Michael Williamson: When Diplomacy Fails…

“And this sounds like a paranoid conspiracy theory.”

“It’s not paranoid if they’re actually shooting at you,” he said, just as a burst of something chewed the floor.

“Yeah, we’ll sort it out afterward,” Roye said. “Call for support.”

The sergeant said, “Already did, sir. Advised delay. Other attacks all around.”

“I’d blame you for this,” Roye said. “Except it happens every couple of months.” Then he spoke into his mic. “Understood, and thank you. Grid as shown. We’re two five zero meters from the gate.” He looked up and said, “A vehicle patrol is coming in. We can fall alongside them and through.”

Two hundred and fifty meters. That was the distance to safety, and once there, someone still wanted Highland dead. What had they accomplished other than a runaround?

Well, they’d taken out two BuIntel paramils, and a bunch of her opposition were tied up killing each other. Maybe they’d drawn enough notice.

The two vehicles rolled in in a hurry. One Grumbly, one stretched light truck. The gunner on the Grumbly had a neural inducer and kept sweeping the area around them. Sure, induced pain would stop people, but only those not behind the lightest of cover, or in immediate visual range. The rear truck had a proper gun, but the odds of them being allowed to use it…

Not for the first time, Alex felt sorry for the military, hamstrung by all those feelygood regs and not equipped with enough lawyers to fight them.

In the meantime, though, they had another vehicle. They’d spent the better part of a day swapping from foot to vehicles and back.

The trucks slowed in the middle of the street, then guided slowly over to the right.

“Move,” Alex said, and they formed a block around Highland, with Cady’s team around Jessie. He wondered if Jessie knew she was a decoy.

The crossfire was a bit reduced by the neural projector. That reduced threat concerns, but not of random fire. There was enough going on all over… the locals seemed aware that the troops couldn’t really do much to them, and flaunted it.

“Got air support, Captain?” he asked.

“We have recon drones to document incidents, so charges can be pressed,” Roye said. “They’ve never caught anyone to press charges against, of course.”

“No combat craft?”

“No. Some drones are armed, though not officially.”

As much as he tried to be apolitical, that’s what he should have expected from this administration. They were the most violent, militaristic pacifists possible.

He wondered if their aerial antagonists planned to avoid the drones, erase records afterward, or just plan on bullshit to evade the issue. Anything was possible.

“How far do we need to get for support?”

“The plan was for them to send a drone chopper. There are problems. So they’re supposed to be sending a live pilot.”

“To meet where?”

Roye said, “That a great fucking question, since your troublemaking has made our base untenable. They can’t land with the fire levels coming in, we don’t have enough lethal weapons to secure the area, and now everyone knows where it’s all going down. I’ve suggested a rooftop.”

“Good, which one?”

“The one right above us, but now the UN Aviation Agency is insisting it’s not an approved flight corridor.”

That was ridiculous, petty, bureaucratic and no doubt true. “What, then?”

“We go back and buckle down until they get us.”

Alex had to make a tactical decision fast. They’d be surrounded by troops, which would boost their defensive numbers, but, they’d also be a fixed target. There’d be more incoming fire, and it would be too cute and convenient for someone to lob in a charge, kill Highland and blame any number of local factions and Ripple Creek.

“Go ahead. We’ll relocate and try again.”

“Dammit, contractor, first you call me out, expose my position and divide my forces, now you think you’re going to waltz away?”

Alex shook his head. “Our job is to protect the minister. That is all.”

The captain shrugged. “Well, now we have to manage. How much ammo do you have?”

“We’re pretty much full. We haven’t actually engaged much.”

“Good. I’ll need to redistribute that among the rest of us who do have lethal weapons.”

Alex’s eyes widened. “I don’t fucking think so.”

“Excuse me? I believe I’m the ranking officer here.”

“We’re not military.”

“I have the authority to commandeer what I need for the mission.”

“So do I. I also have an unlimited license to kill people.”

The captain furrowed his brow. “Is that a threat?”

“Yes.”

Elke was moving around behind him. If this got ugly, it would be loud and violent.

Highland snapped, “Oh, don’t be ridiculous. You’re not taking my guards’ ammo, like some Social Democratic activist.”

Apparently it was true the different arms of the statists didn’t get along. She was fine taking assets from others. If she needed those assets, though, or thought of a better place for them…

What an elitist bitch.

Luckily, she was their elitist bitch for now.

Rowe looked around, making his own summation.

“They told me to stick with Highland. They say they don’t trust you.”

“Hah. Don’t trust us to let her conveniently die. I think they’re actually willing to take us out to get to her.”

Cady said, “They can still use her as a martyr. Massive uprising. If I can figure out how to exploit that, so can they.”

Alex said, “Of course. That lets them play the rebellion against the UN card and move in in force.”

Rowe asked, “But what’s here?”

“Settling room, distraction, factions to play off against each other endlessly. When was the last time the government tried to solve a problem?”

“That’s not true, you know,” Highland said.

He looked at her. “Oh, really?”

“The problem is no one wants to pay the cost of solving the problems. I wanted to make a difference when I started. Then I realized that the only way to get elected was to lie my face off, then juggle things until the next election, betting on short memories to save me. Now that I’m appointed it’s much more dangerous. I have to do what Chief Fuckup wants, regardless of what it might do to my career. In between, occasionally someone gets something done for one of their power blocs, and the whole mess restabilizes like collapsing rubble.”

“You really think that’s what people want?”

“They keep voting for it, so yes.”

He would really have to consider that.

Jason said, “Why do you think anyone with the assets moves to the far colonies? Hell, that’s the whole reason my adopted colony was created.”

“That was one of the huge readjustments,” she said. “Your founding corporations have a lot of assets. They’re now increasingly off Earth and harder to manipulate.”

Jason almost smiled. “Pardon me for liking that, ma’am.”

“Eventually the General Assembly is going to make you share all that wealth.”

He didn’t want to argue politics, though she did need distracted.

“Yeah, well we need to move and fast. We have the military vehicles. I’m taking them.” He looked at Rowe, who shrugged.

“They’ll argue it out afterward. My safest response is to agree to an allied civilian force with the Minister here.”

“And I’ll need whatever ammo you have, and your troops’ guns.”

Rowe gaped.

“I don’t fucking think so.”

Alex snickered. “Interesting turnabout. So, are we going to work together here, or do we leave you sitting? I can move faster than you. Unless you plan to fight us-the locals will love that.”