He climbed to the top of the rocky cul-de-sac and got a better view of the trails leading to his high point. Kinsolving went into shock when he saw Cameron and his robot hunter slowly following his path up the hill. The robot swayed to and fro, as if swinging on a spring. The far end of each deviation from the path caused it to bob and bounce, then it returned, to repeat the procedure on the far side. It checked for spoor, both visual and odorous.
Did it also have sound and motion detectors? Could it hear the frenzied beating of his heart? See the way his chest throbbed under his shirt?
Kinsolving calmed. It was a machine and nothing more. Its senses might be enhanced, more acute than any human’s, but it required constant programming. Without Cameron tending it, the robot hunter was nothing. Nothing but a dumb machine.
The fear remained but it no longer paralyzed him. Kinsolving started to plot how best to eliminate Cameron. The flashes off his bright clothing from the rays of the setting sun turned to blood before they reached Kinsolving. The man vowed that it would be Cameron’s blood, not his own, spilled this day. Hadn’t he already broken the man’s nose?
That might anger Cameron, cause him to make mistakes he wouldn’t normally. Kinsolving could only hope.
Seeing the way Cameron advanced, however, dashed any hope of the predator becoming careless because of rage. Cameron walked slowly along the path paying no attention to his robot hunter. His eyes scaled the heights for any trace of his prey. Once Kinsolving saw the man stop and cock his head, listening hard.
Cameron put his hands on his hips and rocked back, yelling, “There is no need to be tedious about this, Supervisor Kinsolving. Please come out. I bear you no malice for damaging my nose.” Cameron reached up and ran his finger along its straight, hawkish length. “I’ve already gotten it tended to. Come down and let’s talk.”
He appeared foppish, but Kinsolving had seen him kill without remorse. What weapons did Cameron have hidden? Kinsolving almost laughed aloud at his own stupidity. What weapon did Cameron need when he had that robot hunter coursing back and forth?
“Weapon!” Kinsolving exclaimed. He had forgotten the stun rod he’d stolen so long ago. He fumbled about inside his shirt and found the slender rod. Pulling it out and holding it gave him a small thrill of advantage. But he knew next to nothing about such things. What was its range? Glancing down at Cameron, he estimated the distance to be greater than a hundred meters. Kinsolving didn’t want to test the weapon in this fashion.
“Supervisor?” came Cameron’s call. “My robotic friend has your track now. It would have worked quicker except that it had no scent to compare with the trail. Now that it does, it will be able to follow you through even the densest population. Crowds will not shelter you or confuse my robotic friend, Mr. Kinsolving. Make it easy on yourself. Come down and let’s talk.”
From robot hunter’s homing motions, Kinsolving knew that Cameron wasn’t lying. The machine had found his scent and now worked quickly to close distance. Kinsolving scrambled down the far side of the hill, out of breath by the time he reached the bottom. Only open grassy meadows stretched in front. The curvature of the hill on either side offered scant protection.
Or did it? The robot would not attempt to outguess him. It would follow his track exactly, no matter how he dodged. In that might be his salvation.
Taking the rockier side, Kinsolving began working his way around the hill, slowing when he came to the side where Cameron had stood. The man had advanced in the wake of his robot hunter. Something warned Cameron. He pulled out a heavy rod — a weapon Kinsolving didn’t recognize. Cameron started to circle the hill, as if he had some hint of what Kinsolving had done.
Kinsolving could run. Both robot and master would take long minutes to find what he had done. But that gained Kinsolving nothing. Flight only prolonged the inevitable.
He attacked.
Stun rod in hand, he started directly up the slope after the robot hunter. He hoped that Cameron had ranged far enough not to hear his somewhat clumsy assault.
Cameron didn’t; the robot did. The metallic insect swung about its axis, repulsor field whining slightly with the exertion. Thin whips lashed back and forth like obscene antennae. Flat ceramic disks replaced the compound eyes of a true insect, but Kinsolving saw only the similarities and not the differences.
The robot hunter launched itself with the silence of a true predator on the hunt. Fat blue sparks jumped from its whip-antennae as it gained speed over the rough terrain.
Kinsolving stood still, waiting, waiting, waiting. He had one chance to survive. When the robot came within ten meters he lifted the stun rod and pressed the trigger button. A small hum sounded.
The robot hunter surged forward, unaffected. Kinsolving almost panicked and fled. To have done so would have meant his death. He held his ground and repeatedly triggered the stun rod. One antenna exploding from the ray was Kinsolving’s only victory before the robot smashed hard into him, knocking him flat on his back.
He reached up and grabbed at the slippery metal body. No purchase. His hands locked behind the robot’s back. With all the strength he had left, Kinsolving applied the bear hug. He yelped when he received a powerful electric shock. He felt flesh searing, his chest muscles jerking with the current. He dared not stop. He again twisted savagely to dislodge the robot. The robot rolled to one side, its repulsor field whining shrilly. As they rolled down the hill, the robot’s other antenna snapped off.
This boosted Kinsolving’s morale. He applied even more power to his death grip. Rocks tore at his skin, grazed his forehead, cut a portion from one earlobe. He clung to the struggling robot as if his life depended on it — and it did.
Grunting, Kinsolving got his knees under him. With all his strength, he twisted and smashed the robot hunter into a small boulder. The machine’s repulsor field died. Through its casing, he felt the fading of its internal power. Kinsolving tossed the dead robot aside and leaned back to rest. He mopped off some of the blood oozing from a half dozen cuts, then realized he had no time for this.
Cameron still prowled the area. His robot might be deactivated but the human hunter remained at large and as deadly as ever.
Kinsolving bent and fumbled at the releases at the side of the robot hunter to get to its internal computer. He failed. On impulse, he pulled out Director Liu’s identicard and touched it to the lock. The access panel slid open to reveal the robot’s block circuit memory. Kinsolving plucked it free.
If the robot had “memorized” his scent as Cameron had claimed, a new robot would have to be used — and one without the benefit of that sensory imprint. A quick survey of the insides showed that his stun rod had been more effective than he’d thought. Small circuits had overloaded. The robot hunter hadn’t been stopped, but it had been impaired enough for Kinsolving to wrestle it to death.
Kinsolving searched for his stun rod but failed to find it. Rather than waste precious time hunting for it and possibly being found by Cameron, the man started down the path leading from the park.
The city was a trap for him. Nowhere to turn, nowhere to run. But boldness and courage had aided him this far. He had nothing to lose attempting another daring move. Feet pounding hard, he ran from the park. All the way he imagined Cameron’s hand descending to his shoulder to stop him, to pull him around and administer the death blow.
It never came.
He returned to Interstellar Materials’ headquarters. Liu’s identicard still opened doors. With a little luck, he could even find Lark Versalles at the anniversary party.
But what then? Barton Kinsolving had no idea.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Barton Kinsolving smoothed off the dirt from his dress clothing and tried to minimize the wrinkles and tears by tucking what he could in under belts and behind a curiously buttoned jacket. The cuts on his face had to be left untended. He doubted anyone would notice — not yet, at least. When Cameron found his pet robot hunter destroyed, the city wouldn’t be a fit place to be seen
unless every identical entry matched the one in Interstellar Materials’ main computer banks.
Kinsolving fingered Director Liu’s identicard and the other card keys he’d stolen. How much longer would these be useful? One careless moment using them and Kinsolving might call down the entire IM security force.
He entered the lobby and skirted the tight knot of people near the center by hugging the wall. It took twice as long to reach the elevators, but caution rather than speed ruled him now. He hoped that Cameron would scour the city for him. Returning to the heart of IM’s power — and those who had concocted the Stellar Death Plan — would be suicidal.
Kinsolving hoped that Cameron thought along those lines. It was all that gave the man any chance for escape.
The elevator took him directly to the one-hundred-first floor where the party had become an orgy. Kinsolving’s upbringing hadn’t been prudish, but such wanton behavior unnerved him. He had no idea how to act, how to react when confronted with licentiousness.
“Barton darling!” came a familiar voice. With relief, Kinsolving turned to see Lark Versalles hurrying toward him, a man and a woman in tow. “I want you to meet two of my dearest friends. This is Dinky and this gorgeous whiff of nebula dust is Rani du-Long. Rani arrived just after we did but she’s made up for lost time.”
Lark took a long, critical look at Kinsolving. “Whatever have you been doing, darling? You really ought to take your clothes off before doing it, whatever it is.”
“I agree,” said Rani, moving close to Kinsolving. Her fingers slipped through tears in his shirt and stroked over bare flesh. She curled her fingers slightly and began tugging. The ripping of cloth sounded, even over the raucous music and the boisterous laughter from the party goers. “Such a nice … friend you have, Lark.”
“He’s all mine, dear,” Lark said, slipping between them.
“What a pity. We’ve always shared before. Aren’t we friends?” Rani’s hot gaze made Kinsolving increasingly uneasy. He couldn’t tell if her dress had been designed to reveal all that it did or if it had been torn off by some overly amorous suitor.
Seeing the dark-haired woman’s response when she saw his own tattered finery, Kinsolving thought she might enjoy ripping clothes before enjoying other pursuits.
“I’ve got to talk to you, Lark. In private.”
“Oh, all right. But just for a moment. Dinky wants this dance, and I did promise.” Lark looked over her shoulder, reached out and lightly stroked the man’s strong, square chin. Kinsolving noted the laser scalpel scars where cosmetic surgery had been performed to give a weak jawline solidity.
He spun Lark around and said quickly, “We’ve got to leave. I’m in real trouble.”
“Didn’t you find anyone to take your case to Chairman Fremont?” Lark frowned. “What a shame. I’ll see what I can do. There are several junior vice presidents who owe me a favor. I’m sure one might take up your case. And if not, it will be fun trying.”
“No, wait,” he said. “There’s been a change, a discovery.” He licked his lips, not knowing how to phrase this. “I came across some records that people in IM don’t want revealed.”
“So promise not to divulge them. That’s easy.” Lark’s bright blue eyes stared ingenuously at him. Kinsolving had to wonder if she were really this innocent or if it were a pose. He couldn’t tell.
“What I found makes me more valuable dead than alive.”
“Over some silly ore thefts?” Lark sniffed elegantly.
“The records have been altered. There’s no way I can be accused of the rare earth thefts since it doesn’t appear that they ever occurred.”
“No one stole the ore?”
“The records have been changed to show that. The theft happened — and I know who is responsible. But Humbolt can’t be indicted, and he’s done such a good job, neither can I.”
“Then there’s no problem. What is wrong, Barton darling?”
“There’s still the charge of murder. The Lorr agent-captain.”
“Hmm, yes, that is serious, but they wouldn’t turn you over to the aliens. Plead something-or-an-other. Do your sentence in an Earth prison.”
“What would you say if I uncovered a plot by executives in Interstellar Materials to kill entire planets — entire races! — of aliens?”
“What do you mean?”
“The rare earths are being used to manufacture electronic devices that other species use as we do drugs. The difference is that the devices will first addict, then kill.”
“They shouldn’t stray from eng-drugs.” Lark reached into a small sash and drew forth a tiny box. The top popped open and a tiny tube rose. At the bottom of the golden box Kinsolving saw a light purple powder, an engineered drug popular with those able to afford it. “I had this made for my own brain chemistry, but I’m sure it will do you a world of good. Try it, Bart.”
He looked at the box and recoiled slightly. A quick sniff would alter his mood in whatever fashion Lark Versalles thought the most enticing. And it would leave no physical trace, being engineered for its nonaddictive nature. The electronic devices IM — or some at the company — proposed would do far more. Thrills, excitement, habituation, addiction, permanent brain damage, those were the results of their project.
“They mean to kill entire planets of people.”
“Of aliens,” she said. “They’re hardly people. Well, they are but they’re not our kind. You know what I mean.”
“We don’t have time to argue this. I’ve found out about their plan. They don’t dare let me live to tell anyone about it.”
“Who’re ‘they?’” Lark asked.
“I … ” Kinsolving looked across the dance floor at the gyrating men and women. Which of these people were responsible? He couldn’t believe that Humbolt alone conceived their Stellar Death Plan. A hand lightly brushed over the pocket where he had placed Director Liu’s key cards. Liu had to be a part of the Plan, too. He had carried the blank access card.
But who else knew, who else in Interstellar Materials planned on a slaughter vaster than anything in Earth history? He saw the joyous faces, the taut faces, the strained, tense faces. Which of these also contorted in fear and hatred to order the deaths of billions of intelligent alien beings?
“We’ve got to go, Lark. Please, before it’s too late.” Kinsolving felt the noose tightening around him. Cameron had been careless twice. Expecting him to make the same mistake a third time seemed out of the question.
“I promised this dance to Dinky. Then we’ll talk.” Lark spun away, laughing and smiling at her friends. He watched her slip into the circle of Dinky’s arms and glide away, gracefully moving in time with the music.
Kinsolving shifted nervously from foot to foot, wanting to leave, yet needing Lark. He had to get back into orbit to the Nightingale. No other escape opened to him. By the time Cameron finished his cordon, the Gamma Tertius 4 Landing Authority might not allow any vessel to shift from orbit.
“Shall we do it?” came a sultry voice. Kinsolving jumped.
“Shall we do what?” he asked, seeing that Rani duLong had returned.
“Dance,” she said, her eyes challenging him. “Unless you can think of something more interesting.”
“Later,” he said.
“Then we dance.” Rani took him in a surprisingly strong grip and whirled him to the center of the dance floor. Kinsolving had never considered himself a good dancer but with the sinuous grace shown by Rani, anyone looked better.
“Lark speaks well of you. She says that you’re more exciting than anyone she’s met in the past couple years.” Rani rubbed seductively against him. “What are your hidden talents?”
“I keep her amused by my, uh, antics,” Kinsolving said lamely. He almost stopped the dance and begged off when he saw Cameron enter. Pear surged. He held his rampaging emotions in check and whirled Rani into the center of the crowd.
“You’re sweating,” Rani said. “Am I that hot?”
“Yes,” he sa
id. Kinsolving whirled her around and around until the woman threw back her head and let her long midnight black hair sail forth in a wide circle. She laughed, a sound as pure and clean as ringing silver bells.
“You do have your moments,” she said, dark eyes fixed on him. “I’d like to find out more about them — and see if I can’t turn them into hours, or even days.”
“After the dance,” Kinsolving insisted. He kept most of the dancers between him and Cameron. Beside the gaudily dressed man hovered two robot hunters. From the occasional glimpses Kinsolving got, these robot hunters were different from the one he had destroyed in the park. With thicker casings and more heavily armored parts, these might have been war machines reduced in size for use within the city.
Cameron would relish the use of such deadly machines. Kinsolving might have defeated himself by destroying the lesser robot hunter. He had only given Cameron an excuse to use more powerful robots.
“Are you avoiding someone?” Rani asked.
“What if I am?”
“Oh, you men. You’re all alike. I’m an expert at avoiding people I don’t want to meet again. Or at meeting people I do.” She moved slightly out of tempo with the music and slipped across Kinsolving’s body so that he moaned softly in response.
“Now. Who is it you want to avoid? I’ll show you how.”
“The man in the emerald green jacket and pink ruffled shirt.”
“Actually,” she said, “it’s salmon. But I do see him. He has a strange look about him. So cold, in spite of the radiance of his clothing.”
“What’s he doing?”
“How peculiar. He went directly to Lark. She’s leaving with him. She and Dinky. No, Dinky’s staying behind. Odd. I’ve never seen him give up a dance partner so easily.”
Kinsolving swung about and got a quick glimpse of Cameron leaving with Lark. The two robot hunters flanked them. The robot nearest Lark emitted tiny blue sparks from one antenna. The first hint of escape would produce a nasty shock — or even death. Kinsolving couldn’t discount Cameron’s ruthlessness. But why take Lark? Had they somehow connected her with him?
The Stellar Death Plan (Masters of Space Book 1) Page 16
