This is Cameroon Bynnar with a late-breaking story. Channel 77 has just learned that a prominent scientist has been assassinated at the capital city of Mars, Eris, as he was to board a shuttle taking him to an Earth-bound space cruiser. Dr. Stanley Narb, creator of the genetic procedure that has made the Extended Life Brigade a reality, and who is largely credited with founding the ELB, was felled by a red laser blast at about 5 p.m. local time.
Dr. Narb, subject of a bitter legal battle over a century ago, when he was accused and convicted of performing two illegal procedures–one on himself and another on his assistant–was sentenced to two successive life terms in a dreary prison on Mesnos. After ten years in jail, he managed to escape without being detected. Somehow he was able to change the coding on the locks of all the doors he went through, slowing down his pursuers. The most incredible aspect of the story, though, is that in a mysterious manner he was totally undetected, even though his escape was made in broad daylight and he had to pass through the crowded streets of Sandstone. How he managed this feat, wearing prison clothing, is an unsolved mystery.
Then he somehow managed to escape from Mesnos, in the midst of a massive manhunt. Years later he emerged under an alias, Dr. Stanley Lebenstein, as a pharmacist in the Ancient-Day Primitivist reservation of Canaan, on an equatorial island on Mars. He claimed to be an herbal pharmacologist serving this pre-industrial religious sect. The Government chose not to press charges against him, and in fact a later review of the case proved that there were no grounds for a capital charge to have been made in the first place. The mystery man was cleared of all charges.
I have just been notified that Earth Government spokesperson Rannug Lhashi has issued a statement on this assassination. We'll switch to Quito where we will hear the entire text."The Government deplores this act of violence on a peace-loving scientist who has brought much to our people. Dr. Narb will long be remembered as the creator of the Extended-Life Brigade, without whom our space exploration program, in its early days, would never have been possible. We will do everything in our power to find his assassin and bring him to justice."
Ms. Lhashi has refused further comment except to say that a more complete statement would soon follow. She did not take any questions.
Dr. Narb was in appearance 40 or 45 years of age but in fact was much older; indeed, he was born about 450 years ago. He was the first person to undergo his own procedure for extending life genetically, an operation he has performed on some 2000 persons, of whom half are still alive.
Now we have a live report from Mars. Because of the distance and transmission involved, we cannot have live questions from Earth answered by our correspondents on Mars."Morbey Scott here. The scene was pure pandemonium when the red bolt from a military-type gun struck and killed Dr. Stanley Narb as he was climbing aboard the shuttle which you can see just behind me. We can reconstruct the scene as follows.
"About 100 passengers were waiting in line when the attack came. Behind the customs barrier a small crowd of friends and relatives were waving. People were jubilant. As Dr. Narb began to climb up the ramp, a red bolt struck him in the back of the head. He fell to the ground, about 3 meters below, already dead. A tall, burly gunman shouted 'Death to the infidels!' and fought his way through the crowd, running into a machine shop where he disappeared. It is not known at this time whether or not he was able to leave the grounds of the spaceport or of the adjacent seaport.
"In the ensuing panic following the murder and the apparent escape of the gunman, the emergency medical team had difficulty reaching the stricken victim. The alleged murder weapon has been found near the door of the machine shop, and the assailant has been identified as Flotnal Semaj by persons who know him; you can see his picture on the split screen. Police ask anyone with information on the whereabouts of this suspect to contact them im-mediately. Semaj might have another weapon with him. He is described as a strong man with a violent temper, and is considered dangerous.
"Eye witnesses are at present being interrogated by the police. Many here have declared this murder to be an act of cowardice–as noted, Narb was killed from behind, and probably did not see his assailant. Until more is known about the presumed assailant, it will not be profitable to speculate on motives, but unofficial reports indicate that he is a member of the Ancient-Day Primitivists, and might have met Dr. Narb, who is also known as Dr. Lebenstein, in Canaan. We will update our report as soon as more information is available.
"This is Morbey Scott, returning you to Cameroon Bynnar on Earth."
"Numamba!
Come here! Listen to this!"
Numamba had
seldom seen Det so stirred up. Didn't he know she was busy with a customer?
"Remember to
take one capsule with breakfast and one with dinner for five days until
all the capsules are gone. Come and see us here or at the Market Place
shop if you have any of the possible side effects we've seen over the years–headache,
rash, queasy stomach."
"Thank you
very much, Dr. Stisreg."
"What is so
important, Det?"
"Stanley has
been assassinated!"
"What? I don't
believe you! This is not something to joke about."
"This is no
joke,
Numamba. He's just been killed, and by that creep who assaulted Christina
five years ago."
"Who? Flotnal
Semaj?"
"Yes, that
guy. We'll have to close shop here and head off to Eris."
"We can't do
that. We have our customers to take care of. And there's Caesar."
"Numamba, you
go then, I'll stay here."
"It will be
better if you show up there, Det. People know you better than me. Do hurry.
And offer a reward."
"Mr. Mayor,
I must get to Eris as quickly as possible. Dr. Lebenstein has been assassinated.
I would appreciate your having me brought to the islet so I can access
our speedship."
"Dr. Lebenstein
assassinated? Is it possible?"
"I just saw
the broadcast. My wife will keep the pharmacy open. It would be kind of
you to send a guard to the Mansion to protect her. I suspect the Militia
is behind this. The alleged assassin is someone I have reason to think
is one of them, an old 'friend' of yours, Flotnal Semaj."
"Flotnal? We
just released him–again–a week ago, and exiled him. Of course, Dr. Stisreg,
I'll have a contingent go right up the hill. And I'll have the City skiff
waiting for you in five minutes."
"Thank you,
Mr. Mayor. Numamba knows what to do in this kind of emergency. She's already
notified the authorities on Ares, and she will keep you informed of any
de-velopments. But in the meanwhile, please let the Bishop know what the
situation is. We will have many things to talk about when I return."
"And now this breaking story from Morbey Scott in Eris, the Martian capital.""The assassin has been positively identified as Flotnal Semaj, a habitual petty thief and minor criminal in Canaan City and in other communities on the Ancient-Day Primitivist reservation. Finger-prints on the recovered murder weapon and iris-scopes taken from a picture of the murder scene point in his direction. Eris is entirely sealed off. Unless Semaj has been able to leave the Port Peninsula, where the shuttle stop is located, police officials expect that he will be apprehended in a few hours.
"Speculation as to his motives abound. Some believe that he was a dissatisfied customer of the pharmacy that Dr. Lebenstein, also known as Dr. Narb, ran. Others offer more probable suggestions, linking the assassination to some form of political or religious action, since the assassin cried out, 'Death to the infidels!' at the scene of the crime. It is known that Semaj is a devout ADP and that Dr. Narb is a non-believer. But the ADP are a tolerant sect, and have never been known to favor violence. It is also known that Semaj assaulted a friend of Dr. Narb's, Captain Christina Vasa of Space Fleet, when she visited him about five years ago; Semaj spent over a month in jail and in the pillory on that occasion. Nevertheless, where could he have procured such a modern weapon? Surely not in Canaan, since the ADP do not use modern weapons. Nor is it likely that he could have procured the weapon legally anywhere on Mars, because he is a hardened criminal whose record is well known. It is believed that he has confederates in this crime.
"You see here the SDD-47, a military weapon, that Semaj is alleged to have used in the attack on Narb from behind. This powerful weapon can aim at any part of a person whose fingerprints or irisscopes are programmed into it. Is it possible that Semaj has an accomplice in the military? Is this a random act of terrorism? If so, Semaj might belong to one of the few remaining cells of the Militia, one of which is believed to operate here in Eris.
"In any case, given the importance Dr. Narb has had in the development of the ELB, the Government has put all its resources into solving this murder and apprehending the criminal. The police are now combing the area carefully. None of us here at the spaceport is permitted to leave; we'll just have to sit and wait. We will report any new developments as they arise."
"We have just received word that Dr. Det Stisreg is on his way to Eris. Dr. Stisreg, you might recall, received an extended-life procedure in the case that sent Dr. Narb to prison on Mesnos. Court records indicated that Dr. Stisreg was an unwitting patient, and that Dr. Narb extended his life against his will. Nevertheless, Dr. Stisreg became an assistant and then a partner of Dr. Narb in the Canaan Phar-macy. It has never been clear why these men and Dr. Stisreg's wife, Dr. Numamba Stisreg, chose to live in a society of pre-industrial Primitivists, given their training and their experience. We are sending a crew to Canaan and the Mansion to see if we can find an answer to this puzzle.
"And now, back to our regular programming. This is Morbey Scott reporting from Eris."
I've got to
find a way out of this place. Too bad I dropped my gun. All I have is a
handgun, not as powerful and not as accurate. At least I got him, the founder
of the ELB, the infidel, the blasphemer. He won't be able to lead other
people into a life of sin and error. And if I'm caught, I'll be a martyr,
praised and honored by all right-thinking people, the main body of the
Primitivists, the ADP, and the 10 or 15 of us still active in the Militia.
Maybe the Militia will be reborn! What's that noise? Can't see anything.
Maybe just a small animal, or the heater. I'll slip in behind this machine.
Careful, Flotnal, don't touch anything. Stay away from the machinery. You
don't want to become sausage.
When night
comes I'll slip into the water outside and get to the seaport. From there
I'll get up the hill to our hideaway. We'll have to decide what to do next,
where to go. A light! Do they know I'm here?
"Su-Kyum, you
and your crew check every nook and cranny of this place. The three of us
will go out and take a look at the periphery, just in case he was able
to slip out."
"OK, Guy, we'll
start at this corner here."
They can't
know for sure I'm here. This giant motor will keep me out of view; it's
a place they surely won't be smart enough to look in. Gotta keep quiet.
They're coming close. Try not to breathe too loud.
"Any way a
big guy like that could squeeze into this shuttle engine? It looks like
even I couldn't make it in. I'll give it a try."
Stay calm.
Don't move. I'm hidden from them by this big block of the engine. Never
did understand these things. Good, the dope is turning around; he's going
out. Cops are so dumb. Makes you wonder how they ever catch anybody.
"No way he
could have gotten in there, and if he had somehow been able to, we would
have seen him right away. There's no room in there for a rat."
"OK, Su-Kyum,
you and Evita check out that office over there. Yma and I will cover the
rest rooms."
So far, so
good. In this season, the sun will set in an hour or two. By 8 or 9 o'clock
I'll be able to get out via the sewage pipe. Not hard to get into that
from this area: there's a big drain over near the wall. The idiots! It's
almost too easy.
"Guy, we have
the place surrounded. We know he's in the engine. Why didn't you let me
just nab him?"
"Two reasons,
Su-Kyum. First, I figured he'd not be too dangerous if he thought we didn't
see him. But suppose you made a move on him? You'd be dead now. We'll get
him sooner or later, without risking anyone's life. When he makes his move,
he'll think we're not on to him, and he'll get away. Our orders are to
let him escape, but to alert everyone as to where he is, and where he's
going. This guy's not too bright. He'll lead us straight to his pals. That's
when we move in."
"Won't you
come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly, that sort of thing? A
kind of running trap?"
"Exactly. You
know, I hate to admit it, but some of those guys in headquarters are smart."
"I never thought
I'd live to see the day when you would say something like that."
"Well, let's
make sure we have every door and every window covered. And Su-Kyum, I think
we should cover the waterside, too. The big bosses didn't think of that.
We little guys have to do some of their thinking for them."
"OK, Guy, I'll
take care of that myself."
"And tell everyone
to let him go, but to tail him and notify HQ and us of what's going on."
"Understood,
Mr. Spider."
Good. It's dark out. I'll slip into the water quietly, and they won't even notice. First, get out of this damn engine area. Ah! stretch those legs and arms. Now, slip over to the grating. It lifts up just as easily today as yesterday when I cased the hangar. Down the steps, lower the grate back into place. Not too far, I think. Yeah, there's the sea! Another grate to remove. Unh! This is harder that I expected. Can't make noise, though. It's just a bit rusted. Clear that out with my knife. Good! Easy as pie! Too bad I won't see their faces when they find me gone! Now into the water. Deep breath, then down. Swim alongside the hangar area until we're beyond the fence, then turn toward Pier 22. Come up for air just a few times, then finish up on the surface. Did it! The perfect escape!
Let's get out
of the wet clothes now. Don't want to leave a trail of water. Good. Nice
to be in these dry things Orteipid left for me, just where he said they'd
be. Dump the wet clothes in the trash can. No one around, but keep to the
shadows. OK, now it's in the open. Walk as though you be-long here, head
up, sure gait. If anyone's around, just say hello. Little banter, maybe.
Sports. Then go on. Here's someone. "Hi there, mate. Nice night, isn't
it?"
"Just takin'
a little walk, are you? Well it's a nice night for it. Too bad about that
Narb guy, or Lebenstein, whatever his name is. You hear anything new?"
"Nothin' new,
same old stuff. Better get home and check the news. See you 'round."
"S'long Cap'n."
Whew, I didn't
expect that. And I don't know what's been said about this. Should have
asked him. Well, here I am. Cross the Embarcadero, up Pike Street, up the
hill. Always seems odd, here. A few blocks away there's always a crowd.
Here, even now it's deserted. Turn right here. Good. The key's in my pocket.
Up the stairs.
"Hey, guys,
I made it!"
"Flotnal's
back, Deacon."
"Good. Everything's
going according to plan. You've done well, Brother Flotnal. Did anyone
follow you?"
Brother Flotnal!
I'm in, at last! The Deacon has called me Brother Flotnal!
"No Deacon,
I got out without being seen. Those guys were so dumb, they couldn't see
me in that engine part!"
"Brother Orteipid
is a very careful planner; we can count on him. And now, Brothers and Sisters,
we have to make our get-away. We can't risk staying here in Eris. When
we reach Freia we can celebrate. Celebrate the revival of the Militia.
We fifteen will be the foundation of the New Militia! But no time for that
now. I have three aircars ready just outside the back door. You know who
to travel with, five to a vehicle, and you know the separate routes we'll
take, and where we'll meet. Check your weapons. Everyone ready? Let's go."
"The jury
having found you guilty of the crimes of terrorism, murder, wanton destruction
of property, theft, conspiracy, perjury, and lesser crimes, I find it necessary
to sentence each you in perpetuity to prison on Paracelsus 2. Your crimes
are dastardly and cowardly. You have taken lives and property without concern
for the victims and for society. Do you have anything to say before the
sentence is executed? We recognize Mr. Flotnal Semaj as spokesperson."
"All the so-called
victims, for over 400 years, deserved what they got. They were all heretics,
infidels, unbelievers. The will of God has been heard, and will be heard
again. This might be the end of us, but it is not the end of the Militia.
The Militia will rise, like a phoenix, from our ashes! Death to the unbelievers!
And death to Christina Vasa, out there in the audience, who was illegally
operated on by Dr. Leben-stein! Death to her and to all the enemies of
the Justice of God!"