San Damien and the Red Daggers

by Brian Yapko

San Damien and the Red Daggers: synopsis

In the year 2990 — some 500 years after Earth’s destruction — the Martian nation-state of Xanthe is rocked when terrorists destroy San Damien, an experimental dome in which Martian leaders hoped that the two human races — Trads and Numen — might coexist for the first time. One of the 713 victims of the attack happens to be the wife of Adrian Marlow, who is Xanthe’s premier prosecutor of terrorists.

Marlow’s investigation exposes a planet-wide conspiracy. It promotes fascism, commits genocide and sabotages terraforming, thus threatening to annihilate both Mars and humanity. What can Marlow do to avert catastrophe, and how can he survive long enough to do it?

Chapter Eight: The Monster

CC. LETTER FROM ADRIAN MARLOW TO ANNE MARLOW (October 3, 2990)

Dear Anne,

I pled out Devon Quindes and I’m going to lose my job over it. The deal can’t be legally vacated, separation of powers, after all. I hid it from Pound until it was too late to vacate. Now Pound wants my blood. But you know something? Right now that seems unimportant.

Anne, in the midst of a year of horrors, I’ve discovered what may be the most horrifying thing of all. This threatening note I received from Pound yesterday... Compare it to this copy of the handwritten letter that Devon Quindes produced as new evidence on behalf of the Red Daggers. The only copy of this letter that has survived, I might add, after Pound had the original and all known copies destroyed. Now look at the words, “go to hell” in both letters. Do you see what I see?

Could Pound possibly have been that careless? Or, in his arrogance — to use his phrasing — did he no longer give a frep if I figured it out? I don’t think so. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have made a point of having the original and all these copies destroyed. You don’t destroy evidence like this! But he had no idea that this letter had survived after San Damien was destroyed. The letter was supposed to self-destruct upon review by the Red Daggers. But Devon Quindes prevented that from happening. What a shock that must have been when Pound found out that this potentially incriminating evidence still existed!

What do I do? To accuse Absalom Pound — our nation’s Minister of Habitation Justice — of being the mastermind behind San Damien’s destruction would land my head on a spike in the center of Aberdeen Nova. He’s a symbol of Xanthean patriotism! No one will believe me. I’ll lose everything. Then I’ll disappear, and Miranda along with me. I dare not even tell Kiri or Firespeak. There’s nobody I can turn to but you.

With all of this blood on Absalom Pound’s hands, to do nothing would be unthinkable.

I’m scared, Anne. Still, I must find a way to stop him. He must be brought down.

I can’t prove my theory yet. I have a lot of questions. How did Pound assume this role of “Koa” without getting caught? Why would “Koa” lure the Red Daggers into thinking he possessed some bizarre time-slowing technology? Why did he want San Damien destroyed?

I don’t have much time. Pound is going to announce his candidacy for Xanthe’s presidency on October 12th. He must be stopped before then. What I can do is what I’m best at: investigation and discovery. I’m going to follow a millenium-old adage and “follow the money.” I already have access to San Damien’s financial and construction records. I believe I now have the password to Absalom Pound’s private, coded documents: his favorite phrase: “Go to Hell.” Let’s see what I can figure out.

I realize I’m engaged in a dangerous game, like nothing I’ve been involved in before. I don’t know how this will end.

There’s more, Anne. I have a confession to make. I did a terrible thing, something out of character for me. I still don’t know why I did it. It happened during the inspection of Devon Quindes’ flat in Burroughs. Inside the wall where he had the letter hidden... There was a finger-length Numen muon gun. Firespeak didn’t notice it because it was covered in sand, and I’m the one whose hand reached in. I took it. I pocketed it while Firespeak was reading the instruction letter to the Red Daggers. No one knows I stole it. Why did I do it? I’ve often wished I was dead since your murder, Anne. Is suicide what I had in the back of my mind? Is it now?

I’m holding the gun right now. So deadly for such a small device. I’ve checked. It’s unregistered and illegal as hell. I should turn it over to the XPF. And yet... How often have you told me to trust my instincts? There’s a reason why I’m holding onto this. I just don’t know yet what it is.

How I’d love to use it on Pound! But not without making a case. I need more proof than similar handwriting. And once I find it? Maybe I won’t get out of this alive, but by going after Pound, at least I’ll know I did the right thing. I owe you that. You and Henry and the Seven Hundred.

Whatever happens, Anne, know that I love you.

Adrian

* * *

DD. AIRSLIDE LETTER: ADRIAN MARLOW TO PRESIDENT ELINOR JANA (October 10, 2990 at 07:30)

CONFIDENTIAL & CODED

President Jana — in the days to come, there will be questions raised about what truly happened this morning between Absalom Pound and me. Either you will thank me or you’ll have me arrested. But as a true patriot, I am compelled to share the truth with you, a truth which involves questions of national security which you will not want revealed to the public.

I’m willing to submit to interrogation or any type of truth drugs or psychopsy you may wish to administer to authenticate this account.

On October 2, 2990, based on a comparison of handwriting samples, I realized that the letter to the Red Daggers presented by Devon Quindes in his motion for a new trial had been written by none other than your Minister of Habitation, Absalom Pound. He obviously did not want this connection discovered, which is why he ordered the destruction of the original and all copies. However, I maintained one illegal copy. I am providing it to you now. From it I have deduced that Pound himself was responsible for destroying San Damien and killing its 713 victims — including your husband, Henry, and my wife, Anne. You may, perhaps, consider this an outlandish accusation. I therefore ask that you carefully review the following evidence attached to this airslide:

Copies of all the work invoices and payment records for the dome of San Damien;
Copies of all of the financial profit and loss statements for Acme Pantheon Domes;
Copies of the ownership records of Acme Pantheon Domes and its chain of ownership;
Copies of multiple miscellaneous documents executed in Absalom Pound’s own hand;
A copy of Absalom Pound’s unpublicized Notice of Intent to run for election for president of Xanthe (sorry to break the news to you this way);
Copies of accounting records which prove Absalom Pound’s diversion of funds from the construction of the San Damien dome to his as-yet unannounced election campaign;
Blueprints for an explosive device and a letter directed to the Red Daggers — the final two sentences of which were executed in Pound’s own hand.
An opinion piece authored by Absalom Pound in 2982 O.E. to the previous Chancellor of Zantium, where he was then a citizen. This opinion piece advocated the genocide of all Numen within Zantine territory based on their status as “monstrous sub-humans.”

Given your history of conflict with Pound, his decision to challenge you for the presidency should not come as a complete surprise. However, his involvement in the destruction of San Damien and the subsequent prosecution of the Red Daggers was intended to turn popular opinion against you to ensure his election as president. My actions today have spared your presidency and re-election campaign the poison of his destructive influence.

As for why I did not present this information to you rather than confront Pound directly... Quite honestly, I didn’t think you’d believe me. Nor did I think you could act against Pound without political repercussion. Now you have the benefit of plausible deniability. Should you wish, you can make my actions known to the public. But the scandal would probably do Xanthe more harm than good. Please consider that as a I now relay what occurred when I confronted your Minister of Habitation this morning.

Proceed to part 2...