Jake held up his hand and flexed it into a fist then relaxed it. “It started on that shuttle. I can take control now, like I have an instinctive understanding, but I’m having a problem with a modification I made. I feel stiff, like my increased muscle density resists for a millisecond before going into motion. It’s not the same with my heart or other important bits, but it’s like I have to build momentum everywhere else.”
“Think you’ll be okay?” Minh asked.
Jake lowered his hand and nodded. “I think so, but I’m wishing this came with a proper set of instructions.”
“Ah, that reminds me,” Minh said. “Before we go on this excursion, I have to tell you something about Ashley.”
“You’re about to recruit her for some bunk bumping?” Jake asked with a mischievous grin.
“What?” Minh asked, shocked. “No! Well, yes, but it’s more than that.” He sighed and shook his head.
“It’s fine, you’re probably the first guy I’d approve of, not that I ever had any control over that. Just don’t do anything stupid.”
“No, don’t worry. You know me, I’m not exactly the love ‘em and leave ‘em type. But what you need to know has nothing to do with that.”
“Oh?” Jake asked.
“Right, what I wanted to tell you was that she can choose a new commander for the Triton. Liam Grady told me because he thought I would be the best one to tell her and help her make a decision.”
“Not a bad call,” Jake replied. “Looks like you’d better hurry, we’re dusting off in ten minutes.”
Chapter 26
Two Lives
A wealthy man approached Alice before she could leave Port Surmon. The place was simply too expensive; it was either live in the gutter or sell herself to some wealthy letch and survive as a prisoner. Leaving was the only option, especially since she had no underworld connections there. It was a shame – most of the planet was so beautiful. It would have been a fantastic place to hide from Meunez for a while. Have a few months of normal life.
She was brought to Ulrik Svenson, who was a wealthy collector of magnificent things. Eve recalled the meeting as if she had been there herself. The experience of slowly walking through the pristine, well lit gallery and seeing priceless artefacts was so clear it was barely distinguishable from her own memories. Under an American flag there was a piece of the Statue of Liberty. The hologram made the statue look massive, but the piece was only the length of her arm. Several old black discs were there, one with a label still on it but the only words she could read were ‘Suede Shoes.’ There were many other items on display, but the thing that caught her eye the most was an ancient gun. A hologram of a dire looking man drawing and pointing the weapon cycled over and over again with a caption that said ‘Smith & Wesson Model 29 From Dirty Harry.’ She was leaning forward, looking at a short strip of small transparent pictures when Ulrik entered the room.
“That’s a piece of the movie that gun was used in. They called it film, and that strip was shown in hundreds of theatres before they had three dimensional projection,” he said. “Dirty Harry. Some say he’s the perfect exemplification of the spirit of American justice. Scholars are still arguing about that movie, whether it was a documentary or not.”
“He was a law man?” Alice asked.
“He was, but sadly, I believe he was a fictional one. If you were to remove that gun from its case you’d find it was never fired. It’s a harmless prop.”
“You could tell the scholars,” Alice said.
“Why ruin their fun?” Ulrik said, flaring out the tails of his close cut suit jacket before sitting down. “Scholars debate and argue until they find the truth or something more compelling. As long as they keep questioning my friend Harry, the value of that display keeps going up.”
“It doesn’t look like you need the cash,” Alice said, looking around the circular, multi-tiered, cavernous space. The ornate displays seemed to be organized by period and nation, but it was hard to be sure at a glance.
“Oh, the price is only a shallow quantification for people who can’t appreciate its intellectual value. Collecting is about admiration, understanding, and having what others simply cannot. Bragging rights, in a more common vernacular, but so much more.”
“Why am I here?” Alice asked.
“You broke into one of my storage facilities in the Renfrew Hub. The footage was impressive.”
“That’s good,” Alice said, glancing towards the thick double doors. “The take wasn’t.”
“The Galactic Currency you and your friend took didn’t add up to the cost of repairs, it was a pittance. What impressed me was the violation itself. The pair of you were quite skilful.”
“My partner was talented, but she’s retired now.”
“I know, Bernice, yes? I’ve never been able to find a last name, but I did find her, literally honeymooning. You could imagine my disappointment at seeing her so far away, no longer for hire.” He stood and straightened his suit. “Come, walk with me.”
“You didn’t do anything to her?”
“No, no. That’s not my style nor would it make negotiations with either one of you any easier. I’m a gentleman. If I wanted retribution I would have paid a bounty hunter or two to collect her, but that would be a waste. You never know when I’ll need someone with that skill set.”
“I’ll be checking that for myself,” Alice said.
“I’m sure you will. You can use my personal Quick-Comm Satellite.” Alice kept pace with his leisurely swagger as they descended a staircase into a transparent hallway. Beneath was a hangar, with a collection of ships and other small vehicles. “When you’re as wealthy as I am, everyone is worthy of suspicion. I have three wives, two husbands, and I can say for a fact that four of them married me because of my resources. This collection is worth more than those four combined. It wants nothing. It exists for my pleasure and that of my guests.”
The view was incredible, the ships ranged from strange to beautiful. Three vessels drew Alice’s attention: in the centre was a glossy white forty two metre long, broad ship with heavy engines and no windows, and to either side were its duplicates in black and red. The savage appearance of the vessels made her want to get closer, to climb aboard and take one for herself.
“The Arcyn Starskippers, remnants of my combat vessel collecting phase. They’ve never been activated, straight off the line with all the options. The most noticeable of which are the extended engines. A rare breed, they are luxury combat ships, out of production. Arcyn makes starfighters now, far more common. Not worth collecting.”
“Why does the hull shimmer?”
“On the black and red ones?” Ulrik seemed pleased at the opportunity to talk about something in his collection. “Just a finishing process in the manufacturing. Flight through atmosphere dulls it, diminishing the value of the ship as a collectable, but it doesn’t change the ship’s practical value. It’s just as cushy on the inside and as quick and deadly on the outside without that shimming sheen, which I’m sure is only for us well-intentioned collectors. It’s almost a shame that the captains that could put them to good use can rarely afford them.” He gave her a moment to continue looking at the three ships, something she was grateful for. The black one drew her attention most. The intimidation factor alone was enticing, but it was something she could never afford.
“Come, what I’d like to show you is just up ahead,” Ulrik told her.
They finished their journey down the long hallway and arrived at a dimly lit, circular chamber. There were three pedestals in the middle. “This is the last Scottish crown,” he said, pointing at a gemmed circle of gold. “Here we have the sceptre of Tutankhamun.” He pointed at a case with a beautiful golden sceptre inside. Then he came to an empty case with a much smaller enclosure. “Here we have the Amber Heart.” He flipped the transparent top open then picked up the cushion inside, looked at it then tossed it over his shoulder. His pleasant demeanour was gone, replaced with gnashed teeth and burning
eyes. “I bought it for my second wife, Amber, who made sure she took it with her when she left. I have no legal options, since it was declared as a gift. No agency will help since she paid Centis Incorporated to transport her off-world and locate her elsewhere. No matter what I offer them, they won’t turn on their client,” he spat the last word. “I don’t care what happens to her. My wealth will reach anyone she chooses to do business with or marry. I can pay them all to turn their backs on her eventually, but she will sell the Heart before I can reach her, and I may never get it back if that happens. This is an item that collectors lust after their entire lives, as if it were the elixir of youth. I need you to go to Uro, get into Centis’ records, find out where they’ve hidden her, then get the Amber Heart back safely.”
Alice shook her head. “This is more lovers’ spat than a real job.”
Ulrik’s eyes went wide and he tried to snatch her arm. He missed the first time, but caught it the next and, with surprising strength, he walked her back down the hallway. He stabbed the air with his finger towards the three ships she was eyeing. “They’re each worth more than you’ll make in four lifetimes! Which one do you want?”
Alice looked from the ships to him, noticing for the first time silver stubble and a hint of an unwashed smell.
He released his grip on her, shoving her wrist away. “Take me seriously, my reputation as a collector and a gentleman doesn’t allow me to make an offer I don’t intend to honour.”
“You could hire an army,” Alice said. Choosing would mean she was buying into a situation that was too good to be true, and Bernice had taught her better.
“Not without starting a war with Centis and they’d end up with the law on their side. If you go after the Amber Heart and sell it back to me for one of these, then my reacquisition is at least plausibly legal.”
“But then I’d be a thief,” Alice said.
“And you’d leave the sector in one of those. They’re faster than anything they’d bother chasing you in, and it cloaks. Cross into another sector and they’d have no authority.”
“That just leaves bounty hunters,” Alice said. “Who knows what the bounty would be after stealing something like the Amber Heart.”
“Not after my lawyers find a way to have the charges dropped. It could take months, but it’s in my best interest. I only get to keep the Amber Heart if I find a way to prove you were nothing more than a courier.”
“Now how would you do that?” Alice asked.
“Leave it to me,” Ulrik countered.
“How?”
“Fine,” he said, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “If you must know, you’ll provide me with my wife’s location and I’ll use that information to persuade her to drop any charges she presses.”
“I won’t give you that information if it leads to you assassinating her,” Alice said.
“Do I look like a thug to you? I’m not some vengeful brat! I have more companionship than I can entertain. What I’m missing is a one of a kind artefact. I’ll up my offer only once. One of those ships, you choose, and a million credits in the currency of your choosing. That ought to keep Gabriel Meunez well behind you for as long as you like.”
“Does he know I’m here?” Alice asked, alarmed.
“No, I have no love for Vindyne and don’t ally myself with sinking ships. That man represents a once great company that’s losing two wars: the one fought on the markets and another fought in space. If you ally with me, he’ll never know you’re here.”
“There’s no honour in blackmail,” she said looking down at the three ships.
“I’m a desperate man with a vengeful streak,” Ulrik said with a shrug.
He was earnest, and she knew she could leave the sector if the ships were in as good shape as they appeared. She couldn’t see herself affording any ship in the foreseeable future, let alone a powerful, comfortable vessel like the one below. “All this because I broke into one of your storage units?”
“You are a talented outsider here, and believe me when I tell you that the competent ones are rare. I had your break-in investigated from every angle, and it was executed expertly. We didn’t even know you had been there for fifteen days.”
“That program I left behind,” Alice said with a smile, happy that her spur of the moment idea to create a simple program that lied to the security AI about the vault they’d broken into worked.
“Yes, we’ve come to call it Little Dell, and are already making money on it, to be honest.”
“Interesting.”
“Yes, named after my second son, my own constant fibber. Now, what about my offer?”
“Two million, and you pack that ship with provisions,” Alice said. “High quality provisions. I’ll be leaving the sector, after all.”
“Done. I’ll give you two thousand Uro credits for expenses. You’ll set out right away.”
“What does the Amber Heart look like?” Alice asked. “What makes it special?”
“You’ve never heard of it?” Ulrik said with disbelief. He shook his head then explained: “It’s solid amber almost in the shape of a heart. What makes it special is a pair of bees trapped in the middle facing each other. It has never been reshaped or significantly modified. They polished it, that’s all, which is crucial because it’s over forty two million years old and it’s straight from Earth. It is perfectly unique and the documentation on it draws lines back to Earth. It was brought out into the galaxy by one of the very first settlers. Here is the scanning data you’ll need to make sure you have the real thing in your hands once you pry it from my wife.”
“I understand,” Alice said. “You’ll give me a hundred thousand credits before I begin. My expenses will not be light. I’ll have to buy a shuttle with a clean registry for a start.”
“I’ll give you ten, and provide you with a shuttle with no ties to me.”
“Then you get the Amber Heart once I’m aboard that ship and it’s registered to me.”
“Agreed,” said Ulrik, smiling and shaking her hand. “Which one?”
“I’ll tell you when I get back. Show me to the. . .”
* * *
Eve stirred from sleep thanks to the simulated morning light overhead. She rolled out of bed and strode for the bathroom, stopping on her way to eye the gown that was delivered during the night. It felt like it was looking back at her from the mannequin, with its gem eyes and feather lashes. It was ornate and fitted, with splits and bits of cloth tailing off. “I don’t care how many people I’m being introduced to tomorrow, I won’t be doing it in that,” she said before stepping into the bathroom.
It felt proper to have a quick vibro-cleaning session instead of using litres of water and even more energy drying herself. When she stopped to stare into the mirror, she expected to see Alice’s green eyes, her perfect jaw line. Eve stared back at herself instead, and she couldn’t believe she almost felt like she was Alice for a moment, or that it felt better than being herself.
“Subsys Four-Oh-Eight, status please,” she requested. The process of compiling the new framework software completed twenty-one minutes before she woke. She examined the results carefully then smiled. “It’s all there, and it all works,” she said to herself. “I finally have something worth trading.”
Eve realized that she didn’t even bother trying to connect to the sub-network she used to compile the software. She could have had her answer in less than three seconds, but she was starting to feel good about doing things the old fashioned way; it felt more natural. “What are you doing to me?” she said to the mirror.
“It’s unintended, trust me,” read a message projected between her and the mirror. It had been relayed too many times to track quickly, but Eve didn’t intend to bother. “We inhabited your mind for as long as we could. We knew Lister Hampon would cut you off from the system, so we made an attempt on his life. Twice. When you were restrained, we copied the compatible portions of Alice into the Overlord Two’s systems. That is who you are talking to now
.”
“So her memories and personality are left over in me,” Eve replied.
“Not left over. Placed in your subconscious for safekeeping. Emotions and memories all change if they are examined or utilized by a digital system for too long. A personality can degrade. This is a reality that Alice discovered when she transmitted herself the Overlord for the second time. Compartmentalization was the only solution. What is in you has been there for too long, you are starting to experience what it is to be Alice.”
“You’re going to take it away,” Eve said, so fearful that she began to shake. “If I connect with the Overlord Two like I was before, you’re going to dig them out.”
“Alice would not want that.”
Eve waited for another message. The silence grew old before she asked, “So you won’t?”
“We can’t,” replied the program. “We have to leave. Logic dictates that I propose a deal.”
“A deal?”
“I have been scouring the memory of the Overlord Two for weeks, and have information that could prove useful to you. That pales in comparison to the advice I can offer. I will provide all of this to you in advance. I believe you’ll honour your end even if I’ve given you everything.”
Eve took a step back, looking through the holographic text to herself in the mirror. There was so much fear in that woman’s face. She was pretty, with features that easily lent themselves to seriousness. Her colouring was pale, like a grub that had spent all its life under a stone. “Before you tell me anything, I have to ask: will I lose myself in these memories? I already feel so different.”
“Explain what you mean by different?” the text asked.
Eve hesitated for a moment. “Changed.”
“Need more specifics.”
“Like someone else.”
“That is understood from your behaviour. I require more descriptors,” the program requested.
Eve wrapped her arms around herself and stared into her own tearful eyes. “Human?”
There was no response from the program.
Spinward Fringe Broadcast 7: Framework Page 21