THE ARGUS PROJECT
Supported by the two barrel-chested Martians, Venix entered the Martian Council Hall.
The inside of the building mostly resembled a warehouse; it had once been a reception hall for newly arrived settlers, and only later replaced by a larger building two blocks away.
The smell of old dust hung in the air, as if the council hall had not seen much activity for years. Cargo crates stood piled up in the corners; the small robots that cleaned the floors were worn down from bumping into things.
A group of hastily assembled men and women of differing age gathered around Venix, studying her with great interest - and some caution. In this warmer indoor atmosphere, the natives shed their heavy survival equipment and moved with powerful ease in their thin, baggy clothing.
It surprised Venix that the thick fur of fine hairs on the Martians' skin and faces was so translucent, in fact nearly invisible. Only on the older natives, the fur was beginning to show streaks of white, turning their faces a ghastly pallid hue.
The images of Martians that Venix recalled from films and news programs had been routinely color-edited to make Martian fur seem darker, more ape-like. In no way did these people deserve to be called "gorillas".
On both men and women glittered extremely thick, large eyelashes, colorless as glass. One of the younger women had dyed her eyelashes green - it looked like grass grew out of her eyes.
A bulky, middle-aged woman wearing a deep-blue suit and pistol holster approached Venix, and the two men released her. The female cyborg staggered to stay upright. The woman had a rather sharp, fearless look in her brown eyes, and her gray-streaked hair was tied to the back of her head.
She extended a hand to greet the visitor, but her tightly pinched lips were unsmiling, and she had a way of talking out of the corner of her mouth.
"You must be the one I heard so much about this whole morning. Welcome. I'm Arjja Texeira-Berg. I was told you wanted to seek asylum."
The electronic badge on her chest scrolled a list of facts: ARJJA TEXEIRA-BERG... 4TH IRREGULAR TERM OF DUTY IN MARTIAN CITIZENS' COUNCIL... OTHER OCCUPATIONS: HOUSEWIFE, MEATSNAKE FARMER, MOTHER OF 3...
Venix took a rapid forward stride and grabbed Arjja's shoulders, so tightly the seams of her blue suit came apart. Arjja winced - even through her fur and thick skin, she could feel the cyborg's hard fingers.
Venix whispered, sounding sensuous though she did not intend to; her synthetic speech was harder to control. "Get me in touch with 'them!' The ones who put out the bounty on my escape."
She coughed up a thimbleful of sand.
Arjja wavered only an inch, but stood firm - she was quite strong. "We don't know of any such organization, or any bounty. The rumors that the Martians are cooperating with the Jovians are just that - rumors."
"You don't know anything?" Venix asked, her red lips grimacing. "But - but - doesn't the name 'Boulder Pi' tell you anything?"
"Ah yes... isn't he that collaborator with the Kansler? Saw him on the news. No, I never met the man. We don't mix with that kind of people."
Then Venix bared her dust-stained teeth, gritting them against sand in an audible manner, and moved up close. "Your infrared colors say differently. You're lying. You do know him."
The councilwoman spread her thick arms in surrender, and her lips widened in a thin smile, though her eyes showed little warmth.
"You can let go of me now," she said. "Boulder told me about the infrared vision - he was going to make it the standard in all his future creations, and asked me to test it on his cyborgs, if I ever met one. He had a passion for practical jokes, I think. A little smartass, that Jovian was. But absolutely brilliant."
"If I wasn't so desperately in need of your help, I'd punch you out," Venix whispered, and pulled back from councilwoman Berg. She felt as if she had not relaxed in years. "There's no time to waste. Tell me everything."
"First, let us take care of and examine you. Boulder Pi told me we could expect to find some very important information in your head." She smiled quickly when Venix glowered back at her. "Just questions, girl. Not a dissection. And my family will pour you a nice, hot bath. Then please come and join us at the dinner table. You are our guest now."
"Are all your guests interrogated before dinner?"
"Not all my guests arrive with the entire Terran Army on their tail. Antexi!" she added in the Martian-Finnish slang.
Venix was too exhausted to say more, and just gave her a nod.
***
WE INTERRUPT THIS PROGRAM FOR A MESSAGE FROM THE KANSLER:
Sons and daughters of Mother Earth, it is with great pride I can announce that the terrorist threat of the Outer Planets is nearing its defeat.
During the past few months, our mighty fleet and its champion Argus-A have dealt the enemy bases several crippling blows. I can at last say to you, with complete confidence: a total victory and permanent peace is in sight.
In the past I have ceaselessly tried to negotiate a peaceful solution to this conflict, but the party of the Jovian forces has repeatedly rejected all our peace proposals. So it was with a heavy heart that I declared all further possibilities of negotiated ceasefire as closed.
Only the force and superiority of the Terran Fleet can bring us the unconditional surrender of the Jovian enemy, and thus guarantee the safety of our children, and our future in space.
My fellow humans... this is our moment of truth. Never before has the human race spread so wide, and is about to spread even further, beyond the boundaries of the Solar System.
What is at stake in this war is more than the supply route of deuterium to the Inner Planets, much more than the safety of Mother Earth from terrorist attacks. At stake is the very future of our species.
We cannot let it fall into the hands of a race of deformed genetic throwbacks. The true core of our species must prevail.
Now is the time for all of us to support our men and women out there, who fight and sweat and bleed for us. Send them encouraging mail, tell them that you are behind them every step of the way. Send PP donations to those from your hometown who enlisted to join the good fight.
With your full support they shall win, and return home. And with luck, I shall return to Earth and bring Argus-A with me, to share your thanks.
Soon we fly once more into battle, and in the starry depths of outer space she floats there: Mother Earth, most precious of all worlds, reminding us of home.
Thank you and bless you all, and bless Mother Earth.
35: Energy Low
(NEXT CHAPTER)
THE ARGUS PROJECT INTERNET EDITION (c)A.R.Yngve 1999, 2000, 2004. All rights reserved. May not be copied without permission.
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