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"Not anyh he does ‘own’ Section H, keeps it as a satellite office The rest is under the jurisdiction of the council"
"Doesn’t he lead the council?"
She cast hilance "He tries"
Skyler considered that "Why’d he give up control in the first place?"
"Ask hie pair of double doors opened to reveal the fae, ten years old, burst into Skyler’s mind Posters and billboards, plastered all over Darwin, kindly re the citizens that Neil toiled away, up above their heads, growing crops and s they needed to survive
It wasn’t long before his iconic face becaes, faulty product, and nuround
"Mr Luiken, a pleasure" He extended a hand
"Mr Platz, uh … sir"
"‘Your excellence’ is preferred"
Skyler faltered in his handshake "Your ex--"
"A joke, young endary charisma exceeded Skyler’s expectations "Neil, then Call me Skyler"
"Dutch?"
"Yes Fro Dutchhed "Join an to walk, expecting Skyler to follow
"It’s your show," Skyler said
They left the entryway and entered thesoared her here co waste of precious living space, Skyler thought Golden light bathed it, casting a strange yellow pall Much different than the blue LEDs everywhere else
Platz followed Skyler’s gaze to the display above thes Coe area Two steps led down to the sunken center of the room, where a pair of couches faced each other
Skyler felt his stoht of the far wall, or lack thereof Earth do below theives you vertigo, I can close the blinds," Neil said
Skyler shook his head "I was surprised to see guards carrying firearlass?"
Neil puffed with pride "It’s no ordinary glass A borosilicate variant Manufactured here in orbit, infactories It would take a tank shell to rupture it"
"And the walls?"
"Multilayer Kevlar and ceramic fabric, woven with our proprietary technique"
"Proprietary?" Skyler said "You have no competition"
"Not at the ue with the man It had never occurred to hiiven the state of hued to say
"A luxury, of course It’s a hell of a thing keeping the tee of the ceiling
Skyler raised a hand and felt war It had the sterile smell of a hospital room
"Have a seat," Neil said He placed himself on one of the two couches Skyler took the other
"Sorry for the business with your ship"
Skyler spread his hands "You could’ve just invited s are … co," Skyler said "Look, before we go any further, have you arranged for Ms Sharma’s release?"
"Tania? Release from what?"
Skyler leaned far back into the plush fabric of the couch "She’s okay then"
Neil perched hi his face "I’m afraid I don’t understand"
"We were detained," Skyler said, "at Nightcliff After the mission You didn’t know?"
Platz shook his head
"They said …" Skyler had to start over "Blackfield, that son of a bitch, said that they were going to keep her for questioning I thought she was still there"
Platz took a deep breath He stood and went to theSilhouetted against the spinning planet, he said, "Tania has told rave "I hope she …" His voice trailed off
Skyler kept quiet, watching the famous man as he stood and stared at the blue orb of Earth For his own part, he felt as if an enorht had been removed from his shoulders Tania had returned, unharmed
"All she told me was that the mission was successful," Platz said "She was unusually terse, in hindsight"
"I thought ht me here to try to plan a rescue," Skyler said
Platz turned from theand moved to a cupboard on the wall opposite Skyler He opened a panel and began to prepare two drinks "No," he said, "thank God that won’t be necessary" He returned to his seat on the couch and set the glasses on the loooden table between the her back safely She’s the key to … well, she’s critical to my operation"
Skyler took a sip of his drink and let the liquid war "I take it this new mission to find your fancy water filters is a ruse?"
Neil placed his fingertips on the table "Soent has come up I needed to discuss it with you in person"
"I work through Prumble"
"There’s no time"
Skyler decided the moral stand could wait He’d cut Prumble in no rave "You’re aware of the sporadic power failures on the cord?"
Skyler nodded "One happened on our way up Good thing the clirip when power is cut; otherwise it’s a short trip back to the bottoh and crossed to stand at theFor a ht up in the view of Earth "Youwithin the Aura"