TUELLER: “Guys. Sorry, I’m having a thought.”
TUELLER: “I want to run it by you all because it’s a crazy and stupid and maybe dangerous thought”
TUELLER: “This is a giant photocopying and casting machine.”
TUELLER: “And what we have here is a universal conspiracy that we need to get the word out.”
MILLICENT: “Wow.”
TUELLER: “So this has to get to the Ark, too.”
MILLICENT: “Someone’s coming for my throne.”
TUELLER: “We need Earth as ready as possible, but the Ark needs to know.”
MILLICENT: “That is possibly the most reckless and rash idea I’ve ever heard.”
MILLICENT: “Not that I let you finish.”
TUELLER: “I was going to say we should split the party.”
MILLICENT: “Oh.”
TUELLER: “But I think maybe we should do both.”
TUELLER: “Go to the Ark and to Earth.”
MILLICENT: “I thought you were going to say we should free the copies that are here and convince them to carry the message to every Ark civilization in the ships we make for them.”
TUELLER: “Oh maybe that’s a better idea than mine.”
MILLICENT: “Hail to the Queen, baby.”
Chapter 86
STORY: Millie, Calixta steps into the back area. “So. The bodies are still everywhere, and also the crew knows now about them. And us. Basically they know everything important.”
TUELLER: “That was me.”
TUELLER: “Seemed like a good idea at the time.”
STORY: “Well, actually they don’t know about this,” she waves to the rows and rows of bodies.
MILLICENT: Millie lets out a breath.
TUELLER: “I have some good ideas.”
MILLICENT: “Interesting.”
ALEJO: Alejo nods. And keeps nodding. “Okay. Okay.”
TUELLER: “I just can’t tell the difference between them.”
ALEJO: He’s still nodding.
MILLICENT: “Well. Okay, that advances our clock.”
TUELLER: “The good ones and the not good ones.”
MILLICENT: “So, let’s review and then brainstorm.”
STORY: “It was a good speech.”
TUELLER: “Thank you!”
ALEJO: “So, about an hour?” He looks at Cali.
Chapter 85
MILLICENT: “You’re okay, Tueller. You’re here with me. Alejo and Noma cleared out the other Nikaus. They’re headed down to the basement to get the last one.”
TUELLER: “Oh shit.”
TUELLER: “I just sent the entire security force down to the last one.”
MILLICENT: “…”
TUELLER: “To get here.”
MILLICENT: Millie is speechless
MILLICENT: “Buh buh buh”
MILLICENT: She shakes her head, reaches her hand behind her ear and activates Alejo’s speaker, “ABORT ABORT OH GOD ABORT”
STORY: Alejo!
STORY: You step into the cafeteria on B1 and see the following:
STORY: Manaaki, dead, sprawled on the counter.
STORY: An open deck, still running some kind of program.
STORY: Roughly twenty security guards, who are all standing in this room and in unison turn around when you enter.
STORY: What do you do?
STORY: Oh also, Millie’s yelling in your ear about aborting, and you’re pretty sure you know why.
ALEJO: Alejo does the Han Solo slide to a stop. “Oh, hiya.” He says weakly and waves as he takes a very quick pause to look around for the nearest cover or exit, which he moves towards at top speed.
STORY: There are a few tables just to your right.
ALEJO: He puts it between him and all of them, and assesses what sort of weapons they have.
STORY: All standard issue, they’ve got stun batons that will also hurt a lot if you get hit with one. No guns, from what you could see. You hit the deck behind a table to the sound of most of them removing said batons and powering them on, and then one guy in the back saying, “isn’t that the guy who cleans the toilets?”
Chapter 81
TUELLER: “So the plan is to put us in the system as new hires, go in, ace our interview, and then take the Director, some unspoken fifth step, and then, profit!”
ALEJO: “It’s been a while, but seems like one of our better plans, honestly.”
TUELLER: “One of the best plans we’ve come up with in at least 18 months.”
MILLICENT: “It has six steps!”
MILLICENT: “I’m optimistic!”
Chapter 80
TUELLER: “This is literally messianic, Millie.”
MILLICENT: Millie nods.
STORY: Calixta blows air out of her mouth.
TUELLER: “Except instead of saving the human race you’re now talking about saving the universe.”
MILLICENT: “I. I know it’s big.”
STORY: “I call the one with the sword.”
STORY: “The flaming sword? Right?”
STORY: “I always wanted a flaming sword.”
TUELLER: “The flaming sword was what was used to keep people out of Eden.”
MILLICENT: “Uriel.” Millie says absently.
STORY: “Well this time we’ll let them in with it, smarty pants.”
Chapter 79
MILLICENT: “We need a supercomputer. Well, we need a network of supercomputers. And they must be in the Sol system.”
RYO: Ryo nods and tilts his head thoughtfully, listening for the rest of the details.
MILLICENT: “And I doubt anyone who owns such an array in the Sol system will be amenable to the idea of Noma and myself commandeering their use so we can peer under the hood of the most advanced and crucial tech in the system.”
STORY: Calixta moves over to a console. “You mind?”
RYO: “Please.”
STORY: She pulls up a star chart.
STORY: Pointing at the current locations of the planets in the system, she explains. “Got a couple options. We can all become priests and use the Exodus supercomputer on Enceladus. We can break into Chandra’s base on Titan, good luck with that one, or, well, there’s Io.”
STORY: “But I suspect Esinam Ya’Makasi isn’t interested in letting us borrow some time on her rig.”
STORY: “So basically we’re fucked three ways.”
MILLICENT: “One of three ways.”
MILLICENT: “Now we must simply choose the manner of our fucking.”
RYO: Ryo nods in agreement. “Spoiled for choice.”
Chapter 78
STORY: “You and Tueller are known enemies. Why should we believe your testimony for a moment?”
STORY: Sergio smiles again, looking Tueller in the eye. “What have I got to lose? I’m receiving nothing for my testimony today, no deals made. I simply wish to see justice done.“
STORY: Becker shakes his head, looks back at Tueller.
STORY: “No further questions, your honors.” He sits next to Tueller, puts a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
TUELLER: “You’re worth every penny I spent on you.”
TUELLER: “And not one more.”
Chapter 72
TUELLER: “Can someone please buy me a drink?”
RYO: Ryo stands. “Whatcha having?”
TUELLER: “Well whiskey.”
RYO: Ryo goes to the bar, and orders three whiskeys.
STORY: The bartender thinks you’re hot, Ryo, and gives you a free upgrade to the good stuff. He also gives you a wink.
RYO: Ryo winks back. And leaves a big tip. He returns with the drinks. “To a plan.” He raises a glass.
MILLICENT: “A plan, at last!”
TUELLER: Tueller drinks his whiskey. “Ugh, well whiskey is going to be the roughest part of this entire affair.”
MILLICENT: Millie drinks. Looks twice at the glass.
Chapter 71
TUELLER: “Huh. No madmen in your family, I guess.”
RYO: “Oh, plenty. Just didn’t pass on to me.”
TUELLER: “No one studies Nixon anymore either, I guess.”
TUELLER: “Or Machiavelli.”
STORY: “Didn’t they lose?”
TUELLER: “Well, sure. That time.”
MILLICENT: “Was. Was there another time?”
RYO: “Unless you think that The Prince sheds some light on this situation, I don’t see what Machiavelli has to offer us right now.”
TUELLER: “Discourses on Livy, technically.”
MILLICENT: “Hey! Book club!” Millie snaps her fingers.
STORY: “Hey. Brain geniuses.”
STORY: Calixta smiles at Millie.
RYO: Ryo frowns.
STORY: “I have an idea.”
MILLICENT: “I don’t like not being the one who is getting lost in an academic aside.” Millie smiles back at Calixta.
Chapter 70
STORY: “Savvy. I think we can certainly work something out, Mr. Hanaka. But.”
STORY: “Unfortunately, there’s a complexity we have to deal with.”
STORY: “Mr. Ya’Makasi is your… partner?”
TUELLER: “Tueller, please.”
TUELLER: “I am a Ya’Makasi in name only.”
STORY: Ruell doesn’t look at you, Tueller.
RYO: “He is a partner, at least in some ventures. Why?”
STORY: “I’d like to negotiate for him, please.”
RYO: “I’m sorry?”