“I’ll give you a hint,” Daquin said. “It’s the guy I stole from you when I made a break for it.”
“Secretary Ocampo has been very forthcoming,” I said. “When Khartoum declared its independence, he suggested to us that there was a good chance that there might be a trap laid for any ship that responded. The Chandler happened to be near skip distance—and the Colonial Union didn’t want to inflame things by sending a large contingent of CDF ships—so we got the call.”
“Thanks for grafting those weapons systems back onto the ship,” Daquin said. “They came in handy.”
“Secretary Ocampo,” Tvann said. “No doubt forthcoming because you’ve put his brain into an isolation chamber.”
“You’re not really going to go there, are you?” Daquin said. “Because I have news for you, pal. You don’t have much high ground to stand on with that one.”
“If you have Ocampo you don’t need me,” Tvann said, to me. “Ocampo has far more operational knowledge than I ever did. He was a primary architect of our plans.”
“We know,” I said. “We have all his records. The thing is, we also know you know we have all his records. You have to have assumed that once Rafe absconded with the secretary. Which means Equilibrium can’t use them anymore. You have a new game plan, one that’s being carried out on an accelerated schedule. Ocampo can make educated guesses. But we need more than educated guesses at this point.”
“I’m captured,” Tvann said. “They’ll know to change their plans.”
“You’re not captured,” I said. “You’re dead. At least that’s what they’ll think. You and every other Rraey, obliterated beyond identification, and before identification. And you died completing your objective of luring the Colonial Union into a trap—and making it look like Khartoum was responsible for the attack. That was a nice touch, by the way.”
Tvann was silent again.
“That’s our communication plan—everything that’s coming out of us is pinning it on the Khartoum government. So as far as Equilibrium knows, it’s still game on for the latest plan. We’d like you to tell us the plan.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Then you better get used to walls,” Daquin said.
“Rafe, why don’t you sign out for a bit,” I said.
Daquin signed out.
“You’re not the first Rraey I’ve ever met,” I said, to Tvann, after Daquin had departed.
“I’m sure you’ve killed many in your time,” Tvann said.
“That’s not what I meant,” I said. “I mean that I knew another Rraey as a person. A scientist named Cainen Suen Su. He, like you, was captured by us. I was assigned to him.”
“To guard him?”
“No, to assist him. We worked on several projects together with him as the lead and me following his direction.”
“He was a traitor, then.”
“I don’t know that he would disagree with you,” I said. “He was aware that in helping us, his knowledge could be used against the Rraey. Nevertheless he did help, and in the course of time, he also became a friend. He was one of the most remarkable people I’ve ever met. I was honored to have known him.”
“What happened to him?”
“He died.”
“How?”
“A soldier, who was also his friend, killed him at his request.”
“Why did he ask to die?”
“Because he was dying anyway,” I said. “We’d introduced a poison into his blood and the daily antidote he was given was increasingly less effective. He asked his friend to end his suffering.”
“The suffering you had imposed on him in the first place.”
“Yes.”
“Lieutenant, if there is a point to this discussion of yours, I’m afraid it has entirely escaped me.”
“Cainen was an enemy who became a friend,” I said. “And despite the terrible thing we had done to him—and yes, it was terrible—he still chose to find friendship among us. I’ve never forgotten that.”
“I do not think we will be friends, I’m afraid.”
“I’m not asking for that, Commander,” I said. “My point in telling you this is to let you know that, at the very least, I don’t see you merely as an enemy.”
“You will understand, Lieutenant, if I’m not convinced that this fact does anything for me at all.”
“Of course.” I stood up. “Just understand that it can. If you want it to. In the meantime, give consideration to what I’ve asked for. Let me know when you’re ready to talk.” I started for the door.
“Aren’t you going to put that back on me?” Tvann said, pointing to the shock collar on the table.
“You can put it back on if you want,” I said. “But I wouldn’t if I were you.” I opened the door, leaving Tvann to stare at the collar on the table.
* * *
“Are you going to kill us?” Specialist Ketrin Se Lau asked me. The two of us were in the same room I had previously been in with Tvann. The room had been reset. Lau was not wearing the shock collar; he’d never been given one.
“Lieutenant Lee promised you that we wouldn’t, if her report to me is accurate,” I said.