Read Online Infinite Day by Chris Walley - Free Book Online Page A

from his document.
    He heard the conversations stop and glanced up to see everyone staring at the open door. There stood Betafor, her triangular head with its expressionless gray eyes staring at him.
    â€œCome in, Betafor.” He saw that she wore the Lamb and Stars emblem on her tunic. “Everyone else, take a break for ten minutes.”
    The men and women left the room quietly, every eye fixed on Betafor as they did.
    â€œGood to see you again, Betafor.”
    â€œAnd I am pleased to see you, Commander.” The voice had lost none of its high-pitched, glassy timbre.
    â€œI should have consulted you earlier, but we need you to come on this mission. I would be grateful if you would come.” She’d better not refuse. That will make things very difficult.
    â€œI will come. Commander . . . as you know, I serve the Assembly.”
    â€œDo you? Betafor, I was not very happy when I found that you had left your position during the battle at Ynysmant. You ran away. Would you like to explain what happened?”
    The tail twitched. “I dislike . . . the expression ran away . All logic suggested that the battle was lost and that you no longer had any need of my services. I was therefore putting myself in . . . a better position to survive.”
    â€œSo were you afraid?”
    â€œIt is very unwise to assume that I experience anything like your emotional states. Especially those that are irrational, such as fear. I do, however, have logical constraints built in a very basic level that . . . encourage me to protect myself.”
    â€œI see. That sounds like fear by another name.”
    He heard a knock at the door, and with a murmured apology, Vero slipped in.
    â€œBetafor,” Merral asked, “what is to stop you changing your allegiance when we get to the Dominion worlds?”
    â€œThe only circumstances under which I will change my allegiance will be those in which you have already lost. Then it will make no difference.”
    â€œBut at Ynysmant you fled before we had lost.”
    Betafor seemed to hestitate. “I . . . miscalculated the situation.”
    As we all did. “To change your allegiance before a defeat is wrong.”
    â€œIt was . . . unfortunate.”
    It was more than that. “It must not happen again. We will be watching you, Betafor.” Vero nodded. “We have not forgotten how we caught you trying to kill Azeras.”
    â€œThat was . . . a mistake.”
    â€œNo, Betafor, that was wrong .”
    â€œCommander . . . I have to point out that the present difficulties you find yourself in are entirely due to human behavior. It is humans you should watch. They are unreliable and unpredictable.”
    â€œThat is not the issue, Betafor. We treat your promise to serve the Assembly as a solemn agreement. We will hold you to it.”
    â€œYou may be assured of my loyalty.”
    â€œPerhaps. But be warned: any dubious activity, and we will switch you off.”
    â€œPermanently,” Vero added with some force.
    â€œI understand.”
    â€œVery well,” Merral said, feeling far from convinced. “Do you anticipate problems with the mission?”
    â€œIt is not going to be easy. I have not been shown any sign of . . . definite strategy for recovering the hostages.”
    That’s because there is none. “We are working on that. We will be refining it over the next few weeks. You, Azeras, Vero, and I.”
    â€œI am concerned that you will find the Nether-Realms difficult. Humans do.”
    â€œIt doesn’t trouble you?”
    â€œThe psychological effects are . . . more problematic for human beings. We are not so affected. We can . . . filter out such effects. We are beings that are used to space.”
    â€œI remember you saying that.” He paused. I had forgotten how irritating that sense of superiority is.
    After a few more questions,