He’s more interested in hot cocoa than coffee. If he wanted, I’m sure he could give it intelligence and have it anticipate the needs of nearby humans and dispense perfect beverages at a glance.”
“Sounds right.” Grunburg grabbed one of the small magnetic cups someone had brought in and stuck to a wall and set to work.
Meister tapped an impatient finger on his tablet, apparently not interested in asking his questions until Grunburg left. Kim hoped the programmer took a long time making his drink.
Casmir, she sent a message through her chip. What are you doing?
Debating my current problematic and uncomfortable position between a rock and a hard place. You?
Lieutenant Meister from Fleet Intelligence is here to ask me questions. Romano sent him. He wants to speak with you too.
Does that mean I should hurry down or do my best to avoid your lab until we reach Stardust Palace?
It’s up to you. I believe I’m stuck here.
I’ll come down soon in case you need moral support. Ishii is briefing me on how not to piss off Jorg further.
That would require an encyclopedia set of knowledge, not a briefing.
Likely so.
Grunburg slurped loudly from his cup, a straight espresso now in hand.
Meister jerked his chin toward the door. “Wait outside until Dabrowski shows up. Then knock before entering. Wait to be called in.”
“You know we’re the same rank, right, Meister? And you’re not in my chain of command.”
“I’m in Intelligence.”
“So? I’m the ship’s chief programmer. I can make that tablet self-destruct in your hands if I want.”
“It must be fabulous to have super powers. Now, shoo.” Meister waved him toward the door.
On his way out, Grunburg rolled his eyes for Kim’s sake. She was starting to like him.
As soon as the door shut, Meister started speaking. “Tell me, Scholar Sato, how you came to be in Rache’s hands and on his ship again this month.”
Ugh.
Once, she’d had a good reputation with the Kingdom and the Fleet, but then she’d run away from Jorg instead of obediently coming to his ship to make a bioweapon. Now, it seemed, she would be held in suspicion.
She considered whether she could get in trouble for not answering. She was horrible at lying. With silence, however, she could also imply guilt. But would Meister have come down here if guilt wasn’t already implied?
“I don’t believe I shall answer your questions, Lieutenant. Or Ambassador Romano’s questions, if that’s what this is. I have watched as every time Casmir does something for the good of the Kingdom, he is deemed less trustworthy and more criminal in the eyes of the Fleet and the king. It’s a poor precedent for enticing me to tell truths.”
“So there is a truth to tell.”
“Events happened, as they do. You can call them whatever you wish.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to describe those events to me? One of our Intelligence officers was able to acquire video footage from the ship bay on Stardust Palace. The ship bay where Rache came in and—it appears—kidnapped you. You were conveniently waiting in that ship bay. That being the natural place for biologists and roboticists to spend time.”
Kim had always found extended eye contact uncomfortable, so she didn’t stare mulishly at Meister as she withheld commentary. She went to the stool and sat down before the display, bringing up the virus data again. Previously, looking at it had alarmed her, but she now found it more soothing than the lieutenant’s implications.
“Several days ago, that officer also noticed a signal sent from a hidden ship in space that we believe to have been the Fedallah to the Osprey. It took him a while to pinpoint whose chip it went to—he suspected Dabrowski, at first. Interesting that it went to yours.”
Kim stared at the display without seeing anything. Had Intelligence broken the encryption and been able to read Rache’s message? She had it saved on her chip, so she could look up exactly what it said. It hadn’t been a proclamation of love, but the words made it clear that she and Rache were… not enemies.
She barely kept from reacting when she realized the contents also implied that Casmir was the one responsible, or at least had made the request, for having the gate shut down.
“Do you have anything to say now, Scholar Sato?”
“I do not. If you’re prepared to arrest me and question me under eslevoamytal, you may find me chattier, but I will remind you that I am a civilian, not a soldier, and I’ve taken no oaths