Mark Tiedemann - Mirage

He punched another code into the terminal. "Imbitek Corporation, how may I direct your call?" said a synthetic voice, ungendered and inoffensive.

"I'd like to speak to the manager in charge of the refit at Union Station."

Derec waited while the AI system rolled the request around for a few seconds and decided what to do with it. Finally, it said, "One moment, please, while I connect you."

The moment became nearly a minute before a human voice, male, answered.

"This Iva Kusk. How can I help you?"

"This is Derec Avery of the Phylaxis Group, Mr. Kusk. I understand that Imbitek is installing new systems into Union Station."

"Phylaxis… ah, the robot people. Yes, we are. It's my understanding that you've been removed from the project."

"That remains to be seen, sir. We have a contract to service the RI-"

"Which is no longer functioning, am I correct?" Kusk interjected.

"Well-"

"Imbitek received an exclusive contract pursuant to the failure of the current system. It's my understanding that the RI suffered total collapse. Under those circumstances, you have nothing to service."

"The positronics still need to be removed. I ought to oversee that, at least," Derec countered.

"We're not removing it, the Solarians are. Take it up with them. As far as Imbitek is concerned, you have nothing to concern yourself with."

"Nevertheless-"

"Nevertheless, Mr. Avery," Kusk said sharply, "I think you know that we shouldn't even be discussing this matter. Sorry I can't be of more help, but when Special Service lays down the law, we're not inclined to go around them. So, if there's nothing else…"

"Should you find yourself running into difficulties with some of those systems, Mr. Kusk, consider giving us a call before you destroy something you can't replace."

"Thank you, Mr. Avery," Kusk said smugly. "We'll take that under advisement."

The connection died.

"High marks for sincerity," Rana said. "Demerits for tact."

Derec ignored her and called Imbitek back. He got the directory and asked to speak to Hob Larkin.

"Hob Larkin no longer works for our firm," the AI informed him. "Due to privacy restrictions we may not provide any other information."

Derec broke the connection and tapped yet another code. The emblem of the Terran Senate appeared on the screen. A moment later, a secretary took its place.

"Senator Clar Eliton's office. May I help you?"

Derec noticed that her voice was strained, as if under firm control. "I'd like to speak to Jonis Taprin, please. This is Derec Avery of the Phylaxis Group."

"I'll see if Vice Senator-Senator Taprin is available. Please hold."

Derec watched the time chop above the screen. The secretary reappeared after nearly a full minute.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Avery, but Senator Taprin is in a meeting. May I direct you to one of his aides?"

"No, thank you. Please have him call me at his earliest convenience. It's important. It concerns Union Station."

"I'll let him know."

The screen blanked.

"He's going to be tied up in meetings from now till the election," Rana said.

Derec nodded. "He's got a big vacuum to fill."

"Why don't you just call the Calvin Institute?"

"Not yet." He returned to her console.

"Do I detect a hint of personal aversion?"

"Not a bit. What are you doing?"

Rana gave him a skeptical look, then pointed at her screen. "An excavation. I'm matching layers to see if anything turns up."

Derec shuddered at the idea. The RI was scrambled from the collapse. Whole segments of it no longer "lined up" to form a functional matrix. What Rana was attempting to do made random chance seem predictable by comparison.

"That could take days. "

"Thales is doing the gross sorting for me. "

"Still…"

"Uh-huh. Do you have a better idea?"

Derec slid his chair to his own console and began entering commands. "As a matter of fact, no. But maybe one just as good. We can narrow it down by isolating out all other possible intrusive presences. A lot of com traffic goes through this thing"

"But most of it is buffered to avoid direct contamination of the positronic matrix," Rana concluded.

"Of course it is. So anything that got past that-"

"Would be worth a look. Of course. What about the RI performance record?"

"Save it. I'll look it over later."

Derec set up parameters for each type of communications link that the RI dealt with: regular com, systems interfaces with incoming shuttles, dialogues with maintenance drones, hotels, requisitions vendors, banks, security protocols with the various police services, subetheric links, interstellar traffic, interfaces with nonpositronic systems, and its own relays with its various service components. After establishing a firewall between the subject RI and Thales, he let the Group RI do the actual sorting, which took much less time than any other method. While the lists compiled, he wrote an instruction to search for mirror sites once everything was in a manageable state, looking for match points with the unexplained pathways Rana had found.

They worked in silence for nearly three hours. The amount of data to go through remained immense and intimidating, but Derec sensed progress.

The com chimed behind him. He looked over his shoulder and saw that Vice Senator-now Senator-Taprin was returning his call.

He punched ACCEPT.

"Mr. Avery, how are you? How can I help?"

"I'm fine, sir, if a little confused. There are a couple of matters I hope you can help me clear up. Phylaxis was taken off the investigation. I don't know if you were aware of that."

Taprin frowned. "No, but I don't keep that close tabs on what you do. Frankly, Clar tended to be very proprietary about the entire positronic issue."

Issue…? Derec thought. "Special Service assumed jurisdiction over the entire investigation, which is certainly their prerogative. But it 'is unorthodox. I'm not aware that they have any positronic specialists on staff."

"I didn't think they did, which was one reason to use you," Taprin said. "I'll look into it."

"Thank you, sir. The other matter has to do with protocol regarding the Union Station RI. I've learned that someone gave directions shortly after it was installed that certain problems with the RI were to be referred directly to the Calvin Institute rather than us. I wondered if you could find out who issued that directive."

"I can look into it, but my authority stops at the Auroran Embassy door. You could ask them yourself."

"I'd rather it came from a more official source."

"I see."

"Besides, the staff at Union Station wouldn't be under Auroran authority. Whoever issued that directive had to have Terran authority."

"True. Now that I think about it, it is odd. I'll see what I can find out for you. It might take some time. I'm swamped."

"Whatever you can give me, sir, I'd appreciate it."

"If, as you say, Special Service has removed you from the investigation-why are you interested?"

The question surprised Derec. He hesitated uncertainly. "Well… I think we'd all like to know what went wrong, Senator. I thought you'd appreciate the input. Besides, I think this pertains directly to the future of Phylaxis. But beyond that, it seems pertinent to Senator Eliton's work."

Tarpin nodded slowly. "Mmm. Very true. I'll see. "

"Thank you."

The screen went blank, leaving Derec with an odd, displaced feeling.

Why am I interested?

"We have something matching up," Rana said.

Derec hurried back to the console. On the main screen, columns lined up. As he watched, lines from each became highlighted, then isolated to another window.

"Maintenance…" Derec read aloud. "Maintenance… maintenance… maintenance… all the exit pathways are mirroring to maintenance communications?"