Greenies

indictment of her on that basis, let alone a conviction. So that is how that plan fell through and it also goes to show just how long Whiting has been planning this little scheme of hers.

'That brought Hayes and myself to the final, most drastic plan for Whiting's removal, that of... well... arranging for an assassin to stalk her and remove her permanently. By the time we reached this point we were desperate, having exhausted almost all other options. Hayes was certainly agreeable enough to making the arrangements and he even had a plan in his files for how to go about such a thing. The problem with this plan is not in the conception or the assets but in the execution. Whiting has an elite battalion of the Martian Planetary Guard providing around the clock security for her. Now most of the MPG are bumbling boobs that like to dress up as soldiers on the weekend and play with guns, but the VIP security arm are not cut from this same mold. They are full-time members of the MPG and they train extensively with the latest weapons and techniques. They know their stuff and Hayes is of the opinion that it would be almost as hard to get to Whiting as it would be to get to one of the executive council members. He is, of course, still looking into the possibilities of the assassin plot but I have been told that it probably will not be feasible unless the MPG drops their guard to some degree.'

Smith looked up at the ceiling for a moment, taking a deep breath and allowing the camera to keep rolling. He looked back at the screen. 'Steve,' he said, 'that is my explanation for why Whiting is still in office. I hope you accept it and I hope you will agree that I've done all that I possibly can from my end. I'm dealing with greenies here and sometimes I find it hard to believe that they are actually the same species as we are, their thinking is so different. Now that I've had my say I hope you'll continue to listen to me long enough to tell you just how bad things really are here on Mars and how critical it is that something is done about her.

'Whiting's speeches on MarsGroup are the biggest threat. Twice a week, on Wednesday and Saturday at 6:00 New Pittsburgh time, she goes live and gives a ten to twenty minute speech. I've sent copies of them to you and I'm sure you'll agree that she sounds like a raving madwoman spouting a bunch of drivel about freedom and independence and government for the people. She's a goddamn communist, no doubt about it. That is how we perceive her speeches however. These ignorant greenies adore her and they hang on her every word. Each one of those speeches gets more than a ninety percent market share of the viewers on the planet. Ninety percent! Think about that for a moment. Ninety percent is an unheard of amount for any one show no matter what it is and this politician is achieving that with her rants. And believe me when I say that the greenies are not watching her for the sheer entertainment value that she represents, they actually buy into what she is saying. These greenies are actually starting to think that they should be free of WestHem. There are increasing reports of pro-separatist graffiti on corporate buildings and property. I'm afraid that if this trend continues we may start to have some sort of work slowdown or other job action in the greenhouses. I don't have to tell you what that might do to profits.

'The most detrimental effect that we're feeling down here though is the loss of control over the legislature, which has always been our most powerful weapon for keeping the greenies of the labor pool under control. Because of the defection of twenty-nine of the representatives in this body and because of the public pressure on the others that Whiting is fomenting, we have been unable to push through a single one of the twelve bills we had planned for this session. Six of these bills were planetary tax breaks towards food production operations and would have saved us nearly a trillion over the course of the year. The other six were easements on health and safety rules that would have saved us another half a trillion. How long will it be before things start working in reverse and this corrupted legislature body starts proposing increased taxes or greater health and safety requirements? I fear it won't be long at all.

'Steve, I've done everything that I can do from my end. I don't think I've slept a complete night since that bitch was sworn in. I've pulled in every favor and I've threatened almost every person with any sort of power on this shithole planet. None of it has worked. I'm sorry I've failed you and failed the company but please believe that it was not for lack of trying. You can replace me of course and I would understand completely if you did, but you have to realize that my replacement would be stuck with the very same problems and he would not have the same connections here on Mars that I have developed.

'The bottom line is that all of the solutions available on this planet for dealing with this problem have been exhausted. What we need is bigger pressure on bigger people and that means the executive council members and the federal apparatus on your end of the solar system. My suggestion would be that you try to get the FLEB director on Earth to allow Hayes and his people to start cracking down on these greenies as hard as they can. Once you start throwing them in jail and hounding them, they'll think twice about being so vocal in their protestations. And most important of all we need to find a way to remove Whiting from office. That will be the thing that will most effectively defuse this situation. The longer she remains in office, the worse this thing is going to get.

'Awaiting your reply and your instructions. Signing off. End recording.'

The camera light blinked off and he let his subservient face slack.

'Email is ready,' the computer told him. 'Would you like to review?'

'No,' he replied. 'Just send it off. Use the highest level of encryption.'

'Sending mail with level five encryption sequence,' he was told. 'Would you like to compose more mail?'

'No,' he said testily. 'Shut down communications software and give me some music. Something classical.'

As the soft sound of synthetic instruments filled his office he reached in his drawer and pulled out his sterling silver case once again. He set up another hit and began to wait for the reply.

Meanwhile, 325 stories below, a black and white police cart came driving slowly down Agricorp Avenue, in no particular hurry. Brian and Lisa were inside, Brian behind the wheel, Lisa clucking in amusement at the text upon their dispatch screen. They were not often sent into this part of downtown although it was technically their area of responsibility. Not a lot of crime happened in the business district since most of the office buildings, the monstrous Agricorp included, had their own private security force.

'That must be our victim,' Lisa said, pointing as they approached the solar system's tallest building. Sitting outside one of the side entrances on a planter in the street was a middle-aged man in a business suit. He was holding a towel to his face while two Agricorp security guards flanked him.

'Must be,' Brian said, pulling to the curb next to them. 'Looks like an officious Earthling prick to me.'

'One of the ones that's been fucking and raping us all these years,' she agreed. 'I can't imagine why anyone would want to assault him.'

'He probably can't either,' Brian said.

They stepped out of the cart and shut the doors, both pausing to adjust their weapons belts before walking over to their victim. The security guards, both of whom were undoubtedly Martians, were clearly amused by the predicament of the man they were supposed to be protecting. Dressed in light blue armor that was more decorative than functional, they had barely concealed smiles upon their faces. One of them, the male half of the team, walked over and met them halfway.

'What do we got?' Lisa asked, pulling her patrol computer from her belt and flipping it open. 'An upset corporate manager?'

'You know it,' the guard said, letting his smile come forth now that he was no longer in view of the victim. 'Mr. Ronald Jerome the Third there is one of the bigwigs in the subsidiary accounting division. It seems that as he was leaving the building to go home this afternoon a group of vermin happened across him and roughed him up a bit.'

'I guess the vermin are good for something, aren't they?' Brian said whimsically.

'It's only 1500,' Lisa said, checking her watch. 'What the hell is he doing leaving work now for?'

'He's one of the upper echelon pricks,' the guard replied. 'They make the fresh meat work ninety hours a week here but the bosses pretty much come and go whenever the hell they feel like it. They come staggering in here between 1100 and 1300 and then go staggering back out again a few hours later. No one is really sure what it is they even do in there but it must not be very important.'

'Are you kidding?' Brian said. 'They're the ones that keep this great planet running. Where would we be without Agricorp and their bad-ass management team?'

'Free?' Lisa asked.

'You got that shit right,' the guard said. 'Anyway, he's all livid that he got manhandled by this 'gang of thugs' as he calls them. He's demanding that you go find them and take them to prison.'