Asylum by Una McCormack

Author:Una McCormack
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gallery Books
Published: 2024-11-05T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Security Chief Noonien-Singh, informed by Chin-Riley about the presence on Starbase 1 of a pro-Euxhana lobbyist, wasted no time in alerting Starbase Security. She arranged to sit in on Zhovell’s interview.

“Mister On’anxho,” said Lieutenant Zhovell, “thank you for your time.”

On’anxho, whose silver-gray fur reflected his Euxhana heritage, smiled across the table. “My meeting with Ambassador T’Maal was unfortunately postponed,” he said. “Which has left my day unexpectedly free. I’m happy to help your investigations in any way I can.” His blue eyes twinkled. “I assume there are investigations underway?”

“You assume correctly,” said Zhovell. “Can you tell us when you arrived on Starbase 1?”

Noonien-Singh studied the young Euxhana sitting in front of her, paws clasped in front of him on the table. Sleek, well dressed, and entirely at his ease. Did that confidence come from seeing that these disruptions were having the desired effect? Or from knowing that he was not in any way implicated? She noticed that his dewclaws were in place, and each had a bluish tinge, as if varnished. Texho, Noonien-Singh had noticed, did not have dewclaws, and neither did either of the Chionians she had seen. Was there some meaning there? Or was she dwelling on irrelevant details?

“I can do better than that,” said On’anxho. “I’ll make my entire itinerary available to you. I’ll give you access to whatever you need to track my prior movements around the base, and permission to examine my incoming and outgoing communications to see with whom I’ve been in contact.” He raised a paw. “I do not,” he went on, “give you permission to examine the contents of my communications. There’s such a thing as client confidentiality, and I will not breach that.”

Noonien-Singh, startled by this, said, “That’s extremely helpful of you—”

“It is,” he replied. “Let me be frank. Much as I have enjoyed seeing the Charter for Euxhana Rights projected across the Federation flagship, and seeing political slogans plastered across Starbase 1 in both Federation Standard and my mother tongue, this is not the kind of thing with which I get involved.”

“No?” said Zhovell.

“No,” said On’anxho. “Fact: I am a lawyer. I specialize in asylum cases, and in particular I work with Euxhana refugees who are seeking asylum in the Federation. This is serious business. I do not play games—and interventions such as these are, in the end, games. They do not ensure the safety and security of people escaping persecution on Xhio. They do not bring about the freedom of anyone imprisoned for speaking their mother tongue in public, or trying to change curricula to include truths about Euxhana history, or simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The fact is, this approach does not substantively improve the life of any Euxhana living under the current deplorable regime.” He shook his head. “A waste of everybody’s time.”

“And yet everyone I meet is now talking about the Euxhana,” said Noonien-Singh. “I’ve seen reports on news services back on Earth.”

“At last,” said On’anxho.

“This must be the most exposure that your cause has ever had,” Noonien-Singh said.

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