When the elevator doors opened in the World Council Main Hall, Nathan Justice found himself looking straight at a face he never thought he'd look at again.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Maximillian Jennings asked.

"Hey, Max," Justice said, stepping around the Prime Guardian as he stalked down the halls, various secretaries and personal aides stepping out of his way.  "Just going to go have a talk with somebody."

"I know what you're thinking, Nathan," Jennings said, following.  "You can't do this!  He's a member of the Government for God's sake!"

"Read news-sheets lately, Max?" Justice asked, not looking at the Prime.  "Not everybody holds the Government in such high esteem these days."

"You're talking about that column, Brutally Honest in the Resonate Clarion," Jennings replied.  "That's one man's opinion."

"Not according to the things I've been hearing," Justice said.  He shoved a flustered aide out of his way, sending data-chips flying.  "Whatever the case, I've got a few words for this one."

"If you wind up in court, Nathan," Jennings said, "don't come to me for help.  I can't get you out of this if the shit hits the fan."

"With any luck, the only shit that'll hit the fan is the shit I'm gonna beat out of him," Justice said.  He approached the doors of the office he'd been going to and stopped as they refused to open.

"Sir, you can't go in there," the secretary said.  "You don't have authorization."

Justice glanced at her, then looked at Jennings for a moment.  He turned back to the secretary.  "Here's my authorization."

Justice whipped around in a savage spin kick, reducing the key-card lock to metal splinters and broken paneling, then smirked-without-smiling as the doors opened.  He stalked inside, marching up to the desk of the Government official within.  Senator Albert Brosky looked up.  He had a lean, almost hollow-looking face and blue-black hair.  His fingers had splayed tips, which were currently steepled as he regarded the reports on the vidwindows in front of him.  Two personal aides flanked him and there was also a man in a military uniform, who looked up sharply as Justice stormed in.

"Ah, this must be the illustrious Nathan Justice I've been hearing so much about," Brosky said.  He had a silky voice and spoke smoothly.  "What can I do for you, Mr. Just--"

Justice reached across the desk, grabbed Brosky by the tie, hauled him back over, then snared him in a thick headlock, aiming his pistol at Brosky's head.  The aides started with alarm, and the military officer moved to aide the senator.  Justice turned and clocked him in the face with the butt of his pistol and sent the officer crashing to the floor with a broken tooth.  Jennings, who had followed Justice into the office, started with alarm.

"How the hell did you get a gun into this building?" Jennings asked.

"Simple," Justice said.  "I bribed the guards."  He scowled down at Brosky, who writhed, trying to free himself.  "So, start talkin', Senator.  Why'd you do it?"

"Do what?" Brosky choked.  "I don't know what you're talking about."

"The hell you say," Justice snapped.  "I'm talking about Vector, you slimy som'bitch."

"Ah, Vector," Brosky said, smiling faintly.  "Shame about that system.  Well, we have other matters to take care of.  The Resonate System was hit by terrorists last week, so as soon as we finish affecting repairs to the Resonate System, you have my assurances that another System Patch will be uploaded to Vector -- "

"Right, just like the last one?"

"Nathan!" Jennings shouted.  "What is going on?"

Justice twisted around, shoving Brosky against his desk and aiming his pistol at him.  "I'll tell you, Max.  Senator Brosky tried to have Vector deleted without telling anyone."

Jennings' eyes went wide and he looked back and forth between the mercenary and the senator.  "That's a major claim.  Do you have any evidence?"

"It's staring you right in the face!" Justice snapped.  "Brosky's the Chairman of the System Upkeep Committee, so he's the one who decrees these things to be uploaded.  Since System Patches are custom-made for the problems facing a system, he was the one who ordered Vector's to be made.  Vector's Patch had viral coding in it.  Only Brosky has the clearance to appoint programmers.  One of them put in the viral coding."

"Did you get the programmer's name?" Jennings asked.

"Unfortunately," Justice said, not taking his eyes off Brosky, "that sort of information is classified above my need-to-know."

"Naturally," Brosky said.  He smiled.  "So you don't have any evidence to back-up your claim?  Give me one good reason to not have security called in."

"I'll give you one word," Justice said.  Brosky folded his arms, smiling sardonically.  Justice leaned forward.  "Chaotis."

Brosky's face twitched with momentary alarm, and then it passed.  Justice tightened his grip on his pistol.  "See?  He knows!"

Brosky calmly readjusted his suit and folded his hands behind his back, looking down his nose at Justice.  "You don't have any tangible evidence, Mr. Justice.  I suggest you leave before I press charges for breaking-and-entering, damaging Government property, assaulting a Government official, slander, and defamation of character."

Justice seethed for a moment, but then his usual neutral frown returned.  He holstered his pistol.  "You gotta have character before it can be defamed."  He scowled.  "All right, I don't have any proof, but I'll get some, and when that happens, you'll go down."

He turned to leave, but Brosky said, "I wouldn't suggest trying this approach again, Mr. Justice.  Within a week, the security detail in this building will be considerably increased.  Not even you could get in then."

Justice turned back.  "Well, you'd better hope that I don't come back before then."  He stalked out of the office, leaving the same disorder in his wake as he had on his way in.

Brosky watched him go, then turned to Jennings.  "Friend of yours, Prime Jennings?"

"Former acquaintance," the Prime replied.

"That's right, Sentry," Justice said.  "That's snake you're smelling."  He turned to look back at the World Council Main Hall building again.  "Little serpent's got a silver tongue.  Couldn't scare any information out of him."

"He's a politician, Nat," Dirk said.  "They're born with the ability to lie under oath.  I doubt a raging merc with a gun could sway him."

Justice grumbled under his breath and snapped his fingers.  "Let's get the Hell out of here.  I need a shower.  I feel dirty after touching that slimy som'bitch."

"yEs!" the Bit said, flitting nearby.

"Hey, Bit, you like politicians any?" Justice asked as they left.

"No!"

"Smart bit," Dirk said with a smile.

"Indeed," DT-Three observed.  "I never understood the allure of politics anyway.  Why did Brosky do it?"

"Near as I can tell," Justice said, "Brosky had Chaotis upload the viral coding so he could have Vector deleted without anyone noticing.  Upkeeping systems is expensive.  So Brosky would just pocket the money used on Vector until such a time as it was noticed that Vector didn't exist.  By then, he'd have made a pretty penny, and it looks like a freak accident."

"Devious," Sil said.

"Furthermore," Justice said, starting to walk away from the building, "Brosky says the Government's got a bigger system to take care of.  The Resonate.  Got hit by terrorists, he says."

"It's true, Nat," Dirk said, holding out the Global Report news-sheet.  "Bombings.  Damage estimates in the upper hundred millions."

"At any rate," Justice said, "the senator says they'll upload another System Patch to Vector as soon as the Resonate is up and running again."

"Somehow, I don't think that'll reassure Marcus and Kimball," Sil remarked.

"I never liked politicians," Justice said.  "They're like viruses.  Too twisted for their own good."