The City Who Fought Part 22

Chaundra sighed. *'I wish I had a credit for every time someone has told me that they are not worried. They're at a volatile age and they can't even trust themselves. h.e.l.l," he said throwing his arms wide, "under all this pressure, the adults on this station can't trust themselves. How can we expect diese kids to?"

Channa felt her color rise. "We can only antic.i.p.ate the problem and talk to them and hope for the best If they're so inclined," to her surprise, she couldn't force herself to be more specific, "they'll find a time and place where we can't interfere. So let's not wear ourselves down worrying about it."

A whole new set of problems, she thought. Correcting the damage done to Joat's psychos.e.xual development was probably going to take many years. Right now the girl needed Seld to be her friend, not her bed partner. He was definitely her friend but... Channa remembered what boys were like at that age, too. There's more of a danger that she'd break his arm. But she needs a friend. Something else to lie sleepless and worry over. Or had anyone told Joat about Seld's medical problems? privacy, she thought Seld had the right to deal with that in his own time.

"Hey!" Simeon said. "Yoohoo! Channa! Chaundra. You're both tired. Eveiything looks manageable when you've had some slfep. So go sleep. We'll take care of the capsules and we'll organize the volunteers. Don't worry about a thing."

Chaundra sighed again and a.s.sumed a wry expression. "Amateurs," he mumbled. "What you're experiencing, Simeon, is denial. You can't avoid such problems by pretending they don't exist." His shoulders fell "I'll have Seld bring her home with him after they're through working today." He waved goodbye and left.

"Denial," Simeon said musingly. Strange, knowing what he did of her past, he knew that s.e.x was the last thing Joat would think of as a recreational activity. That was the commonest symptom of the particular form of abuse she had suffered - and still the idea made him uneasy, fatherhood.

"I don't want to talk about it," Channa told him, and marched briskly back to her desk. She sat down and spun the box of capsules around with one finger. "I was thinking," she said, "wouldn't it be great if we could up the ante on these?" She looked at Simeon's column.

"Yeah, it would. But we're already putting our people at risk. I'm not willing to do the enemy's work for them. Y'know?"

"Mmm. True. What if we could make them believe it's worse than it really is?"

"Hard to say without knowing their physiology, tissue samples ... Oh. You're talking about a con game, aren't you, Happy?"

"It all depends on their psychology, of course. And I'm not happy."

"Well," Simeon said dubiously, "the Navy psych reports aren't too detailed. These splinter groups are usually aberrant Generally speaking, the reports say the Kolnari are extremely aggressive towards those they perceive as weak, treacherous but willing to bargain with their equals in power, and have a tight/submission reflex towards superiors - until the superiors let down their guard, which is a sign of weakness/ "Oh, what a love-feast their culture must be!" Channa said. "Hmmm. They'd be vulnerable to status and power anxieties, then. And lots of internal rivalries."

"You betcha. Accordingtb the reports, they're also as superst.i.tious as horses. They know some science, but they're not scientific, if you know what I mean."

"I think I get the picture. So?"

"We could modify some of the holo-projectors beside the security cameras and flash 'hallucinations' for the benefit of those who've had the virus. Auditory hallucinations are no problem. I could project them and no one would be the wiser."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah," he seemed to be whispering directly into her ear, "and without using your implant."

"Wow," she said, touching her ear, "that's spooky. How did you do that?"

*Just threw my voice - heterodyning waves from multiple sources. It takes practice, but as you saw, the effect is worth it"

She shook her head, wide-eyed. "If you can come up with something visual to go with that, they'll be running for their ships the first day."

"Can't overdo it. It'll be easiest if they're alone when they see these things, otherwise it could be considered suspicious. I'll sound Joat out. That girl's a fountain of ideas."

Channa winced and forbore to ask what kind. Chaundra's comments almost visibly flooded back into her conscious mind.

"Don't let it worry you, she's a good kid," Simeon said emphatically. "I don't want to think about it"

"You really are concerned about Rachel's sanity, aren't you?" ( Amos and Channa were settled comfortably on the settee. Simeon had tactfully withdrawn his image from the pillar screen, leaving a strikingly realistic crackling fire in its place. Somehow he had even manage to replicate the scent of burning cedarwood. Amos had had to tactilely rea.s.sure himself that the fire was an image.

"Yes, she is definitely unstable," he said, his shoulders sagging hopelessly. "Among all the other problems, I must worry about this! It is so... sopetty."

"Humans can be a remarkably petty species," Channa said philosophically. Partiddarly that hysterical b.i.t.c.h Rachel. "When you get down to cases, lots of'big issues' have been decided on personal matters. From Harmodias and Aristogetion on down." Amos looked blank. "Two ancient Greeks. Never mind. Briefly, a government was overthrown because of a lovetriangle."

Amos sighed again and reached for his snifter of brandy. "I care nothing about her and my best friend would give his life for her," he said, shaking his head. "Channa-* "Yes?"

"I know here-" he touched his head "-that this... delusion of hers, has nothing to do with me. But here -" he touched his heart "- I cannot help but feel that I must somehow be to blame. I was a... caller-of-spirit: you would say a preacher. Oh, yes, I knew that half the women in those crowds were in love with me. What of it? I would never touch any of them, for that would be dishonorable and destroy my cause more surely than any other oflense. The folk of Bethel are... inflexible about such matters. Yet if I knew and accepted love, if it flattered my vanity, am I not in some manner responsible? How desperate she must be, and how lonely. It is sad."

Channa patted his arm anjl smiled soothingly. "From your description, it was never this bad before. If you're to blame, then so is everyjcharismatic politician and holo star since time began. Her ... delusion .., may have been aggravated by those drugs, although she's not responding to medication. Simeon, has anyone talked to Chaund^a about this?"

"Not yet," he said, after a tactful pause to suggest he hadn't been listening.

"I have decided to keep her under my eye," Amos said, adding reluctandy, "Mental care, the cure of souls. It is part of our religion that only those consecrated can perform cures of the human soul."

"Mmm." Your religion sucks wind, she thought silently, No sense in offending Amos, of course. Humans shouldn't be forced to take religion. That should be free choice. "Maybe we'd better let Chaundra know that Rachel isn't responding to treatment. She may need stronger calmers. Let's face it, when the pirates arrive, you're going to have a surfeit of problems to keep under your eyes."

"I can keep my eye on more than one thing at a time, Channa," Simeon cut in abruptly. "Simeon-Amos?"

He nodded. **I agree with Channa. I will speak with the doctor of this. This is my burden, my obligation. I will do it." He rose and disappeared into his room, shoulders bowed.

Channa shook her head, "You'd think he was sending her off to be executed."

"Who knows how his people view psych treatment? Confession seems to be a major element in their religion. To him, treating this as a medical problem could be equivalent to blasphemy."

"Hmph." She turned to squint at his column. "By the way, don't try to tell me that you didn't enjoy that little interruption, Simeon. I know you too well by now."

"Okay." His voice was downright cheery.

She smiled rueful jy. "Just don't make a habit of it, okay?" i "There are no guarantees in life, Channa."

"Oh, no? If I ever get the idea that you're engineering any more little disruptions of my love life, / guarantee that you'll regret it."

"Hey, be reasonable, Channa! What could I possibly have to do with Rachel going bonkers? I didn't even let her into the lounge. I could have, y'know."

Channa shrugged and grunted.

"I thought about not telling you she was trying to beat the door down, I really did. But then I figured she'd go grab a laser and cut her way in. And, of course, if she had caught you two in flagrante delicto, she wouldn't have stopped at cutting up doors."

"Oh, thank you, Simeon, you are such a hero, saving me from a fete worse than death and death itself. Consider yourself hugged and s...o...b..red over in an ecstasy of grat.i.tude."

"That's short for 'my att.i.tude's back,' isn't it?"

She got up and started for her room. "Yes, Simeon, my att.i.tude's back."

"Well, why? What did I do?"

She spun on her heel and threw up her hands. "I'm h.o.r.n.y, all right? I'm h.o.r.n.y and I'm frustrated!" The door snapped shut behind her.

Simeon shut down his pickups in the lounge, escaping the charged atmosphere in the only way he could. Sheesh, he thought. Softsh.e.l.ls -were strange.

"Nothing, Great Lord. Nothing but rebroadcasts of the same warning message."

Tsssk. You have had no success in monitoring internal communications?"

"No, Great Lord."

This time Baila's voice held a slight touch of resentment This was no backwater, no half-barbarian slum that used electro-magnetic signals for internal communication. This was a sophisticated Central Worlds installation they were planning to attack. It had internal optical circuitry. What did the Great Lord expect her to do? Fly over to the station and burn her way through to tap a line?

We are all impatient, Belazir thought. The Clan impulse was to leap upon the prey and take it Loot it bare, move on. They had been very successful following that course of action for a long time.

"Any other ships?"

"None since that freighter who acknowledged their warning beacon and sheered off," she said.

"Serig."

"Command me, lord." The verbal formula was more than routine in Serig's mouth; he fairly quivered with antic.i.p.ation.

"We will move in exactly one-point-five hours from next day-cycle termination." This was about three hours Terran Standard time, since Kolnar rotated more slowly than Manhome. "All vessels to launch their seekers simultaneously and then begin subs.p.a.ce jamming pulses.

Cftwigter and Age of Darkness will remain on combat over watch, ready to provide fire support as necessary. Dreadful Bricte and Shark will move in to the upper and lower polar axis respectively and force-dock, then occupy the station. Here are the areas tabesjcured."

His hands keyedja sequence, and the schematic of the SSS-900-C was overlaid with color-coded plans for movement.

"Move swiftly! Crush any sign of resistance with utmost force. If resistance slows the infantry down, secure those decks and blow them open to s.p.a.ce. I will be with the second wave at the north polar axis."

"Lord."

"Captain Lord Pol is not to disembark before the target is fully secured. Those are my orders. Repeat them to her in the message."

"I hear and obey, Great Lord," Serig said. He made a few notes to himself. "Tightbeam?"

"Of course."

"I may lead the a.s.sault party?"

Belazir and his henchman shared an identical wolf grin. "Of course."

Joseph ben Said nodded gravely. "I am glad that you have shown me these things, Joat."

Joat looked downshaft between her legs - it was the only way to see the Bethelite's face since they were both climbing up - and smiled c.o.c.kily. They had paused at this intersection with two small feeder ducts so she could give him directions. He had hooked one thick arm around a rung so he could squint down the other shafts.

"You learn pretty quick," she said. "Hey, and you don't get fordled up in a tight spot, neither."

Joseph's square fece split in a raptor's smile. *Joatmy-friend, where I grew up one learned quickly, or one died. Also I spent much time in narrow places.

Sewers and tunnels, rather than ductwork, but the principle is the same."

"Yeah, I guess we got a lot in common," she said. You, poor b.a.s.t.a.r.d, she added to herself. -Not aloud. Evidently these oscos were sensitive about Iqiguage.

"But I am surprised that you can move with such freedom when any section can be closed off and airevacuated," Joseph went on. He cracked his thick-fingered hands reflexively, and took out a long curved knife to trim a callus. "And then there are the maintenance servos, also centrally controlled."

"Yeah, well, you gotta look at that sort of thing from the bottom up," Joat said. "Follow me."

They muscled upward, back and legs against opposite side of the pa.s.sageway, then crawled out into a slightly wider connecting way.

"See? There's the seal," she said, running one finger along the edge of the octagonal opening where the two ducts crossed.

"Ah." Joseph peered more closely. "I see - a thin sheet?"

"Naw, interlocking pointed wedges, 's stronger or some fardling thing. Don't get in the way if it's gonna dose. They don't have no safety pressure stops here where people aren't supposta be, so they'll cut you right in half."

Joseph nodded, continuing his examination. "And this?" He touched a slight bulge.

"Access panel. Here."

Joat brought up a square piece of electronics from her harness and touched it The bulge withdrew into the wall. Inside were readouts, a keypad, and a datajack. She squirmed until her backpack was on the floor between her knees, then pulled out a jackline from her Spuglish and clipped it into the socket The machine lit. h.e.l.lo, Joat, scrolled across it. Simeon's gone bye-bye wurfi "What is that?" Joseph said, fascinated.

"I usta think it was Simeon in a grudly strange comedown," Joat said, her fingers flying in a rapid taptaptapt^tiptip. "Only it isn't. 'S just a really neato AI program running a the station main computers. Fools ya, y'know? ^eaTeasy to get to thinking it's a real person, but it isn't. Smart piece of junk, but I can get around it. When it thinks you're Simeon, it really comes down as an animal"

h.e.l.lo, Simeon, the screen printed. What's up, boss? Huh? Huh?

Joat's fingers scrambled. Nothing much, she keyed. Updating Shame on Me, she added.

Don't rightly know that one, pardner, the machine replied. Uhyip. The tip of Joat's tongue was clenched between her teeth in a rictus of concentration. At last, she leaned back and sighed, cracking her fingers twohanded.

"Now it thinks I'm Simeon again," she said. " 'Shame on Me'?" Joseph enquired.

"Fool me once," Joat said, quoting, "shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

Joseph's laugh was quiet and appreciative. Joat felt the quiet glow of satisfaction you only got from another operator. Seld was neat, but he wasn't a ... Well, he wasn't grown up, in the special way Joseph was grown up. She'd known a lot of people who were grown-up that way, but Joseph was the first one she had ever liked or trusted.

"So you manipulate the system through the central computer?" he said.

"Naw, not most of the time. Too con-spick-cue-us. Finkin' obvious, in fact. There's a distributed node system, fambly thousands of little compus, all got backup authority, if you can cut in. And n.o.body cuts in like jack-of-all-trades, my man."

Joseph clapped a hand on her shoulder. She stiffened and stared at it. He took it away, not s.n.a.t.c.hing or lingering, either.

"How did you pick this up?" he said in admiration, pointing at her Spuglish.

"Dad." Fdrdlmg swiney. "Learned more from the b.a.s.t.a.r.d who won me from my uncle," she said. "He was smart, really smart, when he wasnX drunk or... well, when he was sober. Knew his way around any system there was. Never got caught, except once."

"Who by?" Joseph asked.

Joat turned her face toward him, and for a moment it was not a child's face at all. "Me," she said softly. "He forgot me. And I cracked his system. They think he's still alive. He went thataway out the lock, peeing blood. His ship's computer said everything was fine."

"Well," Joseph said with a cold smile, "if it's good enough for the official records, it's good enough for me. Now, show me how you decouple the local subsystems again."

"Like, it's got to be physical," Joat went on, animated again. "You-"

"I am glad to see you two are friends," Amos said.