Analog Science Fiction and Fact

by January February 2018 (pdf)

  Belisarius and Del Casal followed the server

  and laid his hand against it.

  around pool tables, through darkened rooms

  Carbon nanotubules came in many configu-

  and banquet salons, to a cool meeting room.

  rations. The ones reinforcing the window

  The lights outside and inside the room came

  were undoubtedly designed for structural

  on, showing fast-moving, oncoming silt be-

  strength, a conformation that made them in-

  yond the window.

  different conductors. Belisarius sent a burst of

  Belisarius took a small bottle before the

  electrical static through his hand anyway. The

  server rolled away and touched it to Del

  wary Homo eridanus approached, close

  Casal’s. The geneticist was poker-faced, wait-

  enough for the spotlights to show expression-

  ing him out. Belisarius presumed that the an-

  less gray skin, smooth and puffy around enor-

  tenna tracking the chips in the racers was on

  mous black eyes. Wholly inhuman, yet there

  the lee side of the mess. Based on what he’d

  was a man in there, only a few centuries away

  seen, it had a line-of-sight range of some ten

  from a common ancestor with Belisarius.

  kilometers. Stills’ icon was gone. Out of range.

  You lost me sixty francs, Belisarius pulsed

  Or out of sight. Belisarius called up the topog-

  in the electrical language of the mongrels. It

  raphy of the undersurface, verif ied his guess

  made tiny static clicks against the glass.

  about the location of the antenna and did a

  Pulses returned. Not my problem, coño.

  few more calculations. They watched the cur-

  You speak Mongrel?

  rent f linging silt at the window for an hour,

  How’s my pronunciation? Belisarius asked.

  looking onto depths of an ocean that could

  Like you’re talking with your mouth full,

  crush them instantly.

  Stills replied.

  A hostile nursery like this had birthed the

  I studied the translation matrix, Belisarius

  Homo eridanus, had turned them into some-

  replied electrically, but I didn’t know if the

  thing monstrous. In the late 2200s, a colony

  source who sold it was any good.

  ship arrived in at Epsilon Eridani, and found

  What the crisse are you talking with? Stills the Solar System in chaos from a recent plane-asked. Computer augments?

  tary collision. Orbital habitats were defenseless

  I’m Homo quantus.

  against asteroidal debris, and even the surface

  The hideous, alien face, imprisoning a hu-

  of the only habitable planet was showered

  man mind behind it, considered Belisarius.

  with fiery destruction. The colonists had faced

  I heard of you guys. I thought you sat on

  a choice: die out, or engineer their children to

  mountaintops, thinking about the stars.

  THE QUANTUM MAGICIAN, PART I

  47

  ANALOG

  I’m scared of heights, Belisarius said.

  the electrical language of the mongrels, and it

  And what are you doing on this side of the

  felt doubly false.

  mess?

  When you spit in the Congregate’s coffee,

  I figured you were showboating. You didn’t

  they mess you up pretty bad, Stills said. I

  just want to beat the other mongrels. You

  know ’cause I’m one of the heavies they send

  wanted to show them that you could go

  in to do the messin’.

  deeper, and farther, and make it back with-

  Belisarius already knew that. He’d do his

  out being seen, Belisarius said. Then Belisarius

  best to make sure the Congregate didn’t find

  quoted, “Wipe their noses in it.”

  out.

  Where’d you come up with that, Angel

  You don’t really care about that, Belisarius

  Boy? Stills said.

  said. You’re not scared of the Congregate.

  I’ve read the Way of the Mongrel, Belisarius

  Nope.

  said. I can quote some of the good bits. “Bite

  But I bet it’s hard to stay on top among the

  every hand. Step on everyone’s foot. Lick your

  Tribe, Belisarius said. You’ve got to prove

  balls if you can find them.”

  yourself over and over. How often can you

  You forgot, “Unless you’re doing the bon-

  outdo mongrels when you’re flying defensive

  ing, you’re getting boned.” That’s an impor-

  patrols and you’ve only got Claudius to

  tant one.

  swim in?

  I didn’t want to come across as a know-it-

  You sound like you’re trying to stroke my

  all, Belisarius said.

  stuff, Stills said, but you’re still just teasing.

  So why you know all that, quantum man?

  Get to the point or shove off.

  I’m hiring for a job. I talked to some people

  You’re dead-ended here, Belisarius said.

  who hired you in the past.

  You’ve got nothing new to do, ever, unless the

  Bite me. I already got a job.

  Congregate decides to bully somebody, and

  Don’t take any more jobs on the side?

  how long will that take? I’m offering the

  Belisarius asked.

  most dangerous mission you’ve ever seen.

  The current washed silt over the unblinking

  Everyone is going to be taking a shot at us.

  bulbous black eyes. The Mongrel was electri-

  When we pull this off, people won’t be talk-

  cally silent as well, hopefully uncertain. I take

  ing about what we did for years. They’ll be

  some working vacations, Stills said finally.

  talking about it forever.

  I need more than a work vacation. I need

  The utterly alien face stared back, perhaps

  you to take some extended leave. I pay a lot

  seeing nothing. Mongrel eyes were built for

  better than the Congregate, and I need a free-

  the low luminosity of the ocean floors. There

  diver with giant cojones.

  was no way for baseline humans to interact

  If I could find my cojones, I’d let you lick

  with the mongrels without translation equip-

  them, Stills said, but I got a boss expecting me ment. Belisarius didn’t know what it was to be

  to pilot the fastest fighters this side of hell.

  a mongrel, but he was one of the only people

  Too bad for you peace broke out, Belisarius

  in civilization who could speak with Stills in

  said. You like convoy runs and picket duty?

  his own electrical language, the last bridge be-

  Stills swam at the window suddenly, f ishy

  tween subspecies of humanity. The pause ex-

  mouth open, gills wide, arms unsheathed

  tended, long enough for Belisarius to wonder

  from pockets of blubber. Pudgy gray palms

  if the bridge was there at all.

  slapped hard against the window. Del Casal

  Front me a deposit, and I’ll look at what

  gasped behind him, but Belisarius didn’t

  you’re proposing, little
man, Stills said .

  move. The crackle of Stills’ electrical laughter

  Belisarius turned to Del Casal. “We have our

  throbbed against Belisarius’ electroplaques.

  deep diver, our navigator, our electronics guy,

  I’ve got a dangerous dive, Belisarius said,

  and our two inside men. Do we have our ge-

  with more pressure than you just did. The

  neticist?”

  pay-off is big.

  Del Casal stepped closer to the window,

  Does this involve ripping the Congregate a

  staring at the Homo eridanus. “I wouldn’t

  new one?

  want to miss humanity’s family reunion,” he

  Not for long. I’m a love ’em and leave ’em

  said.

  kind of guy. Belisarius felt his own bravado in

  * * *

  48

  DEREK KÜNSKEN

  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

  Chapter Sixteen

  The sick bay began examining Belisarius

  Français 8.1 was nothing if not a poetic lan-

  with IR. A staccato set of IR signals shot out-

  guage. Les Maisons d’éducation correction-

  ward from the wrist device and into the sick

  nelle, the Houses of Correctional Education,

  bay’s AI. The room darkened.

  was the Congregate’s name for the peniten-

  “Saint Matthew?” Belisarius whispered.

  tiaries scattered throughout its provinces. The

  “I have forced the sick bay into a diagnostic

  closest word in Anglo-Spanish was “reforma-

  mode that will last several hours,” Saint

  tory,” although this conveyed little of the

  Matthew said in an implant in Belisarius’ ear.

  graceful French irony.

  “The blinders, masks, and Scarecrow viruses

  The Congregate built the penitentiaries on

  are uploading now. I’m downloading prisoner

  dwarf planets or asteroids, on off-ecliptic or-

  medical files.”

  bits that were fuel-expensive to reach. La Mai-

  Belisarius moved to the door.

  son orbiting Epsilon Indi was buried in a

  La Maison’s systems were hardened against

  Mars-sized, airless rock. Its orbit had been tilt-

  electromagnetic signals and passworded

  ed twenty degrees off the ecliptic, so there

  against other kinds of intrusion. The only sys-

  was no practical low-energy transfer orbit to

  tem designed to receive any EM was the med-

  it. Except for supply ships running on high

  ical one. No humans were involved in the

  thrust, it had few visitors.

  medical care of prisoners or crew, so the med-

  Belisarius stepped off the supply ship into

  ical AI had to be connected to other systems

  the landing bay beneath the surface of La Mai-

  in the Maison. Sophisticated electronic im-

  son. The pilot was an AI, and Belisarius wore

  mune systems, none of which were as ad-

  the uniform of a capitaine in the Inspector-

  vanced as Saint Matthew, secured the

  General’s Off ice of the Congregate’s Correc-

  administrative operations.

  tional Service, which meant the crew left him

  “The mask virus has penetrated their net-

  alone. His blue uniform was crisp with pris-

  work,” Saint Matthew said, “not far enough to

  tine white fleur-de-lis shoulder flashes.

  reach their security systems, but enough to in-

  On his wrist, he wore the hard band of

  tercept some data transmissions. The blinder

  smart carbon that officers carried, which nor-

  virus is creating data quarantines of the elec-

  mally contained a minor sub-AI assistant and

  tronic immune system around the places

  the necessary codes and passwords. Belisarius’

  you’re going to walk. The quarantine will only

  service band housed Saint Matthew. The AI

  last a few minutes in each case, but by then

  had fabricated Belisarius a complete identity

  you’ll be through.”

  for Capitaine Gervais, one that would last sev-

  “Map?” Belisarius asked, opening the door

  eral months before AI auditors got to the files

  onto an unlit hallway.

  and found discrepancies with other databases.

  Saint Matthew projected the blueprint of la

  The deck sergeant saluted. “Shall I bring

  Maison onto Belisarius’ cornea, blue lines su-

  you to the warden or the watch officer, mon-

  perimposing themselves over his view of the

  sieur?”

  darkened corridor. He crept along the route

  “I would like that, but I’m not feeling well.

  marked in orange in his display. None of the

  Please point me at the sick bay. I have a med-

  lights brightened for him.

  ical condition that sometimes needs minimal

  Prisons were designed on the principle of

  attention.”

  concentric shells, with hardened choke-points

  A private escorted him to the medical bay.

  bridging one shell to the next. He was in the

  Belisarius thanked her and asked for an ap-

  f irst shell. Marie and the other prisoners

  pointment with the warden for the following

  would be within the second. He was hoping

  day. The woman saluted and left Belisarius in

  she hadn’t done something stupid enough to

  the care of the medical AI.

  get thrown into the third.

  The small sick bay was cheap and function-

  “Cross-point ahead,” Saint Matthew said.

  al, with hard plastic seats and cold, unwel-

  The guard hut was a fortified structure be-

  coming air. Being in a maison, it was also

  side what looked a lot like an airlock, mostly

  hardened against intrusion, with its tools of

  made of steel. The hut would be run by sub-

  the medical trade sealed into the walls, ready

  AIs implementing fixed rules, counter-signed

  for deployment by the AI.

  by a human guard. Belisarius walked to the

  THE QUANTUM MAGICIAN, PART I

  49

  ANALOG

  hut and knocked on the thick window of the

  ning water, pumps, and the bright growth of

  hut’s door.

  cabbage, millet, and rye sprouts.

  The guard inside saluted and said on the in-

  “There’s no Marie here, Saint Matthew,”

  tercom, “ID please, monsieur.”

  Belisarius sub-vocalized after a few seconds.

  Belisarius held the wrist band containing

  “She’s here. The reformatory AI said she

  Saint Matthew beneath a reader. It chirped.

  was here.”

  The guard frowned, likely at the level of the

  “Well, she’s not.” Belisarius passed a charge

  security clearance Belisarius carried. Belisarius

  through his magnetosomes to feel at the ambi-

  signaled impatiently for her to open the door

  ent magnetic f ield. There were weird, dead

  to the hut. The private entered a code, and

  spaces in the field. He extended his arms and

  physically opened the heavy door. Then she

  walked to a punch code panel recessed
into

  saluted again. Her nameplate said Lavigne.

  the back wall.

  “I’m Gervais, from the Inspector-General’s

  Its magnetic field was anomalously dormant,

  Off ice,” Belisarius said. “You saw the clear-

  but behind it, other currents moved. It came off

  ance?”

  easily, spilling cold air onto his f ingers. The

  “Oui, monsieur.”

  seals and screws were worn free. Inside, the se-

  “Very good,” Belisarius said. “Cycle me

  curity camera cables snaked in counter-intuitive

  through the lock.”

  directions, patched to different feeds.

  Her eyes widened. “Monsieur, we don’t go

  “She damaged the reformatory systems!”

  in without armor and anti-prisoner kit.”

  Saint Matthew said. “That’s against the rules.”

  “You saw my clearance, private. This is In-

  “It’s dangerous,” Belisarius said. “She can

  spector-General business.”

  get tossed into a much tougher prison. Why

  Lavigne gaped for a moment, then autho-

  did she do it? Is she making a break right now?

  rized the airlock into the main area of the re-

  That would be too much coincidence.”

  formatory. Belisarius went through both

  “The electronic immune system is going to

  doorways and moved down the hallway with-

  catch our virus in less than eighteen minutes.

  out looking back.

  Find her!”

  “She sent a message to her control area?”

  “I don’t know where she is!” Belisarius sub-

  Belisarius sub-vocalized.

  vocalized. “She can’t be far, not unless she’s

  “I already intercepted it and replied,” Saint

  cracked the security AIs.”

  Matthew said.

  How could the AIs lose her? On the side

  “What’s your latest guess of the life ex-

  wall was a door sealed with bolts. The hydro-

  pectancy of your virus?”

  ponics equipment would need some tools that

  “Twenty minutes. It depends on the securi-

  the reformatory would want to keep out of

  ty posture of la Maison. At higher alarm levels,

  the hands of the prisoners. Had she equipped

  the areas where I managed to put the virus

  herself with tools?

  will be closed out of main processing.”

  He moved between rows of cabbage and

  “You’ve got Marie’s location?”

  rye, toward the side wall, leaking a slow but

  “She’s in AI-supervised rehabilitation,” Saint

  steady current from his electroplaques into his

  Matthew said. “Her curriculum includes train-