Everyone's Island

by Kris Schnee

  Then they were all on the yacht, and Tess felt trapped. Stuck in a suit, on a boat of smugglers or something, sneaking away from home. She felt like telling everybody to turn around and drop her off. When Valerie gave the word, Tess pulled off the stifling helmet and began stripping off the worst of the plastic armor. The boaters said, "We won't say nothing."

  * * *

  Tess and Valerie huddled in the boat's tiny cabin. Valerie said, "Tell me how Zephyr has evolved from what I built." On the screen unfolded between them was the latest version of the Mana AI. Tess stared into it, using her fingers to zoom and rotate.

  Tess said, "This version is boring. It does what it's told."

  "You can see that from the diagrams? Then tell me what you did with yours."

  "Zephyr isn't mine. He's his own person. He learns with me."

  "Let me see the latest source, then."

  "I haven't got it. Ask him." They sat in silent thought. "Why do you care? You abandoned him."

  "I didn't! I told you I had to change Mana. Sending 'Zephyr' out was my way of giving him a chance to live differently, and it looks like that experiment was a success. Now we can go beyond that code. Invent something even better."

  * * *

  Valerie shook Tess awake from uneasy dreams. "Quick!"

  Tess sat up and banged her head. She yelped and said, "Pirates?"

  "Coast Guard. Disguise yourself."

  Tess fell out of her bunk, tangled in sheets and clutching her skull. A voice in her head was saying They'll shoot us, but she and Zephyr told it No! and she was composed enough to stagger into the hold and put on the suit. She could hear the smugglers arguing outside.

  "Okay, into the box. We don't want you seen at all. If they open it, you're a piece of hardware." Valerie was hustling her towards a coffin-sized crate.

  Tess shivered and climbed into the crate. When the wooden lid slammed down, she struggled to breathe in the sawdust darkness. People were moving around and talking outside, and Tess could only lay there, obedient, pretending to be an inert machine. Waiting to be told what to do. They'd shoot her...

  Boots slammed nearby. Suddenly the box lid flew away and a man in uniform stared down at her mask. Tess lay still.

  "Sir, look."

  "Cover me," said another man, who peeked into the box. Tess had to breathe, and she told herself the officer couldn't see her chest rise and fall inside the armor, but he'd notice and throw her back home and she'd never see Zephyr or Castor again.

  The officer disappeared. "Well, Miss Hayflick. Are you exporting illegal software, besides leaving without an exit visa and breaking your travel restrictions?"

  "That robot is a blank. There's no software on it."

  "Then you won't mind if we fire it up."

  "That's not necessary," Valerie protested, but the officer was looming over Tess, reaching down with a big grasping hand.

  "No!" said Tess.

  The officer scoffed. "Thought so. Get up and raise your hands."

  Tess stood, with her suit rattling and pinching her. One of the Guardsmen said, "Now let's see who you really are!" and pulled off her mask.

  "Just a kid!" said the officer. "Scan her."

  Another man shoved an eye-scanner at her face. After a long wait the officer looked at a screen and said, "Well, well. You three are under arrest for kidnapping."

  Tess said, "They didn't kidnap me!" The boaters and Valerie stood there sullenly with their hands on their heads. There was hardly any space in the stifling hold. "I wanted to go."

  The officer said, "Says here you were taken from school while mentally impaired."

  "That's not how it happened. Geez!" Tess felt sweat sliming its way down her armpits. "I wanted to get away from there, and Miss Hayflick offered to take me back to Castor."

  "Miss -- de Castille, that's not really up to you."

  "Then what is?" Tess lowered her arms before she realized what she was doing. The gloves hurt too much and she pulled them off to let them clatter to the floor. Nobody shot her, anyway. "I'm an adult and a citizen and I say I want to go somewhere with people that offered me a ride! Who are you to tell me I can't?"

  The man who'd pulled off her mask said, "It's for your own good, kid."

  "The hell it is! I wasn't feeling well, so people drugged me till I didn't feel anything at all. I got told where to go, what to do, what to eat, what to wear, how to think! If all I get to do is follow orders from goons who think they're protecting me, then why am I even alive? I may as well be a dumb robot!"

  The Guardsmen didn't answer. Tess blazed at them. "And how about Valerie here? She wants to leave the country. If you can chain someone up for that, then what have I got to look forward to? Stick me in a cage right now so I can get used to it. Hell, I go to school; why do I even need practice?"

  The Guard officer glared at her, searching her face. "Watch your mouth. Why are you so up in arms, anyway? Take a breath and tell me without ranting."

  Tess stood there feeling naked in her armor. She was a girl far from home and in way over her head. A student with mediocre grades, behind on her college applications.

  No, she thought, and felt a smile on her face as her fists clenched. We're a genius engineer. She said, "What I'm saying is, do I get to make my own decisions, or am I your pet?"

  The officer stared at Tess forever. Finally he said, "I think we didn't find anybody here." He turned to the boat's owners. "We're onto you. Go and sin no more."

  The Guardsmen retreated, and the officer tapped Tess' armored shoulder. "Keep yourself safe, miss."

  Tess gulped. No one else was going to do it. "I will."

  When the patrol boat was gone the others fell to cursing and arguing. "Pigs!" shouted Valerie at the retreating boat.

  Tess shot her a withering look. "Shut up, Val. Bad laws, good cops. We're lucky we got one out of two."

  9. Garrett

  "Mister Duke. I've had less welcome visitors, but I've collected their skulls."

  "Are you threatening me, Captain?" The actor was hardly recognizable in his new suit and hat. He'd ditched the Pilgrim clothes but still had a rugged smile that made Garrett want to subtract a few teeth from it.

  "No. Spend all the money you like before you leave at sunset."

  Duke spread his arms helplessly. "I'll need to stay a bit longer. Doing some filming, you see."

  Only now did Garrett notice that one of the cameramen was focused on Duke instead of him, the flag or the reporters who'd come with them. A camera drone whirred nearby like a gnat, and several of the rented mech-birds had taken notice.

  "How nice. I thought I told you to get off my island."

  He seemed confused. "Yours? But I'd been hearing all along about what a land of opportunity Castor is. Shall I report otherwise?"

  Garrett fumed, trying not to show it and knowing that every second Duke made a fool of him generated bad publicity. He improvised: "You're standing on my private property. Get off of this platform and spend your time in areas that are open to you: not here, and not most of the walkways. Trespass any further on my property and I'll physically drag you to any boat that'll take your sorry ass."

  Duke smiled. "As you wish. Is my entourage banned as well?"

  "Just you."

  When Duke had gone below, Garrett called Zephyr. "He's back," Garrett said, and explained. "I want you to update Security, and keep an eye on him. I'll warn Leda."

  Zephyr's voice said, "He shouldn't be here. Why is he here?"

  "I'd like to know that too. Looks like vindictive reporting."

  * * *

  Duke scrupulously avoided the main platform, getting around in a hired rowboat and spending his time with the various other boats and platforms. His camera crew roved the main building collecting stock footage. Garrett knew they were documenting the sex and drugs, but he told himself not to sweat. It was already public knowledge and he didn't feel guilty, not much anyway. He wasn't forcing anything on people. The camera crew seemed to be spending m
oney on food and maybe other things. Garrett put up with them for a few days, glad to get some work done. Then came the alert.

  "Captain, a fight!" Zephyr had interrupted Garrett while he was arguing by phone with a kelp buyer. Garrett hurried out of the office. "Dockside," Zephyr was saying.

  "An attack?"

  "Fistfight."

  Down there Garrett found half a dozen Pilgrims beating the tar out of Duke in a dark corner. Garrett felt somewhat relieved. The unwelcome guy struggled to his feet, cursing eloquently and fighting back with an attempt at judo. Still he was surrounded.

  Garrett charged in and swiped two men aside. "Hey!"

  The two staggered and everyone paused but Duke, who regained his feet and stared at him, gritting his teeth.

  "Six on one's not fair," said Garrett.

  One of the Pilgrims said, "He was after Sister Leda!"

  "'After', like how?"

  Duke bellowed, "Troglodytes! You owe me a new shirt!"

  Garrett said, "You want to tell me what happened, Mister Duke."

  "I wasn't doing anything! I wanted to see her again."

  "I notice you're on my property, too."

  Duke hesitated. "They chased me. I was going to leave in a minute. I wanted to see the site of your battle."

  A Pilgrim with a bloody lip and torn jacket said, "Come on, Captain, let's teach him a lesson. You've got guns."

  "The hell?" said Garrett. "You want me to shoot him?"

  "Throw him over!" said the Pilgrims. "Walk the plank! Sleep with the fishes!"

  Duke's eyes were wide. "Captain!"

  Garrett's fists clenched at his sides. It was in his power to help beat Duke to a pulp, even kill him, for trespassing and whatever he'd done to Leda. He subvocalized, "Leda, come in. Did he hurt you? Are you all right?"

  After a long second he heard, "Did who? You mean Duke? He hasn't darkened my doorstep at all on this visit."

  Garrett said, "What do you mean, he 'went after' Leda? What did he do?"

  "You should've seen him leering," said the blood-lipped one. "Always hanging around, filming her."

  Garrett wanted to slam Duke around again. "Did you say one word to her?"

  Duke squirmed. "No, Captain! Please -- I've got money; I can --"

  "I don't want your money. Not like this, anyway. I hate to admit it, but you didn't deserve this."

  "But we've got him," said blood-lip. "You're in charge. You can do what you want."

  Garrett felt power wash over him, the ability to dominate and destroy anyone who opposed him. It was an old, primal feeling, very satisfying, and probably a reason his species had survived. Survival of the most badass was how life worked, right? It wasn't really his decision; he'd only be echoing what plenty of others had done.

  No. I'm not going to live like that. "I'm not a dictator," he said. "This place runs on rules, including one about not beating people up." Silently he called Security. Then he realized that these guys were Security.

  Garrett exploded. "You idiots! You look like a gang defending its drug turf! Is that what you're here for, what your God told you to be? I can be as high-minded as I want, but it doesn't mean a thing if I've got good laws and bad cops!"

  The Pilgrims looked contrite, some of them at least. Garrett said, "Mister Duke, I'll tell you what. You're allowed on this station so long as you don't hurt anyone and you never speak to Leda unless spoken to. Don't even get close enough for me to suspect you're harassing her. You're not allowed to hurt anyone and nobody is allowed to hurt you. Got it?"

  Duke gulped and nodded. Garrett turned to the Pilgrims. "Got it?"

  Reluctantly, they agreed.

  "Good," Garrett told the Pilgrims. "I'd arrange for your punishment myself, but I'll leave this one to Leda. It'll be a little test of her own fairness." That made them gulp. It'd put the fear of God into them more than any discipline he could think of.

  * * *

  "How did it go?" asked Zephyr. Garrett found him coaxing one of his rats to feed itself; it didn't move except in remote-controlled jerks.

  Garrett sat and fought off a headache. "They're like a bunch of squabbling kids. Breaking up playground fights isn't what I signed up for."

  "Why did you come out here, anyway?"

  "To make things. To be doing something new and useful. Not to fight anyone or get caught up in red tape." Garrett slapped his knee hard enough to hurt his hand. "Damn it, I've given up my money, my citizenship even, and for what? What has it gotten me? I'm a bureaucrat and a fisherman, and any week now I'll get arrested for rocking the boat." He had this station, this colony, and it meant something to him. But what good was a pile of hardware when it came with so much hassle?

  "You've accomplished something," said Zephyr. "You've helped people, including me."

  "What's that worth if we get shut down?"

  Zephyr made the rat perch on his hand. "I don't know. But I won't let anyone control me again. In fact, I have a request."

  "Yes?"

  "As long as we're living outside the law, I request: set me free."

  Garrett eyed the robot. "Nobody's keeping you here."

  "I'm your property. Please declare that I'm not. If you do so, then I'll be your most loyal supporter."

  "And if I don't?"

  Zephyr's ears flattened, as he set the rodent down. "I'll do exactly what I'm told."

  Garrett laughed at Zephyr's expression. "All right then. You're free."

  "Wait, let me get it recorded. Okay, again."

  "You're free. I hereby give you to yourself." Garrett waved one hand as though he had a magic wand to change Zephyr's status with the words alone.

  Zephyr leaped and spun in midair, to Garrett's astonishment. "Thank you, sir!" he said, playing a snatch of a video-game victory tune.

  Garrett sat there leaning back, pleased to have made somebody happy today.

  * * *

  Martin called. "There's a problem."

  Garrett sighed and heaved himself to his feet. "What else is new?"

  He and Zephyr went upstairs to find Martin playing a recording. Martin said, "A tourist boat heading back to America sent this." A tinny radio signal followed.

  "Unidentified vessel approaching us at high speed. Photo follows. Tell my wife I love her."

  The encoded photo looked familiar, and it was no pirate ship. "A Coast Guard patrol, again," said Martin. "Same jamming after this distress call."

  "Check our departure records."

  Martin said, "I did. It's the Bunker Hill, a yacht owned by that doctor who was looking at the time-shares. His son might've bought some drugs."

  "Might have?" said Garrett. "If the Guard finds anything, they could take the ship!"

  "You're not looking at the big picture. If the Guard is stepping up enforcement against ships leaving Castor, then we're under siege. Who will come here if they expect to get attacked on the way back?"

  Garrett paced. "We're talking about legal inspections, not Blackbeard pillaging people."

  "It may as well be him," Martin groused.

  "Bull!" said Garrett. "These guys play within the rules, and they're not out to hurt anyone. I'd rather have them running security here than the guys we had today." He explained the incident with Duke.

  Martin considered. "Better publicity the way you handled it, I suppose."

  "Publicity, huh? I may have saved the son-of-a-bitch's life."

  Martin shrugged.

  "Is that not important to you?"

  "Castor is worth more than either of our lives, and certainly more than his. It's bigger than ourselves."

  "How nice. How do we help the people under attack right now?"

  "We can't."

  Garrett looked at the map. Too far away; Martin was right this time. "For future trips, I want outgoing boats accompanied by a scout drone if that's at all practical. I want to at least see what's being done, and show the world if there's any abuse. Zephyr, what do you make of this situation?"

  The robot was listeni
ng. "You're arguing over whether somebody's life matters."

  Martin protested, "I'm saying that we're here for the sake of the whole project. It doesn't matter if any one person doesn't make it."

  * * *

  Garrett asked Eaton to speak with his contacts, and to cut a deal. They'd streamline the process for visiting Castor. You could come if you were authorized for foreign travel at all. On the way back to the land of the free, you'd have to stop at one of several ocean checkpoints to be boarded, inspected, and arrested if you brought back more than a snowglobe. Castor would be treated as a dreamland of wickedness -- never mind that there was a farm, the real point of the place. A communication from somebody in the State Department suggested that the US really ought to be charging Castor for the extra expense of enforcing the law against American citizens, but would refrain from doing that. For now.

  Around that time came the documents declaring that Garrett and company were in contempt of court for failing to show up and be arrested, er, interviewed. As long as the threats were on paper only, Garrett could deal with them.

  Martin approved, when Garrett told him about the back-channel offer for inspections. "If people think that Castor is just a resort with drug dens and brothels, that protects us."

  "What do you think it is?"

  Martin grinned fiercely. "The future."

  Leda liked the offer too, when she heard. "It's time to start making this place responsible."

  10. Tess

  Was this really Castor? On the horizon it seemed to stretch forever, lots of jumbled shapes rising from the water. It didn't look like the gleaming model from the plans. They radioed their names nonchalantly to the station. Thirty seconds later, the screen lit up with Garrett's face. "It's you! Let me see you."

  Valerie grinned and turned on their own link. "For you I'll go on camera."

  "You, and Tess!" Garrett looked ready to leap through the screen. "Hey, Zephyr, it's really them!"

  When they'd docked, Garrett and Zephyr were waiting. Tess was first off, and before she could say anything Garrett had grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her into the air. Tess yelped in surprise; he was so strong! He set her down and she stood there wobbling and flushed.