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'Had you cold； Enforcer Kaleil。'
Kaleil gave her a murderous glare and led us towards the security station。
THE STATION WAS on the second floor of a round building on the corner of the deserted plaza。 A guard…rail ran at hip…height around the
office； and beyond that； inwardly…raked windows permitted a wide view down into the plaza area。 Kaleil thumbed a wall…control that
reduced the tinting in the glass and made the room a little brighter。
Seats were arranged around a central； circular workstation； above which glowed a holo…display。 Empty ration pouches and ale bottles
cluttered the surfaces of the workstation； and handwritten notes and memos had been taped along the edges of the console。 Around the
room were couch seats with splitting upholstery； and piles of junk。 A door in the rear led through to an armoury and a ready room。 The
air was humid and smelled of sweat and unwashed clothes。
Kaleil took off his mesh jacket and tossed it onto a couch。 He wore a grubby vest that shoperial Guard
tattoos on his upper arms。
His badge of office hung down over his chest like an athlete's medal。
'Get 'em refreshment；' he told Bandelbi。 The miner began swishing each of the ale bottles standing on the cowling of the workstation
to find one with some contents left。
'Fresh ones；' Kaleil scolded。 'And I'm sure the doctor would prefer something softer… or harder。'
'Amasec； if you have it；' said Aemos。
'Ale's fine；' smiled Medea； flopping onto a couch and folding her legs up under her。
I shook my head。 'Nothing。'
Bandelbi disappeared。
Kaleil sat down backwards on one of the workstation chairs so he could fold his arms on the top of the backrest。
'Okay； doctor。 What's the story？'
'I am the head of the metallurgy department at the Royal Scholam。 Do you know Mendalin？'
Kaleil shook his head。 'Never been there。'
'A fine world； a noble world。 Famed for its academia。' Aemos carefully took a seat next to Medea。
I stood back； by the windows。 I could tell Kaleil had one eye on me。
'We are engaged in a twenty year program； commissioned by Archduke Frederik himself； to investigate the inner transition qualities of
the rarest metals for… well； the applications are classified； actually。 The results may improve the industrial health of Mendalin's
engine yards。 The archduke is a keen amateur metallurgist。 He's the patron of the Royal Scholam； in fact。'
'Do tell；' murmured Kaleil。
'Phorydnum is one of the metals to be covered in our program。 And this planetoid is one of the nearest sources of it。 The
Administratum has kindly issued me with a bond to visit Cinchare and obtain samples； and I have letters from the Lord Director of
Imperial Allied to inspect the phorydnum workings。 Do you wish to see them？'
Kaleil waved a dismissive hand。
'I also hoped to meet with the tech…priests stationed here in order to discuss their understanding of the properties of this precious
substance。'
'You're on a fact…finding trip？'
'A research mission；' said Aemos。
Bandelbi returned with three ales and an enamel cup。 He carried them on a dented locker door which he was using as a tray。
'It's not good stuff；' he told Aemos； handing him the cup。 'Just ration issue grade。'
Aemos sipped it without the hint of a shudder。 'Rough； but bracing；' he announced。
Kaleil took his bottle and tugged a swig from the neck。
'You've had a wasted journey； I'm afraid；' he said。 'Emperor knows what Imperial Allied were playing at when they gave you those
letters。 They must know their people have pulled out。'
'Explain；' I said。 Kaleil shot me a glance。
'This rock's been worked pretty consistently for the last nine centuries。 It's hazardous work； but the rewards are great。 As you said；
Cinchare's a rich source of many metals that are very hard to come by。'
He took another swig。
'These last twenty years； the authorities here have been getting worried about the conditions。 The gravity distortions。 Cinchare moving
ever closer into the grav fields of Pymbyle。 Reckoning was that the place would be unviable in another eighty； ninety years。 Imperial
Allied and Ortog stepped up their work； trying to strip out as much as they could before Cinchare passed into a gravity envelope that
would make it untouchable for the next few thousand years。 The indie prospectors too… they came flocking。 Regular old fashioned
ore…rush； the past few years。'
'So what happened？' asked Medea。
'The Gravs；' said Bandelbi。 He was clearing a seat for himself on one of the paper…stacked couches。 He looked up and saw Medea's
quizzically raised eyebrow。
'Gravity sickness；' he said at once in response to her unasked question。 He scratched the birthmark on his neck nervously。 He'd been
keeping a keen eye on her。 She was probably the first woman he'd seen in a while。 Kaleil was more composed。
'Gravity sickness；' Bandelbi continued； 'weight distemper； lead…head； the Gravs… you know。'
'Chronic Gravitisthesia； also known as Mazbur's Syndrome。 A progressive disorder caused by exotic gravitational flux。 Symptoms
include paranoia； loss of co…ordination； bursts of anxiety or rapture； memory loss； hallucination and sometimes； in extremis； homicidal
urges。 The condition is usually accompanied by myasthenia gravis； osteochondritis； osteoporosis； scoliosis and leukaemia；' Aemos
finished。
Kaleil widened his eyes。 'I thought you were a doctor of metals； doctor； not a medicae。'
'I am。 But gravity； that invisible power； is a fundamental part of the life of all elements。 So I take an interest in it。'
'Yeah； well… the predictions said Cinchare might become unviable due to gravity in ninety years。 But the human body is softer than a
hunk of mineral ore。 The Gravs first showed up about two years back。 Workers getting sick。 A few cases of violence and insanity。
Then we realised what was going on。 Imperial Allied pulled out nine months ago。 Ortog seven。'
'It's ironic；' Aemos said。 'Cinchare is mineral rich precisely because of the exotic gravities it has been subjected to in its billion year
life。 Elements have been transmuted and rearranged here in ways that may be unique。 Cinchare is a precious philosopher's stone； my
friends； an alchemist's dream！ And now mankind cannot benefit from its gifts for precisely the same reason they exist in the first
place！'
'Yeah； doc； ironic is what it is；' said Bandelbi； knocking back his ale。
'That doesn't explain why you're still here；' I said。
'Skeleton crew；' said Kaleil in a tone that said it was none of my business。 'The Adeptus Mechanicus pulled out too； about three
months ago。 But one of theirs stayed behind。 Some sort of vital research that had to be finished。 And we were ordered to stay behind
and keep Cinchare Minehead open until he finished。'
I moved round and looked out of the station windows。 The plaza was empty of everything except trash。 'And how many is 〃we〃；
Enforcer？'
'Service crew of twenty。 I'm in charge。 All volunteers。'
'The techlords promised us triple pay！' Bandelbi told Medea； clearly trying to impress her。
'Gee whiz；' she smiled。
'Where are the others？ The other eighteen？' I pressed。
Kaleil got up off his chair and tossed his empty bottle at an overflowing litter basket in the corner。 It bounced off and broke on the
floor。 'Around about。 This is a big place。 What you see is just the tip。 Like a… what's it called； those frozen lumps of water they have
in the sea on some planets？'
'Iceberg？' Medea suggested。
'Yeah； like one of those。 Ninety per cent of Cinchare Minehead is subsoil。 That's a crap of a lot of space to patrol； maintain and keep
ticking over。'
'You're in vox contact with the rest of the skeleton crew？'
'We keep in touch。 Some I don't see for weeks。'
'This tech…priest； the one who remained？' Aemos said。 'Where is he？'
Kaleil shrugged。 'Gone rockside。 Into the karsts and the mines。 I've not seen him for two months。'
'When do you expect him back？' Aemos said； as if it didn't matter。
Kaleil shrugged again。 'Never。'
'What was his name？' I asked； turning to look directly into the enforcer's dark eyes。
'Bure；' he said。 'Why？'
'Well； this is all most perturbatory！' Aemos blurted； rising from his seat。 'The archduke will be very put out。 It has cost a deal of time
and money to venture this mission。 Mr Kaleil�