The Crossover Paradox by Rob Edwards

Author:Rob Edwards
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Artemesia Publishing, LLC
Published: 2021-11-10T02:19:21+00:00

Chapter 15

The Descent

They escorted me back to my room, Serrenessa stalking behind me. She wasn’t on her wristpad now, just followed along, jaw set, face like thunder.

She didn’t sit. Instead, as the room door whooshed closed, she pointed me to the chair.

“I have come an exceptionally long way to help you,” she said, “because you helped my brother and because you earned mother’s respect. From what I saw today, I have no idea how. I told you what to do, you ignored me. I told you to stop talking in the interview, I don’t think you even heard me. For someone who apparently cut his teeth on scams and snow jobs, you spent the entire interview playing on their terms. After mother’s description of you, I expected you to run rings around them. They had you on the back foot from the time you stepped into the interview room.”

“I—”

She held up a finger. “I’m not done yet. They are playing for real, making decisions that will affect your life to the point of destruction, and you are still playing the offended sulky child. That’s not my mother’s impression of who you are. It’s too much to expect you to be Gravane. At the very least you could try being yourself.”

Shame burned in my stomach. She was right. I not only didn’t play the interview well, I hadn’t played it at all. If ever there had been a time for me to be on form that was it. I’d blown it.

“So, what happens now?” I asked.

“You managed to avoid confessing, which is some small victory.” She held up a hand as I protested. “Yes, I know you’re not guilty. I believe you. It’s not me you have to convince. It means there will be further interviews. They will no doubt apply to get you moved back to Academy jurisdiction. I will fight it, but based on today’s performance—”

“No,” I said. “Don’t fight that. If they want me back on Academy world, I’ll go.”

“Not the best play, Grey. Here at least you have the impartiality of the Galactic Patrol on your side. They haven’t made up their mind about you. The Academy has invested a lot of time and energy in your guilt.”

“The Academy’s identity is founded on truth and justice. They may have gotten this wrong, for now, but if we put the truth before them, I know they will live up to their name.” Besides, I’d feel better knowing I was in the same system as Seventhirtyfour, Pilvi and the rest.

“I hadn’t pegged you as a naive idealist,” she said.

“I’m doing an elective in Upstanding Citizenship,” I said.

“They are railroading you, kid. I’ve looked at the Academy fiscals, they are living barely within their means. Word is already spreading about a murder and an attempted murder on campus. It’s making investors shy, and it’s going to repress their student intake next year. They can stop the cash haemorrhage if they close the case quickly. They need this conviction.”

“Then I need to offer up the real murderer.

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