Mark Tiedemann - Mirage

Agent Royan was openly frowning now. "We're pursuing every likely avenue, Ambassador Burgess. You will just have to be content with that. I'm sorry-"

"If this inconveniences me, yes, I know, you've said that a dozen times since this conversation began. I am curious about one other thing, though."

"Yes?"

"It's my understanding that Special Service has assumed jurisdiction over this matter."

"Technically, that's correct."

"Then what exactly is it the TBI is investigating?"

"I'm not at-"

"-liberty to discuss that. Very well, Agent Royan, I'll let you get back to your job. You've been notified of our objections. The next time you hear from us will be in the form of a court order. Thank you for your time."

Ariel stabbed the disconnect."

The com chimed. "What?"

"Excuse me, Ambassador," the robot receptionist said, "but there is a call"

"If it can wait, tell them I'll get back to them."

"She insists on speaking with you now, Ambassador."

Ariel wondered if she would ever grow used to being called "Ambassador." Coming from the robot, it sounded so formal; from humans, it just sounded odd.

"Who is it?"

"A Rana Duvan."

Rana? Derec's specialist. She touched ACCEPT.

"Ms. Duvan, this is Ariel Burgess. How may I help you?"

"Sorry to call you, Ms. Burgess, but I have a problem I'm hoping you can help me with. Do you know where Derec is?"

"I-he had an appointment this morning with Alda Mikels of Imbitek. Hasn't he checked in?"

"No, but-well, I don't think he could help, but he should know."

"Know what?"

"We've been shut down."

It took Ariel a few moments to understand what Rana meant. "Phylaxis? What do you mean, shut down?"

"I mean I have an order here from a judge, cosigned by the Chair of the Committee on New Technologies, revoking our license and ordering us to cease all operations."

Ariel's ears grew warm as she took the news in. "Who's the Chair of the Committee?"

"Senator Taprin."

"Hell…" She remembered then that the New Technologies Committee was a sister committee to Eliton's Machine Intelligence Committee. So had Jonis done this on his own, or bowed to pressure?

Does it matter? she thought bitterly.

"It's worse than that, Ms. Burgess," Rana continued. "I've been ordered by the TBI to hand over all our material, including our RI. In fact, there's an agent standing in the lab now, who says he's going to remain here until I comply."

"How long do you have?"

"Not long."

"Can you-?"

"That's what I need to talk to Derec about. What does he want me to do?"

Ariel drummed her fingers, thinking frantically. If the TBI got hold of the illegally downloaded RI matrix, they could charge Derec and derail everything.

"Have you finished everything that needed finishing?" she asked.

"Except for a few minor details, yes."

"I'll see to it that they can't take Thales-that's your RI's name?-and get a team over there to remove it to the embassy. In the meantime, I'd just clean some things up. I'll be back in touch."

"Thank you, Ms. Burgess."

The screen went blank again, and Ariel closed her eyes.

Never wonder what could be worse, she thought wryly. She touched the intercom. "Let me know the instant Hofton gets back-"

"He has returned, Ambassador," the robot replied.

"Get him in here."

A minute later, the door opened and Hofton came in with Mr. Udal in tow. Udal looked embarrassed and contrite. A security guard followed them both.

Ariel held up her hand. "Have Mr. Udal wait outside for a few minutes."

Hofton raised his eyebrows, but turned to the embassy security guard and nodded. Udal left the office.

"You have that look," Hofton said. "More fires?"

"Things may be falling apart faster than we can patch them together. You know where the Phylaxis Group is?"

"Yes…"

"TBI is there to impound all their equipment and data. I'm having a claim drawn up declaring their RI -its name is Thales-exclusive jurisdiction of Aurora as a positronic entity. I want you personally to get it signed by the appropriate bureaucrat, take it to Phylaxis with a team of our roboticists, and get it out of there before they destroy it. If possible, get a restraining order, and try to extract Derec's assistant, Rana Duvan."

"Shall I shift any planets from their orbits while I'm at it?" Hofton asked dryly.

"This is a bit more pressing than gravity, Hofton. I need Phylaxis and its material secured. Thales definitely, everything else as a can-do-if-possible."

"How soon?"

"An hour ago. Now, send Udal in here and get on it."

"Your wish, etcetera," he said with a slight flourish of his hand as he backed away from the desk.

The security guard brought Udal in.

"Sit down, Mr. Udal." Ariel entered commands into her terminal and the tri-D image of his mangled robot came up. She reached under the desk and brought up the crate containing the contraband positronic brain, gratified at the sudden amazed fear in his eyes.

"I'll talk," she said, "you listen. This isn't just a humaniform drone. This is a positronic robot and here is the brain. You receive the drone bodies through normal trade routes and buy the brains from a black market source. The result is an illegal positronic robot, contraband, forbidden by more laws here than I can remember. The people who vandalized your establishment weren't there to simply damage your business, they were there to give you and us a warning. You've been trading in black market robots, Mr. Udal, and some of the local fanatics have found out about it. I admire the nerve to make a complaint to me"

"But-"

"I'm talking now, Mr. Udal. This is causing us a lot of trouble and if you want to come out of this with a whole skin you will begin cooperating with me. First, by telling me the truth. I want to know who you're buying them from and where you're picking them up. I want to know how long you've been doing this, and I want to know who else is doing it and what else is being marketed illegally."

Udal's face began to distort. "I can't-"

"You can, Mr. Udal. Don't tell me you're afraid of reprisals. I assure you there's nothing they can do to you that I won't, and I can do it legally."

It took Udal several minutes to reach the point of decision. Ariel waited. She could see it coming, see him wrestling with the options, and finally realizing that he had none.

"Kynig Parapoyos," he said finally. "It's all through him."

Now, Ariel listened while Udal talked.

tactical parameters, security enhanced facility, path map in place, sensor log consistent with template, sublevels sealed, primary levels combined AI and organic surveillance, interconnected access between areas minimal, laboratory isolation standard, tentative probability escape assigned high seventy percentile, factors dependent on direct observation Bogard recognized the place as the headquarters of Special Service. Agents Cupra and Gambel stood on either side, guiding Bogard as if it were an invalid who needed careful attention.

"Damn thing is tougher than I thought," Cupra said. "Look at this scoring. Shouldn't even be here."

"Amalloy," Gambel commented quietly. He looked around. "Lock it till we get to the lab."

They continued down to the third sublevel and brought Bogard into a room filled with familiar-looking equipment. Mostly diagnostics, but a standby niche stood against one wall. They brought the robot to it, turned it to face the room, and eased it back into the depression.

"Doesn't quite fit right anymore," Cupra said.

"Yes, well, if we melted part of you, I imagine your clothes would need altering."

Cupra grunted, moving to a console to the left of the niche. "Ready?"