Invisible Sun (Empire Games, #3)

by Charles Stross

One of the soldiers, an officer, ascended the stairs. “Elizabeth Hanover?” He asked, politely enough. From his epaulettes, she pegged him as an Air Defense Forces Colonel in his early thirties. A high flyer, then. It was now or never. “That is I,” said Liz. “Does this territory belong to the New American Commonwealth?” It was a formality, but she wanted a positive acknowledgement. The officer nodded. “I am Colonel Grayson, chief of staff to General Anders, commanding Maracaibo Air Station. The General sends his regrets, but he is currently occupied elsewhere. I need to be clear—are you here of your own free will? Do you understand that by entering the Commonwealth, you are in violation of the General Exclusion Order of the thirteenth of November, 2003?” For a dizzying moment Liz wondered if she was doing the right thing. “Yes! That is, yes I am here because I would like to claim asylum in the Commonwealth, at the invitation of the Ministry of Intertemporal Technology and Innovation.” Colonel Grayson looked as if he was unable to make his mind up whether she was a Faberge egg or a live hand grenade. Then he blinked, and his slightly perplexed expression came back into focus. “Welcome to the Commonwealth, in that case.