Part 4 (2/2)
”Thanks.” Derec paid close attention this time. The same kinks were loosened as before. He felt the same vibrations, the little snappings that relieved him of tension in the muscle.
Only those kinks had returned almost instantly. Not as many were back, at least not yet. He felt fewer this time than either time before. Still, the pattern was clear. The ma.s.sages would have to be constant to do him any good.
”Is that better?”
”Uh-it's fine. Look, I don't want you to tire yourself out. Thank you. It does help.” That was true, but he couldn't have her do so much work indefinitely for relief that lasted only a matter of seconds, or perhaps a few minutes.
”I'm glad.” Ariel quit, but remained sitting next to him, flexing her fingers.
”Could you help me turn over?”
”Of course.”
Again, his arms were weak and rubbery when he tried to push himself onto one side. She took his shoulders and brought him around in a kind of twist, where his pelvis and legs lay p.r.o.ne, but his upper body lay on one side. Then she moved to his legs and, with considerable effort, pulled him entirely onto his side.
”There.” She let out a breath and smiled.
He looked up to study her face. His secret hadn't lasted very long. He was clearly in serious trouble and worsening rapidly.
”Derec? What is it?”
”I don't see how I'm going to make it.”
”What? What do you mean?”
”I'm so tired. And weak. You can see for yourself. Avery could be anywhere on the planet, and I don't think I have much time.” Even his tongue was slurring a little.
”You shouldn't talk like that.” Her voice was sharp with some of her old spirit. ”Mandelbrot can do anything a robot can do, plus some extras. And hasn't Wolruf proven herself many times over?”
”The time,” said Derec. His anger flared, giving him energy. ”We just don't have much time. Sure, I think we-or they, anyhow-can find Avery sooner or later. But it may be too late for me.”
”After everything that's happened to us? You're going to give up now? Come on!”
”Well, what can I do? Just lie here?”
”Maybe we can still think of something. We got away from Aranimas, didn't we? We got out of Rockliffe Station, and we solved the shapechanging and the murder mystery-or I should say, you did....” Her voice trailed off.
He waited a moment, expecting her to continue. When she didn't, he looked up at her.
She was staring at him with horror on her face. Startled, he raised up enough to look himself over, but saw nothing unusual. He pa.s.sed his hand in front of her face but she did not react.
”Ariel,” he said firmly.
”It's Derec,” she whispered. ”He looks just like Derec. It's impossible.” Suddenly she turned and leaped off the bed, only to run into the desk almost immediately. Her legs buckled and she thumped hard on the floor, blinking rapidly.
Derec forced himself up on one elbow and reached down to grip her arm. ”Ariel. Can you hear me?”
She was looking around the room very slowly. At first she didn't seem to hear him, but then she nodded, almost imperceptibly. ”You're up,” she said, surprised.
”Not very far.”
She reached back with her hand and slapped him across the face hard, leaving his cheek stinging from the blow.
Derec sat up straight, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. ”Are you crazy? What-”
”Look at yourself!”
”Myself? What are you talking about?”
”You're sitting up. Derec, you have to stay alert. I don't know if it's the adrenaline or the fear or the, the...I don 't know what. But when I went into a fugue state again, the emergency started bringing you back to normal.”
”And then you hit me...and I sat up.” Derec nodded slowly. ”I'm hardly back to normal, but I see what you mean.”
”Don't give in to it, Derec, You have to fight it.”
”All right. I get it. It's like cold when you're in danger of freezing. You have to move around and keep the blood circulating. Something like that.” He stood up, and winced at the stiffness in his joints. ”I still hurt allover.”
Ariel rolled the desk chair into position for him. ”Come on. Back to the terminal. The work will keep your mind busy, and maybe we'll think of something useful.”
CHAPTER 5.
EULER.
Mandelbrot realized the time had come for him to rendezvous with Wolruf. Since he might still benefit later from acting within the city matrix, he did not want simply to abandon his duty. Tamserole had not returned, so he took the greater risk again of reporting to the central computer.
”This is the Priority 4 Regional Contingency Power Station. I am reporting a leave of duty because my supervisor is not present to receive it.”
”WHERE IS YOUR SUPERVISOR?”.
”I do not know. He is fulfilling his duty elsewhere.”
”WHY ARE YOU LEAVING YOUR DUTY?”.
”I have an emergency.”
”EXPLAIN IT.”.
”I do not have time.” Mandelbrot broke the connection, hoping that he would be able to return to duty here later if it would be useful. He did not have an explanation yet. Attempting to create one could wait until it was necessary. Considering the immense size of the central computer and its total data, the oddities of his behavior might still escape the notice of Dr. Avery.
Mandelbrot had spent his relatively brief time at the station actually performing his duty. He had made some progress in creating an autonomous system that would free Tamserole to activate migration programming, but he had not quite finished it. If he had, he might have been able to leave without suspicion. He was not certain.
One problem Mandelbrot faced was that he was intellectually distinctive from the robots of Robot City and at any time might reveal his differences by the questions he asked or the actions he took.
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