Safe House Part 14

But she she knew...and she was not going to feel any better. It was all profoundly depressing. Maj dragged herself from cla.s.s to cla.s.s all day, causing a couple of her teachers to ask her what was the matter with her. She used the excuse that it was "something physiological," which was vague enough to be true, since it was someone else's physiology on her mind, but also served to make them stop asking her questions. When the last bell went, she tore out of the place and headed for the bus home. It was delayed, which drove her wild-but she waited for it, rode it the whole way, and then got off and forced herself not to run the last couple of blocks...because she was afraid of who might be watching. knew...and she was not going to feel any better. It was all profoundly depressing. Maj dragged herself from cla.s.s to cla.s.s all day, causing a couple of her teachers to ask her what was the matter with her. She used the excuse that it was "something physiological," which was vague enough to be true, since it was someone else's physiology on her mind, but also served to make them stop asking her questions. When the last bell went, she tore out of the place and headed for the bus home. It was delayed, which drove her wild-but she waited for it, rode it the whole way, and then got off and forced herself not to run the last couple of blocks...because she was afraid of who might be watching.

It was five o'clock when she walked in the door. Her Mom met her there; she was in the process of getting ready to go out to her consultants' meeting.

"Laurent's still under the weather. It could very well be the flu," her mother said, putting a loose-leaf full of printouts into her carry bag. "I gave him some more aspirin, and the antiviral. The fever came down a little. But he doesn't have much appet.i.te. It's a good thing he's not showing any sensitivity to light, or I'd be a lot more worried."

That made Maj feel a little better. "Has Daddy been back yet?" Maj said.

"Been and gone," her mom said, "just to pick up his suit. He'll be back first, I bet." It was a grumble.

"I don't know, Mom...." Maj smiled a little.

"I gave the m.u.f.fin a little early dinner," her mother said, picking up the big shoulder bag full of printouts and loose-leaf notebooks, and her portable Net machine with her consultancy-business files in it. "Let's see..." She stopped in the front doorway to see if she needed anything else. "Nope, all together. These people are living in the information age, for pity's sake, I don't see why they insist on making me come out to their pestilent meetings when we could all sit comfortably in our homes homes and have them." and have them."

"It's a power trip," Maj said. "They're all relics...they'll retire soon, I bet."

"From your mouth to the Great Programmer's ear," Maj's mother said. She kissed her daughter and said, "Lock up, now." She glanced down the hall, toward Laurent's room.

"I will," Maj said.

Her mom pushed the door open. "Oh, and I forgot, there's a letter from Auntie Elenya there for you...."

"A letter? Wow," Maj said, as her mother pulled the door shut. "See you, Mom...."

The car revved up outside, whirred away. Maj threw the solenoid bolt on the front door and turned to the little table where the paper mail sat when it had come in. Sure enough, there was an airmail paper envelope-Maj picked it up, saw her name at the top of the typed address.

"How about that," she said. The letter was postmarked WIEN WIEN-that was where they lived, she and Maj's uncle, the Mad Cartographer. She tore it open, unfolded the thin airmail paper with pleasure. It was unusual to get paper mail from the relatives anymore, now that they were all online. Mostly it came in the form of postcards, they- "Dear Madeline," the first sheet said in English. "I have sent this note to you for my son. It seemed more likely to reach you without interference-"

Maj nearly dropped it-then took a breath, and started to fold it up again-then stopped herself and opened it once more. It was addressed to me, after all. He would have realized I would probably read at least some of it- It was addressed to me, after all. He would have realized I would probably read at least some of it- "-and I want to thank you and your family for agreeing to make him welcome. There is, however, some information which you and he will need to know now, since it may take me a short time before I am able to follow him-"

Maj read the letter and felt her hands starting to shake. She turned the page over, read the other side.

Then she went straight down the hall to Laurent's room and knocked. "Nggh?" he said.

She opened the door and put her head in. "I'm sorry to bother you," she said, "but you had better see this. And then we're going to have to decide what to do...."

About ten minutes later Laurent was still sitting on the edge of the bed, looking profoundly uncomfortable...and not just because of his illness. Sluggish as he was, Laurent had started to read the letter for the third time, and then had stopped himself and laid it aside.

"They are inside me," he said. He shook his head. "The only ones left from all his work. That last cup of tea..."

"Could be," Maj said.

Laurent looked at her, somewhat unnerved. "Still," he said. "My father made them. They would never hurt me."

"If they were still running your father's programming," Maj said, very softly, "no. I do do understand, now, why you looked so good, the first couple of days. The little monsters have been running around inside you, pulling the lactic acid molecules apart, keeping you healthy..." understand, now, why you looked so good, the first couple of days. The little monsters have been running around inside you, pulling the lactic acid molecules apart, keeping you healthy..."

"They do not seem to be doing that anymore," he said. "Maybe they, too, are jet lagged?"

"What do you think the odds of that that are?" Maj said. She swallowed. "Laurent...there's one other piece of news that wasn't in the letter." are?" Maj said. She swallowed. "Laurent...there's one other piece of news that wasn't in the letter."

He looked at her, eyes wide at her tone of voice.

She told him about the arrest.

It was a good few moments before he spoke again. "Then they have been interrogating all the people he worked with," Laurent said. "Anything they knew, the internal police now know. Or soon will."

"Including," Maj said, "I very strongly suspect, how to reprogram your little friends the microps. Laurent...I don't think they're your friends anymore. I would bet you serious money that the internal police or whatever were waiting for you to go online. And when you did-they reprogrammed them...and then told your father that if he didn't come out from where he was hiding, they'd leave them running."

Laurent looked stricken. Maj herself was fighting with a huge load of guilt which she would otherwise have wallowed in for a good while. Dad told me, Laurent's dad told him, to keep him off the Net-why didn't we take him seriously! Or seriously enough! Dad told me, Laurent's dad told him, to keep him off the Net-why didn't we take him seriously! Or seriously enough! But there was no time to waste on self-recrimination right now. They were going to have to But there was no time to waste on self-recrimination right now. They were going to have to do do something. something.

"I think you are right," he said. "That chill last night..."

"Yes. And now the problem is, where do we go from here? Because the next thing they'll do, I bet, is try to get their hands on you. The prototypes, the only ones there are, are swimming around inside you...and no one else knows about it yet. Though they will in about five minutes-because once Net Force and the people over here know, not all Cluj's horses and all Cluj's men are going to be able to touch you."

Laurent still had a fairly shocked look.

"But we need to get moving," Maj said, "because Mom's gone now, and Dad won't be back, and I bet you money they'll decide that this is a great time to make a move, while there's no one home but the kids."

"The kids-" He looked even more shocked. "The m.u.f.fin is here...."

That had been on Maj's mind, too.

"I would not want anything to happen to the m.u.f.fin. She is special."

"No argument there," Maj said.

"Even if she does make me sit with her while she reads to dinosaurs with bad breath."

That made Maj burst out laughing. She much needed a laugh, for she was starting to shake inside. "Look," she said. "None of this is your fault. But we've got to move."

"And do what?" Laurent said, sounding as helpless as Maj felt. "They are inside me. I do not know anything about them-not the important part, anyway, not anything about the codes that would stop them. I am sure that only my father and the government have those...and the government will not issue them unless-" He broke off.

For the first time Maj saw his face start to crumple toward tears. But he held them off. "I do not want to be a weapon," he muttered. "But that is what they will use me for. That is what I am, Maj! They are using me for that right now. I will not let them use me that way! It would be better if I was-"

"Don't say it," Maj said. "It's a lot too soon to start making decisions like that." All the same, she was not going to there-there there-there him or waste her time with other arguments. There was a toughness about this kid that made Maj suspect he would do something that desperate if he felt there was need...because he really did love his dad that much. "Besides," she said, "they may not know what they're dealing with here." him or waste her time with other arguments. There was a toughness about this kid that made Maj suspect he would do something that desperate if he felt there was need...because he really did love his dad that much. "Besides," she said, "they may not know what they're dealing with here."

"Which is what?"

"Which is us," she said. "We're plenty...so let's move first. Get into your sweats, get into the den, get online."

"Is that a good idea?" he said. "I am really sick. Things are starting to hurt, Maj...."

The thought immediately went through her mind-call an ambulance, get him to the hospital. She hesitated- -then rejected it. The hospital would not be able to do anything. To get Laurent well, these little monsters needed to be deactivated. Then they needed to be removed. The hospital emergency room would be equipped for neither. Better to keep him safe here Better to keep him safe here, Maj thought, and not let him out of my sight until someone from Net Force shows up and not let him out of my sight until someone from Net Force shows up.

And until then...there has to be a way to fight them.... But boy, this sure doesn't match the nice evening we had planned. A peaceful evening with a few of the Group, out in the depths of- And the idea came to her. It was not complete, but Maj had a few minutes for that yet. Broad strokes first Broad strokes first, she thought, then fill in the detail- then fill in the detail-"Go on," she said to Laurent. "Dress, get moving, we don't have a lot of time!"

He got up and started rummaging around for his sweats. Maj ran for the machine in her Mom's office, threw herself into the chair, lined up the implant, flung herself into her work s.p.a.ce. "Red alert," she said to the work s.p.a.ce, and the intervention lighting in the big room came on all around her. It was atmosphere, nothing more, but it made her feel better. "Panic b.u.t.ton call, James Winters!"

There was an intolerably long pause. "The party you are calling is not available," the system said. "Please leave a message."

"Where is he?!" Maj yelled.

"That information is private. If you have clearance of level 8 or better, please state your clearance number."

"Never mind that." She gulped. "Panic b.u.t.ton call, Jay Gridley!"

"The party you are calling is not available. Please leave a message."

"Tell him to call Maj Green immediately. This is an emergency. End call," Maj said. She took a long breath, and tried to calm herself and sort out the sequence for what she was going to have to do.

Call Dad, scream for help. Good, but anyone could tap into a cell phone call these days, and she had no desire at all to advertise to Laurent's dad's enemies that she was on to them. Nonetheless, she had to tell her dad about this and get him to drop what he was doing and come help. Leave a message for Winters, let him know what you need and what you're going to do Leave a message for Winters, let him know what you need and what you're going to do. There must be someone's desk that his urgent-tagged messages land on. Then yell for other help. Someone who can help me defend Laurent while the high-powered stuff is coming Then yell for other help. Someone who can help me defend Laurent while the high-powered stuff is coming.

In the end she called her dad's phone. As she was afraid, it was turned off. She left a message tagged MOST URGENT MOST URGENT on it, telling him to come straight home. Then she called James Winters's code again, got the same message, and this time left a detailed message a minute and a half long, tagged on it, telling him to come straight home. Then she called James Winters's code again, got the same message, and this time left a detailed message a minute and a half long, tagged UTMOST URGENCY UTMOST URGENCY.

She stopped, then, took a breath. "Group of Seven call," Maj said. "Del."

"Working," the machine said. A moment later there he was, sitting out in his backyard.

"You're early," Del said.

"Better than being late," Maj said, somewhat grimly. "This is a Net Force Explorer problem, Del. Can you suit up and meet me in my s.p.a.ce? Right now."

He clambered out of the lawn lounge he was lying in.

"And do me a favor," Maj said. "Get Robin, too. I'm a little pressed for time here."

"This isn't about the game?"

"Oh, it is," she said, "but the stakes have been raised a little. We're talking life and death here. The real thing, not the virtual type."

Del stared at her. "Three minutes," he said.

She broke out of virtuality, met Laurent in the hall. "Okay," she said, "the ball's rolling. I'm going to shut the house up. And if I have to, I'll call the cops as well. I have no idea what they'll make of it, but it'll sure annoy anyone from your government who shows up thinking they're going to take you for a ride in the next little while."

"But how can this matter? If the microps-"

"We can't stop them," she said. "But maybe we can fight them. Look, Laurent, why are you arguing with me? If you get into the machine, it'll at least cut your sensoria out of the loop, and you won't feel sick." Until you go unconscious. And how long will that be? Oh, G.o.d-! Until you go unconscious. And how long will that be? Oh, G.o.d-!

"Fight them? With what?" he said, staggering a little.

"The power of geekery," she said, "and the power of good. Better hope that's enough. Get in there and get online!"

She put him in the implant chair in her dad's den, pulling down the blinds and drawing the drapes. "I don't want you to panic," Maj said, "but I'm going to lock you in, okay? If they try anything-"

"All right," he said.

"Meet me in my work s.p.a.ce as soon as you get in. Get suited up. We're going flying."

She went around the house as calmly as she could, making sure all the windows were locked, all the doors shut, and pulling blinds and curtains closed everywhere. In her room the m.u.f.fin was sitting reading, for once. As Maj put her head in, the m.u.f.fin lifted a finger to her lips and said, "SSSSH. Laurent's sick."

"I know he is, honey," Maj said. "I want you to come and be in mommy's office with me."

"Okay. Are you going online?"

"Yes, sweetie."

"Okay."

Maj escorted the little one into her mom's office and made her comfortable on an old beanbag chair in the corner, which immediately began, in its traditional manner, leaking its little polystyrene "beans."

"Dumb thing," Maj muttered, shut the blinds, and drew the curtains in the office, and then went out to make the rest of the house secure, finishing by setting the alarm system. It would not stop anyone who was really intent on getting in...but it would slow them down, and time might start mattering a whole lot shortly. And it would automatically alert the local police if something disturbed the signal in any way.

She stood still there in the kitchen for a moment and thought. Nothing more she could do about the physical security, now. That was going to have to be the waiting part of this game. If she called the police now, she would only get in trouble for wasting their time. Who would believe her if she told them what was going on here? The local branch police station was only about five minutes away-that was close enough...she hoped. She had a panic b.u.t.ton call set up in her work s.p.a.ce with their name on it, too, as well as the auto-alert wired into the alarm system. She could shout for help any time she needed it.

Nothing to do now but get the battle organized. The main trouble was the medical expertise. If it had been the insides of a horse Maj had been dealing with, it would have been another story entirely. But you could not use veterinary science on people. The biology didn't universally apply to humans. Not when it was something this delicate. Who do I know, who do I- Who do I know, who do I- Charlie! Charlie Davis.

If he was around. Oh, please, let him be around.... Oh, please, let him be around....

She dived into her mom's office again, locked the door. The m.u.f.fin was oblivious, still deep in the copy of Rewards and Fairies. Thank you, Rudyard Rewards and Fairies. Thank you, Rudyard, Maj thought, I owe you one.... I owe you one.... She lined up the implant, plunged into her work s.p.a.ce again. There stood Laurent, in his s.p.a.ce suit, with his helmet under his arm. Physically he looked better, but she could see from his expression that he knew there was a lot wrong with him. "My thinking...feels kind of slow," he said. She lined up the implant, plunged into her work s.p.a.ce again. There stood Laurent, in his s.p.a.ce suit, with his helmet under his arm. Physically he looked better, but she could see from his expression that he knew there was a lot wrong with him. "My thinking...feels kind of slow," he said.

"It might," she said. "But at least you aren't in pain. Are you?"

He shook his head.

"Well, that's something. Sit down. Hi, Del!"

"Robin'll be here in a minute," Del said, having just appeared from "nowhere," suited up and ready to go. "Hi, Niko, how's it shaking?"

"Shaking is the word," Laurent said slowly. is the word," Laurent said slowly.

"Computer! Virtcall to Charlie Davis. Tell him it's urgent."

"Working," said the machine. It said nothing more for some moments.

"Oh, please be home," Maj muttered. "You're always home. Almost always." It was a fair bet, for Charlie studied more than anyone she knew. Maj knew, from talking to a couple of the other Net Force Explorers, that it most probably had a lot to do with his ancient history as a ghetto kid. These days, after having been adopted by a doctor father and a nurse mother, he was relentless in his study of medicine, and- Light flooded into her work s.p.a.ce. And-oh, happy sight-there was Charlie down at his table in his own customary work s.p.a.ce, an old eighteenth-century operating theater with circles of high desks all around it for people to watch while surgeons chopped other people's legs off without anesthesia. The place would have given Maj the shudders if she had not understood it as an expression of Charlie's essentially sardonic sense of humor. "Charlie!" she cried.

He looked up, slightly surprised. "I'm glad to see you, too," he said.

She bounded down the stairs to where he sat, nearly tripping as she came down the last couple. "Charlie," she said, "Oh, jeez, I need you, we need you, can you come? Please? Quick!"

He dropped the stylus with which he was scribbling on his desk and got up. "This a life-or-death thing?" he said, rather dryly. "I have a test tomorrow."

"Yes!"

"Oh, well, then," Charlie said, and immediately followed Maj up the stairs back into her s.p.a.ce.