Charles Sheffield - Dark as Day

The question had not been addressed to Milly Wu, but she said, “Maybe as a protection? Maybe the nodules absorb free gases that shouldn’t be there.”

“I think not. According to these results, the gases are not absorbed by the nodules. They merely induce an instantaneous phase change, from a gaseous to a far denser liquid form. Therefore…” Bat did not complete his sentence. He puffed out his fat cheeks, frowned, and turned to Alex. “Do you know the exact location of the research quarantine facility where Sebastian Birch is being held?”

“I can find out.” A call to Karolus would provide that information, but Alex was pretty sure his uncle would not want his name mentioned.

“Do so. And then I have another request. It is possible that I am overreacting, but I would like you to go to that facility and locate Sebastian Birch.”

“I don’t think they’ll let me in.”

“You underestimate the power of the Ligon name. It commands authority. Once you find Birch, remain with him. Do not permit him to leave your presence, even for a moment.” Bat rose, an imposing presence that filled the room. “I will explain this later, but go at once, and quickly. Do not leave the research complex. I will join you there as soon as possible. Before you leave, tell me: will the link on these pages allow me to contact Bengt Suomi at any time and place?”

“It ought to reach him wherever he is. But it’s the middle of the night.”

“I am not unaware of that fact.”

Milly said to Bat, “It sounds like your meeting with me is off.”

“No. It is, I hope, merely postponed. Go with Alex Ligon, and help him if help is needed. You and I can meet tomorrow — if there is a tomorrow.”

He turned to the communications unit, ignoring the other two as though they had already left.

As they headed away along darkened corridors, Milly said, “What’s this all about?”

“I don’t know.” Which was the exact truth, but Alex felt compelled to add, “Although I have no idea what’s going on, I do know one thing. Magrit Knudsen is way up in the Ganymede power structure, and she was Rustum Battachariya’s boss for over ten years. She says that although he often understates, or refuses to say anything at all, he never exaggerates. I think we ought to hurry.”

Bat made it sound easy. You go along to where Sebastian Birch is being held, and exert your authority to make sure that Birch does nothing out of the ordinary.

Maybe it was easy, when you tipped the inertial mass indicator at over three hundred kilos; but Alex didn’t command that much weight to let him push people around. As they ascended the riser shafts and skimmed along interior slides, he saw Milly’s eyes on him and he read their question: Who is this Alex Ligon, and how is he going to do what even the Great Bat says is beyond his powers?

That was Alex’s question, too. When they had been traveling for twenty minutes he flipped on his wrist unit at emergency interrupt. He tried to call Bat, and for a change the line was open; but it was locked into high-priority mode with another caller. Alex’s ID check indicated that Bat was talking to Bengt Suomi.

It was the time for desperate measures. Alex placed another call. After a pause, in which Milly said “Who?” and Alex answered “Reinforcements,” the tiny screen came alive.

“Alex? What the bloody hell are you playing at?” The growl was muted and tinny, but the glowering face had lost none of its malevolence.

“I don’t know. All I know is, I’m out of my depth.”

“If you’re calling me at this hour because you’re in trouble with some goddamned woman…” The wrist unit must have captured Milly in its viewfinder, because Uncle Karolus went on, “My God, it’s not even the same one. You’re getting to be as bad as Hector.”

“I need help.”

“You need treatment. D’you know what time it is? You’re lucky I’m not a few years younger, or I’d be out trolling for my own trouble in the lower levels. What the devil do you want?”

It was a waste of time explaining the whole thing to Uncle Karolus, and anyway Alex didn’t know the whole thing. He sketched in the minimum, then said, “We’re on the way to the research quarantine facility that’s holding Sebastian Birch. I don’t believe we can march up to the entrance and expect them to do whatever we ask. Can you get us in?”

Karolus yawned, squinted, and said, “Who is she?”

“This is Milly Wu. She’s helping me.”

“Helping you do what?”

Bat only knows. “She’s on our side.”

“Sweet Alonzo. You think that’s an adequate explanation? Either I’m going soft in the head, or you are. I can’t be bothered with position fixes. Where are you now?”

“Level fifty-nine, Sector one-thirty-four. At least forty minutes away from the lab, maybe forty-five.”

“I must be crazier than you.” From the grunting sounds, Karolus was pulling on pants or shoes. “I’ll get you into the place, and that’s all. I’m closer, so I’ll probably beat you to it. But if you arrive first, don’t try to go in. Stay on Level five at the end of the final bend in the Sector corridor. Don’t talk to anybody — including me. I have a call or two of cay own to make.”

Karolus was gone. Milly raised her eyebrows at Alex.

He shrugged. “That was Uncle Karolus. I’m sorry he’s such a wild animal, but he does know how to get things done.”

“No need to apologize. He seems pretty reasonable for a man who’s just been woken up in the middle of the night. My own boss is an ogre. Compared with him, your uncle’s a teddy-bear. Hey. Wouldn’t this be quicker?”

This was a high-speed lift that they were passing. It was intended for cargo only. Before Alex could point out the dangers, Milly had stepped onto it and was whisked upwards out of sight.

He followed, and felt the crushing load of a two-gee acceleration. As his legs buckled and his guts bottomed-out on his pelvis, Alex thought again of Bat’s words: It would seem that all the major actions in your life are entirely dictated by women. There was no way he could make a call while boosting upward, but when the lift tube spat him out on hands and knees on Level 12 — as high as it would go — he tried his wrist unit again.

Still busy. He swore, stood up, and set off along the Sector connector.

“Your uncle did tell you not to call him.” Milly led him by a couple of steps, not a hair out of place.

“I was trying to reach Bat, not Karolus. We need to know what’s going on.”

“Bat doesn’t think so. It’s the Puzzle Network mindset. You’re expected to operate with incomplete information.”

“We certainly have that.” Alex, in the middle of placing another call, slapped at the unit to cut the sequence off halfway. What was he thinking of? He had been all set to talk to Kate. And tell her what?

Milly’s use of the high-gee cargo lift had gained them at least ten minutes. They were on Level 5 and into the final approach to Sector 82 when Alex saw someone hurrying from the other direction.

Karolus greeted them with, “There’d better be a good reason for all this, young Alex. And don’t you utter one word unless I ask you to.” Then he smiled at Milly and said in a quite different tone, “I hope I wasn’t rude when I first saw you. I was half-asleep. Maybe we can meet later on under better circumstances, and start over.”

Milly’s nod to Alex — See? I told you he sounded nice — was at least as irritating as being called young Alex.

They were not heading to Level 4, where the only interior entrance to the research quarantine facility was supposed to be located — all other entrances led in from the raw surface of Ganymede. Instead, Karolus was leading them along a narrowing tunnel. A strong breeze blew in their faces.