Lawrence Watt-Evans: Realms of Light

That was all, and I let the silence run for amoment.

“Why?” I asked, finally.

“I’m not sure I should tell you that,” itsaid.

“Then I’m damn sure I won’t agree to thechange,” I replied.

It fizzed again, which could have meantalmost anything, and then said, “You know that Mis’ Nakada isconcerned about the integrity of the corporate software in use byNakada Enterprises.”

“Yeah,” I said, with a nod. “So?”

“You are aware that Guohan Hsing iscurrently, by the terms of his lifetime entertainment andmaintenance contract, legally incompetent, and a ward of theSeventh Heaven Neurosurgical Corporation. Legalities aside, he isalso in an induced coma and kept comatose but alive by machineryowned and operated by Seventh Heaven.”

It paused, but I didn’t bother sayinganything this time. I just stared at it.

“Removing a properly-contracted ward from theproperty of Seventh Heaven is not legal, except in a very fewexceptional circumstances, none of which appear to apply in thiscase.”

“So?” I said. “Nakada knew that from thestart.”

The floater ignored my objection. “SebastianHsing,” it said, “is employed by the Interstellar ResortsCorporation at the Ginza Casino Hotel. IRC has classed him asessential personnel. While he is still technically a free adult, ifhe chooses to leave his job he will be in breach of contract andsubject to a fine of up to one million credits. He has not chosento leave. Nakada Enterprises is forbidden by city regulations topay his fine, should he choose to leave; to do so would leaveNakada open to lawsuit for employee piracy, and would have seriousextra-legal consequences as well. Nakada could make an offer to buyout his contract, and in fact, such an offer has been made. Theoffer was refused; IRC is not willing to part with SebastianHsing’s services at any reasonable price, and to make an offer anyhigher would surely raise suspicions.”

“Go on,” I said.

“Are you recording?”

“No,” I said, which was a lie, but what thehell.

“I believe that Yoshio Nakada had everyintention of circumventing these obstacles. However, he now hasreason to believe that the corruption of the corporate softwareavailable to him is far more extensive than he had realized when hespoke to you last night.”

Last night? I’d been thinking of it asearlier today. Not relevant; I ignored that and asked, “Whatreason?”

“He is unsure whether he can get Guohan andSebastian Hsing off Epimetheus safely, given the current meansavailable to him,” it said, which did not answer my question.

It shut up, and I stared at it for amoment.

“That’s it?” I said at last.

“That’s it,” it agreed.

“But that’s stupid,” I protested. “Everythinghe’d need is on Epimetheus, not in the Nakada family compound. Allhe has to do is send one message to a trustworthy human onEpimetheus!”

“No,” the floater said.

“Why the bloody hell not?” I demanded.

“Because all supposedly-secure corporatecommunications between Prometheus and Epimetheus have beenaffected. While he has established that there has beeninterference, Mis’ Nakada is unable to determine the nature orextent of the meddling. He attempted to contact Epimetheus afteryou left last night, and discovered that he cannot tell whether heis, in fact, speaking to a human on Epimetheus, or to a digitalsimulation-his usual security tests have been compromised. This wasnot the case when he made his preparations; something has changed.He suspects that when he met with you, his absence from his usualroutines was noted and prompted this action. It now appears thatthe conspiracy that… the conspiracy he is aware of is moreextensive than he thought, and there is literally no one employedby Nakada Enterprises on Epimetheus he feels he can trust with theassignment.”

I felt a creeping uneasiness somewhere in myspine.

“It’s that bad?” I asked.

“I don’t know, Hsing,” the floater said, “butMis’ Nakada thinks it is.”

The thing’s manner had changed. It had gonefrom formal and every centimeter a machine to its more familiarself. I guessed it was because it was back in its familiar groove,no longer stretching its instructions to the limit and telling methings it hadn’t been told to tell me.

“If the conspiracy, or whatever it is, isthat extensive, how do I even know he sent you ?”

“If you agree to continue on his revisedterms, he will meet you in person to verify it.”

“Fine. How the hell does he expect me to stopit?”

“By finding the parties running it, ofcourse.”

I snorted. “Sure, that’s all,” I said.“Finding the people responsible for infiltrating one of the mostpowerful corporations in the galaxy, and exposing them-that’s easy,right? Hell, maybe it is easy, I don’t know. I’ve nevertried it.” I grinned at the floater. “But you know what must bepretty tricky? Staying alive while I do it. That’s got to betough!”

“But Hsing,” it said, “you’re good atthat.”

“Good at what?”

“At staying alive. You’re tough, Hsing-peoplehave tried to kill you, IRC tried to break you, but here youare.”

“Yeah, right,” I said. “The old man’s stayedalive six times as long as I have- he’s the one who’s good atit!” I shook my head. “And besides, if he can’t get ’Chan and myfather off Epimetheus, why should I work for him?”

“For the money?” the floater asked, as Ipaused for breath.

“No, thanks,” I said. “Money’s nice, but so’smaintaining decent odds of living to enjoy it. No family, no deal.That was what we recorded.” I reached up and signaled the privacyseal off; I didn’t see that we had anything more to talk about.“Guess I’ll be buzzing back to Alderstadt,” I said. “Good luck toyour boss.”

“Hsing, wait,” the floater said.

I didn’t answer, I just headed for the doorof the booth.

“Hsing, please ,” it said. “I’m talkingto him now. Could you wait? He may have an offer to make.”

“What can he offer?” I asked, my hand on thedoor.

“Hsing,” the floater said, “he does have anoffer.”

“I don’t care,” I said.

“You will,” it stated flatly.

I hesitated, then turned back.

“All right,” I said. “Boot it up. What’s theoffer?”

“You get an unlimited expense account,” itsaid. “The corporation will pay any fines, bail you out, anything.You investigate the infiltration, conspiracy, whatever it is-onEpimetheus. There has definitely been covert activity there. Andwhile you’re there…”

“I get them out myself,” I finished.

I stared at the machine while I thought itover, stared at the metal that gleamed pink in the booth’s light,and the blue plastic that looked almost as black as the plasticstreets of Trap Under.

“You’ve got a deal,” I said at last.

I’d never seen Epimetheus from space before; whenI’d left I hadn’t bothered to look.

I looked this time, and decided I hadn’tmissed much.

The ship I was in was Grandfather Nakada’sprivate yacht; the old man had personally escorted me aboard tohand over command. It had all the luxuries, including a live pilot,just in case the old man wanted something the software couldn’thandle. The pilot was a redheaded roundeye, tall, with a face Icould live with that wouldn’t win any awards, 100% natural as faras I could tell. When I asked, the ship told me his name was ColbyPerkins.

Wasn’t sure I’d heard it right at first, andsince the man himself wandered in just then I asked, “Your name’sPickens?”

“It’s Perkins,” he told me, blinking thosepale blue eyes of his-strange how many colors eyes can come in, butusually don’t. “Colby Perkins.”