THIRTY-NINE

 

 

SOMEONE WAS GOING to have to coordinate the investigations, and it couldn’t be Armstrong PD because the attacks were Moonwide. DeRicci stared at the giant screen in her office, which had, in effect, become the investigations board. An attack in Gagarin Dome, another in Tycho Crater, two in Armstrong, one in Moscow Dome, and a lot of clones unaccounted for. The governor-general was incapacitated, maybe dying, the council had to vote on her successor, and the other leaders of the Moon were already in hiding.

DeRicci was—once again—the only one in a position to do anything.

She peeked out her office door. Popova was standing beside her desk, listlessly moving her arm as she described the layout of the office. Clearly, the young man standing in front of her was the new assistant.

He looked twelve. Maybe thirteen. Certainly not old enough to grow a beard. He had copper hair and dark skin, eyes so green that they looked like they were backlit, and a strong chin. His face shone with intelligence, which was a good thing.

DeRicci stepped into Popova’s office.

“Rudra?” DeRicci said.

Popova turned. DeRicci had never seen anyone look like the life had been sucked out of them before. Whatever made Popova Popova had vanished, leaving a shell of a person with haunted eyes.

“This is our new assistant,” Popova said, her voice hollow. “Ephraim Hänsel. He’s been running network security, linking the various domes, or trying to. Most places don’t want their private networks linked to a main network. He’s got the highest clearance I could find on such short notice.”

DeRicci was familiar with the work that Hänsel did. She just hadn’t been aware of the man in charge of it. He was good at his job, which didn’t mean he would be good at this one.

“Rudra misspoke a moment ago,” DeRicci said. “You’ll be assisting me. She will aid you in figuring out how to go about some of these tasks, but for the most part, you’ll have to act and act quickly. Do you think you can do that?”

“Yes, sir,” he said, but his voice wobbled. She made him nervous. Of course, she was getting to the point in her life where she made everyone nervous.

Or maybe it was the job.

“Have you ever worked in a detective unit?” she asked.

“No, sir,” he said.

“Any type of investigation?”

“No, sir.”

She wanted to curse, but she didn’t. He wasn’t what she needed, but then even Popova, if she had been functional, would have had trouble with what DeRicci needed too.

“All right,” DeRicci said, already mentally dismissing him from 90% of the work she had wanted him for. “I need you to do two things. I need you to draft a statement to every government in the Earth Alliance, telling them that the Moon has found itself under attack, and warning them to keep an eye on their own leaders. Step up security, that sort of thing.”

“A draft, sir?” he said.

“I’m going to approve this. If I find out you sent it out of this office without my input, you will be in more trouble than you have ever been in your entire life. Do you understand?’

“Yes, sir.”

“Secondly,” she said, “I need you to set up a meeting with all of the security chiefs or their equivalent in the Earth Alliance governments. Work with my counterpart in the Alliance. See if she wants to include representatives from each government. I’ll need this meeting within the hour.”

“Yes, sir,” he said. Then he swallowed hard. “Um, which job takes priority, sir?”

She stared at him, then gave Popova a disapproving look. Two spots of color appeared on Popova’s cheeks. Even in her depleted state, she knew that this man would never do. She had also already explained him. He was the best they had available.

“They’re of equal importance,” DeRicci said. “I need both, and I needed them an hour ago. Get busy.”

“Yes, sir,” he said. “May I bring in help, sir?”

He was competent enough to know that he was about to become incompetent. That, at least, was a plus.

But DeRicci didn’t want a bunch of new and inexperienced people in her office. She couldn’t deal with them and the crisis at the same time.

“No,” she said.

“I’ll make sure it gets done,” Popova said.

And DeRicci gave her another hard look. Had Popova deliberately brought in someone unqualified so she would have to stay? She wasn’t usually that manipulative, but she was frightened and not herself.

“Thank you, Rudra,” DeRicci said, then went back into her office.

For the first time ever, she felt the urge to lock the door. She knew better than to ask herself if this day could get any worse.

She knew from personal experience that it could.

And that was the last thing she wanted.