longer."
Durla was pleased to see that the questioning was already under way. He was not, however, pleased to witness its lack of success.
The subject was strapped into an oversize chair, his feet dangling a few inches above the floor. He was rail thin, narrow-shouldered, and unlike most other Centauri of Durla's acquaintance, his hair was something of a mess. His head was lolling from one side to the other, as if attached to his shoulders by only the slimmest of supports.
Several members of the Prime Candidates were there, as well, looking particularly grim. Durla recognized one of them as Caso, a close friend of Throk's. Caso had suffered, to some degree, from survivor's guilt. A lung illness had kept him home in bed the day that the other Prime Candidates died in the explosion; had Caso not been bedridden, he would have died with the others.
"What is the vermin's name?" Milifa asked, standing just behind Durla.
"Lanas. Rem Lanas," Durla told him grimly. "He was found trespassing in one of our..." He paused, and then said, "... medical facilities, on Tumbor 2. He had counterfeit clearance identification on him. Quite well crafted, I might add. He was in the midst of endeavoring to rewire certain circuits that... if left unchecked... would have caused the facility to blow up. Fortunately, all he managed to do was trip an alarm. Our security systems have become increasingly sophisticated over the years."
"That is a fortunate state of affairs," Milifa said, "considering the alternative is leaving yourself open to being continually preyed upon by slime like... like this." His voice dropped lower on the last several words. He stepped forward and practically stuck his face into Lanas'. "Are you the one, slime? Are you the one who was responsible for killing my son?"
Lanas looked up at him without really seeing him.
"What's wrong with him?" demanded Milifa.
"Truth drugs, no doubt. Sometimes they take a while to reach full effect." Durla looked to Caso for confirmation. Caso, over the years, had apprenticed with some of the best interrogators in the Centaurum and had become quite skilled. He had personally requested the opportunity to handle the questioning of this latest subject, in the name of his departed friend. "How much longer, Caso?"
But Caso looked surprisingly uncomfortable. "Actually, Prime Minister, they should be at full effect by now. Before now, in fact. But he has been resisting all of our initial questions."
"Resisting?" Durla was astonished. "Are you certain you have administered them properly?"
"Positive, Prime Minister," Caso answered stiffly.
"And yet he resists? Increase the dosage."
"That may not be wise..."
Durla, feeling the quiet smoldering of Milifa next to him, said tightly, "On my authority. Do it."
Caso bowed deeply and put together another dosage. Moments later there was enough truth drug pumping through Lanas' veins to send a dozen Centauri pouring out every secret they'd ever held, all the way back to childhood.
Rem Lanas' eyes remained glazed. It was as if he was withdrawing completely into himself.
"I checked the records on this man," Caso said. "He was a worker on K0643."
"Was he now," Durla said. The excavation on K0643 had proven to be one of Durla's only unqualified disasters. He had been certain that there was some great source of weaponry there, but the entire excavation had been destroyed. There were wild rumors that techno-mages had somehow been involved... fleeting glimpses of them, but accounts of their numbers ranged from three to thirty. No one seemed sure of anything. He wondered if Lanas had been one of the workers who had been questioned. He leaned forward, and said, "What is your name?"
"Lanas. Rem Lanas." His voice was thick and distant.
"And are you part of an organization?"
Lanas' head teetered in affirmation.
"And what," Durla said with clear urgency, "is that organization? Tell me about it. Who is the head?"
"Minister... Durla."
A confused look
Durla was pleased to see that the questioning was already under way. He was not, however, pleased to witness its lack of success.
The subject was strapped into an oversize chair, his feet dangling a few inches above the floor. He was rail thin, narrow-shouldered, and unlike most other Centauri of Durla's acquaintance, his hair was something of a mess. His head was lolling from one side to the other, as if attached to his shoulders by only the slimmest of supports.
Several members of the Prime Candidates were there, as well, looking particularly grim. Durla recognized one of them as Caso, a close friend of Throk's. Caso had suffered, to some degree, from survivor's guilt. A lung illness had kept him home in bed the day that the other Prime Candidates died in the explosion; had Caso not been bedridden, he would have died with the others.
"What is the vermin's name?" Milifa asked, standing just behind Durla.
"Lanas. Rem Lanas," Durla told him grimly. "He was found trespassing in one of our..." He paused, and then said, "... medical facilities, on Tumbor 2. He had counterfeit clearance identification on him. Quite well crafted, I might add. He was in the midst of endeavoring to rewire certain circuits that... if left unchecked... would have caused the facility to blow up. Fortunately, all he managed to do was trip an alarm. Our security systems have become increasingly sophisticated over the years."
"That is a fortunate state of affairs," Milifa said, "considering the alternative is leaving yourself open to being continually preyed upon by slime like... like this." His voice dropped lower on the last several words. He stepped forward and practically stuck his face into Lanas'. "Are you the one, slime? Are you the one who was responsible for killing my son?"
Lanas looked up at him without really seeing him.
"What's wrong with him?" demanded Milifa.
"Truth drugs, no doubt. Sometimes they take a while to reach full effect." Durla looked to Caso for confirmation. Caso, over the years, had apprenticed with some of the best interrogators in the Centaurum and had become quite skilled. He had personally requested the opportunity to handle the questioning of this latest subject, in the name of his departed friend. "How much longer, Caso?"
But Caso looked surprisingly uncomfortable. "Actually, Prime Minister, they should be at full effect by now. Before now, in fact. But he has been resisting all of our initial questions."
"Resisting?" Durla was astonished. "Are you certain you have administered them properly?"
"Positive, Prime Minister," Caso answered stiffly.
"And yet he resists? Increase the dosage."
"That may not be wise..."
Durla, feeling the quiet smoldering of Milifa next to him, said tightly, "On my authority. Do it."
Caso bowed deeply and put together another dosage. Moments later there was enough truth drug pumping through Lanas' veins to send a dozen Centauri pouring out every secret they'd ever held, all the way back to childhood.
Rem Lanas' eyes remained glazed. It was as if he was withdrawing completely into himself.
"I checked the records on this man," Caso said. "He was a worker on K0643."
"Was he now," Durla said. The excavation on K0643 had proven to be one of Durla's only unqualified disasters. He had been certain that there was some great source of weaponry there, but the entire excavation had been destroyed. There were wild rumors that techno-mages had somehow been involved... fleeting glimpses of them, but accounts of their numbers ranged from three to thirty. No one seemed sure of anything. He wondered if Lanas had been one of the workers who had been questioned. He leaned forward, and said, "What is your name?"
"Lanas. Rem Lanas." His voice was thick and distant.
"And are you part of an organization?"
Lanas' head teetered in affirmation.
"And what," Durla said with clear urgency, "is that organization? Tell me about it. Who is the head?"
"Minister... Durla."
A confused look
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