In Earth's Service (Mapped Space Book 2) Read Online Free Page B

*
     
    There were no holding cells
in Nisport’s tiny Earth Council embassy so with restraints on my wrists, I was
ushered into the ambassador’s well appointed office for questioning. Two guards
stood watch while Ambassador Singh took his seat behind a modest simwood desk
and activated a holofield displaying several official looking data forms.
    “The Nisk proxy has advised me,” Singh began,
“that they have no direct evidence against you, however, they have lodged a
formal complaint with Earth Council stating that human citizens have violated
the terms of our concession. Do you know what that means?”
    “No more niskgel anti-aging cream for the super
rich?”
    The Ambassador gave me a dark look. “It could cost
us our landing rights. At worst, they may declare humans to have murdered two
of their citizens. It would be up to the Forum to decide if that qualified as an
Access Treaty violation which could very well extend our probationary period.”
    I was well aware of the consequences, although the
lack of evidence would save us from any sanction and I suspected the royals
cared more for our sugar than for the lives of two insignificant drones. Even
so, any complaint to the Forum could complicate mankind’s forthcoming admission
to the Galaxy’s big table.
    “One of our citizens was also killed,” I added.
    “By Union Regular Army ammunition! Humans killing
humans is our problem, no one else’s, but humans killing nonhumans is another
matter entirely!”
    “They can’t prove humans did the shooting.”
    “The charges pending against you are carrying a
weapon in a prohibited nonhuman jurisdiction, being implicated in the deaths of
one human and two nonhumans and damaging relations with a major nonhuman power.
Should the Nisk lodge a protest with the Forum, additional charges related to
initiating an Access Treaty infringement will be laid.” He gave me a stern
look. “These are serious charges, Captain Kade, charges that come with heavy penalties.”
    It could have been worse. Infringements bought
mostly jail time. Only genuine violations were punishable by death.
    “I’m an innocent victim in all this.”
    “You’re a smuggler and a trouble maker,” Singh said,
unconvinced. “You’ll be held here pending transportation to Draconis Station
where a formal court of inquiry will be conducted by the appropriate
authorities. Do you have anything to say?”
    I considered telling him UniPol civil law orbitals
were a little dull for my tastes and Draconis Station was no exception, but
decided a more direct approach was needed. “I’d like to make a private statement.”
I glanced at the two guards meaningfully.
    The Ambassador looked surprised. “My security team
are fully apprised of the circumstances of this case and have full diplomatic
clearance.”
    “I’m bashful,” I said, making it clear I would not
utter another word until the guards were gone.
    Singh gave me an irritated look, then nodded for
the guards to leave. When we were alone he touched a control on his desk,
activating his holorecorder. “OK, what do you have to say?”
    “No recorder.”
    Singh looked surprised. “I thought you wanted to
make a statement?”
    “I do, to you. Not to that,” I said nodding to his
recorder.
    “This is highly irregular,” he said, switching it off.
    “Do you have an eidetic implant?”
    Singh arched his brow curiously. “Of course.”
    Eidetic implants were standard equipment for
senior diplomats. It allowed them to retain every document they read and every word
of every conversation they heard with perfect accuracy for both diplomatic and
intelligence gathering purposes.
    “Good. Listen carefully.” I retrieved a highly
classified, fifty character recognition code stored deep within my bionetic
memory and repeated it to the Earth Ambassador. The astonished look that
appeared on his face was hardly surprising, considering he would never have received
such a code in his life and never would