate, that will not remove the Cooperative, because the Protectorate will not want to replace them. If Meiyo thought I was a threat, she wouldn’t or shouldn’t reveal anything to me. But if she was offering leverage over the Mermaid and her crew incentivizes me to report a guilty verdict, but might create an opportunity for the Cooperative to demand Rylkonian genetic material.
I stared at the data stick, thinking about the possible conclusions. The other huntresses and enforcer mechs in the Senate still didn’t turn hostile towards me, at least not yet. I estimated my chances of reaching the monorail station, now that my location is known. While I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of putting myself back into risk of another monorail crash or attacked by compromised enforcer mechs, changing my behavior might alert anyone that I know someone is killing Huntresses. I looked out of Meiyo’s window and I asked myself if I was willing to gamble the against the odds the assassins wouldn’t risk collateral damage after they just tried to kill me for standing next to Calista.
It’s terrifying when you know someone hired an assassin, but you don’t know who they are or where they are, and don’t even know if you’re the target.