From the background hum and the shape of the windows behind her, Alice can tell Ochoba is speaking to her from on-board the private jet the FNG places at her disposal. The Chair is transformed since their last conversation interrupted her sleep, resplendent in a crisp purple suit: full battledress for whatever business she is on her way to conduct. Alice doesn’t know who she is meeting with, but is pretty sure the agenda got radically updated last night.
“Is this a secure situation?” Alice enquires, not knowing who else might be out of shot inside the cabin.
“It will be in ten seconds,” she replies, signalling to someone to make themselves scarce.
“From your discretion, I am assuming the news is unlikely to have me order everyone a round of breakfast mimosas,” Ochoba continues, by way of letting her know she is clear to proceed.
“More like a black coffee, Madam Chair.”
Alice delivers a full report, complete with grabs from the Habitek security cameras.
When she stops speaking, Ochoba simply nods.
The Chair is legendarily phlegmatic in public, and not given to fits of anger in dealing with her staff, but she has subtle ways of expressing her emotions if you know what to look for. Alice would have expected her to register a certain degree of dismay at this bloody escalation. From its absence she deduces that this is because nothing she said is going to change what Ochoba already decided twelve hours ago.
“Sounds like you caught a break with the locus. A multiple homicide anywhere less enclosed and I doubt you would have been the first person I’m hearing this from.”
“It will get out soon enough, Madam Chair. The dam has broken with regards to confidentiality among Seguridad officers. You can get them to stay quiet about one killing, for a while at least, but there is a law of diminishing returns as the bodies pile up. People need to talk.”
“Oh, don’t I know it. The media has gone nuts down here over the Selby killing. It’s not as though they are short of Earthbound murders to report, but you know what it’s like: anything that happens on CdC has this elevated news value. Add to that the prurience factor of Selby being a hooker, and you can imagine the effect. They’re ‘lifting the lid’ on the hidden culture of prostitution on CdC, and everyone is getting themselves into an almighty froth. I’m on my way to New York right now for a summit to discuss how we should formulate an emergency response.”
“And am I right in assuming you wouldn’t set off to such a summit without having already formulated an emergency response?”
Ochoba allows her the tiniest of nods by way of acknowledgement.
“Very much thanks to your work, yes. Your reports contained eye-opening and alarming information. We now have reliable confirmation of things that were merely rumoured before. The FNG debate chamber has long been awash with allegations, but given the delicacy of our relationship with the Quadriga, the first rule when it comes to CdC is ‘Don’t make it an issue until it is an issue.’ As of last night, the conduct of the Seguridad is very much an issue.”
Ochoba takes a moment, straightening in her chair. Alice senses an announcement.
“The FNG is declaring a temporary Condition of Crisis and taking direct control of the Seguridad. I am assembling a task force of experienced law enforcement officers who have been on permanent standby for this kind of eventuality. These new captains will be put in charge of all Seguridad divisions, and will be directly answerable to you as our senior law enforcement liaison on-site. They will lead a crackdown, closing all illegal or semi-legal operations as described in your account: bootlegging, prostitution, fight clubs, the lot. I expect this to be rubber-stamped at today’s summit, and the personnel ready to proceed to Ocean Terminal within the next twelve hours.”
Ochoba fixes her with a stare, scrutinising her reaction. Even allowing for the delay, there is a glimmer of disapproval in her eyes at what she sees.
“Is there a problem with the transmission?” Ochoba asks, which is as good as putting Alice on notice that she’d better change her attitude tout de suite.
“Madam Chair, as the person on-site I feel obliged to sound a minor note of caution. I believe a response that is locally perceived as heavy-handed may have the potential to incite unrest. People up here don’t like being pushed around, especially by the FNG.”
Alice can hardly believe she’s saying this; it sounds like Nikki talking, but it’s true.
“There would be little resistance to action against the more extreme sub-level activities I described beneath Mullane, but if we are shutting down bars and restaurants and the like, the danger is that we might become regarded as an occupying force.”
Ochoba’s stare remains laser-like. She issues a sigh like a safety vent that prevents an explosion.
“Dr. Blake, I appreciate your candour and I do not doubt the veracity of your impression. But equally I believe you underestimate the wider impact of what you just told me about Habitek. There is a deranged killer on the loose, guilty of multiple homicides stemming directly from police corruption, prostitution and gang warfare. This will be headline news on every feed within hours, generating sufficient concern among the citizenry that they will understand things need to be a little quieter up there, at least until the situation is brought safely under control.
“It is a matter for the Quadriga and the politicians to discuss what brought this licentious culture about, and what they want to do to address it, but in the short term we have an opportunity to cut a cancer out of CdC. So, are you ready to take command of this operation?”