Part 5 (1/2)
”That was for a raid. You sure gave us a scare, though! They woke me up and told me about three sentences as I ran over here to be your pilot. It was only a coincidence that the smallest woman in the Third was also your counselor. It wasn't the way I'd planned on meeting you. Still, I was a little proud at how you got so far.”
”Well, I'm glad I did get caught. Now. But would you have taken me where I wanted to go?”
”Uh-huh. As you've guessed, we exist primarily to return to ripes their own personas. If we could give them their bodies as well, we would. But we can't, and even have to steal the ones we do give them. When they wake up, they have an incredible amount of adjusting to go through, as you know firsthand. A few just shut down. Others go nuts. Many, however, make it, and are integrated into society after two to four months. But while they're here, they get pretty much what they want. To a point. That would have included taking you out in the hov.”
We had wandered through most of the hanger, which had modest activity. Mainly vehicle repair. Several were armed and damaged. A thought occurred to me.
”Wait. Two to four months? Doctor Barrett mentioned my being the only one here. Yet you said you had done nearly fifty in three years. By those numbers, there should be four or five here now.” I waited expectantly.
”Sorry, kid. Don't get your hopes up. We never have that many here at any time. Remember, there is a high failure rate,” she sighed heavily. ”It's about one in three. Terrible odds, and an awful risk. That's why we pick the ripes with the best chance to survive but who are in the worst conditions. You filled the bill in the second, easily, but your chances of survival were unknown. I wish I could tell you how frustrating it was when we couldn't find out anything about you. Our society on Earth has evolved to a point that there is a single, world authority. Information access has reached a point that even the Resistance regiments can freely gather what we want. And data webbing techniques date back to the middle of the twenty-first Century, over 600 hundred years ago, so the data is comprehensive.”
I nodded absently, my thoughts elsewhere. ”Yeah. That was Chris' project. I knew he'd pull it off. But I had no idea it would work this well.”
Why I said that, I'll never know. I suppose it was my hormones wreaking havoc on my judgment. Impetuous youth. Maybe a juvenile need to show off. If I was looking to get the spotlight, I was successful.
Susie's jaw dropped and she stared at me. Gawked, more like. ”What did you say? You knew Chris Young? Who are you?”
”I'm n.o.body you'd know, Susie. I'm surprised you even know Chris. Against all regulations ... well, I've said enough. Are you going to be at the interview later?” She nodded. ”Good! I'll need you to hide behind. I'll talk more then. And we can have a little one on one tonight, in our quarters.” And I had decided I would talk. NATech couldn't still exist after 600 years, could they? And if they did, could I still be responsible for my oath of secrecy? I couldn't see how. Still, there was a way to find out, since they were using Chris's webbing scheme, but I would need access to a terminal. Private access. I put the thought aside for the moment.
”So. Getting back to the story. You didn't have any info on me...”
She looked at me a second, then continued. ”Uhhh ... no information. That's right. We didn't have any information on your original persona, not even your name. We did have spotty facts on some of your past ripes. And, of course, we knew a great deal about your last ripe.”
”Is there any chance I could find out what, or who, I was?” I'm not sure I wanted to know, but I did want to have the option. I think.
Susie shook her head decisively. ”Not from us, you won't. We view all ripings as abominations, no matter what the circ.u.mstances. Once we've rescued the original persona, our research data and trolling routines are wiped, and the researcher gives a vow to never disclose any details.”
”And since you were my researcher, that's all been wiped?” She nodded. I looked down and scuffed my feet against the rock floor. ”Well, don't worry. I was just curious. But I'm glad I can't find out.” And I meant it. I did feel relieved. ”Getting my head on straight is hard enough without gumming up the works with useless information.”
She smiled approvingly. ”That's the spirit! I should tell you, though, the time will come when you'll feel an overwhelming need to find out about your past. I know because we've encountered it with nearly every Cue we maintain contact with. Most Cues never reach the level of training needed to do that kind of digging. And access at those levels is grueling. No offense intended; almost no-one reaches that level. So the feeling to know past ripes fades in time. Usually for good.
”But I'm getting an idea that you're the exception. I guess I'm not surprised. You've been the exception all along. You probably could find out. So let me give you a friendly warning: Don't. I'm not betraying any secrets when I say this, and I say it with the hope of killing curiosity, not arousing it. Your past ripes, what we could find of them, were dirty, horrible, and, quite frankly, scary.” She held herself and, despite the warmth pouring through the huge cavern opening we were now standing in front of, she s.h.i.+vered. ”Normally, the worst are the hardest to find, so I'm more terrified of what we didn't find than of what we did.” She looked off. Maybe it was a cold sunlight out there, because I s.h.i.+vered, too.
There didn't seem to be a whole lot to say to that, so I kept quiet. We stood there together for a while, thinking our own thoughts. The cave entrance had a type of holographic force field across the entire entrance. I don't know how it appeared from the outside-probably native rock with plant life if the imaging system was sophisticated enough-but from the inside it seemed as if I were looking through murky water with a sc.u.m of oil on the surface. I couldn't make out details at all, but if I viewed the outside as an entire scene, I was given the impression of a forested mountain. Yet as soon as I looked at one specific area, the image seemed to swirl away, leaving a confusing mix of colors and light. It was somehow mesmerizing.
”Lost in thought, ladies?” A warm male voice spoke behind us, so soothing and pleasant that even the unexpected interruption didn't startle us. We turned, and I saw Lt. Sanchez-the officer who had so capably kept me from hurting myself or others the previous night-approaching us.
”Lieutenant! Sir!” Susie came to attention and saluted.
Lt. Sanchez returned the salute. ”Oh, knock it off, Susan. You're on special duty. Don't give our guest the wrong idea. She might think you people really follow my orders.” He turned his gaze to me. I felt almost like hiding behind Susie. I even took a step back and toward her. He was enormous. His legs looked like the size of trees, and his arms made a forest. His mahogany complexion was warm and friendly. But his eyes exuded confidence and authority, and perhaps a little sadness. He smiled, and his white teeth showed from underneath his handsomely groomed mustache.
”Please. Don't be shy on my account, young lady. You didn't act too shy last night.”
”Last night I was ready to kill you.”
”Yes. Well, not all our plans turn out. It's all for the better, I believe. Unplanned events are the spice of
life. Oh, step up, girl! I think anyone who's capable of getting as far as you did last night can stand up to
a little bit of guilt. Front and center!”
His voice was very compelling, but without malice. Years of military training woke up, and I stepped up beside Susie, coming to attention. He nodded, as if having discovered something of interest.
”At ease, miss. You've served, haven't you?”
”Yes, sir. Recon, Company A, 138th Regiment, Second Armored.”
”Rank?”
”Corporal, sir!” I responded. Not wanting to make it awkward for him, I decided to hedge my rank. My
high voice made my replies sound comical.
”Duties?” I remained silent. He spoke again, a little firmer. ”Duties?”
Again, I remained silent, the flashback slowly fading, and common sense rea.s.serting itself. Still, it had
felt nice, like for a moment I had belonged. I relaxed.
”They were varied and ... cla.s.sified, Lieutenant.”
”I see. And you will not give me details, Corporal? Not even after six centuries?”
”No, sir. Not yet. I'm not sure of the situation, sir. Perhaps after awhile.”
”And if I ordered you?” he asked quietly.
It was my turn to smile. ”Order? Well, I'll obey your orders in the here and now, Lieutenant. But first,
those duties were cla.s.sified, so I could respond only on a need to know basis. Second, they were in a different military. And, I'm sorry, sir, but third, corporal was not the military rank I mustered out with. I held a commission. The actual rank I held was ... well,” my smile spread wider with the delicious thought, ”would you take orders from me?”
He laughed. ”No, I wouldn't. You're doing well, young lady! Take a look at Susan.” She was again looking at me like she'd been stunned. ”Our Cue counselors like to think they've got you people all figured out. Sometimes I think that when looking into your memories and finding everything they can about you, they forget that you've lived those memories. It helps to shake them up now and then.”
”Yes, sir. Ummm, I'm sorry for the trouble I caused last night.” And for a little while ago, but last night was serious.
He waved it off. ”Don't apologize. I wasn't looking for an apology. I was looking for you. ” He tapped me on the chest. ”You showed ingenuity and guts last night.” Yeah, it was real clever of me, fainting to throw everyone off their guard. ”I've always told my dogs to stay alert, and they think they are. Yet a teenager rouses herself from Healer's Sleep, roams freely in the halls, arms herself with a gun from Dusty's room, and comes within a pa.s.sword of stealing a hov and pilot. You're getting a bit of a name for yourself.” I wonder what kind of name I'd have when my tantrum in the bathroom became common knowledge. Of course, since all Cues went through the same right of pa.s.sage, perhaps it wouldn't be too bad.
”Raul, let's not go over...” Susan started, but was cut short.