CHAPTER 20
Kim stepped outside after a few minutes. The Archangels stood guard beside Nick, but only Meta remained in reality. When the commissioner joined them, Rie’s eyes regained their natural light.
“Commissioner, I can—” she began to say.
“I imagine you have important duties to attend to, Uriel. While Captain Lieu may be competent enough at wrangling the Ciphers under his command, we all know that the Archangels have become the beating heart of the department.” Kim pulled on the lapel of his suit. “Allow Detective Waite and I some time for a chat. He’ll be down shortly.”
Rie’s objections were plain to see in her eyes, but she merely smiled. Then she left.
But the other Archangels remained with them. Kim ignored them and walked in a different direction. When Meta and the others followed, he didn’t seem bothered, so Nick paid more attention to his boss.
“So, is this a ‘you’re fired’ sort of chat, or the regular sort?” Nick asked, while keeping step. Kim walked fast for his age.
The man snorted and a genuine smile floated to his lips. “If I wanted to fire you, do you think I’d do it myself? I have an entire department to do that for me.”
“You don’t seem like the sort to fire people over a prerecorded message.”
“Oh, no. I wouldn’t stoop that low. But the entire HR division is staffed with dolls that specialize in handling people. They could let you down easy, revoke your access, and flag any potentially threatening behaviors for follow-up.” Kim paused at an intersection and looked at all the Custodians with a raised eyebrow. “Companies have long since worked out how to handle this sort of thing with minimum fuss.”
The Custodians were staring at Nick again, and Kim seemed to have noticed.
Shrugging at the strange look he received, Nick said, “Is that how you’ll handle Chief Andrews when the time comes?”
Kim pursed his lips. He began walking around, but not toward the elevators. Instead, he led them to a reinforced door similar to the one used for the task force office. Kim used the hand and eye scanners, which opened the door, then gestured for Nick and the Archangels to go through. The Custodians eyed them, but did nothing.
If Nick thought the rest of the floor had been impressive, he hadn’t seen anything yet.
Water flowed along the walls, and into small channels along the edges of the wooden floorboards. Greenery thrived in the open, presumably maintained by the domestic doll hiding in the corner. All the furnishings were crafted from stone and wood.
The effect was ruined by the glass paneling peeking out from every nook and cranny, unfortunately.
But even so, this section of the office felt like a chamber from a past era that had been updated to modern sensibilities. Nick could only imagine the expense involved.
Kim walked through this reception area without pausing. There weren’t any Custodians or Archangels to be seen. Did they even have access to this area?
“Carolyn is different,” Kim said. “She is an exemplar of her position, even if she has become a casualty of the whims of politics. A transfer back to the military has already been arranged. But times are difficult, and they are worsening rather than improving. I can’t approve that transfer until I can replace her with someone who won’t ruin decades of progress.”
Nick did his best to maintain a straight face. This was not the “chat” he had expected.
When Kim paused outside an office, he looked pointedly at the Archangels. “We should continue this in private. Please keep watch, ladies.”
“Yes, commissioner,” Meta and the others said.
He nodded and the door to the office opened. The floor-to-ceiling windowpanes lightened, allowing Nick to see inside.
The office was bigger than his apartment, and probably worth more, too. An extravagant steel and glass executive desk filled one corner of the room, and was completely bare. Steel bookcases filled with physical tomes lined one wall. The center of the room was dedicated to an expansive set of recliners, plus a glass coffee table with a built-in water feature.
Kim strode over to a featureless wall, only for it to slide open and reveal the largest liquor collection that Nick had ever seen. He’d been in bars with fewer spirits.
“Come in. Take a seat.” The commissioner gestured to one of the leather recliners. “What’s your preference?”
Nick uneasily walked over to a seat. The door closed behind him with a whisper, leaving him trapped in here, and the windows dimmed again. The room was lit by the sun streaming through the frameless windows opposite him.
“Uh, something that isn’t clear.” He scratched the back of his neck, feeling uncomfortable around so much strong liquor.
Far too many of his younger years had been spent around the stuff, and some of those nights weren’t worth remembering.
Kim frowned. His fingers ran across several bottles. Suddenly, the floor rose up beneath him, forming a set of stairs that lifted him to the very top. He picked up a small cylindrical bottle of amber liquid with Japanese characters on the front. Half the bottle had already been drunk.
“I’ve been working away at this for the past year. I haven’t had the chance to share it, but it should be perfect for a newcomer,” Kim said as he took a seat.
Nick stared at the bottle. He didn’t know much about whisky, but he knew enough to know that this bottle was obscenely expensive. The coffee machine he’d joked about buying with Rie cost less than this.
Unaware of Nick’s turmoil about the expense, Kim produced two tulip-shaped glasses from somewhere beneath the table. He removed the oversized lid—which included a cork—and poured two generous helpings. A small pitcher of water appeared as well, and he added the tiniest splash into each glass.
Kim raised his glass, and Nick did the same after a moment.
“This was one of the first bottles I bought for my collection,” Kim said as he leaned back with his whisky. “I’ve been working my way through some of the more expensive bottles lately. If I don’t drink it, who will? It’s already sat here for forty years. If I passed it on to my children, they might think it’s a family heirloom.”
Forty years…
“This bottle is older than I am,” Nick said drily, staring at the amber liquid he still hadn’t tasted. The elegant smell taunted his nostrils.
“And the liquid is older than me. It’s thirty-year-old Japanese whisky. They basically don’t make this stuff anymore. It’s more of a collectable, but, well…” Kim looked at his collection.
Nick supposed that somebody with a collection like that didn’t worry too much about what he chose to drink.
Then he frowned. “I figured you’d choose a Korean spirit to impress me. Why Japanese?”
Kim let out a bark of laughter. “My grandfather might have been Korean, but I’ve barely seen the place outside my implant. RTM saw the shifting winds of Asia when Neo Westphalia was first born and moved its power base here. The same goes for most of the isles, to the detriment of our global knowledge. Half the board couldn’t tell you which countries are Chinese puppet states and which aren’t.”
Nick probably couldn’t either, but he avoided geopolitics like the plague. The world outside Neo Westphalia sounded like even more of a trash fire than the city he lived in. Why waste time worrying about it?
But this felt like a great time to change the subject. Nick slugged back a decent share of the whisky.
It went down a hell of a lot smoother than basically anything he’d ever drunk. The burn barely lingered, and the tingling spice quickly gave way to soft oak. Was this what a car’s worth of whisky tasted like?
Nick liked it, but certainly wasn’t going to blow his savings on a bottle.
He swirled the golden liquor and stared at it. “I never imagined I’d drink something like this.”
“And when I hired you, I never imagined I’d share it with you,” Kim said. “You’ve surprised me. I’m not used to being surprised. At least, not pleasantly.”
“Ah, so this is the good sort of chat.”
Kim laughed. “Maybe. It’s at least the interesting sort. I’ll be honest, I didn’t order you to present to the board with the best of intentions. What I expected was for you to flame out under pressure. Then I could sweep you aside and remind the board that the Archangels are actually running everything, and they know they can trust them, right?” Kim’s smile was pained.
“Huh. I’d wondered why you’d risk letting me close to the Spires, rather than Uriel.” Nick sipped his whisky and got his thoughts in order. “But, really, the board’s just like any other group of executives. They understand the consequences of problems, but not the problems themselves. So I gave them something big to focus on and made it simple enough to understand.”
“Can you teach other Ciphers how to do that?” Kim smiled sardonically. “My brother would promise you a position in the Spires if you could manage that feat.”
“I don’t think I’ve taught anyone in my life.”
“Well, at least you don’t promise miracles. I’d never trust you if you said otherwise.” Kim finished his glass, but didn’t top it up.
It was the middle of the day, after all. This wasn’t exactly the time for drinking.
“I imagine you grew up here?” he asked. “Your parents are middle-class? Logistics? Finance? Or are they Ciphers as well?”
Nick kept his expression impassive. “Can’t you just look that up? I’m surprised that wasn’t part of the background check.”
“I don’t go scrounge through the files of others like that, even if I do have access. It’s crass,” Kim said with an upturned lip. “The Archangels are built as data sponges, but humans should know better than to expose each other’s secrets. If it’s important, it’ll be part of a report.”
“Huh. Well, my family is nothing special. Dad has a desk job for a logistics company. Mom manages a tiny restaurant in the local shops—which doesn’t mean much, given she has a doll that runs the place 24/7.”
“The wonders of automation.”
Nick raised his glass in response to that comment, eliciting a wry smile from Kim.
Then Nick continued, “My younger brother just graduated and started work as a Cipher in an investment bank. My brat of a teenage sister exists on the Altnet and thinks she’ll become a famous streamer.”
Kim winced. “Ah. Well, best of luck to her.”
“That wince looked personal.”
“My son is developing AI streamers that can be run on mainframes. It’s been an ongoing project for RTM for decades. The potential it has as an ongoing revenue stream is massive, but the skepticism the public has toward AIs in entertainment spaces has only grown.” The commissioner shrugged. “I know you think of me as a suit running the department for political purposes, but I am more informed than I appear.”
And apparently self-aware of how people perceived him. Nick wondered if this little chat wasn’t really about getting to know one another, but about something else entirely.
The taste of expensive whisky lingered in his throat, filling his body with a pleasant heat. As an opening bribe, it worked wonders. Kim knew how to grease wheels like a pro.
“You didn’t seem to know anything about me when I started,” Nick said, trying to diplomatically disagree.
Because he still felt that Kim was just a suit. Even if Nick was in way over his head when it came to wheeling and dealing, the gap was just as large when it came to the investigation itself.
Nick had been a detective for a few days, but his skills as a Cipher gave him a huge advantage over his boss.
“The briefings suggested you would be a puppet of the Archangels. The military seemed to have their own plans for you, and it’s never a good sign when one classified AI disagrees with another.” Kim stared out the windows, which overlooked the gleaming cityscape. “Only Captain Lieu spoke on your behalf, and that does not speak well of you.”
“You don’t like Lieu, do you?”
“There is a difference between a man who is a career public servant, and a man who has made a career out of being a public servant. I feel no reason to respect the latter. The dream of Neo Westphalia won’t be sustained by bottom-feeders who thrive on office politics.”
Damn. Harsh words from a man who thrived on the politics of the Spires. Nick almost wanted to support Lieu out of spite, but held his tongue.
Mostly because he had no skin in this dispute. His inherent dislike of everything the Spires stood for meant nothing in the face of the longstanding issues that faced the governance of the city and the internecine disputes of the department.
Hammond had rebuked him for calling it dumb office politics. To the people who worked here, this was their life.
“Well, what about you?” Kim suddenly turned and looked at Nick directly. “I can make assumptions, but you’ve shattered those. Kushiel withdrew her objections to you. You corralled the board. And the investigation is making enough progress that my greatest concern is the public damage due to what you’re finding. But I wonder what drives you.”
“Some people like to do a good job,” Nick said.
The commissioner smiled wryly. “Not with your background, they don’t. A bland family. A criminal history. Medical problems. Social isolation. Where do you live?”
“Somewhere that I’m happy.” Nick couldn’t stop the sharp edge from entering his tone.
Silence filled the room.
Kim sighed. “Do you want to know what drives me?”
“The RTM stock price?”
“Well, at least I’ve been able to confirm what you think of me.” Smiling grimly, Kim finally poured another finger of whisky into his glass but left Nick’s empty. “It’s to prevent the past from repeating. Do you remember when I received this bottle?”
Nick stared at the small, cylindrical bottle of golden liquor. As expensive as it was, its age meant far more.
Because there was one major event that had taken place forty years ago.
“The riots,” he said emotionlessly.
Kim tipped his glass toward Nick. “That’s right. I bought the bottle in the month leading up to my wedding. Tensions had been rising already. The wedding was a mess, thanks to many of the staff facing implant issues due to Aesir’s reckless behavior.” A thunderous expression crossed the man’s face. “I finally convinced my wife to move here from the States, and we were going to honeymoon in one of the new sensual escape complexes in the Axis Mundi Spire.”
“I’d say that’s a pricey honeymoon, but it probably wasn’t,” Nick said drily.
Sensual escape complexes were an augmented reality experience that allowed neural implant users to travel the world without leaving a room. They could walk along beaches that had long since washed away, hike up mountains too dangerous to assail, or even experience space without being part of the uber rich.
“Back then, it still was. But it didn’t happen.” Kim grimaced. “A lot of unnecessary systems in the Spires were cut back when the power situation worsened. My honeymoon became a front row ticket to the near collapse of the greatest project of modern humanity.”
“And you want to stop that from happening again?”
“Yes. That is why the police—and all of Babylon—must continue to automate. The Archangels can detect and prune problems before we even know they’re an issue. The Liberators and their future replacements are the friendly, trustworthy faces of the city. Sophisticated mainframes can be the grease that ensures the city never stops running.” Kim’s eyes were bright, but he wasn’t looking at anything in the room.
“And what about everyone who doesn’t want that?”
“That is exactly the reason we still exist.” The commissioner returned to reality and pointed at Nick. “The public needs to trust our mission. They can’t hear about RTM ARMDs being used by terrorists, or factories being acquired through fraud. Conspiracies about the Spires pilfering the city for ill-gotten gains will spread like wildfire. It’s our duty to keep the peace, even if that means keeping the truth from everyone.”
Nick didn’t bother voicing his next question, because it was pointless.
There was an intense level of distrust for the average person in Kim’s worldview.
If anything went wrong, the problem wasn’t in the approach. Instead, the messaging was incorrect.
As illuminating as this conversation had been to Nick, he was left wondering whether it made Kim a suspect.
What did he possibly have to gain from Helena? Or was this entire conversation intended to convince Nick that Kim was in the right, and that he shouldn’t be investigated?
Nick didn’t know. He’d need time to process this. His gut reaction to Kim’s opinions was to reject them, but he also had an instinctive dislike of a lot of how the city worked.
Did he actually disagree with Kim? Or did he just dislike everything the man stood for?
Nick rose to his feet. “Thank you for the whisky, commissioner. I’m afraid I need to continue my investigation.”
“Don’t let me hold you up, then. But you should think about my words, and what drives you forward. Whatever has motivated you for these past few days may not motivate you in the years to come. And it’s in those days that you’ll need an inner fire.” Kim raised his glass in farewell.
The door automatically opened as Nick approached. He left.
Meta and the other Archangels escorted him out of the inner sanctum of the police department. None of them said a word as they approached the lifts. The Custodians remained in place, but didn’t confront them.
Only when they were in the elevator did Nick speak. “Where’s Rie?”
“In the task force office,” Juliet said.
He nodded. They were already descending to floor 77, it seemed.
Once there, he beelined to Rie. She stood in the center of the office, her eyes initially dim. The moment he entered, she smiled at him.
“How was your discussion with the commissioner?” she asked.
Nick grunted. “Confusing. I’m not sure what his goal was.”
“Care to speak about it?”
“Not right now. I actually wanted to know where Paul was?”
Rie’s expression shifted to one of uncertainty. Even the other Archangels looked uncomfortable.
“Detective Hammond works half-days on Saturdays. We prefer not to disturb him unless it’s important,” she said.
“But you know where he is?”
“Is this part of the investigation?”
Nick nodded. “Travis said something that I want to run past Paul.”
Rie paused. Her eyes flashed, and then she frowned. “I won’t ask why you suspect him, but I believe I have isolated the statement that makes you suspicious.”
“So?”
No answer.
Nick sighed. “Look, you don’t need to tell me what Paul’s doing, just where he is. Or at least somewhere I might be able to meet him. He’s a detective. Do we even get days off?”
“Yes,” Rie said.
“No,” the other Archangels said.
“Is that wishful thinking on their part or…?” he asked.
“You are always on call, given your position in the task force. But you will take tomorrow off. Maybe I’ll even drag you somewhere nice so you don’t have an excuse to work.” Rie’s smile turned sharp. “With that said, you can meet Detective Hammond near the old emergency services station by Kaleigh Park.”
Nick spent a few seconds processing those directions. Then they clicked.
“Isn’t that…”
Rie nodded slowly. He let out a deep sigh and ran a hand through his hair.
“He visits every Saturday, so don’t worry too much. We do prefer not to intrude upon this ritual of his, however,” she said, looking pointedly at the Mark 1s.
Clearly this was more of a decision for the older Archangels.
“Fair enough. I’d go along with it if I didn’t have a damn good reason to have a chat.” Nick nodded at Rie. “I’ll be right back, and we can talk about your plans for tomorrow.”
Rie smiled sweetly. She swept in and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Lovely. We can handle all of this paperwork together, then.”
Not what he had in mind.
Rubbing his cheek, Nick left the department. His usual escort tagged along, although Chloe was still busy in the factory, apparently. Meta, Juliet, Rosa, and the other Mark 1s prepared a pair of SUVs in the underground garage. This time, Juliet and Rosa sat next to him.
The trip to Kaleigh Park took longer than Nick thought it would. Getting out of the center of the city during lunchtime was difficult, and they were going against traffic. Their destination was on the north side of the Spires, within the inner city. Nick took the opportunity to grab a burger on the way, far too aware of the stares of the Archangels while he ate it.
Finally, they arrived. The park appeared to take center stage of the area. It lacked greenery and was more like a small concrete playground. Skyscrapers towered over it, along with a huge shopping complex with a cascading multi-level waterfall visible from several blocks away.
The old emergency services building came into sight. It was a six-story building built like a pair of wings around a huge courtyard. Once, a hologram had projected the Spires themselves there. These days, it was just a large fountain.
The same went for the building itself. Before the riots, police and fire had been distributed. The rollout of dolls had reduced the need for a large number of stations, and now the Spires contained all human emergency personnel. A bunch of small businesses had moved into the structure, often heavily renovating it.
But that wasn’t what made it important to the area.
The SUV pulled up along an area that looked a little like a park from a distance, but clearly wasn’t a park. It was big, kind of empty, and lacked buildings—which is what made parks special in Babylon.
But the tall ivory white steel fence that ringed the area, not to mention the actual sight of grass, made it stand out.
Nick got out. Immediately, he saw a pair of Mark 1s standing by the arched gate that led onto the grounds.
The gate read “Neo Babylon Memorial Cemetery” in thin letters. The paint looked surprisingly fresh, but the fence also looked to be in excellent care.
Letting out another sigh, Nick stood near the waiting Mark 1s.
There was only one memorial cemetery in Babylon, and it had been built for precisely one reason. Neo Westphalia had fought no wars, despite its active military. Dolls and warbots didn’t need graves.
But humans did. And a lot of police officers, firefighters, and other emergency service personnel had died in the riots forty years ago. Countless more had passed away in the decades since, and they were all remembered here. The thousands of grave markers stood testament to the brutal cost of an event that Nick had never experienced but always heard about.
If Hammond was visiting here, then there was only one reason for it. Especially given the dark look on his face when he’d spoken about the riots and his father.
The shining sun on the grave markers seemed wrong to Nick. He didn’t have a reason to visit any graves. But it was always overcast or raining in movies.
Hammond wandered along the marble path after a good twenty minutes. He still wore his usual clothes and looked like a grizzled 20th century detective. That made him even more out of place than the weather.
He stopped at the gate and looked at Nick with a dull look. “Figures that you’d be able to convince them to tell you where I was.”
“They were less willing than usual,” Nick admitted. “I just finished a major raid on the NLF and wanted to talk about some of the evidence. Care to lend an ear?”