The Ripple in Space-Time: Free City Book 1 (The Free City Series) (5 page)

The travelers jostled along in
uneasy silence.

“Fortunately the neighbors sent me
to the Institution for the Furtherance of Clones in Free City.
”
He laughed,
“
Evidently they thought I was too cute to end up in the
local EurAfrican orphanage.
”

“
Well that was lucky for you,
”
Lev nodded.
“
I know those fiefdom workhouses are pretty much the same as slave mills.
”

“
It
’
s not much better in Free City,
I
’
m afraid,
”
Ryo said.

“
Really?
”

The old Investigator smiled at his
naive cohort,
“
You had someone who looked after you day and night for most
of you life, right?
”

Lev nodded.

“
It
’
s not that way for most clones,
especially in institutions. Seven kids died in my ward during the first five
years that I was at the Institution. Four from illness, one from suicide and
two were beaten to death.
”

“
I had no idea that it was so rough.
”

“
Most people think that the cruel world stops at the city
limits,
”
Ryo shook his head in disappointment,
“
that everything is so much better in Free City compared to the fiefdoms.
But it
’
s not true. If it was, I
’
d be out of a
job.
”

Lev considered the dismal
assessment.
“
How did you end up at the Inquisitor
’
s Office?
”

Ryo smiled nostalgically,
“
Two things worked out just right; when I was eighteen, I started working
at the Institution
’
s accounting office. It was dreadfully dull but it did keep
me busy. Just by chance, a minor embezzlement scandal caught the attention of
the Inquisitor
’
s Office and they sent over a young Investigator Third
Class named Helga Bennet.
”

“
Your boss?
”

Ryo nodded,
“
She and I worked together for hours and eventually straightened out the
mess. Helga liked my work and recommended me to the Recruiting Office. Within a
year I was a Cadet Investigator.
”

“
What was the second thing?
”

He grinned wryly,
“
With my tough upbringing, I can spot trouble brewing long before anyone
else.
”

• • •

Ryo decided that the two-hour road
trip had been fairly uneventful as he steered the monstrous road machine
through the citadel gates of Dublin. He paid their entry fees and the Dublin
Municipal toll-taker directed them to the Free City Consular
’
s house.

He pulled the creaky behemoth into
an open space in front of the official resident. A brawny security guard barked
loudly at them until Ryo presented his badge.

The guard bowed slightly in
deference,
“
Sorry Inspector Trop, the locals are constantly trying to
snatch this prized real estate.
”

“
It
’
s not a problem. Is Liaison
Agent Norton inside?
”

“
Yes sir, Norton
’
s been waiting for you.
”

Lev gawked at the fortress-like
row house,
“
It seems so intimidating for a diplomatic building, almost
like it was built to withstand a siege.
”

“
Sadly, I think it was,
”
Ryo noted.

The guard led them up the wide
stairway and slid his fingertips over a small interface screen on the doorjamb.
“
Inspector Trop and his associate for Agent Norton.
”

After several seconds, the heavy
steel door opened. A startlingly attractive young woman, probably in her
mid-twenties, clad in stained blue coveralls and clenching an antiquated toilet
plunger studied the visitors keenly.
“
Good morning gentleman, please
come in and wait in the parlor for a few minutes. We
’
re all attending to a regrettable household emergency with the old
plumbing right now.
”

“
Certainly,
”
Ryo nodded to the reluctant
plumber.

Lev scrutinized the fetching
mahogany-haired woman as she hurried off to deal with the calamity.
“
I certainly wouldn
’
t mind being on the household
staff with her,
”
he whispered.

9. News Item: A somber Commemoration Day
Dateline: 9th of June, 2445; Roscommon Park, Free City,
Earth

Residents solemnly observed
Commemoration Day during several somber memorial events throughout the city
yesterday.

The grim annual observance marks
the end of the Second Amero-Asian War two hundred and forty-nine years ago and
commemorates the loss of so many lives.

Most citizens stood in brooding
silence at 11:18 AM to contemplate the most retched of all human undertakings.
Nearly a million people endured a cold drizzle in Roscommon Park to lay
symbolic notes to the dead at the War Atrocities Monument.

The destruction brought about by
the Second Amero-Asian War is now widely regarded by scholars as on a par with,
if not more detrimental to the advancement of human achievements than the slow and
moldering decay of the earlier Dark Ages.

Many of the forbidden weapons from
earlier conflicts were employed during the war with horrific efficiency.
Biological agents, toxic gases, nuclear and high-energy particle weapons
rendered Europe east of the Urals along with nearly all of Asia and North
America poisoned and uninhabitable. By 2196 nearly 5 billion humans had fallen
victim to the protracted conflict and its ghastly side effects.

All citizens of Free City are
familiar with the savagery that obliterated the great cities of New York,
Beijing, Moscow and many others; regrettably only a few of these ancient
communities have been rebuilt, most notably New Rome. Nearly everyone has
personally witnessed the persistent effects brought about by the cataclysm
beyond Free City
’
s borders in the domain of the Warlords.

The war had no winners and not a
single armistice or peace treaty was ever penned by the battling nations.
Indeed, the combatants had managed to not only slaughter their enemies, but
also themselves. No mere piece of paper could be held high as a symbol of
victory after the long and unforgivable folly.

10. The accomplice
Ryo and Lev had been waiting for
twenty anxious minutes in the parlor of the Free City Consular
’
s residence in Dublin as the house staff noisily battled an especially
tenacious plumbing problem involving the third floor commode. Loud thuds and
profuse swearing sporadically pervaded the official household. Through the open
sitting room door, the men watched a worried old butler hobble by several times
with yet another thick stack of white bath towels to sop up the gushing muck.

Finally the young woman who had
met them at the front door returned wearing clean khaki pants and a heavy brown
traveling coat.

“
Thank you for waiting,
”
she held her hand out in
greeting,
“
I
’
m Agent Keira Norton of the Free
City Fiefdom Liaison Office.
”

The alluring woman shook the men
’
s hands.

“
I...well...hello,
”
Lev stammered giddily.

“
I
’
m Inspector Trop,
”
Ryo chuckled at the younger man
’
s reaction,
“
I believe that Mr. Fesai is relieved that you are not an overweight
middle-aged gent.”

Agent Norton glared at the shaggy
tongue-tied man,
“
This is Dr. Fesai
’
s son? I read through the case
files last night, but I had no idea that we
’
d be working
with family members.
”
She studied his quirky and unconventional clothing,
“
There was some mention of Mr. Fesai
’
s baffling fascination with the
Enlightenment Crusade.
”

Ryo
’
s communication
device chirped softly,
“
Hi Boss, what
’
s up?
”

“
Have you located Agent Norton?
”
Helga inquired.

“
Yeah, we just found her at the Consular
’
s residence.
”

“
Good,
”
his irritable supervisor
continued,
“
O
’
Neal in Bank Fraud just
discovered a large and suspicious transaction that is undoubtedly a payoff of
some sort.
”

“
What does this have to do with the moon lab?
”

Helga rubbed her forehead wearily,
“
The recipient was just let go as a Lunar Orbit Traffic
Controller. He was on duty during the explosion.
”

“
Interesting.
”

“
He just charged several drinks in a Dublin bar, I
’
m sending you the particulars.
”

The image of Helga changed to
flashing text. Ryo studied the information for several seconds.

“
Well; we
’
ll get right to it, I suppose.
”
He showed the address to Agent Norton,
“
Do you know
where this place is?
”

She nodded in dismay.

Keira winced,
“
I
’
m afraid that
’
s not one of Dublin
’
s finer districts.
”

Ryo tugged at Lev as he
absentmindedly ogled their new colleague,
“
We have transportation, let
’
s head over there now. How is it that you were unstopping the Consular
’
s commode, Ms Norton?
”

She smiled proudly to the old
Investigator,
“
Well, as a Fiefdom Liaison, I
’
ve been
procuring and screening new household staff members for the last few weeks. The
Consular is quite particular about the credentials of his domestic employees.
My guest room is upstairs right next to the misbehaving facilities.
”

Keira pulled open the front door
and led the men out, “I plunged out the toilet twice on my first day here and
the Consular fell in love with me.
”

“
How did you pick up such a strange old skill?
”
Lev wondered as the threesome stood on the front porch.
“
Everyone in Free City uses waterless waste disposal, I don
’
t think I
’
ve ever seen anything else.
”

Keira scowled briefly at Lev,
“
My parents ran Leitrim Imports in Free City when I was a kid and we were
always moving around in the fiefdoms in search of new products. I
’
ve been to Mars twice and I lived in Dublin for several years.
”

“
When difficulties present themselves,
”
she shivered fleetingly before buttoning up her jacket against the
chilly wind,
“
you learn really quickly how to deal with the copious crap
in the fiefdoms.
”

• • •

Relegated to the tattered rear
section of the lumbering old vehicle, Keira studied the two men in the only
slightly more favorable front seats.

Ryo Trop was well-known and highly
admired by the staff of the Liaison Office. Keira considered herself especially
lucky to be included in the particularly high profile case with such a
respected Investigator. Certainly a favorable outcome to the inquiry would
greatly enhance her prospects at the Liaison Office.

Although she had reservations
about working with someone as inexperienced in investigative work as Lev Fesai,
she was inexplicably interested in him. She studied him carefully as he gawked
at the dilapidated neighborhoods of Dublin. He had an extraordinary headful of
wayward black curls, far longer and less tidy than convention currently
allowed. His smooth and fluid movements contrasted with his stark and angular
features; not unlike a shark or a fast Interceptor spacecraft, she mused.

His brief dossier had mentioned
his stalled efforts at obtaining a Doctorate Degree, minor use of herbal
hallucinogens and his regrettable tendency towards womanizing; definitely not
traits that Keira condoned, but there was some intriguing quality about him
that she couldn’t quite rationalize.

“How are you doing back there?”
Ryo glanced in the rearview mirror.

Keira smiled at the fatherly
Investigator, “I’m doing OK.” She shifted around and leaned forward, “I’ve got
a background question about the investigation. I’m afraid I don’t know much
about antimatter. I recall from High School that it has something to do with
energy storage, but that’s about it.”

“You’re asking the wrong guy,” Ryo
laughed. “Fortunately we have one of the leading authorities on such things
right here with us.”

He nudged the preoccupied younger
man.

“Antimatter; OK, let me see if I
can explain it.” Lev stroked his chin for several seconds.
“
Every subatomic particle with mass, and there are dozens, has an
essentially identical opposite called an anti-particle. It
’
s almost like a mirror image, I guess.
”

Both Ryo and Keira nodded.

“
Electrons have an opposite called anti-electrons,
”
Lev continued,
“
a few people still call them
positrons. Electrons and anti-electrons have reversed electrical charges;
negative for electrons and positive for anti-electrons. If they happen to
encounter each other, annihilation occurs and they are completely destroyed,
converting all of the mass of the two particles into energy in the form of gamma
rays.
”

Keira frowned,
“
What does that have to do with energy storage?
”

Lev smiled,
“
Since well before the Second Amero-Asian War nearly all energy storage
has used antimatter. But there have always been some big problems with handling
antimatter. Mainly because storing a bunch of charged anti-particles is
particularly difficult.”

Ryo glanced at Lev as he
negotiated the potholed streets, “Why is that?”

“It’s hard enough to keep the
little beasties in a vacuum container completely devoid of even the merest
trace of ordinary matter; anti-electrons all have the same electrical charge,
so they repeal each other. That and the electrical attraction of the surface
electrons on the inside of the container pull the anti-electrons to the walls
of the container and annihilation occurs.”

“So a vacuum bottle filled with
antimatter will explode?” Keira asked in horror.

“It could,” Lev chuckled, “but
there’s a clever trick that keeps that from happening.”

“What?” Keira wondered.

“Magnets, or at least magnetic
fields,” Lev smiled. “About four hundred years ago, scientists produced
anti-hydrogen for the first time, slowly over many years other anti-atoms were
fabricated. All were fairly difficult to store until anti-iron was created. It
could easily be indefinitely suspended in a vacuum container using magnets. The
same magnets are used to manipulate the anti-iron into a reaction vessel where
it is methodically pelted with single regular iron atoms to cause the release
of well-controlled amounts of energy.
”

Lev swiveled around to face her,
“
Now everything from electrical power plants to space freighters uses
some sort of antimatter-based power system.
”

• • •

The cross-town trip had taken
nearly an hour.

“Force will be necessary here,
”
Keira warned Ryo,
“
probably blackmail as well,
”
she added.

Her eyebrows arched up as she
pointed surreptitiously to Lev while he stared out at the ramshackle
neighborhood.

“
Don
’
t worry,
”
Ryo snorted as he parked the hulking conveyance in front of the rundown
pub,
“
we can take care of ourselves.
”

“
I
do
have the Dublin Coroner on speed-dial,
”
Keira quipped.

“
That won
’
t be needed.
”

“
Before we get started here,
”
he admonished
his young cohorts,
“
I want to forewarn you both that no one will be leaving
this pigsty in a body bag today.
”

Lev shifted uneasily at the
caution.

Keira bit her lip and nodded.

“
When we go in, I want Lev to wait quietly in the
background.
”
He stared sternly at the young man,
“
Keep an eye out for surprise attacks and for anyone trying to sneak out.
Yell like hell if either happens.
”

“
OK.
”

“
Keira, I
’
ll do the talking when we get
inside, you stay well behind me and keep an eye out for trouble. This joker
’
s not likely to want to cooperate.
”

Ryo took a deep breath and steeled
himself for the coming confrontation,
“
Keira, will you alert the local
beat cops that we may have some trouble here within the next half an hour? Tell
them we
’
ll call if we need help, otherwise they should stay away.
”

She quickly sent off the message
as Ryo finished up his instructions.

The trio stopped on the sidewalk
to study the battered exterior of the shady drinking establishment. A rusty
marquee loudly proclaimed
Satan
’
s Lair
in flashing red lights.

Just inside the door, Ryo stopped
his cohorts for several tense seconds as his eyes adjusted to the gloomy
tavern. A hideous and hefty bar woman scrutinized them from behind the counter.
Several solitary late morning inebriates were scattered about at the booths and
card tables.

Just as he had instructed them,
his colleges took their positions.

Ryo watched the proprietor
carefully as he approached the bar.

She flexed her heavily tattooed
biceps menacingly,
“
You three don
’
t belong here.
”