Book 3: 3rd World Products, Inc

by Ed Howdershelt

  I said, “Hey, Wallace, I was in the middle of it after the virus release downstairs. Why don't you take a quick vote over there and see how many people on that flitter want me to come socialize?"

  "They know you're clean."

  "Knowing and believing are different things entirely, sometimes. I'm fine where I am and I'm sure the guys over there don't mind if I stay here. Tell you what; I'll call if I get lonely, okay? Bye, Linda."

  I tapped off the screen and opened my coffee thermos as I said, “Steph, I really don't like him very much."

  "That's evident."

  Refilling my mug and recapping the thermos in silence, I considered matters. I didn't relish the idea of being locked in a hangar with a crowd; not even a small one in a big building.

  I pulled down my briefcase and took out my pad, then punched up the internet, checked my email, and surfed the newsgroups for a short while. Not much new; same old flame wars and inane questions by people who hadn't read the FAQ's and probably never would. I was tired.

  "Steph, sooner or later, Linda's going to head us all back to base. If I'm asleep, wake me, please."

  "Will do, Ed."

  Steph made me a cushioning field and I stretched out between the gold and the console. What seemed only a few minutes later, I woke to her calling my name. The lights of Grand Forks were receding behind us.

  "Linda just called, Ed. We're on our way to hangar four with the others."

  I reached for my coffee and mumbled, “Yeah. Okay. Whatever. What time is it?"

  "Oh-two-hundred. Would you like a situation report?"

  "Not necessary. Thanks, anyway."

  We arrived within minutes. The other two flitters entered the hangar and settled side by side to the right of the big doors as we followed them in.

  Bunks and upright metal gym lockers for everybody had been set up in a double row in the center of the hangar. Fresh uniforms lay folded on the bunks. Big coffee pots and a buffet had been set out for us at the far end of the hangar.

  On the end of the table were enough towels and toiletries for everyone and a set of keys with a note. Linda took the keys and unlocked a storage room at that end of the hangar, then called an assembly. Steph and I disembarked the flitter and went with the others.

  After Linda pointed out the toilet and shower facilities, Wallace supervised a weapons and ammo check as everybody turned in their hardware, then Linda locked the storage room and dismissed everybody to fend for themselves before approaching Steph and me. Wallace followed her. We eyed each other briefly, then Linda spoke.

  "If you need to talk later..."

  "Yeah. I know. I'm fine, Linda."

  Wallace said rather acidly, “Stephanie said he was asleep when you called, Linda. He won't need to talk. Let's get something to eat and then hit the sack."

  Linda turned to face him and said, “You go ahead. Get yourself a bite and turn in, Emory. I want to have a word with Ed and Stephanie first. Privately, please."

  Wallace sort of blinked in surprise at her and didn't immediately move. After a couple of moments, he glanced at me, then said, “Yeah. Okay. See you in a few."

  As he moved toward the tables, Linda said, “Let's go to your flitter,” and began walking toward it. Steph and I followed, catching up and matching her stride.

  Linda jangled the keys that had been left on the table and said, “Storage room. Office. Tool room. No front or back door keys."

  "Very thoughtful of someone,” I said, waiting to see if she had more to say about the lack of door keys.

  "Well, we knew that they'd prefer that we didn't leave for a while,” said Linda. “What happened tonight is a little beyond all of our experiences, Ed. We've faced a lot of risky circumstances over the years, but this one beat them all for sheer horror."

  When she glanced at me, I shrugged and said, “Yeah. Guess so."

  Linda's expression altered slightly to reflect mild skepticism, but she didn't say anything else until we were aboard the flitter.

  "Steph,” she said, “Would you please soundproof and opaque the canopy?"

  Steph looked at me. I nodded.

  "Certainly, Linda,” said Steph.

  The canopy field became tinted with gray, then Steph nodded and said, “Done."

  Linda sat down in the seat to the left of the pilot's seat and said, “Got any of those beers left?"

  I nodded and fished a beer out of the cooler, opening it and handing it to her. As I pulled one for myself and sat down in the pilot's seat, Linda chuckled.

  She said, “Ed, Emory thinks there's something wrong with someone who doesn't need a little company after an experience like yours tonight. When we called and Steph told us that you were asleep ... Well, Emory thought that was fairly strange, too. Enough so that he made a log entry about it."

  "He actually made note of my nap? And you said...?"

  "I told him that you handled things differently from other people. Bear in mind that we'd just watched everybody on that roof die, Ed. Some of our most experienced people had been throwing up and some had tears in their eyes. Emory made a point of asking me how many others had slept through it all."

  "They watched the whole show. I didn't feel a need to do that. Maybe I should be talking to Wallace, Linda. That is, unless you think he's right in thinking I'm not caring enough?"

  She gave me a steady gaze and said, “No, I don't think he's right, Ed. I just wanted to make sure you're all right. I think you probably are, but I want to be sure."

  I met her gaze for some moments, then said, “I'm fine, ma'am. If you have any doubts, ask Steph."

  "How would she know, Ed? She can monitor your physical state, but what about...? Well, that was a rather strident little speech you made. Should we believe that you simply put the whole thing out of your mind a few minutes later?"

  "Ask Steph,” I said again. “Get a playback, if you want."

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Linda watched me sip my beer, then took a sip of her own. She looked at Steph, who had taken the seat on my right, and then did exactly as I'd expected.

  "Steph, how about it?” asked Linda. “Any signs of unusual stress?"

  Steph shook her head and said, “No, Linda. He appeared to disinvolve himself from events within the building soon after he was aboard me. In my opinion, he chose to sleep rather than observe developments that could lead to only one conclusion."

  Linda regarded Steph thoughtfully for a moment, then asked, “Well, then—also in your opinion—how normal is that, Steph? Nobody else in our group took a nap."

  "He wasn't within your group, Linda, so your group's dynamics didn't affect him. It appeared to me that he was simply acting to minimize further emotional and psychological impact from the evening's events."

  Linda nodded, sipped her beer again, then looked at me.

  "She makes it sound so simple, Ed. You're saying that you just tuned everything out and took a snooze?"

  I shrugged. “That's about it. Sorry if that doesn't fit Wallace's expectations.” I raised my beer to sip again, but paused halfway to add, “Or yours."

  She shook her head and took a sip of her beer, then said, “Maybe I've just known you longer than anyone else, Ed. Your nap doesn't really seem all that strange to me. I don't think Emory will see it that way, though."

  "I don't work for Wallace."

  She sighed and said, “No, but he'll be filing a report, too. I'll talk to him."

  I nodded. “Send him over here. I'll talk to him, too."

  "That may not be such a good idea right now, Ed."

  "Sure it is. Five minutes with Wallace now could keep us from having to repeatedly explain all this crap later to people who weren't there."

  After a moment, she nodded. “Yeah. It might, at that."

  I turned to Steph and said, “He's wearing a comm watch, but it's off at the moment. Would you force open a link to Wallace for us, Steph?"

  "Will do."

  A couple of moments later, Wallace asked,
“How's the private conference going?"

  "Fine,” I said. “If you've got a spare minute, how about dropping by?"

  After a slight pause, he said, “Well, I'd hate to intrude, of course."

  Linda's face flashed with irritation as she said, “Emory..."

  "Okay,” said Wallace. “Yeah. I guess I can make time for it. Be there in a minute."

  "Good enough,” I said. “Just step aboard when you get here. Steph will let you in."

  We watched Wallace gaze thoughtfully at our flitter for a few moments. He said something to someone nearby who appeared to crisply acknowledge his words.

  Probably “You're in charge ‘till I get back.” The Wallaces of the world always have to leave someone in charge.

  Wallace then started toward us. He seemed mildly perplexed as he approached to within a couple of feet of the flitter and stopped. Raising his watch to his face, he asked, “How the hell am I supposed to get in there?"

  I said, “I told you to just step aboard, didn't I?"

  "But..."

  "Just give it a try, Wallace. We didn't call you over there to play tricks on you."

  Linda started to say something, but I put a finger to my lips to shush her. We saw Wallace reach tentatively to touch the ‘hull’ of the flitter. His eyes widened, then narrowed when his fingertips met nothing tangible. After a moment of apparent consideration, he leaned forward into the field.

  As his head and shoulders appeared inside and he spotted us sitting by the console, I said, “Haul the rest of yourself in here and have a beer, Wallace."

  He looked at Linda as he climbed aboard. I reached into the cooler and handed him one of the three beers remaining. He took it without comment as he examined the translucent canopy.

  "We've been talking about you,” I said. “Linda says you think I'm a trifle weird because I took a nap instead of watching a roof full of people die. I told her that I didn't have to watch, so I didn't. What do you think about that, Wallace?"

  He glanced at each of us, opened his beer and took a sip, then said, “Nobody else slept through it. Just you. Why's that?"

  "I didn't have half a dozen other people around me pissing and moaning about it, Wallace. It was a show I didn't want to see, so I turned it off."

  "Just like that, huh?” He sipped his beer without taking his eyes off me.

  "Yeah,” I said, “Just like that. What's the big deal, Wallace? I'm not calling it an act of courage or toughness. I freely admit that I didn't want to watch those people die, so I just didn't. Satisfied?"

  "No,” he said. “Not really."

  I turned to Linda. “How about you?” I asked.

  She glanced at Wallace, then said, “I just wish I could have tuned it all out, too. Yes, Ed. I've seen you disassociate from things before. It's explanation enough for me."

  Nobody said anything for some moments as we sipped beer. I reached in my pocket and handed my gold doubloon to Linda. She examined it in surprise as I said, “That's your dowry, miLady, as promised."

  Wallace peered at the coin and said, “I thought you were joking. Is it real?"

  I grinned. “Would I dare to give my Fearless Leader a fake anything? She'd have my ass if I did."

  Linda looked up at me and asked, “Are you sure, Ed?"

  "Yeah, I'm sure you'd have my ass for it."

  Wallace couldn't contain a snicker and Linda grimaced as she said, “The coin, Ed."

  I nodded. “Yeah, I'm sure it's real. Steph found some coins and gave me that one. Now I'm giving it to you. What are you going to do with it, Linda?"

  "I ... Thank you, Ed. I don't know ... It would make a great pendant, wouldn't it?"

  "Want a hole in it? Someplace to put a connector? If I can't do it, Steph can."

  "Huh? What do you mean, 'if you can't do it'?"

  "I mean that if you want a tiny hole in the top, hand it over and I'll give it a shot. If I can't put the hole in it, Steph can do it."

  She handed me the coin and said, “Uh, sure. I'll need some way to hang it."

  Steph asked, “Ed, are you sure you can summon that much heat?"

  "If I were, I wouldn't have called this 'giving it a shot', Steph."

  I focused a pinpoint heat field at the top of the coin, just below the edge, and concentrated. Nothing seemed to be happening for some moments, but the coin became too hot to hold. I turned off the field and thought a moment.

  "I'm going about this wrong,” I muttered. “At this rate, all I'm going to do is char my fingers. Lemme try something else."

  Lifting the coin from my hand with another field, I split that field and again focused a thin tendril where I wanted the hole.

  Linda said, “Ed, be careful, okay?"

  I broke off my effort to laugh and said, “Exactly how the hell am I supposed to do that, Linda? Don't make me laugh. I can't concentrate."

  Wallace was staring at the floating coin. He wordlessly looked at me as if I'd gone nuts, then returned his attention to the coin.

  Steph said, “Ed, perhaps you should turn the coin upside down. If you succeed, the melting gold may dribble on the face of the coin."

  I stopped the field again and looked at her.

  "Good thinking,” I said. “Any other suggestions?"

  "No. Good luck."

  I sat straight and grinningly asked, “You don't think I can do it, miLady? Is there something you haven't told me? Is my implant strong enough?"

  "Your implant is certainly capable of the task, Ed, but you've never tried so intense a heat before. That's the only reason that I wished you luck."

  Wallace waved his hand to get my attention and incredulously asked, “Am I hearing you right? You're going to try to burn a hole in that coin with your implant?"

  I grinned and said, “Melt, not burn. Is everybody going to pipe down and let me try, now?"

  He sat back and spread his hands in a gesture of vast largesse.

  "Oh, sure, sport. Go for it. Don't let me hold you back."

  Linda said, “I still say to be careful, Ed."

  Nodding, I turned the coin upside down and again set about my task. For some long-seeming moments, nothing seemed to be happening other than a faint wisping of smoke. I couldn't think of a way to try any harder and was about to give the coin to Steph when a droplet of gold fell to the deck and a tiny hole appeared in the coin.

  I was so surprised that the coin almost fell to the deck before I caught it with my field. Linda was staring at the coin. Wallace was staring at me.

  Steph softly said, “Well done, Ed."

  "Thank you, ma'am. Coming from you, that's truly a compliment."

  Linda reached for the coin in amazement. I pulled it away from her and she looked at me questioningly.

  "It may still be too hot,” I said. “Give me a minute."

  In my enthusiasm, I field-cooled the coin a bit more than necessary. Dew formed on the surface, then frost. I decided that frost was as impressive as heat and guided the coin to Linda's hand. She let it rest in her palm for a few moments, then turned it over.

  When Wallace reached for it, she quickly closed her hand over it and said, “No, no. Huh-uh. You may get me, but you don't get this coin. No way. It's mine."

  Wallace gave her a droll look and said, “Would you mind very much if I just looked at it closely, madam?"

  After appearing to give his request some thought, she handed him the coin with, “Well, just don't try to forget to give it back, sailor. There's nowhere to run."

  Wallace gave her an obsequious expression as she handed him the coin, then studied it closely for some moments.

  "Well, it looks real enough,” he said. “Where'd you say you got it, Ed?"

  "From Stephanie. Sifting sand is her hobby these days. When she found a few of these, she gave me that one."

  After several moments of studying the coin, Wallace handed it back to Linda and asked me, “What else can you do with that ... thing in your head?"

  I shrugged. “Evaporate o
r freeze your beer. Or whatever else. I can lift a few pounds, too. I'm still figuring things out."

  Wallace sipped his beer thoughtfully, then said, “You two are real tight with each other, but you didn't give her the coin while you were alone with her just now. Why do I get the feeling that I was supposed to be here for that little presentation?"

  Linda suddenly seemed curious about that, too, but she made a point of keeping her face turned away from Wallace so that only Steph and I could see her expression.

  "Wallace,” I said, “You caught me. I put on a display for you to show you that I'm outside your normal range of experience and judgment. I'm also outside your command structure, so I'd appreciate it if you'd leave me out of your own reports. Linda is my boss, and if you have anything at all to say or ask about me, I'd appreciate it if you'd consult with her before mentioning it anywhere else."

  "What makes you think I'd have anything to say about you, Ed?"

  I sighed and said, “Ah, hell. No fencing. No banter. No bullshit, Wallace. You think I'm an irreverent, borderline nutcase who stays on the payroll mostly because he's an old friend of Linda's. Even after what happened this evening, you think that about me, don't you?"

  Linda turned to face him. He stared back at us for a moment, then said, “Yes. I do,” in a tone that seemed almost defiant.

  I asked Linda, “You showed him my file? Told him about the station events and some of the other times and places?"

  Linda nodded and said, “Yes. We've discussed you."

  "In that case,” I said to Wallace, “I have to believe that you have some other reason for wanting to believe as you do about me. If you don't have absolute facts to back up your opinions of me, I'd suggest that you keep those opinions to yourself. I'm not after anybody's job or your girlfriend, Wallace. I like things just as they are, and I'll fight to keep them this way."

  Turning to Steph, I said, “Would you please display the log from their flitter, Steph? Skim through it and pull up any mention of me, please."

  She did so on a screen that popped up where all of us could see it. Wallace came half out of his chair.

  I said, “Sit still or be restrained, Wallace."

  Linda put her hand on my arm and said, “Ed, this isn't..."