“That did not go how I expected,” Brooks said to Vandoss as they walked down the hallway.

Vandoss grunted. “Agreed. Freeman seemed much more interested in sticking it to the Shogs than you.”

Brooks frowned. “Can I speak to Apollonia? I want to check on her.”

“She’s got support personnel with her, including a psychiatrist if she needs it,” the man said. “Though she is now dismissed from the case, and I doubt they’d recall her again. I’ll see if I can get it cleared, owing to her unusual circumstances.”

Brooks did not want to wait – given how Apollonia had reacted to Dr. Logus, how might she react to one of the shrinks here? But now was not a time he could flaunt the rules.

“One moment,” Vandoss said, as a message came in. He gave Brooks a heavy frown. “I need to take this, Ian. I’ll be back shortly.”

The man walked away, and only then did Brooks realize that his sister was down the hall, watching him.

“Maria,” he said warmly, opening his arms.

She approached. Worry creased her face, and she did not move in to hug him. “How are you?” she asked. “How is it going? I was not able to get here earlier, so I haven’t been in to see.”

He turned his offered hug into a shrug. “In all honesty? Very strangely. Nothing here is as it seems. The Chairman and most of the Tribunal seem to be approaching this honestly, but . . .” He trailed off.

“Some people aren’t?” she suggested.

“Right.” He didn’t want to cast suspicion until he knew more, but Advisor Nuuan seemed to have been the instigator of much of the line of questioning about Kell, and everything, well, strange in general. It was quite possible that it was nothing suspicious at all. But he had also somewhat opened the door and helped goad Apollonia into her outburst – an outburst whose ramifications he still did not know.

While the Treaty of Tor was public knowledge, what negotiations, arguments, and concessions had been made in private to the Shoggoths were things he was not privy to.

The reason for Freeman’s interest in the Shoggoths was obvious; but his play was not. Putting them on the defensive did not seem to be aiding his goal of recruiting their help. Or sticking these charges.

“Maria,” he said. “What do you know about the Treaty of Tor?”

Surprise went over her face, but she turned pensive quickly. “Not any more than most. The treaty is not particularly complicated, the Shoggoths were deemed by the Sapient Union’s Supreme Council to have been entitled to half of the Earth, but not beyond. It would have been hell to sort out where and what, but they ceded much of that land to allow normal human activities – aside from deep explorations of the Earth and reserved parts of Antarctica as their homeland. Which I’m very grateful for, because I would have had to be involved in that nightmare otherwise.”

“I know all that. But do you know anything about the negotiations? What do they have to do with Freeman, do you think? I have heard he is not fond of them . . .”

“No, I should think not,” she said with a snorted laugh. “Not after how he was publicly snubbed by their leadership. They agreed to meet with every other head of department except for him. And he was just about the only one excited to meet them.”

“So they avoid him?”

“In an official capacity, it seems that way.”

“Do you have any idea why?”

“No. Ian, why are you asking about this?” concern creased her brow again. “Surely this isn’t important during this hearing. You should be most concerned about yourself right now.”

“It might be,” Brooks said. “There are games being played. Do you know anything about Advisor Nuuan, by any chance?”

“Nothing,” she said. “Other than that he’s a Tribunal member.”

Brooks fell quiet, contemplating. Whatever Freeman wanted with the Shoggoths was not something he could understand with his current knowledge – but Maria was right that he should be concerned with his own outcome. Until he understood more about this, at least.

“Thanks for your help and support,” he told her. “Can you stay? I’d like to talk to you again after this is over.”

She hesitated, but nodded. “I have some time, I can stay.”

“Thank you,” he said again. “I need to check on some other things before the recess is over.”

With a nod, she left, and Brooks went into his private messages. There was a response from Admiral Luoyyani.

“I know very little about Representative Nuuan,” he said. “I have heard of him being appointed to your tribunal, but I am not sure who selected him right now. I can look into it, though – from what I do hear, he is a worm, and I don’t like the stink of this whole thing. It’s a sky-falling shame what they’re accusing you of – I would never believe you’d fail in your duties like that. Should the Earth command find you guilty, I personally guarantee you that there will be a posting worthy of you in the Dessei Republic Fleet – commanding a ship like you should, not put behind a desk!”

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Smiling, Brooks ended the message, and saw that the Admiral was hurrying back towards him.

“Ian,” Vandoss said. The urgency in his voice raised the alarm bells in Brooks’s head.

“I’ve been notified that there’s rumblings of a transfer from your ship,” he said. “A non recusatio.”

Brooks tensed. “Who and where?”

A non recusatio transfer was rare. Most within the Sapient Union were simply an option that people chose to take. Moving around, seeing more of the universe, was highly valued by a people who had every need met, even if that posting was less pleasant than their current one.

But a non recusatio could not be refused. It was a hard order, of the sort often only given to someone who had committed a crime and were being moved into a penal unit, or when a post simply had to be filled immediately.

Vandoss glanced around. “Freeman is making a move to get Apollonia Nor into his fold.”

Brooks sucked in a breath, shocked. “But she’s not even an officer yet.”

“She’s technically a ward of the Voidfleet for six months after her citizenship, to help her acclimate. That is, if she doesn’t become an officer first. But he’s pulling some strings, trying to get that wardship transferred to his division on account of her abilities.”

It didn’t help that she’d just spoken of things far stranger than they had ever expected of any Cerebral Reader.

“She can refuse that . . .”

“It’s why he’s angling for non recusatio. It’s not simply meant to be for her own good, but vital to Union security.”

“He seems to take the concept of ‘security’ quite liberally,” Brooks said acidly.

Vandoss just grunted. “I have friends of my own, Brooks. But get that woman out of here and back onto a fleet ship – I’ll have her papers to you in ten minutes. Get her on a shuttle and into my flagship in the 17th, and I’ll make sure she gets from there to the Craton as fast as possible.”

Brooks nodded, understanding. A transfer could potentially be stopped or stalled, but ultimately it mattered where Apple actually was. If Freeman convinced or tricked her to agree to go, it’d be a much tougher battle.

And he didn’t put it past the man to try.

----------------------------------------

Brooks went into the waiting room to find Apollonia sitting alone.

There had been a number of people outside, court officials and orderlies, including a court psychiatrist. One official had looked as if she had wanted to intercept him, but then thought better of it.

“Apple,” he said. “How are you?”

She looked up, vulnerability on her face for a moment – apparently not having expected to see him.

“I kinda screwed up,” she said. Her voice was a little hoarse, miserable.

“That’s fine,” he said. “I’m just sorry it was difficult for you.”

“People are saying that . . . it’s kind of a big deal,” she said, not meeting his eyes. “I unleashed a shit storm.”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But it’s not important right now. Has anyone been in here to talk to you?”

“Some orderlies asked if I needed anything,” she said.

“Do you?” he asked.

“I told them I wanted an exanorb.”

Brooks paused. “A what?”

“I don’t know, I made it up. I think they’re still trying to figure out what it is, too.” She looked amused for a moment, but then it faded into something like guilt or nervousness. “I guess that was a dumb move, but I just wanted them to leave me alone. The shrink was harder to get rid of.”

“What did you say to him?”

“I told him I didn’t like his face,” she said, suddenly angry. “And to go fuck himself.”

Lashing out when she felt cornered, he recognized. He took a deep breath and pulled up a seat. “I’m sure he went off to do that,” he said to her.

Surprise, then a smile went across her face, and she laughed.

“I didn’t actually say that. They can put you away for that kind of thing,” she said.

“Not in the Sapient Union they can’t,” Brooks told her gently. “You don’t have to worry about that here.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” she said sharply. “You’re not like me, Ian. You, you’re just going to stand there and tell them whatever and they’ll take it because you’re . . . I don’t know, greater than they are? I’m just me.”

“I can’t tell anyone whatever I want,” he said. “I wish I could. You’re bolder with your words than I’ve ever been. And you are special, it’s true. But that doesn’t mean that’s the only part of you that has value here.”

She shrugged, not apparently believing it.

“Has anyone else spoken to you?” he asked carefully.

“No,” she said.

“Good,” he replied. “Now, I need you to listen to me – I’ve got you booked on a shuttle to the Sol Brilliant-“

“The what?” she asked sharply.

“It’s the flagship of the 17th Guards Fleet – Admiral Vandoss commands it, it’s his ship. From there, you’ll get another ship that will bring you to the outer system and the Craton.”

“You’re shipping me back to the Craton?” she asked, alarm in her voice.

“It’s for the best,” he told her. At any moment, he knew, Director Freeman could come through the door and order him out. He would be powerless if that happened.

He did not know if the man would outright lie to her. But Apollonia did not know rules and regulations, and he might be able to trick or persuade her to go with him.

And if that happened he could whisk her off to another system, to a facility of his choosing . . . until the non recusatio transfer was made, and then getting her out again would have to involve numerous bodies of government . . .

“We need to go now,” he said sternly.

“Fine,” she said. She was looking at the floor, and he wasn’t sure why she was upset, but right now was not the time to find out.

He went quickly down the hall – Apollonia seemed to dawdle, though.

“Hurry,” he said.

They got in a lift, and the doors were closing when he saw Freeman down the hall.

“Hold that!” he cried.

Brooks pretended not to hear him.

“Authorization Aleph-Gamma-Winston Niner-Niner Vandoss,” he said.

“What’s that?” Apollonia asked.

“Command code from the Admiral,” he told her. “No one will be able to stop or recall the lift easily – or track where it goes.”

He scrambled the floors the lift would go to, and programmed it to continue on a wild goose chase, going to five other potential hangar locations after they got off. They went to one false option before heading to a minor one.

Apollonia looked concerned as they came to the shuttle bay that was mostly used for cargo, rather than passengers.

“You want me to get on that?” she asked nebulously.

“Yes,” he said. “Vandoss’s ExCom will meet you on the Sol Brilliant and you’ll be among crew of the Craton on the way back. I’m sorry for an inglorious end to your time in the inner system, but-“

“It’s fine,” she said, cutting him off. Her shoulders were hunched, and she was still looking down. “I guess I’ll see you back there.”

Brooks felt a dryness in his throat as she got onto the shuttle, wondering just what fresh damage he had done to the young woman’s psyche.