“You’ve got colored towels. Colored sheets. It’s not psychotic. I’m going to ask for a guard to be put down here. Contact with housekeeping.” He put his hand on the door switch, prepared to leave. “Glad you’re here,” he said. “Don’t let anybody from housekeeping in until you get the guards out there.”
“Oh, thanks,” Jordan said. Paul put the drink into his hand. He lifted it, silent salute.
“And lay off that stuff,” Justin snapped, and hit the door switch and left.
BOOK THREE Section 3 Chapter vii
JULY 4, 2424
0251H
The party ended, late, with all youngers in attendance, those who didn’thave responsibility for the safety of Reseune. Sam made a few calls to check on Fitz and crew, being sure that personnel had gotten out unscathed at Strassenberg–and Ari just keyed into Base One in her office and searched up details Sam couldn’t get.
ReseuneSec had sent a plane up there with senior officers, they’d landed at the airstrip, and they were trying to track whoever had gotten up on the cliffs with that much explosive. Boats were searching the shore for any sign of landings.
About time they got some bots on the site, guarding the area, Ari said to herself, but they cost, and she was going to have to convince Yanni they’d be cheaper than rebuilding that tower.
And the messages came flooding in.
From Yanni: “We’ve had an armed confrontation with your guard in the middle of the Education Wing mall. I have enough on my plate without the Warricks at it.”
From ReseuneSec: “To: Sera Ariane Emory, Director, Alpha Wing
“From: Office of Adam Hicks, Director, Reseune Security.
“Posted by: Kyle AK‑36, duty officer: automated system.
“This is to notify you that staff under your supervision has violated:
“Code 2871‑82, section three: Resisting arrest.
“Code 2281‑91, section one: Interfering with Reseune Security officers in the performance of their duty.
“Code 2281‑91, section two: Inciting others to interfere with Reseune Security officers in the performance of their duty.
“Code 291‑1, section two: Involvement of azi in the commission of a crime…”
It went on for a list of twenty‑one items.
It made Rafael’s note compulsory reading: “To: Sera Ariane Emory, Director, Alpha Wing
“From: Rafael BR‑283, Commanding Officer, Alpha Wing Security
“Officers Mark BM and Gerry BG accompanied Justin Warrick to Abrizio’s Bar and Grill in the Education Wing where, pursuant to the orders of Justin Warrick, they disengaged but observed. Justin Warrick engaged Jordan Warrick in private conversation at another table. Jordan Warrick left the bar and was placed under arrest outside by officers BY‑210 and BO‑8 of Reseune Security. Justin Warrick objected. Reseune Security threatened him with a stunner, while applying restraint to Jordan Warrick. Alpha Wing officer Mark BM then drew a lethal and instructed Reseune Security to stand down…”
Oh, even better. She skipped to Justin’s message.
“Ari, forgive me. I lost my head. It wasn’t Jordan’s fault…”
It went on to say, “On my own discretion, I told Jordan the nature of the upriver construction and the incident there. His reaction was sympathetic, and despite the public locale, the ambient noise was as good as a silencer, so I am relatively confident no one overheard. Conversation kept to a quiet level until Jordan left the bar with Paul, whereupon they were arrested by ReseuneSec personnel outside the bar. Grant and I followed, an argument ensued, and Mark and Gerry intervened to abort the arrest of all of us. I think Mark and Gerry will report more details.
“You know that I put Jordan into our old apartment. I apologize. If you want to talk about this incident I’m available at any hour. I very much regret the inconvenience.”
There was even one from Jordan Warrick: “I don’t know if this will get to you, but it’s a nice place. Thanks for the tray.”
She wrote back. To Yanni: “Sorry about that. There was a communications problem. I’ll communicate with Hicks and straighten it out. Keep me current with what you find out on the other matter. If you need me, call.”
To Adam Hicks: “We had a problem tonight. Jordan Warrick should be subject to observation, not arrest during general curfew, unless, as per any other CIT, he violates the law. Justin Warrick is not to receive any reprimand for his actions of last night. All charges are to be dropped. Jordan Warrick is now resident in Wing One and has received rights of access there.”
To Rafaeclass="underline" “Your personnel acted as they ought. Please stress that they should contact ReseuneSec Command offices and cite my authority to defuse any further such situations, so long as Alpha Wing personnel are safe, and that should remain the priority. Under no circumstances is any Alpha Wing resident to be arrested on any charge without clearance from me.”
To Justin: “I knew it was going to be interesting when you left the party. I’m glad you’re all right and it’s all right what you did. That information is due for release soon anyway, before the news obsesses about it. Jordan is safer where you put him, and I don’t think I could have persuaded him to go there. Congratulations on that part; Please write Hicks and Yanni a meaningful apology and say you were following my orders.”
And, not least to Jordan, who’d actually initiated an exchange with her: “You and Paul are welcome. You can contact the Office of Domestic Services, Alpha Wing–the minder will have the number; and, arrange a pair of betas, set of your choosing, to serve as domestic staff if you like. Justin and Grant never opted to have anyone live in: that was their choice, but they relied somewhat on my staff. Now that I’m removed from that area, you probably will find it easier to have someone to take care of the day‑to‑day operations. It is, however, entirely your choice. I hope you like, the place.”
Last was a mundane detail, an order to the ODS to allow exactly that, to send the bill to her office, and to allow Jordan Warrick, whose request would otherwise ring bells all the way to Yanni’s office, to come and go on his own.
She leaned back, then, still in her evening finery, and got up, called Joyesse to get her out of the blouse and hang things in the ‘fresher. She slipped on a gown and told Joyesse, “Call Florian.”
For some nights there was no other solution.
She lay there abed, waiting, hands behind her head and thinking, with some amusement, that she’d probably issued the order for Jordan’s free pass only marginally ahead of Jordan’s first provocation of security in that wing.
And thinking, with much less humor, that the world was a little darker tonight, now that somebody had decided to bomb a tower on something shewas building. It hadn’t hurt anybody. But it had done financial damage. It was Reseune property. More, it was her project.
Maybe whoever had done it had known it was a special night for her. Was that too paranoid to imagine?
First the two nanistics Specials, mightily inconveniencing Yanni’s plans; and now this, a setback in hers…
The Paxers usually expressed themselves harmlessly in graffiti, or, not harmlessly, in subway incidents in Novgorod. They didn’t challenge Reseune directly.
Maybe that had just changed.
It might actually be an improvement. If they got out in the open, where security could lay hands on them…
Florian showed up in the doorway.
“I’m not at all in a bad mood,” she said. “I’m actually fairly cheerful, all things considered. You don’t mind my calling you, do you?”