magnetosomes. The throbbing tides and dart-
ing on hydroponics, along with class work
ing flows of magnetism and electricity pressed
and community sensitization. Serves her
at him. Engineers thrived under predictability,
right,” he added.
regularity, and tolerance. Electrical conduits
“I hope she’s in shape to react quickly,”
ran in straight lines, repeated themselves at
Belisarius said. “Sometimes les Maisons are
regular junctions, feeding predictable door-
not gentle.”
ways and sensors. Belisarius’s slow walk felt
“Be ready to carry her,” Saint Matthew said.
like walking through an artery, squeezed
“She’s probably been mouthy. Left turn here
every so often by peristaltic flexing.
and introduce the service band on the access
“Mister Arjona, hurry!”
panel.”
Belisarius stopped at a door with a small
Belisarius waved the service band. A door
white sign that said Égouts.
unlocked and opened. A humid room the size
“The water reclamation system,” Saint
of a gymnasium was f illed with trays of run-
Matthew said behind his ear.
50
DEREK KÜNSKEN
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018
“The door has been tampered with,” Belis-
Marie gaped. “Bel?”
arius sub-vocalized.
Belisarius had no weapon, but held his
“Is she digging her way out with a spoon?”
hands out beside him. The prisoners didn’t
Saint Matthew demanded, an edge of panic
know what that meant. Marie did.
slipping into his tone. “She knows there’s a
“Bel! Non! Trust me, you don’t want to do
hard vacuum on the surface, doesn’t she?”
any tricks here.”
“I hope she’s not doing something dumb-
“Who is this?” the man with the knife de-
er,” Belisarius whispered, pulling open the
manded. “You ratting us out to the guards?”
door that ought to have been bolted shut. Be-
“He’s not a guard,” she said. “Put the knives
hind it, machinery and pumps droned, but
down. If we fight, we draw the guards. How
without any of the rhythmic electrical and
did you get in here, Bel?”
magnetic regularity of the engineered works.
“Come on, Marie. Let’s go,” Belisarius said.
Here, too, cabling had been re-routed and se-
“This is a prison break?” the man with the
curity feeds moved. An acrid smell thickened
knife said.
the room, unlike any that should have been
Alarms sounded. Orange light bathed them.
present in a water reclamation station. He
“Merde!” yelled the man. “Blown! Let’s go!”
stepped in, edging around machines, toward
Marie released the tall woman she’d been
the sound of quiet voices.
holding down. She rose, huffing, and pushed
“Mister Arjona,” Saint Matthew whispered
Marie.
in his implant, “I don’t recognize the organics
“We can’t,” the woman said. “They’ll f ind
in the air, but some are toxic to you. We can’t
this lab. We have to take the explosives now.”
stay here.”
“They aren’t stable yet!” Marie said.
“Marie may be here, and we don’t have
“You’re making explosives in prison?” Belis-
much time,” Belisarius sub-vocalized.
arius demanded.
Belisarius peeked around a great aluminum
“Do you know how boring it is in here?”
and steel pump.
Marie yelled at him over the alarms. “I had to
Three big people in orange reformatory
f ind a hobby! It’s not my best work, though!
jumpsuits—two women and a man—towered
They wouldn’t give me magnesium salts!”
menacingly over a similarly dressed smaller
“Let’s go,” Belisarius said, pulling her by the
woman. The smaller woman, Marie, stood be-
arm. “I don’t know if our virus can keep hid-
tween them and a table. Behind her, trays of
ing us while the alarm is on.”
small pink cubes were stacked in rows, drying
Marie pulled free of his grip, ran around her
on pieces of oily paper like so many pieces of
fellow prisoners to the stacks of pink cubes
fudge.
and took as many as would f it in her hands,
“They’re still not stable yet,” Marie said in
like a child scooping from a candy bin.
insistent français 8.1. “You’ve got to wait two
“We don’t need that! You just said it was un-
more weeks.”
stable,” Belisarius said.
“We can’t wait two weeks,” the tallest
Marie looked uncomfortably at the little
woman said. “How unstable?”
cubes overf lowing her small hands. They
“Your-arms-and-legs-part-company unsta-
daubed tiny grease stains on the front of her
ble,” Marie said impatiently.
coveralls.
The woman grabbed the front of Marie’s
“Can you leave them?” Belisarius demand-
jumpsuit and tried to shove her into a row of
ed.
pipes. Then the taller woman was on her
“I really want to see how well they work.”
knees, with Marie twisting one hand behind
“Oh, for the love of—Come on!” he said in
her back. The blurry-fast movement had raised
exasperation, waving her on. He opened the
Marie’s sleeve, revealing the bottom edge of a
door into the hallway and she followed him.
Congregate naval NCO tattoo on her forearm.
“How unstable is it, really?”
The other two prisoners advanced. Belisarius
“Well, if you’ve become electrically inconti-
came from behind the pump.
nent, we’re both in trouble,” she said.
“Hold it right there,” he said in his best 8.1.
“Incontinent?”
The two other prisoners spun, pointing
“Hey! Have you got Saint Matthew with
crude knives at him.
you?”
THE QUANTUM MAGICIAN, PART I
51
ANALOG
“It wouldn’t be like old times if I didn’t.”
way, red lit, as if angered. Marie pressed an-
Theatrically loud, Marie whispered, “Is he
other cube into the grating but then eyed it
still crazy?”
slowly, as if considering the color scheme.
“I told you she would be like this, Mister Ar-
“Are you doing anything, Marie?” Belisarius
jona!” Saint Matthew said.
whispered urgently.
“Do you really care, Marie?” Belisarius said.
“Better be a little more,” she said, pressing
“He’s the one who broke the codes to get me
in a third cube.
in here.”
Then she grabbed his sleeve and ran back
Saint Matthew spoke into his ear. “We’re
<
br /> with him. Belisarius understood what she
about to lose the virus! We’ll be fully visible to
wanted. He measured the distance. The four
the reformatory’s security AIs.”
drones had nearly reached the pink dough.
Belisarius stopped. “They won’t be depend-
Belisarius knelt by the next vent and prepared
ing on visible scans,” he said. “Can you mimic
to touch it.
a guard’s ID signal?”
“I should probably back up a bit from you,”
“Already done.”
Marie said. “I’ve still got a handful of this
Belisarius took Marie’s arm. “Come on.
stuff.”
You play prisoner and I play guard. This is
“How crazy is she?” Saint Matthew asked.
still Plan A.”
“Obviously sane enough to stand trial,”
They rushed along the hall until he saw the
Belisarius said.
guard hut. He telescoped his eyesight. Several
Marie had withdrawn a dozen meters be-
people were in the hut. Red and orange lights
hind him as the drones reached the vent
flashed.
where she’d pressed in the explosive.
“Merde,” he whispered.
Belisarius hated this part. The electro-
“Mister Arjona,” Saint Matthew said, “four
plaques built into the Homo quantus, backed
drones are approaching. Alert systems see us
with the right training, were tools of exquisite
now. We’re no longer hidden.”
delicacy, surpassing the sensitivity of piezo-
“We weren’t supposed to attract the
electric materials. They were also durable fin-
drones,” Belisarius said quietly. “The virus was
gers, shaping the electromagnetic world to
supposed to redirect them.”
navigate hours and days in the quantum
“We would have had time if Miss Phocas
fugue. But some jobs didn’t need a scalpel.
had actually been participating in her rehabili-
They just needed a hammer.
tation instead of making second-grade explo-
The world convulsed as industrial-strength
sives for criminals,” Saint Matthew said.
amperage burst through the carbon filaments
“I told you!” Marie said. “They wouldn’t
running from his electroplaques and out of his
give me magnesium salts. How am I sup-
fingertips. The high-voltage charge leapt into
posed to do my best work under these condi-
the metal frame of the vent, electrifying the
tions?”
duct all along the hallway.
“Plan B retreat routes?” Belisarius asked the
The air shook and hit him.
AI.
Deaf. Ringing.
“The security system is alert now, looking
Concussive confusion.
for infection,” Saint Matthew said. “At close
Bursting sparks behind eyelids.
range, they’ll be double checking with photo-
Then Marie was hauling him to his feet one-
recognition, and they’ll no doubt take Miss
handed, hugging her pink cubes in the other
Phocas from us, which actually solves some of
as she peered into the smoke.
our problems.”
“If only I’d had another week to dry them
“I solve problems,” Marie said, delicately
properly,” Marie said.
pressing one of the pink cubes against a heat-
“She nearly killed us!” Saint Matthew said.
ing vent near the floor.
“I can make a bigger blast. I’ve got enough
“You said that stuff is unstable?” Belisarius
for another try,” Marie said helpfully. “What’s
asked.
your plan again?”
“Yeah. It’s better if you back up a lot,” she
Belisarius leaned on her steely arm and stag-
said.
gered forward. “Play along,” he whispered.
Four rolling figures appeared down the hall-
“This is going to be delicate.”
52
DEREK KÜNSKEN
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018
“I’m always delicate,” she said, kicking a
were rare, typically only one in an entire solar
piece of flaming drone down the hallway.
system, but they each had hundreds, if not
Several faces watched them approach from
thousands, of human covert operatives who
inside the hut.
were dangerous in their own right.
“Is their communication to the warden still
“The Epsilon Indi Scarecrow has planted
being blocked?” Belisarius sub-vocalized.
this informant within the reformatory, an ex-
“I doubt it,” Saint Matthew said into his ear.
naval NCO,” Belisarius said, trying to shake
“The security posture of the entire Maison is
Marie. “On the authority of the Indi Scare-
inflamed.”
crow, I hereby inform you that you are under
“Activate the Scarecrow virus,” Belisarius
special orders until otherwise released. Any
sub-vocalized.
breach of my orders will constitute an offense
A moment later, the red and yellow alarm
under the Code for Service Discipline and the
lights shifted to blue.
Official Secrets Act. Do you acknowledge and
A sepulchral voice boomed from all the
understand?”
speakers in français 7.1, the Venusian French
The sergeant nodded slowly.
of a century ago. The wall screens edged in
“Section 14 of the Off icial Secrets Act re-
blue and f lashed the words: ALERTE ÉPOUVAN-
quires me to offer you the opportunity to reau-
TAIL. Scarecrow Alert. Marie’s grip tightened
thenticate my credentials,” Belisarius said. “Do
on Belisarius’ arm, although she didn’t say any-
you wish to reauthenticate?”
thing.
“Uh, non, monsieur.”
“Guards and prisoners of la Maison d’édu-
“Cycle us through and await the arrival of
cation correctionnelle d’Epsilon Indi, prepare
the other Inspector-General Units,” Belisarius
for arrival of Indi Scarecrow Unit . Prisoners, re-
said.
turn to cells. Guards, secure prisoners. Mai-
The sergeant activated the lock. Belisarius
son directors assemble in the Warden’s office
and Marie passed through both doors and
and await further instructions. Scarecrow
marched onward.
agents within la Maison, reveal yourselves,
“There’s not really a Scarecrow, is there?”
show authentication codes, and issue orders
Marie whispered.
to prepare for my arrival.”
“Shut up,” Belisarius whispered back, mov-
An echoing silence followed. Belisarius
ing briskly.
waved at the drifting smoke, and with a f ist-
“You had me worried for a minute,” she
ful of Marie’s sleeve, he marched to the win-
said.
dow of the hut. The faces inside showed
“How long have
we got?” Belisarius asked.
confusion. Belisarius passed his service band
“Probably twelve minutes on the Scarecrow
in front of the reader. Private Lavigne’s eyes
virus,” Saint Matthew said. “The external sen-
widened behind the thick glass, while the
sors are showing a Congregate frigate that will
others—some corporals and a sergeant—
be in a position to send drop ships in forty
stood uncertainly.
minutes.”
“Authenticate my codes,” Belisarius said in
Two running guards passed them, sparing a
French.
brief glance for the captain escorting a prison-
The private turned to the sergeant, who
er. They walked into the bay and found
paced to the controls and watched the holo-
ground crew standing uncertainly, speaking to
graphic message twice. Belisarius’ face ap-
several guards with sidearms. The guards
peared in the hologram, surrounded by rows
moved to intercept. Marie clutched her mushy
of tight script.
cubes and looked like she wanted to throw
“Authenticated, monsieur,” the sergeant
them. Belisarius held her arm.
said.
“Transmit authentication,” Belisarius said to
“I am a captain with the Inspector-General’s
Saint Matthew.
Off ice,” Belisarius said, “on assignment with
Moments later, holograms sprang to life
the Indi Scarecrow Unit.”
over the service bands of the guards, with
Their eyes turned stony at the mention of
Belisarius’ head surrounded by blue letters—
one of the Congregate Presidium’s indepen-
clearances. The guards backed away.
dently functioning security units . Scarecrows
“The virus has lost access to the command
THE QUANTUM MAGICIAN, PART I
53
ANALOG
areas,” Saint Matthew said in Belisarius’ ear im-
readings, including the incoming frigate.”
plant.
“Oh!” she said. “That’s a good idea. If I’d’ve
Belisarius pointed at one of the deckhands.
known, I guess I wouldn’t have exploded any-
“Give me a shuttle,” he ordered. “My orders
thing in the bay. I thought we were going to
from the Scarecrow are to rendezvous imme-
get caught, and I wanted to get my shots in
diately.”
while I could.”
The deckhand jogged to an airlock hard-
The airlock opened onto the shuttle. They
sealed to one of the shuttles in the vacuum
hurried through.
area. She palmed the pad beside the door,
“You take pilot,” he said. “Saint Matthew
Analog Science Fiction and Fact Page 15