William Dietrich - Getting back

Her look was wary. "What do you mean?"

"It's not even a regular company, I think."

"You've talked to them?"

"No. But I asked about it and it's not listed in any regular- "

"There's a reason for that."

"What reason?"

"You have to ask them."

"I can't even figure out how to reach them."

"You need a code."

He was puzzled. "But that doesn't make sense for a company trying to attract customers."

"That's not what they're trying to do."

"They don't need customers?"

"Their customers need them."

What the hell did that mean? "Listen, Raven, what do you really know about this outfit?"

"It changes lives, Daniel."

"How?"

She said nothing.

"Please see me," he asked again. "I don't want you to get hurt by signing on with the wrong group."

"I told you I could take care of myself."

"Please. I need to talk with you."

"About what?"

"About…" us, he wanted to say. "About the Outback."

She looked at him gravely, evaluating again. "If you're sure. I thought you didn't like the idea of Australia."

"You told me I didn't know what I liked."

"I tried to make you think. Now you've found me. It's happening as it's supposed to. So I'll talk to you again about it, if you insist. But it's your idea, not mine."

"I've got your address, I could- "

"No." She shook her head decisively. "I'll meet you… I'll meet you at Cordoba Mall. A coffee place, Anthony's. I want to explain the situation so you don't make a mistake. Okay?"

It was something. "Tomorrow at eight?"

"Tomorrow at eight. Bring a sense of adventure."

He half expected her not to show up. Instead she came and was prettier than ever. Raven was wearing a dark dress with a floral print and gold jewelry set off against her black hair, and the dress caressed her in a way to confirm his speculation about her figure. The effect was a quiet elegance completely at odds with the jumpsuit she'd worn for underground exploring. She was like a woman who'd gone from camping to cocktails. She ordered black coffee, declining his invitation for a light dinner or dessert, and eyed him speculatively. She was subdued, as if undecided about something. Him, he supposed. Her smile was completely false.

"Thanks for coming," he said politely.

"You must have made an effort to find me," she observed as the waitress left. "I didn't leave you much to go on. I didn't think you'd want to see me again and I wanted to give you an excuse not to."

"Why didn't you think I would want to see you again?"

"I wasn't at my best in the tunnels. I get moody sometimes. I don't blame people if they're put off by it. It's just the way I am. A loner."

"I wasn't put off. I thought you were interesting. I just wasn't sure you liked me."

She was saved from having to answer immediately by the arrival of their coffee. She spooned some sugar into hers, stirring it thoughtfully, and then looked up at him. "I like you, Daniel," she finally allowed. "But it makes me uncomfortable, frankly, that I like you. I don't like everyone I meet."

"Oh." He was uncertain how to respond to this. "But then I got in trouble at work," he finally continued. "About some of the things I told you about."

She shrugged. If she'd betrayed his confidence she didn't want to admit it.

"It got me thinking," he went on, watching her. "I'm not really happy at my job. They're not happy with me. Maybe I need a break. So I got curious about this Australian thing you mentioned, this Outback Adventure. I've never heard anything about treks like that. I wonder if it's even true. So I tried to find them and couldn't. They're not easy to find."

"I know." She looked at him speculatively. "I mentioned it because I thought you might be interested, but then as we talked I changed my mind. I doubt it's for you."

"But it is for you?"

"Not necessarily. They probably wouldn't pick me, either."

"Pick you?"

She avoided his eyes again, playing with her coffee spoon. "I told you it's not like the usual adventure company. It's limited entry, a privilege. You have to find them, and apply, and then they don't take everyone. It's very exclusive."

"But how do people find them?"

She shrugged. "Through an acquaintance." She was careful not to say "friend," he noticed. "Sometimes people just stumble across it, the ones looking for something. Sometimes the company finds you. It pops up on your screen."

"That's weird, isn't it?"

She took a sip. "Is it? They seem to find the right people to go."

"Outback Adventure is listed as an export company, not a tourism outfit."

She shrugged.

"How do you know they're even legitimate?"

"I've talked with them."

"And?"

"It's exciting, Daniel. Life-changing. They just have to keep a lid on information about the situation in Australia. That secret part adds a thrill."

"But not for me."

She sighed. "That's for you to decide, isn't it? I'm just trying to… not waste your time." Raven glanced out at the mall for a moment, then returned her gaze to him.

"Why wouldn't I fit?"

"Because you're confused. Because you have to be absolutely certain you belong there. It's a very rugged experience. Maybe you're better at adjusting to the city than you think, even if you don't realize it right now. My advice is not to give up on Microcore. It's a good company. They know what they're doing."

"But I'm not adjusted. It's always the sideways view, like we talked about."

She glanced out the cafe again. Did she have some boyfriend waiting out there? Her distraction irritated him. "Then call them up if you want."

"I can't. It's encrypted."

"I know. There's a password. Or words."

"Can I get them?"

She shifted restlessly. "I'm only hesitating because I don't want to mislead you. It's dangerous, difficult."

"Which you can take and I can't."

"I didn't say that."

"Give me the password, Raven."

"I warned you, right?"

"You've done everything but let me judge."

"All right." She conceded the point. "You can log in with 'Erehwon.' " She spelled it.

"What does that mean?"

"It's just code. And the passwords are 'Getting Back.' "

"Getting back? To what, nature?"

"It means whatever you want it to mean, I suppose."

"But why an export company?"

"To deter the casually curious, I think. To discourage mere tourists. After you listen to them it will make more sense."

"What if we looked into it together?"

She took another sip. "I don't think so."

"As friends. We could even go together. Friends."

"I'm not your friend, Daniel. I'm just this strange woman you met who's revealed a potential opportunity and decided it's better for us each to go our own way." She stood abruptly. "Look, this discussion is hard for me but I can't really explain why. Maybe you should just forget it. Forget me. Get on with your life."

"I don't have a life."

"Don't look for it from me."

"I'm looking for something to shake up my life. Maybe this Outback Adventure is it."

"Maybe. But you have to decide without me." Then she walked quickly away.

The code gave him access to a web site with an opening picture of a red-sand desert, dotted with bright green trees. Australia, he assumed. Projected onto his apartment video wall, the scene had a brilliant vividness. Daniel felt like he was standing on a dune, heat on his back. The immediacy was arresting. "Welcome to Outback Adventure," a female voice intoned. "To begin your adventure, please enter the passwords."

Dyson remained puzzled. Why would any company make it an obstacle to hear about its product? Surely that violated some profit commandment. Maybe it was a kind of reverse psychology.

He cleared his throat. "Getting Back." There was a pause and then two tiny figures appeared at the edge of his screen, confirmation that the site had been activated. The two began angling up the dune toward Daniel.