Part 6 (1/2)

'Trau Bannen,' she said harshly, thrusting a clipboard at him. 'My records show that you've been using more than your allocation of energy. You'll have to cut back. We've only got a limited amount of zyton seven for the reactor, and Earth Central won't sanction the use of any more.'

Bannen s.n.a.t.c.hed the clipboard from her, and watched disbelievingly as the glowing figures scrolled across a tiny screen. 'How can you possibly expect me to run a research programme on the miserly amount of energy you allocate to me?' he yelled. 'It's impossible. I shall take this up with the Base Administrator!'

'Take it up with who you like,' Rabaan spat, her hejab hejab billowing. 'You know the rules. Any energy debt has to be recovered, if not from you then from somebody else. If you can persuade someone else to rea.s.sign their energy to you, fine.' She smiled. 'Although since you have the biggest allocation of anybody, that might be difficult. Otherwise, you're down to half allocation for the next two days.' She looked up at Bannen. Her eyes the only visible part of her face were burning. 'Don't you watch the news? IMC have tripled the price of zyton seven. The other companies can afford it, but Earth Central can't.' billowing. 'You know the rules. Any energy debt has to be recovered, if not from you then from somebody else. If you can persuade someone else to rea.s.sign their energy to you, fine.' She smiled. 'Although since you have the biggest allocation of anybody, that might be difficult. Otherwise, you're down to half allocation for the next two days.' She looked up at Bannen. Her eyes the only visible part of her face were burning. 'Don't you watch the news? IMC have tripled the price of zyton seven. The other companies can afford it, but Earth Central can't.'

The Doctor's left knee was beginning to ache. He recognized that ache. It meant that somebody, somewhere, needed his help. He had a shrewd suspicion who that somebody might be. He had to extricate himself from this scene as soon as he could. 'Pardon me for interrupting such a promising argument,' he said, 'but could you tell me how you collect the energy from the fusion chamber?'

Bannen, still seething, managed to spit through clenched teeth: 'The chamber is lined with photovoltaic cells. They absorb the energy and convert it to electricity.'

'Oh,' the Doctor said, turning away. 'I only ask because the zyton seven hymetusite reaction gives ninety per cent of its energy of fusion up as neutrinos. If you lined the fusion chamber with neutrino detectors, of which there is a surplus sitting in your storerooms waiting for a rainy day, you could increase your power generation capability by a factor of ten.'

With that he was gone, leaving Bannen and Moshe*Rabaan staring after him, open*mouthed.

'Can I have a word?'

'So long as it's a quick one.' Piper slowed to a fast walk. 'I'm late for a meeting with Miles. Can it wait?'

Cheryl screwed her face up in uncertainty.

'I'm not sure. It's about the starsuits. Sam and I reckon there's something funny going on.'

Piper stopped dead. 'Funny peculiar or funny ha*ha?'

'Funny peculiar. One of the starsuit neural nets is acting up. We don't know yet whether it's a bug, a glitch or,' she grimaced, 'some kind of virus. Whatever it is, we need to check all the suits.'

Piper nodded. 'I'll organize a thorough software check straight away. Did you leave the suit hooked up?'

'No, Sam disconnected it.'

'Good. That means we may have isolated the problem before it spreads. Where's Sam now?'

'I guess he must have headed straight down to Moloch Base. He's doing a split s.h.i.+ft half up here with me, half down there. Do you want to talk to him?'

Piper thought for a moment, then shook her head. 'No, not yet. I'll wait till he gets back.' She smiled, and patted Cheryl's arm. 'Don't worry,' she added. 'I'll handle everything.'

'Thanks.' Cheryl headed back down the corridor as Piper opened the door to Miles Engado's office. Miles was sitting on the wrong side of his desk. Across from him, Adjudicator Bishop looked up.

'Ah, Krau O'Rourke,' Bishop said, looking across. 'Just the person I wanted to see.'

Ace awoke to find the Doctor leaning over her. He reached out to touch her temple, and his hand came away red.

'Oh Ace,' he sighed. 'I can't take you anywhere, can I?'

Chapter Five.

Four days. That was the Tewa tradition. Four days of unease before Paula's spirit could rest.

Miles Engado dimmed the lights in his quarters to half strength before crossing to his desk and easing into his seat with a weary sigh. He rested his elbows upon the cool synthetic surface of the desk and cupped his chin in his upturned palms.

Paula.

Paula, Paula, Paula.

What were you thinking? How did you feel? Were you scared? In pain? Did you understand what was happening to you?

Did you think of me as you fell?

Did you still hate me?

Miles moved one hand to touch a heat sensitive area and the surface of the desk became transparent. Lights within the recessed s.p.a.ce played softly across a circle of wood inlaid with stones and festooned with feathers. Miles slid aside a stack of admin schedules, peering into the desk and back into time.

At the beginning of all beginnings our ancestors came up out of the earth until they were living beneath the North Water. The world under North Water was as this one, but dark. Spirits, people and animals lived together; death was unknown.

Miles remembered the beginning of the Tewa story of origin as he had told it to Paula, as his father had told it to him when he was a child. Miles frowned. The words were the same, only this time they did not comfort him as they once had.

'A native American medicine wheel. Genuine, too; the workmans.h.i.+p's beautiful. Did you make it?'

'The wheel has been in my family for seven hundred years,' Miles replied automatically, then turned as he realized he was not alone.

The Doctor took off his hat and held it loosely in one hand. 'I'm sorry to intrude. I did knock, but I imagine you didn't hear me.'

'I was thinking of my of the past.'

'I know. I've brought these for you.' The Doctor reached into his pockets and withdrew a number of articles. 'And Paula, of course.'

As Miles watched in growing surprise, the Doctor laid four different lengths of charcoal and an old leather tobacco pouch on the desk. 'Four days is too long to wait, Miles. Use the charcoal. Draw lines. Break her bowl and let her go.'

'You know of our traditions?' Miles said, amazed.

'I've travelled,' the Doctor said.

Miles's knuckles were white as he gripped the edge of the desk. 'And do you believe?' he whispered.

'Do you?' the Doctor replied, and to that Miles had no answer.

'We argued,' he said eventually, 'and she hid the bowl from me. Her spirit cannot be freed until it is found.'

'Then I will help you,' the Doctor said with authority. 'And in return you might help me.'

'If I can.'

'Release control of the security records to me. Those little prying eyes of yours wander all over the base, don't they? I was rather hoping to find out if one of them has spotted something that I might have missed.'