by Clyde Key
* * *
The Magport Authority was housed in a jarringly modern building on the outskirts of Flagstaff. The shiny dark metallic blue structure was fifteen stories high, with windows that couldn’t be seen from outside. As with most modern buildings in the southwest, it dazzled onlookers with reflected sunlight and its top seemed to blend right into the sky. People had long since stopped complaining about the unnatural look of such structures, but this one still made Ed uncomfortable.
He aimed the floater for the parking entrance anyway and found the only part of the whole building that he liked: automatic parking. As they neared the entrance, they felt the magnetic tug take over and Ed took his hands off the controls. The autopark took them swiftly down three levels to the first available parking pod and set the floater gently down. They were parked before Ed’s eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness.
Herman’s office was on an upper floor. Ed wasn’t sure which one since the voice-controlled elevator simply had asked the name of the person he wished to visit, and whisked them straight up.
Herman had been alerted to their presence by the elevator controller and greeted them at the door of his office. Herman invited them in and fiddled momentarily with a control panel on his desk. A door opened on a sidewall and two chairs rolled out, stopping just behind Ed and Baines. “Please have a seat,” said Herman, when his visitors hesitated. They sat and the chairs rolled over in front of Herman’s desk.
“This is unusual,” said Baines. “Did the building come with these or did you do it?”
I’m afraid these are my additions,” said Herman. “Don’t tell management but I’ve got too much time on my hands ever since we finished up the interactive holograph scenery. Until we get a little farther along on the next big project, that is.”
“What’s next?” asked Ed.
“Transportation for Veezees. They can’t use floaters because they can’t see in the conventional sense. Sonar doesn’t work through floater windows like it does with their rocket globes.
“Then why don’t they just use the globes?” asked Baines.
“Because the City of Flagstaff is trying to outlaw rocket globes. Fire hazard, you know. And they won’t go in the magport stations either, for some reason.”
“Maybe it’s the strong fields,” suggested Baines.
“No, I don’t think so,” said Herman. He pulled out a file folder and showed them a diagram of a magport. “See: the stations are completely shielded. RF radiation is completely blocked. The only way video comes in is through optical cable.”
“Maybe I’ll take to hanging out at magports,” said Ed, smiling. “That should keep one blue alien out of my hair.”
“Who’s going to pay for all that alien transportation?” asked Baines.
Herman frowned. “Guess. Some judge says Arizona’s constitution guarantees free transportation.”
“I think I’m going to get mad if we don’t change the subject,” said Ed. “We came to see you about something else, something about virtual reality you said you might be able to do to aliens.”
“I thought you’d be getting around to that.” Herman smiled and reached into his desk and took out a small gray object. It had a rectangular base that was about 100mm. across and was topped with a small sphere of perhaps 50mm. “We’ll have to go somewhere else for a demonstration, somewhere there’s aliens. Follow me.”
Ed and Baines got up and their chairs rolled quickly back into the closet from which they had come. Then they followed Herman to the elevator. Herman spoke to the elevator, “Tech center. Roof.”
The elevator zipped down for an undetermined number of floors, and then they felt it turn around before taking off horizontally. The three of them were pushed gently back against the wall by the acceleration. Then it spun again and began decelerating and pushed them against the same wall again. It hardly stopped before it went up again and the door opened. A voice announced, “Arrival. Tech Center. Roof.”
The three of them stepped from the elevator into bright sunlight and it took a minute for Ed’s eyes to adjust. Before he could see, he knew there were aliens around, though. Then he could see them. A dozen aliens milled aimlessly about the roof while three human technicians worked on what looked very much like saucers a meter across with little repeller pods sticking out every 90 degrees around the bottom. Occasionally a technician would call out and an alien would come shuffle and slosh onto a saucer. What usually happened was that the saucer would tip over when it started to move, almost spilling an alien every time.
“As you can see, this is where much of our research takes place,” said Herman. Then he walked over to the edge of the roof and placed the object on the ledge. “Now we’ll give it a try.”
Ed walked to the edge and looked down. They were very high. “We’re not even close to the authority building, are we?”
“No. The elevator module took us several kilometers. See that blue building way over there?” Herman pointed and Ed squinted. “That’s where we came from. Where we are now is on top of the magport station.”
Then Herman took another small gadget from his shirt pocket and pointed it at the gray thing. “Now it’s activated,” he whispered to Ed and Baines. Then he clapped his hands for attention. “Break for lunch everybody! Technicians to the cafeteria and Veezee to the bins.”
“But it’s not time yet,” said a technician. “It’s a half an hour ‘til...” The technician watched speechlessly as all the aliens sloshed to the edge of the roof and then shuffled right off the side. “They’re crazy!” said the technician. “They’re absolutely crazy!”
They went to the edge of the roof and looked down. All twelve aliens had splattered on top of the garbage bins. Herman slipped the small gadget into his coat and stepped back. “Those things are crazy about garbage, aren’t they! I guess they just couldn’t wait to go down the long way.”
One of the technicians stared quizzically down at the scrambled aliens. “What are we going to do now, Mr. Herman?”
“Don’t worry. There are millions more,” said Herman. “I’ll send you some.”
Herman, Ed, and Baines beat a speedy retreat into the elevator module while the technicians buzzed excitedly about the alien suicide leap. When they were on their way, Ed said, “I know your gadget did that! But how?”
“This is precisely what I told you about. It’s not quite ready yet, but what it mainly needs is a database. So far, what I’ve done is record sonar blips from a bunch of aliens that were milling around the garbage bins behind the building. Now our Confusor picks up blips from aliens and transmits them to our big computer, which sends back some echo blips that just happen to look like the garbage bin to aliens. You saw the result!”
“Uh huh!” said Ed. “Just like you said it would work! I thought you said it wasn’t ready yet.”
“It’s really not. I don’t even want to expose it to any more aliens until I’ve got some more interactive software done and a larger database of objects in memory.”
“Well, I guess you’re doing just great without any input from me. I should get back to Kingman and let you work,” said Ed.
“I must say I didn’t expect anything like that,” said Baines. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to come along the next time you have something ready to check out.”
Then Herman said, “Stop!” and the elevator abruptly decelerated to a complete stop, momentarily making it difficult for the occupants to stand.
“What? What’s going on?” asked Ed.
“I just had a page,” said Herman. “I have to see about something.”
“I didn’t hear a page,” said Baines. “No speaker in the elevator or anything.”
“It’s embedded.” Herman pointed to a small red dot behind his left ear. “It’s required of high level managers in the authority.”
Baines shook his head. “I wouldn’t like that at all.”
Ed said, “I wouldn’t stand for it. They could just have the job back first.”
&
nbsp; “Well, I have it and I’m stuck with it,” said Herman. “But what’s going on might interest you. There’s a report of some excitement concerning an alien at the magport entrance. Want to go check it out with me?”
“Might as well,” said Ed.
Herman turned to the control panel. “Magport. South entrance.”
The elevator started again, then almost instantly decelerated and started zigging and zagging horizontally. It didn’t spin around to decelerate this time, and Ed and Baines had to hold tightly to the side rails. The elevator stopped and the door opened. When they stepped out, Ed recognized that they were at the same magport entrance where he had come in when he went to Washington. There was a crowd of people standing just inside the door and it seemed to be even more crowded outside. And the crowd was certainly excited about something.
Herman couldn’t easily push through the crowd to see what they were watching. “What’s going on out there?” he asked of a bystander.”
“It’s something unusual, an alien like nobody has ever seen around here—solid blue!”
“Oh no!” said Ed. “That thing has tracked me here! I’ve got to find another way out!”
37
Ed tried to get back in the elevator but the door was closed and there were no buttons. “Hey, Herman!” he called. “How do I get back in here?”
“You can’t. It’s fixed so nobody can get on here to keep passengers from wandering through the parts of the building where they don’t belong. From here you either have to go outside through that door or take a train ride.”
“Well, sheesh! I don’t want to go anywhere and I sure don’t want to go around that alien!”
“I wouldn’t mind taking a ride,” said Baines. “I’d kind of like to see that special scenery you told me about.”
“Maybe I will too,” said Ed. “Let’s go get tickets.”
“See you guys later,” said Herman. “As soon as I can get through that crowd, I’m going back to the Authority Building.”
Ed and Baines pushed their way past the crowd of people who were trying to get out to see the blue alien and made their way to the ticket counter. Nobody was in line there.
“Where to?” asked the young woman at the counter.
“Where’s the closest place? I don’t want a long ride,” said Ed.
The agent looked surprised. “You don’t have some place in particular to go?”
“Actually, I’m on the run, Ma’am. I’m a fugitive. And my friend here has never seen that new magport scenery.”
“Is he a fugitive too?” She pushed buttons on her schedule monitor without waiting for an answer. “There’s a train leaving for Denver in about ten minutes with some space.”
“Too far,” said Ed.
“How about Deming Metro in fifteen minutes?”
“That’s better. We’ll take it. Round trip, please.”
“Very well. When will you be returning?”
“On the next train back. We’re not going to leave Deming Metro station.”
The look she gave Ed told him she thought they both were crazy. “Gate eleven. Check your... No luggage, I see. Enjoy your trip.”
While they waited for the Deming train, Ed noticed excitement building over near the entrance. Then someone called out, “The alien wants to go inside! Get out of its way!”
Somebody else yelled, “Don’t touch it! Give it room!”
Ed looked over his shoulder and saw the crowd parting. The alien was coming inside the station. “Can I get on that train already?”
“It’s not here yet, but it may be by the time you get to gate eleven.”
“Come on, Baines. Let’s get out of here!”
“Yes sir!” Baines bolted ahead of Ed, limping so badly that he bounced from side to side. Ed huffed along a few meters behind. Both of the old men were out of breath when they reached the waiting area for gate eleven, but all the seats in the area were already taken.
“Crud!” said Ed. “I feel like I’m about to drop! You’d think somebody young would offer an old guy a seat!”
The twentyish woman seated nearest them said, “If you mean me, forget it! It’s your own fault you’re out of breath. You didn’t have to run because the train isn’t even here yet.”
Ed started to say something, but decided against it. Then the woman’s nose wrinkled and she frowned. “That smell! They’re not supposed to be in here!” Then she got up and hurried away, as did most of the other waiting passengers. Ed and the major were finally seated.
“I guess we’re stuck here,” said Ed. “Good thing the Smel-Numb hasn’t worn off yet or we’d be running off to the restrooms to puke too.”
“Yeh. I bet it is strong in here,” said Baines.
Then the blue second oldest common Veezee caught up with them just as the train pulled in, buzzing the gate with a magnetic hum. By this time only the three of them were in the area because all of the other passengers went running toward the entrance.
“Well, Blue, I guess you caught me,” said Ed.
“Halloran is evil as was told us. Halloran deceived.”
“Halloran doesn’t owe you anything,” said Ed. “I didn’t agree to this exchange student trash. What does your old boy Veezee say to that?”
“Eldest Veezee says nothing.”
Then Baines nudged Ed’s elbow. “The train is about to leave. We’re going to miss it.”
“You go on and enjoy the ride, Major. I think I’m going back to the base before this stinking freak tries to get on the train with us. Tell me how you like the holograms.”
Baines got on the train and Ed started trudging back toward the magport entrance with the alien sloshing along beside him. Ed was half surprised to see the magport was nearly abandoned. There were no more than six people in the station and they all avoided Ed and his alien companion by a wide margin.
“Tell me something, Blue,” said Ed. “Why do you common Veezees all have to slave for the nobles?”
“Common Veezee must work for nobles because nobles have captured our Eldest.”
“You mean like kidnap and extortion?”
“Yes. Those are human words for what noble do to common.”
“How long has that been? Since you’ve come to Earth?”
“It has been for very long time, since before our journey began. Before, common was noble and noble was common.”
“Then all this symbiotic business is crap! You don’t willingly serve at all.”
“Veezee do not know what is crap. Common Veezee serves only to protect the Eldest from harm.”
They were almost back to the entrance when Ed said suddenly, “Wait a minute! How come you’re telling me all this? If all the Veezees think together, why aren’t you in trouble right now with the old one?”
The blue Veezee stopped. “Now I cannot think with all other Veezee. I cannot think with any other Veezee. I do not know why.”
Ed thought he knew why. He figured it was the magnetic shielding around the magport station, because isn’t it magnetic waves of some sort the aliens use to communicate?
Then Ed saw a station comphone near the entrance. “Just a minute. I need to make a call.”
The blue alien waited while Ed keyed Victor Herman’s name into the comphone. When Herman answered, Ed asked, “How the devil am I supposed to get back to my floater if I can’t get back in the elevator?” Ed paused for a moment. “Okay, I’ll wait.”
Ed hung up the comphone and said to Blue, “Herman is coming to give me a ride back to my floater. You’ll have to get back however you got here because you can’t ride in anybody’s floater.”
Ed walked outside with the alien shuffling along right behind him. “You can go on now. I’m riding with Herman.”
“Will wait. Eldest Veezee commands that I wait with you until Herman arrives. Then I will follow you to your base.”
“So now you can think with the rest of them, huh?”
“Veezee are one. Veezee are not like you.”
“That blue alien seems to be following you,” said Herman.
“Yeah. It has been kind of worked out with the government that I have to put up with it—at least for the time being, before I figure something out.”
“That’s a shame. Nobody deserves that,” said Herman, as he edged his floater out into a traffic lane that had not quite enough room, jostling two other floaters and troubling Ed’s stomach.
“Darn right! But it might just work out better than I expected.”
“How’s that?”
Ed told Herman all about talking with the alien inside the magport and about how it seemed disconnected from all the other aliens. “Do you think it could be the shielding?” asked Ed.
“I’m sure of it. That’s all it could be.”
“Then I have an idea about something you could help me with, if you’re willing.”
“Do you mean something else besides the sonar traps?” asked Herman.
“Could you show me how to shield my house on the base? So that alien thoughts couldn’t get in or out?”
Herman didn’t believe he could, but he offered to give Ed some help with designing a house that was shielded. “Can you get it built if I supply the
plans?”
Of course he could. One house, complete with EMI shielding would be the least expensive requisition Ed had approved for the army. It would not be described as shielded in the paperwork, though, because he did not intend to explain to anybody why.