{"id":327,"date":"2013-02-24T00:00:22","date_gmt":"2013-02-24T05:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/?p=327"},"modified":"2013-02-23T21:57:45","modified_gmt":"2013-02-24T02:57:45","slug":"eight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/?p=327","title":{"rendered":"Eight"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Unconfirmed reports of secondary explosions continue to leak out of Nordis system.\u00a0 Forces from many of the other conglomerates have offered humanitarian aid to Mimir, which they have soundly refused.\u00a0 Most of these requests have been withdrawn, given impending war among the congloms.\u00a0 Elements within the Commonwealth have been asserting that Mimir is only the first blow\u2014any world could be next.<\/h3>\n

— Newswire, two weeks after the attacks on Mimir<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u00a05 Decem, 5249 PD<\/strong><\/p>\n

He ducked out of the baths as soon as he\u2019d managed to collect his thoughts, trying to look nonchalant.\u00a0 He even managed to smile at the Chinasian girl minding the front end of the baths as he strode out.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnjoy the rest of your stay at Cassini VII,\u201d she suggested cheerfully.<\/p>\n

Tim nodded to her, his mouth dry as he responded.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll try.\u201d\u00a0 Or at least I\u2019ll try to fake it until I\u2019m well away from here.<\/i><\/p>\n

He walked quickly down the concourse, eyes trained straight ahead.\u00a0 His appetite had vanished with word from Sephora, his stomach unsettled, twisting into uncomfortable knots.\u00a0 A conspiracy.\u00a0 Toss me into a damned black hole.\u00a0 How deep could it go?<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Deep enough that she told me not to trust anyone.\u00a0 That\u2019s got to be pretty deep.<\/i><\/p>\n

Deep enough that the only people I\u2019m supposed to trust are the same people who ran from the Commonwealth twenty years ago.\u00a0 This is insane.<\/i><\/p>\n

He headed up a sloping gangway to the next level and hopped on a moving sidewalk, leaning against its rail as he attempted to gather his fragmenting thoughts, to put everything back into some semblance of order.\u00a0 Above him, displayed on screens hanging from the concourse above, a pretty, dark-skinned newscaster in a red suit was talking, reporting whatever was purportedly newsworthy.\u00a0 He blinked at the screen, starting to listen as he caught a fleeting glimpse of the story\u2019s tagline\u2014Death of the Whispers<\/i>.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven now, there continues to be speculation that it was in fact the Rose Foundation colony in the Eridani Trelasia system that was responsible for the assaults at the Whispers,\u201d the newscaster was saying.\u00a0 \u201cRecent activity has pointed to a military mobilization in the region that is unprecedented in the history of the Fringe.\u00a0 No commentary has been forthcoming from the Foundation or the Colony, but sources within the Commonwealth have strongly indicated that it is not outside the realm of the possibility that the Foundation was involved.\u00a0 In related news, Chinasia Corporation and the Eurydice Compact have leveled charges of espionage and theft at the Foundation, claiming that strike forces illegally obtained military materiel from Fringeward installations.\u00a0 No additional details have been released, but Chinasia board chairman Daiko Zaki is scheduled to speak in the Commonwealth parliament at 0900 hours New Earth Standard time tomorrow.\u00a0 It is hoped that he will reveal more information about the alleged assault at that time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBloody hell,\u201d he murmured.\u00a0 What the hell am I walking into?<\/i><\/p>\n

Either the mother of all coincidences or some kind of insane set-up.<\/i>\u00a0 His lips thinned.\u00a0 What had the Inspector General pointed him toward?<\/p>\n

What if the Foundation\u2014and the remnants of the Psychean Guard\u2014really <\/i>were responsible for the death of the Whispers?<\/i><\/p>\n

The woman droned on as he neared the end of the walkway.<\/p>\n

\u201cSources within the Wanderers, the faction that dominated the Whispers, indicated that they had no reason to believe that the colonists at E-557 had anything to do with their misfortune.\u00a0 Father Andrais Cabrini reportedly said \u2018The Foundation has always been our friend and ally, always willing to help in times of need.\u00a0 We have provided them with succor and safe haven as they have done the same for us.\u00a0 They, and their brothers and sisters in the late Guard, could not have been responsible for such an atrocity.\u2019\u00a0 Congloms throughout the Commonwealth have decried Cabrini\u2019s words as being fueled by \u2018sentiment and wrong-headedness,\u2019 in the words of Senator Gordan Rafe, representing the Idesalli world of Maricopa in the legislature.\u00a0 Many factions have indicated that the recent relationship forged between the colony and Mission Systems LLC indicate that the Colony is ready to go on the offensive against its neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n

He stepped clear of the walkway and exhaled with a grimace.\u00a0 Too many blind alleys, blind corners\u2014too much I don\u2019t know.<\/i>\u00a0 He shouldered his bag and started to walk.\u00a0 No options.\u00a0 I have to get out there.\u00a0 For the love of all that\u2019s holy and sacred, I\u2019m not even sure that I can trust anyone anymore.\u00a0 Might as well go with the devil that your boss knows and trust that she\u2019s not going to somehow accidentally lead you astray, right?<\/i><\/p>\n

Holding that thought close, he set is jaw and headed up another two levels to talk to the people at Mission Systems LLC. <\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2022<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Alana leaned back in the contoured chair, tilting her face toward the ceiling as she settled her arm into the open restraints to one side, the ones designed to hold it still while Ezra got started with the delicate process of removing components of her cyberware.\u00a0 Her eyes slid shut as she exhaled.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know what I heard?\u201d she asked Ezra quietly as he came to her side and injected her with a heavy dose of local anesthetic.\u00a0 It would take a few long moments, but soon her arm would be numbed from the shoulder down.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you hear?\u201d he asked, turning away to get his tools.<\/p>\n

She forced herself to relax, breathing slowly and deeply.\u00a0 \u201cThe Compact and Chinasia are saying the Foundation staged armed raids and stole materiel from them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Something clattered to the floor and her eyes blinked open.\u00a0 She straightened, twisting to look at him.\u00a0 Ezra just stared at her, a pair of delicate-looking pliers laying on the floor at his feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cEzra?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the hell are they talking about?\u00a0 How many\u2014when did they\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

She eased out of the chair and went to him, cupping his face with her flesh and blood hand.\u00a0 \u201cWe knew that they\u2019d figure out who came, Ezra,\u201d she murmured.\u00a0 She leaned in and rested her forehead against his.\u00a0 Their eyes met and he sucked in a ragged breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cHuman beings aren\u2019t materiel,\u201d was all he could say, his hands coming up to catch her face between his palms.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d she agreed in a whisper.\u00a0 \u201cBut Brendan\u2019s implant was.\u00a0 My arm is.\u201d<\/p>\n

His eyes widened.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s how they\u2019ll spin it, whether Brendan and I were the ones walking in and pulling someone out or if strike teams waltzed in and dragged he and I out kicking and screaming.\u00a0 It\u2019s a technicality.\u201d\u00a0 She set her jaw.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s only a matter of time before they demand the return of what they feel was stolen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing to return,\u201d Ezra said.\u00a0 Alana glanced down at her arm and he followed her gaze, then winced.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcept that,\u201d Alana said quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can\u2019t have you,\u201d Ezra whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen get your head together and get to work on this arm.\u00a0 If I\u2019m decybered by the time they really get rolling, it\u2019ll be a moot point.\u201d<\/p>\n

His fingers laced through her hair and he kissed her hard, holding her tightly with his free arm for a long moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cEzra,\u201d she murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI know.\u201d\u00a0 He let go and stepped back, scrubbing a hand over his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cThe sooner we get this started, the sooner it\u2019s finished.\u201d\u00a0 He stared at her for a moment as she headed back to the chair.\u00a0 \u201cAnd the sooner you\u2019re out of danger.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis particular dangerous situation, anyway,\u201d she said as she settled into the chair again.\u00a0 She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.<\/p>\n

Ezra stroked her hair and sighed.\u00a0 \u201cIs it numb?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d better work while you can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight,\u201d he murmured, fingers grazing her cheek.\u00a0 \u201cI love you, \u2018lana,\u201d he said as he turned away to resume retrieving his tools.\u00a0 \u201cAnd if they want to get you, they\u2019ll have to come through me first.\u201d<\/p>\n

She had to swallow a laugh even as her heart swelled.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, Ezra,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unconfirmed reports of secondary explosions continue to leak out of Nordis system.\u00a0 Forces from many of the other conglomerates have offered humanitarian aid to Mimir, which they have soundly refused.\u00a0 Most of these requests have been withdrawn, given impending war … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-two-ashes-to-ashes"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/s25yjF-eight","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/327","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=327"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/327\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":329,"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/327\/revisions\/329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}