“Using modern equipment will give us away,” I said.
“That’s right,” Rybicki said.
“You’re giving me whiplash,” I said. “We’ve spent a year hiding so you can weaken the Conclave, and now you want us to give ourselves away. Maybe I’m confused, but I’m not sure how getting ourselves slaughtered by the Conclave helps the Colonial Union.”
“You’re presuming you’re going to get slaughtered,” Rybicki said.
“Is there another option?” I asked. “If we ask nicely, will the Conclave just let us pack up and go?”
“That’s not what I’m saying,” Rybicki said. “I’m saying that the Colonial Union has kept you hidden because we needed to keep you hidden. Now we need to let the Conclave know where you are. We have something planned. And once we spring our little surprise, then there’ll be no point keeping either you or the Conclave a secret from the colonies. Because the Conclave will have collapsed, and you will have been the key.”
“You need to tell me how,” I said.
“Fine,” Rybicki said, and did.
“How are you?” I asked Jane, in the Black Box.
“I don’t want to knife people anymore, if that’s what you’re asking,” Jane said, and tapped her forehead, signifying the BrainPal nestled behind it. “I’m still not happy about this.”
“How could you not know it was there?” I asked.
“BrainPals are remotely activated,” Jane said. “I couldn’t have turned it on myself. Rybicki’s ship sent out a search signal; the signal woke up the BrainPal. Now it’s on. Listen, I’ve gone through the files Hickory gave me.”
“All of them?” I asked.
“Yes,” Jane said. “I’ve been completely made over and have the BrainPal. I can go back to Special Forces processing speed.”
“And?” I asked.
“They check out,” Jane said. “Hickory has video and documentation from Conclave sources, which is suspect. But he has corroborating material for each case, from Obin sources, from the races whose colonies were removed and from the Colonial Union, too.”
“They could all be faked,” I said. “It could be a monumental hoax.”
“No,” Jane said. “The Colonial Union files have a verification hash in the metatext. I ran them through the BrainPal. They’re genuine.”
“Certainly gives you an appreciation for ol’ Hickory, doesn’t it,” I said.
“It does,” Jane said. “He wasn’t lying when he said the Obin wouldn’t send just anyone to be with Zo?. Although from what I can see from these files, it’s Dickory who is the superior of the two.”
“Jesus,” I said. “Just when you think you know a guy. Or gal. Or creature of indeterminate gender, which is what it is.”
“It’s not indeterminate,” Jane said. “It’s both.”
“What about this General Gau,” I said. “Do your files have anything on him?”
“Some,” Jane said. “Just the basics. He’s Vrenn, and what he says in the extended tape of ours appears to be correct; after the battle with the Kies he began agitating to create the Conclave. It didn’t go over at first. He was thrown into prison for political agitation. But then the Vrenn ruler met an unfortunate end and the general was released by the next regime.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Assassination?” I asked.
“No,” Jane said. “Chronic sleep disorder. Fell asleep while eating and fell face forward on his dinner knife. Penetrated the brain. Died instantly. The general probably could have ruled Vrennu but decided to attempt the Conclave instead. He still doesn’t rule Vrennu. It wasn’t even one of the Conclave’s founding members.”
“When I was talking to Rybicki, he said that the Conclave was a pyramid scheme,” I said. “Some of the races at the top were getting the benefits and those at the bottom were getting pissed on.”
“Maybe,” Jane said. “From what I saw in the files the first colony worlds the Conclave opened up were populated by relatively few races. But whether that was indicative of some races getting an advantage, or of matching the races to the planet, is not something I could tell you. Even if it is the former, it’s not any different than what’s happening here. This colony is entirely settled by the oldest human colonies, the ones that existed before the Colonial Union. Ethnically and economically they’re nothing like the rest of the colonies.”
“Do you think the Conclave is a threat to us?” I asked Jane.
“Of course I do,” Jane said. “These files make it clear that the Conclave will destroy a colony that doesn’t surrender. Their mode of operation is always the same: Fill the sky with starships and have every single one fire on the colony. Major cities wouldn’t survive that, much less a colony. Roanoke would be vaporized instantly.”