Chapter 3
The merchant fleet had left two days earlier with the rest of the escort ships, Kanzian caught up just beyond Sergyar, and led them through the jumps to Escobar without incident.
Their specialists were ferried over from the jump point station, boarded the Kanzian and were met by Ivan and his ImpSec men. Doctor Rowan Durona and her dark, cerebral good looks, reminded him of someone and it took several minutes during the walk from the airlock before he realised that it was Mile's wife Ekatarin. She and the Dendarii Captain Kimura, were left to settle in while the fleet waited for the merchant ships to finish transferring goods and funds. Komarran trade fleets passed though often, and had good relations with the Escobaran authorities and local traders. The transfers were executed efficiently and they left on time. Ivan wondered how long that luck would last.
He'd taken the precaution of having the ImpSec men guard the specialist's cabin doors, and escort them anywhere they were allowed to go, such as meals or exercise.
Ivan them,"Try and get to know the specialists too. This isn't just practice - if anything happens to either of them, especially the doctor, the whole operation would be in doubt. Let me know if you need anything."
He allowed her an hour before going forward to Rowan's cabin and buzzing her door.
She opened it and looked into his eyes and with a slight smile she invited him in.
"Thank you, I wanted to go over the security arrangements," he entered the tiny cabin. She sat on the bunk and waved for him to take the station chair.
"With the merchant fleet, we'll be en-route for about two weeks."
"Yes, it took nearly that long when we first came to Escobar. Do you know Lord Mark, Captain?"
"Yes. In fact we're sort of, that is we're cousins. I know he helped to fund your research centre on Escobar."
"Yes, and he continues to fund the life extension research - which is... You know why I'm here?"
"Of course. I will be the main liaison between you, Baron Fell and the other Barrayarans. I know the history - Mark's run in with Ryoval and his escape to your centre when you still worked for Baron Fell. He helped negotiate your escape and to finance the setting up of your research centre. I know he has a 'Thing' about Bharaputra and the whole clone transplant operation, and I don't blame him - it is despicable," she nodded, "So I understand that's why you've been working with him to find an alternative and that you've had some success. Not a cure for death, but a viable life extension treatment - still experimental and very expensive, but Gregor, the Emperor, said it could already extend life for ten or twenty years, depending on various factors. How does that work out for Baron Fell, he's over seventy?"
"Seventy eight, and not in good health. He had already sent us some samples himself, before your imperial security made contact with us," Ivan nodded, "about the cerebral virus he was infected with, about two years ago we think."
"I was told something about it, we suspect..."
"Bharaputra? Yes, he was probably behind it, but it was Livia Nu, spelt N-U, an ex-mercenary who I understand may also have been the source of the tissue sample that the two clones were grown from."
"Nu? Ah, I think that's Commander Cavilo. Miles mentioned she used that name in Hegen Hub. She may have got a sample there - she commanded Randal's Rangers at the time."
"Yes, well she seems to have been a real schemer, but she met her match with Bharaputra, or they matched each other, because Baron Fell reports that Bharaputra has a similar cerebral tissue infection, courtesy of either Nu or his old partner Lotus."
"I thought..."
"She's dead, as is the Nu or Cavello. The story is there was some sort of... not exactly a love triangle, more a three sided power struggle with sex involved. He was the only survivor, but he suffered damage and probably won't live more than a year or so."
"Then Baron Fell..."
"A less damaging strain, as far as we can tell. We don't have a sample from Bharaputra, but there are reports of unstable behaviour. Although he might already have been unbalanced, because those clones must have been started years ago - a very risky strategy unless you expect to die soon anyway and want to settle old scores, don't expect to be around for the response."
"What else can you tell me about your treatments for Baron Fell?"
"Without getting technical, what I'll do is neutralise the virus. Then stem cell treatment to counteract senescence - which doesn't really make you younger, but it does revitalise any new cells - so this will give him the energy to take the main treatment."
"The er, fountain of youth?"
"Hardly! Not yet, it's a step towards a possible solution. In fact it's not the most promising long term treatment, but it's the one that has progressed farthest, and the best suited to Fell's condition. I can't say more about it for obvious reasons."
"Secret? Commercial copyright and all that?"
"True. Also Lilly decided it should be a parallel development strategy, different approaches with independent liaison and limited shared knowledge. So even if Fell or Bharaputra caught me and used fast-penta, I couldn't tell them enough to reproduce even this anti-aging treatment.
"Good. That makes sense from a security standpoint, though it sounds like it'd make your work more difficult."
"It does, but ever since Lotus sold out security was on Lilly's mind. Not that any of us would! Most of us are happy enough with one lifetime - well, I am. Chrys and a couple of older ones are ready to try this treatment themselves even though it might block them from longer term treatments that won't be ready for some years."
"Mark must be happy with your progress, to have a usable result after what, nine years?"
"Less if you exclude the lab set up, before we could start any research. We lost so much time moving, and technical notes and samples!" she sighed, "So five or six years of real development, less than that for some of the other treatments. And it's more than any other labs have come up with, so far. Even this treatment's very expensive right now, but once we've perfected it the price will come down - not that it'll ever be easily affordable for most people..."
"However much it costs it's got to be better than those clone transplants! I did some reading on your competitors, and it seems like you've spectacular progress by comparison..."
She smirked conspiratorially, "Thanks to Lord Mark again - between him and Enqiue, once he could visit us, we got some unique insights to... Actually, I'd better not say - no offence, but if it got out those competitors would start to catch up with us. Well, we've got a good head start, but I'd better not tempt fate!"
"I understand, and no offence taken, believe me - I probably wouldn't understand anyway - I mostly don't when those two talk genetics, or business! So, what do you think your permanent treatment will be able to do for Baron Fell?"
"That's still debatable. I think there'll be a balance between longer life and proper continuity. Some of the effects of more radical treatment involve memory and personality loss - obvious really if you go to the extent of including cerebral regeneration. If you don't regenerate the brain, then you'll eventually get senility. There are a lot of tricky aspects with other long term cell regeneration as well - increased susceptibility to cancer and other regenerative disorders. The treatment we're trading for Baron Fell's help is likely the best medium term treatment with fewest side effects, definitely the best for someone already his age and in bad health."
"You think he'll trust you to administer it?"
"With suitable oversight and threats, yes."
"You seem quite fatalistic about that."
"I lived on Jackson's Whole most of my life, so it still seems like the normal way to do things. In fact we've had some legal difficulties where we've played fast and loose with Escobar's medical development laws. Luckily Lord Mark has a very sharp lawyer on retainer, which makes sense since he needs to protect his investment. He had problems sorting out the fallout after he rescued Enrique."
"Yeah, I know there was some trouble - I think Miles helped Mark straighten it out. Did you invest in the butter bug company?"
"Not personally, but he gave Lilly some shares later, after the terraforming work on Komarr and Sergyar began, by which time the share prices were already very high. Did you get involved?"
"Yes," Ivan beamed, "I think Mark still felt guilty, so he clued us in once he'd decided to hand it over to Marta to run - which was before the big public offering, so I got in early enough. I must admit that made Mark a lot more popular with his other relatives too!"
"Did it end up a family business?"
"In a sense. In the sense that nearly everyone related to him got a piece of the action and made a tidy profit, splitting and selling some shares or just reinvesting. Ah!" He savoured the memory.
"So yours is a rich family?"
"It wasn't, and Miles still spends a lot in the district, with Ekaterin's charities and such." Rowan just smiled, "Anyway, it would be best if you would keep to you cabin - but let me know if you want to go exploring," he looked around at the bulkheads, "It's a bit small I know so er, perhaps I could escort you to dinner occasionally?"
She smiled, "Yes, that would be nice. Don't worry about me getting bored, I'm used to virtually living in a small lab, though usually there'd be more company and - well a lot of it would be other Durona's so it would be nice to meet some new people - but this is business, so I was planning to catch up on technical reading anyway."
"Oh good. That you don't mind. Well, it's been a pleasure." He took her hand and after a momentary hesitation raised it to his lips for a fleeting dry touch. She smiled again - Barrayarans were so quaint!
Ivan made his way past his own cabin to Kimura's and pressed the buzzer. The door opened and they nodded to each other in lieu of salute, since Kimura was not in full uniform. Ivan was given the station chair, twin to that in Rowan's cabin.
"Well Captain Kimura, how are you settling in?"
The Dendarii officer smiled at the pleasantry, "Very well, thank you Captain Vorpatril."
"Good. Something we both share is that Bharaputra holds a grudge going back some years, for damage done to his interests. In the case of the Dendarii that's that raid of yours. Barrayar has been a target of his for almost as long, initially we believe that was on behalf of the Cetagandans, but he seems to have taken our responses personally. He's tried blackmail and infiltration in the past, so as a precaution I will be posting a guard on your door and Doctor Durona's, and I wanted to make you aware that this is for your protection. I'd appreciate it if you'd keep to your cabin as much as possible too, but if you do need to go anywhere about the ship then make sure the guard commander or myself are informed ahead of time, so we can ensure we have proper cover. I've just told Dr Durona the same thing, though perhaps we can meet now and then for lunch or dinner, to break up the journey a bit. Otherwise, please keep to your cabin until we finish the mission. Any questions?"
"How is Admiral Naismith?"
Ivan's jaw quivered nervously, "I er... don't believe I know the name."
"Come on Captain, he's your cousin, Miles Naismith Vorkosigan."
Ivan shook his head, and practiced best his bewildered look, "Miles? But who's this Admiral Naismith?"
Kimura chuckled, "Do you really expect me to believe you've never studied the war of Hegen Hub? The only major Barrayaran conflict where you had allies against Cetaganda? I've read you're standard texts on the subject, and they go into some detail about the Dendarii actions, and even mention Admiral Naismith - though I grant you they're alittle vague, and there aren't any pictures."
Ivan muttered, "Oh, that Naismith, I er, thought you meant someone else..."
"Hah hah! I was at the Felician metals refinery twenty odd years ago when you arrived, then left along with the admiral and Quinn."
"I don't know what you're talking about I..."
"I know you were there sir, I've got proof. You should know that I've spent the last three years in Dendarii intelligence - and tracing who the admiral really was has been a sort of hobby of mine. Naturally, once I made the connection with Admiral Aral Vorkosigan, and started watching the few vids available it became obvious. The first time I saw a picture of Miles Vorkosigan I was sure. I know he claims there's another clone apart from Lord Mark, but when I compared the Admiral's mysterious disappearances to Vorkosigan's recorded appearances on Barrayar or elsewhere in the empire, there was too much coincidence to be believable. You may as well admit it - it can't matter now. Besides, I've heard that the Cetagandan's know too."
"I can't say, I mean I was doing my basic service training when you say I was in - where was it, Felicia?"
"Tau Verde," Kimura smiled indulgently.
"Wherever. Anyway, it's an interesting theory but..."
"I'm not going to cooperate if I can't trust you. And if you don't trust me, or Admiral Quinn's judgement of me, then why am I here?"
"You can't refuse to... You, or Quinn have a contract, we'll sue you!"
"Well, that would be unfortunate; think of the publicity for a start."
"The publicity would hurt the Dendarii more than us, you'd be publicly compromising client confidentiality, which wouldn't do your future income much good, I'd think."
"OK sir: look I'll agree not to keep asking if you'll agree to tell me after the mission, to confirm it's him. Just to satisfy my own curiosity, eh? By my reckoning there's already half a dozen Dendarii or ex-Dendarii who know who he is, so it's not like it's secret, is it?"
"So you'll fulfil your contract? That's good of you!" Ivan complained while he tried to decide, maybe he could bump it on to some ImpSec higher-up?
"If I survive the mission sir, I'll be retiring - I was about to anyway. The Dendarii were the best of the best once Naismith took them over at Hegen Hub. Bragging rights are something to be proud of. I could get a place in any mercenary company and most planetary based forces with my resumé, but I've had enough. Pushed my luck to many times. Quinn's good, very good, but the contracts aren't what Naismith used to get us. So this is my last mission. In a way I'm glad it's Jackson's Whole. So once I retire I thought I'd go visit Barrayar, see those Dendarii mountains for myself. Maybe I'll just turn up on the doorstep and say hello to the Admiral - maybe he'd offer me a beer and chat about old times - what do you think sir?"
"I think you wouldn't get near Lord Auditor Vorkosigan is what I think."
"Right. We'll have to agree to differ on that one then?" Ivan grunted, "So when's the mission briefing, Captain?"
"Hm. There'll be a proper briefing before we reach the last wormhole jump. I'd like to go through your report of that last mission here before then though."
"Ready whenever you are Captain."
"I'll let you settle in first - get rested, review the old report and the other information in the files and we'll sit down and go through it tomorrow morning. Right?"
"Right sir. What time?"
"Start of second watch should be early enough, unless you think you need more time?"
"No, that's good for me. So will you come here or will my guard take me to a briefing room?"
"Me or a guard will take you to the briefing room - the Commodore will be there too."
"See you tomorrow then sir."
"Right. Get some rest Captain and I'll see you bright and early."
Ivan escaped through the door a little too quickly to seem quite calm. He breathed out in relief as he got back into his own cabin, collapsed on his bunk, closed his eyes and thought about the contrast between the two specialists. Kimura, sharp and prickly and Rowan Durona cool and interesting. Fascinating. Quite curvy really.
