I nodded. "I can," I said. "I really think I can." I considered the situation for a minute.
Lobo stayed silent.
"So your entire structure is effectively your brain?" I said.
"Yes, and my armor," he said. "The changes left me with a largely reconfigurable body. Since that time, I've made my systems sufficiently redundant that I can withstand a great deal of damage and remain operational. I'm limited to my physical self, though. My nanomachines weren't programmed to go beyond the structures that were present at the time of the test, and I've never been able to get them to work on external materials or even on things people bring inside me."
I sat again in silence. I considered telling Lobo how alike we truly were, why I could understand his situation better than he would ever imagine, but I couldn't. Now more than ever, I didn't understand his capabilities or his limits. Maybe someday I could be open with him, but not now.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" I said.
After several long, quiet seconds, he said, "Two reasons. You're the first friend I've had, the first real friend, not some satellite that I've manipulated into giving me data or a security system I've hacked and pretended to be a part of. Telling a human that children died to make you, that their cells form part of the core of your creation, is not an ideal way to endear yourself."
"And the second reason?"
"Many of my software extensions were designed to emulate aspects of humans," he said. "They did that job all too well. Emotions are a part of me I try to ignore, but they're in there, in me, plaguing me. Knowing what I am, knowing how I got this way—that's the worst sickness of all. I don't want to die, but at some level I've never been able to fix in my programming, I feel I deserve to die, and I hate myself. Now, you probably do, too. That's a high price to pay for honesty."
"No, I don't," I said. "You didn't choose to become what you are. It's not your fault." I could never believe it about myself, but maybe he could, maybe that understanding would make a difference for him.
Lobo said nothing.
"Why did you want me to go after Wei?" I finally said.
"You don't understand what living with this much computing power is like," Lobo said, "particularly when you can never escape your body, never be anything other than a machine built on the deaths of children, a creature whose only real purpose is to kill. And you don't know what it's like to be the only one of your kind."
He paused.
I don't know if he wanted me to respond. He was wrong. I did know. I knew all too well, and I'd known for longer than he had existed, but I didn't dare tell him.
"Jon," he said, "I asked you to take this job so I could do two things."
"What?" I said.
"First, talk to Wei, examine his data, and find out if there are any others like me," Lobo said. "As I told you, you have no idea what it's like to be completely alone, the only one of your kind in the entire universe."
Part of me still wanted to explain just how well I understood his situation, but I couldn't bring myself to tell even him my full story. So, instead I said, "And the second thing?"
"Make sure he never does this to anyone else."
Chapter 35
Great. Lobo wanted to kill Wei. Pri wanted to kill Wei. Pri's people didn't want to kill him, but only so they could keep his research going and under their control. For all I knew, Shurkan was lying, and the CC wanted him to continue his work as well. I didn't know if I could trust anyone to actually put the man on trial and stop the damage he was doing.
Not that trust was my biggest problem at the moment. Kidnapping Wei was the challenge. Only when I had him did I have to worry about what to do with him.
"So," I finally said, "you want to interrogate him and kill him."
"Interrogate him, definitely," Lobo said. "Killing him is optional. As long as Shurkan does as he said he would, Wei will become another tube rack resident, and that should stop his research."
"And how do you propose to know that Shurkan will deliver on his promise?"
"I don't have a good answer to that question," Lobo said, "but it doesn't matter right now, because we don't yet have Wei."
Leave it to the two of us to circle around the hypotheticals only to return to the actuals.
Enough.
I stood and walked out of my room and back to the front.
Pri and Matahi were talking quietly. They stopped the moment I came into view.
"They have a proposal for you," Lobo said.
I waited. That he was back to tormenting me was a good thing, a reassuring sign of normalcy. I stayed with tradition and refused to give him the pleasure of answering.
Pri spoke first. "Andrea and I have been talking," she said.
"Andrea." Now they were friends. Lovely.
When I didn't respond, she continued, "We think the two of us should return to her house and try to get her back in business. We understand that there's a good chance that Wei might never choose to see her again, but it's a sure thing that he won't visit her as long as they have no place to meet. We can hire repairmen and make sure her home is in shape on the off chance that he does want to see her." She paused and stared at me. "We know it's a long shot, but at least it's something."
I turned toward Matahi. "And if Wei's security people come around to question you? Or the government sends some people who make you vanish?"
Matahi smiled. "I have some clients who won't let that happen."
"I wouldn't be so confident," I said. "The stakes are high enough that many men will break a lot of promises and sacrifice even very valuable assets if it will help their side win."
"They won't give up their careers to harass an innocent kidnapping victim who bought her freedom," Matahi said. "You pick an account and a sensible amount, and I'll transfer a ransom payment to it. That should make the cover story ring true."
"Maybe," I said, "but maybe Wei's team won't buy it. Maybe they or some government security squad will still come to question you."
She stood. "I told you: I have clients who won't let that happen. I've made sure that a few of them, the most important ones, understand that I've prepared for the worst. If anything happens to me, the flood of video and holo data that will wash over every public network on Heaven will be more than any scrubbers could possibly clean. Their careers will be over."
"No one cares anymore what people do in private," I said.
"No, they don't," Matahi said, "but they care a great deal about the crimes and the abuse of public funds that their elected officials commit." She stepped closer to me. "You'd be amazed at what some of these clients will say and do to impress me."
I looked her over very carefully, took in her stance and the power and confidence radiating from her. No, I wouldn't be at all surprised or amazed. People, particularly men, have been doing stupid things to impress beautiful lovers since the beginning of human history.
I nodded my head. "Okay, I buy that you should be fine, and Pri should be safe with you. In the morning, you two go to Matahi's house. Spend until lunchtime making the repair arrangements, then in the afternoon meet me back in Lobo at the spot where we'll let you off. We'll do the money transfer just before that. But Lobo will be monitoring you. If anything goes wrong, he'll take out the attackers, and you'll have to meet him at the rendezvous point. Deal?"
Both women nodded.
"Deal," said Matahi.
"Yes," said Suli. She stood and moved closer to me. "Where will you be?"
Both women were staring at me. I didn't understand it, but from their looks it was clear I was doing something wrong again. How did this keep happening to me? I stepped back and forced a smile.
"Our raid on your house injured so many people on Wei's security team that they're hiring. I have an interview in the morning."
"That's great news!" Suli said. She clapped me on the shoulder and let her hand linger there.
"Well done!" Matahi said. She gave me a hug, kissed me on the cheek, and glanced at Suli as
she pulled back.
"You are so out of your depth," Lobo said over the machine frequency.
Both women stared at me as if awaiting something.
I had no clue what. When faced with an enemy whose strength and weapons you cannot ascertain, the best option is not to engage.
"We're going to spend the rest of the night running counter-surveillance routes," I said. "I have to go plan them—"
"You know full well I can do that on my own," Lobo said aloud.
I ignored him and kept talking. "And prep for the interview," I said. When I realized how small the list sounded, I added, "And rest."
I turned and headed for my room before either woman could speak.
"But," Suli said from behind me.
"Jon," Matahi said.
"Lobo will provide each of you with a place to sleep," I said as I reached my door and it opened. "Good night." I stepped inside and leaned against the wall in relief. Working with these two was definitely going to be challenging.
"Smooth," Lobo said, "very smooth. First, they maneuver you into adding Matahi to our team, and then they send you running for cover. I can only hope you fare better at the interview."
Chapter 36
No permanent residence?" The man who'd spent the last hour staring at his desk and asking me questions possessed the warmth and shape of an icicle. Several centimeters taller than I and little more than half my weight, my questioner had at first come across as a joke, a bureaucrat opting to sacrifice his body to some lean fashion craze unique to Heaven. After a few minutes, though, the high-twitch energy he radiated made the office feel too small for the both of us. Like many interrogators I'd experienced, he asked questions repeatedly, changing the phrasing and sometimes the details but always poking and prodding at key points.
I didn't try to hide my annoyance, because his behavior was annoying; only those with training in resisting interrogation would stay calm in the face of what he was doing, and betraying that part of my past that would tell him way more about me than I wanted him to know. "As I told you before," I said, "I've barely had time to occupy the apartment. I like what I've seen here so far, but to be able to stay long enough to know if I want to settle down for a while, I need a job." I leaned forward and put my hands on his desk. "Which is why I'm here, and why I don't have a long-term lease."
He never looked up, and his tone never changed. I assumed the display I couldn't read from my angle was feeding him my vitals.
"You've served with the Saw," he said, "and you've done courier work."
It wasn't a question, but he paused long enough that I finally said, "Again, yes."
"And you understand that what we're seeking here is theme park security?"
I spread my hands, leaned back, and shrugged. "It's work," I said, "and I need a job."
For the first time since I'd entered the room, he changed his posture. He leaned back in his chair, smoothed the legs of his pants, left his hands on his thighs, and looked directly at me. His eyes were too big for his head and an unnatural orange; I wondered how many displays he had going in his contacts and why he wanted candidates to know he was wearing them. "Mr. Moore, with that background you could earn a great deal higher rate than we're paying by taking on more—" he paused and almost smiled "—energetic jobs. What I'm struggling to understand is why you want to work here."
One of the easiest ways to lie is to give a truthful statement that's not necessarily a direct answer to the question. Without hesitating, I said, "My past employment has given me plenty of opportunities for excitement, and I've had more of it than I want. At Wonder Island, I expect that most days—" I smiled to show him I was joking, though in some ways I wasn't "—no one will be shooting at me."
He did the same thing, and with a similar half smile. "Most days," he said. He stared at me for several seconds longer, his eyes pointed in my direction but not really seeing me, probably receiving data. "I'm empowered to offer you an entry-level security job at Wonder Island. You'll have to go through a short training course; if you fail, we will immediately terminate your employment."
"Fair enough," I said. "I accept. Besides, how hard a course can it be?"
This time, his smile appeared genuine, but nothing in his eyes betrayed any sense of humor. "Though we do pride ourselves on our security," he said, "of late we've decided we need to improve our game. Thus, the course will be more strenuous than in the past."
I ignored the implication as if I hadn't understood it. "When and where do I report?"
"Tomorrow morning, and back to the employment office," he said. "As the ad told you, we have immediate openings. Is that a problem?"
"Not at all," I said. "I applied a while ago, and I'm running out of money, so the sooner I earn some, the better I'll feel."
"Prep your wallet to receive the details and the employment contract," he said. "Welcome to the Wonder Island team."
The last faint pink edges of day were clinging to the horizon when Pri and Matahi finally showed up at the landing facility. Matahi carried a plain, gray cloth sack. Both walked and chatted as if they hadn't a shred of concern between them, as if the possibility of an interrogator working on them until they broke had never occurred to them.
Maybe it hadn't.
I'd expected them hours earlier and had spent much of the time since my return from the interview moving around in Lobo and prepping some gear we'd need later. I'd also invested over two hours simply getting back to Lobo; now that I was going to work at Wonder Island, they might be monitoring me, so counter-surveillance routes would be mandatory every time I wanted to go anywhere I didn't want to reveal to them.
When they were a few meters away from Lobo, I stepped from the shadow of the landing area next to ours and said, "Where have you been?"
"You said we should meet you in the afternoon," Matahi said.
"And it's not yet dark," Pri said.
"So we're on time," Matahi said.
I considered explaining all the effort their delay had cost me, but they had a point: I hadn't set a precise deadline.
"I find it truly stunning how quickly you have again found yourself out of your depth," Lobo said over the machine frequency. "I am impressed."
I ignored him. I wouldn't make that deadline mistake again with either Pri or Matahi. I also wouldn't keep pursuing this line of thought without annoying them, so I moved on.
"How'd it go?" I said.
"My house looked worse than I'd imagined," Matahi said, "but I've arranged for contractors to start repairing it. I've also talked with and appeased a few of my government friends." She paused as if considering her words carefully. "They know me well enough, and I definitely understand them well enough, that I think they're comfortable I was completely innocent and have no clue what happened beyond a failed kidnapping attempt. I also had to check on my injured security staff and persuade them to stay at home and recover while Pri and her associates guarded me." She grinned at Pri. "That took some doing; Pri doesn't exactly look tough."
"You'd be amazed at how persuasive Andrea can be," Pri said. She smiled as she spoke, but she stared right at me and said it like a question.
I ignored the tone and the statement and focused on Matahi.
"Where do you plan to stay?"
"I was going to rent a small house near mine," she said.
"No," I said. "I don't want to have to go back there. There's a SleepSafe on the southeastern edge of the old city, isn't there?"
The SleepSafe hotel chain was always one of the first businesses to move onto a new planet. It was also one of the very few corporations active in every major sector of space and, to the best of my knowledge, on every planet humanity currently occupied. Their hotels provided sanctuary for the hunted and the paranoid and were the closest things to truly neutral zones you could easily find. Though they tended to be in the worst district of a city, probably to be within easy reach of their main client base, their hotels were the among the most secure resting places you could buy.
In anything short of a war, no one would bother you in a SleepSafe. No one—no individual, no corporate representative, no government official, no cop, nobody—could enter one of the hotels with weapons of any sort. Every guest had access to the same security information, because each room had independently fed monitors of all entrances and building surfaces. Just as importantly, each room had at least one private exit chute. The chutes ran through each hotel's thick, armored walls to equally reinforced underground tubes. Those tubes consisted of two-meter-long movable sections that constantly recombined and thus changed their destinations. If you had to jump in your exit chute, you could never know where it would dump you, but neither could anyone pursuing you. All the final destinations were secret. Even if you could somehow hack a hotel's computer and find those destinations, the chutes fed to areas far enough from the buildings that only a very large force could simultaneously cover all the possible end points.
The hotels earned their names, and you paid a dear price to sleep in them, but you slept well.
"Yes," Matahi said, "but is that really necessary?"
"You wanted to help," I said.
"Yes," she said, "and I still do."
"For you to do that," I said, "I have to be able to contact you and possibly meet with you. If you hole up in a SleepSafe, I can know you'll be safe, and I can plot and monitor your path to any meeting place."
"We both know I'll be the one doing that work," Lobo said over the comm, "so why don't you say so?"
I ignored him again.
"Why don't you just come to me there?" Matahi said.
"I may, but only if I'm comfortable doing so. From now on, if we meet outside the SleepSafe, we meet in secret, and you show up in disguise. I'll have an avatar calling itself Lobo contact your avatar, and when we've set a time, I'll send you the route to take."
"That's a lot of work just to meet," Matahi said.
"It's your only choice," I said. "We're not negotiating."
"That's not true," Pri said. "She has another option." She faced Matahi. "You don't have to get involved in this. We can handle it."
Overthrowing Heaven-ARC Page 25