Hostage to Pleasure

“An oversight,” Ming said, his tone dismissive. “The project has been stagnant for so many decades, it’s in mothballs-Aleine was never told to oversee it.”

“Neither did she receive instructions to reinitiate the process,” Nikita added. “In fact, her only involvement with Omega stems from some general research she did several years ago, when she first began working for us.”

“That wasn’t what she stated,” Anthony pointed out.

Ming was the one who answered. “She lied. Ashaya knows full well that Protocol I has gained some support in the Net. If she’d based her broadcast on that alone, she would’ve chanced being ignored by a large number of people. So she increased the stakes and used her basic knowledge of Omega to turn her broadcast into a virtual nail bomb.”

“Omega has always been more concept than reality.” Nikita, siding with Ming once again. “If we’d thought there was any chance that Aleine was close to a breakthrough, we would’ve had her focusing on the virus, not Protocol I.”

Kaleb couldn’t disagree with that logic. Had Protocol I succeeded, the implants would’ve required a far longer rollout period than an easily transmittable virus.

Nikita continued to speak. “We can’t allow Aleine’s use of Omega to distract us from the real issue. Though the data leak is a problem, especially given the Net’s current instability, our priority has to be on stemming the ripples caused by her defection.”

“How do we discredit her?” Shoshanna asked. “Not only is it clear that she’s in full control of her faculties, it’s well known that she worked for the Council.”

“The easiest way would be for her to retract her statement,” Nikita said. “Doesn’t she have an identical twin? Would we be able to use her to complicate things?”

“That’s… problematic,” Ming said. “Though Amara Aleine’s mind is brilliant in certain useful respects and she may, in fact, be able to complete her twin’s work, it’s doubtful she could appear enough like her sister, in terms of Ashaya’s control, to pull off a broadcast. Even telepathic coercion may not work. If it doesn’t-”

“-the attempt will do more harm than good,” Nikita completed. “Ashaya Aleine’s child?”

“Dead, but we haven’t yet found a body.”

“Convenient, but it matters little,” Tatiana said. “The boy lost his value as a hostage the instant Ashaya escaped our control. Getting back to Amara Aleine, do we need her anymore? The inception of Protocol I is now highly unlikely.”

“I predict that will change,” Shoshanna said. “We need to be ready with a functioning implant when that happens.”

Kaleb knew she was right. Tides changed swiftly in the rapidly flowing rivers of the PsyNet. A man who intended to hold the Net in the palm of his hand had to be careful which rapids he rode.

“The most efficient way to stop discontent would be to take Ashaya out of the equation,” Henry said, breaking his silence.

Kaleb watched the other Councilor. Of course, the man’s shields made it impossible for Kaleb to read his patterns, but the fact that Henry had put forth such a radical idea without input from Shoshanna was another piece of the puzzle he’d suddenly become.

“She’s high-profile,” Nikita pointed out. “It could backfire.”

“But Henry is correct-dead women can’t speak.” Tatiana’s practical mind. “It may take years to recover from the effect of Aleine’s revelations, but the process will go much faster if she’s not around to feed the populace on rebellion.”

“I’d advise caution.” Anthony’s compelling voice. “Ashaya has influence in intellectual circles. If we attempt to assassinate her, we chance alienating the very scientists we’ll need if she carries through her implied threat and releases a bioagent as a weapon.”

“Surely you’re reaching with that interpretation,” Tatiana said. “This is a political issue. Ashaya won’t take it to the level of war.”

“We’re the ones who’ve become too political, too worried about perception,” Shoshanna said, pure ice in her tone. “There was a time when we would’ve had no hesitation in executing Ashaya, as well as any who dared stand with her.”

Kaleb waited, expecting Nikita to speak. She did.

“Times have changed,” she said. “We are-through our own mistakes-no longer the sole powers in the world. If we become too openly manipulative, the defectors may decide to look to the changelings for protection.”

“They’re not that much of a threat,” Shoshanna retorted. “Perhaps in California, yes, but elsewhere? They’re too caught up in their petty animal concerns.”

“But are you willing to chance a war on US soil for the sake of a single scientist?” Kaleb asked, backing Nikita. “If we do come down hard and even a small percentage of the populace decides to turn to the changelings, we’ll have the beginnings of an untenable rupture in the Net.” He would not allow war to shatter that which would one day be his.