The Ascendant Stars - Michael Cobley [153]
‘There is one further matter I wish to address, that of Gregory Cameron, former head of research at the Giant’s Shoulder excavation site. Anyone watching this announcement should beware of taking at face value anything that Mr Cameron says. He is an adventurer, a brigand and a liar, and later today I shall be issuing a warrant for his arrest on charges of treason. If any ship in the skies over Darien is harbouring this man I strongly urge its captain to hand him over to any Earthsphere vessel.
‘For the time being, that is all. In the name of peace and justice, I wish you well.’
The moment the message ended, Ash turned to his comm officer and said: ‘Have that vid analysed – I want to know what kind of equipment it was made with and anything else you can find out.’
Meanwhile, all eyes were on Greg, who was half infuriated and half full of an urge to laugh out loud.
‘That lying, scheming, scum-sucking toerag!’ he growled.
‘I assume that you’re not going to let that go unanswered,’ said Ash, with the ghost of a smile haunting his lips.
‘Bloody right I’m not,’ Greg said, striding forward. ‘Can you put me out on the same channel? – let me know when to begin.’
‘Look up at the screen and start whenever you are ready,’ Ash said.
Greg nodded, tilted his head back a little and put on a smile.
‘Hello, Alexandr. Greg Cameron here. That’s right, Greg Cameron, adventurer, freedom fighter, and grudge-holder. I saw that wee movie of yours and I must say it’s the funniest piece of gobshite I’ve heard since, well, since that spineless weasel Kirkland went on live vee to tell everyone what great friends the Brolts were, how much they cared for us ground-hugging Darienites, while they were rounding up anyone who stepped out of line. So your little proclamation was fine, sincere gravitas and all that, but there’s a few things that you missed out – like the facts.
‘Fact number one – you weren’t imprisoned by terrorists. Truth is, you’ve been working and fighting alongside members of the resistance for the last couple of weeks. And here’s juicy fact number two – while you were doing that, you were also trying to think up some way to stab me in the back and still come out o’ it smelling flowery. Then along came that vital mission to Giant’s Shoulder. You invited yourself, helped fight off the pack of combat mechs we found there and just at the very moment when I was on my knees, exhausted, or as a good friend would say, right scunnered – then you turned your gun on me.’
Greg, his eyes flashing, face animated, almost snarled up at the screen.
‘I remember it perfectly, Alexandr, that sickening moment of betrayal. I was lucky, though – someone else pulled me outta there and saved my life. But I wonder if you remember that moment, Alexandr – do you? Ah, but then it’s not really Alexandr Vashutkin I’m talking to, is it? No, you’re some kind of AI creature, something cooked up in a Hegemony lab … ’
Suddenly a loud, stuttering alarm sounded, interrupting him, and a voice came over the address system.
‘We are under fire from unknown hostiles – brace for battle turbulence, repeat, brace for … ’
Greg had already grabbed hold of a nearby fixed Sendrukan-scale chair, but he wasn’t ready for the ferocity of the impact. It came up through the deck and knocked everyone off their feet, with many, like Greg, losing their grip. He