Chapter 7

At eight AM the following morning, with about six hours to go before the royal funeral, I got a reminder from the AI that I had a meeting in two hours time with Jack and Melissa. These were the other two people who had been assigned to Confederacy Intelligence at the same time I had.

We were to meet in a small room between the blue and green rings. I had asked the AI for such a room, and it had assigned it to me for the sole use of our group while we were all on board the ship. It meant we could leave private notes and things there, and not have them moved or read by anyone else. Aside from the ship's senior officers, only the three of us would be able to unlock the door.

We spent the first few minutes just getting to know each other, Melissa, almost by sheer force of will, leading the discussion, before we turned to our work.

"Did you get an idea of how many species there were in the Confederation?" Jack asked after only a few minutes. Up to that point we had only been talking about what we had researched on our own.

"Well, I got the impression there were only eighteen," answered Melissa, "and most were extinct. But that didn't make sense, so I explicitly asked the AI."

"And?" I prompted.

"Well," she paused for a moment, "the AI wouldn't tell me."

I thought for a moment. "The impression I get," I said slowly, thinking back, "is that we only know of eighteen species: the Darjee and seventeen that are no more. I've heard someone mention the K'Treel and the Tuull or something like that, but I'm not sure whether they're a species or something else, but we know there are more species than just those eighteen. Don't we?"

"AI?" asked Jack.

"First, it is Confederacy, not Confederation," responded the AI, "second, that information is not available."

"But there are more species in the Confeder ... racy than just the Darjee aren't there?" he persisted.

The AI was fractionally slower to respond this time. "That information is not available."

Melissa looked up, annoyed at the response. "Look, you overgrown lump of silicon, we're not asking you to name them, nor to tell us where they live. Just give us some basic idea of how many there might be, or more to the point, just confirm that the Darjee are not the only surviving species of the Confederacy."

The AI didn't respond. After a couple of minutes of silence I opened my mouth. "AI, I guess that either you, or the Darjee, or someone, doesn't trust the Humans, and I suppose I'd have to say that that is understandable; but you have to understand that we need some basic information. If the Darjee are the only survivors, or there are only one or two other species, then what we might come up with to counter the Sa'arm could be different. It gives us more scope for all sorts of things, than if there are many hundreds or thousands of species in the Confederation. You need to give us some basic information to work with."

"Even if it's only broad brush generalities," added Jack.

"The reasoning is sound," answered the AI after a short pause. "The information is not currently available, but something may be made available shortly." I'd always thought the AI's sounded very slightly mechanical, but the next couple of sentences came out in a far more natural form. "Please can you wait for this information. We need to clarify what is needed against what is merely useful and what is not necessary. Some extra information is already available to senior officers in the Central Intelligence, however not all the necessary information is currently accessible. This necessary information at least will be made available at some point in the near future."

"Thank you," said Jack. I just nodded.

For the next hour or so we just talked about what we'd each learned so far. I'm afraid to say that I'd done the least, but that was in part explained by the fact that I had six concubines to Jack's four and Melissa's two, and the fact that all of mine had been through our body changes, whereas theirs hadn't, yet.

I told them about Siân's study, Melissa just sniffed but said nothing. Jack however looked interested and thoughtful. "I'm not sure we can use that just yet," he said slowly. "Maybe when we know more about what the Sa'arm are doing right now." I nodded my agreement.

"I think I'll try and get hold of some battlefield reports. Debriefing reports from troops on the ground. Just to have a run through, get a feel for what the guys on the front line think," I said. "My dad used to be a lieutenant in the Royal Artillery, maybe he can help me weed out the wheat from the chaff. Give me an idea what might be useful and what might not."

"Why get that stuff?" Melissa butted in impatiently. "They're just thicko grunts. What do they know about it?"

"Some of them have a higher IQ than you do," Jack told her shortly. She glared at him but said nothing. "These grunts, as you so kindly call them, are high CAP, they're not just unintelligent morons sent out as cannon fodder."

"Hmph," grunted Melissa. "Well if they're so good, why are they just ordinary soldiers? No. What we need is the stuff that the generals see. They know more about what's going on than the frontline soldiers."

"Don't you believe it," I muttered.

She turned and directed her glare at me. "Your father was only a lieutenant. If he was any good he would have got higher than that."

"He was invalided out after just fourteen months when he lost his leg in the Middle East years ago," I retorted hotly, "otherwise maybe he would. But I'll ask you this: when did you last see anyone higher than a major or maybe a lieutenant colonel anywhere near the front line? No," I said, rapidly calming down again. "We need to see front line reports. Before they've been massaged and interpreted for the top brass. It could even be useful to talk to people who have just got back from the front line. Maybe sit in on a formal debrief, or do our own more informal stuff. We need to get front line information. That'll tell us what's actually happening, as opposed to what's being reported."

"I read some while ago," interrupted Jack, "that battlefield troops have video cameras attached to their uniforms. If that's the case, then maybe we can actually see some of those recordings."

Melissa shuddered, but I think this time it was simply a case of squeamishness. Rather than get her even more irritated and isolated, I decided to take charge for the moment. "In that case, Jack, you see if you can get hold of some video footage, I'll get hold of front line battle reports, Melissa you see what reports you can get hold of from more senior officers. At the very least," I said, holding up my hands to forestall any comments either of them may have made, "it'll give us an idea of how much is stripped out before senior officers see it. They may be getting what they think are the most pertinent bits, but if they aren't seeing the whole lot, what is it they're missing out on? Are they certain they're not missing out on anything important?"

Melissa nodded thoughtfully. "I think I'll try and get hold of everything, from start to end, relating to a small or medium sized engagement."

"Go right from the planning stage," interrupted Jack. "Get a feel for how the planners wanted it to go, and what actually happened afterwards."

I nodded. "Siân's been doing something very similar for the Battle of Waterloo. Maybe I'll ask her advice as well."

"But she's only a concubine. What can she possibly know about it?" Melissa asked, her ire getting up again.

I sighed silently. "Siân only just missed out. She got a 6.4 CAP, and she's bloody determined. If she doesn't get a seven or better when she re-tests I'll be damned surprised. Plus she's always loved history, and she's really studying military history on the grounds that it might give us some insight."

"Yeah, I've been thinking about that," said Jack slowly. "I don't think it would be all that useful. Studying human battles is all very well, but the Sa'arm aren't human. They fight and think differently," Jack said diffidently. "I'm not sure in the long term it'll be all that useful."

I nodded. "True, but we've got to start somewhere, and as I see it, this is as good a place as any."

The conversation for the next half an hour or so was marginally more cordial as we tried to think of different things we could study, but without any guidance we were a bit stymied, and eventually, after an hour and a half, we decided to call it a day.

"I'm going into the medical pods with my conks tomorrow, so I probably won't be able to do much for a few days," Jack told us.

I looked at him blankly. "Conks?"

"Concubines." He laughed at my startled expression.

"Oh, yeah, sorry." I rubbed my face. "Melissa?"

Melissa nodded. "I think I'm in in three days time." She looked up at the ceiling and both Jack and I knew she was communing through her AI implant. "Sixty-two hours time I go in," she told us after a moment.

"In that case," said Jack, "I propose we meet back here in four days?"

"Good for me," I said shrugging.

Jack grinned, and left in a rush.

"What's he in such a rush for?" asked Melissa, surprised.

I shrugged. "No idea, but have you seen his concubines? Some of the most gorgeous women imaginable. With concubines like that, maybe I'd want to stay at home a lot. Anyway, I'm also going to head back as well."

"Hold on. Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?"

"Sure," I nodded, then grinned. "Don't guarantee an answer though."

"Hmm. Look. I got the impression you have your mother and father and at least one sister in your concubines. Is that right?"

"Yeah," I said slowly, frowning slightly. "Why?"

"Well, I ended up with a father and daughter."

"Yours?"

"What? Er, no. Not my father and daughter. Just a couple who happen to be father and daughter."

"Yeah? So?"

"Well I just wondered, that's all."

"Wondered what? We all get on okay. I've got both my parents, my brother, both my sisters, and another girl. My brother, my younger sister, and possibly my father are all going to try and improve their CAP scores, so at some point they could move out. If my father goes, he'll take my mother with him, so that'll probably just leave me with my twin sister. Maybe."

"What do the others think about the situation?"

"The," I looked around briefly and then lowered my voice slightly. "You mean the incest?"

She nodded, and I shrugged. "They seem to be okay with it. Dad was uncertain at first, but he accepts it now. Why? Are you having problems with yours?"

"Problems? No. Not problems. They had issues at first, but I soon set them straight."

"Set them straight?" I asked, puzzled.

"I reminded them that I could put them out the air-lock if they didn't behave."

"Ahh," I said softly, nodding. That sort of setting straight. She'd scared them into obedience. "Why don't you swap one of them then?"

"Oh no. They stay together. He didn't want to come, just tried to get his daughter away, but I told them that it was either both or neither. So I got both."

"Riiiight. So what do you want from me?"

She frowned. "Nothing I guess. I was just curious as to how you'd got yours to capitulate?"

Capitulate? What the hell was this woman's problem? "We just worked it out fairly quickly between us. I just sent Dad off to get Mum pregnant," I was about to tell her roughly what happened next, but decided I didn't want her to know, "and the rest of us basically just talked about it and it all happened from there. We all just accepted it."

"You didn't want to swap?"

"Not really, no. As I said before, some of them may be moving out anyway when they re-CAP."

She nodded. "You don't have an issue with the unnatural, er, stuff?"

I hid a smile, shaking my head. "It wasn't my first choice no, but we've sorted it all now and I think we're all okay."

"Uh huh. I was talking with one of the Marine sergeants. Apparently we're all supposed to make wills so that our concubines can be taken care of if we die."

I frowned. "But we're not going into combat are we?"

"There are other ways to die," she said shortly.

"Yeah, true." I thought for a moment. "I suppose if I had to, at the moment I guess I'd ensure they went to this corporal I know. Danny Black. He's a good bloke."

"Does he know what he'd be getting?"

I nodded. "Oh yeah. He knows exactly. Plus my twin sister is slightly taken with him. He's completely fine with it." I paused for a moment, looking at her speculatively, and noting that she was looking equally speculatively at me. "What would you do?"

She shrugged. "I don't know exactly. Find someone to take them in I guess. I suppose I could just have them spaced."

"That's a little harsh. And what happens if you're on the ground? On a planet's surface?"

She shrugged. "I'm sure I'll think of something. Do you want them?"

"Not really," I said slowly, "but if you can't find anyone better, then yeah, I'll look after them for you."

She nodded and stood up abruptly. "See you in four days." She nodded once more and walked off. I stared after her in startlement, but then just shrugged and made my way back to my pod.

Even though she was still only a few days pregnant, Imogen looked radiant, and even though I wasn't the father of her baby, she was still very happy to say 'thank you' in my bed that evening and again the following morning. We were joined by Stacy, who was still upset that I hadn't yet got her pregnant. Between them, they managed to get me happily exhausted.