Virtual Mode

by Piers Anthony

  He thinks you are trying to trap him into treasonous dialogue.

  "There are no recorders here. It would be too expensive to mount and maintain them in an unimportant site like Kyvm. This conversation is private. But you are mistaken if you suppose we have any animosity toward the Emperor."

  "No cameras?" she asked, hope flaring. "You mean no one will know what I just said, if you don't tell them?"

  "I would not presume to report on the private words of a consort. Surely you have excellent reason for your utterances.

  She smiled. "I guess you couldn't tell him anything he doesn't already know." Apparently the man did not realize the significance of the lobotomy reference. What a relief! "But I'm really not trying to trick you. I'm just telling you that I have a different perspective. I'm really not the Emperor's mistress; it's just a title he put on me so he has a pretext to put me here."

  "But he introduced you as—"

  "Yes. But it's not real. I guess he wanted you to think you rated higher than you do. But Rrllo, I'd sure like to make good even though it's hardly possible. If you'd just help me a little bit, maybe we can both come out ahead."

  He is impressed by your directness. He is inclined to trust you.

  "Let me tell you then what I assumed you knew," Rrllo said. "This planet is a retirement community for officers of the Empire. As such, it is elite, and we receive excellent care. There is no poverty or crime. But some of us feel that we were retired too soon, and that we could have given further years of service to the Empire, and maintained the associated perquisites. Instead we have been displaced by younger, relatively inexperienced officers. Are you surprised that we feel a certain dissatisfaction?"

  Colene shook her head, perplexed. "Why retire you if you're still doing well?"

  "This is our question. We feel the policy is misguided, particularly since genetic deficiencies are appearing more frequently in following generations. In all candor, we feel that those who replace us lack, as a whole, the ability we have, even after allowing for the difference in experience."

  "And I guess it wouldn't do much good just to say that to Ddwng."

  "It has been said to him already."

  "And he responded by sending me."

  "This is the case."

  True.

  Colene pondered for about forty seconds. "Maybe it's his way of changing his mind. If I suggest something he's ready to do anyway, then he can say he's doing it for me, and no one will think he's wishy-washy."

  "Oh, he does not wish to wash anything himself!"

  Colene paused, realizing that she had slipped another colloquialism past the translator. "I mean that he's given to changing his mind readily."

  Rrllo smiled. "He is not given to that."

  "See, I'm about as unusual a consort as he could have, when you get right down to it. I might come up with something pretty wacky, because I'm from out of town. Rather than make it seem that he sent an unqualified consort, he might just agree to what I suggest. So maybe what you need to do is to tell me what to suggest, and maybe it'll happen."

  Rrllo stared at her. "You are a most unusual young woman."

  "I guess I am. But why don't we try it? Because suddenly this makes sense of things. That he knows what he's doing, and he thinks you have a case. So my chances and yours aren't nearly as remote as we figured—if we play it right."

  You have surprised him. He has decided to go along with you.

  "As it happens, we do have a proposal, if the Emperor does not find it insulting."

  "I have a feeling he knows what it is, and that he's ready to do it." She was coming to a better appreciation of Ddwng's subtlety. The man was a cunning and unscrupulous customer, but what he did made sense. She only hoped that he had underestimated her more than she had underestimated him. It was an excruciatingly dangerous game she was playing.

  "It is this: we would like to bring our expertise back into play. We would like to be designated advisers in our specialities—which cover the gamut of those necessary to the operation of the Empire—and consulted when there are problems which the younger officers might have difficulty with."

  "To pull things out when they bungle."

  "I would not have put it that way."

  "You're not an alien teenage pseudo-consort."

  He smiled. "Indeed I am not."

  "Let's try it! Set me up with the detail and the arguments I'll need, and make sure I have it straight, and I'll tell him as if it's my own idea. If we're right, he'll choose to believe that. We have today and tomorrow. Is that enough time?"

  "It should be, as our desire is straightforward."

  They got to it, with a growing conviction that this was indeed what she had been sent here to do. Colene met a number of the other officers in person and by wall video, and rehearsed the arguments as carefully as she had done the protocol of the ball. When the time came, she would be ready.

  IT happened as expected. It had obviously been choreographed as precisely as the ritual of the dance. Planet Kyvrn was officially designated as an Advisory Resource, and the residents were presumably encouraged and would feel more positive henceforth.

  "You did so well!" Mare said enthusiastically as she gave Colene a massage. Her hands were so gentle and proficient that the lingering tension just faded away. Colene could appreciate how Darius, subjected to such treatment, could—but she shoved that hastily out of mind. She understood, but there was a tight knot of emotions that would have to be picked apart at another time.

  She returned to the recent exhilaration of the successful mission. So Ddwng had programmed it to succeed; so it still had been fun. He had used her in a harmless way to justify his change of policy.

  But something nagged, and her morbid aspect kept trying to sniff it out. She had never been one to accept things without question, especially when they were nice. She was always alert for the worm in the apple, and she liked to fathom the whole worm. Which reminded her of two things: the question about what it was better to find in an apple one was eating: a whole worm or half a worm? Where was the other half of the worm? She had once made a friend sick at lunch with that one. The other thing was a bit of verse her grandmother had told her once, and Colene's beady little mental eye for the grotesque had fixed on it instantly. The verse was about a college professor who tended to transpose the first letters of words when he got excited. Once he had the unpleasant task of informing a prominent woman that she had taken the wrong pew in church: "Mardon me, padam, but you are spitting in the wrong stew. Please let me sew you to another sheet." But the one about the worm was what Colene was after now. The prof was bawling out a bad student. "You have hissed three of my mystery lectures. In fact you have tasted the whole worm!" Well, when the worm was some subtle flaw in a person's understanding, it was indeed better to taste the whole thing.

  Why had Ddwng used her for this task? Surely he could have used any beautiful, stupid consort for this purpose. The answer was reasonably plain: he was studying Colene, because if she was crazy underneath, and it was a genetic defect, he didn't want those genes in the DoOon gene pool. But if he was studying her, did it make sense to turn her loose unsupervised? Surely he would want to have his machines taking her stats all the time, especially when she thought she was unobserved.

  So had Rrllo been lying to her when he said he wouldn't report on her indiscretion? No, because Seqiro had found the man true. But why should Rrllo report? He was just another actor in the play. There would be a monitor on Colene, maybe one Rrllo didn't know about, so Seqiro couldn't get it from his mind.

  But there couldn't be a camera following her around! So how could it be done?

  "Will there be anything else?" Mare inquired, having completed the rubdown. She spoke through the translation ball, as always.

  "No thanks," Colene replied automatically. "I'll just lie here and sag for a while."

  Mare let her be. Then an almost tangible light bulb flashed. The translation ball! She had worn a special one at the plan
et. That was the recorder.

  So Ddwng knew what she had said, including the bit about lobotomy. He would know that no one had mentioned this to her. So he would have a direct question to ask her, and if she didn't have a direct answer, she might face that lobotomy sooner than she had figured. That would ruin her plan for escape, not to mention her life.

  Oh sweet Jesus! she thought. How am I going to get out of this one?

  You will have to deceive him with a half-truth, Seqiro replied.

  She realized it was true. She couldn't tell Ddwng about Seqiro; that would ruin everything and get the horse destroyed. She couldn't claim it was a lucky guess; he would never buy that.

  She mulled it over, and finally came to something she hoped would work.

  Sure enough, on the way back to Earth Ddwng had dinner with her, and after the amenities he put it to her directly. "You surprised me, Colene. I may have underestimated you. How did you know about the lobotomy?"

  "I'm telepathic," she replied without hesitation. That was the half-lie, flat out.

  He gazed at her. "We regard such claims as without substance."

  "Yes. That's why you had so much trouble with the monster of Yils. You just couldn't believe it was possible to stun someone by pure mental force."

  "Darius is telepathic too?"

  "Not exactly. He can receive and rebroadcast emotion, without being affected. He's more like a catalyst. So the monster couldn't mind-blast him. As you expected."

  "You are evidently well matched to Darius."

  "I evidently am. His mind, my mind—I think it's going to be fun, when we finally get together and explore the interactions."

  "What am I thinking now?"

  She shook her head. "It's not that simple, Ddwng. It's not like watching a program on the wall. Your mind is all guarded and complicated. You have to be unguarded and have a very strong thought, and even then I don't necessarily get it. The lobotomy was so strong, and related to me so directly, that I picked it up. It was when we were eating, and you told me the three things you wanted of me—to be your consort, and such. I thought it was sex, but it was lobotomy. After that I decided to agree to your three things. You didn't wonder what changed my mind?"

  "I did wonder."

  He is concluding that it is true.

  "Well, now you know. The only other thing I got was about genetics. But that wasn't clear. What do genetics have to do with me?"

  Now he believes he knows what you have been hiding from him. Your knowledge of some of his plans.

  "Our gene pool is too limited. We have achieved perfect health and uniformity, but along with the liabilities of genetic diversity, we eliminated some of the strengths. You may have genes we can use."

  "So you're going to breed me like an animal—" She broke off, fixing him with a carefully rehearsed stare. "Surgery! You intend to take my ovaries!"

  "So you did receive that thought."

  "How could I miss it! You monster! You told me that you would let us go if we got you the Chip!"

  Ddwng lifted his hands in a gesture of conciliation. "I will do that. If we achieve the other realities, there will be many gene sources, and you will be superfluous. It is only if we fail that we shall have to take whatever offers."

  "Don't take this personally, Ddwng, but sometimes you remind me of a slimy tapeworm. You don't care whose guts you destroy, so long as you get yours."

  He smiled. "I see we understand each other."

  And it seemed that her ploy had worked. She had shown the correct amount of perception and outrage, and he believed that she could read his mind—in sometime glimpses. He would probably stay clear of her now. But she would have to watch her step most carefully from here on, if she expected to survive and to save her friends. This was no part-time hood she was facing off; Ddwng was deadly dangerous.

  THEY traveled back to Earth, which was a great relief. This super-science stuff was all right, but Colene felt most comfortable with Earth, even in its multiple alternate realities. The five anchors of the Virtual Mode seemed to be on Earth, so that all the anchor folk were human or familiar animal, though the underlying rules of the universe might shift. If Darius made it back, and they set foot on the Virtual Mode, and if her plan worked—but she refused even to think of that, lest she somehow give it away. She could afford to make no more mistakes.

  The first thing she did on Earth was hold communion with Seqiro. Now she knew better than to vocalize or subvocalize; pure thought was the only way, and that with circumspection, so that there was no outward hint about where her mind really was. In fact, she made sure to have something account for her emotional reactions, as a cover. In this case another violent entertainment program. DoOon tastes seemed to be similar to lowbrow American, which didn't say much for their improved genetics.

  Seqiro! I'm so glad to be close to you again!

  It is wonderful, he agreed. His thought came in far more clearly, now that they were close.

  It was like a bad connection, there in the region of Kyvm. I could barely receive you.

  Receive me? There was no contact there.

  She was startled. But there was! You gave me key readings on the reactions of others. I needed those.

  We lost contact when you left Earth. I reverted to unintelligent animal level. I am restored only now, with your contact.

  Something was wrong. But I read you!

  There was no contact between us. The conviction was absolute.

  All that key support from him—had it been only her imagination? Then how had she picked up the attitudes of Rrllo? You mean—I really did read a mind myself?

  This seems to have been the case. You have been learning from me during our contact, gaining some of my mental ability just as I gain some of yours.

  So her half-truth had been a three-quarter truth! An awesome new horizon was opening to her.

  Colene gazed at the stupid program on the wall, her mind reeling. What a development this was!

  CHAPTER 12

  DECISION

  DARIUS watched the constellation which included Earth's sun approach with mixed feelings. He had accomplished his mission and agreed to give the Emperor the Chip. His choice had been between Colene and the welfare of the other realities. He had chosen selfishly. He was not proud. But it was done, and now he would carry through.

  It was the ninth day of their residence in this Mode. Tomorrow was Ddwng's deadline, and their probable venture back into the Virtual Mode. Darius knew the way back to his own Mode. What would happen there? He would have to see Ddwng safely there, and ask the Cyng of Pwer to give the man the Chip. Then what? Would Pwer do it?

  Darius feared he would. Because Ddwng would bring a pain dial and use it on him. If that did not work in that Mode, something else would. Ddwng was a hard man.

  "You are pensive," Pussy said via the translation ball. "How may I make you feel better?"

  "I fear there is no way."

  This time she did not offer him sex or a massage. Only her unadorned sympathy. That turned out to be about as effective as anything.

  All too soon they were there. The FTL Flay took up orbit around Earth, and made ready for the exchange of captains. "It has been a pleasure to serve you, sir," Jjle said formally.

  "You made it easy," Darius said. "I hope you have pleasure in the next mission." Then he bid parting to his Felines, shaking hands with Tom and Cat and kissing Pussy. "There were aspects of my mission I did not appreciate. But you were a delight. I am sorry to leave you."

  They did not respond, for he had neither questioned them nor given them a directive. He knew that they would serve the next captain as loyally as they had him, if the man did not have his own set of nulls. Sentimentality was wasted here. Nevertheless, he felt it.

  Then he saw a tear in Pussy's eye. That heartened him. Her emotion was surely transient, but it was there.

  He stepped into the transporter cubicle with Provos, and out again in the Emperor's palace on Earth. An Ovine neuter was there to
guide them to their chamber for the night.

  But when he got there, he discovered that it was occupied. There were three Equines, looking very much like his Felines but with their heads shaped to suggest those of horses. They evidently came with the suite.

  Then he remembered something. Colene was served by Equines. Could it be?

  "Whom do you serve?" he asked the neuter, who would be Horse.

  "We serve Colene, who has directed us to make you comfortable until she returns."

  This seemed too good to be true. Ddwng was allowing them to be together? "Where is she now?"

  "Dining with the Emperor, as she normally does."

  Was Ddwng taking more of an interest in Colene than in business? Darius felt a tinge of jealousy, but a larger tinge of satisfaction. Colene knew her own mind, once she made it up, and she wouldn't hesitate to use any influence she had. She would have more influence on Ddwng than the Emperor realized, if he wasn't careful, and she would use it to make him do what she wanted. She wanted to return to the Virtual Mode and travel with him, Darius. He was sure of this.

  Maybe she had even used that influence to prevail on Ddwng to let the two of them be together this night. She could have hinted that she would make sure that Darius did not change his mind about giving Ddwng the Chip. Ddwng also might suppose that there would be key dialogue between them, which his sensors would pick up, which would reveal any potential treachery.

  Well, there would be no treachery. Darius had given his word, and he would honor it. Maybe Colene expected him to do something foolish or deceitful, but he would not. He was betraying the realities, but not his nature. He hoped Colene would never know why.

  What, then, was he to do this night? He did not want to be close to her before they could discuss things and come to some understanding, and he had no intention of discussing anything with her in this Mode.

  "Please show us to our separate chambers," Provos said to the nulls. "We shall eat after we are established."

  There was the answer. Provos remembered what was to happen.

  Mare showed Provos to one chamber, and Stallion showed Darius to another. He saw that a bed had been set up; they were ready for the guests. He used the toilet chamber, checked himself in the mirror, and returned to the main chamber.