When the River Ran Dry

by Robert Davies

  “Okay, so now we know ‘Sammy’ is short for Samuel Enderby; does that get us any closer?”

  Ricky called up a land traffic status page, thumbing through a menu of street names until he found it.

  “Enderby Court, see?”

  “Yes, I see, but it doesn’t tell me anything, Richard! Where the hell are you going with this?”

  Ricky’s toned softened as he began his description. At last, he understood and the hidden discovery that eluded Maela made for him a sudden and wonderful sensation of hope and enthusiasm. Indeed, the old man knew how to hide his secret in a way only Ricky would understand and a simple street name in a map display would soon take them through the next step of a growing mystery.

  “When I was just starting the hustle on my own, not long after Mister Anthony moved away, I relied on Elden’s contacts among the Uppers to do a lot of my business; they wanted things I could find, and all of them had plenty of money to pay for it. The problem was a place to put the stuff I scrounged that was safe and out of the way. I was still living with my mom back then, so I couldn’t hide them at home. Elden let me use a storage locker he owned.”

  “Good for you, Richard, but…”

  “Let me finish! The locker was inside one of the little transit sub-stations down near the southern wire, about half-way along a dead-end street called Enderby Court.

  “Okay,” Maela said with a satisfied smile of her own, “your friend hid his tracks well, but not enough that you wouldn’t be able to figure it out; clever of him.”

  “I haven’t used that locker in a long time, but even then, the place seemed pretty tame. Across the field from the sub-station, some of the Agros come in from the Broadlands to trade and sell their stuff away from the Central Market. A lot of it was illegal, but now the gangs are gone, all that’s left are the new retirement blocks.”

  Maela nodded, finally able to see the reason for Ricky’s obvious joy and relief. At last, she thought, they were making progress.

  “All right, we have our goal; let’s move.”

  Ricky nodded and followed Maela up the alley toward Rademacher. As the machine cleared the glass towers in the middle of Morrissey Square, Ricky looked at her for a moment, guessing correctly his opportunity to look past the badge and find the person within.

  “What’s the story with you and Jonathan?”

  She returned a sad laugh.

  “It’s long and complicated.”

  “We have time,” Ricky insisted gently.

  She smiled at him for a second, impressed by his nerve, but quietly grateful he’d taken enough interest to ask.

  “We found each other through mutual friends and got locked-in for all the wrong reasons,” she began. “Jonny is a very good man, don’t get me wrong, but…”

  “But?”

  “No two people were less suited to each other.”

  “Sometimes, opposites attract,” Ricky said. “That’s not unusual, is it?”

  “That’s just it; we’re not really opposites.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m not really the shy type. He isn’t very reserved, either, so there’s been moments when the neighbors had to call the cops on a cop; imagine how that looked.”

  “He seemed fairly mild to me,” Ricky offered.

  “That’s because he hasn’t had enough time to judge you and decide from his safe little world whatever you’re doing is probably a crime against all decency…”

  “I see,” he replied with a smile.

  She caught herself after a moment and said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone off the edge like that.”

  “It’s okay, Maela; I’m the only one here.”

  “Jonny really is a good person, but there are necessary parts of my job that don’t allow for the best behavior, you know? He never understood that and it drove a wedge between us long ago.”

  “What does he think detective work should be?”

  “He watches the vids and believes that’s the way it really is on the street. We save lost children and make the world better without getting dirty doing it. Lots of people up above think that because they’ve never had to deal with the animals who live down here, and…”

  At once, she felt her face run red with embarrassment and regret.

  “I didn’t mean it that way, Richard, sorry.”

  “I didn’t take it that way,” he said.

  “After a million fights and slammed doors, we agreed to go our separate ways and that was it. I see him now and then, but it’s not like it was. We’re friends again, but only just.”

  She pretended to watch the car’s speed and altitude readout, wishing suddenly their conversation could take a different direction. Ricky said nothing, but Maela’s view of life where the Flatwalkers struggled daily was not so jaded as it might have seemed to others. He thought at once of Bartel and Junkyard—of Boris, too. They certainly qualified as those Maela detested and no one knew it better than Ricky.

  The car’s navigation system found and recognized a parking pad at the sub-station on Enderby Court. When it settled onto the smooth surface, they moved quickly across the rain-washed pavement. Inside, the air smelled of ammonia and disinfectant from the cleaners’ work an hour before. Polished stone floors clacked underfoot and sent echoes to match those of others making their way home from pod trains in the brightly lit gallery. Before them, broad steps with dull, aluminum handrails kept riders in precise columns as they walked upward to the platforms. Ricky aimed left to a wall where the lockers waited, each in different shades of green, blue and purple, placed to form a cheerful pattern that reminded Maela strangely of her neighbor’s bathroom floor. At number 114, Ricky paused to remember a time when he first threw himself fully into the shadowy world of the hustle so long ago.

  “I don’t suppose you have the combination?” Maela asked.

  “If Elden put something here a few months ago, then the old code must still work,” Ricky answered.

  “But you know it, right?”

  “Yes; he set it to my birth date so I would never forget.”

  Ricky knelt as Maela turned in a slow, deliberate circle to ensure no others loitered nearby, ever cautious and always moved by a suspicious nature she learned to trust.

  In seconds, the hard, plastic door swung open, revealing only a small, metal box. Ricky tumbled it slowly in his hand, pausing for a moment to regard an object made long before he was born. It was old and tarnished by the passage of decades, but sturdy and solid to the touch. Countless hands no doubt filled it with curios and the tiny bits of obscure, private lives, he thought silently, lived by strangers from the past he would never meet. Maela looked over his shoulder as he pried open the warped lid and placed it carefully on the floor. Inside, a small computer drive sat in a foam rubber cradle and attached to it, a retinal scanner like the ones bankers use. Ricky knew it must’ve cost Elden a steep price.

  “Let’s go, Richard, we can look at this stuff at home,” Maela said, now pushed by a nagging sense of uneasiness, alone and exposed with the key to a mystery and a murder. He replaced the lid and tucked the box under an arm, turning for the exit as Maela looked left and right, prepared to use her authority and position should anyone interfere. In minutes, they were airborne and moving across the southern fringes of the Industrial Zone where it curved from the west, speeding toward the Square and the unseen privacy of his flat where a riddle waited to be solved.

  Maela waited while Ricky pointed a desk lamp at the box, pulling its lid away to expose the tiny data drive. An expensive retinal scanner (the latest private model available, she noticed) came to life with the touch of a finger. Ricky pointed it at his eyes and waited as Maela looked on and said, “How will this recognize you if you’ve never used it?”

  “Elden had my identification scan on file in his own system,” he replied. “Some of the Uppers he knew insisted on it when I was first carrying things up for Mister Anthony. They didn’t trust me
, so I had to give them a retinal scan for the cops in case I burned them on a deal.”

  In seconds, a simple voice file appeared, along with several extensive data files that were seemingly indecipherable. Ricky selected the recording and increased the volume so Maela could hear.

  “Richard, I’m sorry to put you through a mysterious scavenger hunt, but I couldn’t risk discovery by speaking with you in person. I have angered people in the government and I am afraid they are planning to silence me and prevent their secrets from becoming known. This recording is made in the hope you will be able to complete a most important task in the event I cannot.

  “There isn’t much time now, so pay close attention. I’ve discovered something that could change a lot of things in this city, and you are the only one I can trust to do what must be done. Before you listen further, understand this; powerful people up here will stop at nothing to prevent you from achieving your goal. If they knew of it, any of them would order your execution without a second thought, just as they have likely arranged for mine, so please be very careful and guard this information by any means possible.

  “You remember and understand my involvement with the Starlight program. I designed it for a better purpose, but things changed when corruption from within the Commission allowed it into the hands of opportunists who wished to make it into something much different than what my colleagues and I envisioned. You know the rest of the story, but that’s not where it ends. Starlight hides secrets, Richard, very dangerous secrets that if ever revealed could change the way our people live and that is something those in power will never tolerate.

  “When you came to me with those items, and you know the ones I mean, there was no chance for you to do anything with them without being discovered by their owners. That is why I made you replace them and I hope you can understand that now.”

  Ricky nodded involuntarily with the image of Courtnall and Espinoza walking free as Elden’s voice continued.

  “But later, when I found you’ve become lost in your simulation and buried under a debt you could never pay, it was inevitable they would force you to something horrible. I should’ve done more to keep you from what I knew Starlight had become, but I failed and for that, I apologize.

  “I know what Boris Konstantinou wanted from you, and I applaud risking your life to prevent what he would surely have done to Litzi. However, nothing could’ve stopped Boris from getting satisfaction, and making you suffer a Walk for not giving her to him was obvious.

  “I want you to know I tried to keep you alive that night, Richard. I had help from others I cannot name in order to protect their anonymity, but there were reasons why you made it through and I am profoundly glad of it. Still, there were other concerns you knew nothing about, and that is the reason I fear now my life may end sooner than it should.”

  “Your doctor friend,” Maela whispered and the recording continued.

  “Those who control people like Boris Konstantinou, very important and prominent people, are angry with me for what I intend to do. So angry, it is inevitable they will send somebody to prevent me from doing so at any moment. You see, I had a hand in making Starlight into a monster that nearly cost you your life, and one that has ruined countless lives before you. I cannot change what has been, but I have a duty to make it right and keep them from taking the program to its final, horrible stage. Now, the men who may be plotting my murder realize what I intend and it is unlikely I will survive long enough to complete this important journey.

  “The files in this data drive are technical documents that may seem unrecognizable to you, but in the proper hands, they may be able undo what I helped create. You must understand, Richard, those who would stop me are the very ones who protect and support people like Konstantinou. When you finish your task, you will understand.”

  Ricky paused the recording and Maela shook her head slowly.

  “Why was he kicking this to you?”

  “I don’t know,” Ricky replied, “but Elden was a very precise and deliberate man. Whatever it is, he took the time to make this recording, knowing all the while it would probably be his last.”

  “Are you okay?” she asked softly.

  Ricky nodded and continued the playback.

  “I want you to take these files personally to Veosa and deliver them to a scientist there called Valery Sharma. She has no knowledge of this, but once she sees the files, she’ll know what to do. You won’t be able to borrow an air car or ride the mag-rail because the Watchers will see your identification scan immediately and alert MPE. Instead, you must make your way across the Broadlands by land vehicle. In this way, you will be completely off their systems and untraceable.”

  “Valery,” Maela said suddenly. “I should’ve guessed.”

  “You know her?”

  “Yes, but it’s been a long time since I saw her.”

  “Who is she?” Ricky asked, but Maela’s expression had changed.

  “Famous Veosan scientist—a genius who knows everything about artificial intelligence research.”

  Ricky could only guess at the scenario that would’ve put a Veosan AI researcher in the way of a hardened Novum policewoman.

  “How did you meet her?”

  “It’s a long story, but she helped me out a few times. Elden never mentioned her before?”

  “Not that I can recall, why?”

  She waited a moment, looking past Ricky and clearly burdened with knowledge she wished he already knew.

  “Shit. It’s obvious he didn’t tell you, but Valery is Elden’s daughter. I never met him, but she spoke of him a few times.”

  “I don’t understand,” Ricky replied, struggling with the revelation and what it meant; “Elden never said anything about a daughter!”

  “They didn’t get along, apparently, and they’ve been estranged ever since he came over to Novum.”

  Ricky’s confusion was turning to resentment and he floundered knowing the old man had kept so deep a secret.

  “We can sort that out later, Richard; let’s hear the rest,” Maela said with a nod. Ricky continued the message.

  “Now listen carefully because this is important. Just beyond the security station where Walling Road dead-ends at the wire, the path west begins—you know the place I’m talking about. The MPE guards stationed there may delay you, but they are not authorized to prevent your departure. What they can do is enter your identification into the system, but do whatever you must to keep that from happening. You’re good at such things so I’m confident you will succeed.

  “Once you’re outside the city, stay on the road until you reach the third diversion fork. A signpost will point south toward a settlement called Landsdon. When you arrive, ask for Felicitas Bielmann. You remember Felicitas; Aaron Anthony traded with her people for many years, so it shouldn’t be anything unusual when you arrive. I want you to seek her out because she is one of the few Agros who regularly trade inside the walls of Veosa. She will be able to show you how and where to enter the city without undue notice. There are others who could help, but no one would be as effective as Felicitas. Do not make a try at the eastern gates of Veosa, do you understand? Consult with Felicitas and follow her guidance.”

  “You know this person?” Maela asked suddenly.

  “Yes. She’s a Teemer we meet at the wire from time to time—Mister Anthony knew her when she was young, and I’ve done business with her a few times since then.”

  “What’s a ‘Teemer?’”

  “A Trade Master—she’s one of the Agros authorized to set the value of a transaction.”

  “But you know her, right?”

  Ricky smiled and nodded.

  “When I was learning the hustle, she was the first Agro I ever met. I traded some jugs of ammonia for a coldbox packed with fresh vegetables that time. Mister Anthony said Felicitas was the only Agro you could trust and he was right; she’s a straight-shooter.”

  Ricky continued the recording.

  “Felicitas is probabl
y a full Trustee now, so her word will carry significant weight. Still, some of her neighbors may demand compensation for helping you find your way, so be prepared. If you can borrow a transporter or land car, bring with you the sorts of things Agros value as payment. You know better than anyone what list to compile, but do what you must to gain their favor. Felicitas may be suspicious or hesitant, but show her you are in earnest and she’ll relent in the end. Listen closely to her instructions and follow them to the letter; without her influence, it is unlikely you will gain entry into Veosa on your own. Tell her I sent you; that should take away many of her concerns.

  “After you depart from Landsdon, do not wander off the road. This is critically important, Richard; don’t stray from the path no matter what. The farther west you go, the more dangerous this will become; Agros or Diggers who live in the middle of the Broadlands have rarely seen any of our people, and they may react violently out of fear or mistrust. I’m sure you don’t need to be reminded, but their way is not like ours; if you run afoul and make enemies, your mission could easily end in failure. Use your wits and stay on the road until you are safely within the borders of Veosa.

  “I don’t know precisely where Valery lives, but my last correspondence showed her in residence at a private company called ‘KazTek,’ spelled K-A-Z-T-E-K. That should be your starting point. When you find her, present the specification sheets in this file, but be prepared; this will be a shock to her, although perhaps not a surprise. Valery can be combative, so please exercise patience when you speak with her. There are secrets she carries as well, but I leave it to her to reveal or keep hidden as she sees fit.”

  Ricky knew Elden meant the relationship between him and a daughter he never revealed.

  “Tonight, I will take this data drive to a place only you can find. I hope you will never come to see it, but if you do, it will mean I am gone and the worst has happened. Find Valery and help her; I need you to do what I cannot. I’m sorry, and understand I would never ask this of you if there was another way. I know you are angry and sad, but do not let it deter you. Please take these final steps for me, will you? If I wake in another place, I will miss you terribly, but always remember that you were as a son to me. Goodbye, Richard, and good luck.”