Nemesis Read Online Free PDF Page A

use. A few of them looked up in confusion as her team passed.
    ‘He’s down a level. Make that two,’ said River. ‘He’s headed for the events area.’ Ann’s map updated.
    ‘Perfect,’ she said. ‘I’ll meet him there.’
    She bounded up another two floors in the mild gravity to the expansive ballroom where Krotokin held his parties. She scanned it rapidly.
    ‘Not seeing him.’
    ‘In the back,’ said River. ‘Building specs say it’s a kitchen.’
    Ann jogged across the carpeted acres with Carl and Mimi right behind her. How typical of Krotokin’s administration to install a physical kitchen. Here they were at the Far Frontier and he still wanted to show off by having his event food prepared by people ? Still, she supposed, it created jobs for new arrivals. No doubt that was how Krotokin justified the budget for it.
    Ann rounded the partition at the edge of the ballroom to find Krotokin striding towards her with four of his cronies behind him. He stopped abruptly. Carl and Mimi took up position, hands flexing in readiness.
    ‘Ah, Mr President,’ said Ann. ‘So glad I found you. Taking a tour of the facilities, I see.’
    Krotokin regarded her coolly with his jowly, bulldog frown. He adjusted his formal hoodie, tugging at the platinum-tipped cords.
    ‘Who am I speaking to, please? And do you have an appointment?’
    ‘I am Captain Andromeda Ng-Ludik of the IPS Griffin , and I’m here to notify you that the drones fired by your administration at the unregistered settlement of Pyotor’s Dream have been seized. You and your cabinet are hereby formally charged with intent to commit an act of war.’
    Krotokin regarded her with displeasure and managed to look bored.
    ‘Those drones weren’t fired , Captain Ludik, they were sent. We received a request for battery materials. We were delivering them. You have made a mistake, I fear, and an embarrassing one.’
    Ann smiled. ‘Spectroscopic analysis of a detonated sample drone indicates otherwise. The material you were delivering contained trace quantities of the hyperoxidizing agent naznite, rendering it extremely combustible. That’s an unlikely ingredient for a battery mix, wouldn’t you say?’
    ‘Ridiculous. And if it’s true, I have no idea—’
    ‘Spare me the bluster, Mr President,’ said Ann. ‘Your planet has been under continuous observation for the last nine days. We followed the delivery of naznite into your system and know both where it was sourced and who it was delivered to. We know the name of the shell company your administration used to hide the purchase and have a complete record of their transactions over the last business quarter. If you didn’t want to be noticed, you shouldn’t have tried to save money by sourcing the chemical from a lab on New Panama rather than manufacturing it yourself. You are at liberty to debate these details, of course, but please keep your protestations for the tribunal. My crew and I are bored of watching your world. We would like to move on to filing your arrest and concluding this unfortunate chapter.’
    Krotokin’s face wrinkled up. ‘Arrest? What do you mean, arrest ?’
    ‘What does it sound like?’ said Ann. ‘If you connect me to your legal SAP, I will present the charge via download for you to consider at your leisure. Once the local constables have taken you into custody, of course.’
    ‘Since when did this become a matter for arrest?’ Krotokin sounded genuinely surprised.
    ‘Since you started breaking IPSO law,’ said Ann patiently.
    Just listening to the man made her angry. The fact that he’d shown little more creativity in his actions than the average janitorial SAP did little to blunt her frustrations.
    Krotokin glared at her with a wounded expression. ‘Are you aware that in the last year, three more Flag Drops have settled on this world?’ he said, his voice rising. ‘Or that eight of my people have died in terrorist raids? Or that we have lost millions in research