Mark Tiedemann - Mirage

As he watched, Bogard seemed to shred into fragments.

"No!" Derec screamed.

Then the second group caught up to him.

Instead of seizing him, though, they passed him, driving into the woods, and firing at the Managins.

Derec backed away.

Something closed on his neck painfully. He tried to turn, but could not. Then he hit the gravel on his back.

When he looked up, someone knelt on his chest, aiming a pistol at his face.

"Let's see who we have now," Golner said and lifted Derec's veil. "Spacer boy. Great. Are you worth my trouble? Will you get me out of here? It's a good question, isn't it?"

Derec swung at Golner, aiming to knock the weapon aside. Golner just held it out of harm's way, then punched Derec in the sternum-a short, hard blow that knocked the wind from him.

"No chance," Golner said. "You'll be more trouble than you're worth."

He aimed again.

A coppery tendril snaked around Golner's body, encircled his wrist, and jerked the gun up. It went off, a loud crack of thunder that set Derec's ears ringing.

Golner struggled briefly, then tried to turn the pistol in the direction of his assailant. The barrel came around, the wrist still held by Bogard's tendril. Golner tried to twist so he could see; the barrel of the gun came close to his head. Bogard flexed to turn the weapon away, and it went off again.

Golner's head burst open in a spray of blood and bone.

Derec screamed and pushed himself away.

People surrounded him, but their guns were aimed at Golner's corpse.

It lay now, half its head gone, a copper strand wrapped around its waist and wrist. Derec followed the line of the strand into the woods to a shapeless mass of material that glowed dimly in the first vague light of approaching dawn.

"Violation… violation…" The voice was weak and tinny. "First Law violation… unacceptable… vio-vi-violation…"

Gradually the voice faded away, and the forest was still. Agent Sathen knelt before Derec and offered him a cup.

"I don't understand," Derec said.

"It's coffee," Sathen said.

Derec shook his head. "I mean you. What are you doing here?"

Sathen gave him a wry grin. "Did you think none of us were doing anything?"

"Does One know you're here?" Mia asked. She pointed past him. "With TBI agents?"

Sathen looked at her. "Good question for a corpse. No, One doesn't. Or maybe he does. He's gone. We moved to arrest him when this phase began."

Mia nodded as if the answer meant everything.

"-woke up out here, I had no idea what had happened," Senator Eliton's voice drifted over to them.

Sathen looked toward the group of agents surrounding the Senator and shook his head. "I'm amazed. I really expected-"

"That he was really dead?" Ariel asked.

"No. But that he'd be off the planet."

Ariel cocked an eyebrow. "You believe Spacers were behind this?"

"Not all of you. The fake bodies in the. morgue are Spacer biotech-"

"Which can be purchased easily enough," Ariel said.

Sathen shrugged. "But we have him back."

"For better or worse," Ariel said.

Sathen frowned. "I thought you'd be pleased. We found the assassins, shut down their operation, and recovered Senator Eliton. He's the best friend you people have."

"Is he really?"

Sathen stared at her for a time, then stood. "Whatever. You politicos can sort it out from here."

He walked off. Eliton continued to talk, describing his ordeal among the fanatic Managins.

Ariel pulled a pamphlet out of her jacket and passed it to Mia. "You might find this instructive," she said.

Mia opened it and silently began to read.

Another agent came up to Derec. "Are you Avery?"

"Yes."

"We gathered up what was left of Bogard. Nothing seems to be working anymore. What do you want us to do with him?"

"Deliver it-him-to Phylaxis."

The agent nodded and walked away. Derec sat quietly for a moment, staring off into space, Bogard's last words echoing in his head. He felt numb. Then he suddenly started, his mind clearing.

"Phylaxis," he muttered, then groaned. "Rana."

"Don't worry," Ariel said. She placed a consoling hand on his shoulder. "We'll work on getting your people out of confinement in the morning."

Derec nodded and sat there then, listening to Eliton drone on, and watched the company of agents try to sort out prisoners and bodies and logistics. He drank his coffee and tried not to think.

After a while, Mia stood and walked over to Eliton. Derec heard her speaking, but could make out none of the words. Then she held out the pamphlet Ariel had given her and tossed it in the senator's lap. She walked off. Eliton stared at the pamphlet. The other agents watched Mia.

Record module CF-942 attach log sequencing file "Zealots Inc." running virtual conference Maui Overlook fill visual fill audio status on This will be our last meeting under these circumstances," the thick man with amber-tinged white hair announced. Only three others sat around the table. "I'm arranging for another medium, which I will let you all know about in due course. Circumstances have forced me to remove myself from easy access. However, I think we can agree that, in spite of a wrinkle or two we didn't foresee, things have worked out neatly."

"A wrinkle or two? We damn near started a war."

"But we didn't, did we? We aren't at war. Yet. The conference ended without a treaty, the Aurorans have been thoroughly compromised, and in six months we can resume traffic with even less interference than we had before now that Risher is out of the way. I already have commitments from two Settler colonies for new bases."

"What about Eliton? He's fighting a losing battle."

"In your opinion. I think he'll manage to win reelection. Taprin is just not as good a campaigner."

"But he's untainted. We might do better to back him. Those files that agent spilled into the public database on his past associations with Mikels and Golner are doing a lot of damage. Even if he wins he may be a spent force."

The chairman considered that for a time, then nodded. "You have a point. Let's see how the numbers fallout for a time. If it turns out that people believe all that data, then maybe we should switch to Taprin. Of course, there was that matter of his relationship with that Auroran ambassador."

"It's over. He stood on principle, she left him. I have that on very good authority."

"Usable."

"What do we do about the Aurorans now?"

"That's up to the Fifty Worlds. Our friend Ambassador Chassik is making tremendous political capital out of their apparent indiscretions. The damage is done, we just have to wait and see how much. Once Solaria displaces Aurora as de facto head of the Spacer Worlds, then business will be even better. Agreed?"

The three attendees nodded.

"It has been an interesting campaign," the chairman said. "We won most of what we wanted. No robotic inspections of Earth transports, no lowering of tariffs here or among the Spacer Worlds, although the easement among the Settler worlds might do some small damage to our prof its. However, that should be offset by the tighter controls that Solaria will propose once they assume the dominant role among the Fifty Worlds. All in all, a good year's work. You should all congratulate yourselves. You did very well."

"It cost you quite a bit."

"Yes, well… I always did consider emigrating." He paused for a time to let them all think about that. "Anything else?"

"What about Alda? Are we going to leave him in prison?"

"Alda won't spent any time in prison, I assure you. The charges are circumstantial, the evidence corrupted. This will cost him a little out of pocket, that's all."

"And Looms?"

"Yes, well, we missed that one, didn't we? A pity he won't even be charged. But maybe next time." Again, a pause. "No further business? Good. In that case, I'll be in touch some time in the next ten months with the new arrangements for our meetings. Be careful to purge your files of any hint of this place. Thank you all. I'll look forward to our next talk."