Steven Harper - Trickster

"According to Todd, the Collection is almost completely isolated from the rest of the station," Father Kendi continued. "It's on a block that sticks out from the main structure, and the only way to get to it from the station itself is by this corridor. There are several automated checkpoints along the way, when a computer checks your face, your prints, and your identification holo."

"No retina checks?" Gretchen asked.

"Too easy to fake these days," Ben said. "An amateur can get your retina scan from a distance with nothing but a halfway decent camera. Same goes for infra-red heat patterns."

"The Collection," Father Kendi continued, "also has a set of escape pods and two private air locks, but I don't think they'll do us much good-it's damned hard to sneak into an airlock." He paused and took a sip of coffee. "One of the first things we need to learn is what the daily routines are. Ben, I want you and Lucia to set up surveillance on the corridor to do just that. Gretchen, you and Harenn need to find out all you can about the routines of Edsard Roon and the three department heads when they aren't at the Collection. Look at where they live, when they usually arrive at work, any habits they have. We need to figure out how to get our hands on their keys, and any detail, no matter how tiny, might be a help. Lucia, if we lift prints from objects the department heads touch, you can make an artificial thumb that would fool a computer scanner, right?"

"Yes, Father," Lucia said. "The best prints will come from something smooth, like a glass or cup, but I can work with harsher stuff."

Father Kendi nodded. "Good. Ben, what about copying the keys?"

"I've been working on that, and I think I can do it." Ben held up a small silver box the size of a pack of playing cards. "I've been modifying one of the copycats. If I pull this off, all you'll have to do is connect the data port of the key to the data port on this. It'll copy the algorithms and I can make a duplicate key from them."

"How long will the download take?" Father Kendi asked.

"Not long. I'm guessing less than thirty seconds. The trick, like you said, will be getting the keys away from the department heads and then returning each one without anyone noticing."

"That's what I'll be working on," Father Kendi said grimly. "Once we have all the information we can glean, I'll get a plan together. Any questions?"

There were none. As the group rose from the table, Lucia swallowed a final bite of spicy sandwich and Ben put a light hand on her shoulder.

"Let's go play with some toys," he said.

Warmth. Softness. Voices. Whispers. Martina Weaver lay in shifting shadows and semi-darkness. Occasional colors flickered around her and she studied them with great interest. From time to time she felt like she was floating, and then she would be lying on something solid again. It was like trying to enter the Dream but being caught adrift in the moment before it solidified around her.

After what was neither a long nor a short time, the darkness began to brighten. Martina became aware that she was lying on a soft bed with a pillow under her head. The ceiling above her was the color of warm sunshine. A round-cheeked woman with a wide, smiling mouth, and a scattering of freckles on her face was looking down at her. She wore a dark green wimple over her hair and forehead. A high, white collar came all the way up to her chin, and her green robe reached all the way to the floor. Her hands were gloved in green. But for the color of her robe and the gloves, Martina would have thought she was a Catholic nun.

"Greet the Dream, Alpha," the woman said cheerfully. "Good to see you awake."

A dermospray made a familiar thump against Martina's arm and the room settled with startling abruptness. She sat up, fully awake and alert, and glanced at her surroundings. Sunlight poured into a window overlooking a tree-studded valley. Green plants hung about the room and stood in pots on the carpeted floor. A desk and chair sat below the window and a comfortable-looking sofa and chair made a little cluster in one corner. The room also had two sliding doors, both shut, and a wooden wardrobe. Martina shook her head. The last thing she remembered was finishing a series of assignments in the Dream. She had sketched for a while in her room and was thinking about asking if she could have some tea. And then C what? The memories were fuzzy. Had she undressed for bed? She looked down and saw she was wearing unfamiliar yellow pajamas. The silvery slave bands which had first been fitted to her fifteen years ago were still on her wrist and ankle.

"What is this place?" Martina demanded. "How did I get here?"

The woman smiled, making dimples in her plump cheeks. "We rescued you, praise the Dream. You and your compatriot."

"Compatriot?" Martina started to swing her legs around to get off the bed, but the woman put a restraining hand on her shoulder. A lifetime of obedience conditioning took over, and Martina stayed where she was.

"The other Alpha," the woman explained. "I think your oppressors called him Brad."

"I never met him," Martin said. "I heard DrimCom had bought a new Silent, but I didn't-"

"There are no slaves here," the woman interrupted firmly. "No owners, no buying or selling of people. The Silent are chosen, divine, and they can't be bought or sold like simple people."

Martina stared. "Are you saying I'm free?"

"No one owns you," the woman said.

"I can leave?"

The woman smiled her cheerful smile. "Not quite yet. You're just an Alpha, and you aren't strong enough yet."

"What do you mean?" Martina asked. "What's an Alpha? How did I get here? Who are you?"

"Everything in time, dear." The woman patted her arm with a gloved hand. "In the meantime, are you hungry?"

Suddenly Martina was. "Ravenous."

"Then you should eat." The woman tapped a panel on the wall and it slid aside, revealing a legged tray. Delicious smells of meat and gravy filled the room. The woman set the tray across Martina's lap. A generous portion of beef steamed on a plate, surrounded by garden vegetables and a salad accompanied by a small pot of tea. Martina ate quickly-the meat was perfectly done and tender.

"My name is Delta Maura," the woman said. Her voice was low and warm. "I'm your counselor, and I'll help repair the damage that's been done to you."

"Damage?" Martina said with her mouth full.

"The damage done to you while you were a slave." Delta Maura patted Martina's shoulder. "It must have been horrible, dear. No one should have to live through something like that."

Martina set down her fork. "Are you a Child of Irfan? Is this Bellerophon?"

"No, dear. You'll learn more about who we are when it's time. For now, you only need to rest. Enjoy yourself. You have computer access, including games and books. If you need something else, use the computer to send a note to the Personal Needs Adjustor." She patted Martina's hand, and Martina found herself growing annoyed at all the patting. "I have to leave now, but if you want to talk to me, just say so and the computer will let me know."

With that, she left. The door slid shut behind her, and Martina was sure she heard the click of a lock. Martina set the tray aside, got out of bed, and tried to open the door. It had no lock plate, only a slot for a keycard. Martina tried to push the door open. It didn't budge. Martina looked down at her feet. A slave band still encircled her ankle, just as it did her wrist. If she were free, why was she still shackled and kept in a locked room? She felt uneasy, and the meat she had eaten seemed to coagulate in her stomach.

First things first, she decided, and set out to explore the room.

The window turned out to be a holographic display. Tapping it changed the view, and the choices ranged from ocean bottom to forest floor to desert dunes to lunar surface. She set it back on the original valley and opened the wardrobe. The clothes inside-none of them from her room back with DrimCom-consisted of several sets of loose yellow tunics and trousers. Two pairs of yellow slippers were on the floor. A set of yellow gloves hung from a hook. Martina changed out of her pajamas, though she didn't don the gloves. Feeling less vulnerable now that she was dressed, she opened the second door and discovered a well-appointed bathroom complete with toilet, sink, enormous tub, and separate shower. The cabinets contained a variety of toiletries.