Part 16 (1/2)
Tussig could not see either of the other two techs. He toyed briefly with the idea of running, but his body still felt clumsy. His toes tingled.
Bryce looked at him. ”Better?”
Tussig drank more water. Clean, supplemented, not like the distilled fluid they got from Raja can's processor which usually left the particular source flavor behind even if all the pathogens and toxins were flensed.
From where he sat, Tussig could see the dispenser.
The big wall mounted unit now supported a brand new lockout on its ancient delivery ports, like a crystalline growth on its eroded and cracked face. Tussig never understood why no one had cut off its supply of raw material at the source. He blamed those nameless someones for his buddle's current trouble, since if they had done their job and made sure the dispenser lacked anything with which to make food base, fabric, or pathic treatments, then no one would have been forced to come down here to roust them. But all that happened was a tech-this one, Bryce-had come every few days to put a new seal on it. Rather than solve the problem, he compounded it. Now the buddle not only faced trespa.s.sing charges, but property damage and civil nuisance charges.
”You should've left,” Bryce said. ”Didn't figure you'd stay so d.a.m.n long.” He fixed Tussig with an unhappy stare. ”I said you'd gone-twice. If they don't dismiss me for false reporting, they'll demerit me for being an idiot.”
Tussig kept silent. He looked from Bryce to the dispenser to his unconscious buddle coes and sipped at the clean water.
”What were you going to do,” Bryce asked, ”set up a dom here or something?” He shook his head. ”Bad timing. Nine Rivers doesn't want you anymore. You should've left with the new migration last month.”
Tussig stared at Bryce. ”We-” He coughed. Bryce frowned at him. Tussig drank and tried again. ”We were. We came late.”
Bryce snorted. ”Word's been round for over a year. What did you do, take the scenic route?”
”We-” Tussig looked down. After another swallow of water, he handed the canteen back to Bryce. ”What are you going to do to us?”
”Don't know. We just have to remove you from the site.” Bryce took a drink, then waved the canteen to include the whole factory. ”Port's expanding. All this is going to be leveled and new launch pits dug out. Probably all this will be customs houses, hotels, shops.” He let his arm drop and shook his head. ”Imagine. Hm.”
Tussig tried to envision the changes Bryce suggested, gazing around at the neglect and decay and picturing in his mind new structures and a broad field of blast pits for shuttles and- - and started crying, sudden gulping sobs shaking his frame. Bryce watched him, a dismayed expression on his face, then, awkwardly, put a hand on Tussig's shoulder.
”Hey,” he said.
Tussig calmed down, uncertain why he felt so totally frightened. Bryce's hand felt pleasant on his shoulder, rea.s.suring, almost parental.
”Where you all from?” Bryce asked.
”Millispa,” Tussig said. He sniffed. ”Had a barge once. Lost it.”
”Barge. You were invested, then. Why-”
”Freelance. Never registered.”
”Ah. Unregistered, no insurance. So no barge, no home.”
”We heard about the migration and voted to try. But the Millispa River's near the other side of the world. Long road on foot, begging rides, working freight along the way. Near the Mana.s.sa, we started coming into one separatist towns.h.i.+p after another. Last one didn't seem so bad-Suber's Cove.”
”Heard of it. Reform Returnist, isn't it?”
”Didn't know that when we stopped. We did all right at first, selling Kess's woodcarvings and Pelu's polymer sculpture. Raja can said we should've figured what they were by what they asked for, but we were hungry. Stayed too long. Kess carved one of her eros pieces and the mayor found out. We still had two hundred klicks to Charic. By the time we arrived, the migration was over, they weren't taking any more.”
”So you ended up here.”
”The dispenser still worked,” Tussig said, as if that fact alone excused them and put the blame for their situation on Bryce.
He almost smiled. ”They never shut off outlets like that, just on the chance they might build new on a site. We never figured anybody could Jimmy one of our new seals, though.”
”You never figured on Raja can.”
”Guess not.”
Tussig wiped his nose with the back of his hand and wiped that on his pants. He studied the tattoos on Bryce's head.
”What are those for?” Tussig asked. ”You some kind of renunciate?”
Bryce laughed. ”You're smart for a nid, aren't you? Yeah, I used to be. Gave it up.”
”Why?”
Bryce shook his head. At first, Tussig thought he would not answer. But then he said, ”We were all about balance. Everything you do has to even out in the long run, so the universe can keep a rock steady course on into the future. That's what they taught, anyway. Lot of vacuum. I left when I realized how impossible it was. For me, for anyone. And who's to say the universe wants to be balanced? For all we know...” He glanced at Tussig and looked mildly embarra.s.sed. ”It didn't make sense to me anymore.”
Tussig nodded as if he understood. ”What are you going to do with us?” he asked again.
”Don't know. We were just supposed to evict you.”
”f.u.c.ken nid! Stop!”
From one of the gangways, Raja can sprinted into the alcove. He skidded to a halt when he saw Tussig. Tussig opened his mouth, thinking to warn him, when one of the techs came charging out in Raja can's wake.
The tech collided with Raja can and they tumbled forward, slamming to the ground in a heap. Raja can immediately began twisting and writhing and almost scrambled from the tech's grip. The tech-Tussig could not see which one-clawed at Rajacan's togs. Raja can drew up a leg and snapped it into the tech's sealed helmet. The tech paused, stunned, and Raja can managed to get to his feet.
Bryce stood, reaching for his sidearm. Raja can looked frantic, momentarily frightened.
The dazed tech stood. Tussig saw the rock he held just as he brought his arm up. He bashed Raja can in the side of the head. Raja can collapsed. A few moments later, blood flowed from within his hairline, covering his face.
Tussig screamed.
”d.a.m.n!” Bryce yelled. He stepped forward.
The tech drew a weapon.
”Don't you dare aim that thing at me, Sidge,” Bryce said, pointing at the stunner.
The tech-Sidge-staggered back a couple of steps. Bryce took another step forward and Sidge shot him.
Tussig had never seen anyone hit by a stunner before. Bryce seized up as if about to have a fit, and then flopped to the polycrete, muscles utterly relaxed, consciousness gone.
”s.h.i.+t,” Sidge said. A hand went to the collar and Sidge's helmet retracted.
The woman. Her face was angry, confused. She still seemed rattled by Raja-can's blow. She shook her head and approached Bryce, holding the stunner out as though afraid he would get up. When he did not move, she looked at Tussig. She regarded him narrowly for several seconds, then shrugged and went to Raja-can.
”Are they all dead?” Tussig asked, and immediately felt stupid and afraid.
Sidge looked at the others laid out. ”No,” she said, her voice surprisingly even. ”Just stunned.” She frowned at him. ”You were at the extreme range. Charge wasn't as bad. Not that you know what that means...”
She rolled Raja-can over. His eyes gazed skyward, unseeing.