Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

C lover

I burst into the private meeting room, my heart pounding against my ribcage like a trapped bird. Goernx was already there, his cybernetic eye whirring as it focused on my flushed face.

"They've pulled out," I gasped, barely able to catch my breath. "The Altairian delegation. They're withdrawing their support."

Goernx's expression remained impassive, but I caught the slight tensing of his shoulders. "When?"

"Just now. I got the comm as I was heading to the morning session." I ran a hand through my hair, not caring that I was messing up my usually immaculate coiffure. "This is a disaster, Goernx. Without Altair's backing, the entire treaty could fall apart."

He nodded, his processors no doubt already running through countless scenarios. "We need to move quickly. The news will spread fast."

I sank into one of the plush chairs, my mind racing. The Altairians had been our strongest allies in pushing for more integrated human-cyborg communities. Their withdrawal would embolden the hardliners on both sides.

"Okay," I said, forcing myself to think strategically. "We need to get Ambassador Zix back to the table. He's the key to the Altairian position."

Goernx moved to the holographic display in the center of the room, pulling up Zix's file. "What changed? His biometrics showed strong support for the treaty during yesterday's session."

I shook my head, frustration building. "I don't know. The message was vague. Something about irreconcilable differences and security concerns ."

"Security concerns," Goernx repeated, his tone thoughtful. "That's new."

A chill ran down my spine as I remembered our earlier suspicions of sabotage. "You don't think..."

"It's a possibility we can't ignore," he said grimly. "But first, we need to focus on damage control."

I nodded, pulling out my datapad and furiously typing notes. "Okay, let's break this down. What do we know about Zix's priorities?"

For the next hour, Goernx and I brainstormed strategies, our words overlapping as we built on each other's ideas. It was moments like these when I was grateful for his cyborg enhancements and his ability to process information at lightning speed complimented my more intuitive approach perfectly.

"We need to appeal to his sense of legacy," I said, pacing the room. "Zix has always been concerned about how history will view him."

Goernx nodded, his fingers dancing across the holographic interface. "I've compiled a list of historical parallels with the treaties that faced similar setbacks but ultimately succeeded. We can use these to demonstrate the potential impact of his decision."

I smiled despite the stress. "Good thinking. And we should emphasize the economic benefits for Altair. Their biotech sector stands to gain significantly from the proposed research exchanges."

A soft chime interrupted us with someone requesting entry. We exchanged a glance, both of us instantly on guard. I moved to the door, my hand hovering over the access panel.

"Who is it?" I called out, trying to keep my voice steady.

"It's Zix," came the reply, the ambassador's distinctive accent unmistakable. "I need to speak with you, Delegate Belk. Privately."

I looked back at Goernx, who gave me a subtle nod. He moved silently to a position out of sight from the door, ready to intervene if necessary.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door. Ambassador Zix stood there, his iridescent scales shimmering under the lights. His four eyes blinked in rapid succession, showing as a sign of agitation in Altairians.

"Ambassador," I said, gesturing for him to enter. "I was just about to contact you. We need to discuss-"

"There's nothing to discuss," he interrupted, his voice tense. "Our decision is final."

My diplomatic mask slipped, desperation seeping through. "Ambassador, please. At least give us a chance to address your concerns. The treaty-"

"The treaty is flawed," he snapped, his tail lashing agitatedly. "We cannot risk our people's safety on empty promises and vague assurances."

I took a step closer, my voice low and urgent. "What happened, Zix? Yesterday you were fully on board. What changed?"

For a moment, I saw uncertainty flicker across his alien features. "I... received some information. Disturbing information about the long-term implications of the neural integration protocols."

My mind raced. This had to be connected to our suspected saboteur. "What kind of information? From whom?"

Zix hesitated, his lower eyes darting nervously around the room. "I can't say. But it was credible enough to-"

"To throw away years of work?" I interrupted, my frustration finally boiling over. "To abandon the chance for real, lasting peace between humans and cyborgs? Ambassador, you've always been a visionary. You've always understood the bigger picture. Are you really willing to let fear-mongering and misinformation destroy everything we've worked for?"

My words hung in the air, heavy with emotion. Zix stared at me, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, his posture changed. His shoulders slumped, and when he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper.

"You don't understand the pressure I'm under, Clover. The risks..."

I seized the opening, my voice softening. "Then help me understand, Zix. Let's work through this together. Whatever information you received, whatever concerns you have, we can address them. But we need you at the table to do that."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Goernx step forward, his presence calm and reassuring. "Ambassador," he said, his synthesized voice surprisingly gentle. "If I may?"

Zix startled slightly, apparently not having realized Goernx was in the room. But he nodded, gesturing for the cyborg diplomat to continue.

Goernx activated the holographic display, pulling up a series of complex diagrams and data streams. "I've taken the liberty of running some advanced simulations based on the current treaty parameters. I think you'll find the results illuminating."

For the next thirty minutes, Goernx walked us through his analysis, his cyborg precision laying out an interesting case for the treaty's benefits and safeguards. I watched Zix carefully, noting how his agitation gradually gave way to curiosity, then cautious optimism.

"This is impressive," Zix admitted when Goernx finished. "But it doesn't address the security concerns raised in the report I received."

I leaned forward, seizing the opportunity. "Then let's address them now. What specifically were you told?"

Zix hesitated, then decided. He pulled out a data crystal, inserting it into the holographic interface. "This report suggests that the neural integration protocols could be used to create a backdoor into Altairian cybersecurity systems. It claims that human extremists are planning to use this vulnerability to launch attacks on our home world."

My blood ran cold as I skimmed the report. A mix of real data and expertly crafted lies, designed to play on the Altairians' deepest fears. I shared a look with Goernx.

"Ambassador," Goernx said carefully, "may I ask where you obtained this report?"

Zix shifted uncomfortably. "It was delivered anonymously to my quarters last night. But the data seemed so convincing."

I took a deep breath, choosing my words carefully. "Zix, we have reason to believe that there may be individuals working to sabotage these negotiations. This report fits a pattern we've been seeing."

The ambassador's eyes widened. "Sabotage? But who would-"

A sudden commotion outside the room cut him off. Raised voices, the sound of running feet. I moved to the door, my hand instinctively reaching for the small stunner hidden in my jacket.

"Wait," Goernx said sharply. He tilted his head, his enhanced hearing picking up something I couldn't. "Two people, approaching fast. One of them is saying something about a breach in the quantum firewall?"

My heart leapt into my throat. If someone had breached our most secure systems...

The door burst open, revealing a breathless technician and one of my junior aides. "Delegate Belk!" the aide gasped. "There's been a security breach. Someone accessed the treaty drafts and-"

She broke off, her eyes widening as she registered Zix's presence. "I... I'm sorry, I didn't realize..."

"It's alright," I said quickly, my mind racing. "Ambassador Zix is fully briefed on the situation. What happened?"

The technician stepped forward, his face pale. "We detected an unauthorized access to the secure servers containing the treaty drafts. Someone downloaded the entire negotiation history, including all private communications between delegates."

Every concession, every private doubt, every back channel deal, all of it was now in the hands of someone who clearly didn't want these negotiations to succeed.

Zix let out a low hiss, his scales rippling with agitation. "By the Seven Moons," he muttered. "If that information gets out..."

"It won't," I said firmly, even as my own doubts gnawed at me. "We'll contain this."

Goernx was already moving, his fingers flying over the holographic interface. "I'm initiating emergency protocols. We need to lock down all communication channels and-"

He stopped abruptly, his cybernetic eye whirring rapidly. "Clover," he said, his voice unnaturally calm. "You need to see this."

I moved to his side, looking at the display. What I saw made my blood run cold. The log of the unauthorized access showed not just what disappeared, but from where.

The access point was listed as: DIPLOMATIC SUITE 17-A .

My suite.

"That's impossible," I stammered. "I was here, I didn't-"

But even as I spoke, a horrible realization was dawning. The missing hours from two nights ago, the gaps in my memory that I'd attributed to stress and lack of sleep...

Goernx's hand on my arm steadied me. "We don't know anything for certain yet," he said quietly. But I could see the doubt in his human eye.

Zix looked between us, his confusion giving way to suspicion. "What's going on? Delegate Belk, what aren't you telling us?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. How could I explain something I didn't understand myself?

The room felt like it was closing in around me. The aide and technician were staring at me with growing unease. Zix's earlier doubts seemed to resurface. And Goernx...

Goernx was watching me with an expression I couldn't quite read.

"I think," he said slowly, "we need to have a very careful conversation about what happens next."

As if on cue, my comm unit chimed with an incoming message. With shaking hands, I activated it, and a holographic projection appeared in the center of the room.

It was Syntax-7, the formidable cyborg diplomat who had joined our negotiations. His chrome-plated face was impassive as always, but there was an edge to his synthesized voice that sent chills down my spine.

"Delegates," he intoned. "In light of recent developments, I am calling an emergency session of the full negotiating body. Attendance is mandatory. We convene in one hour."

The projection flickered out, leaving us in stunned silence.

One hour. One hour to figure out what the hell was going on, to clear my name, to save the negotiations that had become my life's work.

One hour to prevent history from repeating itself in the worst possible way.

I looked around the room, at the faces ranging from confused to suspicious to deeply concerned. My gaze lingered on Goernx, the one person who might still trust me enough to help unravel this mess.

"Well," I said, forcing a calm I didn't feel into my voice. "I guess we'd better get to work."