by Larry Niven
Relief and fear and guilt danced inside her, at war with each other. Was she right? She had to be right. Surely she’d be able to see an answer once she got there. She prayed that her forces at Clarke Base would be able to hold the peace until then. Less than an hour. How much could happen in an hour?
Liren gritted her teeth at the memory of a recent conversation with Kyu. Freshly warmed, dressed in deep purples that flouted the uniform rules and accented her high cheekbones and tiny body, Kyu had said, “Your policies themselves caused the standoff. If we were not so harsh, so trigger-happy and afraid, then no one would be dead.”
Kyu was not entirely right, she couldn’t be. Kyu had been cold these last months, didn’t know how things were. Yet guilt gnawed at Liren. Not for Jacob’s death; accidents happened. But for Star’s plight and Andrew’s insubordination, which would lead to more death. Almost inevitably.
It was her responsibility to fix this. Besides, her support on John Glenn was clearly eroding. Erika had almost refused to let her go. This way, she would keep respect, or lose it all, in one event. That was acceptable. The honorable choice.
She was afraid and exhilarated all at once: alive. The captain—Captain Hunter—was on Selene. He had been a supporter up until his last betrayal, almost her best friend, and now he’d surely see that he was wrong and Liren was right. He had to. It was clear. She’d find a way to put it right when she got to Selene. She would.
CHAPTER 63
SUSPICIONS
GABRIEL TRIED TO watch four data windows at once. Ali sat next to him, one hand on his shoulder, looking at the same four windows. Kristin labored at the other end of the table, streams of recent historical data flowing around her. It was hard for Gabriel to see what Kristin was doing, but light flickered and low sounds emanated from the data streams; voices, conversations, slightly sped up. Kristin’s face was slack, her jaw hanging open just a bit, her concentration entirely focused on the work in front of her.
Ali pointed. “Rachel’s left her group,” she said.
Gabriel followed the line of her finger. In the second window, blue and yellow wings flashed over fields, flying back toward Clarke Base. A second pair of wings followed her, falling slightly behind. A man. His stockier shape gave him away as Earth Born.
“Who’s following her?”
“That’s Bruce. I know his wings. Good for him.”
Another reminder that Ali knew people on Selene better than he did. Gabriel grimaced. “She’d better just be going for supplies,” he said.
“Dylan is in the warehouse,” Ali reminded him.
That was answer enough. He looked over at an aerial view of the warehouse. It was a large square, two tall stories, with the top of a freight elevator poking up and a landing pad on top; one doorway from the roof into the building. Storage buildings and manufacturing shops surrounded it, but none were taller. Did he dare hope that Andrew chose this building for its height and not for what it contained? Better not count on it.
Many Council, maybe everyone from the base, stood around the building, watching the corners, leaning against walls, scanning the sky. They appeared to be waiting.
Rachel flew unerringly toward the warehouse. Bruce was losing ground. They passed over the fence, staying low, out of line of sight from everyone Gabriel could see on the ground. How did Rachel know where to go, which routes were safe? He watched them enter the warehouse and manufacturing district, flying low, dipping between buildings.
Ali stood up and brushed her lips across Gabriel’s cheek. She disappeared into the galley off the conference room. Gabriel was surprised that she took that moment to leave. She was thirsty? With Clarke Base almost at war and Rachel flying into it? “Ali—come here. Whatever you’re doing can wait.”
“I’ll be right there,” she said. Glasses clinked, water ran.
On the screen in front of him a Moon Born—a young woman he didn’t recognize—stuck her head out of the elevator door briefly, looking around. Four Moon Born walked the edges, guarding. He recognized Justin, Rachel’s half brother, Jacob’s twin.
Some Council appeared to have a clear line of sight to Justin, but no one fired.
There had to be video inside the warehouse—they used it for manufacturing. “Astronaut? Find me identifiers for cameras inside the warehouse, and a blueprint.”
Ali returned, handing Gabriel a glass of greenish water that smelled like vitamins. He sighed. Why was he so tense with her? “Thank you,” he said, and drank greedily, his body still thirsty despite all the fluids he had taken in.
She smiled briefly. “I want to be down there. We’ve got to be sure you get past the med checks so you can fly.”
Astronaut found three cameras inside the warehouse that would give Gabriel a pretty good field of view. He left the aerial shot of the warehouse up as floating wallpaper, and embedded three interior shots, grainier but passable. Now he could see down hallways. One shot was the raw materials section, another showed a processing room, and a third detailed stacks of finished materials, mostly metals. Two figures moved through the stacks of finished goods, apparently just looking.
Rachel and her follower had ducked over a low fence, still flying, still staying low and moving around the activity, keeping out of sight.
He called her up. “Rachel, do you know where you’re going?”
Rachel’s flight went ragged for an instant. Then she said, “To stop this.”
“How?”
She answered him through the measured breathing of a flier. “I don’t know yet. Dylan is there, and Justin.” Breathe. “I think Harry is probably there too—he left to round up strays.” Breathe. “A long time ago and never came back.”
He hadn’t known about Harry. That made it worse. “Rachel, it’s a dangerous place. Go back to your people. Stay safe.”
“Does everyone want to control me?” Breathe. “I’ll choose my own risks, dammit.” Breathe. Silence.
“Who else is trying to control you?”
“Help, or stop distracting me.” Breathe. Her breath was ragged gulps for air. Dammit. She knew not to out-fly her breath. She must be scared.
Ali had walked to the other side of the room. Her back was to him. Was Ali talking to Rachel? Was that why she’d been in the kitchen?
“Is Ali telling you what Andrew is doing?”
Breathe. “No.” Breathe.
“So who is?” He remembered the data streams that showed Rachel and her group of children not there and then there. Rachel didn’t answer him, but she appeared to be talking to someone.
Kristin tapped Gabriel’s shoulder.
“What? Not now.”
“Just look.” Her voice sounded so much like Rachel’s that Gabriel stood to look. Two data windows hung in the air next to Kristin. One was a path around an empty field, a high-resolution shot that showed the cracks left by rainwater in the muddy path and the tiny movement of leaves in the damp wind. Next to it, a grainy shot showed a large group of people moving up the path. What was she showing him? Kristin spoke a command and the two pictures superimposed on each other, and even though the angles differed, it was the same shot. “Time stamp,” he said reflexively, knowing the answer.
“They match. Exactly.”
So Rachel was being run by someone. Given data. Encouraged to take risks. Someone—capable—was covering for her. Or using her. Gabriel whirled around. Ali’s back was still to him. He took the three steps needed to stand right next to her, and said, very softly, “How are you getting Rachel data?”
She looked at him, wide-eyed. “I am talking to her. I’m trying to reassure her. I’ll stop if you want.” She touched his stomach, lightly, fingers spread wide, a reminder of their friendship.
It was a rational response. It wasn’t just Ah’ anyway, it couldn’t be. She was no communications technician—she couldn’t doctor video like what he’d just seen. Ali was . . . Ali. His friend. She had been his lover, hundreds of nights alone in magic rooms on the ship, surrounded by stars, alo
ne on the surface of Selene when it was new, building and creating. He trusted her. “Dammit,” he said, “there’s no time. What the hell is going on?” And then he thought he knew.
“Astronaut”—he said it out loud—”are you talking to Rachel?”
“Not right now.”
“Yes you are, you have to be.”
“You know I can’t lie to you, Gabriel,” the reply returned in Astronaut’s perfect voice.
“Turn off Rachel’s access to the Library. It’s her only major connection—whoever is talking to her has to be using that link. I want to know who it is, and if they’re leading her into danger.”
“Then you won’t be able to talk to her either,” Ali said, staring at him, a look of intense need on her face.
“I need to find out who’s running her,” Gabriel said. “She won’t go back, and I’m afraid she’s being led right into danger.”
Kristin stepped toward them. “Leave her access on,” Ali said. “Trust her.”
Astronaut’s voice, out loud, ringing in the room, so everyone could hear. “I’ve already complied with Gabriel’s order.”
They looked. Rachel shook her head. She bobbled a little, losing height, then beat her wings hard, staying on course. The camera view was from above; they couldn’t see her face. She slowed down three streets from the action. Bruce caught up to her.
Kristin spoke first. “If you take away her access to information, she’s in more danger than when she has it.”
Ali shot a surprised look at Kristin; approving. She said, “We can’t help from here. We’re still trapped. Let her get the help she needs from the surface.”
“But she’s in danger!” Gabriel said.
“So is everyone down there,” Ali snapped. “Let her act on her own—she will anyway. But give her access to information. That way we’ll have access to her too.”
Kristin looked at him. “Please? That’s my daughter.”
Ali put a hand on the taller woman’s shoulder, smiling.
“Astronaut—restore Rachel’s access.”
That perfect voice again. “Done.”
The close physical proximity of the women made Gabriel feel cornered, hampered by the lack of time to . . . think. There was a lot he didn’t understand happening on his moon. Heck, in this room. What was the right choice? No time. He chose. “Can you also override the communications block on the Moon Born?”
“To do so, I must override Shane’s command,” Astronaut said.
Gabriel licked his lips. “Okay. Do it.”
Ali reached for him and he shook her off. “Give me some room to think. I’m voting for the Moon Born. And us too. If I can. Rachel needs a way to find her people.”
Ali let out a deep breath and smiled at him, her eyes shining. “Thank you.”
Gabriel spoke to the AI. “Thanks, Astronaut. Don’t think you’re done, buddy—I think you have some explaining to do.”
“No,” Ali said, “it’s not Astronaut. We took a copy of Astronaut with us to the surface.”
Ali copied an AI? Ali hated AIs. Gabriel grabbed Ali’s shoulders. What had she been thinking? “Who’s we?”
“Treesa and I.”
Gabriel stopped, dropping his hands. Treesa would have the skills. And she was disaffected, maybe downright crazy. What was Ali mixed up in? There wasn’t time to query her now. Should he stop Rachel? It would be easy: just tell Shane, or anyone, where she was. Ali had suggested he let her go; not intervene. And what was Liren planning? Dammit! He didn’t know enough. An AI! “Plan on explaining when we get out of here. I can get to a ship in twenty minutes.”
Astronaut spoke up. “I’ve reserved one for you.”
Gabriel turned his attention back to the warehouse shots. Star was under guard. A young woman stood over her. The young woman had a gun, but that might not be much advantage. Star was Earth-gravity strong and well trained in combat arts. So many people I care about are in danger.
Astronaut’s voice broke in again. “Flare.”
What was the AI trying to pull now? Not a bad idea, he flashed, make the hostilities go away by introducing a flare. It was . . . perhaps brilliant. Maybe. He couldn’t discount the possibility that it was real. “What class? How much time do we have?”
“Y class Nine. Solar radiation will reach Selene in nine hours.”
That was huge. Everyone in Refuge and off the surface huge. Many flares went elsewhere—the biggest they had recorded was heading straight for Selene? “Don’t you think it’s a little too convenient? Can I trust you? Or are you going to tell me about a quake next?”
“I’ll tell you about a quake if one happens,” Astronaut replied.
Ali stood behind him. “We don’t have a choice.”
Gabriel watched the various windows. Council on Selene clearly heard the warning too. The people around the warehouse were knotting up, talking. They would believe the warning, they were trained to. He didn’t have time to check the data himself, not the raw data, and the new untrustworthy Astronaut could probably doctor anything else.
“Let’s go,” he said. “I’ll have had my four hours by the time we get a ship checked.”
“You’re supposed to get a full medical check,” Ali said.
Gabriel pushed a button on his belt. “I just sent my readings to Medical. They can use those—they don’t need me in person.” He reopened his connection to Rachel. “Rachel, listen to me. Don’t do anything stupid. Don’t go near that warehouse. I’m coming down. Ali and I are on our way.” He hesitated. “Rachel—there’s a flare warning. Why don’t you gather your family and go to Refuge? You have communications back. Thank Astronaut. There’s only nine hours left before the flare.”
No immediate answer. He could hear her breathing.
“Do you hear me?”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do, Gabe.” Breathe. “I’m not turning back.” Breathe. “But yes, get down here. Please.”
Ali shook her head, and they started to close data windows, leaving the ones on Rachel and the warehouse for last.
Kristin spoke up. “Do you need help?”
Gabriel blinked. “No. Yes. Can you stay here and watch? Send me anything of note that you think I might miss on the way down?” Gabriel talked to the air. “Astronaut—facilitate communications between me and Kristen.”
“If needed. I think Kristin can handle it herself. She is good at her job.”
Gabriel looked at Rachel’s mother. “Okay. After the flare, after we make everything safe, then you can catch a ride down. I’m pretty sure Rachel will be happy to see you—if she lives.”
“Maybe,” Kristin said. A terribly vulnerable look flashed briefly across her face. “I don’t think Rachel will want to see me.”
Gabriel and Ali walked together to their respective rooms, gathering clothes for Selene, hurrying as much as Gabriel’s shock-awakened body would let him. His body was still a half beat behind his thought; it took concentration to keep his balance. Wouldn’t do to get stopped now for medical.
They were almost to the hangar bay when Erika stopped them in the hallway. “I see you’ve requisitioned a ship.” A break in her voice brought Gabriel up short. “What can you do down there?”
“I have to go,” he said. “There’s a flare warning—”
“I heard it.”
Gabriel had an idea. “Erika—can I trust you?”
“Wh—?”
“Sorry—dumb question. I need you to do something for me. Check the instruments yourself—double-check Astronaut’s flare warning. Use the raw data. Please?”
“Why? What’s happening?”
Gabriel glanced from Erika to Ali and back again. Whom to trust? No one? Everyone? Once he’d known Erika well enough to tie his life to hers. Now? The last time he’d seen her, they fought. Erika was the captain. When it came down to it, that was what really mattered. He sighed. “Quick version—too many people on Selene know too much. Treesa let an AI loose down there. A copy of Astronaut.”
Gabriel noticed Ali glaring at him. “I don’t know why, but I’m sure High Council didn’t know. I’ll find out more, as soon as I can.”
“What does—”
“So check for me, okay? The flare’s a convenient godsend in a way—it will mean things down there have to wrap up fast. But is it real?”
Ali spoke up. “Astronaut’s right—it can’t lie to you.”
“Are you sure? No one messed with its rule set? Something happened to allow a copy.” Gabriel wouldn’t implicate Ali to Erika until he knew more.
Ali looked at Erika. “We have to get down there—we have to save—whatever we can. Gabriel has more credibility with the Moon Born than anyone else; he flew the Water Bearer.”
“I know. Go. Just try and stay out of danger,” Erika said.
He grabbed her quickly, held her as close to him as he could.
She was stiff in his arms. “You’re always leaving for Selene,” Erika said.
“Just check the data for me. And don’t say anything for a few hours—to anyone. Okay? We don’t need more panic. Liren’s on her way down, and a rogue AI would give her the running fits.” He looked at Ali. “Just wait for more information before you do anything.”
Ali smiled wanly.
He let go of Erika, his hands feeling empty. “I can get clearance from Medical any minute, and I want to be off then.”
“I always get stuck on ships while you go save Selene,” Erika said.
“Well, that’s what you want, isn’t it?” Gabriel smiled at her, and after a beat, a long moment, she smiled back. Then she waved them on. “Be careful.”
After they passed her, he realized Erika had made no promises to keep the rogue AI secret.
CHAPTER 64
THE CHILD
ASTRONAUT PARSED DATA about the flare, maintained a real-time warning system to update all Council and Earth Born, ran fifteen copies of all the real-time data streams from around the warehouse, fed Kristin information directly on a high-priority system, monitored the ship flying Gabriel and Ali to Selene, and the one just about to land, the one carrying Ma Liren. Data sang through Astronaut’s components, a flood, a feast of energy and need.
