Building Harlequin’s Moon

by Larry Niven

  “You don’t know?” Gabriel asked.

  “I flew back up with Paul and two others. I’ve been up here just over a day. Anyway, the Moon Born reaction is even more important than Jacob dying. Andrew jumped Star and stole her belt weapon, then he used it to stun Ben, who was unloading the latest crate of weapons we sent down.” Ali handed Gabriel a flask of liquid. “Andrew led an ambush on three people at the landing field. They must have completely surprised Star. He’s using her as a hostage.”

  Gabriel drank. The vegetable broth rapidly cleared his head. Star a hostage? “Is she okay?”

  “So far.”

  “Why were we shipping weapons to Selene?” He handed Ali the flask, and leaned on her, taking a tentative step. A little pain. Not bad. They worked their way toward the door.

  “Because of the bad production stats, because they’re starting the antimatter generator project, and they want to protect it.”

  “I was afraid of that.” Gabriel’s office was a long ways from Medical. “Ali—keep walking, I’m with you. I need more data—I’m calling Astronaut.”

  Ali nodded as if that was the most normal thing in the world. “Yes. Astronaut called me when it sent the emergency wake-up code to you.”

  The last time he’d spent whole days with Ali was a few years ago, and then she had hated everything to do with Astronaut. Maybe too many years . . . maybe before Council Aerie. He was even more surprised when he found himself jacked into a three-way conversation with Ali and Astronaut. Ali spoke with Astronaut casually, as if it was something she did every day.

  They reached Gabriel’s office in time to see Andrew, real-time minus six seconds, take possession of the warehouse that held the materials nano. He had at least ten people with him, all armed. From this vantage they were dots swarming over the square, flat roof. Gabriel zoomed on several faces. Andrew’s eyes were cool, his mouth drawn in a thin line. Star crouched on the roof, tied. She had a calculating look: she was waiting for an opening.

  Gabriel closed his eyes. This was a disaster.

  “Astronaut? How’s Rachel?” he asked. “Where is Rachel?”

  “Ask her yourself.”

  Of course. Why hadn’t he just done it? He sank into a chair, cursing his weakness. His thinking was still fuzzy. Emergency wake-up stimulants didn’t do the same healing job as normal warming. “Rachel?”

  The reply that came back was edgy and tired. “Gabriel? You’re warm? Is that you? Can you help us, please?”

  “Are you okay?’

  “Of course not.”

  Gabriel frowned. “Where are you?”

  Her voice broke with exhaustion. “I have us, maybe fifty of us, walking away from Clarke Base. East, toward Aldrin. No one has told us what to do, and this seems best. The Council here are trigger-happy. They killed my brother. Someone has to stop it. I can’t. I don’t know how. Can you come down?”

  “Not right away. I just warmed; I can’t fly yet.” He started searching where he thought she was, trying to bring up an image on the wall in front of him. “Liren is on her way down.”

  “Liren! Just what we need. When?”

  “Soon. Rachel—stay away from her.”

  Ali broke into the conversation. “Dylan’s with Andrew.”

  Gabriel groaned. He hadn’t seen that coming. He looked at Ali, shaking his head. “Rachel—stay there. You can’t do any good being near Andrew, and it will be dangerous to be around him.” He couldn’t seem to get Rachel on screen at all. “Where are you? I can’t find you.”

  “East of Clarke Base,” Rachel repeated, and when Gabriel panned backward, right over where he had been looking a moment before, he could see Rachel and what must be almost seventy Moon Born, mostly women and children, a few men. At least three were shorter and squatter than the tall gangly Moon Born: Earth Born were with them. How had he missed a crowd this big?

  “Don’t go near Andrew,” Gabriel repeated. “I’ll see what I can do from up here. I’ll be down as soon as I can.” She was in danger. Every Moon Born on Clarke Base was in danger. “Keep your people away from the base, with you. Encourage more to come. But don’t go too far. Liren should not believe you are running away.”

  “Normal wrist communications are cut off,” Rachel said, “I can’t encourage anyone else except by word of mouth. You and I can talk because of the earbud. Look . . . stay available, can you?” She cut off the transmission.

  Gabriel looked at Ali. “She didn’t say she wouldn’t go.”

  Ali shook her head. “You don’t know her very well anymore. She’s—she’s very strong.”

  What was he missing? Ali talking to Astronaut like an old friend, Ali talking about Rachel as a hero? Surely he’d gone to sleep in a different world. He looked at the wall image again. Rachel and the Moon Born were still on it, and Rachel was holding Beth’s shoulders, saying something softly to her. There was too much local noise and buzz of conversation from the surrounding crowd for Gabriel to hear what Rachel was saying, but it looked serious.

  He replied to Ali. “I know some of the Children have been making a lot of her for a long time. I also know she’s very capable. Why the heck do you think I put her in charge of classes?”

  Ali tugged on her braid, her expression strangely guarded. “She’s a natural leader.”

  “Better use the time between now and when I can fly to catch up. Ali—can you monitor four current data windows?” He scrubbed at his face with his hands. “Keep one on Andrew and one on Rachel and her group. Then I want one on Refuge, and one on Council housing in Clarke Base. I’ll start running stats,” he said. “I need some historical images. Who can help from here? I need Astronaut, but I’ll want some communications techs too. I need to figure out how the Moon Born got so much knowledge. And what happened since I went to sleep.” The rush of adrenaline and worry made him dizzy.

  He directed Astronaut to call for communications experts. Two minutes later, it returned a disturbingly short list—one volunteer who wasn’t otherwise commanded to be someplace else; Rachel’s mother. What kind of random factors would that throw in? What did Kristin think of Rachel? Why did she volunteer? A memory—Rachel had said something once, just before he sent her down. He didn’t recall that it was flattering to Kristin.

  Still, he needed the expertise. He sent for Kristin, and started a series of stretches intended to clear his head. While he stretched, he recited to Astronaut, listing the data he expected to need.

  Fifteen minutes passed. Moon Born patrolled the warehouse roof. Council gathered. Rachel kept talking to Beth. Ali paced. The stretching helped—some.

  Ali interrupted him: “Gabriel, how did Andrew know where to go?”

  He looked. She expanded the data window, between them—it was full video. The picture wavered, painting an image of Selene on Ali’s face as she stepped through to get to his side, so they both had the same viewing angle. Andrew and his group were on top of the one building that housed raw materials nano. It was the only place on Selene except the planting field where they used nano. Andrew should barely know that building existed, much less that it mattered.

  Gabriel looked closer, tapping his wrist on the chair arm in frustration. It was a good defensive position. If the building doors were locked, as they probably were, then Council couldn’t get onto the roof through the building. Gabriel made the picture bigger. Guards stood by the two ladders to the roof. So unless Council flew—but flyers would be seen. Wide streets surrounded the warehouse. Council had been concerned about danger from within the building—about the nano they hated, not about humans.

  Ali said, “I just heard Council is going to let them stew. They’ll have to stay on top of the building until Liren gets there.”

  “I won’t be far behind her,” he muttered. He watched Andrew batter down a roof door and send five of his people inside. He glimpsed Star’s rage as she spoke to Andrew. Gabriel shook his head, still shocked at the idea of a Council as hostage. She looked proud, not afraid. Gabriel sighed. Th
at was good.

  “Ali—Astronaut woke me. Does Erika know?”

  “Yes, she messaged me. She said it was the right thing.”

  He breathed a sigh of relief.

  Kristin rushed into Gabriel’s office, not bothering to announce herself. He studied her, searching for similarities between mother and daughter. She was small, and looked shorter and more fragile than Rachel, but just as beautiful. When she saw him looking at her, her smile dropped, covered by a business veneer, and she said, “Reporting for duty.”

  Ali spoke before he could. “Your daughter’s on Selene. Her dad just died. Her brother died two days ago. Her lover is about to die, and so is her oldest enemy. Your job is to help Gabriel and me understand what happened to make things this bad. You’re to look at data flows across the last few days on Selene and analyze the patterns.”

  Gabriel interrupted, “Do you know these people? Do you know who Andrew is?”

  Kristin nodded, her eyes wide. “Of course I do. I watch Selene, like everyone.”

  “Andrew is in a good strategic situation. I need to know how he got there. He knows things he shouldn’t. How does he know?”

  “I’ll look.”

  Ali looked daggers at her. “Rachel is a great kid. Actually, woman now. She’s a gift.” Ali’s voice was rising. “But you left her on Selene. She told me how cold you were to her here. Do you care about her? Really? Should you be here, helping us?”

  Kristin took a step back, but said, “Rachel’s my daughter. I made mistakes.”

  Ali took a step toward Kristin, narrowing the gap between them again. “She checks for messages from you every day.”

  Gabriel held up a hand for silence. “Calm down, Ali,” he said. “Grilling the woman won’t help Rachel.” There was a real depth of feeling in Ali’s words. As if Kristin had personally betrayed her. She and Rachel had worked together for the last year or so that he was warm, finishing spaces on Refuge. But he hadn’t known Ali cared so much for the younger woman. What else had he missed? He looked at Kristin. “Your daughter, it seems, has charmed almost all of us. See that you help me get data that will help her.”

  “Wait. Frank’s dead?”

  “Right.”

  Kristin nodded for a third time, her mouth and facial expression mirroring a china doll more than a human. But as she chose a corner to work in, Gabriel thought he saw a damp streak on her right cheek. He hoped so. He started a counter running down the few hours until he could leave John Glenn and get to Selene himself. He cursed the well-intended med regulations that kept him from wandering too far from Medical until at least four hours after he warmed. He didn’t have the authority to grant his own clearance while a medical red flag was up.

  CHAPTER 61

  LEAVING SAFETY

  RACHEL WAS IN the middle of two arguments. Beth wanted to go with Rachel. Rachel needed Beth to stay to watch Sarah and to keep the rest of the crowd together, and Vassal was having none of either choice. At the moment, Rachel had her hands on either side of Beth’s face, looking directly into Beth’s tear-stained puffy eyes. “Beth—I’m done arguing. You’re costing me time.”

  Beth’s voice shook. “I don’t care. I have to go. Dad’s there.”

  Rachel finally used a trick she sometimes used to wake herself up in her long nighttime conversations with Astronaut or Vassal. She pulled Beth’s hair, hard.

  Beth yelped.

  “I need your attention,” Rachel said.

  Beth nodded.

  “The longer we argue, the more time we lose. I can stop you from leaving as long as I’m here. I can’t stop you from following if I leave. I’m not letting you near Andrew right now, not even to save Dylan and Harry. Either no one goes, or I go. Do you get it?”

  Beth nodded miserably.

  Vassal droned in Rachel’s ear, silky voiced, weirdly monotone given the message. “You can’t go. What if you get hurt?”

  Rachel ignored the AI. She leaned over and stroked Beth’s hair quickly. “Okay. Sorry I had to do that. I love you. Look, your mom needs you.” Rachel pointed to Gloria, who held the still disconsolate Sarah to her with one arm while balancing Miriam on her other hip. Sarah’s face was streaked with tears and Miriam wiggled in Gloria’s arms, wanting freedom.

  The group was spreading out along a wide path, cornfields waving on one side, a plowed empty field on the other side. Women bent over children, settling them on blankets and scraps of clothing. Rachel smiled at a figure coming up the path. “Look, Beth.” She pointed.

  Kyle. He smiled hugely as he saw Beth and Rachel, and broke into a jog.

  Rachel turned back to Beth. “Okay? So now at least you know Kyle’s safe.”

  Beth gave a small smile, starting to head toward Kyle.

  Rachel pulled her arm, holding her back. “The story for the group is that I’m going for information and that I want them to stay here. If people ask, tell them that. They already expect to spend the night here. Keep them together—they’ll be warmer that way, and you can watch them easier. Have Kyle help you.” What else did she need to tell Beth? “I’ll send any of us I see in Clarke Base here. If Council comes, try and get them to let you all stay here. You followed me. I’m your teacher, and I told you to come here.”

  “I’ll figure it out. I’m not a child anymore. Just bring Dad home safely. And Dylan.”

  Rachel hugged her, hard and fast. “It may not be possible.” She turned and made her way slowly through the small crowd, trying to duck attention. As she neared the edge of the field, old Bruce started pacing her. “Stay here,” she hissed at him.

  Bruce said, “I shouldn’t be here anyway. No Earth Born should be here. I don’t know where we should be. Not with Moon Born, not with Council. I’m going back toward base.”

  Vassal whispered, “Take him. He’ll help you.”

  “I’d rather you took the Children toward Aldrin. Just in case anything really bad happens.”

  Bruce shook his head. “You’re right to camp here, where Council can find you. Going all the way to Aldrin might piss them off.”

  “So stay and keep them safe.” Rachel wanted to go by herself, to be free to talk to Vassal and Treesa and others.

  “Someone has to keep you safe.” Bruce grinned, looking completely sure of himself.

  “Take him,” Vassal insisted.

  “Damn you,” Rachel replied.

  “What?” Bruce said.

  “Sorry—I didn’t mean that. Look, I’m going to try and get to Dylan.”

  “Of course you are.”

  Rachel gave in. She was already fighting Vassal just by going, and Bruce might be useful. “We have to hurry.”

  Bruce rewarded her with a flashy grin, and she stopped to strap on wings.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t fly,” Bruce said. “It might not be safe. Council can shoot farther than you think. There are two-handed rifles that shoot bigger flashpins.”

  “Just what we need,” she said. “See, you’re already being useful. But my wings are from John Glenn. Anyone from here will recognize them. Everyone in Clarke Base knows me. Anyone from the ship will hesitate since the wings are from there.”

  “Mine aren’t.”

  “You’ll be with me.”

  “Maybe that’s the safest place on Selene right now.” Bruce unfolded his wings and shrugged into them.

  Rachel glanced sideways at him as she leaned down to strap on her foot spreads.

  He grinned. “You’re always okay. Right? Council protects you. We protect you. What better place could I be?”

  Rachel sighed, wanting to tell him how wrong he was. “Come on, we need to go.” She finished the last few strap checks and started her ran into flight. Vassal spoke into her ear. “They’re all in, and on, a single warehouse. Council has it surrounded. No one’s hurt.”

  At least it was helping. Ali had been right all along—the damned AI didn’t understand emotions for shit. As long as it kept giving her directions, she’d be nice to it.

  She
launched quickly into flight, glancing behind her to see if Bruce was following. She didn’t plan to slow down for him, but his help might be a good thing. And if he couldn’t keep up, well, that might be just as good.

  CHAPTER 62

  HONORABLE CHOICES

  LIREN STOOD WITH her feet planted, standing in Erika’s way, barring her passage. It was a dangerous thing to do to a ship’s captain, but Liren had to get to Selene. “I am going down there,” she insisted. “That’s our entire project, and I’m going. Our work could be destroyed—all by that crazy boy I wanted to lock up here!”

  Erika’s words were sharp and clipped. “Andrew’s a man now. Yes, he’s dangerous. In fact, you were right. Isn’t that enough for you? You’ve never even been to Selene! I have. The gravity changes alone will cripple you. I may not let you go. Why not let the people in Clarke Base handle it?”

  Liren kept her voice even. “I told them to stand down, to wait until I get there.”

  “See, you don’t need to be on Selene to order people around!” Erika snapped. “I don’t want to lose you.”

  Liren let a few moments of silence go by; signaling she would obey if ordered. Then she whispered, “I got us here. I got us away from Sol. There’s no time. Please don’t stop me. It’s my duty to go to Clarke Base. I know what I’m doing.”

  “That is very damned debatable.”

  “Remember that Council meeting when Captain Hunter and Kyu were trying to take my position?”

  “Yes.” Erika bit the word out, short, clipped. She tugged on her long braid, fingering the captain’s insignia twisted into it.

  “I said I’d go to Selene if I was needed there. Well, I’m needed.”

  “There are enough people in danger down there right now.”

  Liren let silence work for her again.

  Erika pursed her lips, then, finally, smiled wanly. “For the record, I don’t agree with you.”

  “I know.”

  “Go carefully.” Erika was already turning away.

  “Thank you.” Liren whirled and raced down the corridor, heading for the exit bay above the garden sphere.