Distant Worlds Volume 1 Page 6

  “Calm down, Ulziach,” Tirius said. His tone remained calm and even as Ulziach’s temper raced.

  “The presence of Commonwealth agents on Earth is a provision of the NIZ laws as it is the best way to ensure that they are being respected and followed. Surely you must remember?”

  Ulziach did not. He made a mental note to dispose of his legal advisor for that oversight.

  Before his temper was fully restrained, Tirius continued.

  “It seems that a small number of humans involved with the United Earth government have disappeared recently. None of them are terribly important; mostly minor officials in a number of regional administrations. But no one seems to know what happened to them. I assume you know of this development?”

  Ulziach could not believe that a petty bureaucrat like Tirius would dare to level such accusations in his own home. The galaxy he lived in was indeed different from the one his father had inhabited.

  “Humans are unpredictable, Tirius. Vile and duplicitous creatures; nothing they do surprises me. I fear that you and your friends in the Senate are leaping to ill informed conclusions. Humans disappear all the time. You know they have always been a violent species. These missing Earthlings were most likely murdered by some group that opposes their government.

  “In any event, I don’t understand the NIZ Agency’s interest in all of this. If they knew this planet as well as I do they would know that the only certainty about it is that humans will always fight one another. It is inevitable, I fear. This United Earth peace of theirs might make a pleasant story for the academics, but it won’t last; the bestial nature of humanity won’t be erased so easily.”

  Tirius leaned back in his chair.

  “Quite a pessimistic view.”

  “Merely an observation, Tirius. Nothing more.”

  Ulziach waited for the bureaucrat’s response, but Tirius did not offer one. He merely glanced out the window at the planet below.

  “I have never seen Earth before,” Tirius said. “It’s quite beautiful.”

  Ulziach grunted.

  “So I’ve been told.”

  Tirius turned back to his host, his beady eyes narrowing sharply.

  “You really don’t care about the creatures of this world, do you, Ulziach?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “They will never be more than assets to be tabulated by your accountants, will they? No different from the cases of wine in this ship’s cargo bay as far as you’re concerned.”

  “No different? Do you have any idea what that ball of rock costs me every year in taxes?”

  Tirius shook his head. Ulziach smiled for the first time since the bureaucrat arrived.

  “Well, then,” Tirius said, “about my investigation.”

  Ulziach’s smile vanished.

  “Since you have nothing to hide, I am sure you won’t protest if I take a tour of your ship to see how you’ve been spending your time here.”

  “Of course not,” Ulziach said, his smile returning. “You’ll find I have nothing to hide. In fact, I will see to it that you are accommodated with what few luxuries I have remaining.”

  “You have always been a most generous host, Ulziach.”

  Ulziach nodded and smiled as he reached to a small panel on his desk and pressed a button.

  “Yes, sir?” an unseen voice said.

  “It appears that our guest will be staying with us for a while. See to it that our finest accommodations are prepared for him.”

  “As you wish, sir.”

  “My servants will see you to your quarters, Tirius,” Ulziach said, gesturing politely towards the door. “Now, if you would excuse me for the moment, I have some important business matters to attend to.”

  “Yes, yes, of course. I understand. Shall we dine together this evening? Perhaps we can discuss these matters further?”

  “I would be delighted.” Ulziach’s broad grin was becoming painful.

  Tirius bowed his head as the door opened and one of Ulziach’s servants appeared. She led Tirius out and closed the door behind them.

  When they had gone, Ulziach picked up his wine glass and flung it across the room where it shattered against the wall. He stared out the window at the planet below, his thoughts twisting themselves into inconclusive knots. Ulziach was a manipulator extraordinaire, but his mind, much like his ample body, was driven by passion, not logic. Normally this was not a hinderance, but at the moment he found it terribly inconvenient that his hatred of the despicable creatures on the planet below, the detached, self righteous politicians billions of light years away from them, and the pathetic, misguided idealists like Tirius who actually cared about them formed an insurmountable barrier to any semblance of rational thought.

  After allowing his ire to stew for a few minutes, he reached out and pressed another button on his desk. A flat view screen rose up before him.

  “Show me today’s lines,” he said.

  The screen displayed several columns of listings and numbers. Ulziach leaned closer to examine a few of them.

  Rounds Fired (Small Arms): Off

  Rounds Fired (Artillery): Off

  Combat Deaths (Confirmed): Off

  Daily Casualties (Reported): Off

  Days to Planetary Annihilation: Off

  Murders (Reported): 5 Over: 0 Under: 1

  Batteries (Reported): 10 Over: 0 Under: 0

  Rapes (Reported): 2 Over: 0 Under: 0

  Ulziach pressed the button again and the screen retreated into his desk. He had seen enough; had he wanted to be so disheartened, he would have called up his financial records.

  The atmosphere of the green and blue planet outside his viewport shimmered vibrantly as its sun crested the horizon. Observing this beautiful sight, bile festered in the depths of Ulziach’s stomach.

  The planet itself was mocking him.

  He activated the intercom once more.

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Put me in contact with Senator Yelthoon!”

  “As you wish, sir.”

  Ulziach endured several minutes of silence while the connection between his ship and the Commonwealth Senate chambers was made. His fat fingers drummed heavily on the desk, the sound a steady crescendo of violent blows to his detestable circumstance.

  Finally, a face appeared on the view screen that swung open before him. Its tender features were like those of a child, but its careful, calculating glare scorched any impressions of youth from the mind.

  “This had best be important, Ulziach.”

  The voice was high pitched and pleasant to the ear. It bore no relation to the baleful eyes regarding Ulziach.

  “Yelthoon, you scum! What is going on with that Senate of yours?”

  The child faced Senator merely raised an eyebrow.

  “What are you talking about, Ulziach?”

  “Exactly when did you decide it would be a good idea to send that sniveling bureaucrat Tirius to snoop around my ship?”

  “What? When did this happen?”

  Yelthoon’s surprise seemed genuine, but, Ulziach reminded himself, he was a politician so it was impossible to tell for sure.

  “He just arrived, sent by your damnable Senate! What are you trying to do to me?!?”

  “Calm down, Ulziach.”

  “Calm down? Do you have any idea how much…?”

  “I said shut up, you brute!”

  Crimson veins glowed beneath the thin surface of the Senator’s skin and an inky black film glazed over his eyes. Ulziach clenched his teeth and grumbled.

  “Is this a coded channel?” Yelthoon’s appearance returned to normal as he spoke.

  “Of course it is,” Ulziach said.

  “Now, listen to me and keep that temper of yours in check. I’ve heard nothing of this investigation. It was never discussed on the Senate floor or in the NIZ Committee meetings.”

  “Then what is he doing here? Do you realize the danger this puts us in?”

  “What do you mean? You told me there was nothi
ng to worry about!”

  “That was before an investigator from the NIZ Agency walked onto my ship! And, as I recall, it was you that told me there was no chance of that ever happening!”

  “It must be one of the new Senators,” Yelthoon said. “They’re all so damned concerned about primitive backwaters like Earth. I never thought any of them had the nerve to send out an investigator without consulting anyone.”

  “What do we do now?”

  “We must be cautious. Tirius’ investigation of your ship is being conducted without Senatorial approval so it could be construed as illegal.”

  “And if he should meet some unfortunate fate in a place he isn’t supposed to be?”

  “I said that his investigation could be construed as illegal, not his presence. If he fails to report back to whoever sent him then a full scale, and completely legal, investigation would certainly follow.”

  Ulziach scowled.

  “I can’t hide everything from that kind of scrutiny.”

  “No, of course not. But we can’t afford to allow Tirius to develop suspicions about what’s going on aboard your ship.”

  “He already suspects something. The bastard didn’t believe a word I said to him; I could see it in those beady little eyes of his.”

  “Then you haven’t much time. I need you to find out who sent him there.”

  “What good will that do? He’s already here!”

  “We need to stop this at the source of the problem, Ulziach. Unless we know who is behind this in the Senate then investigators like Tirius will keep coming until they find something. If I know who it is, then I can neutralize the threat here and keep the bureaucrats out of your affairs.”

  “But how…”

  “Just get me a damn name, Ulziach!” Yelthoon’s face flared and his eyes glazed over again. “Find out who he’s working with and then get rid of him before he finds anything worth reporting!”

  “Get rid of him? But you said that would bring another investigation down on my head!”

  “No Senator would dare call for an investigation if it meant being stripped of his seat! I have enough allies here to do just that to Tirius’ master if he tries to initiate one.”

  Ulziach nodded.

  “Is everything else proceeding on schedule?”

  “Yes, of course,” Ulziach said. “Just keep the damn bureaucrats out of my way and Earth will be the most valuable planet in the Commonwealth again, for both of us.”

  “Excellent. Contact me again when this matter is resolved.”

  Senator Yelthoon cut off their transmission without any parting words. He was never one to waste time with pleasantries. Ulziach liked that about him; direct and self interested, someone whose motivations he could understand.

  Ulziach pressed a button on his desk.

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Where is our guest at the moment?”

  “In the quarters you have provided for him, sir.”

  “I see. Inform him that will be dining in two hours time; see to it that he is entertained until then.”

  “As you wish, sir.”

  “He is not to be admitted into any restricted areas without my permission. Tell him that I will give him a full tour of the ship after we dine.”

  “Yes, sir. What do you wish to have prepared for dinner, sir?”

  “I don’t care, but use the real food, none of that synthetic garbage. We can at least act like we can still afford to provide real hospitality.”

  “Yes, sir. Is there anything else that you require?”

  “No. Just inform me when everything is prepared.”

  “As you wish, sir.”

  Ulziach leaned back in his chair and sighed. Two hours felt a lifetime away.

  It was the best food Ulziach had tasted in years. The meat had been cut from a creature that once lived and breathed, not grown in a bubbling vat of chemicals. Although the vegetables were not as fresh and crisp as they should have been, they tasted far better than the chewy, gene-engineered slop that normally filled his plate. Even the wine, though not drawn from his best stock, was especially delightful.

  Unfortunately, the enjoyment Ulziach took from his meal was diminished by the fact that he had to share it with Tirius. It was impossible to savor the taste of his perfectly prepared, and extraordinarily expensive, food when the bureaucrat sitting across the table took little mincing bites from his plate and sipped delicately from his wineglass as if he were a member of some refined line of privileged aristocrats.

  “I must say, Ulziach,” Tirius said, “this is quite an unusual dish.”

  Ulziach could not believe the bureaucrat’s audacity. Surely he knew how much such a meal cost.

  “Is it not to your liking, Tirius?”

  “Oh, no. I don’t mean that. It’s just that I’ve never had authentic food before.”

  “Ah, yes. It gets more difficult to procure every year, I’m afraid. Too many lawmakers have a stake in the synthetics industry. They’ve made it nearly impossible to obtain a meal like this legally.”

  “Well,” Tirius said, setting his fork aside and lifting his wineglass for another conspicuously effeminate sip, “surely even you realize the health concerns.”

  Ulziach grunted and smirked.

  “Ridiculous propaganda. Really, Tirius, I had thought you smart enough to not believe every government report that comes across that desk of yours.”

  Tirius merely poked gently at the slice of meat on his plate with his fork. The dim light of the dining room made it difficult for Ulziach to read his eyes.

  “I noticed that your ship has a number of sectors that are deemed off limits, Ulziach.”

  Ulziach’s hand came to rest upon the knife next to his plate. He indulged his imagination with a brief, violent fantasy before using it to cut into his meat.

  “Yes,” he said. “You forget that this ship is my home as well as a place of business, Tirius. Surely I am entitled to some privacy.”

  “Of course.” Tirius sipped at his wine again as Ulziach refilled his own glass.

  “So tell me, Tirius, isn’t it highly irregular for the NIZ Committee to begin an investigation without first making a formal announcement of it on the Senate floor?”

  “Not at all, Ulziach. The announcement is just a matter of procedure that sometimes doesn’t happen until the investigation has already concluded.”

  “But I was under the impression that Senate approval was needed for any potential investigation. Is that not so?”

  “Normally, yes. However, the NIZ bylaws make it quite clear that any member of the NIZ Committee can authorize the start of an investigation so long as it is brought before the rest of the committee within 90 standard days. It prevents the NIZ laws from being compromised by special interests that may have the ears of Senators on the committee.”

  Ulziach nodded, wondering why Yelthooon had neglected to mention that small detail.

  “And what is to stop a Senator from using an investigation to his own advantage?”

  “What are you implying, Ulziach?”

  “Let me put it another way, then. Are you familiar with Senator Gormazek?”

  “I’ve met him once or twice, yes.”

  “Well, I’m sure that the Senate records have managed to overlook this, but the fact is that he owes me a substantial amount of money. Did you know that?”

  Tirius shook his head.

  “Yes, several million credits, not including interest, of course. Before he penned several bills to outlaw gambling in a number of sectors in the Commonwealth, young Senator Gormazek was himself quite free and indiscrete with his spending. At the time, he couldn’t afford to cover his debts, but given his political position I was unusually accommodating.”

  “And you have yet to collect? Surely he can afford to settle his account by now?”

  “Yes, I expect he could. But he is an exceedingly difficult man to speak with and considering my current social and financial standing, it has been difficult to gai
n an audience. I have often considered reporting his debt to the appropriate agency, which would certainly tarnish that sparkling reputation of his.”

  “You mean to blackmail him?”

  Ulziach laughed.

  “Of course not, Tirius! That would be a clear violation of the law! But am I not entitled by those same laws to recourse for debts gone unpaid?”

  “Yes, I suppose you are.”

  “And an investigation into Senator Gormazek’s less than savory past would hardly be a benefit to his reelection campaign, now would it?”

  “You think that is what this investigation is about? You think a Senator is out to get you to protect his reputation?”

  Ulzaich leaned back in his chair and sipped at is wine.

  “Merely a suggestion for you to consider, Tirius, nothing more.”

  “Interesting.”

  Tirius went back to picking at his food. Ulziach wanted to rub the bureaucrat’s face in it, but was able to maintain his civility. Still, he was no closer to the information he needed. Tirius was too astute to give anything up in general conversation. He needed another approach.

  “You don’t trust me, do you, Tirius?”

  The question pulled Tirius’ attention away from his scarcely eaten meal. His eyes narrowed.

  “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “I mean you don’t like me and assume that everything I say is either a lie or a distortion of the truth.”

  “I don’t think that…”

  “No, no,” Ulziach said, waiving his hand, “it’s alright. I understand. After all, what reason have you to trust me in the first place?”

  “Surely, Ulziach, you don’t really believe…”

  “There is no one here but us, Tirius. No government agents with their ears against the doors to record your every word to your superiors, no recorders to use your words against you in a court; we are alone. You don’t have to keep up this charade with me, Tirius. I know how you feel about me so don’t insult my intelligence with these contrived courtesies you’ve been bombarding me with since you arrived.”

  Tirius set his fork aside and took up his half full wineglass. He drained it in a single gulp.

  “With all due respect…”

  “I told you to stop with the pleasantries, Tirius.”