II. The Woman of the Desert

Feb. 4 - Al Raqis

We entered a building off the main square.

"Let us go to my office," invited Lady Soyinka.

I bowed my head in a gesture of respect, "Thank you Lady."

We climbed the stairs to a comfortable little office.

"Please, have a seat."

I settled into the chair next to her.

"I find the way you think to be of interest," she began.

"How may I be of service?" I offered.

"You either are quite logical or you have investigative experience," she continued.

By way of explanation I introduced myself. "I am Major Pepper Siamendes, Alliance Military, Special Investigations Unit."

"Ahhh, please tell me what this Alliance is."

"The Union of Allied Planets is a collection of planets and moons that orbit the 34 Tauri system of stars. There are five stars in that system .. planets in orbit of the White Sun constitute the Core Worlds."

"What is the interest of this Alliance in the Mu-Draconis system?" she asked.

"Trade mostly."

Trade is always a good thing to admit to. Everyone wants to do business. It's something we have in common. It's like talking about the weather.

"I myself first came to Splintered Rock to find someone," I began. I left out the part about analyzing strategic defenses.

"Of personal or professional interest?" she inquired.

I told her I was looking for Ardra. "She is a suspect in a series of crimes in our system. Since that time my own world has opened an embassy here."

"Ah, in the Splintered Rock settlement?"

"The embassy is here in Al Raqis," I explained. "My own quarters were in the the Hagga Settlement until recently."

"And you are now here as security for that Embassy?"

"No," I replied "We have other staff for that. Members of the Aegis as we call them."

"Aegis...shield?"

"Yes," I confirmed "That's correct."

"The Hagga settlement is slated for removal, I believe," Lady Soynika said.

"The sand will take it back...as with all things here."

"As Shai Hulud wishes," she replied.

I nodded respectfully.

"I think a closer relationship between you and the Magistrate's office might be considered," she said at last.

I raised my eyebrows a bit. That would be advantageous.

I spoke plainly, "My world has no extradition treaty with Al Raqis as yet. Even if I should be successful and hunted down the criminals that seek to avoid our laws by hiding here, we have no claim on them."

"I have studied the interlocking laws of many systems," began Lady Soyinka, "and I think many of them are silly."

"Go on," I prompted.

"If I have a grievance with an entity," she continued "I should handle that grievance and not wait for another to handle it for me. But, I am not law giver. These subtle vendettas cause much grief."

I asked her about the local tradition of vendetta and its judicial oversight procedure.

"Ah yes," she replied "The idea is to prevent the destruction of planets by the use of atomics."

"Indeed," I said "That does bring up the matter of the destruction of the planet Shadow."

"Instead of something so complex...why not just destroy the atomics?" she asked rhetorically.

"They were meant to be the defense against the thinking machines, if I read the legends right."

Reiko Soyinka grinned as if I had said something humorous. "Something so long ago...half of those atomics are now lead... but, I do not think they were made so long ago," she mused.

I smiled warmly, "Let's hope that no one has plans to build new ones." Did she know of the warhead in Faith's Warehouse?

"That is the thing that there should be interstellar cooperation on," she stated.

I agreed.

"Hunting individuals...pfffft," she dismissed the topic, "Back to this bombing of Shadow..."

"Yes," I replied.

"It has thrown a long shadow...to Al Raqis," she remarked, "Would the Alliance have had a reason to bomb this Shadow? I ignore the question of who bombed Shadow...I am curious if everyone or none had reason to do so."

I let out a breath. This was a delicate matter to discuss. "There was a bombing on our Central World of Londinium..again atomics"

"So, possible retaliation? Interesting."

"I have reason to believe that the situation is far more sinister than that," I offered. "I am in fact conducting an internal investigation into the actions of the man who ordered the bombing of Shadow...."

"Ah, an interesting statement."

"...while my counterparts on Londinium are investigating two other persons of interest."

Let's get that little piece of information out there.

Reiko Soyinka examined me without looking directly at me. "So, an attempted bombing on Al Raqis is linked to widespread destruction."

I did not have to confirm her statement. She was obviously connecting the dots. Instead I asked, "Have you, by the way, heard of Ardra Aurotharius?"

"Yes."

"She is a suspect in the theft of some of our national treasures," I elaborated.

"I have heard of this Ardra."

She was the first I had met on this planet who admitted as much.

"I have a question...." she continued.

"Of course."

"There have been some...um, peculiar constructs... biological ones, with tentacles..."

"Tentacles?" I echoed.

"Let loose on Splintered Rock...maybe by accident, maybe not by accident. Dropped from a ship."

I frowned. " Any markings on the ship?"

"There may be some connection with this Ardra," she suggested.

"Why do you say that?" I inquired.

"Ardra is said to be a biological construct."

"She was once a Guild Navigator," I explained, "She chose to be .... modified."

"In which laboratory or hospital?" asked Lady Soyinka.

"She seeks to conquer death," I added, then I answered her question, "On a world that believes in the fusion of machine and biology."

Reiko Soyinka breathed the word, "Abomination".

I smiled in a humourless way. "It is that abomination that I hunt...and others like her."

"These tentacled things are also abomination, but without minds."

I paused. "Where are they now?" I asked.

"If they have not been moved...come with me."

"Gladly," I replied.

Lady Soyinka did a quick unconscious check of her breather and nose plugs as we left the office.

.........

Outside, morning had broken. We had talked up the sun.

We stood in a hanger bay that opened onto the desert. It was lower than street level and well shaded. It would have been a restful little spot except for the monstrosity under the stairs.

"Is this the beast?" I asked

"Yes..." replied Lady Soyinka.

Under the stairs was a wooden crate. Reaching out and probing about in the air was a long grey tentacle.

I let out a heavy sigh. "I've seen the like.... on a derelict ship out in an uncontrolled sector."

I approached slowly, getting close enough to examine the tentacle. It must have sensed me somehow because it lunged, grabbed, and stabbed at me with many hidden, sharp claws.

It tore my cloak and scratched my cheek. I withdrew.

"It has no place on MY world," declared Lady Soynika.

"Nor in any world," I admitted. "Well, it is possible that there is a connection...."

I doubted it though, for some reason.

"At least two of these have already been killed," she explained.

"And the remains burned?"

"I do not know," she answered, "for my people have not yet seen them. We do not burn...but we will take their water."

It's a wonder, I thought, if the water wasn't spoiled.

I stepped further back away from the creature. "It would be interesting to see if someone returns to try to retrieve this," I added.

"Agreed."

"And the ship that dropped them," I asked, "any markings or recognizable features?"

"None that I questioned remembered any... said it was a freighter that broke up."

"A freighter...." I repeated. "When did they first appear?"

"This past week."

I turned the information over in my head. Could be something that was in transit and the ship ran into trouble. Could be a weapon test. Too early to tell.

Lady Soyinka excused herself to attend to matters that required her attention, leaving me alone with the creature under the stairs.