Mark Tiedemann - Chimera

"What sort of research?" Ariel asked.

"Biomedical and prosthetics."

"Really. What sort of prosthetics?"

"The shareholder prйcis published upon issuance of initial shares refers to neurocortical extensions. Inferring from other references, I believe this pertains to artificial appendages linked directly to the nervous system."

Ariel frowned. "That's nothing new. What were they researching?"

"That data is under seal. The company closed after eight years of operation in the wake of a criminal investigation. "

"Explain."

"A global investigation initiated by the Eurosector Civil Enforcement Agency into kidnapping and infant brokerage produced charges of conspiracy to illegally traffic in orphaned and stolen children involving several orphanage institutions and several medical labs. Nova Levis was part of the overall investigation, but no charges were filed against it. It closed down several months after the case was declared closed."

"Any direct links to Nova Levis colony?"

"One of the chief researchers emigrated there a year after the laboratory was closed. "

"Anyone else? I mean, what about the other people who worked for the lab?"

"There were five department heads, all of them founding associates of the company. Three are now dead. The fifth is listed officially as missing. He was a Theian native living on Earth named Kyas Vol."

"Missing. That could mean anything. Did anyone look into his disappearance?"

"Not that I have been able to ascertain."

Ariel wrestled with her curiosity. Earthers maintained profound prejudices regarding anything that suggested humaniform robotics, even prosthetic limbs. Prosthetics were available, certainly, but people never talked about them. Like any prejudice, it manifested in bizarre fashions and displayed many blind spots and innate hypocrisies. Artificial intelligences proliferated on Earth, in many areas, and nonsentient robotics were employed liberally, so long as none of it came close to resembling a human. Prosthetics occupied a tolerated space within the complex hierarchies of Terran bigotry. She had no idea how advanced the technology was, or if any new research was currently underway.

"Stay with the colony, Thales. If you come across any more direct connections, explore them."

"Very well, Ariel."

"I'm going to my apartment now, Thales. I need some things. I'll be back."

"I should have a preliminary report for you when you return. "

She thanked the RI and left. R. Jennie met her at the door. "Welcome home, Ariel. You have a message from Ambassador Setaris."

"Thanks, Jennie. Pack an overnight bag for me, would you? I'll be sleeping elsewhere tonight."

"I had intended preparing crayfish almandine tonight, Ariel. "

Ariel gave the robot a look, startled at the note of disappointment she thought she heard. It was so easy to personalize robots, so easy to "inform " them with emotion and human expression, but it still caught her by surprise to detect it.

"Change of schedule, Jennie. Place the menu on hold for the time being. "

"Yes, Ariel."

R. Jennie walked off to pack. They had devised a standard kit a long time ago when Ariel had spent more time away from the embassy, in the company of others-particularly Jonis Taprin, now Senator Taprin. It had been over a year since their last tryst and Ariel had spent most of her time confined to her suite of office.

Ariel sat down at her comm and keyed the ACCEPT but ton. Setaris's face appeared on the screen.

"Ariel, I'm giving a dinner party tonight, I thought you would like to come. I'm appending a guest list. I'd appreciate it if you'd put in an appearance. We don't see enough of you."

"My my," Ariel mused. "I must be coming up in the world." She resisted the urge to call Setaris back and ask why. Instead, she scrolled through the list of invitees: The usual collection of ambassadors and close aides-Gale Chassik of Solaria, Trinik Hapellon of Capella, Frish Ioseco of Osiris, others-and a sprinkling of Spacer йmigrйs and industrialists.

And Jonis Taprin.

"What the…" Ariel stabbed the CONNECT on her comm and tapped in Setaris's code. A few moments later she worked through Setaris's secretary to Sen Setaris herself.

"Ariel, how are you?" the ambassador asked.

"Puzzled. You're serious about this invitation?"

"Of course I am."

"You've invited Jonis Taprin."

"Yes…" Setaris frowned briefly, then her eyes widened knowingly. "Ah, yes. I forgot. My apologies, Ariel. The event is partly for him. He put out some feelers a few weeks ago to see if we might arrange some talks."

"Concerning?"

"Concerning precisely the subject we spoke about earlier. I thought it might be worthwhile to have you there. If, however, you feel uncomfortable-"

Ariel shook her head. "No. I merely wanted clarification."

"And you have it now?"

"Yes."

Setaris smiled condescendingly. "I envy you. Will we see you?"

"Absolutely."

"At twenty, then. Formal."

"Very good, Ambassador. I'm honored."

Setaris smiled thinly. "Till this evening, Ariel."

The screen faded.

Ariel leaned back in her chair and stretched. " Just how much ass-covering am I going to need?" she wondered aloud.

"I packed the standard bag, Ariel. Will it be too much?"

Ariel looked around to see R. Jennie standing there, holding the overnight bag. "I have a preliminary file on the requested material, Ariel," Thales said when she returned to Derec's apartment.

Ariel set the bag down at the door to the bedroom. "Go on."

"Nova Levis was established as a Settler's colony thirty-two years ago by special agreement between the Vas Domini Trading Company, a Settler cooperative sponsored by private endowment through the Church of Organic Sapiens, and Solaria-"

"Solaria? How do they figure in it?"

"The Tau Secordis system was originally developed as a mining franchise by three Solarian corporations which eventually became insolvent and were subsumed by the Solarian Department of Resource Development. The second planet, originally called Cassus Thole, after a modest amount of biosome intervention, is suitable for agriculture. Under the terms of a trade agreement with a limited corporation formed by six Settler worlds, Cassus Thole was renamed Nova Levis and subcontracted for settlement and development."

"Why hasn't Solaria protested the blockade?"

"Except for being the principal lien holder, Solaria has no representation on Nova Levis and has remained aloof from its operations since the first colony was established. There is still a small mining station with its own port used exclusively by Solaria. Nova Levis has for all intents and purposes represented itself as a sovereign world with rights and titles to its own territories. The colonists themselves have not even admitted to Solarian ownership and have engaged the current crisis as a duly constituted independent state."

"So it's not even common knowledge that Solaria owned the system?"

"The conditions of ownership have been allowed to grow vague. Solaria 's holding is listed in public flies as Cassus Thole. Except for the mining concession, Solaria officially conducts no business with the Settler government. Nova Levis has, since been regarded as a separate colony."

Ariel laced her fingers together and tapped them lightly against her chin. She felt foolish now at having paid so little attention to the events of the past year. The Nova Levis blockade was the first and largest aftershock from the failed trade conference last year.

"Give me a brief on the blockade," she said.

"Two years ago, Terran investigators traced a number of stolen shipments to ships making regular calls at Nova Levis. This was discovered in the wake of the Tiberius incident, which proved to be related to illegal traffic into and out of Nova Levis. Further investigation on the ground resulted in the deaths of three agents and partial evidence that Nova Levis is host to an unregistered spaceport. At this point, warrants were solicited through the Intersettlement Judicial Committee for a task force to visit and inspect all ports on Nova Levis. The governor-advocate of the colony refused and offered to conduct the investigation himself and report the findings. This was rejected. A further proposal was made that a joint task force of Spacer, Settler, and Terran inspectors be deployed, and this, too, was rejected. Fifteen months ago, motions were placed before the Committee to establish a permanent inspection base at the edge of the system with a mandate to forcibly inspect all ships entering and leaving the system. This motion, of course, was rejected in due course when the Spacer legation insisted that robotic inspections be instituted for all traffic to and from any Spacer world. The station was never authorized, but Terran military ships began arbitrarily and at random stopping and searching ships entering and leaving the Nova Levis system. A series of protests were filed. The Committee became tangled with delaying motions by the Terran legation until a Terran ship was fired upon by an unregistered freighter caught leaving Nova Levis. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the ship was carrying contraband. The crew was arrested, the ship impounded, and the 43rd Squadron of the Terran fleet moved in to blockade the planet. That was eleven months ago. Subsequent negotiations have validated the blockade, although only one Spacer world has added ships to the Terran contingent, and no Settler ships have joined it."