Setaris sat behind her desk, gazing at the subetheric. Ariel glanced at it and saw Jonis Taprin speaking to a reporter in a formal interview setting. The sound was off.
"Derec Avery is in custody," Setaris said. "The TBI have seized control of Kopernik security from Chief Sipha Palen and are making very loud noises about security leaks and subversion. I have a protest filed from Ambassador Chassik demanding you be censured and dismissed from all embassy duties, pending an investigation of your fitness for executive responsibilities." She gestured at the subetheric. "Senator Taprin has been making very obnoxious noises about the treaties concerning our embassy missions. What did you do to him, Ariel? He's been almost shrill about reviewing Spacer presence on Earth."
"Nothing recently."
Setaris smiled wanly. "It's been a very long day. You've been excessively diligent in your assignment."
"Why is Derec in custody?"
"The TBI said something about evidence tampering and hindering an investigation. It's the sort of charge they make when they don't know what really has them angry. You two have stirred up a lot of trouble."
"I don't see how. We haven't done all that much yet."
"Yes, but you've done it in all the right places. You two have the damnedest luck. Gale basically wants you to stop looking into Nova Levis." Setaris frowned. "You didn't know Derec Avery was under arrest?"
"I just got back in," Ariel said evasively.
"Then why did you come here? I expected a barrage of protest and a demand to have him released."
"Maybe later." She leaned on Setaris's desk. "Why are we hiding a Solarian national?"
Setaris frowned. "I'm sorry, would you repeat that?"
"Rotij Polifos."
Setaris nodded slowly. "What do you know about him?"
"Derec got suspicious of him. Neither of us knew much about him, except that he's been director of the lab on Kopernik for six, almost seven years. That's a long time for an Auroran to hold a post here. "
"I've been here nearly twelve years, Ariel."
"We're diplomats; we're different. For someone like Polifos, it's an eternity. When I checked, I discovered that he had never once requested rotation to another post. No one from any office has questioned his long residency on Kopernik. Nothing you'd expect to happen in his position has happened. His stipend hasn't even changed in six years. "
"And why did you conclude he's a Solarian national?"
"A couple of things. A background check on his name came up with an old Solarian family, for one, but there are no birth records or citizenship papers for him. The family itself has only two remaining members and, like most Solarians, they're recluses. The other thing is that all his Auroran documentation originated here."
"How did you manage to learn that?"
"I'm very good at my job. The third detail is precedent. We've done this before with defectors who may be subject to extradition under the Fifty Worlds Mutual Accords. Did I guess wrong?"
"No. But-"
"I'm not finished. I did another search then, one I wouldn't have thought to do. We've been so busy tracking down who used to own Nova Levis we never thought to find out who worked there. Five researchers were senior staff they ran the research protocols. It was their lab. Four of them are dead."
Setaris regarded her quietly. "And the fifth?"
"Was a Solarian. He vanished. Interestingly enough, the document trail for Rotij Polifos begins shortly before Nova Levis was closed down. The Solarian presumably returned to Solaria, but I could find no evidence that he ever got there. A couple years later, Polifos assumes directorship of the positronics lab on Kopernik. "
Setaris nodded. "As you say, you're very good at what you do. Though this isn't exactly your job."
"It has become my job," Ariel said.
"Point taken. Anything else?"
Ariel felt herself get angry then. Setaris was being "diplomatic" and neutral, superficially uninvolved-"professional," she would say. Ariel decided to thoroughly ruin her day. "Did you know about the cyborgs?"
Setaris's face lost all expression for a moment. Her skin paled then. "You're joking."
"I wish I were. "
Setaris's face flexed with comprehension, brow furrowing deeply, mouth opening and closing wordlessly, eyes scanning the surface of the desk as if for something lost. It took less than a minute for her to regain composure. When she did, though, all the casual annoyance and alloyed humor were gone, replaced by pragmatic professionalism.
"Tell me what you know," she said.
"What I know isn't much. What I saw…Coren Lanra claimed he saw a robot with masking capabilities. What I saw tonight could only be a cyborg. It's entirely probable that it's what he saw as well. The blood sample Derec took from the collapsed robot's hand is more than likely a close relative of Nyom Looms. The material mixed with the sample-myralar-suggests robotics, but until tonight it made no sense to me. "
She blew out a breath. "Nova Levis is still technically owned by Solaria. It was renamed after a Settler colony leased it from them, but the original title never transferred. There is also an old research lab-here on Earth-called Nova Levis, among which I found Gale Chassik listed as an original shareholder. Plus Rega Looms and Alda Mikels. Tonight I met a retired policeman who was investigating kidnappings twenty-some years ago who says that, among other things, a number of infants were taken from orphanages here and transported offworld. He suspected a slave trade. But several of these infants were hopelessly handicapped…UPDs, he called them. Nova Levis was one of the labs he'd investigated, but he claims that it was clear of any culpability."
Setaris shook her head. "What did the lab do? And what does all this have to do with cyborgs?"
"I don't know. Nova Levis the lab was involved in prosthetics research, though. "
"Why did it fail? Prosthetics is a fairly lucrative field on Earth. "
"I don't know that, either, " Ariel replied. "What I want to know is if this blockade around Nova Levis has anything to do with it. With cyborgs. I want to know if you knew. "
"Why would I have known?"
"Because you gave me some pathetic reasons to start this investigation. "
Setaris raised an eyebrow. "Assuming I did, why wouldn't I tell you?"
"Oh, some sort of attempt at objectification. Maybe, though, you knew but had no proof. You wanted me to verify your suspicions."
"Rather shabby use of my people, wouldn't you think?"
"It wouldn't have been the first time."
Setaris narrowed her eyes. "When this is over, Ariel, I will sit you down and give you a lesson in the realities of the diplomat's life. You've been able to function largely unaffected by them since you've been here. In the meantime-"
"In the meantime," Ariel interjected, "I need Derec out of jail, and I want a little cooperation from the TBI. I don't think diplomacy will solve this particular problem."
Setaris frowned, and gestured toward the guest chairs. "Sit down, Ariel. Shut your mouth while I tell you what the situation actually is. Then, if you want to make demands, I'll listen."
Twenty-Two
Coren leaned against the wall and gently kneaded his neck and shoulder. The pain was growing worse; on top of his lack of sleep, he wondered if he could manage what he intended to do. He pulled his comm out and stared at the keypad, trying to think. He still lacked necessary information.
He tapped in Kelvy Torans' code. He almost gave up just as she finally answered.
"Kelvy, it's Coren."
"Please tell me you're near my apartment," she said brightly.
"Actually, no. I'm sorry to bother you so late-"
"I wasn't sleeping, anyway. Something it sounds like you should be doing. Are you all right?"
"Just tired. Long hours. I'm never letting Rega run for office again."
She laughed. "In that case, I suppose you're calling to see if I have that information you wanted."