Part 27 (1/2)

'At least, our minds went through it,' he said. 'Whoever brought us here created this simulation so we could keep track of what's happening to our bodies in the real world.'

'Look at this,' said Roz. She gestured him over to the suite's door.

Chris couldn't see what she meant for a moment. Then he saw that the sliding door was opening, very slowly. Very very slowly.

Just so you could see it.

'They're coming for us,' he said. 'But we're in puters.p.a.ce, so our minds are running much faster than theirs.'

'You sound far too comfortable with all this,' said Roz.

'Haven't you ever played a video game like this?' said Chris.

'In most games,' said the statue sitting on the sofa, 'all you can lose is your quarter.'

They whirled, staring at her.

'Remember me?' smiled the woman. The obsidian had to stretch and creak to accommodate the expression.

'No,' said Chris.

'Whoever you are,' said Roz, 'you're not the G.o.ddess.'

'No,' agreed the statue. 'I needed a form you'd instinctively trust.'

'What if we were carrying some terrible secret guilt and knew we deserved punishment?' said Roz.

195.

'Then you'd be even more keen on facing Justice,' said the statue. Roz scowled, but Chris was nodding. 'Well, enough of this banter. You're both in very deep. I had to burrow into the Temple's systems and I couldn't grab much memory without setting off a lot of alarms. That's why the simulation of the suite is a bit rough around the edges. I uploaded almost your whole minds. It took a surprising amount of room.'

'Thanks,' said Chris, meaning it. 'The state those telepaths got us in, they could have done anything with us.'

'Sneak attack,' said Roz angrily. 'I hate that stuff. There oughta be a law.'

'There is. These are unregistered psis.' The door had opened sufficiently for them to make out the faces of the people coming in. Three of them, in ordinary clothes, not robes. 'They're planning to interrogate you telepathically.'

'And then kill us?' said Roz.

The statue shook its heavy head. 'They won't need to. Not once they're finished with you.'

Roz looked at her helpless body, lying on the floor behind the couch. 'What do I do?' she said, standing in front of the people starting to push through the door. 'I'm a ghost!'

'Hey, watch this,' said Chris.

He pressed his thumb against the light control. Instantly, the room was pitch black. A moment later, everything was surrounded by a glowing white outline.

'You can see now,' said the statue. 'They can't. We need to get your bodies out of here.'

The slow-motion people were just starting to react to the blackness. Chris thumbed the door control, and the doors slammed shut behind them, cutting off the light from the corridor.

'How are we going to do that? Can you put us back in?'

'Of course.'

'Wait,' said Chris. 'We're controlling the lights and the door through the computer system, right? If you put us back in our bodies, we'll lose that.'

'I'll keep you connected up. Trust me, I'm not going to cut and run this time.'

196.

Roz looked at her suddenly. 'FLORANCE!'

'At your service. I owe you for helping me out on Dione. OK, let's rock!'

'Oh ' said Roz.

's.h.i.+t!' said Roz, sitting up suddenly behind the sofa.

Chris pulled himself to his knees. 'Get the crukking lights!'

shouted someone. Chris could see their outline in the doorway, pus.h.i.+ng past the other two on the way to the light switch.

For an instant, the lights came back on. The psis blinked at Roz and Chris. Roz and Chris blinked at the psis.

Then Chris reached out through puters.p.a.ce and switched the lights back off.

'Let's go!' he shouted, vaulting the sofa. He threw his elbows up in front of his face and ran through the shouting psis, sending them flying.

Chris felt the psis' minds s.n.a.t.c.hing at them as they ran for it.

Oh no, you don't, said FLORANCE, somewhere in the back of his mind. Her communication was like champagne bubbles, making him want to giggle even as he belted down the marble corridor. said FLORANCE, somewhere in the back of his mind. Her communication was like champagne bubbles, making him want to giggle even as he belted down the marble corridor.

He felt FLORANCE slap at the psis, felt their cold touch recoil away from him like a snapped rubber band. Roz pa.s.sed him, leading the way as they ran.

Chris reached back and slammed down a blast door, almost squas.h.i.+ng one of the psis. He watched through a securicam as the man skidded to a halt, colliding with the door.

'Woo hoo!' shouted Chris, as they ran into the foyer, hearing his voice echo back from everywhere. He could feel the whole building!

'Don't get too carried away,' panted Roz, running in behind him. 'You're better with this computer stuff which way do we go?'

Private shuttle bay, said FLORANCE. said FLORANCE.

'Private shuttle bay,' said Chris. 'She'll help us get through.'

'I've always wondered,' said Chris, as the shuttle headed for the great black yonder, 'why it was a bat bat out of h.e.l.l.' out of h.e.l.l.'

197.

Roz just hung on to the table, her jaw set. At this speed the shuttle's inertial dampeners were straining to compensate for the acceleration.