Version Innocent

by Pete Molina

Chapter 12

  Jeff stood at terminal seven of the zip train station below Denver waiting for Terra Gates to arrive. Her train was scheduled to arrive in about five minutes and Jeff just waited patiently watching the hustling crowds. He had received the call from Just Human a few days earlier about giving a tour of the city to Ms. Gates. Jeff had reluctantly agreed to give the tour, only because she had requested him by name. To be honest, Jeff knew that he had only joined the organization to further his career. He wanted to be a consensus builder, to try to reunite the Newbies with the Primers, but now Jeff was more sure than ever that it wasn't possible. The Primers had become more distrustful of the Newbies after this incident with the Virus and most Newbies wanted little to do with the Primer way of life.

  In the last several days Jeff had been assaulted by conflicting emotions, self-pity, hatred of Sam, hatred of himself. He was still angry at the world, it seemed that events beyond his control were conspiring against him, and from more than one side. He felt like he was at the center of several unmovable forces in his life, each pulling on his strings from a different direction. At least they had been, until Jeff had gotten free of the restoration directorship. The direct pressure from Damon Harding was now gone, but Jeff was sure that it only appeared that way. And why was he going along with Sam, helping him complete what ever it was? That was the strangest thing. Was he doing it out of brotherhood, or more likely out of guilt? Jeff was afraid that his betrayal of Sam had caused Sam to move in the direction of becoming what he was.

  In some measure, Jeff knew, it was continuing to live in this place...the children's city…that was difficult. It reminded him of his past and forever separated him from the Primer society outside. He should have moved and tried to integrate into that other society better, but he hadn't been able to do it. Completely severing one's self from one's culture was never something that could be done easily.

  Just Human was an anomaly in Newbie society. It was full of people, mostly like him that were using it for political purposes, but some Newbies did genuinely believe that the world would be a better place if both Newbies and Primers could live together in an integrated society. Hell...maybe they were right. Jeff didn't know about that, but he did know that building a bridge was becoming harder and harder as their two societies separated. The Primers stayed the same as much as they could, and the Newbies endeavored to be different.

  If it wasn't for the fact that the Newbies were limited in what they could do by means and numbers they would be able to change the world for the better. But change was not something Primers were interested in; they despised it and only accepted it when it was necessary or en vogue but always their society stayed about the same. Stagnant. Just Human wanted to show any Primer that would listen that they were one species, that they could live together and could accomplish so much. It was a naive childlike wish.

  As far as Jeff was concerned, the Martians and all the other space colonies in the solar system were only repeating the mistakes of the past. The only reason they didn't yet have the separation of the two groups was because the colonies weren't facing the population squeeze yet. He had only taken the apointment so he could meet her. She had started acting strangely, according to the news reports over the last few years until she had gone on a half century hiatus. Apparently that had been cut short, and Jeff wondered why. Was she restored because something had happened that had caused the legal hiatus to be ended prematurely, and what sort of event could one foresee that if it occurred, they should be brought back? It was too bad he hadn't know about her restoration before he left. Then he could have gotten some of these answers, but as it was, he hadn't known about it.

  She had been restored for only a few days, and suspiciously Jeff calculated, her restoration must have been begun about the time of the Virus attack. Was the virus responsible for bringing her back? Did she know about it? Jeff didn't know the answers to these questions but he wanted to know. The other thing that was odd was that the media hadn't picked up on her restoration yet. Usually something as unusual as a hiatus cut so short would have brought attention, especially for someone who was in the public eye, but the press seemed to be distracted by the events pertaining to the Virus, and by their never ending Newbie bashing.

  The request was also strange. She is restored and then almost immediately wants to tour the Children's city. Why? She could have toured it any time in the past. And why request him specifically? She could only know about him because of his work as director. Or because he was Sam's crèche brother. Jeff wasn't sure which of these made him more uncomfortable.

  Just then the display in the terminal showed that her train had arrived. Jeff stood in the walkway before it branched in to two sides to give access to both sides of the train. She couldn't get past him without him seeing her. The zip train rose up through the center of the terminal and all the waiting passengers stepped back to allow the disembarking people to pass unhindered. It took a minute for every one to get out of the train, and Jeff didn't see her yet.

  Then he saw a tall woman, with short brown hair emerge dressed in a charcoal pantsuit with silver pinstripes. Jeff had seen that outfit a number of times. It seemed to be her favorite, a trait that marked her as an Primer, even if she was from Mars. Most primers tended to cling to certain things more and more as they went along. She looked around for a moment after she stepped off and then headed for the lift tube. Jeff walked up to her, his companion verifying that she was indeed Terra Gates. As she saw him, he saw the look of recognition; she had a neural implanted companion for sure.

  Terra walked up to him and held out her hand. “Mr. Hughes, I'm Terra Gates.”

  “Ms. Gates, it's a pleasure to meet you, and please call me Jeff,” he replied in a genuinely friendly manor, shaking her hand gently.

  “It's a pleasure to meet you too, Jeff. Please call me Terra, I'm getting really tired of every one calling me Ms. Gates all the time,” Terra returned.

  “Shall we?” Jeff asked and gestured toward the lift tube. She nodded and they walked the few remaining meters to get in the lift tube column. When they reached the main terminal, Terra stopped.

  “My companion, has just reminded me that I need to check in at the visitors office,” Terra said, looking about for it.

  “Yes, I've already taken care of it for you.” Jeff reached in his pocket and pulled out a small plastic chip that could have been easily mistaken for a poker chip. “You'll need to keep this with you at all times that you’re in the city.”

  “What’s it for exactly?” Terra frowned.

  “It's a fog interface device. Your companion should be able to link up to it when necessary and give you control over your local environment,” Jeff explained.

  Terra nodded as if she understood what the device was but not why she would need it.

  “But mostly it's used to make sure you don't get in to trouble while you're here.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked innocently.

  “Well you probably know that the whole city is filled with fog. It covers the entire city up to a radius of fifty miles from the city center and up to an altitude of one mile. In the past there have been some incidents of visitors breaking laws and in a few minor incidents injuring children.”

  Terra looked shocked, and Jeff nodded in agreement with her reaction.

  “I know, it's not pretty to hear, but even today we have to be careful. Anyway without that chip the fog will simply keep you from moving more than five meters in any direction, like a restraining device. The chip tracks your location and keeps tabs on you...also if a child or resident feels threatened by you they can have the fog immobilize you.”

  “That's a pretty elaborate security scheme.” Terra looked at the chip in her hand.

  “I don't particularly like it either, but it has helped in lowering crime rates and in protecting some children from abuse, which does happen occasionally. But don't worry too much, the entire sys
tem is controlled locally and no data is stored for more than a week, unless it's requested by a law enforcement agent with a court order,” Jeff explained.

  Terra noticed that he hadn't said it aloud, but controlled locally also meant controlled by the Newbies. It made sense, especially considering what Terra had seen in the news lately.

  “But it also has some other benefits that make it almost indispensable here,” Jeff added smiling. “So why don't we head on up to the surface.”

  Terra wondered what the benefits might be. He led the way toward lift column that went to the surface. They both walked into the circular fog column perimeter after the previous wave of people disappeared through the hole in the ceiling. After they had been joined by a number of others, they started moving upward too.

  When they reached the surface they walked off the lift tube hole towards the closest part of the square. As some of the people walked away from the tube they stopped moving forward and took a small leap straight up in the air, after a second when normally you'd expect someone to stop and fall back to the ground, they kept going, gaining speed as they went. Terra just stared up at the ascending people who were now starting to move not just upward but away from the zip tube access square.

  “Are they flying?” Terra asked. She'd seen stuff like this on the orbiting colonies, and even on the moon one could don ultra light wings and fly if one had the athletic stamina to support one sixth their Earth weight, but on Earth these things didn't happen.

  “No, not really, it's just the fog again,” Jeff laughed. “There are a lot of Newbie companies that are working on new applications for utility fog. It's a tremendous software problem, how to control so many independent devices to get them to work together to do things like let you fly. That's why you need the chip, your companion you can link to it and request the ability to do certain things, like fog flying. The chip keeps track of your position and a centralized tracking and routing system makes sure two people never collide midair.”

  Terra laughed. It was just like the lift tube, but much bigger. Terra had seen some similar things but never on the scale of a whole city. “What did the government say?” Terra asked curiously, knowing the government’s reluctance to approve such radical new technology.

  “We just told them that it was an improved child safety system and proved it with statistics. After that it was easy,” Jeff replied.

  Terra nodded her approval. She knew that safety for children was still something that could push a lot of political buttons. A child could fall out of a skyscraper and land without a scratch, she thought. It was an appealing safety system. The public at large was still into protecting children; they just didn't care as much for the Newbies that the children eventually became.

  “So where to first, Jeff?”

  “Well,” Jeff said, “It’s about lunch time, I thought we might get a bite at a place I know.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Have your companion interface through the chip to receive directions and then initiate an air transit. I'll make sure that the transit request registers us as traveling together,” Jeff said. Terra asked Plato to interface with the chip and Plato replied that everything was working and he had just downloaded the control software for flying.

  “I'm ready.” Terra braced herself.

  “Just relax,” Jeff suggested. “Sit down as if there were a chair behind you.”

  Terra did and she was pleased to find that the fog supported her as if there were a chair. “What, no superman flying today?” she grinned.

  Jeff sat down next to her. “Not yet, maybe later. This will work well for us. It's like driving a car in three dimensions. If you have your companion command the fog to make the controls and vehicle simulation visible you'll be able to see them. Terra noticed that Jeff did all his interfacing with his companion verbally as Jeff commanded the controls to become visible.

  “Don't you have an implant companion?” She asked.

  “No, I will get one eventually, but I haven't been restored yet,” Jeff replied. As he was speaking a control panel became visible just in front of them. “You won't need controls like this because you do have the neural implant type of companion, but mine is just the old physical box and glasses type so I need some control simulations to interact with.”

  Jeff nudged the controls and they started to move. As they did, the phantom outline of a sleek vehicle appeared around them. “It's just for comfort reasons, some people don't like to pretend they’re in a vehicle without being able to see something. I don't usually travel this way; it's too cumbersome without a neural implant. Sometimes I wish that I had voluntarily dissoluted just so my restored self could have the companion, but it goes against my beliefs.”

  “What about all the kids?” Terra asked. “Are they content not to be able to use the fog?”

  “They don't have to worry about it. A technique has been developed to implant a much smaller version of a companion that can provide the thought interface, but not all the functionality. When they have a physical machine like my companion they can interface with it almost as well as if it were the neural implant type.. .of course they still have to wear glasses or contacts to give them the visuals.”

  “Why don't you have one then?” This was all new to her...clearly the Newbies were working on more advanced technology than most other groups Terra had heard of.

  “It can only be implanted when the child is an infant, I don't know exactly why, though,” Jeff replied. They pulled up away from the ground and started moving briskly over the city. Terra noticed that she didn't feel any wind even though there really wasn't a solid body for the vehicle, just another aspect of the fog simulation she guessed.

  They flew over the city and Terra had Plato call up a display that indicated where they were going that appeared as a green marker floating above a section of the city. Terra pointed at it and asked, “Is that where we're heading?”

  “Yeah, that’s the restaurant,” Jeff replied.

  The air vehicle simulation stopped and began to lower down into the square in front of the restaurant. As they did, they were gently forced to stand up, and by the time they reached the ground, they were standing upright. There were no traces of the controls or of the ghostly air vehicle body.

  “We're here,” Jeff said smiling. “You know I wasn't looking forward to giving this tour, but now that you're here I find that I am actually enjoying myself. It's good to get my mind off the events of the past few weeks.”

  “Glad to be of help,” Terra responded, wondering what he'd think after she asked him about Sam and the Dinner in a few days.

  As they entered the restaurant Terra was surprised at its size. It was huge compared to the ones outside the restoration facility. It looked like it could serve eighty or more. On Mars they had restaurants that were as big because they were businesses that were trying to make money. Earth didn't seem to need those kind of restaurants any more because most of the people who ran them did so because they liked to cook, like Johan, and ran their restaurants more as a hobby. Because a few cooks couldn't serve that many people when they were focused on truly quality cuisine, the restaurants usually sat ten or less.

  It wasn't as much a restaurant as it was a cafe. People would go to a counter and order and then when it was ready take it back to a table to eat. Most of the tables were full of people talking. A large proportion of them had the glasses and hip computer like Jeff. It was indeed a strange sight, to see such a large number of people who hadn't ever been restored. After they walked in the door and Terra observed all this a silent whisper went around the room and everyone turned to look at them.

  Terra wasn't sure if they were looking at her or Jeff. He probably wouldn't have been welcome at all before the virus in a place like this, but now she wondered if even the implication that he had been involved in an attack on the system the Newbies despised would make him look better in their eyes. After a few
seconds she noticed that they were looking at her, not him. They all got looks of recognition on their faces and then returned to their own business. Apparently she'd been approved to eat here, as no one seemed to pay any more attention to her, Martian Primers must be considered differently. She wondered what they'd think if they knew she was here with Just Human.

  “Do they know why we're here?” Asked Terra.

  “Yeah, your visit request lists Just Human as your escort, and that’s public knowledge. Were you expecting hostility?” Jeff said, amused and apparently relieved that they were being allowed to stay.

  “A little. I thought they didn't like the organization and would be against it.”

  “No, they’re not against it. They just think it's a waste of time but a noble effort even if it’s impossible,” Jeff explained leading her up to the counter.

  They both ordered something off the menu. It was interesting the people working behind the counter were really young. They were polite but they certainly didn't try to say anything beyond business.

  They picked up their order at the end of the counter and went to find an empty table. When they sat down, Terra said, “It's strange to see a place like this on Earth. Most restaurants are run by a single chef and are much smaller.”

  Jeff took a sip of his drink. It had a straw and a plastic lid which amused Terra; usually it was crystal goblets and fine wine or tea. “Yeah, but you have to remember that economics in this city are different. We don't have a lot of resident Primers here, hence, almost no Primer money. The restaurants, most of them anyway, are run as for profit businesses, and they pay their workers. That's why most of the workers here are young. They haven't had a chance to make much money yet. They get paid something for their research, but they usually are required to have jobs like this that are less academic and intellectual. It teaches them a lot about life. These kids are about sixteen, or a little older. They won't have to work here for more than a year but it gives them a good exposure to business. They’re responsible for every aspect of the restaurant, and if they turn a profit they get to keep it. It keeps them motivated. Usually they’re a lot more talkative but as you're a outsider, I think they’re just sizing you up.”.

  It made sense, they did similar things on Mars, but maybe to more an extreme that it was here. Business was everything on Mars. The kids grew up learning economics, business cycles, and processes; that was just the way in a corporate government. It was very capitalistic, something one didn't see to much on Earth any more, too much Primer money, as Jeff had mentioned. Not that she was one to talk, she had more money than most Primers...far more.

  “So how do you all make your money?” Terra asked and then took a bite of her vegie sandwich.

  “Business mostly, it's the only way to get a decent return on investment anymore. No Primer bank or company will give you more than a percent or two. At that rate none of us will ever come close to an Primer in terms of net worth, so we make our own investments in our own companies and we don't let Primers invest in them. We're still limited in how much we can get as a return because our city isn't big enough to get much more than three or four percent, but that's something. If we could, I think we'd try to hook up with other children's cities around the world and with the space colonies, but right now the government prevents that. But we will win eventually. It's inevitable,” Jeff said, digging in to his hamburger.

  “That's a pretty good percentage for Earth,” Terra noted. “Mars is bigger and we can work with the colonies. We've been able to return ten to fifteen percent in a good year, but of course most of that profit goes to social programs. That's the problem with a corporate government, they still have to take care of their shareholders. How do you mean inevitable that you'll win?” Terra asked, taking another bite. The veggie sandwich was good.

  “Exponential growth. We're the only ones who have children any more and each of our kids replaces some primer who's dissoluted permanently, and we have two percent better return on investment, so even though we're starting with less, eventually in a few millennia we'll have more. And we also have the technology and an ability to embrace change,” Jeff explained picking up some of his fries and accentuating each point by poking them forward. Then he ate them.

  “That's a long time to wait.” Terra wondered what things would be like in a few thousand years. If the Primers here on Earth and Damon Harding had their way, it would be virtually the same.

  “Not everyone is content to wait,” Jeff admitted, looking a little sad. “There are some of us, and I hate to say it, but it’s a growing number who want to force change. Don't get me wrong. Most are peaceful and just want to force it economically and politically. Then there are the very few who take matters in to their own hands.”

  At such an obvious mention of the virus attack recently and a reference to Sam, Terra felt that even though it wasn't the best time maybe she should say something.

  “About that recent event, I wanted to talk with you about it,” she said in an offhanded way that wouldn't attract attention.

  Jeff smiled weakly. “I guessed that was why you wanted to meet me, that’s why you’re not getting the standard tour. We can talk about it later in a little more privacy.”

  Terra nodded in agreement. At least we will talk about it, she thought. It didn't take them long to finish lunch and Jeff informed her that he would be taking her to the university.

  “After the kids are finished with their secondary education, they go to the university for at least four years. Some of them will then leave and go to work for a company; some leave the city, but many decide to stay at the university and continue to gain knowledge and understanding in any area that interests them. A few will some go on to pursue academics permanently and to expand human knowledge. Of course, anyone can return at any time to the university to continue their education,” he explained as they left the restaurant.

  Once they were outside, Jeff turned to her, “We have a little time before our meeting over at the university, and it’s on the other side of the city. So, if you’re interested in trying the fog-assisted flight, this would be a good time. I'm having my companion send yours the location of the university building we're going to, so you don't get lost.”

  “That'd be great, Jeff. I'd really enjoy trying to fly. Will you join me?”

  “I will, but because I don't have the same neural interface with my companion I'm just going to have my companion follow you, unless of course you do some aerobatics, in which case I'll just wait and watch. My body isn’t as young as yours, and I don't think it could take too much stress.”

  Terra hadn't considered that. She had stopped noticing that Jeff's body was getting old. “Okay, sounds good. How do I start?” She asked.

  “Just tell your companion to interface to the chip and initiate free flight mode. Your companion should be able to set you up with some controls that are easy for you to use,” Jeff assured her. He then spoke softly to his companion and turned back to her, waiting patiently.

  Plato, are you interface to the chip? Terra queried her companion.

  Yes, I am interfaced, I have set up the controls in a standard physical analog mode. Your trajectory can be controlled by pointing your fingers in the direction you wish to go.

  Terra saw several diagrams appear of an animated Terra flying about using her arms.

  Plato continued the instruction. Your speed will be controlled by a direct command to me by giving a number between zero and one-hundred. You may increase speed by commanding “faster” or “slower.” I will provide you with a heads up display that will show a path to your destination, your speed and attitude. In the event that you lose control or command a maneuver that is dangerous or impossible, I will step in and control until you are back to a good attitude. These instructions were provided by the chip interface. Do you understand?

  I think so, Terra replied. It didn't sound too complicated.

>   I am bringing up your displays now, Plato stated. As it was mentioned, displays appeared up in her peripheral vision that showed a small overhead map of the city and her current position as a red dot. It had the destination marked with a green dot. It also showed her current orientation, speed and altitude. In her primary visual field she could see a suggested flight path laid out that started right above her head, went quickly upward and then curved toward her destination.

  “Ready when you are, Jeff.”

  “I'm ready, go ahead,” Jeff replied.

  Terra took a quick look at Jeff, then looked up and crouched slightly. Then she leapt up in to the air with her arms and fingers thrust skyward. Immediately she felt herself rise off the ground. Faster. She commanded and indeed she did move faster. She turned her head and saw Jeff rise in to the air following her path.

  “How's that feel?” She heard Jeff ask through a relay between their companions.

  “Great!” she replied. Faster. She flew upward quickly now, and the flight path was starting to bend. She saw in her displays that she was now forty meters off the ground, but she wanted to go higher. She kept her arms pointed upward curving slightly in the direction of her destination. As she deviated from the established flight path redrew itself to stay current with her position. She decided she was high enough after she reached eighty meters and leveled out to head toward the destination along the revised flight path. After a few seconds she pointed her fingers quickly upward to start a loop. The loop was swift and as she came around she saw Jeff keeping up with her but going straight instead of curving.

  It was a strange sensation. She still felt gravity pulling her downward but she also felt an upward pressure that held her from falling. She did a few more loops in various directions and then came back beside Jeff.

  “This is great. I could do this all day.” Her heart was pumping from the sheer exhilaration of flight.

  “Some do,” she heard Jeff reply.

  Terra grinned. “Wanna race?” she asked.

  Jeff didn't reply but suddenly moved away at a much higher speed, separating them. Faster, Faster 100. She commanded. Immediately she sped up. Jeff was obviously already at top speed. She wouldn't catch up to him like this.

  Plato, is there any way I can go faster than this?

  Not directly no, but if you were to use gravity to boost you and then pull up you should be able to increase your velocity. No sooner had Plato replied than Terra pointed her arms ahead towards the destination but also down at a forty five degree angle. She started to move slightly faster, she could see the speed display indicate that she was moving at 110 now. She leveled out and the speed stayed on for a few seconds. She could see Jeff above her and he was still ahead but she had managed to catch up some.

  This will never work unless we stop this straight line stuff. “Hey Jeff, I'm going low, bet you won't follow me.” She plummeted again closer to the ground.

  Jeff took the bait and plummeted after her. After a few seconds they were low enough that some buildings around them were higher then they were so they had to go around them. This gave Terra the chance she was looking for. As they came up towards to tall buildings that were separated by only about ten feet, they had the option to fly around or over or try to go between. Terra was guessing that Jeff would go around or over but not through.

  Terra pushed her speed to maximum and zigzagged through the opening. She looked to both sides to see which way Jeff had come but she didn't see him. Then she looked forward and saw him drop down in front of her by a few meters.

  “You forget, I've been living here all my life,” Jeff said. It was obvious that he would win now, there were no more significant obstacles to overcome.

  Plato, how can I go faster? She would accept any solution.

  I have checked the files for flight, it seems that in this mode you are at the maximum speed, Plato responded.

  Are there other modes I can use that are faster? She asked.

  The air vehicle mode that you used before with Mr. Hughes can go fifty percent faster because the fog needs to do less work.

  Change me in to a single person air vehicle mode, she commanded.

  I have sent the request. Please assume a sitting position, Plato responded. She sat forward and around her she saw the ghost outline of the vehicle.

  Maximum speed, and minimum distance please. She requested. The vehicle sped up, raising her speed to one hundred fifty. She flew past Jeff.

  “Now that's cheating,” Jeff said transitioning to the air vehicle mode. But it took precious seconds for him to manage it and Terra was already too far ahead.

  “I don't remember there being any rules about how we were going to race.” Terra smiled now.

  “I guess I'll have to remember that you like to make your own rules,” Jeff chuckled.

  “Sometimes it's the only way to get ahead,” she replied flippantly.

  They were almost to the destination point now. Terra saw the landing spot in her heads up display that marked their destination and brought the air vehicle simulation down on it perfectly. Once she had landed, she had Plato disengage the simulation and she stood up and walked out of the way so Jeff could land, which he did a few seconds later.

  He was smiling when he got out. “You know the kids have figured out how to tweak the program for personal flying so that it can go faster than the air vehicle sim. They call it bullet mode. I guess I need to get one of them to show me how, so next time I show some one around, I'll have a secret weapon of my own.”

  Terra smiled at Jeff’s comment then turned and took a look at the building behind them. It had a brass colored metal sign that read “Arlin Department of Theoretical Physics” on a stone wall perched like a monolith in one of the flowerbeds in front of the building.

  “Theoretical Physics? They have a whole building for that?” Terra asked. She hadn’t ever seen theoretical physics broken out from physics in general.

  “Yeah, it’s big here. There have been other theoretical physics departments in the past, but this is the only one we know about today,” Jeff explained.

  “So why here?”

  “I wanted to illustrate something to you about Newbies. I wouldn’t usually put this place on the tour, but I don’t think you’re looking for the normal tour,” Jeff said seriously.

  “Is it that obvious?” she asked. “I thought I had a bit more subtlety than that. I am over two-hundred years old.”

  “It’s obvious to me. I don’t know about anyone else. But in your defense I should say that having just been restored you are acting younger. It’s common. As the director of the restoration division, I’ve seen it thousands of times, the newly restored acting like the young adult they appear to be. I’m sure you’ll be more the person you remember as you get settled in to your new body,” Jeff added.

  Terra detected a hint of longing. She knew about the acting young part of restoration, every one did, but it helped her keep from feeling too much like a kid for him to say so. “Hopefully, by the time I get back to Mars. I’d hate to think that I had lost my edge.”

  “I’m sure you’ll have it by then. Shall we go in? I really want to show you something that they’re working on inside,” Jeff said, motioning her towards the door.

  She started to walk to the entrance and Jeff fell into step beside her. The doors to the building slid open as they approached. They stepped through the threshold into a lobby that had a number of displays showing the great physicists of the past. At the far end of the lobby was a lift tube circle. Jeff led her to it.

  They both walked into the lift circle and began to ascend upward. The tube came to a stop on the second floor, as far as this lift went. They stepped out of the fog column into a bright hallway that was about twenty feet long and ended with a metal door.

  “Let’s go,” Jeff prompted. They both started to walk through the hallway. As they got halfway through, Terra enco
untered a wall of force in front of her.

  She hesitated and tried to pull back a bit only to find that she was completely ensnared. Another fog field!

  Jeff had stopped next to her. He was obviously stuck also.

  At least it’s not just me, Terra thought. She still couldn’t move at all, and she was starting to feel claustrophobic. Despite the fact that she was in a large hallway, this immobilization was becoming a little freaky. Then after what seemed like an hour, but was really only a few minutes, she was released. Jeff started moving again as well.

  “Sorry I didn’t warn you. It’s not a pleasant experience at all, is it? That was a first order security screening,” Jeff explained. Then the door at the end of the hall slid open revealing a second lobby. Jeff led Terra through the doorway which closed behind them, securing them inside.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever been through a screening process like that before, and I can’t say that I’m thrilled about doing it again. Why such high security? I’ve been into national government buildings with less strict measures?” she asked.

  “There are things going on here that aren’t known about in the world at large and we’d like to keep it that way,” Jeff confided. “The security makes sure that we aren’t bugged, and it generates an interference so your companion won’t work while you’re inside, no recording. I didn’t bring you here for any demonstration. I brought you here because it’s the most secure place in the city and we could discuss the matter you wanted to discuss earlier, the reason for your visit, without worrying about eavesdropping.”

  He led her to a room that opened off the lobby. It was a small conference room that no one was using at the moment. “I made arrangements to bring you here. They set up another field to keep us from going go any farther into the building. There really is stuff going on here that the world at large doesn’t know about, but I don’t know much about what that stuff is.”

  “So the tour is over, and its down to business?” Terra asked, with a grin. She had hoped that his friendliness had been genuine, but she could see now that it had been at least partially an act and that the man before her was wrestling his own demons.

  “Please don’t get me wrong, Terra. But if you are who I think you are, then we need to have some kind of discussion now.” He was totally serious, but he managed a half smile.

  He had been through a lot in the last few weeks, Terra knew from scanning the news while she was at the UMG embassy. “I see. And who do you think I am?”

  “The other guest who is supposed to have dinner with my crèche mate Stacy in five days,” Jeff guessed.

  “Sam told me before this version was backed up that if I should ever be restored to look her up. I called her yesterday and she invited me to dinner on the first. Are you supposed to be there too?”

  “Yes, apparently Sam has decided that we are supposed to meet there. I didn’t think that I’d meet you before then, but when you asked for me specifically at Just Human I suspected that having been recently restored, with your restoration beginning the exact day of the Virus attack and your position with the UMG that you were the person to whom Sam owed something.”

  “He said that he would owe me something, but I don’t know what,” Terra admitted. She just wanted answers.

  “I don’t think that he would have told you until after your backup was made. You are safe from the law so long as you didn’t know, but I think that’s going to change soon. If you go to that dinner, you’ll be choosing your side and they will come after you,” Jeff said, disgusted.

  “No, they won’t. They asked me to go. They want me to wear a wire.” She knew that this was a time for honesty. If she ever wanted to know what Sam was up to, Jeff was her best hope. Jeff was silent for a moment considering.

  “Who was it that approached you? Agent Dawson?”

  “Yes,” she answered.

  Jeff sat down in one of the chairs. “They think we know where Sam is, but the funny thing is that I have no idea, and I presume that you don’t know either. I got a message from Sam after the Virus struck that said that you and I and one other person would be able to find him, that we’d have to find him.”

  “Who’s the third person?” Terra asked.

  “Sam 23.1, a very old and the only remaining backup version of Sam Storm,” Jeff answered.

  Terra was surprised. “Are you saying that they’re restoring a version of Sam while he is still alive. Isn’t that illegal?”

  “Yes it is, but they didn’t start the process. I did. It was the last thing I did before I resigned. I started the process and covered the tracks. Hopefully he’ll be totally restored in a few more days and he’ll get my message to meet us for dinner at Stacy’s,” Jeff confessed.

  “Why do we need him? He’ll know less than I do, unless Sam had thought this whole thing up back then,” Terra mused, trying to understand.

  “Well, there are good reasons for needing him. Sam 6.7 told me that we would need his living biometrics and DNA to get to him, the only way for that to happen is for us to have another version of Sam to help. And I have to confess that I also restored him for personal reasons that really aren’t related to the incident at all,” Jeff explained with a defeated look about him.

  “Why would you bring back an old version?” Terra asked.

  “At the point in my and Sam’s life when that 23.1 version was backed up, Sam and I were different people and it seems that now we’ve managed to move about as far apart in ideology as two Newbies can. He committed a terrorist act that I don’t think that I’ll ever understand, but I understand 23.1 because we hadn’t diverged at that point. And I really want to find Sam 6.7. You see, he used me to accomplish his goals. He used our relationship which I thought was still something sacred between us even though we have gone our separate ways.”

  Terra could see the beginnings of tears in Jeff’s eyes as he spoke. She put her hand on Jeff’s to let him know that she empathized with him even if she couldn’t entirely relate. “Well, I have to confess that my own motives for finding Sam 6.7 aren’t all over the business of what he feels he owes me. I learned recently that my other version, that lived most of the last eight years and then went on a half-century hiatus, was doing things on Mars that goes against everything I believed in. I don’t know why, but it all seemed to start not long after my 263.3 version was backed up. I can’t think of what Sam could have said or promised me that would make me do the things that my other version was doing.”

  “Either the thing he owes me is so important that I would sacrifice my own beliefs to get it or something awful happened to my other version that changed who she was fundamentally. I don’t particularly care for either choice, but I’d rather it be the first one, and that’s the hope I have. I need to know what he did to me to make me change, and whatever this is he owes me, I want it if only to ease my own conscience.”

  Jeff listened patiently while Terra spoke. “I understand, and I don’t know which of us needs to find Sam 6.7 more, and whether his betrayal of me or his corruption of your other version was worth it,” he said. “So now there need be no pretense between us. You know my motives, and I seem to be freed from my work obligations although I think I may find it hard to pay my expenses in the not too distant future,” he shared comedically.

  Terra laughed at this, to be stopped by money wasn’t something any one considered…except a Newbie. “I wouldn’t worry too much about that at the moment.” It was good to talk with someone. She had needed to level with somebody who could understand, and as it turned out, Jeff might be the only other person in the solar system who could provide that outlet.

  “So what now?” Terra asked.

  “Now we do what we have to until Sam 23.1 is restored, and hopefully he will make it to our rendezvous at Stacy’s. If he doesn’t, then we will need to find another way to get him, but since Agent Dawson wants you to wear a wire, I think they’ll let him get t
here if they do find out about his existence. Then we have to find a way out and we need to figure out where to go.”

  “Seems like you have it all planned out,” she ventured.

  “Well, being unemployed gives you a lot of time to think. I just don’t know where to go yet. I was hoping you would have some clue or maybe Sam 23.1 will be able to provide us with some direction. We’ll just have to wait. In the mean time, I’m going to work on keeping us safe from Dawson once we do all get together.”

  “Then I’ll keep doing some research from the UMG Embassy where I know I can work without being spied on and I’ll make sure Dawson thinks I’m cooperating. I’ll leave the rest to you for now, but I think I have an idea as to where we should start looking.”

  “Where?” he asked, his eyebrows rose up inquisitively.

  “Just leave that to me for now, Jeff,” she said giving him a wry smile. “It’s a secret.”

  “I guess that will just have to do for now. I’m glad it was you that Sam picked.”

  “I’m not, but I am glad that I have someone else to help me figure all this out,” Terra replied.

  “So what did you mean earlier when you said stuff was going on here that no one on the outside knows about?” Terra asked, changing the subject. She could tell that it took Jeff off guard, but then he just grinned.

  “Well you see, the Primers took Physics a long way in past centuries but not much has changed in a while, as you probably know. They thought they had all the answers, and they all got older and their viewpoints were solidified, but Newbies here have been working on those theories for the last few centuries and in that time we’ve made some fundamentally different assumptions about the universe and how it works. I don’t know too much about it, but I do know that we have a better theoretical understanding of the universe than any one else in the solar system,” he said as if that explained everything.

  “So why keep that a secret?” she said.

  “Because if we made our discoveries public, firstly, they wouldn’t be accepted; they’d be laughed at. And secondly, because we can’t back up the theories with experimental proof because the only tools capable of building the experiments to test them are all controlled at the Lunar Nanotechnology Research Center. So you see, our hands are tied. We stick to the theoretical, we model and we dream of new things. Someday we will be able to test the theories. We’ve had enough of our best people leave the city that most believe that one of them will eventually find some experimental evidence or will find enough support to get experiments prioritized by the Primers.”

  “And if all that happened, what do you expect to gain?” Terra asked.

  “I don’t know. Acceptance for what we are maybe. I think it is just that we want the Primers to admit that there are still things to learn and still places to explore. That life is not just about living. Its about using the time we have to do, to accomplish, to make our existence worthwhile,” Jeff said, impassioned. Then he frowned, “I’ve only come to understand some of this recently. I still believe that with everything the way it is with the restoration technology that the system we have is better than the alternative of unleashing the pent-up frustrations of all the nations in the solar system for being beholden to the US for so long.”

  Terra nodded. That at least was true. Mars was too far to launch a military campaign against one nation on Earth, but if push came to shove, they might support censure or sanctions against the oppressive US.

  “You’re probably right, but it didn’t have to be this way. I’d rather live free than to continue to be under the control of another nation,” she said.

  “That’s the dilemma,” Jeff replied. “And if I had to guess at what Sam’s up to, I’d say that he is trying to rock the boat over all these issues. I don’t think he is content to wait to see how things work out. He wants to be a part of the solution, to do something.”

  “Let’s just hope he has some idea of the consequences,” Terra sighed.

  “Yeah,” Jeff said, looking up at the clock on the wall. “We should probably go now. If we’re being followed, we don’t want it to look like we spent too much time here. I don’t really have any more to show you, and I don’t want things to get too suspicious looking so would you mind if we cut the tour short?”

  “I guess that would be best,” Terra agreed. She was already thinking about what to do next. “Then we meet at Stacy’s. And hopefully Sam 23.1 will be there.”

  “You said it,” Jeff replied, leading her back through the security door and down the hallway. This time, however, there was no unseen force to hold them. They went back down the lift tube and Terra was comforted when her displays reappeared and she was greeted by her companion.

  I seem to have experienced a malfunction. Because you have only been restored recently, there may have been a problem with my installation. Should I contact NeurTech for a diagnostic? Plato asked.

  Terra thought she detected a note of concern, which amused her, but she quickly put a stop to Plato’s suggestion. No, Plato, I understand the nature of your malfunction. It was a local security measure that temporarily disrupted your ability to function. I was aware of this and consented to it, without coercion, Terra explained, ending any action Plato might have taken after this incident.

  “Well, Jeff, thank you and Just Human for this tour. It has been interesting to see some of our similarities.”

  “It was my pleasure,” Jeff said, acting the perfect host.

  “Will you be accompanying me back to the zip train terminal?”

  “No, that won’t be necessary unless you prefer to be accompanied. Your visit pass is good until midnight. If you wish to stay longer, you’ll need to apply for an extension,” he added.

  “I think I can find my way back. It’ll give me some time to practice my flying,” she said, extending her hand, which Jeff took and shook gently.

  “Certainly, have a good day, Terra. All the best.”

  “Thank you,” Terra said genuinely.

  “Until your next visit then,” Jeff said.

  Undoubtedly, if they were being watched by Dawson or his agents, they would know that they were pretending, but Terra hoped that they would see it as her keeping up her front of working with the FBI against Jeff and Sam. After they split up, Terra engaged the flying program on her chip and made her way back to the zip train terminal. There was probably a lot more to see here, but that would have to wait until she had this whole situation figured out.