Chapter 2, "Day -30", Scene 3 = "Step toward the Future," Section 6

Doyle Phoebe Heejanus

Phoebe returned once again to her workstation and peered down at the foilscreen. Absently, she hefted a dart in her right hand, clutched the others in her left, prepared to go another round at the target while she waited. She watched the frozen can-see, for one more moment, then another, and another. Finally, Har Norma's image shifted, relinquishing her erect posture.

The Lead Partner seemed more amenable now, her previous edge completely gone. "What do you suggest, Irwin?"

Phoebe slid into her chair. Hands still wrapped around the darts, she hunched in front of the scene like a child who had stumbled on a sleeping gwira and dared not move lest she wake the unpredictable beast, dared not stay lest it wake on its own.

Jac Irwin appeared more relaxed as well. "We ... should perceive this ... harbinger as ... early warning and pursue ... this renewal as though it were ours to lose — because it is."

Har Norma swung her head from Jac Irwin to Phoebe. The Senior Partner seemed doubtless that a mere combine tactician had hung around the freezeframe meeting, just waiting for it to resume, no matter how long it took the Partners to resolve their little secret squabble. Exactly like I did. Phoebe sighed through teeth clenched against showing her exasperation.

Har Norma said, "I'm sure the Chief can submit an aggressive proposal."

Jac Irwin laughed as though at a sly joke. "We cannot ... expect Doyle Phoebe to ... goanshin a village of Ganj Dareh's size and ... afford the time required for an innovative approach. Do you agree, Chief?"

Phoebe felt the correctness of Jac Irwin's statement. Yet combine tacticians were expected to handle everything. However, she was reluctant to wade into this oddly peaceful scenario. Still, she had to say something:

"I've already started to work on competitive analysis. I've initiated a background check on this Weir Annadetcall, the lead for the combine that signed on to bid at the last second yesterday." No moss growing in her keyspace.

The Partner at Har Norma's right hand, his replica smoothed to human perfection, his label reading "Nic Idombruce Colditzescaper," rotated his head toward Jik Dain across the table. "I thought you said Gatogrebok was in this?" His tone seemed gruff and petulant.

Jac Irwin reached out as though to snag the question. "Idombruce, Gatogrebok is ... supporting this ... incursion all right. Annadetcall works for them. They just do not operate ... openly as we do. They allow their ... core staff to traipse about and function in assorted manners. They ... re-engineer their organization constantly."

The original target of the question, Jik Dain raised a shoulder as though blocking out the unsolicited answer. Phoebe wondered about his zhuhndí face. Those stone-like eyes seemed too cold to be true. He said, "They use sub-contractors. No regard for structure. No economies of scale."

Jac Irwin's next gesture included the whole meeting. "Proposal development in this ... situation will require the ... complete attention of a specialist."

Phoebe's hackles stirred. "Specialists" from headquarters flew into town on aloof wings, squawked corporate hype, dropped shit on real people's lives, then soared away. They earned the name "sea-gull" from this behavior.

Har Norma said, "Whom do you have in mind?"

And sea-gulls always packed a hidden agenda. Phoebe sent her attention to Za Leez's image. The Regional Partner's words replayed in her mind: "Just give me a reason." A reason to replace you with someone who will serve Byukan-Hamil and the Regional Partner instead of Ganj Dareh and its rustic Collective.

"Dyr Kanpachiro Nitsta," Jac Irwin said. "Are you acquainted with him, Chief?"

Startled, Phoebe blurted, "Yessir!" She grabbed a breath, left her gaze on Leez, and continued, "He was over here on another matter last week." And now Phoebe knew why: he had been reconnoitering for an assault, on her, on her job. The competition gave Leez — how did Jac Irwin fit into this? — a convenient excuse, but she would have found some other reason to send in Kanpachiro.

"Could you support his effort to ... develop an innovative proposal there? Could you help him ... focus the document on ... Ganj Dareh's Collective?"

"Yessir." In fact, Phoebe suspected that no such work would get done. Kanpachiro would suck up her time, her people's time, and build nothing but a justification to fire Phoebe — and blame her for losing the contract.

Jac Irwin showed her his full face. "I will ... assign him as ... your proposal-development tactician immediately."

Har Norma shuffled a virtual piece of paper. "Next item!"

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