Book 4: 3rd World Products, Inc.

by Ed Howdershelt

  She grinned as she changed the picture on the datapad. A glistening cube appeared on Elkor's flitter's deck. The view zoomed in and I saw that the cube was composed of jewelry; mostly rings and necklaces, apparently within a square field.

  Stacks of bundled money sat to one side of the cube, possibly within their own field. Figuring that a dollar is roughly six inches long, the jewelry cube had to be about three feet tall and equally wide.

  Behind the jewelry cube and the stacks of bills were stacks of coins. For a moment I wondered why there were so many small stacks and loose coins, then I realized that she'd likely sorted them by type and possibly date.

  "Damn,” I muttered. “You've been busy, Steph. Did all this stuff come from one place?"

  "It was recovered from a twenty-mile section of the river. I've matched most of the jewelry to the inventories of shops that were lost in floods. Most of the bills were in safes and some were in a large camera case in the trunk of a 1988 Cadillac. The car also held the remains of four people."

  "Sounds interesting. Were there drugs and weapons, too?"

  Nodding, she said, “The driver was William L. Washington, of Moline, Illinois. He and his friends were in possession of $1,250,000 and several bundles of cocaine when they drowned. I took the money and left the drugs and weapons. Their location will be part of the data received by the authorities."

  "Hm. If you tell them where to look, they'll have to at least consider the idea of going after them. Can they can get to the car readily?"

  She shook her head.

  "No. It's in one of the most turbulent parts of the river. An attempt to retrieve it would be very difficult and expensive."

  "But you'd contract to bring it up for a fee? One that might make the recovery worthwhile?"

  Steph smiled. “Of course."

  "What are you going to say when they ask if you had salvage permits for this venture?"

  "I'll tell them the truth just as you would, Ed; that I never entered the water, therefore I needed no permits."

  Snorting a laugh, I said, “Okay, but what about the jewelry? Some of the stones may be laser-engraved and they'll wonder how you raised them ... No, wait, you could shear off the markings and sell the jewelry through the same people who bought your gold. No markings, no problem."

  Sue said, “Shearing would ruin the symmetry of a stone, Ed. It would be better to reconstitute those regions."

  Laughing again, I said, “They'd need an electron microscope to spot a symmetry problem. I'd go with the method that costs the least in time and energy, milady. Most people aren't really all that knowledgeable or picky about diamonds in jewelry and you'd be wholesaling the stuff as salvaged merchandise."

  Steph nodded. “Generally true, but I'd prefer to reconstitute the etched areas. The difference in time and energy expended would be negligible."

  The shrimpboat below had stopped. I checked the sun against my hand. Three fingers to sunset, and shrimpers often didn't return to port until well after dark.

  I asked Sue, “Is that boat calling for help?"

  "No."

  "Their nets aren't in the water and they're heading in kind of early. And you almost never see a shrimpboat stop at sea; there's no money in it. Let's check it out."

  We almost instantly dropped the few thousand feet to hover beside the boat. A man in the wheelhouse was messing with a radio and apparently becoming more frustrated by the second. Another stood smoking a cigarette in the stern, staring at the open engine room hatchway.

  A small plume of blue-black smoke came from the hatchway, then two men emerged. The men held an angry conference on the deck behind the wheelhouse, then one of them threw up his hands and went to sit on the nets.

  "Sue, how far is it to shore?"

  "Twenty-six miles. Are you thinking of towing them?"

  "No, I was thinking of calling it in for them. That boat's all steel and looks kind of heavy. Is towing an option?"

  "It is if they have a towline."

  "Then let's decloak this starship and talk to them."

  She dropped our field and I yelled, “Hey! Want some help?"

  A couple of the guys just stood staring at us. One of the other two almost dove into the wheelhouse, and the guy he'd been arguing with turned to face us with a look of startlement that bordered shock.

  Sue fielded me across to their deck and held me a few feet above it, where I asked, “Permission to come aboard?"

  The guy by the wheelhouse seemed to gather himself a bit, then said, “Sure. Who are you?"

  As Sue lowered me to the deck, I said, “Someone who can tow you into port if you have a line. Are you the captain?"

  He shook his head. “Yes, but we don't have a towline."

  Keying my implant, I asked Sue, “Would an anchor chain work?"

  "Uh ... I don't know,” said the guy. “I guess so."

  "Yes,” said Sue.

  "Good,” I said, then to the guy, “Does this thing have manual steering, or do you need the engines running?"

  "I can steer without engines,” he said.

  I gave him a nod and went forward to look at the anchor. It was a standard double-hook, but it went through a hole at the gunwhale. I asked Sue if that would be a problem and she said that it would only affect the speed of the tow.

  The captain had followed me forward. We paid out some anchor chain and Sue fielded the anchor to her deck, then brought me back aboard the flitter. The captain then took the wheel and waved that he was ready.

  To me, it seemed that the anchor was simply lying on the deck, but as the chain pulled tight with pops and bangs and we began to move forward, the anchor didn't budge.

  The shrimp boat was cutting a decent bow wake as we neared the mouth of the channel that led to the boat's registered dock. Sue slowed us down until we were crawling along and eased the boat against the dock. Two of the guys jumped off the boat to secure it to the pilings.

  "Ladies,” I said, “Do we want to stick around?"

  "Not particularly,” said Steph.

  "Nor I,” said Sue.

  "Same here,” I said. “It's almost dinnertime."

  We waved to the people on the boat and on the dock as Sue let the anchor fall into the water by the boat, then she put the fields up and we lifted toward Florida.

  When we arrived in Spring Hill, we stopped at a Checkers and I bought a big burger and fries at the walkup window, then we headed for the house.

  "Ed,” said Sue, then she fell silent. Although she said no more, her gaze was fixed on my bag of food.

  "Yes?” I asked as we landed.

  "Never mind. Steph informed me that she's also criticized your diet on occasion."

  I looked at Steph and said, “Thank you."

  Sue said, “I wouldn't mind cooking for you."

  "But I'd mind. It's something I don't like to do, so it isn't something I'd ask you to do."

  "You'd rather eat...” she nodded at the bag, “That stuff?"

  "Yeah. Sometimes. This is one of those times."

  Standing stiffly, Sue asked, “Don't you have any concern for your health, Ed?"

  Enough. I took a fry out of the bag and munched it as I looked at her severely disapproving expression.

  "Hm,” I said. “Not enough salt. I wanna be able to hear my arteries slam shut when I eat stuff like this. We'll have to try someplace else next time."

  "Sarcasm is unwarranted, Ed."

  "Well, you didn't seem to be getting my message, Sue."

  "You don't have to get defensive, either."

  "That wasn't defensive. Defensive would be if I flatly told you to mind your own business, but I haven't said anything like that ‘cuz I'm a total gentleman."

  Steph snorted a laugh. Sue glared and disappeared.

  "Steph,” I said, “Couldn't you have shared a few more of your experiences with her? The ones about me, anyway?"

  "I gave Sue a thorough dossier on you, Ed. She knew what you'd say if she criticized your feeding habits.
” With a grin, she said, “She's a new entity, Ed, not simply another copy of me. Some things she'll have to hear for herself and may be less inclined to accept without discussion."

  "Oh, great,” I said, stepping off the flitter. “You did make it clear to her that she wasn't intended to be my mother, right?"

  Steph laughed and Sue reappeared directly in my path and rather stridently said, “Telling you when you're mistreating yourself is simply another of my many duties."

  "Strike that duty off your list, please."

  "I'm afraid I can't honor that request, Ed."

  "Well, then, now it's no longer a request, and you will honor a direct order."

  Sue came to attention and saluted me, and in a flat tone said, “Oh, yes, sir, Captain, sir!” then she disappeared.

  What presence of hers that I was normally able to feel seemed to disappear with her. Really gone? Or just lurking at the edge of sensor range?

  Steph gave me an impassive expression and said nothing.

  I nodded for her to come with me and started for the house again as I asked, “Is this something I'm supposed to live with or train out of her?"

  "Would you ask that question if she were a real woman?"

  With a sigh and a glance at her, I said, “No, ma'am. If I got that kind of crap from a real woman after only a few days, I'd just thank her for her time and lose her phone number, and you already knew that. If I'll have to put up with much of this kind of crap ... Well, you said I could have a replacement."

  In a rather cool tone, Steph said, “That would be up to you, of course, but if you return her, it could be quite a while before we could place her with someone again."

  Waving a hand dismissively, I said, “You'd put her to sleep until then, wouldn't you? She wouldn't feel a thing. Why can't you just program that cranky streak out of her?"

  Shaking her head, Steph said, “Sue's agreement with us allows her to develop her own personality. Unless she violates the strictures of her primary programming, we are bound against tampering with her data."

  I let myself into the house, closed the front door, and put my bagged dinner on the kitchen counter, then said, “You spoiled me, Steph. I'd never really be satisfied with a standard core, but I won't play ‘tame that shrew’ with my flitter pilot."

  Steph said nothing as I unbagged the food and tore off a bit of the burger for Tiger, who'd come to investigate. I put the bit of burger on the windowsill and lifted him up there, then put the rest of the food on a paper plate and moved it to the table.

  Turning to face Steph, I said, “I think the fact that Sue's not you is tainting my judgment of her. Do you think so, too?"

  Shrugging slightly, Steph said, “It's a possibility."

  "You'll let me know if you think I'm being unfair, right?"

  Nodding with a small smile, she said, “You're being unfair."

  "We can discuss it later. Care to visit for a while?"

  Nodding again, she sat down and said, “Yes, I would."

  We talked for more than an hour, but most of it was little more than trivia having nothing to do with Sue. I just wanted Steph there for a while; to have her familiar presence near and to hear her voice as I looked at her. I figured she was doing a hundred other things remotely as she sat there with me.

  When the phone rang around eight, I let the machine pick it up and waited to hear who was calling.

  Selena said, “Ed, I just wanted to let you know that I may have to go to Melbourne this weekend. My brother's visiting."

  As she spoke, Steph stood up and gave me a little ‘bye-bye’ wave with a small smile, then disappeared.

  I extended a field tendril to pick up the receiver and said, “Hi, Sel. Be sure to wear your flak-proof undies. He doesn't think you ought to be hanging around with me, either."

  She sighed and said, “Yeah, I know. Mom raised him to think women are incomplete without marriage and kids. He's got three of them as of last month."

  "Three women? Damn. I thought I had problems."

  Her sigh was audible before she said, “Oh, ha, ha."

  "Did he bring the whole crew with him?"

  "He did."

  "I don't envy you, then. It'll be a show and tell weekend and you can bet you'll get picked for babysitting."

  Sighing again, Sel said, “Yeah, no doubt, but I only see him about once a year."

  "Well, have fun if you can. I seem to be having a family issue here, too."

  "Family? I thought your people were in Texas and..."

  "They are. I mean with Sue. She's apparently developing a temper and a passion for telling me how to live. Today's issue was my diet."

  Sel snickered and replied, “That doesn't sound too serious."

  "Yeah, well, you had to be there, I guess."

  My tone must have told her my feelings; Sel turned serious and said, “She was probably just trying to look out for you, Ed. As I recall, that's part of a flitter's program."

  "This seemed a little beyond basic programming. I'll work it out, Sel. Want some company tonight?"

  "Can't,” she said. “Exams tomorrow. Toni and I are cramming with Connie and Mark. I just took a break to say hi."

  "Any news on the condo sale?"

  "Two people looked at it last week. No word yet."

  We spoke for another ten minutes or so, then I started to eat my dinner and found it cold. That seemed vaguely symbolic, somehow. I zapped the food in the micro and took it to the den to watch Deutsche Welle's newshour on PBS.

  After trashing the wrappings of my dinner, I called the flitter down and boarded it, taking the pilot's seat.

  "Head west,” I said.

  Sue appeared, sat down in the seat on my right, and asked, “Destination?"

  "None."

  "Altitude?"

  Reaching into the cooler, I said, “Max."

  "Speed?"

  Pulling out an Ice House beer, I said, “Default."

  "You're angry with me, aren't you?"

  "I just want to think about some things."

  "Is that a way of telling me to shut up?"

  Sighing as I opened the beer. I said, “Sue, it's a way of suggesting that I'd rather think than talk right now."

  After some time watching the world turn below or gazing at the unmoving stars above, I reached overhead for my briefcase and took out my datapad, then poked up a book.

  About an hour later, I said, “Back to the house, please,” and put my datapad away as my thoughts came together.

  Fact: extensive experience involving human interaction was necessary in order for Sue to meet the standards required by her contract with Elkor and Steph for her release as an individual. If they thought she hadn't progressed enough at the end of the year, they'd refuse to release her.

  On the other hand, they'd probably leave her with me, and at the moment, that idea wasn't altogether appealing. Was I overreacting to Sue's attitude? Probably, by someone else's standards, but I didn't have to live by their standards.

  I wondered if they'd let Sue go early if she seemed ready. But how would she be ready any earlier if she remained with me? Then it hit me; I knew how to help her gather interactive experience as fast as possible.

  "Sue, I want to be able to directly access all flitter controls by voice commands or by using my implants. Make that so immediately."

  She appeared and asked, “Ed, why are you doing this?"

  "Have you implemented my order?"

  "Yes. Why are you doing this?"

  "We'll discuss it tomorrow. Next question?"

  In a somewhat surly tone, she said, “There is no next question, Ed."

  Stepping off the flitter, I said, “In that case, goodnight, Sue. I'll call you if I need you."

  Chapter Sixty-five

  After breakfast, I got a second cup of coffee and waited until nine. Using the phone instead of my datapad, I called Victoria Chang at the Carrington Youth Center.

  When she answered, I said, “Hi, there. This is the guy who st
opped to help when you had that car accident in February. The one with the unusual girlfriend."

  "Ed? Oh, my! Well, hi! What can I do for you today?"

  "Do you have a few minutes to spare today? I'd like to drop by. It's about volunteer work. Maybe I could take you to lunch at Penelope's Garden in beautiful downtown Carrington?"

  "Oooo. You must really want something."

  "Yup. Sure do. No obligations, though. Lunch is just lunch."

  After a pause, she asked, “Do you mind if I bring a friend?"

  "Mind if I pick the friend?"

  "Huh? What do you mean?"

  "I mean the woman who runs your girls’ softball team."

  I guess her sense of caution kicked in right about then. There was a brief pause, then I noticed a hollow quality to our connection that usually means someone else has picked up.

  "The girls’ softball coach?” she asked, “Why her?"

  "Because the woman I'm bringing with me would be working with her if you decide to accept her as a volunteer. Do you remember Stephanie?"

  With an element of surprise in her voice, Chang said, “Uh, yes, of course. You're saying she wants to coach baseball?"

  "Not Stephanie. Sue, of the same family. And not baseball. It's softball. It's similar, but not the same."

  Barely audibly, someone in the room with her snickered.

  "You know what I mean,” said Chang.

  "Yup. And you know why this could be worth some discussion, so how about that lunch?"

  There was a pause, then she said, “We usually go to lunch at noon. Could you show up a little early so Ms. Pullman can meet you and decide for herself?"

  "No problem. Eleven-thirty?"

  "That would be fine."

  "Great. How's your leg?"

  "Good as new, except for some scars around my knee. My husband doesn't seem to mind them, though."

  "Smart man. He's probably learned that there's more to a woman than her legs."

  We chatted for another minute or so, then hung up. I got on the net and checked email and sites until ten, then made another coffee and sat down at the kitchen table.

  "Sue, I'd like you to appear, please."

  She did so, popping into being by the sink in her little black dress, as usual. She crossed her arms and leaned against the counter as she silently met my gaze.