Chapter 14

Life settled for a few months after our adventures on Actilonia; if you count running away very fast from a virus ridden lunatic an adventure, along with non-stop sex to try and cure people (and keep Kirim happy as well).

Things on Vreekoos were quiet. The work was steady and Kirim announced she was pregnant with our first, to my utter delight and that of our friends. The new Cure Guild was up and running, with Herrick taking it upon himself to crush any opposition to his reforms and make the bunch of ne’er-do-wells that made up its members behave themselves. In this he was mostly successful as the one thing they didn’t appear to like was being hit in the pocket for abusing a client, whether the client was mind-wiped or not. They were further disgruntled by the fact that I would never turn down a job and was the current golden boy when it came to requests for a quick or permanent cure amongst those in the Upper Levels. The fact that I never spoke about any of my cases was also a big help. Naturally enough, it didn’t last...

“David, a Writ is served against you by High Bureaucrat Titec,” the AI announced one morning shortly after my sonic shower.

“A Writ? Pertaining to what?”

“You are summoned to face the Bureaucracy of Communications to answer charges that, as a Cure, you are neglecting your media duties.”

“I wasn’t aware I had any media duties?”

“According to the contract you signed when becoming a Cure, you have to answer media questions.”

“As far as I’m aware they haven’t asked any.”

“Nevertheless, you will have to face the Bureaucracy of Communications to answer why you haven’t.”

And that was that. A Writ had been served and I had to dance to the tune. Nor was Herrick much help when I asked him, though he agreed that the newsies hadn’t specifically asked me anything. However a Writ is a Writ and he wasn’t in a position to overrule one and neither was the Empress, come to that. Though she could make things damned awkward for anyone who gave her one and pissed her off, as everyone was well aware.

At the appointed rotation, and wearing my slave torc just in case, I turned up in the ante-room ready to face my accusers, the committee led by Meritocrat Titec. Naturally to show off their power over me they made me wait ... and wait. Which turned into a bit of a circus when someone came out to summon me in and I ignored them as, with the torc on, I was subject 1341, not Cure David. It got even funnier when the AIs could not tell them where Cure David was despite me being in the same room.

Finally though, Vilgra turned up, gave me an exasperated eye and a sly grin and escorted me inside to face the committee.

“Do you realise I could have you held for contempt for ignoring the summons?” the man, whom my com channel identified as Meritocrat Titec, stated.

“As you had me cooling my heels for two hundred and fifty rotations (2 hours) whilst you combed your eyebrows in here I’d say you got what you deserved. There is no excuse for rudeness in making someone summoned by Writ wait. Hence, if you were playing games, then I was going to play one too,” I shrugged.

“We had other more important matters to discuss!” he thundered.

“Then you should have told me to turn up later. It would only have been polite,” I countered. “As it is, make me wait without telling me why in future and I shall simply leave, consider that my Writ to you.”

“You cannot do that!”

“Just watch me,” I chuckled.

“We can have you restrained!”

“Guess again, after reading the article about treason in touching a Cure without their express permission.”

“There is no such law!”

“I’m afraid there is, Meritocrat Titec,” Vilgra spoke up. “He’s also within his rights to walk away if there is an unacceptable delay in seeing him. This committee is well past the limits of what is allowed and what a Cure must put up with.”

“You want to play silly power games? Well, I can play too,” I added. “Now you had some questions for me? Hurry up, I haven’t got all day.”

“We wish to know why you haven’t upheld your obligations to answer questions from the media,” Titec stated stiffly as he realised he could not intimidate me.

“I have never, not once, refused to answer a legitimate media question,” I replied.

“They say that you have never replied to any requests for an interview!”

“I don’t know who they were asking then, but it wasn’t me.”

“You’re telling us not a single request for an interview has been made to you?” Another committee member asked incredulously.

“Nope, not one,” I shrugged. “AI, confirm, please,” I also requested.

“Confirmed,” came the reply from my local AI.

“Why?” Titec asked, looking somewhat confused.

“You tell me. You’re the Bureau of Communications.”

“Will you give out your communication address?”

“No, but I can be contacted via Medical Resource. Is that not correct, Monitor Vilgra?”

“This is correct,” Vilgra confirmed.

“Why will you not give out your communication address?” Titec asked, eyes narrowed. “Other Cures have.”

“I’m not other Cures,” I shrugged. “Nor am I obliged to do so under the Imperial privacy accords.”

“This is correct,” Vilgra confirmed. “ImpSec will also take a dim view of anyone, or any organisation, giving out such information, as well.”

“So you see, Meritocrat Titec, there is no fault to be found with me. If the media wishes to formally interview me, they can request it via Medical Resource, or the Cure Guild. I’m not obliged to give informal interviews, nor will I do so as I take my privacy seriously.”

“You are obliged to give interviews; you are not permitted to refuse them!”

“I have never been asked to give an interview, so how can I be accused of refusing one?” I shrugged.

“If a member of the media asks you a question, you will answer them!”

“No. I will do interviews; I will not take random questions from the media any more than I would from random strangers. That is an infringement of my Imperial liberties.”

“This is also correct, Meritocrat Titec,” Vilgra confirmed. “I fail to see just what it is you intend to achieve here. A Cure has all the rights of an ordinary citizen in that they cannot be forced or coerced into anything illegal. It is the media at fault here, not Cure David. You should be taking up their complaint with them.”

“It is for him to make himself available!”

“I was. I am,” I shrugged.

“No you are not if you do not give out your communication address!”

“I’m not obliged to, by you, or even by ImpSec. My contract is clear on this,” I replied indifferently.

“Also correct,” Vilgra stated.

“Pah! I see we are getting nowhere here. This committee finds you in breach of your obligations to the media and fines you seventy thousand Royals!” Titec sneered.

“I appeal, as is my right, to the Empress herself,” I stated. “AI, please serve a Writ on the Bureau of Communication for wrongful conviction and abuse of privilege.”

“Done,” came the voice of the AI. “Case will be heard in a full planetary cycle in Imperial Court one.”

“See you in court, Meritocrat Titec,” I stated and then simply walked out, escorted by Vilgra, straight into a barrier of newsies who had clearly been summoned by Titec to announce his ‘victory’ over me.

Confusion reigned as I simply ignored them and summoned a lift, though was halted by Vilgra who gave out a simple statement saying I had done nothing illegal, had stayed within the laws and had been unjustly subjected to coercion by the Bureau of Communications to permit a breach of my legal right to privacy. Hence I was taking the Bureau to court. Vilgra then escorted me into the lift and we left for Medical Resource.

“Stirred the flames a bit there, David,” Herrick greeted me when I came out of the lift.

“I’m doing everything legally, Herrick,” I chuckled. “It’s not my problem that they are too lazy to come through Medical Resource and too stupid to know the rules.”

“True, but you can expect them to go over your public life with a fine-tooth comb,” he warned.

“There’s nothing to find, you made sure of that yourself,” I grinned, getting an answering slight smile from him. “Plus I’m going to be very entertained by what Kirim will do to the first newsie to ask her an impertinent question.”

“Yes, that should be interesting; I took the liberty of warning her.”

“Thank you, my friend.”

“Just expect them to play fast and dirty with your life over the next planetary cycle.”

“Will cost them greatly if they lie,” I shrugged.

“Yes, though I don’t think that will stop them and the retractions are always given out during quiet times on channels that are not too popular.”

“Oh, not this time,” I replied with a grin. “Now, if that’s all, I’m heading down to the lower levels to see Cass and pass on some info to Rogg via Mamma Vatu. Let’s see them try and get me down there as I can play dirty too.”

Well, it was as bad as Herrick warned. It seemed the newsies were not above making up stuff and I was the current cause célèbre. Everything I’d been involved with, and a lot more that I hadn’t, was brought up and dredged over to put me in the worst possible light to the ever voracious customers of the newsies. It affected Kirim far more than it did me. She was appalled at the way they treated me and quickly messaged her friends and family that the person they might see wasn’t me at all. Most, however, messaged back to say they already knew that and had chased the newsies away with their tails between their legs as they tried to get information on me via Kirim’s family.

Cass and Hiqua were OK. The pair of them temporarily moved to Cass’ family mansion in the Noble section of the upper levels and were completely out of the reach of newsies. Nor did the newsies dare to speculate on Cass. Her family were old school nobility and became litigious at the drop of a hat.

What really annoyed me though was that somehow the newsies managed to get a hold of my private com channel and pestered me with requests for information. Though ImpSec, via Vilgra, soon put a stop to it and launched an investigation as to who had leaked it, which, not surprisingly, led them to the Bureau of Communications, though, as yet, no distinct villain.

Still, Kirim and I managed to stay sane through it all and she planned to be with me when my case came to court, which, admittedly, now couldn’t come soon enough.

“Cure David, the High Bureaucrats will now hear your case against the Bureau of Communication,” an AI announced on the morning of the day appointed for the Court investigation.

“Thank you,” I replied, being one of the few people I knew to treat the AIs as people, though Kirim had now picked up my habit too.

I entered the court room and sat at the table reserved for me, facing where the High Bureaucrats (some of them anyway) were sitting, for once not looking bored. It seemed this case had drawn a lot of attention and they wanted to appear at their best and most wise. The Imperial throne was, as usual, empty. I did not expect to see Amantil for such a minor case. As ever, in trying to predict Amantil, I got it wrong. As soon as I stood, she made an appearance, sat on her throne and placed the diadem crown on her head.