Words with Enemies
Chapter Four: Pilfrey
By Gale Force
Date: 3 November 2017 (Earth relative time)
Location: Cube 612, Collector's Office, Queue, Orion Arm, Milky Way, Local Group, Virgo Supercluster, Laniakea
I.
There are two castes on the planet Queue – the technological geniuses, separated into hundreds of teams, each with their own specialty, who build devices for off-world clients, whoever they might be, and the financial functionaries, whose job it is to collect the payments from clients and ensure that the books balance.
The functionary Pilfrey entered his office building and took the lift up to his office on the 612th floor. He was a prim little man, always wearing his tunic buttoned to the very top, and shoes that matched the color of his trousers.
He also a dissatisfied little man. In his youth, he had on tap to become a Technological – he had the aptitude for exponential thinking and mechanical and engineering genius that were required. However, during training it was learned that he also had the mathematical knowledge of a genius, and his superiors had decided that he would be better suited as a financial functionary.
Despite the importance of the financial functionaries – they were the ones who kept Queue running, after all – it was the Technologicals who believed they had the "sexy" jobs, and who were treated as the rock stars on the planet, to use an earth euphemism.
Pilfrey had always mourned his lost opportunity, and had grown quite sulky over the years which had led to his being shunned by many of his colleagues. This disturbed him only slightly, but now, 20 years later, he was used to it.
Exiting the lift, he stopped in the refreshment niche in the hallway. He poured himself a cup of steaming hot blackmon, and chose a brigada thickly covered with choco, which he put on a small plate and carried into his office.
Pilfrey nudged his keyboard with his hand and the computer screen came to life. Unlike most of his fellow functionaries, Pilfrey preferred to use a keyboard which required manual typing – he disliked and distrusted giving audio instructions to his computer. Indeed, he had never set up an audio password – the only entry into his files was via a typed-in password. The keyboard was also fingerprint-sensitive – the keys scanned his fingers with each stroke to ensure that it was he typing.
Pilfrey opened up a desk drawer and withdrew a thin glove, which he put on his right hand, and thereafter used that hand to pick up and convey the brigada to his mouth. He took small bites of the brigada, sipping his blackmon after each bite, until he had finally consumed the entire thing. This was his morning ritual – he would not be hurried into beginning work.
After finishing his brigada, Pilfrey removed the glove and placed it back in its drawer.
While he'd been eating, he'd watched his computer screen as it scrolled a variety of alerts. Here, too, Pilfrey was unusual. Most functionaries preferred to watch audio alerts – Pilfrey preferred to read them as he could skip over what he was not interested in and get right to the nub of any matter that concerned him.
Preliminaries over, Pilfrey began work, moving swiftly and efficiently into his day. He had a stack of off-world payments to enter and reconcile.
Although Pilfrey took great care as he worked, he also worked very quickly – he was as much a genius in his own field as an of the technologists were. In fact, it can be said that of all the functionaries, Pilfrey was at the top of the line. Nothing escaped him.
So it was that halfway through the day, PIlfrey had begun to notice a rather disturbing trend in the commissions and receipts that Queue had received over the last three months.
Pilfrey called up each of the receipts onto his screen, and what each one had purchased. Over twenty technological guilds had been used – each one putting together an item so that no guild really realized what they were building. But when all these items were assembled into one….
Pilfrey stared at the screen in horror.
Who had commissioned these devices? He checked the names – John Smith of Earth. Johann Schmidt of Earth. Giovanni Ferrari of Earth. Jan Kowalski of Earth. Jan Kovacs of Earth. Jean Lefebvre of Earth. Ian McGowan of Earth.
Pilfrey placed his hands to his lips.
What could he do? What should he do?
Someone was planning something very evil…and had used the Technologists of Queue as accomplices in their plan.
It could not be allowed to happen.
On every other occasion when he'd noted some irregularity he'd simply sent a memo up the chain of command and forgotten about it. What his superiors did with the information was no concern of his. Sometimes…he thought that they did nothing with the information he gave them, doubtless for some reasons of their own that he was not privy to.
But this..this was too important, too urgent, to send a mere memo. He would have to take this to the very top.
Pilfrey swallowed hard. The very top? Then he nodded sharply to himself. Yes. The very top.
II.
Pilfrey stood in the office of the chairman of the accounting functionaries.
He had just finished explaining what he had discovered.
"Someone has built a device that will stop time," he had said, before showing the chairman each of the individual devices and how they would fit together to create a deadly whole.
"Three of these, deployed on a planet, will send it into a time-loop."
The chairman looked at Pilfrey with narrow eyes.
"This is difficult to believe, Pilfrey," he said at last. "Our Technologicals would have realized this."
"Each tiny device was ordered through a separate team," PIlfrey explained. "No individual team would realize what the device would do, until assembled into a whole. And even then…there is a motive force that is not present…the individual who ordered these devices must be finding this energy from a different source."
The chairman, who had been busily thinking, came down to the ground with a bump. "You mean these things are useless to us, then?"
Pilfrey blinked at him. What did the chairman mean, useless to them?
"Well, yes," he said. "There is a motive force, something that will power the device. That is all that is lacking and not something that can be built. It is an energy source."
"What energy source?"
Pilfrey spread his hands. "That I cannot speculate. All I know is that someone…this earthling John Smith…doubtless has such an energy source. With these devices, he will be able to imprison entire planets! Doubtless hold them for ransom!"
"You are an accounting functionary, Pilfrey, not a Technological. These things are complex."
Pilfrey had gone white, but he controlled himself with an effort. "I was training to be a Technological, sir. I have the knowledge required to know what these things are."
"Well, I will accept that. But why do you come to me?"
Pilfrey started at him.
"Someone has devised a way to send an entire planet into a time loop! And we at Queue have helped him to do so! We have produced the tools that will be used to accomplish this!"
The chairman interlaced his fingers. "I will speak with my colleague of the Technologicals. We will cancel all further contracts with anyone from Earth who commissions devices of this kind. Thank you for bringing it to my attention."
"But what of the devices we have already built and delivered?"
The chairman shrugged. "This individual was clever. He manipulated our system. Now that he has been discovered we have taken steps. No one can blame us for what we built prior to this time."
"Planets will be sent into time loops! Does it matter if no one blames us, if a world is blackmailed? A hundred worlds? That is how many devices we have created and delivered to this customer!"
"We have taken steps now," the Chairman repeated. "No one can blame us. Thank you, Pilfrey, for your excellent work in this regard. You will receive a bonus in your next pay period."
"I thank you, Chairman," Pilfrey said.
That was something, anyway, Pilfrey thought, as he returned to his cubicle. A bonus! His good work at last being recognized.
In his office, the chairman looked once more at all the evidence that Pilfrey had presented. The blueprints of the devices that the Technologicals had built, all un-knowing. He understood none of it – but he knew Pilfrey's talents and believed his words to be true.
He would show this device to his opposite number in the Technologicals. Perhaps it would be worthwhile to track down this Mr. John Smith of Earth. To learn the location of the energy required to give these devices their motive power.
And then….the Chairman smiled….and then….