The Octagonal Raven (48 page)

Kewood

By the time dawn arrived, Majora and I had both tried the couch and the floor and dozed some. She was napping on the couch, fitfully, and I was slumped over the cherry wood desk, its surface smudged and far from polished perfection.

The gatekeeper clinged, and, noting the Civil Authority ID, I wearily acknowledged, “Daryn Alwyn.”

The image was that of the hard-faced Civil Authority officer. He was smiling, but not particularly maliciously. “This is Officer Krag. I thought you’d like to know, Director. We followed up on those gliders that attacked your assistant’s dwelling. They were Federal Service units, and apparently the self-destruct mechanism didn’t work fully on one. We’ve been able to trace that to a commando unit commanded by a Subcommander TanUy. He’s the second son of a Darwyn TanUy. We have a discovery order in, but I thought you should know.”

Now what could I do? “Thank you, officer. I appreciate that. Given the current situation, unless there is some sort of documentary backup…”

Krag nodded. “You should have our report in an hour or so. It could be sooner. It’s also been filed with the Noram advocate general and the secretary director’s office. While this is not material of an absolute evidentiary standard that would prove any connection, it is a simple and verified fact, and there are some of us who feel it should be public knowledge, since you as the injured party could request it in any case.”

I understood. If UniComm didn’t broadcast the findings, the CA would be ordered to cover it up, or at least a strong suggestion would be made. “As soon as we have the material, we will be more than happy to act to ensure any and all information in the public interest is revealed to the public.”

Krag nodded. “I thought you would like to know, ser.”

I thought he appeared relieved as he broke the connection.

Majora looked at me. “They’re cracking. TanSen is really worried about you and UniComm.”

“It won’t be long before the Federal Union weighs in, and it’s not likely to be on our side,” I said dryly.

“Why? Because Federal Service commandos were used against us?”

“And because we’re having an effect, and there’s still not much evidence. They’ll want to close us down before it turns up.” I gestured toward the holo display carrying the latest AllNews stories.

“He isn’t mentioning what the issues were and who raised them,” Majora said.

“You think that the good friend of Darwyn TanUy and Imayl Deng and all the others is going to mention that they’re involved in a quiet restructuring of world government? Surely, you jest.”

We both laughed, if hollowly.

Majora, sitting on the couch, stretched and then stood. “I’m going down to the cafeteria and see if there’s something half-decent programmed into the replicators. Do you want anything?”

“Anything that’s half-decent.”

“I can do that.”

I got a smile before she left.

I began to check the systems, just in case I needed to do something special. Then, I sat back down behind the desk. Worried wasn’t the word for how I felt. I’d researched, designed, implemented, and had broadcast a set of programming developed to make people think and stop subtle but critical changes in the way the world governed itself. First, nothing had happened, and then everything had happened. And while it was clear that I had more than a few enemies, there still wasn’t much, if anything, in the way of hard evidence to link the scheme to change government into more of a pre-select tyranny to those people who were trying to accomplish it. Nor was there much more evidence to link them to all the attacks on me—or to Eldyn Nyhal’s death. There was certainly no way to show that the latest pre-select plague had been caused by Eldyn’s efforts—not that I knew.

That could get even stickier if I opened that VR, because I’d effectively become the holder of Octagonal Solutions, without even my own consent. But who would believe that? In essence, I’d been blackmailed into silence. I could just imagine telling anyone that story.

I shook my head, then held it in both hands and closed my eyes.

The gatekeeper clinged.

“Security, ser. We have a package from the Civil Authorities. A CA would like to deliver it personally.”

“Ask the officer to come up, or do they want me to come down?”

“She’ll come up, ser.”

I stood and walked out to the open door to wait.

The CA was the short redhead who’d been on the team from the night before. She gave me a crooked smile as she stepped forward and extended a package. “They’re all authenticated and sealed, ser.”

“Thank you very much.”

“Thank
you
, ser.” She inclined her head in a minute bow. “I need to get back. Things are still a mess.”

“Good luck.” I felt hypocritical in saying it. I was the one who’d sparked the mess. I hadn’t created the conditions, but I had certainly put the flame to them, even if I hadn’t realized how explosive the situation had been.

“Thank you, ser.” She turned and was gone back down the corridor ramp.

I had barely set the package on the desk when the gatekeeper clinged again. I checked the ID—Federal Union secretariat.

“Daryn Alwyn,” I said warily, making sure the return image showed just me and the desk.

The holo image that appeared facing me before the bookcase was that of Secretary Director Alfonso himself.

“Good morning, Secretary Director,” I said politely, immediately recording the incoming holo image, and shunting it down toward master control and Devit Tal, hoping he was there.

“It’s not the best of mornings, Alwyn, thanks to your irresponsibility.” Alfonso’s words were like ice.

“Oh? We’ve been very careful, ser, only to broadcast facts and inquiries based on those facts. I think we’ve behaved very responsibly under the circumstances. I doubt many directors would be as restrained as I have been after something like five attempts on my life, the last by some sort of Federal Service commandos….”

“You’re just trying to cause trouble and raise a rebellion, Alwyn. That’s hardly responsible.”

“I fail to see how creating VR programming based on the truth is causing trouble…unless someone wants the truth suppressed.”

“You don’t seem to understand, Alwyn, or you don’t want to. I’ll make it very simple and very clear. You don’t stop that programming, Alwyn, and I’ll have Federal Service troops in your building in three hours.”

I smiled, checking to make sure the incoming was still being fed to master control. “I’m not sure I understand, ser. Everything we’re broadcasting is absolutely factually accurate, and it has been reviewed by inside and outside advocates….” I was stretching a point there because Gallo and his consulting advocates hadn’t been able to review the material of the last few hours.

“You’re inciting rebellion…and don’t think we don’t know it.” Alfonso’s face was simultaneously flushed and hard.

“By broadcasting the facts, Secretary Director, we’re inciting rebellion? Is there something wrong with the Union? Is that why someone in the Federal Service sent FS commandos against me and my house in the dead of night? Were you aware that the Civil Authorities have hard evidence that the attacks were carried out by your commandos, and that one is already in custody?”

Alfonso was silent for a moment before almost hissing. “You haven’t heard the last of this, Alwyn.”

“Have you anything else you’d like to tell the people of the world, Secretary Director Alfonso? Everything you said has been recorded for immediate rebroadcast across our entire system.”

The connection broke.

I could hear Devit Tal’s voiceover through the net….

I linked to all the security stations. “Close the structure, and close off the tube train station. Seal the structure immediately. All blocks in place.”

I could feel the office shiver as the heavily armored shutters covered the courtyard, and the light from the courtyard dimmed. One by one, the stations reported in, and I went through the internal links and cross-checked them all, taking a deep breath when it appeared the structure was sealed.

I sent a message to both Tal and his acting assistant, telling them to cut the delay and feed the secretary director’s threat to any smaller net that would take the feed—and anything else. I also left a note for someone to come up and VR the evidence package the CAs had delivered.

I’d just finished that when Majora burst into the office. “I go out for twenty minutes, and everything happens.” She looked at me. “Did he really say all that? How could he have been that stupid?”

I shrugged. “Simple. Everything has been handled indirectly and quietly for years. Everyone has been part of the game—everyone with power. Gerrat was even part of it, not that I’ll ever tell Mother, although she’ll probably find out if she doesn’t know already. It was all scripted. That way Gerrat could claim he had no choice, and given his lack of talent, it was probably the only way he could hold UniComm.

“Somehow, Elora found out, and wanted to use the stakeholder meeting to stop it, or at least slow it. I’m guessing, but she didn’t have the finances to buy the shares she needed. So she somehow misled the PST group into supporting her. That’s also where Eldyn came in. But he saw the even bigger danger, and used his alien bugs to create the last pre-select plague, and he sent special cards to Father and Gerrat, probably impregnated with the octagonal pathogens, or whatever, and he had to use those, I’m guessing, because time was short.”

“And the pathogens weren’t nearly as virulent as he made them to be?”

“No, they were more virulent—that’s why he had to use the cards.”

Majora nodded. “Now what do we do?”

“We wait. We keep broadcasting, and we wait, and hope that someone comes to their senses.” And I hoped that it wouldn’t be too long, because UniComm was the only weapon I—or the norms—had at the moment, and I couldn’t afford not to keep pounding away. The headquarters was self-contained, and the multi-satellite feeds from other sites meant it would take the secretary director days to shut us down—unless he used weapons of mass destruction, and I doubted he was indebted enough or insane enough to go that far.

But…the way he’d threatened…I was far from sure.

Kewood

It was past midday when the next interesting call came in—again from the Federal Union secretariat. I didn’t recognize the haggard-looking man’s face, but I shifted the signal into record and fed it to master control once more.

Majora eased from the chair next to me to the couch, where she wouldn’t be caught by the scanner feeding my image back.

“Director Alwyn? I’m Federico Pynia, the acting secretary general.”

Acting? That was most intriguing. “Yes?”

“The secretariat has just finished a meeting in emergency session, and Secretary Director Alfonso tendered his resignation. The strain of the position, after the past few years, and especially the past few days, you understand?”

“That certainly might be possible.” Definitely wary, I waited.

“The secretariat has suspended and incarcerated Subcommander TanUy and his immediate superior, Commander D’sio, pending an investigation of the attacks against UniComm personnel and dwellings. The commander of the Federal Service has been suspended, pending that investigation. The secretariat also passed unanimously an emergency resolution suspending any and all use of perceptual integrative ability testing, except for personal use by individuals or by parents of underage children. Such test results may not be divulged, under any circumstances, to anyone except the individual and/or his immediate family. Further, the Union’s chief advocate general has been charged with investigating the misuse and misrecording of controlled genetic products. The secretariat is also drafting proposed legislation which will require the publication of the statistical construction of all students in all universities and colleges….”

I frowned. “You mean the distribution of norms and pre-selects?”

“Effectively, yes.”

I nodded slowly, wondering how best to handle the apparent capitulation of the pre-select power structure, not that it was really giving up anything so much as retreating back to the system that should have been. “I will be happy to disseminate the results of the secretariat meeting, but you understand that UniComm will also continue to monitor the actual implementation of these measures?”

“From you, Director Alwyn, I would expect no less.” He nodded gravely.

“And UniComm will remain sealed under current emergency conditions until it is clear that the secretariat has the situation in hand.”

“That is certainly reasonable under the circumstances.”

Majora came through the link. “Ask him for a detailed study of the underlying political and economic conditions that created the unrest, and ask to be on the commission reviewing the study findings.” I could see her beyond Pynia’s image, leaning forward intently.

“I do have an additional suggestion,” I said.

“Yes, Director?” This time Pynia had the wary tone.

“The current unrest could not have occurred without a great deal of dissatisfaction with current political, economic, and social structures. I would strongly suggest that the secretariat implement immediately a study of those structures, and I would suggest that the study experts include a wide range of norms and pre-selects. The study should be mandated to be completed in three months or less, and once completed, it should be reviewed by a board empowered to make public recommendations to the secretariat and council.”

Some of the wariness left Pynia’s face. “That is something that has actually been discussed. It should not be difficult to obtain secretariat approval. Although the time…”

“Time is of the essence, Secretary Director. If results are not obvious quickly, you cannot defuse decades of resentment.”

“Ah…there may be something to that.”

“And I would like to be on the review and recommendation board. I would also suggest that a representative of the Society of Dynae be on the board.”

“You are not suggesting…”

“No…I think it would be better to have someone viewed as thoroughly dispassionate as the director general of the board. I would certainly not be considered dispassionate. But with all the public outcry, your board would be viewed as more likely to address the problems were I on it.”

From over the link came Majora’s whispered, “Good.”

After a moment, Pynia nodded. “I will bring these matters up with the board. And I would hope that you would feel comfortable in informing those following your news of what has transpired.”

“We will report on what has happened, and what the secretariat has promised.”

“Thank you, Director. We will be in touch.” After a long look at me, the holo imaged winked out.

Devit Tal was on the link immediately. “You were cautious.”

“We’ll broadcast the part about the resignation of the secretary director, and the emergency steps, and the actions and promises. Nothing about the recommendation board, except that it has been suggested and is under consideration. Then add something to the effect of ‘the world is waiting.’”

“I like that,” Tal said. “Don’t let them slip away.”

That was the last thing I wanted.

I put my head in my hands. The days had been long, and they’d be longer.

Majora walked behind me. Her long strong fingers massaged my back and neck. “You’re tight.”

“Aren’t you?” I asked with a laugh.

“Not so tight as you.”

We watched the AllNews updates for a good hour, and the repetition of secretariat’s decisions seemed to be having some effect.

“There’s always some place,” Majora said.

“The people there started it, and it will take longer—”

The gatekeeper clinged, but the ID was blank. I took it, waiting. I didn’t recognize the narrow face, with the dark eyes and smooth olive complexion.

“Imayl Deng. I just wanted to see the man who destroyed four hundred years of progress.”

“Then look in a mirror,” I suggested. “And don’t worry about progress. It’s doing fine. If it hadn’t have been for a norm by the name of Eldyn Nyhal, you would have died almost twenty years ago. So would your cohorts in conspiracy.”

Deng was silent.

Being me, I had to get in the last word.

“If we’re all that good, Deng, then we don’t need to rig the system. And if we’re not, then we won’t stay where we are. If I hadn’t done this now, then instead of riots and an FU secretariat scared into doing the right thing, in another decade or two, there’d be millions of bodies everywhere, instead of hundreds, and most of them would be ours.”

Again…I was looking at a blank holo projection, and then the bookcase.

“He didn’t like what you said…obviously.”

“Obviously.” I really didn’t care what Deng felt. What bothered me was the thought that I’d have to look over my shoulder every day for the rest of my life.

Yet what else could I have done?

I shook my head, and turned to the second projection when the gatekeeper signaled, indicating a commentary from one of the small netsystems—NetStrait.

I blanked the screen.

For every thoughtful news story or commentary, there were probably twenty that were castigating me—for every reason under the sun.

I laughed, harshly. Here I was, using the protections of the law that had frustrated me to keep myself and UniComm from being destroyed. And was I any better or more noble than Deng or TanUy or the others?

After all, they had used their power to avoid being tied to their transgressions. And so had I. What influence and power I had used was also excessive. I’d killed thousands with the power of the word, a handful with the glider and some with my own hands, and because I was a reluctant champion of sorts, so far, at least, the CAs had covered for me, even destroying evidence.

Could I justify it for the causes I pursued?

Partly, but part of it was simply because I wanted to preserve UniComm, for me, for Majora, and for any children we might have…if they had the ability to hold it. I would not follow Father’s steps. One example of a Gerrat was enough.

Yet…all of that…did it really justify my actions?

Half the PST Trust group was either dead, in hiding, or their resources damaged or destroyed, and I still had mainly circumstantial evidence. My brother had been involved, and I still had no idea exactly what Elora had actually done…because she couldn’t have gotten the stakeholders’ meeting without the cooperation of the PST group. Had she double-crossed them, and been killed when they found out? I didn’t know, and I was certainly not likely to find out. The EDA Trust records were silent on that point.

Everything I’d done had been based on incomplete evidence, hints, and no one, not even me, least of all me, was exactly who or what it seemed to be.

How I envied—in a way—the ancients, with their absolute sureties about an uncertain world. With the effort it took to create records, back then there was greater certainty of their existence and accuracy. Anything in any culture could be changed, altered, misrepresented—but the difference was that in our culture there were fewer certainties, fewer footprints left by the misrepresenters, and far less hard evidence.

Or…was I merely glorifying an aspect of the past, creating a certainty that did not exist and never did? Was that because, like all beings, whether norms, pre-selects, or octagonal ravens, that I wanted certainty in a world that seemed to promise less with every passing year?

For the moment, I let those thoughts go, although they would never leave me, and enjoyed Majora’s massage of my tight shoulders, as we waited—arrogant ravens waiting for the storm to bring down even more arrogant eagles.