Jason King: Agent to the Stars 1: The Enclaves of Sylox by T. R. Harris
Authors: T. R. Harris
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she’s missing?”
“That’s right.”
“Maybe she never existed in the first place.” I could hear the humor in Cyrus’s voice. “Maybe she’s just a figment of your imagination.”
“More like a wet dream, if you ever met her.”
“You dog, you. No wonder you’re trying to find her.”
“I’m not doing this for myself; the woman’s basically a pyscho. I’m doing this for my clients. They’re worried.”
“Of course; I’m sorry. And any time a Human goes missing around here it’s serious. After all, we don’t want them to end up as an appetizer at some alien’s banquet, if you know what I mean? Send what you have on her over to my office on Monday and I’ll have someone look into it.”
“I’d appreciate that, Cyrus. Nothing like having a big-shot like you following up on a missing person’s report.” I didn’t want to mention his job over the phone, even though I was pretty sure everyone who cared on Sylox already knew.
“Hell, I’m not going to do it myself! I have underlings for that kind of thing.”
We shared a hardy laugh and a little more small talk before getting off the line.
**********
Now, as I stared out at the darkening sky through the large array of rake windows in my great room – as dark as night got this close to the center of the galaxy – I was in quandary as to what to tell Jennifer. I had no doubt Cyrus had told me the truth: Miranda Moore didn’t work for him, or any of the other covert agencies operating on Sylox, at least not the Human agencies. Yet there was no denying that the palatial apartment she’d used to try to recruit me was not a figment of my imagination. Somehow she had managed to arrange its use, and that took connections way up the ladder at the Embassy.
Also, the fact that she had said she worked for the Americans only added to the mystery. But that did leave a few other options.
The Human diplomatic mission to the Galactic Union was larger than any other, simply from the fact that the Earth still consisted of hundreds of separate countries, with each wanting their own representation, their own ambassador, and their own mission on Sylox. Fortunately, the Council wouldn’t allow that, otherwise the Embassy Compound would take up half the city. Instead they allowed coalitions.
The larger countries, like the US, China, Russia and India maintained their own delegations; however others, such as the European Union, the Pacific Coalition and Africa combined their missions.
It was from all these disparate interests and affiliations, that a small council of five was elected, who then selected the Ambassador-at-Large. The A-at-L had authority over the entire mission and all diplomatic affairs, after consultation with the other delegates, of course. The system seemed to work; it had too. The Union wasn’t about to let a hundred or more Human ambassadors attend each diplomatic meeting. After all, who did we think we are?
By the way, it was also a curious fact that the A-at-L always seemed to come from one of the big four countries. I guess power begat power; nothing unusual about that.
The bottom line was that the primitive, upstart Humans maintained the largest diplomatic presence on the entire planet, something that upset quite a few other, more senior Union members.
Was it possible Miranda worked for one of these other factions? I doubted it. Cyrus was the unofficial head of all Human intelligence on the planet. If he said she didn’t work for him, or anyone else in the community, it was a pretty good bet she didn’t.
So that left alien … or corporate .
That could be it.
Corporate Earth had only one interest, and that was to their individual firms, and since First Contact, big business had grown to astronomical proportions. The aliens had been extremely forthcoming with their technology and innovations, and the business community had scooped up everything they could get their hands on. Now factories spit out advanced medicines and energy
“That’s right.”
“Maybe she never existed in the first place.” I could hear the humor in Cyrus’s voice. “Maybe she’s just a figment of your imagination.”
“More like a wet dream, if you ever met her.”
“You dog, you. No wonder you’re trying to find her.”
“I’m not doing this for myself; the woman’s basically a pyscho. I’m doing this for my clients. They’re worried.”
“Of course; I’m sorry. And any time a Human goes missing around here it’s serious. After all, we don’t want them to end up as an appetizer at some alien’s banquet, if you know what I mean? Send what you have on her over to my office on Monday and I’ll have someone look into it.”
“I’d appreciate that, Cyrus. Nothing like having a big-shot like you following up on a missing person’s report.” I didn’t want to mention his job over the phone, even though I was pretty sure everyone who cared on Sylox already knew.
“Hell, I’m not going to do it myself! I have underlings for that kind of thing.”
We shared a hardy laugh and a little more small talk before getting off the line.
**********
Now, as I stared out at the darkening sky through the large array of rake windows in my great room – as dark as night got this close to the center of the galaxy – I was in quandary as to what to tell Jennifer. I had no doubt Cyrus had told me the truth: Miranda Moore didn’t work for him, or any of the other covert agencies operating on Sylox, at least not the Human agencies. Yet there was no denying that the palatial apartment she’d used to try to recruit me was not a figment of my imagination. Somehow she had managed to arrange its use, and that took connections way up the ladder at the Embassy.
Also, the fact that she had said she worked for the Americans only added to the mystery. But that did leave a few other options.
The Human diplomatic mission to the Galactic Union was larger than any other, simply from the fact that the Earth still consisted of hundreds of separate countries, with each wanting their own representation, their own ambassador, and their own mission on Sylox. Fortunately, the Council wouldn’t allow that, otherwise the Embassy Compound would take up half the city. Instead they allowed coalitions.
The larger countries, like the US, China, Russia and India maintained their own delegations; however others, such as the European Union, the Pacific Coalition and Africa combined their missions.
It was from all these disparate interests and affiliations, that a small council of five was elected, who then selected the Ambassador-at-Large. The A-at-L had authority over the entire mission and all diplomatic affairs, after consultation with the other delegates, of course. The system seemed to work; it had too. The Union wasn’t about to let a hundred or more Human ambassadors attend each diplomatic meeting. After all, who did we think we are?
By the way, it was also a curious fact that the A-at-L always seemed to come from one of the big four countries. I guess power begat power; nothing unusual about that.
The bottom line was that the primitive, upstart Humans maintained the largest diplomatic presence on the entire planet, something that upset quite a few other, more senior Union members.
Was it possible Miranda worked for one of these other factions? I doubted it. Cyrus was the unofficial head of all Human intelligence on the planet. If he said she didn’t work for him, or anyone else in the community, it was a pretty good bet she didn’t.
So that left alien … or corporate .
That could be it.
Corporate Earth had only one interest, and that was to their individual firms, and since First Contact, big business had grown to astronomical proportions. The aliens had been extremely forthcoming with their technology and innovations, and the business community had scooped up everything they could get their hands on. Now factories spit out advanced medicines and energy
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