Part 23 (1/2)
Sheridan fell silent for a moment.
”Done.”
Aldriena walked about two hundred paces back toward the s.p.a.ceport. She found a long faux wood bench nested between two ma.s.sive support struts decorated with virtual advertis.e.m.e.nts.
They sat down on the bench and waited. People walked by on their silent marches down the concourse. It made Aldriena think of a scene in a link flick where some toxin had been released into the atmosphere and everyone had to wear biowarfare armor everywhere. Except this was real, not a computer-rendered scenario.
Aldriena's Cascavel monitored Sheridan's link. But Sheridan hadn't tried to signal anyone.
Is she smart enough to feed me bad information and then wait patiently without giving herself away?
”It is, you know,” Sheridan said.
”What?”
”Incredibly dull. This place is incredibly dull. It used to be a wonderful place, better than any place on Earth. Before Claw showed up and the execs started acting wonky. I believe you about the AI. Your explanation fits perfectly.”
”I must admit, I wondered why you were being so helpful to a stranger,” Aldriena said.
”You trusted me by taking your helmet off.”
”When the UNSF announces their arrival, take your helmet off quickly,” Aldriena said.
”Why?”
”It may ... the AI might pull some tricks. There's something in the helmets we don't understand.”
”So our execs screwed up ... I guess they figured it would be safe to play with AI this far from Earth? But it seems to me that it could spread through our communications links anyway, couldn't it? Has it?”
”So far, no. But I honestly don't know why not. I think the UNSF has new systems to screen for such events.”
”I don't think so. How can you detect the data movements designed by something smarter than you are? That's scary. That means it probably did spread and you don't know about it.”
That's why the s.p.a.ce force people said aliens taking over a s.p.a.ce station was actually good news. Better than a rogue AI.
”You know what? We should eat. The UNSF will probably throw you into a holding cell, and it may be awhile before things settle down and they get around to feeding you more than a subsistence ration.”
Sheridan looked at Aldriena. ”Yes, I suppose that's a good idea. I'm not particularly hungry but I can appreciate the necessity.”
Sheridan led the way to her quarters. With the addition of the gear to everyone's lifestyle on the workstations, eating only occurred in the private areas of the station. All of Avalon's restaurants and snack bars had been closed down, another of the edicts contained in the archaically styled books distributed to the citizens.
Sheridan's quarters were small by Earth standards but luxurious for a deep s.p.a.ce station. Her quarters extended across a twenty by twenty meter block of the housing level. The cost of every cubic foot this far from the home planet had to be, well, astronomical.
”Time to blow my best,” Sheridan said, ordering her food. ”You're welcome to whatever I have left for this month.”
Aldriena shrugged. ”Pasta is good,” she said.
”No problem. Pardon me for asking, but do you have some Asian blood?”
Aldriena smiled. ”j.a.panese.”
”Ah. Good. Because I'd hate to think I'd been fooled by a Chinese agent,” Sheridan said. She watched Aldriena carefully.
”My name is a b.a.s.t.a.r.dization of ... never mind. I could have lied to you about my name. My father brought me to Brazil from j.a.pan. Having some Asian blood often helps me in my job, since we're rare in the West now. I guess in this case, it hurts me.”
”I still believe you. You gave up on the idea of getting into the lab once we decided it wasn't necessary for your claimed objective. If you hadn't, I'd still be suspicious.”
Sheridan brought the food over to her simple round table. They sat down on leather strap chairs and started to eat.
”On some of the stations, they have Asian slaves,” Aldriena said.
”Really? Are they really slaves, or just paid to pretend?” Sheridan asked.
”I think they're real slaves. Chinese most likely. A Chinese person caught in the West would have limited options. It would be easy to traffic them out here and trap them.”
”And how do you feel about that? About Chinese slaves?”
Aldriena shrugged. ”Living at subsistence on Earth is worse than being a slave out here. I hear they made slaves out of my people after the invasion.”
They finished the food in silence. Aldriena watched the time in her PV.
”You should send the message. I think the UNSF will arrive sometime within the hour,” Aldriena said.
”Okay,” Sheridan said. ”I'm nervous.”
”Of course you are. But send the message anyway.”
”I sent it,” she said. ”Maybe we should move out closer to the s.p.a.ceport, though.”
”Sure.”
She must a.s.sume the UNSF will arrive at the s.p.a.ceport. I won't mention the police cruisers breach the station wherever they want. The s.p.a.ceport is as good as any place though, plenty of elbow room there if things get tricky.
They walked quietly for a minute. They still weren't too far from where the grenade had been set. The thought that the spinner approached their trap nearby gave Aldriena an irrational urge to sprint away to the opposite side of the station. But she kept her stride relaxed.
It wouldn't do to trigger some HIT now. Who knows how many of them are hidden around here?
”Why didn't it make more than just Claw? Why hasn't it s.p.a.ced us all?”
”There is more than Claw. On other stations,” Aldriena said. ”I think it wants to control the people for now. I don't know ... can any human really understand the AIs?”
”I wonder if he is going to respond to my message,” Sheridan said.
Aldriena's Cascavel received a transmission.
Target acquired. Actuating.