Chapter 16: Part Two, Smoke. Chapter Fifteen.

Councillor Leja Leves, Minister in Charge of Sanitation and Allied Services, was feeling content with everything in his department. This was not necessarily the case for the Minister. There were just too many places where a breakage in a pipe, an overflow into a neighbourhood, or a failure in a sanitation plant could occur and the complaints would start to roll in.

But everything was good today. The latest stories had been spread to incompetent news outlets through the Frim couple of true believers. Leves snorted when he thought of them. Fools, he thought. Of course he never dealt directly, always through others.

The ground car he was being driven in came to a halt in front of the Ministry. The door slid open and he stepped out heading past the usual guards through the main entrance. Showing his identification; he was still annoyed that He, Councillor Leves, had to show identification; he was passed through with a polite acknowledgement.

“Good morning, sir.” Came from the lift guard, followed by the lift attendant. Of course, he replied politely, as any member of his status should.

Arriving at his office he found his Under Minister waiting for him. To Leves mind, this was just a competent underling, although he was a long-time employee of the Ministry and was of High Class.

“What news this morning?” Leves asked.

“In Lepus Mal there were three breakages of water mains, but no sewers. In other areas there were problems with several sewer mains overflowing and four instances of power interruptions. All are being attended to and none were serious. Any outstanding problems will be attended to by the end of business today.”

“Excellent, if we keep this up it will be the best standard seven-day period for the Ministry in the history of Ti Lepus since the consolidation!”

The Under Minister smiled. An elderly man of medium height, he had been with the ministry for many years. There were few applicants for his position as this was the most disliked of all the Ministries. Always somewhere on the planet there was a problem. Few of those elected to the Council of Ministers volunteered to run the Ministry of Sanitation and Allied Services.

Leves knew all this, and also knew that this assignment was punishment for the ambition he had shown so nakedly. He had been more careful since. Working diligently in the ministry, increasing spending on upgrades and making several other improvements. The resentment that he could never become Chief Minister unless the political makeup of the planet was changed, continued to fester and fuel his anger. This was already burning due to what he considered slights because of his perceived lack of height. Actually, he was no shorter than the average man of Ti Lepus.

Although he was sure that he was being watched, as he suspected of passing tidbits of information to the Frims, he also knew that there was no proof against him as the secret police would otherwise have had him arrested by now. Their lack of action was his best indicator that his channels were still secure. He smiled to himself.

Under Minister Nacek waited for a moment. “These are the estimates for the next scheduled sewer line replacements, sir. Also the estimates for the scheduled water line replacement and maintenance.” He paused. “I also have the ten year projections for water usage. They are not good.”

The minister’s head came up sharply. “Let me see them.”

Taking them, he quickly scanned the projections in his viewer. “Leave these with me, I want to go over them carefully.”

“Yes sir.”

“I will keep the others as well, and send my secretary in please.”

“Yes sir.”

A fraction later, Leves personal secretary was standing in front of the desk. A handsome woman of average height, she had also risen through the ranks to this position. Bitter, as were all the recruits to Leves cause, she considered herself better than any man of Ti Lepus. “Sir?”

“Make a copy of these water estimates for my personal review. I would not want them falling into the wrong hands, they will be controversial enough when they are released.”

She smiled, knowing exactly what the Minister wanted. The data cube was handed over.

“Now, my schedule for today?”

Li Glwen, the younger sister of Ardine Makapet, consulted her master’s calendar. It was perfectly normal. A routine meeting of the Council, discussions with the Finance Ministry and some meetings with members of the public; all members of the high status of course.

*********

Besides public libraries, there were many businesses that catered to those who needed more than their comm units to handle data transactions. While strictly controlled, they served a useful purpose for both legitimate and illegitimate purposes.

After copying the water estimates to her secure terminal, Li Glwen also used another, forgotten computer, no longer connected to the main network, to make a second copy on a data stick. These were rarely used and easily hidden, so they were sometimes safer as their use was unexpected. The original estimates were, of course, now back in the Minister’s storage safe, a hard copy for his perusal on his desk.

Leaving her office for lunch the next day, Li Glwen went to a public library. Rarely did she use the same business or library to send the type of information she now held. By using multiple computers, she increased her own security.

The transfer was quickly done. She had no idea where the computer she was communicating with was located, although she knew who the final recipient would be. The ‘who’ had no idea from where they received the data, although it could possibly be traced back to the terminal. Li Glwen also had other means of avoiding detection from being tracked but that would mean her using her own terminal. So she did not use that method, except for urgent messages.

With the transfer done, Li Glwen entered a public eatery where she purchased a meal and ate quickly. The data stick was disposed of with the debris remaining from her meal. This was the trickiest part, a slip up here and it could be remembered by a servant or a casual observer. Or she could be caught on a surveillance camera. Any of these could be fatal for her, the Minister and the cause. Again, this time, she made no mistake.

Li Glwen, returned to her office, outwardly as ever the faithful, perfect secretary

*********

The data on water usage, meanwhile, had started on a long circuitous trip to its final destination. First via another computer, then by a data cube before being reloaded onto yet another computer. The data cube had to be handled manually and passed on at a carefully selected location that was not under regular police or other observation. Difficult, but not impossible. It took almost two standard days, but it finally reached its ultimate destination: the computer of Kirkrup di Frim, secretary of The Lepus Writer’s Club. Ironically, back in an outlying part of Lepus Mal.

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Nikie di Frim was actually working on a story when the computer announced the arrival of the package. With her habitual arrogance she ignored the arrival and continued her writing of imaginary atrocities supposedly committed by the Empire. Satisfied that she had written a plausible story, she saved her work and left the computer. Changing into the required clothes suitable for public appearance, although she hated them, she left to carry out delivery of the latest propaganda. This took several periods of time and her husband arrived back at their apartment just before Nikie’s own arrival.

Hungrily they kissed, sharing their mutual passion. Snatching at their clothes, they clawed their way to the couch. Shedding such garments that got in the way, they consummated their lust. Falling, panting away from each other, they caught their breath.

“All these years, and you are still the only person I love!”

Nikie laughed. “And you are the only person that can make me act like that.”

They both laughed. Pulling back as the laughter died down, Nikki frowned.

“Something upsetting you, my love?” Her husband asked. A middle sized man who was starting to gain weight, he was also starting to lose his hair. Another cause of anger for him.

“Those writers, they are so arrogant. All the ones I saw today, none use their status inserts even though they are all in the service class! Those of high status would just smile and dismiss them! I hate them just as much as I hate and despise the high status, arrogant bastards!” Although they were both of high status, they hated and rejected the rest of the high status members.

“We know them for what they are, my dear, just tools for us to use. Don’t bother yourself over them.” Kirkrup caressed his wife’s bare breast. A slender woman with a thin, narrow face, she was considered to be attractive. She kept her brown hair somewhat longer than most woman of Ti Lepus did.

“That slob of a one, you know, the one that thinks he is so brilliant?”

“You will have to be clearer than that, it could describe them all!”

“No, you despise this one just as much as I do, Wiski Lewes. He actually told me that if I want him to publish any more of this then I would have to do ‘something special’ for him!” Nikie arched her eyebrows and gave a sweet smile to her husband who had risen to his feet and become darkly ominous.  

Nikie’s smile grew wider, she enjoyed playing this game with her husband.

“He demanded that you, you do, something special for him?” Kirkrup, almost snarled at his wife. Wanting the freedom to act as he wished with other women, Kirkrup was still jealous and possessive of his own wife.

“More insinuated that I should be pleased and to be grateful to him for his brilliant writing and improving what we give him!” Nikie smirked. “Improving, as if he could!” She spat.

Looking at her husband, she smiled again. “I have an idea, but let’s wash and eat and you can check out the package that arrived before I did my deliveries. Then I will let you in on my idea.”

Laughing, she went to the washroom and laundry room where she cleaned herself, followed by Kirkrup. In the kitchen, a small area off the living room, Nikie prepared the main meal of the day, a simple repast of vegetables, greens and fruits. Sitting at the table where they both ate and worked, Kirkrup expounded on his day and his mission.

“This Empire, it is a perversion of everything we hold dear. It tries to control us and makes us accept this Dark Lord as our overlord. He probably doesn’t even exist! We cannot even go into space without its permission and we have no protection from other planets stealing from us!  It corrupts our children by accepting them into their, what do they call them, legions!” He snorted. “Imagine, our children, contaminated by those animals they have to mingle with. I talked with two today, they were actually proud of being in training for the Guard, as a copy of the Legion! Imagine that? Brain washed, conditioned!”

Nikie nodded, and agreed enthusiastically. While she had heard it all before, she agreed completely with Kirkrup. Reinforcing her husband and lover, she asked for more details about the two youths he had interviewed.

“You didn’t give them your real name did you?” Nikie was alarmed for a moment. Her husband’s previous activities has resulted in him being arrested and only a lack of evidence had saved him from prosecution. He had, however, been thoroughly interrogated by both the regular police and the secret police. This had installed in him an abiding hatred of them both. It had also both put him on a list of those citizens to be watched and as well, had led to restrictions on his movements. Nikie had avoided being arrested so she could move rather more freely. She was however, listed as an associate.

Kirkrup continued. “Off course not, I would have been arrested immediately. The secret police, curse them, would have had me in their torture chambers. Beating me for the fun of it no doubt. But they were nice kids, although, thoroughly misguided!” He paused and shook his head. “They actually said that we did not need a large military as the Empire was keeping the peace. So all we need is a police force in space!” He ground his teeth. “But of cause, who is going to protect us from the Empire who applauds the oppressive system imposed on us. This so called Dark Lord, who is our wise leader, applauds the suppression and status system we have to endure! Who refuses to allow us to defend ourselves and floods the beautiful and pure Ti Lepus with outworlders!”

Kirkrup had to make an effort to restrain himself from throwing his plate against the wall. Nikie was nodding vigorously herself. Believing utterly in the theory of purity of race for Ti Lepus, she was as much a xenophobe as her husband, and was as committed to the removal of the planet from the Empire as he was. Not being unintelligent, they both realised that they were being used, but this did not matter to them as long as they got their way. They also intended to use those who were using them and planned to take control themselves, at the right time.

Calming down, Kirkrup stood and took the plates to the cleaner. Having carried out this mundane task he went to his computer. Due to a lack of funds, they could only afford one advanced personal communicator. This added to his sense of grievance.

“This is interesting.” He turned to his wife. “Nikie, read this.”

Leaning over, Nikie studied the information forwarded. “Yes, very interesting, but how do we play it?”

“That is a good question. There was a warning that we were to take this information and study it, but not to use it for the moment. It is too new, too sensitive, and if we start to use it through our usual outlets, the police will be all over us. The fools we use will hand us over to them without a second thought. They care for nothing but their own skins.”

“Do we have a way for getting it to them without exposing ourselves, someone who we can trust with passing it on?”

Kirkrup sat back in his chair and thought for a moment. “Perhaps. There are a few who support us and we can use them but we will have to be careful and wait for a while.”

He shook his head. “I will think on this and the ways that we will have to disguise it.” He turned to his wife. “And what were you thinking about earlier?”

“I think that it is time we had a martyr.” She smiled. “And I have the ideal candidate.”

Kirkrup smiled back.

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