Mark Tiedemann: Mirage

She recognized Ambassador Gale Chassik of the Solarian embassy in the midst of his entourage of six. Ambassador Sen Setaris of the Auroran embassy was absent, but her chief aides, Lys Morglen and Daril Falnyk, as well as her other senior aides, were present. Mia thought that odd, but who could tell about Spacer protocol?

Among the rest of the assembled dignitaries were several representatives from much smaller firms, able to get only one, at most two, people on the reception stand. Functionaries from a number of government offices weaved among them. Mia glanced out at the field of faces below. She could never find the feeling of trust Gel managed when he decided security was perfect. Instead, she always looked for what had been missed, thankful when she did not find it. She paused at the sight of another group of security guards moving off through the crowd. A couple of newscams moved closer then, hovering above, angling for the best views.

"Wing Three here," Mia said into her com. "How close do we let the subetherics get?"

"They have full clearance, Three," One said." Just don't let them clobber the Parcel."

"Copy, One."

Eliton moved among the guests, shaking hands and engaging in the expressive banter Mia could never quite accommodate. She had listened once, closely, as he worked a roomful of supporters, smiling with a sincerity he seemed able to turn on at will, and mouthing a stream of engaging nonsense that pleased those around him enormously. He made a point of knowing everyone's name and at least one personal fact about them, and he possessed a superb memory. Mia put it down to the requirements of office and stopped trying to analyze it.

Eliton hesitated at one person, only a second, but Mia caught it. Then the smile, partially dimmed, brightened to full and his hand shot out as usual. Mia wondered who the woman was. She looked familiar, something to do with Settlers.

"Bogard, identify person now shaking hands with Senator Eliton," she subvocalized through the link.

"Viansa Risher, Settlers' Coalition."

"Ah. Thank you, Bogard." She had been a last minute inclusion, Mia remembered, though the Settlers had petitioned for representation here for months.

"One minute," Mattu announced, then moved alongside Eliton to inform him.

Mia did a last sweep of the gallery-more security movements caught her attention-then closed with Gel and Mattu to stay near Eliton.

"Did anybody copy what the RI is doing with crowd control?" she asked. "I didn't hear anything."

Mattu frowned again, looking past her. "I don't-" He listened to his link, then turned toward the debarkation tunnel. "They're here."

In the air, like a ghostly chimera, the announcement of the Kopernik shuttle's arrival carrying the Auroran legation appeared over the concourse entrance. Everyone's attention turned to the concourse; even the din of babble from the gallery lessened expectantly. The media news cams buzzed above the crowd, concentrating on the arriving Spacers as they emerged onto the platform.

Their clothes seemed brighter, their complexions fairer, eyes clearer; they averaged slightly taller than Earthers. Galiel Humadros, Ambassador Extraordinary, led the procession of Auroran representatives onto the platform. Her hair glimmered, golden and thick, and her face exhibited the kind of placid confidence Mia associated with wisdom and experience. A step or two behind her walked her aides, and behind them came the bulk of the legation, the counterparts of the Terrans they now met under the full gaze of the planet.

Mia felt there was something strange about the way they looked, as though something was missing. Then she realized that they were without their robots. Every image, every real life encounter, every report she had ever seen about Spacers showed their ubiquitous robots. Now, apparently, as a gesture of good will, they were without them. It made the Spacers seem naked, vulnerable. Mia's respect for them increased, even though she knew it was little more than the politics of image-public relations, a token to help ease the tensions their coming raised.

Eliton stepped forward to bow in greeting and extend his hands to the Ambassador, matching the Auroran poise. Mia felt a brief surge of pride.

"Welcome to Earth, Ambassador Humadros," Eliton said, his voice amplified now to echo across the gallery. "It is an honor and a privilege to have you walk upon our soil-"

Mia blinked, catching a movement from the corner of her vision. She turned and saw Bogard's head suddenly pivot a moment before she heard through her link, "Something is wrong. The RI-"

In the next instant, as she reached for her sidearm, the first explosions thundered across the chamber.

Mia dropped to a crouch under the sound of the blasts. Bright bursts of light and thick roiling smoke erupted all around the perimeter of the gallery. The constant noise of the crowd turned to a cacophony of screams and panicked shouts. Mia could not hear her link over the onslaught of noise. She searched the front ranks of spectators as they alternately dropped to the floor or tried to rush for the exits. The station robots stood motionless as if suddenly switched off.

Security-everyone's-ordered the assembled dignitaries to get to the floor. As Mia turned, she could not immediately locate Eliton. He had been clasping hands with Ambassador Humadros, who now stood right there, looking around, confused.

Mattu rushed toward her, waving his arms like great wings. "Down! Down! Down!"

Mia flinched at the sharp percussive sounds of projectile weapons fire. As she began to wheel around once more she saw several people on the platform jerk and dance in a macabre ballet, their clothes erupting in splotches of red. She continued turning, dropping to one knee, blaster coming to bear. She saw people in black standing in the thick of the crowd, aiming weapons at the platform, the barrels jerking spasmodically. She heard the highpitched whine of projectiles cutting the air around her, to left and right.

Mia aimed automatically, picking one target after another, partly hypnotized by her own efficiency as they fell.

But there were so many…

And some did not fall, even though she knew she had hit them…

"We have total penetration!" she heard Mattu yell through the link. "Total-!"

Silence. More explosions. The mob was in full terrified retreat, jamming itself against the exits, bottling itself in its mindless haste. The immobile station robots fell, trampled by the stampede.

All comlinks had been routed through the RI, but it seemed now that the RI had shut down.

"Bogard, switch to team link," she shouted, hoping the robot could hear her over the noise. "Do you have Parcel?"

Bogard did not answer immediately, and a swift brush of fear trailed down Mia's spine.

"Bogard, respond!"

"Agent Daventri. I require assistance." Bogard's voice came through clearly, deceptively calm, on the team channel.

Mia risked a glance over her shoulder. Bogard stared back at her, shorter now, its torso flared out into an encircling shield, and she knew Eliton was in the center of that small but impenetrable enclosure of amalloy.

"Ambassador Humadros," Bogard said. "Senator Eliton is demanding I protect her."

Mia scanned the crowd around them and found the ambassador, huddling about five meters to Bogard's right, her hands hovering uselessly about her head. She looked completely abandoned by reason, eyes wide and staring, unseeing. Mia started toward her.

A body collided with her and she staggered back, bringing her free hand up defensively to fend off an attack. But it was no assault, only one of the unfortunate dead, caught by gunfire, his falling, lifeless body torn up and bleeding.

In that moment, she saw Bogard retract its shield from around Eliton. The Senator staggered away from it, redfaced and shouting, pointing at Ambassador Humadros.