Chimera, Isaac Asimov's Robot Mystery - Mark W Tiedemann

8/13/2019 Chimera, Isaac Asimov's Robot Mystery - Mark W Tiedemann

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ISAAC ASIMOV’S

THREE LAWS OF

ROBOTICS

1.A robot may not inure a human being, or through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

2.

A robot must obey the orders gien it by human beings e!ce"t where such orders would con#lict with the

$irst %aw.

&.

A robot must "rotect its own e!istence, as long as such "rotection does not con#lict with the $irst or Second

%aws.

ISAAC ASIMOV’S

'O(O) M*S)+'*

CHIMERAMA' -. )I++MA//

Mar0 -. )iedemann’s loe #or science #iction and writing started at an early age, although it was

momentarily sidetrac0ed#or oer twenty yearsby his career as a "ro#essional "hotogra"her. A#ter

attending a Clarion Science $iction +t $antasy -riters -or0sho" held at Michigan State niersity in

1344, he rediscoered his lost loe and #ocused his talents once more on attaining his dream o# becoming a

"ro#essional writer. -ith the "ublication o# 5)argets6 in the ecember 1337 issue o# Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, he began selling short stories to arious mar0ets8 his wor0 has since a""eared in

Magazine of Fantasy a Science Fiction, Science Fiction Age, Tomorrow SF, and a number o# anthologies.

9is bestselling noel Mirage, the #irst entry in the Isaac Asimov’s Robot Mysteries series, was released inA"ril 2777. Currently, )iedemann is wor0ing on the third boo0 in the series, to be "ublished in 27728 his

ne!t com"leted noel :wor0ing title; Felony of Conscience) is scheduled #or release by iboo0s in October

2771. )iedemann lies in St. %ouis, Missouri, with his com"anion, onna, and their resident alien li#e

#orma dog named ory.

ISAAC ASIMOV

Isaac Asimo was the author o# oer , and he was the man who coined the words

robotics, "ositronic, and "sychohistory. 9e died in 1332.

ISAAC ASIMOV’S

'O(O) M*S)+'*

CHIMERA

MA' -. )I++MA//


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$or onna and 9enry )iedemann

Mom and ad

with loe, res"ect, and than0s

PROLOGUE

...brief toc!, contact wit! t!e "ata #ort, nmbers names "ates #rognoses, all flow from t!e brief toc!, a

tiny srge t!at feels t!e way nerves s!ol" feel, t!e stimlation of a !air "rawn lig!tly along a fingerti#,

bt insi"e, along a con"it less t!an a !n"re"t! a !air’s wi"t!, to a smaller #lace w!ere it grows an"

e$#licates an" becomes meaningfl in translation, revealing location "is#osition arc!itectre secrity, an

e$cess of "ata t!at gives access, all from a brief toc!...

irector Ortal# sto""ed com"laining about the lateness o# the hour the instant he saw the

hole cut in the wall o# the ca#eteria at the Seth Canobil 9os"ice Center, where he wor0ed.

9is irritation turned ?uic0ly to con#usion, then embarrassment, and #inally #ear. 9ewal0ed u" to the o"ening and reached out to touch the edge, but withdrew his #ingers

centimeters #rom brushing the toosmooth cut. In the #lat light it shone mirror bright.

5Ah...6 he said, loo0ing around. )he "olice o##icers who had brought him herestood im"assiely, their #aces "ro#essionally e!"ressionless. irector Ortal# loo0ed

around at the "eo"le milling about the area. )hey moed in grou"s o# threes and #ours,

some in uni#orm, most in ciilian clothes. Ortal# started at the sight o# a drone moingslowly across the #loor, its sensors ins"ecting eery centimeter o# the tiles.

5$orensic,6 e!"lained a dee", male oice nearby.

Ortal# loo0ed around. A tall man in somber gray was watching him, his #ace as

ambialent as eeryone else’se!ce"t #or his eyes, which glistened e!"ectantly.5Ah,6 Ortal# said again. 5Are you...@6

5Mr. Ortal#, 5 the man said, ignoring the ?uestion. %&irector Ortal#.6

5*es@65*ou run this #acility@6

Ortal# nodded shar"ly. 5-hat is going on@ -ho@6

5A routine maintenance monitor detected a "ower outage here,6 the man

e!"lained. 5According to its logs, this was listed as a class( "rimary site. It attem"ted torestore the lines, but #ound irregularities. It then alerted the local authorities. 5

5ower outage...but we hae a bac0u".65 'a".(5'edundant system...!a"(

59ow many "eo"le wor0 here, irector Ortal#@6 )he manwho must be some

sort o# ins"ector, Ortal# surmisedwal0ed away, #orcing Ortal# to catch u" and wal0 withhim.


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5m...si! "ermanent sta##,6 he said.

)he man "aused brie#ly, then continued wal0ing. 5I understand you hae nearly

three thousand wards here. 5Ortal# tried to thin0. 5*our "eo"le got me out o# bed not een hal# an hour ago,

Ins"ector. I haen’t had time to shower, to get brea0#ast, tothree thousand@ *es, that

sounds about right.65And only si! sta##.6

5Si! #ermanent sta##, I said. -e hae seeral interns and "arttime olunteers, but

een so, almost eerything is automated.6)hey le#t the ca#eteria and started down a long corridor. +mergency lights glowed

dimly along the #loor and ceiling, een though the regular lights were on.

5-ho was on call tonight@6 the ins"ector as0ed.

5I don’t"lease, Ins"ector, w!at is going on@6At the end o# the corridor a short set o# stairs led down into a nurse’s station.

(an0s o# screens showed a bright orange S)A/ (* #lashing on them. Ortal#’s gnawing

a""rehension worsened. 9e moed toward the main console, but the ins"ector gri""ed his

u""er arm tightly.5lease don’t touch anything. -ho was on call tonight@6

5I don’t remember. Bo?uil, I thin0. *es, ili# Bo?uil.6)he ins"ector gestured toward a door that o"ened at the rear o# the station. Ortal#

"ushed it wide o"en. S"rawled oer the cot that hugged one wall o# the cubicle lay a large

body, #ace down.Ortal# thought #or a moment that the man was dead. (ut a sudden, labored breath

heaed through the torso. read gae way to im"atience.

%*!at is going on( the director demanded.

)he ins"ector nodded toward the slee"ing male nurse. 5id you 0now ili# Bo?uilused (rethe@6

5-hat@ /ow loo06

)he ins"ector aimed a long #inger at the nightstand at the head o# the cot. Ortal#stared at its contents #or a long time be#ore he recognied the inhaler and an unlabeled

ial.

5-e screen our "eo"le care#ully,6 he said wea0ly.5I’m sure you do. 5

Ortal# loo0ed at the ins"ector. 59abits can start any time. -e scan eery si!

months. 5

)he nurse shi#ted in the cot again, then lay still. Ortal# turned and le#t. )heins"ector said nothing, Dust #ollowed, as the director headed #or the door to the #irst ward.

Ortal# sto""ed at the entrance. )he room stretched, nearly a hundred meters on a

side, dwar#ing the hal#doen or so strangers now wandering the aisles o# matreches.Ortal# searched the #ield o# metal and "lastic, loo0ing #or the telltale di##erence; a #law,

damage, a sign o# disru"tion. 9is "ulse raced.

5/ot this one,6 the ins"ector said ?uietly, Dust behind him. 5/umber $ie.6

-ard $ie was two leels down. Ortal#’s breathing came hard when he reached it. )wice

the sie o# the #irstleel wards, it contained the same number o# matreches. )hese,

howeer, were larger, more com"le!. More was demanded o# them8 the lies within


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re?uired s"ecial care.

Ortal# s"otted the damaged units at once. 9e staggered toward them, dodging

down a Dagged "ath between the intact incubators, till he reached the #irst one.Stic0y #luid coered the #loor around it. )he shell had been remoed and the sac

within "unctured. Ortal# e!"ected to see an as"hy!iated, dehydrated cor"se in the bed,

but the cradle was em"ty. )he tubes o# the su""ort system lay seered and useless on thecushions, a cou"le o# them still ooing li?uids. Ortal# made to reach in, but hesitated

touch would tell him the same as sight, that the child was gone. 9e loo0ed around,

con#used and close to "anic. /earby he saw two more iolated matreches.5(ut...but...6 9e sto""ed when he #ound the ins"ector watching him. 5I don’t

understand,6 Ortal# said #inally.

)he ins"ector came to a conclusion. Concerning what, Ortal# could not be sure,

but he recognied the change in the ins"ector’s #ace, #rom glassy hardness to near "ity.)he ins"ector nodded and gestured #or them to return to the administration leel.

Ortal# let himsel# be escorted bac0, daed. 9e barely noticed the "eo"le and

machines that roamed through his #acility. olice, #orensic units, s"ecialistsinsurance

adDustors, too, #or all he 0new, and within hours the lawyers would be calling.)he ins"ector brought him to his own o##ice and closed the door.

5-hat’s ha""ened@6 Ortal# as0ed. 9e had wanted to ma0e it a demand, but itcame out as a "ale, e!hausted gas".

5I’d #ran0ly ho"ed you might be able to tell me, irector Ortal#. (ut...6 9e sat on

the edge o# Ortal#’s des0 and gaed down at him. Some o# the hardness had returned, butmi!ed now with sym"athy.

5$rom what we’e been able to reconstruct so #ar, the entire clinic was seered

#rom outside communications. )here was one inde"endent oersight "rogram with a

direct line to your maintenance chie#, but a#ter ten minutes een that was cut. Most o# itwent down with the "ower. *ou may well hae a number o# #atalities to deal with. I’m not

sure how critical these systems are to each unit6

5+ach matreche has its own "ower unit to "rotect #rom a com"lete outage. 55So I gathered #rom the manu#acturer’s s"ecs. Are they all u" to "ar@6

5So #ar as I 0now. *ou’d hae to as0 our maintenance su"erisor, romis6

5-e’d loe to, but we can’t #ind her.65She...hae you been to her a"artment@6

5olice are there now. I’d li0e to hae her em"loyment #ile when you get a

moment. In #act, we’ll want the em"loyment #iles on all your "eo"le, een the

consultants, interns, and "arttimers.65o you really thin0 it could hae been one o# my "eo"le@6

5/ot alone, no. (ut it’s clear that whoeer it was had a thorough 0nowledge o#

your systems.65O# course. m...do you 0now how they bro0e in@6

5Once the "ower was down and the security net with it,6 the ins"ector e!"lained,

5a hole was cut through the "oint where there would least li0ely be a bac0u" alarm theycould 0now nothing aboutnobody alarms ca#eteriasand #rom there they went through

the clinic, cutting the rest o# the "ower and #inally deactiating een your "assie

monitoring systems.6

Ortal# blin0ed. 5It could ta0e days to get eerything bac0 u".6 9e stared o##


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toward a wall, his thoughts an an!ious Dumble. 59ow many are missing@6 he as0ed.

5)wenty#our, I thin0. All #rom -ard $ie.6

5All@6)he ins"ector nodded. 5-ho were they@6

5I don’t...you mean, who do we maintain in -ard $ie@ A s"ecial grou", I’m

a#raid. Very s"ecial.65Isn’t eeryone in your #acility s"ecial@6

Ortal# studied the ins"ector, unsure i# he heard sarcasm in the man’s oice. )he

#ace, though, remained im"assie.5Some more than others,6 Ortal# said. 5)hose-ard $iehae the most seere

situations.6

5s, aren’t they@6

5*es. ntreatable hysiological ys#unctions.65%e"ers.6

Ortal# started. 5I’m sorry@6

5/othing.6 Im"atience #lashed across the ins"ector’s #ace. 5Ancient re#erence. It’s

not im"ortant. )ell me, can you thin0 o# any reason someone would want to 0idna"them@6

5/o.65(lac0mail@ 'ansom@6

5I doubt any o# them will lie long enough outside their matreches to be o# any

use in that regard. 55-hy is that@6

5)he matrecheseach one is s"eci#ically modi#ied to its occu"ant. )hey’re

uni?ue, li0e the indiiduals they su""ort. )hey change oer time, with the condition o#

their charge. It would be nearly im"ossible to du"licate those s"eci#ications in anotherunit ?uic0ly enough to sae a remoed occu"ant. I hae no doubt that a number o# them

are dead already.6

5I see. )hat leaes reenge. -ho were they@65'eenge@6 Ortal# stood. 5*ou’re Do0ingE -hat could any o# these children hae

done6

5/ot them,6 the ins"ector said calmly. 5)heir "arents.65)heir histories are com"letely con#idential. Inaccessible. 5

5'eally@ *ou do that as e##iciently as your em"loyee bac0ground chec0s@6

%I’m the only one who can access those records.6

5And will you in#orm the "arents when you’e done so, to let them 0now thattheir children hae been lost@6

Ortal#, uncom#ortable, sat down and shoo0 his head. 5)hat’s not the arrangement

we hae.65)hey don’t want to 0now, do they@ )hat’s why you hae them in the #irst "lace. 5

5*ou hae to understand, a lot o# them hae no #amily to begin with. 5

5iscards. Abandoned.65*es.6

5I’d be willing to wager that many o# those whose records are so care#ully sealed

are children wit! #amilies.6

)he ins"ector stood, and #or a moment Ortal# e!"ected to be struc0. 9e closed his


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eyes and waited, but the blow neer came. -hen he loo0ed u", the ins"ector stood in the

doorway, his bac0 to the director.

5)he records will be re?uired,6 the ins"ector said. 5lease ma0e yoursel#aailable #or #urther ?uestioning.6

Ortal# watched the man wal0 away. /early a minute "assed be#ore he realied that

he still did not 0now the ins"ector’s name. At that moment, he was Dust as glad not to.


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)-+/)*$IV+ *+A'S %A)+'F


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ONE

Coren %anra watched #rom behind a grimeencrusted re#use bin in the recess o# an old,

unused loading doc0. A sneee threatened, teased by shar" odors and the chill air. Acrossthe wide alley, members o# a thirdshi#t crew emerged #rom an unmar0ed door. +en i#

they saw him they would "ass him o## as one o# the ubi?uitous warren ghosts, homeless

and destitute, that haunted the districts surrounding etrabor S"ace"ort. Coren wore a

shabby, an0lelength grayblac0 coat oer worn coeralls8 #our days’ beard dar0ened his

"ale #ace beneath oily, unwashed hair. 9e itched.)hree hours still remained in the third shi#t. Coren counted #i#teen "eo"le through

the doorall but one o# the #ull crew com"liment o# the largely automated warehouse.)hey were unli0ely to get into troubleCoren recognied their su"erisor among them,

mar0ed by the thic0 siler rings around his u""er arms. )hey strode noisily u" the alley,

boots crunching on scattered debris, laughter echoing o## the walls, heading #or a home0itchen or a bar. )hey rounded a corner. Coren listened till their oices came as whis"ers

in the distance.

9e dro""ed #rom the li" o# the bay and hurried to their e!it door, "ro""ed o"en by

a thin sheet o# "lastic he’d stuc0 there earlier to Dam the loc0 and disable the trac0ingsensor that 0e"t a log o# when the door was Gused. Bust inside, he #ound an I reader set

in a heay inner door. 9e sli""ed his #orged card into the slot and waited to see i# he hadgotten what he had "aid #or.)he light on the reader win0ed green and he sli""ed through into a loc0er room.

$ortyeight loc0ers, si!teen "er shi#t. Coren wondered where the last wor0er was inside

the mammoth com"le!.$rom one o# the oersied "oc0ets in his coat he too0 out a small button and

"ressed it on the #rame o# the e!it door. Should anyone #ollow him through, the button

would warn him with a strong signal "ulse tuned to a receier on his wrist.9e went to the shower room.

-ater dri""ed #rom some o# the shower heads8 the #loor was dam". 9e turned on

a Det o# hot water and remoed seeral bloc0y obDects #rom arious "oc0ets. 9e "laced

them beneath the steaming s"ray and ste""ed bac0. Huic0ly, the scanoccluding resinsmelted o## a number o# deices. Coren shut o## the water and gathered them u", sha0ing

away the e!cess water.

9e hurried down a short hallway that let into a large o##ice area, then threaded a "ath through the mae o# irregularlys"aced des0s and chairs to the trans"arent wall that

oerloo0ed the main warehouse s"ace.

Immense s?uare bloc0s #ormed a grid below the enormous ceiling. -ithin each bloc0, stac0s or cubicles, nacelles, s0ids, cratesall manner o# "ac0aging#illed the


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olume. )urnoer was constant. )he s"ace between each bloc0 e!tended down seeral

leels and bued with trans"orts, bringing loads u" #rom below or, coming #rom the

bays along the #ar wall, descending with newly arried cargo to the "ro"er location. )hecontents were monitored by a ery so"histicated AI systemnot alie, no, but as close to

machine awareness as )erran "reDudice and law allowed.

-al0ways #ollowed the grid "attern8 staircases led down into the hieli0elabyrinth. Coren wondered Dust how #ar he would #all i# he lost his balance while wal0ing

along one o# those narrow "aths. 9e "ressed close to the wall and loo0ed straight down

and could not ma0e out the bottom.9e turned away, head swimming in a brie# wash o# ertigo. At least there was a

roo# aboe...

Coren too0 out a #ew o# his onoomans. )he little machines clustered in the "alm

o# his le#t hand. 9e turned slowly, sureying the o##ice. Satis#ied, he 0nelt down and setthem on the #loor. 9e lightly touched them, and each glowed brie#ly as it actiated.

5I# 'ega 0new I used you,6 he whis"ered to them, 5he might...6 9e grunted, sel#

moc0ing, and touched each one again. )he deices stirred #or a #ew moments, then shot

o## in di##erent directions, see0ing out the s"eci#ic energy signatures o# communications,monitoring, and alarm systems. Once in "lace, Coren would be able to range whereer he

wished within the warehouse, #ree o# detection.9e too0 out a "almsied "ad and switched it on. %ess than a minute later all the

telltales win0ed green.

9e sat down at one o# the des0s, Dac0ed his "alm monitor into the com"uter0eyboard be#ore him, and initiated an access se?uence. )he security code was not ery

so"histicated8 his decry"ter gained entry in less than thirty seconds. Coren 0eyed ?uic0ly.

)he scheduling chart came u" on the screen, showing incoming and outgoing tra##ic #or

all the bays on the #ar side o# the warehouse. 9e studied the times.Most o# the bays were tightly scheduled. One showed a hal#hour "eriod with

nothing going out, nothing coming in. 9e ta""ed ?ueries. A shi"ment had been canceled

at the last minute. )hree shi"ments, in #act, all belonging to a com"any called ysler, andall cancellations routed out o# the (altimor I)+ oersight o##ices. (altimor..."ractically

the other side o# the globe. Odd. )here was an I)+ oersight o##ice in the %aus istrict

and another u" north in Ar0anleg, both o# which should hae had res"onsibility #orsu"erising tra##ic in and out o# etrabor. Still, there was no reason (altimor would be

necessarily barred #rom such duties...

9e o"ened the mani#ests. Mostly raw synthetic materials, e!otic molecular

structures, e!"orted by an Auroranowned wholesaler. One bin contained electronicsmanu#actured by Imbite0. Coren studied the I tags #or a #ew moments. ysler

iersi#ied was the distributor. All the lots had destination codes which he could not read.

Coren closed down the station. 9e unDac0ed his monitor, chec0ed the status on hislittle inter#erence runners once more, then headed out. 9e 0new now which bay he

needed.

Coren #ollowed the trans"arent wall till he came to an e!it. A short staircase too0him down to the wal0way that bordered the labyrinth. 9e "roduced another hand#ul o#

onoomans, smaller than the #irst grou", #rom a di##erent "oc0et. Actiated, they scurried

along the wal0way and disa""eared. )he #irst grou" gae him security, inter#ering with

the warehouse systems8 t!ese would #ind "eo"le #or him.


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Automated tractors #ollowing inisible guide signals s"ed through the canyons, a

constant loud humming and rush o# cold air that whi""ed at his coat. )he "lace smelled

o# oil and oone, metal and hot "lastic, and, under all that, an organic odor; yeast or mold.'ot.

)he wal0way too0 him to a broad receiing area #ronting a row o# large bay

doors. As he neared, the sounds grew thunderous; doors o"ening and slamming shut,trans"orts rumbling through in both directions, the wind now almost constant. And

beyond that, in the distance, dee"er, se"ulchral, the heay thunder o# the "ort itsel#;

shuttles li#ting o## and landing irregularly, disru"ting any "ossible rhythm to all the noise.(etween the edge o# the storage hie and the bays lay si! meters o# ancient,

stained a"ron. +!ce"t #or small "iles o# bo!es and litter, Coren saw nowhere to hide. 9e

set #ree another hand#ul o# machines and retreated to the nearest staircase leading down

into a canyon.$og lay heaily a #ew stories below. Coren descended hal# the height o# the bloc0,

until the cold bit at his #ace and #illed his sinuses with warning hollowness. 9e sat down

on a ste" and "ulled his "alm monitor out once more.

It un#olded #our times to gie him a dis"lay showing the locations o# all his littles"ies against a ma" o# the entire warehouse. )he sureillance bloc0s still showed

o"eratie. /ow he saw blue dots where all his other machines had secreted themseles.9e "ressed the hal#meters?uare screen against the wall beside him and waited.

)en minutes.

One blue dot turned red. Coren loo0ed u", sur"rised. )he intruder had come #romthe nearby loading bays. T!e si$teent! member of t!e crew, he thought. Coren loo0ed

down at the #og, twenty or more meters below, and wondered i# he should moeinto

een more bitter cold. (ut numbers #lashed beside the dot on his #latscreen, coordinates

that told him the "recise location o# the wor0er, who waited near one o# the bay doors,showing no sign o# coming any closer to Coren. A#ter a #ew seconds Coren #elt con#ident

that he would not be seennot by this one, at least.

)wele more minutes "assed.)hree blue dots turned red, #ar down the row, bac0 near the o##ices. As he

watched, his machines #ocused on the new intruders, coordinates "roli#erated oer the

screen, and he counted bodies; #i#tyone.)he number sur"rised him. 9e had e!"ected no more than a doen, at most

#i#teen.

)hey came as a grou" down a wal0way, heading this direction, obiously #or a

meeting with the waiting doc0wor0er, who now moed a #ew ste"s #rom the wall.Coren #olded the screen bac0 down to "almsie and cre"t u" the stairs to the li"

o# the wal0way.

)he doc0wor0er stood Dust inside the warehouse by an o"en bay door seeralmeters away, his bac0 to Coren. 9ands in "oc0ets, the man shi#ted minutely #rom #oot to

#oot as i# 0ee"ing time to a tune only he heard. Coren loo0ed across the grid o# wal0ways

to the a""roaching grou". $rom this distance he recognied no one. All o# them wore blac0, all o# them carried small "ac0s.

$ie or si! children accom"anied the adults.

Coren glanced at his "almmonitor. )he communications and sureillance

dam"ers still showed green. 9e estimated that he had another twenty minutes be#ore the


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AI #igured out why its internal security system was down.

Coren "eeled o## his oercoat.

As the #i#tyone re#ugees gathered around the doc0wor0er, Coren ste""ed silently#rom the stairwell and moed smoothly u" to the "erimeter, then cautiously wor0ed his

way through them. 9e loo0ed at no one, aware only that a #ew "eo"le gae him ?uic0,

nerous loo0s. )hey were #rightened, tense, too care#ul "erha"s in some ways, careless inothers. /one o# them would want to beliee that they had been #ollowed or in#iltrated or

caught, so unless it was made obious that he did not belong here, they would e!"lain

him away to themseles. At least, #or the time being.%ong enough to reach the #ront o# the gathering. 5no changes,6 a woman said

tersely. 5Canister (B>1>. on’t tell me about some other canister6

5It can’t be hel"ed,6 the doc0wor0er said calmly. 5I’m sorry. )he one segregated

#or you was #ound and im"ounded.65-hy wasn’t I in#ormed@6

5I’m in#orming you now. I’m in#orming you that we hae bac0u". -e were

"re"ared. It’s the same as it was, only di##erent. A new canister. I could "oint out that you

were su""osed to be a "arty o# #i#tytwo and you’re missing one. (ad security. (ut, hey,we understand"eo"le get scared and bac0 out at the last minute.6 9e gae her a croo0ed

smile. 5-e are "ro#essionals.6.)he woman was tall, almost gaunt, shar"ly #eatured. 9er head sat #orward, angry

and demanding, as she glared at the doc0wor0er, who gaed bac0 at her eenly. Coren

admired his nere under that dis"leased ins"ection.A#ter seeral seconds, she nodded slowly. 5All right. (ut i# this turns out to be

anything but co"asetic I’ll "eel your s0in o## with "liers. )ell your "eo"le we’re ready.6

)he wor0er nodded and wal0ed through the bay.

Coren started #orward.Something closed on his right bice". 9e tugged at it automatically, to no e##ect.

9e turned around, le#t hand curled to gie a "alm blow, and #roe, abru"tly and utterly

terri#ied.A robot regarded him blan0ly through meshcoered eye soc0ets.

5I a"ologie, sir,6 it said ?uietly, 5but I must as0 that you come with me. 5

)he robot drew him bac0 through the crowd, which now watched him with o"en#ear and shoc0. Some cringed bac0 #rom the robot, but most stood #ast, staring outrage at

Coren %anra.

)he robot wal0ed him down the row o# bay doors, to the #ourth one #rom the

grou", and waited, still holding him, #irmly but harmlessly.5amn it, Coren. 5

Coren glanced around at the oice. 9e loo0ed at the woman he had come to tal0

to. 9e waited as long as he could be#ore s"ea0ing, ta0ing adantage o# the o""ortunity tosim"ly loo0 at her. $inally, he said, 5=ood to see you, too, /yom.6

She let her breath out through her teeth, slowly, and Coren #elt himsel# smile.

5on’t tell me you’re sur"rised to see me,6 he said.5I’m not. )hat’s what bothers me.6

Coren gestured toward the robot. 5mm..,6

5Co##ee, go see to our arrangements.6

5*es, /yom.6


12/244

)he robot released Coren Gs arm. 9e congratulated himsel# that he did not

immediately ste" away #rom it. Instead, he watched it wal0 bac0 toward the grou" o#

re#ugees.5-hat are you doing@6 he as0ed the young woman. 5'unning baleys@6

5*ou 0now I am. I hae been. 5

5I’d ho"ed I’d been misin#ormed. Are you insane@6She shoo0 her head im"atiently. 5)hat’s good, Coren, a""eal to my anity. *ou

always had a way o# ma0ing me #eel s"ecial. 5

5I’m serious. o you 0now what you Gre [email protected]

Coren waited, but she said nothing more. Abru"tly, he #elt aw0ward and slightly

#oolish. 9e glanced toward the baleys.

5-here’d you get the tinhead@6 he as0ed. 5*our #ather would loe that.65)o hell with my #ather and to hell with you. -hat, did he send you to #ind me@

-hat are you going to do, throw me oer your shoulder and drag me bac0 home@6

5)he thought had occurred to me.6

She snorted, but too0 a ste" bac0. )hen she gae him a narrow loo0. 5-hat areyou going to do@6

9e met her gae eenly, trying to thin0 o# a suitable answer. $inding none, heshoo0 his head. 5I didn’t 0now you had a robot.6

She laughed. 5*ou don’t hae a "lan@ 'ega didn’t send you. *ou came on your

own.65/ot e!actly. 9e "i" tell me to #ind out what you’re doing and6

5And what@ Sit on me till the election is oer@ )hat’s what this is about, then.

'ega is a#raid his little girl’s actiities might botch his election. )ell him not to worry. I

thin0 he can ruin his chances all on his own8 he doesn’t need my hel". In #act, you cangie him some good news; 9e won’t hae to worry about me anymore at all. I won’t gie

him any #urther cause #or concern.6

Coren waited. 9e recognied the tone o# oice, the hal# smile, and a small "oint o##ear burned at the bac0 o# his throat. 9e sli""ed his hands into his "oc0ets, the right one

#inding a small "lastic bag. 9e s?ueeed it till it burst in his "alm.

5/yom,6 the robot interru"ted. Coren started and /yom laughed.5Co##ee won’t hurt you,6 she said. 5-hat is it, Co##ee@6

5)ime,6 the robot said.

5I’ll be right there.6

Co##ee retreated.5-hat do you mean, /yom@6 Coren as0ed.

She sighed and ste""ed closer. 5)ell me the truth now, Coren; did you tell the

authorities@ Am I going to be arrested by Immigration and )rade +n#orcement@65/o.6

She studied him. 5*ou really Dust came all on your own.6

5)oo many "eo"le are hard to control.65)hat’s not it.6 She #rowned. 5It’s still "ersonal, isn’t it@6 -hen he did not

answer, she smiled. 5I’m really #lattered. And I’m sorry. 5 She touched his #ace lightly

and turned away.

9e grabbed her arm. 5-hat did you mean, /yom@6


13/244

5I’m going with this bunch, that’s all. My turn to e!it. /othing "ersonal, Coren,

but i# you #ound me, then it’s only a matter o# time be#ore the authorities #ind me. I’m

ta0ing this ride.6Coren #elt his #ear grow, becoming "anic. 5=o w!ere(

% /oa %eis.6

Coren released her. 9e wanted to argue. More, he now really "i" want to drag herout o# here. (ut it was clear #rom her e!"ression, #rom the waiting baleys, and the robot

watching eerything that he would not be able to.

5-ell,6 he said, shrugging. 5I can die ha""y now. I 0now you really are insane. 59e cleared his throat. 5*ou "o 0now that /oa %eis is under bloc0ade, I su""ose@6

5-e’ll ma0e it.6 $or a moment, /yom loo0ed sad. 5Sorry. I wish...6

5/yom. lease don’t.6

She shoo0 her head. 5=otta go. *ou shouldn’t be seen. My contacts aren’t asunderstanding as I am.6

/yom s"rinted bac0 to her #loc0 o# baleys. Seconds later they #iled through the

bay door. Coren bac0ed ?uic0ly u" against a wall, standing motionless until they had all

"assed out o# the warehouse "ro"er.(ehind him, one o# the bay doors began to o"en.

Coren bro0e #or it and sli""ed around the edge Dust as a huge hauler rumbledthrough, carrying a #ourmeterhigh stac0 o# cubes. Its sli"stream almost 0noc0ed him

down.

Bust on the other side o# the o"ening, Coren #ound a massie su""ort rib rising tothe ceiling high oerhead. 9e "ressed into the corner and waited till the bay door sealed,

then "ulled another deice #rom his "oc0et.

9e raised the o"tam to his eyes as he "eered around the column o# com"osite

metal.Seen or eight meters #rom the wall, the "aement ended and a tangled mae o#

thin trac0s s"read out, deltali0e, busy with huge trans"orts carrying large containers,

bins, and "ac0ages #rom the tunnel system that led directly to the shuttle "ads dotting thelanding area o# etrabor #ield. )he surge and rumble o# shuttle tra##ic droe through him,

ibrating his bones.

9e was annoyed that /yom had read him so easily. 9e had ho"ed she wouldassume that he had brought bac0u"the "olice, immigration authorities, other com"any

security. 9e thought he could tal0 her out o# it8 that, a#ter loading her latest troo" o#

misguided wouldbe Settlers aboard whateer means o# trans"ort she had arranged, he

could conince her to come home and sus"end o"erations #or a time. ntil the end o# theelection. 9e had ho"ed she might #inally want to stay with him.

9e had ho"ed...

)he iew through the o"tam showed the "arty o# baleys, a #ew doen metersdown, on an em"ty "atch. -hile Coren watched, a huge "od dri#ted out o# the writhing

tra##ic and came to a sto" be#ore them. )he end deelo"ed a seam and o"ened smoothly

to one side. $our "eo"le ste""ed #rom its dar0 interior to meet with /yom.Coren sti##ened. )wo o# the #our were robots. One loo0ed a bit more so"histicated

than the other, almost human, but the dull sheen that outlined its slee0 head and body

gae it away. It moed with an unusual grace, a #luid, almost organic motion,

uncharacteristic o# any robot with which Coren was #amiliar. It circled the baleys, slowly,


14/244

as i# ta0ing inentory. It sto""ed be#ore /yom’s robot, Co##ee, then seemed to come to a

decision and reDoined its com"anions.

Coren touched a contact on the side o# the o"tam and sound came through the bead in his ear, but he only heard the mu##led, unintelligible sounds o# a discussion. 9e

lowered the o"tam and tried to adDust the aural #ilters to com"ensate #or the noise, then

raised it again.)he strange robot was gone.

Coren dro""ed the o"tam8 he saw the robot clearly. -hen he raised the magni#ier

again, the robot did not a""ear. 9e could see the other robot easily, a machine slightlysmaller than Co##ee, a bit slee0er. (ut the #irst robot remained inisible.

Mas+e"...@

Coren tensed, "re"aring to act. )he baleys began #iling into the big container, and

he realied that he would do nothing. yom +nows w!at s!e’s "oing, he thought. At leastas far as #roce"re goes. She did not act alarmed, so he had to assume she 0new these

"eo"le, these machines. It unsettled him, though, to watch her, the last one, wal0 u" the

ram", accom"anied by Co##ee.

)he mas0ed robot #ollowed a minute later, causing Coren’s "ulse to accelerateagain. )he other contacts, human and robot, closed u" the container, then wal0ed away.

$ie minutes later an automated hauler hoo0ed onto the container and "ulled itinto the mae o# trac0s and out o# Coren Gs reach.

Abru"tly, Coren #elt a wae o# bitterness. $ailure did that. It would hae been so

sim"le, so much easier i# she had Dust come with him. /ow...9e o"ened his "alm monitor and 0eyed #or a new signal. A bright yellow dot

glowed on the small screen. )he smear he had "laced on /yom had trans#erred #rom

#abric to metal to "lastic, a cleer see0er code built into the tiny molecules that im"arted

a 0ind o# machine instinct to #ind a suitable "lace to use as a conductor and enable themto transmit.

9e "oc0eted the o"tam and the "alm monitor and sli""ed bac0 through the bay

door on the ne!t cycle, Dust ahead o# another huge "allet. All he had to do now was getout o# the warehouseand all the communications dam"ing he had "ut in "laceand

signal his contact on o"erni0 Station.

9e imagined how angry /yom was about to be.5So what@6 he mused as he recoered his oercoat. 5(etter she’s righteously

"issed o## at me than dead #rom some triggerha""y bloc0ade station.6 9t8 glanced bac0

at the bay door. 5/oa %eisE -hat are you t!in+ing, /yom@ Or are you thin0ing.6 9e

trotted along the wal0way toward the o##ices, muttering. 5*ou’e neer been "articularlyim"ulsie, but when you are, you are absolutely un"redictable. /oa %eis. amn.6

-hen he reached the loc0er room, he "unched a code into the "alm monitor. All

the little machines he’d released throughout the warehouse began to eat themseles intodust. /othing would be le#t to analye, i# anyone eer #ound them. Bust minuscule "iles o#

re#use.

9e chec0ed the time, estimated that he had about si! hours be#ore that bin reacheddoc0side on o"erni0. 9e could een clean u" be#ore he made his call...

9e recoered the small button he had "laced in the e!it and ste""ed into the alley.

9e saw no one and ?uic0ly bounded across to where he had been hiding when the

nightshi#t crew had le#t. 9e #ished one more deice #rom an inside "oc0et and o"ened it.


15/244

9e ta""ed in a code and waited #or the comm to u"load #or him.

)he screen remained blan0. 9e ran a diagnostic. %OCA%I)* +''O' scrolled

across the small screen. Coren hissed, annoyed. Something around here was inter#eringwith the lin0. 9e should hae tested it #irst. robably being this close to the "ort was

causing "roblems. 9e closed u" the comm unit and headed down the alley.

9e s"lashed through the accrued see"age and hunched his shoulders against therandom dro"s o# condensation #rom the unseen ceiling high oerhead. 9e rounded the

ne!t corner and headed u" a broad alleyway littered with abandoned shi""ing crates,

re#use dum"sters, old and bro0en trans"orts, and the scra"s o# tra##ic.59ey, gato.6

Coren glanced to his right, at the source o# the throaty oice. A tall man came out

o# the shadow o# a receiing bay and lo"ed toward him, hands in the "oc0ets o# a long

oercoat. Coren’s hand moed #or the stunner he carried in his Dac0et. )he strangercoughed heaily, a "hlegmy hac0 Coren recognied as one o# the recent strains o#

subleel tuberculosis. /ot contagious usually, but Coren li0ed to 0ee" his distance.

5/ot tonight,6 he said.

59ey, that’s not sa"ien,6 the man said. 5 Bust wanting a share, you 0now.6Coren re#le!iely "ulled out a #ew credits #rom his "oc0et and tossed them.

)he man scoo"ed them u" with more alacrity than Coren would hae guessed.5)han0s, gato,6 he said and touched a #inger to his hat.

Coren turned away.

A hand clenched around his throat between one breath and the ne!t. Corengrabbed the wrist and "ushed #orward to reliee the "ressure, but the hand held. )he

wrist, wra""ed in a thic0 sleee, seemed li0e steel. Coren tried to turn away #rom the

encircling arm and drie an elbow bac0. 9e missed, tried again, and then dro""ed to his

0nees under a shar" blow to the le#t shoulder.9e cho0ed. S"ar0s danced around the edge o# his ision. 9e tried to swee" a hand

around to catch the 0nees o# his attac0er, but he was too o##balance.

9e closed his eyes, and the "ain went away.

Coren came awa0e lying on dam" "aement, his throat burning as he cho0ed on the

sourness in his mouth. 9is shoulder throbbed and would not su""ort his attem"t to "ushhimsel# u". 9e rolled oer and stared u" at dar0 walls, too close. 9e had been moed. 9e

lay still #or a minute or more until the acid subsided and his breathing calmed. 9e

managed #inally to sit u".

9e was about three meters #rom the end o# a narrow hallway, but still in the samegeneral area o# etrabor, #rom what he could see beyond. 9is head s"un and his legs

trembled as he got to his #eet. 9e needed to get to a medical unit, he 0new, but not down

here8 no telling what 0ind o# treatment he might get #rom the ?uac0s "racticing in thesubleels. 9e needed to get to a comm sooner.

9e "atted his "oc0ets. 9is stunner was gone, as were his o"tam, "alm monitor,

and comm unit. (ut they had missed his I, and he still had a #ew credits in a cal#"ouch.Coren tried to #igure out what had ha""ened. 9e was not a small man, and he had

been trained well during his years with S"ecial Serice, but whoeer had attac0ed him

had handled him as i# he were a child. ossible, but not the "anhandler. Surely not.

9e sighed heaily and coughed.


16/244

-ater, he thought, stumbling #rom the hallway. Figre it ot later....

TWO

-hen he returned to the hostel, all Coren wanted to do was #all into bed and slee". 9e

leaned against the door o# his room, eyes shut, #eeling his bruises and weariness. 9e had

been beaten u" once be#ore, years ago, but the brain did not remember the "ain.

9e #orced his eyes o"en. )he cloc0 aboe the bed said /I/+)++/)+/

%OCA%.5amn. $ie hours. 5

9e lurched to the small des0 and "ulled a brie#case #rom beneath it. 9e threw o##his oercoat and ta""ed in the release code on the case, then too0 out his "ersonal datum.

9e Dac0ed it into the room comm and entered a string o# numbers. 9e sat down then,

an!iously watching while the lin0 assembled itsel# through a secure channel.5Come on...come on...6

5alen here,6 a oice crac0led shar"ly #rom the comm.

5It’s Coren, Si"ha. )he "ac0age is on its way u".6

5Already trac0ing it. -e’ll hae it in the bay in...two hours and a bit. -here haeyou been@ I e!"ected your call6

5I’ll tell you later. I was delayed unaoidably.65*ou still coming u"@65As soon as I get clean. I’ll be on a shuttle in an hour.6

5I# we get the "ac0age in station be#ore you get here@6

5Can you delay o"ening till I’m there@65-ithin limits.6

5I’m moing as #ast as I can, Si"ha. )han0s. 5

Coren entered a new number and read oer the shuttle schedules that scrolled ontothe screen. 9and trembling slightly, he boo0ed one, and closed down the lin0. 9e

considered trying to contact the data troll who had told him about tonight’s clandestine

emigration, but that could scare her. She had been nerous anyway8 their meeting had not

gone smoothly. Coren had been in too big a hurry to ?uestion her an!iety, but now hewondered about it. 9e unDac0ed his datum and "ut it away.

9e assembled his luggage ?uic0ly, then stri""ed o## the grimy clothes. 9e

showered, de"ilated his #ace, and dressed in tailored blac0 and dar0 blue. )he oercoatand coeralls went into the recycle chute.

Coren snatched his brie#case and single du##le, gae the cubicle a last loo0, gae

lingering on the bed. I really nee" slee#, he thought. On the shuttle, he decided, and le#t#or the "ort.


17/244

Coren gri""ed the armrests, unable to ma0e himsel# rela!. 9e 0new the shuttle was in

motion and, though he #elt nothing, the 0nowledge made him sic0. 9e #orced himsel# notto slouch, grate#ul that the nausea was not worse.

5(ig brae "oliceman,6 he muttered sourly, 5scared o# a little s"ace#light. 5

9e glanced at his #ellow "assengers. One man sle"t soundly by induced comaano"tion Coren #ound more re"ellant than the #light itsel# and the only others he could see

clearly seemed to be S"acers, tall and elegant and gathered together in one section in the

#ront o# the cabin, tal0ing animatedly, un#aed by the #act that they were hurtling throughs"ace with less than thirty centimeters o# hull between them and acuum.

Coren closed his eyes and tried to thin0 about what had ha""ened to him.

It was "ossible that /yom had hired someone to coer her bac0 and that the

"anhandler had been her muscle. ossible, but inconsistent with /yom %oomsat least,not the /yom %ooms Coren thought he 0new.

erha"s he no longer really 0new her. 9e had made an assum"tion, relied on old

data, and gotten hurt.

(ut assuming #or the moment that the "anhandler had not been her man, then whowas he@ Coren’s shoulder and nec0 throbbed8 the bruise would be s"ectacular.

&efinitely !ave to !ave a tal+ wit! t!at "ata troll, he thought. )he idea that he had been set u" troubled him, but it was not unli0ely. (aley running attracted an

unde"endable ariety o# conscience, "eo"le committed to arious causes but with a

wea0ness #or money that wor0ed against their reolutionary "rinci"les. )he #ew )rue(elieers were una""roachable in any ordinary sensethose #rom whom Coren could

e!tract in#ormation were, by de#inition, untrustworthy.

)he troll who had su""lied him with the data #or last night’s shi"menta woman

named Beta $rommshould hae been more reliable. Coren used a clearing house #or "eo"le li0e her; ata 'ecoery Systems, %td. An innocuous name, considering how much

borderline illicit trade they dealt in. (ut they guaranteed the wor0 o# their o"eraties

sometimes in heayhanded and un"leasant waysand would not ta0e it well to learn thatone o# their "eo"le had betrayed a client. Still, he had not gotten that im"ression #rom

Beta $romm. She did not seem li0e the sort who would indulge in doublecrosses. She had

been an!ious, but the data she su""lied had been accurate. I# anything, she had seemed "reoccu"ied. Coren relied a great deal on his intuition about "eo"lehe had occasionally

been wrong, no system is "er#ectand he thought he had Dudged her correctly. erha"s he

had and something else was inoled. It would not do to act be#ore he 0new, which meant

he had to #ind her on his own and not go through the clearing house. )hey mightmisunderstand. At best, he could cost her em"loyment. At worst...

)he other "ossibility was that /umber Si!teen third shi#t doc0wor0er who had

met with /yom. (ut Coren had not seen him clearly and with his o"tam stolen he had noimages to wor0 with. erha"s he could #ind out who he was through the I)+ o##ice in

(altimor. 9e 0new someone there. It would be interesting in any case to #ind out what

connection e!isted between that branch and a etrabor baleysmuggling o"eration.At least he 0new he could rely on Si"ha alen and accom"lish his mission.

/yom would be #urious with him.

/o matter, so long as she was sa#ely bac0 on +arth and out o# circulation #or a

while. 'ega owned a illa in enya Sector where he o#ten went to be aloneCoren


18/244

himsel# had oerseen its security. It was the sa#est "lace he 0new to tuc0 /yom away

while the election ran.

5*our attention "lease, 5 an automated oice said. 5-e will be doc0ing ato"erni0 Station in #i#teen minutes. lease be sure your sa#ety #ield is on and secured and

any "ersonal obDects are stowed in the a""ro"riate com"artments. 'emain in your seats

until the green debar0ation light is on. )han0 you.6Coren sighed grate#ully. $i#teen minutes. =ood. 9e loo0ed u" at the grou" o#

S"acers and brie#ly caught one’s eye. $or a moment he thought he recognied an

e!"ression o# sym"athy. (ut it "assed and she laughed at a Do0e #rom one o# hercom"anions.

9e shi#ted uncom#ortably. 9is sa#ety #ield had stayed on the entire tri". 9is s0in

"ric0led slightly #rom the #aint "ressure. 9is shirt stuc0 to him #rom the sweat8 he would

need another shower as soon as he debar0ed.9e #elt a brie# lurch and clutched des"erately at the armrests.

5-e hae com"leted doc0ing at o"erni0 Station, (ay twooneseen. lease

remain seated until we are ready #or debar0ation. -e ho"e you hae enDoyed your #light

and we than0 you #or traeling Intra"oint.6Coren bit bac0 a snide comment and concerned himsel# with shutting down the

sa#ety #ield. 9is legs hurt #rom the constant tension.A row o# green lights win0ed on oerhead the length o# the cabin. An attendant

came through to hel" anyone who might need assistance. Coren stood, than0#ul his legs

did not sha0e. 9e "ulled his brie#case #rom the cubby beneath his seat and made his wayto the e!it. As he wal0ed down the whitewalled tunnel away #rom the shuttle, he began

#eeling more con#ident. 9e emerged into the brightlylit, cheerilycolored, closeceilinged

rece"tion lounge #eeling a bit #oolish about his #ear. 9e sli""ed on his Dac0et while he

scanned the waiting crowd.Si"ha alen stood o## to the le#t and gae him a nod, then strolled o##. Coren

chec0ed in at the security des0 and retrieed his du##le. 9e caught u" with Si"ha hal#way

down the concourse and #ell into ste" beside her.Si"ha stood at least twele centimeters taller than him, with broad shoulders

ta"ering into what she called a 5swimmer’s build6slimhi""ed and sinewy. ale amber

eyes stood out shar"ly against her brassybrown s0in8 she wore her co""er hair in a thic0?ueue than hung to Dust between her shoulder blades. 9er iory suit hinted at 5uni#orm 5

without being obious. She smelled o# hot metal and #lowers.

59ow was the #light@6 she as0ed nonchalantly.

5on’t, 5 he said.She gae him a wry smile. 5*ou should #ly more o#ten. *ou might learn to li0e

it.6

5It’s good to see you, Si"ha,6 he said, ignoring the Dab.5%i0ewise. )he "ac0age arried #our hours, twenty minutes ago. -e hae the bay

securedDust my "eo"le. o you want to go right there or tidy u" #irst@6

5%et’s get it oer with. Maybe I can enDoy the rest o# my stay a#terward. 5Si"ha made a dubious noise, but increased the "ace slightly. She led him to an in

station shuttle car.

5(y the way,6 he said as he stra""ed in, 5there are two robots in there. One loo0s

"retty ordinary, but the other one was inisible to my o"tam.6


19/244

5Mas0ed@6

5I can’t thin0 o# another e!"lanation. So let your "eo"le 0now to be care#ul.6

)hey made the transit in silence, Coren staring at a s"ot Dust aboe Si"ha’s rightshoulder. )he car slowed to a halt and Si"ha ste""ed lithely out. Coren #ollowed her

down a serice corridor into an immense bay.

)he security "eo"le standing around straightened when they saw Si"ha. Shestrode across the "ale gray #loor toward the cargo bin sitting near its center. Coren’s

heartbeat ?uic0ened u"on seeing itrelie#, he realied. It was here, sa#e, and soon /yom

would be on her way to een more sa#ety. It is still #ersonal...he thought.

A "air o# uni#ormed techs, e!"ressions tight, a""roached Si"ha. )hey s"o0e in

low, terse tones.

5O"en the damn thing nowE6 Si"ha shouted.She s"rinted the rest o# the distance to the bin. Coren dro""ed his luggage and ran

a#ter her. )echs, galanied, lurched into motion.

eo"le conerged on the bin. Coren sto""ed outside the huddle o# technicians

wor0ing to o"en it and waited, im"atient and an!ious.)he seal "arted and the door #olded down.

Coren shouldered his way through the uni#orms.Si"ha entered the bin #irst.

5=et me some light in hereE6 she called, her oice hollow.

Coren bum"ed her, sto""ed at the edge o# dar0ness. )he s"illoer #rom the baylights "ic0ed out disconnected details o# a s?uat bul0 Dust be#ore them and lines that

might be the edges o# sheles or cots. Coren heard a #aint, rhythmic buing.

5-hat@6 he began.

)echs came u" behind them with handheld #loodlam"s. )hey switched them onand raised them.

Coren blin0ed at the sudden glare.

)he air smelled #aintly burnt...5Shit,6 Si"ha breathed.

'ac0s o# couches crowded the walls all around, three dee", with barely a meter

between leels. +ach "allet contained a body. /one o# them moed8 Coren detected no breath "ushing at clothing, no hint o# li#e. ead bodies, an umbilical running #rom each

#acemas0 to the large a""aratus in the center o# the cram"ed o"en s"ace directly be#ore

Si"ha and Coren.

On the o""osite side o# the big machine, Co##ee 0nelt, motionless.Coren’s ears sang with blood. S"ar0s teased at the "eri"hery o# his ision and he

#elt cocooned, se"arated #rom his surroundings. 9e made himsel# ste" #orward. 9e

loo0ed in at the nearest cor"se. She had been stra""ed into the couch. 9er hands hadclutched s"asmodically at the #abric beneath her.

)he couch aboe her held a child, its eyes staring blindly.

9e made his way around the a""aratus, ste""ing care#ully oer the tubes running#rom its base, u" the railings, and into the couches.

Co##ee’s hands were #roen on a control "anel. Coren bent oer to see what the

robot was touching. IS+/=A=+. Coren glared at the robot. 9e #elt his hands curl

instantly into #ists.


20/244

5*ou "iece o#6

5Coren.6

9e loo0ed u" at Si"ha. She still stood at the entrance. She "ointed u".Coren loo0ed.

angling #rom the ceiling o# the bin was another body. 9anging, sus"ended, it

shi#ted eersoslightly right to le#t and bac0 in the moement o# air coming #rom the bay.It was a woman, her head angled shar"ly to the le#t. 9er eyes were wide, tongue e!truded

between her li"s.

/yom.

)he tea in his cu" had gone cold as Coren watched Si"ha’s "eo"le remoe the bodies.

)he air in the o##ice cubicle was a #ew degrees too cool. 9e stared #i!edly through the

window at the #orensic dance around the crime scene. /yom would be brought out last, he 0new, because her condition was so di##erent.

Si"ha entered the o##ice and sat down heaily behind the small des0.

5$i#tytwo bodies,6 she said. 5-e don’t hae the #acilities to store them in our

morgue. I’m haing stasis units moed into an e?ui"ment loc0er nearby. (est we can dotill we 0now how to handle this.6

Coren loo0ed u". 5$i#tytwo@ )here were #i#tyone baleys.65-e’e got #i#tytwo now.6

5All human@6

Si"ha nodded. 5Maybe one was already in the bin. -ho 0nows@65-hat about the other robot@6 Coren as0ed.

5/o second robot. Bust the one. Sorry.6

5I saw it enter the bin with them. *ou Gre telling me it got out@6

5*ou saw it get in at the warehouse doc0. A#ter that, who 0nows@ Once on boardits shuttle, it could hae le#t. Or it might not hae een gotten on the shuttle.6 She

grunted. 5-e could as0 the one we "o hae, but it’s colla"sed.6

59ow conenient,6 he said. 5-hat shi" was this bin scheduled #or@65It’s not een in doc0 yet, won’t be #or another three days. A Settler cargo hauler,

slated #or a direct run to an orbital #acility owned by a com"any called the 9unter =rou".

55)hree days...6 Coren shoo0 his head.

5So,6 Si"ha said a#ter a time, 5what do you thin0 ha""ened@6

Coren shuddered brie#ly and set the cu" aside. 9e #olded his hands in his la".

5)he other robot. It must’e glitched or mal#unctioned or...something. It 0illed /yom,then su##ocated the others by switching o## the rebreather unit.6

5-hat about /yom’s robot@ -hy would it hae allowed that to ha""en@6

5)hey must’e been in it together. 5Si"ha said nothing. Coren turned his chair to #ace her. She wore a s0e"tical

e!"ression.

5)hat’s what you want to beliee,6 she said.Coren nodded. 5)rouble is, I don’t hae a iable alternatie. o you@6

%o. (ut I’m not sure I can acce"t that one robot could 0ill. *ou want me to

acce"t that two o# them were coo"erating in a mass murder. 5

Coren grunted. 5Since when hae you gone S"acer@6


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She #rowned. 5Since when hae you lost the ability to thin0@6

Coren glared at her.

5-e "artnered #or two years in S"ecial Serice,6 she said. 5I thought you weremore reasonable than that. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe wor0ing #or 'ega %ooms has

loosened your gri" on obDectie reality. -hat do you thin0@6

Coren wor0ed himsel# bac0 #rom anger and tried to thin0 it through. Si"ha hadcome into the Serice directly #rom the military, a di##erent "ath than his more direct

route o# a""lying to the Academy #or Ciic e#ense, $orensics, and Criminal

Interdiction. es"ite their diergent bac0grounds, Coren had come to trust her. 9e stilldid. It had sur"rised him when, a#ter he had le#t the Serice, she had ta0en this "osition as

head o# security #or o"erni0 Station.

(ut it "ut her in almost daily contact with S"acers and Settlers, both #actions o#

whom had embassy branches on the station. /eertheless, he trusted her. )hat, he recognied, had not changed.

5All right,6 he said slowly. 5)ell me your reasoning.6

5)hat robot is colla"sed. ositronic nerous brea0down. Something ha""ened to

cause it, and i# it could brea0 down li0e that then it could not hae harmed any o# those "eo"le. I# it were still wal0ing around, calmly trying to do its business, then I might agree

with you.6 She sat bac0. 5I’e been u" here #ie years, Coren. I’e learned a little bitabout robots. 9ae to, when you deal with S"acers who won’t leae home without them.

I had to learn to discount my own "reDudices a long time ago i# I wanted any chance o#

running my de"artment e##iciently and doing my Dob honestly. It wasn’t easyI still don’tli0e thembut I 0now their limitations. It wasn’t the robot. /ot that one, anyway. And I

doubt it was this other onethere’s no inbuilt com"unction that "reents a robot #rom

harming another robot, es"ecially in the de#ense o# humans. As #ar as we’e been able to

tell, that second robot wasn’t een on board when this ha""ened.6 She gestured towardthe bay. 5(esides, what motie@ Suicide@ (ringing along a robot would hae been the

best way to fail to commit suicide. )hey’re "rogrammed to sae our lies #or us, whether

we want them to or not.6Coren nodded. 5All right, that’s all logical. As #ar as it goes. Sorry about the

remar0. 5

5$orget it. Sohow do you want to "roceed@65-hy do I get a say@ Isn’t this o##icial now@6

Si"ha "ursed her li"s thought#ully. 5Maybe.6 She seemed to consider care#ully.

5See, this bay is Settler. -hen you contacted me about this little #aor you wanted, I

called in a #ew #aors o# my own. 'ight now, this whole business e!ists in an o##icialacuum. /o one 0nows but you, me, and my immediate sta##. 5 She stabbed a #inger in

the direction o# the cargo bin. 5And whoeer 0illed all those "eo"le.6

5*ou’ll hae to ma0e it o##icial sooner or later.65)rue. (ut maybe by then we can #igure this out.6

Coren studied her #or a moment. Something in her e!"ression teased at him.

5)here’s something else,6 he stated.Si"ha still "ondered, then nodded. 5I agreed to do this #or you because I need you.

5

5I’m #lattered. (ut I’m also "riate now.6

5Oh, I thin0 we can change that i# we need to. (ut...I hae a "roblem I can’t ta0e


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to my su"eriors. I’m not een sure who among my own "eo"le I can trust with it. I need

outside hel". I didn’t 0now how I was going to get it till you called.6

5Is it related@65I wouldn’t be sur"rised. robably. It has to do with baleys, at least. ead ones,

too, though this is the #irst load o# cor"ses to show u" on my station. 5

Coren raised an eyebrow in amusement. 5G*our’ station@6Si"ha smiled wol#ishly. 5Oh, yes, old "artner mine. /eer doubt it. My station. It

has trouble and I want it #i!ed.6 She gaed "ast him, into the bay. 5As I say, this is the

#irst load o# cor"ses. )he occasional body has been turning u" #rom time to time. )hesorts o# "eo"le who easily get crushed when they learn the wrong thing, or 0now too

much, or who Dust show u" where they shouldn’t. Most o# them hae been thoroughly

"ro#essional 0ills...till about three months ago.6

Coren waited. She seemed to come to a decision and actiated the datum on thedes0. )he "a"erthin screen e!truded and win0ed on. She wor0ed intently #or a cou"le o#

minutes, then croo0ed a #inger at him to hae a loo0.

5-e #ound this in one o# our detention cells,6 she said.

On the screen Coren saw a body, laid out on a morgue table. It had been awomanthe basic sha"e was still intactbut he had neer seen a body so thoroughly

bruised; blue, green, and sic0ly yellow mar0s ran #rom the scal" to the toes. $aint redlaceration mar0s interru"ted the mottling here and there.

5-hat was it@ +!"losie decom"ression@ Something #all on her@6

5In a detention cell@6 Si"ha as0ed wryly. 5She was alie when we "ut her in there.Small?uantity (rethe "eddler, nothing maDor, eer"ublic nuisance, more than anything

else. She was su""osed to be, you see, because she wor0ed #or me.6

5'egular co"@6

5/o, she really did used to deal in blac0 mar0et. I made her a better deal. Itwor0ed out. She wor0ed the Settler section #or me.6

Coren #elt himsel# smile. 5And when there was something really im"ortant to

re"ort...@65She got hersel# arrested. )his hadn’t been the #irst time she’d isited one o# my

cells. )he ne!t shi#t, we #ound her li0e this. Very sim"ly, eery bone in her body had been

bro0en. A lot o# them were crushed.65-hat was she re"orting@6

5I don’t 0now. She came in Gunder the in#luence.’ I was tied u" with arranging all

this #or you and didn’t get a chance to tal0 to her.6

5/o one heard or saw anything@65+idently not. )hat’s why I’m not really sure about my "eo"le. Can you thin0 o#

a way that could ha""en and no one on watch would 0now about it@6

Coren shoo0 his head. 5-hat about sureillance@65(lan0 #or that section. I sus"ended two o# my o##icers #or negligence, but I

honestly don’t thin0 they were the ones who did it. Someone with a bit more e!"ertise

#iddled the recorders. )he "roblem with that is, I hae at least #ie "eo"le on my sta##who col" hae done it, but none o# them has a motie.6 Si"ha gestured toward the image

on the screen. 5(esides, loo0 at that and tell me how it was done. A cou"le o# adDusters

with clubs@ I don’t thin0 so.6

5(ut since you don’t really sus"ect your two disci"line cases, you hae an idea. 5


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Si"ha nodded. 5uring auto"sy we came u" with this. 5 She ta""ed the 0ey"ad.

5)he bruising is uninterru"ted oer the entire body and none o# the #ractures are

consistent with blows. 5)he screen changed, showing an image o# a shoulder, blac0ened li0e rotting #ruit.

Si"ha adDusted the scan and one sha"e emerged, slightly dar0er than the surrounding

bruise. Coren stared at the ague outline o# a hand. An odd hand, to be sure, the #ingerstoo thic0 and short, the s"read too wide.

5-as it clear enough #or any 0ind o# "rints@6 he as0ed.

5/o "rints. er#ectly smooth e!ce"t #or a cou"le o# Doints. And the bone beneaththis im"ression had been ground nearly to "owder. /o, "artner mine, this isn’t a human

hand.6

5A robot@6 9e shoo0 his head. 5(ut you said6

5I said t!at robot6 she "ointed out at the bay 5didn’t do it. (ut that’s still my best guess. And i# a robot did this6 she gestured at the screen 5i# a robotmaybe your

second mystery robot got into my cells and did this, then I hae a serious "roblem.6 She

loo0ed u" at him. 5-ill you hel" me@6

5I6 Coren began.)he door o"ened. One o# Si"ha’s men leaned in. 5Chie#, you need to see this. 5

5Cou"le things,6 the older man(a!in, Si"ha’s sta## "athologist said when Si"ha and

Coren entered the bin. 9e "ointed at the rebreather unit. )he umbilicals had all been

disconnected and had retracted into the unit. 5)hat’s a standard $ain(ischer rebreather.About si! years old, out o# date, but still in good wor0ing order. /o reason it won’t last

another hundred years once it’s been cleaned out.6

5Cleaned out o# what@6 Si"ha as0ed.

5-e don’t 0now yet, but it’s eident #rom the "ostures o# the deceased thatthey’e been "oisoned. Something in the rebreather, we assume. Something cleer, too.

)he #iltration system should hae bloc0ed it, but it didn’t.6 9e nodded shar"ly. 5)hat’s

one thing. )he other...6 9e "ointed u". /yom’s body had been ta0en down and now they could see how she had been

sus"ended. )he roo# had a crac0 in it, about hal# a meter long and "erha"s #ie to eight

centimeters at the widest. )he metal around it was discolored, heatscored.5)he bin was "ressuried,6 the tech e!"lained. 5)he air lea0ed out through that

crac0. My guess is that the body was drawn to it during #ree#all. )he #abric o# her "ants

got caught in it. 5

5id decom"ression 0ill her@6 Coren as0ed.5/o. A bro0en nec0 did that. She was dead be#ore she got stuc0 in the ceiling.6

Coren loo0ed down at the rebreather. 5-hy@ I# eeryone else was "oisoned...6 9e

loo0ed around. 5-here’s the robot@65I’e got it in an im"ound loc0er,6 (a!in said. 5I didn’t 0now where else to "ut

it.6

Si"ha e!tended her hand. 5=ie me the tag. I’ll ta0e care o# the robot. 9ow longon auto"sies@6

5$i#teen, twenty hours,6 (a!in said. 5A #ew "reliminaries sooner than that maybe.

5

5-hat made the crac0@6 Coren as0ed. 5It loo0s intentional. 5


24/244

5It is,6 (a!in said. 59eat induction, industrial grade drill or welder, crystallied

the metal, made it brittle.6

5-hat 0ind@65-e don’t hae it. )here’s nothing in here that would do that.6

5/ot een the robot@6

5/o, I don’t thin0 so. S"ecialied tool, in my o"inion.6Coren gae the hole in the roo# a last glance, then le#t the bin.

-hen Si"ha Doined him, he said, 5oesn’t ma0e sense. -ho bro0e her nec0 i#

Co##ee didn’t@6She glanced at him. 5 GCo##ee’@6

5)hat’s what she called the robot.6 9e saw Si"ha’s e!"ression. 5on’t as0 me, I

don’t 0now why. (ut who else could hae bro0en her nec0@6

5-e’ll chec0 the bodies to see i# time o# death matches in all cases. (ut I stillthin0 you’re wrong about the robot. Maybe it 0new they were being "oisonedthat’s

what it was trying to sto".6

%'ow did it 0now@ And who6

5I 0now, who bro0e /yom’s nec0. Maybe the same one who crushed that (rethedealer@6

5And which one would that be@ -hich dead one in that bin who had neer beento o"erni0 be#ore would that be@6 Coren as0ed sarcastically. 5Oh, wait, I 0now. )he

same one who crac0ed a hole in the bin with an inducer that no one can #ind. 5

Si"ha snarled at him. 5I don’t damn well 0now, Coren. So I re"eat; will you hel"me@6

9e nodded. 5Oh, yes. I’ll hel" you. /o ?uestion.6 9e mulled his o"tions #or a #ew

seconds. 5I’m going bac0 down. *ou can handle the auto"sies without me. Also, I’ll need

I on all o# them.65-hat’s down there@6 Si"ha #rowned. Clearly, she had thought they would be

wor0ing together #or a #ew days.

5I hae a cou"le o# "eo"le to tal0 to. $or one, the data troll who "ut me onto /yom in the #irst "lace. I want to #ind those "eo"le /yom was dealing with, and she’s my

best chance right now.6 9e drew a dee" breath. 5And we’re going to need a roboticist.6

5)here’s a lab #ull o# them here65o you trust them@6

Si"ha scowled, then shoo0 her head. 5/ot till I #ind out who 0illed my (rethe

dealer. 5

5I’ll see i# I can ta0e care o# that, then.65I su""ose you 0now a roboticist@6

%f one, yes. I thin0 it’s best to stay away #rom anyone inoled directly with the

S"acer sector on o"erni0.6Si"ha nodded. 5I’ll get you on the ne!t shuttle bac0 to .C.6

%o, not .C. %yig istrictthat’s where my in#ormant lies. I’ll ta0e the

suborbital bac0 to .C. a#ter I tal0 to her. Send me the auto"sy data when you hae it.65-hat are you going to say to %ooms@6

Coren shoo0 his head. 5I’ll worry about that when I see him.6


25/244

THREE

)he #light down #rightened him more than the tri" u" to o"erni0. erha"s it was the idea

o# #alling, but Coren #elt at the edge o# "anic #rom the moment the shuttle le#t doc0 till he

wal0ed, legs trembling, into the concourse at %yig Station. It did not ma0e senseheneer reacted this way on a semiballisticand he resented the idea that it was all

"sychosomatic. 9e went directly to a "ublic restroom and rinsed his #ace in cold water,

then sat in a stall till the sweating and nausea "assed.5/eer again,6 he muttered as he #inally gathered himsel# u". 9e chec0ed his

watchtwenty minutes wasted getting oer his reactionand le#t the restroom.

9e rented a loc0er and shoed his one bag inside, then headed #or the stationlobby.

%yig bued with #irstshi#t tra##ic. )he warrens swarmed with "eo"le going to

Dobs or sho"s or meetings. Coren li0ed %yig; Clean, robust, a "olished "olitesse

substituted #or the unmannered #riendliness o# other +urosector districts, as i# theresidents were conscious o# a long historyan im"ortant "ast they were obliged to honor.

At the station gate he #lagged a ta!i and gae his destination. )he drier’s

eyebrows raised s"eculatiely, but all he said was 5Very good, sir,6 and moed into theehicular lanes. )he short ride ended at an ancient hotel. Coren ti""ed the drier and

ste""ed out.

)he ta!i "ulled away and Coren began wal0ing in the o""osite direction. 9is

sha0es were gone by now and he wal0ed "ur"ose#ully, in imitation o# resident %yigers.9e had three o"tions to #ind Beta $romm. 9e had already decided against

contacting ata 'ecoery Systems, through which he had originally #ound her. 9e had to

assume that whoeer had 0illed /yom had gotten the same in#ormation about the baleyrun, and that meant a com"etitor. 9e had no way o# 0nowing yet where they would hae

gotten the datait might hae been Beta $romm hersel#, or her handlers, or some as yet

undetermined third source. 9e could too easily reeal his interest by going through theusual channels.

)he second o"tion was not worth considering at this "oint. %ocal "olice could #ind

her and "ic0 her u", but he would be e##ectiely destroying her career and "erha"shurting seeral other "eo"le associated with her. A signi#icant "art o# the wor0 he did

de"ended on clandestine resources. amaging them by 5going local6 could cost him hisre"utation and im"air his ability to do his Dob. sing the local "olice, then, was a course

o# last resort.9is best o"tion, then, was to #ind her himsel#. 9e had met with her twice, at

di##erent locations o# her choosing. 9er nerousness had bothered him, so he had traced

her bac0 to her habDust in case he needed to #ind her ?uic0ly and con#identially. %i0enow.

)he area he now entered was ery old, and the signs o# wear and neglect became


26/244

more eident the #urther he wal0ed. )he #ast "ace and energy re"resentatie o# %yig

#aded8 "eo"le here were in no hurry to go anywherea #ew were een sitting in

doorways, or gathered in small grou"s near sho"s or in the cram"ed "ublic s"aces that "assed #or "ar0s in this "art o# the urban"le!.

Coren automatically imitated the lethargy around him, moing slower, 0ee"ing his

head down. 9e tuc0ed his hands in his "oc0ets and searched the corridor signs till he#ound one mar0ed (+)'A=S)'AS. 9e wal0ed down the narrower corridor to a stee"

metal staircase that ran u" the windowless wall to his le#t. )he ghosts o# old gra##iti

discolored the sur#aces, scrubbed endlessly by automated cleaners that, oer time, #ailedto remoe all the "aint.

At the to" o# the stairs, Coren #ound a broad roo#to" u"on which stac0s o# single

unit cubicles #ormed a small, cram"ed illage. %ight glowed #rom o"en doorways, and

the thic0 smell o# coo0ing almost coered the odors o# "lastic and sweat and un"rocessedwaste.

$aces a""eared at doorways, lingered #or a #ew seconds, then retreated.

Coren estimated about a thousand "eo"le lied in this "recariously oerbuilt

shantytown, lied ?uite illegally and with little #ear o# eiction, but with the constant "ossibility o# haing the entire ma0eshi#t construct tumble down on them. Many o# the

residents wor0ed legitimate Dobs that "aid too little to a##ord them a decent domicile anddo whateer else they #ound more im"ortant sending children to better schools,

subscri"tions to e!"ensie entertainments, "aying o## a debt, or saing #or the chance to

emigratebut Dust as many wor0ed on the edge o# legality; dealers in stolen data orcontrolled substances, in#ormants, runners, small credit #ences, rented muscle. Others

sim"ly had nowhere else to go and had #allen here, #ortunate to at least hae a "lace to

slee" and a source #or #ood.

Coren too0 out his "alm monitor and made his way through the mae o# "assageways, u" a ladder, and down a short gangway to an unlit doorway. )he signal

#rom the smear he had de"osited on Beta the second time they met was wea0er, but still

traceable. )he sel#re"licating onoomans e!hausted themseles a#ter a #ew days anddecayed unrecoerably. 9e ran the sensor u" and down a scale to test it. Satis#ied that

Beta $romm had at least stayed here #or more than an hour, giing his tiny tracers a

chance to "roli#erate in the enironment, he "oc0eted the monitor. 9e "almed a #lash andswitched it on as he 0ic0ed in the #limsy "lastic door and ste""ed through.

In the harsh bluewhite illumination, the cubicle lea"t into shar" relie#. A cot

stretched against the wall to his le#t, a slee"ing bag and e!tra blan0ets wadded u" at the

head. A ma0eshi#t des0 stood along the bac0 wall, cluttered with obDects that #ormed anindeci"herable tangle. Along the wall to the right was a trun0, the lid o"en, the contents

s"illing oer the edgeclothing, #rom the loo0 o# it.

Immediately to the right Coren #ound a lam" "ro""ed on a threelegged table. 9eswitched it on and turned o## his own light.

Vacant. 9e closed the door behind him.

9e studied the room care#ully. Beta $romm had struc0 him as a #astidious "erson,neat and methodical. )his "lace did not. 9e sat down on the edge o# the cot.

is0s, small "ieces o# "a"er, items o# clothing, scra"s o# unidenti#iable detritus

littered the #loor. A chair lay on its side to the le#t o# the des0. )he cot itsel# was angled

away #rom the wall.


27/244

It a""eared to Coren that sheor someonehad le#t in a hurry, "ossibly in a "anic.

Beta "eddled datarumor, so#tware, illicit downloads, een documented #act when she

sold material to the newsnets as a stringerso any o# a number o# deals could cause her torun.

She had been ery "ro#essional when he met her, but it seemed to him now that

there had been an undercurrent o# des"eration. She managed it well and he had been in ahurry, so he had neglected to "ay it enough attention.

Coren ste""ed u" to the des0. )he clutter consisted mainly o# com"onents #rom

old, salaged readers, scanners, and bits o# datum units. 9e saw a control "anel #rom acommline. )ools lay mi!ed with the debris. )wo bare s"aces suggested remoed

e?ui"ment. 9e guessed, gien her range o# serices, that she owned a "athburner, a ery

e!"ensie microcircuitry cutter. robably a ery good decry"tion datum. )he cost o#

those two "ieces would be more than his own yearly salary.-hat he saw here coninced Coren that Beta was on the run. Someonemaybe the

same someone who had rolled him in etraborhad come loo0ing #or her. She had duly

disa""eared.

9e 0nelt down and shu##led through the "a"ers and dis0s on the #loor. )he dis0swere labeled by numbers. 9e could go through them, but he doubted she would hae le#t

anything behind worth the trouble.)he "a"ers mostly contained scribbled comm codes, cry"tic notes6 Bam on (

stras, &s6 or 5Cram See# #or 'udo, leel 126and a cou"le o# doodles. One caught his eye

that said 5( meet at seen’s "lace, 2shi#t6 #ollowed by a comm code. 9e sli""ed it intohis "oc0et and stood.

9e turned o## the light and ste""ed outside.

)o his le#t he glim"sed someone watching him #rom a doorway. )he door

slammed shut. Coren reached the cubicle in three long strides and shouldered his way in.In the "ale light he saw a small man shoing himsel# in the comer behind a large

chest o# drawers. Coren shut the door and ste""ed closer.

5I didn’tE Sto"E I didn’tE6 the man cried.5*ou 0now Beta@6 Coren demanded. 5She as0 you to watch her "lace@6

5I don’tnothing to say, gato"lease6

5on’t Ggato’ me, shit. um" it now. *ou’re a #riend o# Beta’s@69e nodded once. 9e was not ?uite as small as he at #irst seemed, but the clothes

he wore were too big and his head was long and shaed bald. 9is sleees hal#coered his

hands.

5*ou Gre watching #or her, right@ -ho came to isit be#ore me@ -ho’s loo0ing #orher@6

)he man shoo0 his head a little too ?uic0ly. 5on’t 0now.6

5on’t 0now what@ -ho, i#, when@65/eer saw them be#ore.6

5)hem@ )wo@ More@6

5)wo. Man and a woman.65)he man,6 Coren said. 5Short, stout, yellow s0in@6

A scowl #lashed across his #ace. 5/o, it wasI don’t 0now. %eae me alone.6

Coren resisted the urge to grab the smaller man. Strongarming would do no

good, but he wondered Dust how #ar subtlety would get him.


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5%isten, gato,6 he said gently, 5Beta’s in trouble. I# I don’t #ind her #irst she’ll be

dead. Say@ /ow, who came@6

5/eerI6 )he man swallowed loudly and closed his eyes. 5ead@6 hewhis"ered.

%/ery dead. 5

)he man nodded wea0ly. 5Shetwo days ago, third shi#t, she says time to go,she’s sorry. (e bac0 in a #ew days #or her Dumble6

59er what@6

5Bumbleher stu##65All right, go on.6

5As0s me Dust to s"ot who comes loo0ing. %i0e you guessed. 5

5And@6

5)hree hours later this tall gato, long coat, tosses her cube. idn’t see me. Stayedin her "lace maybe twenty minutes.6

5)all. Anything else@6

5ar0 s0in, li0e he’s seen sun or something. idn’t blin0.6

5idn’t blin0...his eyes@65-hat else you got that blin0s@6

5id he tal0 to you@65/o,6 the man said indignantly. 5I sai" he didn’t see me.6

5*ou said a woman@6

5Came yesterday. %oo0ed around Beta’s cube, stayed maybe an hour, then le#t. 55-hat did she loo0 li0e@6

5-ore a mas0. /ot too big, though, but6

5/obody sto""ed her@6

5)he other one was with her, stayed outside. 55*ou don’t 0now where Beta might hae gone@6

5/o,6 the man insisted.

Coren grunted. 9e too0 a gamble. 5-ho’s Seen@6)he man #rowned. 5 GSeen’@ I don’t 0now...6 9e seemed honestly ignorant, so

Coren dro""ed it.

5id these gatos tal0 to anybody else@65Might hae.6 )he man "aused, thought it oer #or a moment. 5*es, did. Cobbel

and 'en. )hey got the #irst cubes at the edge.6

Coren su""ressed a smile. 5-hat did this tall gato sound li0e@6

5ind o# ras"yoiced, li0e he had trouble breathing. (ut it came out o# his chest,real dee". Cobbel and 'en didn’t li0e him too much. 5

5id the woman tal0 to anyone@6

5/o.6Coren considered. )hen he stood. 5All right, than0s. I’m not here to hurt Beta. *ou

tell her the gato that "aid her twice mar0et #or that last data she sold needs to tal0 to her

again. )ell her to #ind me i# she wants to stay alie. Say@659ow’ll she #ind you@6

5Same way she #ound what I wanted. She’ll 0now. *ou see her, you tell her to stay

on the moe, though. 5

5Serious shit@6 the man as0ed.


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the note #or a time, trying to decide i# it would be worth his while to try to #ind this

Seen. In the end, he #ed the "a"er into a recycler. /o time to be as thorough as he

wanted. 9e ta""ed in the code #or the Auroran embassy and began ma0ing his waythrough the mae o# connections to #ind the "erson he needed to s"ea0 to.

)hird shi#t was Dust beginning in etrabor Sector. Coren’s timing was close, arriing atthe warehouse Dust ahead o# the crew.

9e stood across #rom their entrance and this time they noticed him as they #iled in

by grou"s o# twos and threes. 9e no longer wore the tattered le#toers o# a warren ghost but the #ine suit o# someone in authorityan ins"ector or manager or "erha"s a co". As

they saw him their #riendly chatter died away, re"laced by sus"icion and silence.

Coren had about hal# an hour be#ore he needed to catch a semiballistic to .C. 9e

studied the #aces that "assed be#ore him, matching them to his memory, but the si!teenthcrewman #ailed to a""ear. /o sur"rise.

)he #oreman emerged #rom the em"loyee access and came toward him. 9e was a

short man, middleaged and Dust beginning to lose the #irm lines o# a body made "ower#ul

during time wor0ing the bays instead o# Dust su"erising others.5Can I hel" you@6 he as0ed, sto""ing a meter away.

Coren held u" his I, which contained the emblem identi#ying him as a licensedinde"endent security inestigator. )he #oreman almost too0 a ste" closer to e!amine it,

but Coren shoed it bac0 into his "oc0et.

5%ast night,6 Coren said, 5you too0 your crew out during onduty time. A "lacecalled imilio’s@6

)he #oreman’s eyes became wary. 5-hat about it@6

Coren shoo0 his head sorrow#ully. 5)hat’s not contract.6

5)he =uild send you@ Management@65-hat do you thin0 would’e ha""ened i# the routers had glitched with no one

there to shut it down@6

5'outers neer glitchE65)hey do i# they’re hac0ed.6

/ow the wariness turned to #ear. 59ac0ed...6 9e swallowed. 5*ou’re tal0ing

about65I’m not tal0ing about anything yet. I’m as0ing. -hy did you thin0 it would all

right to wal0 out midshi#t, en masse li0e that, #or a #ew drin0s@6

)he #oreman scowled at him. 5I don’t hae to tal0 to you.6

Coren nodded agreeably. 5)hat’s right, you don’t. (ut i# that’s what you decide todo, the ne!t "eo"le you tal0 to will be I)+ ins"ectors. )hey don’t gie a damn about

contract "rotections. 5

)he #oreman too0 a tentatie ste" closer. 5%oo0it was Oril’s birthday. /otyesterday, but the day be#ore, but there wasn’t time then to do anything. (usy shi#t.

)hings slowed down yesterday, there were a cou"le o# windows, we #igured, what’s an

hour or two@ -e’e neer had a "roblem6Coren sighed dramatically. 5Contract says someone has to be on duty6

5)here wasE -e le#t the sub here. 9e didn’t 0now Oril anyway, no loss.6

5)he sub. I didn’t see any sub listed6

)he #oreman loo0ed "ained #or a second. 5$arom was out, he’s been haing


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trouble with his 0id. 9e’s already "ast his allotment #or "ersonal time and sic0 daysany

more and he gets written u". -e "aid the sub out o# our own "oc0et to come in #or him so

$arom wouldn’t get the re"rimand.65I need the sub’s name.6

5I’m telling you, $arom’s a good wor0er6

5)he sub’s name.6 Coren leaned closer and so#tened his oice. 5I# I can 0ee" thiso## the record I willit’ll sae me a lot o# trouble. I don’t need the e!tra datawor0. I Dust

hae to eri#y that you didn’t leae your shi#t unattended. -ord is that management has

some losses to e!"lain to shareholders. *ou 0now how that is. /ow there was a glitch inthe logs #or the time you were all toasting Oril’s good health. I# it was o"erator error, then

we can correct it on our end and leae you alone.6 Coren reached out then and grabbed

hold o# the #oreman’s coerall. 5(ut you "ull that 0ind o# shit again, I’ll hae your ass in

#ront o# management an" the =uild conciliators. nderstand@65*uri ociil,6 the #oreman said ?uic0ly. 59e’s normally Second Shi#t at the

/umber $our yard. 9e had "ersonal time.6

59ow did you come to call him@6

5-e used him be#ore.65Coering #or $arom@6

)he #oreman swallowed. 5As a matter o# #act, yeah.6Coren released him. 5*uri ociil. I’m going to hae a tal0 with him. 9e e!"lains

the glitch to my satis#action, you won’t see me again. 5

5-e’e neer had any "roblems with him be#ore.659a""ens when you ste" out o# contract. =o bac0 to wor0.6

Sha0en, the #oreman almost bowed as he bac0ed away. 9e’d recoered his

com"osure by the time he reached the entrance. 9e gae Coren a last loo0to which

Coren returned a reassuring nodthen disa""eared inside the warehouse.

*uri ociil had #ailed to re"ort to wor0 that day and his a"artment was acant. Coren

was not sur"rised, but he was disa""ointed. It would hae been sim"ler had he #oundhim. ociil was a more direct line to whoeer was running the o"eration.

9e made his way to the station, mulling oer his ne!t moe. )he routing had been

modi#ied in (altimor. )hat, at least, was conenient to his ne!t sto".

FOUR

erec Aery watched the screens with mild interest. )he central iew was a com"le!

collection o# concentric, oerla""ing rings. -here some o# the lines crossed, "oc0ets

#ormed containing "atternless amalgams o# small sha"es, li0e #roth or dried, crac0ed


32/244


33/244

memory bu##er than the one to which I now hae access.6

5Oh, well,6 erec said, standing. 5Sorry.6

5I understand, erec. /o need to a"ologie.6erersely, erec #elt a "ang o# guilt. )hat lac0 o# memory had been a "roblem

throughout )hales’ attem"ts to reorder (ogard’s matri!. )hales sim"ly did not hae

enough in its "resent con#iguration. erec counted them both luc0y to hae as much asthey did. O# course, any less might begin im"airing )hales’ normal #unctions.

5I can try to ma0e another re?uest...6 he said.

5I# you thin0 it will hel".6 o, he thought, bt it mig!t ma+e me feel better to try...

erec reached to the screen o# chaos and touched an icon. )he screen went blan0.

5o you wish me to continue, erec@6 )hales as0ed.

5Sure. I’m...I hae some other things to tend to.65O# course.6

erec dri#ted into his liing room. Against one long wall a subetheric showed two

"olitical candidates soundlessly debating. 9e #rowned, recogniing one o# them; 'ega

%ooms. $or a moment, erec #elt con#used, then remembered that %ooms was running#or a senate seat in the u"coming election. 9e had declared in o""osition to Bonis )a"rin,

who had re"laced Clar +liton the "reious year in a recall election. )a"rin ran now on areised, antirobot "lat#orm, a com"lete about#ace #rom his "osition not #ourteen months

earlier when, as +liton’s ice senator, he had su""orted what had become 0nown as

5Concessionism6 and a gradual reintroduction o# "ositronics on +arth.In retros"ect, erec did not 0now how much he had eer belieed it could be

done. In +arth’s long history o# social change, #ic0le "olitics, and "olicybytrend, the ban

on "ositronics had lasted the longest and tenaciously resisted re#orm. 9ard to beliee, on

a world where once the newest and brightest and best technologies had been created anddis"ensed and embraced with almost childli0e "assion #or noelty.

Curious, erec turned on the olume.

5trael to other worlds has diluted +arth’s reseroir o# genius,6 %ooms said, Dabbing the armrest o# his chair with a sti## #inger. 5I’ll concede that you now hold a

"osition with which I hae long been in agreement, that "ositronics should not be allowed

a return to +arth, but I #ee

Documents

Chimera, Isaac Asimov's Robot Mystery - Mark W Tiedemann