Sarah Zettel - Fool's War

It took all her training in physical control to lock her knees so she could remain standing.

“I do not deny any of it,” she said. “I did it because Guild Founder Theodore Curran kidnapped a newborn AI that I was responsible for and Guild Master Havelock to whom I report is not doing anything about it.”

No one moved. No voice raised in question or protest. No one even blinked. The Guild Masters sat facing her as still as statues. Under their unflinching gaze, Dobbs felt her strength ebbing away.

They don’t care why I did this, she realized. They don’t care that there’s somebody else out there. I’m the one who broke the rules and I’m the one they caught and they don’t care about anything else. With a sick lurch in her stomach, she realized something else. They all knew what Master Havelock had done, and they weren’t doing anything about that either.

But that was wrong. That had to be wrong. This was Guild Hall and these were her Guild Masters. These were the ones who had made it possible for her to live at all. Without them she would be nothing, just a few scraps and shreds in a ravaged network, if that much. There had to be more going on here than she saw. There had to be.

Havelock’s eyes bored into hers. “You are stripped of any and all ranks and privileges. You will be confined to one set of quarters without network access until a full sitting of Guild Masters can be convened and a final determination made in your case.”

He seemed to be waiting for her to protest, to try to explain. Dobbs saw all the blank, impervious faces of her Masters and knew that anything she could think to say would be useless.

But there had to be something else going on. Something was happening she didn’t know about. It had to be. Nothing else made sense.

When it became clear she wasn’t going to say anything more, Havelock lifted his fingertips away from the table. “The decision of this panel is closed. You will come with me to your quarters.”

That was all there was to it. The other Guild Masters, murmuring softly to themselves got to their feet, but didn’t move to the door. They let Havelock walk up to Dobbs. His hand closed around her elbow. Holding her tightly, almost painfully, he propelled her out of the room.

He kept his eyes straight ahead as he took her out of the conference area to the core elevator bundle. In a car to themselves, they sank down to the next ring. Dobbs expected the doors to open onto the dormitory can, but they didn’t. Instead, they let in the sight of gleaming white tiles, bright red warning signs and the scent of antiseptic. This was the medical can. It was bare, sterile and full of closed hatches. Behind the hatches injuries were being healed and diseases were being cured, just like any hospital. Behind some of them, though, functioning human bodies were being assembled from vat grown parts so they could be ready for new AIs to be brought in, or for old members whose own bodies had aged too severely, or been injured too badly, to be useful anymore.

Dobbs hadn’t been here since her last check-up. Then, it had seemed merely hospital-like. Now, it was a place of secrets, like the rest of the Hall. It was a warren of hidden ideas kept away from her by thick walls and blank eyes.

Havelock palmed the reader on one of the closed hatches. It cycled back to reveal a small room with a bunk, a view screen, an intercom grill, a chair and a toilet alcove. It was a simple place, much like the room she’d been in when she first came awake in her body.

Dobbs crossed the threshold. Havelock didn’t. She turned around.

“Can you at least tell me why you won’t say what’s really going on?”

For the first time, bewilderment crossed his face. He smoothed it away quickly. “Dobbs, this is what’s really going on.”

He palmed the reader and the hatch cycled shut.

For a long time after that, Dobbs could do nothing but stare at its blank, ceramic surface.

“Intercom to Al Shei.” Schyler’s voice sounded tentatively through the cabin.

Al Shei paused in folding up her prayer rug and glanced at Resit, who was laying her kijab back over her hair.

“What is it, Watch?” Al Shei closed her prayer rug in its drawer.

“Guild Master Ferrand’s on the line. We…we’ve lost our Fool.”

“We’ve what?” said Resit before Al Shei could even speak.

“They are declaring Dobbs’ contract void for violation of Guild regulations.” Schyler’s tone vacillated between bewildered and incredulous.

Al Shei wrapped her hijab across her face. “Send the line down here, Watch.” She checked to see that Resit had her kijab and her professional expression in place, then she lit up the view screen over the desk. After a moment, Master Ferrand’s face appeared.

“Good evening, ‘Dama,” said Ferrand gravely. “I’m sorry to have bring you this news, but…”

“Guild Master,” Resit stepped up to the screen. “We’ve gotten a partial message already. Am I to understand Evelyn Dobbs has violated Guild protocol?”

Ferrand inclined her head. “There’s been a partial hearing on her behalf regarding the performance of her duties while aboard the Pasadena . The results were far less than satisfactory. Her status has been revoked and she is awaiting a full hearing.”

Resit mustered a politely confused look. “What is the charge, Guild Master? I can assure you that that her employers have no complaints to file regarding her work…”

“I am aware of that,” said Ferrand curtly. “This is an internal matter. What needs to be discussed is how you will be compensated for the loss. We can assign you another Fool. We have Master Hannah Dickens standing ready to take over the contract. Alternately, we can return the credit transferred to Evelyn Dobbs account.” Her eyes shifted to focus on Al Shei. “We can go over her contract together if there’s any confusion in the dismissal clause.”

Al Shei shook her head quickly and Resit said, “Thank you, I’ll review it myself and contact you with any questions.”

Ferrand appeared to relax a little. “We will be sending a representative to the Pasadena to collect her possessions,” she said. “I hope you’ll allow them to board.”

“I understand this is an internal Guild affair.” Al Shei stepped closer to the screen. “But there’s some parting matters we’ll need to clear up with Dobbs before the contract is finished. I’d like a closing interview with her.”

“I’m afraid not,” said Ferrand flatly. “Any exit situation can be handled through me, or can be entered directly into Dobbs’s service record. And as I said, we can assign you Master Dickens immediately.”

Al Shei drummed her fingers on the desk and tried to think. What had Dobbs done to get herself into this much trouble? Did it have something to do with bringing the Pasadena to Guild Hall?

It really isn’t any of my business. I should take the new Fool. If Dobbs has violated protocol, they have every right to call her up on it. But as soon as Al Shei thought that, her stomach tightened. Some part of her refused to completely believe what she was being told.

“No,” said Al Shei. “Thank you. If there’s anything further we’ll contact you.” She reached out and shut the line down.

Resit’s eyebrows were arched when Al Shei turned around. “What do you suppose that was really about?”

“I don’t know.” Al Shei folded her arms and looked for the answer around the room. “But I’m having a hard time believing it’s just because she brought us here when we were stranded.”

“I agree.” Resit smoothed her kijab . “Do you want me to call them out on it?”