Ecolitan Prime (Ecolitan Matter) Read Online Free

Assistant’s voice lowered, softened. “Enough so you make your staff wait outside. You’ve always listened, ever since…” She paused, then continued, “but you do your job the way you see it, and you’re usually right. Not always, but usually. And we’ll support you, whatever you decide.”
    “I know. I wish I had your personal support as well.” The Admiral stood and turned to leave, then half faced the woman again. “Take care, Marcella.”
    “Thank you.”
    The Special Assistant looked across the wide and empty office at the closed portal for a long time before returning to her console, where the panels flashed, each light clamoring for her attention.

VII
    B EST SIMULATION RESULTS indicate forty percent probability of successful trade negotiations; twenty percent probability of failure; ten percent probability of direct armed conflict; thirty percent unquantifiable.” Despite the pleasant sound of the terminal, the evenness of the word spacing rendered the report mechanical.
    The Director turned to the three people at the conference table. “Forty percent chance that the situation can be resolved without war. If we can come up with these figures, so can the Admiral’s staff. What’s the chance of success if the present Envoy is removed?”
    “Personality profile not a major component of success probability. Personality profile is a major component of unquantifiable component.”
    The Director frowned.
    “What that means,” offered the dark-haired woman across the table from the Director, “is that the personality of the Accord Envoy will shift the unquantifiable component into other areas. The current success probability is based on the structural situation. In short, we could still get a peaceful solution, though that could change at any time.”
    “What would happen if Defense could assassinate the Envoy?”
    “Probability of war rises to fifty-five percent,” answered the computer.
    “Probability of Imperial victory twenty-four percent. Probability of significant loss to Empire approaches unity; probability of destruction of Accord approaches unity.”
    “Any other significant probabilities?”
    “Probability of loss of Rift and Sammaran Sector approach unity; probability of survival of Ecolitan Institute approaches unity.”
    The Director leaned back in her swivel.
    “So…if Defense is allowed to force the issue, we’re all likely to get blackholed.”
    The man in the group cleared his throat.
    “That assumes one thing…that Defense can successfully operate a covert assassination. How likely is that if we oppose it, and if External Affairs is opposed, and if their Envoy is warned?”
    The Director tapped the table to still the quick rustles.
    “You forget that we cannot officially oppose Defense. Nor could we directly ever feed that kind of information to an Envoy from Accord. That sort of behavior would have even the Senate slapping riders onto our authorization, and we’ve avoided that for too long to go back to that sort of interference again.”
    “Could I have an answer to the probability questions?”
    “Yes. Let’s have the readout on those,” the Director agreed.
    “Probability of successful assassination not quantifiable under first order assumptions. Under second order, probability twenty percent, with a standard deviation of not more than twenty percent.”
    The Director smiled.
    “All right,” she said. “You’ve got the verification that to warn their Envoy will alter the probabilities along the lines we think would be desirable. How can you warn him, clearly, and yet in a way that will convey the absolute seriousness of the situation?”
    “That’s simple. We try to assassinate him first.”

VIII
    N ATHANIEL W HALER TOOK another full step in front of the Imperial Marines to survey the entrance to his Legation.
    The New Augusta tower corridor was nearly as wide as the average street back on Harmony but without the more elaborate facades that graced the capital