'Then, Steengo, since we're alone for the moment, let me express my heartfelt thanks for breaking up the brainwashing session with Iron John. For which, unhappily, you paid quite a physical price.'
'Thank you, Jim, I appreciate that. But I had to do it. To save you from being programmed. Also - I really did lose my temper. Teddy bear indeed! A complete corruption of history.'
'No teddy bear? No golden ball?'
'The golden ball, yes. That represents innocence, the pleasures of childhood without responsibility. It is lost when we grow up. To regain this freedom the myth tells us we have to find the ball under mother's pillow - and steal it.'
'But in a society without women you can't have a mother - so the myth has to be rewritten?'
Steengo nodded agreement, then winced and touched the bandage around his head. 'Retold as nonsense. In the original story Mother never wants the boy child to grow up, sees him as young and dependent forever. Independence must be stolen away from mother - hence the golden ball under her pillow.'
'Pretty deep stuff.'
'Pretty fascinating stuff. Mankind depends on its myths to rationalize existence. Pervert the myth and you pervert society.'
'Like Big Red and his mates on the other side of the wall?'
'Exactly. But what was happening there was far more dangerous than just editing a myth. I had suspected that there would be some strong narcogases in the air - and I was right. You and Floyd were glassy-eyed and practically hypnotized into immobility. So it wasn't just a matter of listening to one more story about the magnetic field of the deep masculine. This was about having a very pernicious and demented theory punched deep into your mind, into your subconscious. You were being brainwashed, thought-controlled - and this sort of crude forced suggestion can do infinite harm. I had to stop it.
'Risking your life at the same time?'
'Perhaps. But I am sure you would have done the same for me if the circumstances were reversed.'
There was no answering that one. Would I? I smiled, a little grimly. 'Can I at least say thanks?'
'You can. Greatly appreciated. So back to work. Now, before the others come, to more pressing business. Since I am now in the open, so to speak, I am relieving Captain Tremearne and taking command of this operation. I am in a better position to kick the cagal out of the chain of command and make sure that your antidote is here instantly. Or sooner. My first imperative order when I took command was to send for it.'
'Then you know about the thirty-day poison? If I might be frank - I can tell you - it has had me pretty worried. Thank you - '
'Don't thank me yet. Because I want your assurance that you will stick with this assignment, thirty-day poison or no.'
'Of course I will. I took on this job, got paid, and gave my word I would finish it. The poison was just some bureaucratic moron's idea of a completion bond.'
'I was sure you would say that. Knew that you would carry on regardless, threat of death or no threat of death.'
Why was I uncomfortable when he said this? This was my old mate Steengo talking. Or was there a strong whiff of the admiral behind his words? Once the military, always the military… No, I would not think ill of him. But I better remember that the poison was still churning away. He was smiling widely and I let my smile mirror his. Although, deep inside, the worry and fear still nagged and scratched at my thoughts. Find the artifact, Jim. That is the only way to be sure about the antidote.
I laughed and smiled. But only on the outside. 'Carry on, of course. The artifact must be found.'
'Must be found, you are right. The search must go on!' He looked over my shoulder and waved. 'And there's Floyd — and Madonette. Welcome, my dear, welcome. I would stand to greet you, but only with difficulty.'
She smiled and kissed his forehead below the bandage. Of course she was the last one to arrive, woman's prerogative. Though I had better abandon such male-chauv-pig reflexive observations. At least while I was still a guest of the ladies this side of Paradise.
'I have been talking to Mata,' she said, seating herself and sipping a bit of fruit juice. 'The science building was empty when the explosion occurred, so no one was injured. Since then they have sifted the ruins and found that there is no trace at all of the artifact.'
'Positive?' I asked.
'Positive. They have been eavesdropping on the other side of the wall, so they knew about all our interest in the thing. They waited until they observed that all the male scientists had looked at it and prodded it enough. As expected those noble gentlemen - referred here to as 'the geriatric incompetents' - had discovered nothing. Having no further interest the scientists had it transferred here. A study program had been drawn up to examine the artifact but was just beginning when the explosion occurred. End of report.'
So the artifact might have been stolen, might still be around. I could help look for it. But I could also stop counting the days. Earlier, when I had been woken up by my computer, it had been flashing a glowing seven for my benefit. Now Admiral Steengo had relieved me of this chronic worry.
But I had taken three million for this job - and I still wondered what the thing really was. So the artifact-chase would continue. Minus the pressure of the days. I looked around at my musical rats and realized that nothing had changed for them. The search for the artifact was still on. Well - why not!
'What do we do next?' I said. Steengo, now more of an admiral than a musician, toted up the possible options.
'Was the explosion an accident? If it wasn't - who caused it? There are really a lot of questions that must be asked…'
'Mata told me to tell you that you were to ask Aida if you had any questions,' Madonette said brightly.
We considered this seriously for a moment, then realized we hadn't the slightest idea of what she was talking about. Still the admiral, Steengo spoke for all of us.
'Who is Aida?'
'Not who - but what. An acronym for Artificially Intelligent Data Assembler. I think that it is the central computer here. In any case, here is the access terminal.'
She put what looked like an ordinary portaphone on the table and switched it on. Nothing happened.
'Are you there, Aida?' Madonette said.
'Ready to be summoned at any time, darling,' the voice said. In a rich and sexy contralto.
'I thought you said computer?' was my baffled response.
'Do I hear a male voice?' Aida said. Then giggled. 'It has been such a very long time! Might I ask your name, sweetie?'
'Jim - not sweetie. And why did you call me that?'
'Training and programming, dear boy. Before this present assignment I ran an exploration spacer. Male crew, endless years in space. It was felt by my creators that a female voice and presence would be more efficacious morale-wise than a machine or masculine presence.'
'The last exploration spacer was junked centuries ago,' Steengo said.
'A lady does not like to be reminded of her age,' Aida said huskily. 'But it is true. When my ship was sent to the breakers I was made redundant. Since I am basically a computer program I am - every woman's dream - eternal. I had, shall we say, a rather varied career before I ended up here. Mind you, I'm not complaining. I find this such a pleasant occupation. There are charming ladies to talk to, as well as additional memory banks and data bases to access whenever I wish to. Most pleasurable but I do chatter on. I have been informed that you have a problem. If you would identify yourselves by name it would make conversation that much easier. Jim and Madonette I know. The name of the gentleman who just spoke?'
'Admiral - ' Steengo said, then broke off.
'Let us do keep it on a first-name basis. And your first name is Admiral. Others?'
'Floyd,' said Floyd.
'And a great pleasure to meet you all. How may I help?'
'An item, referred to as the artifact, was recently brought to the science building. Do you know about it?'
'Indeed I do. I was studying it, so am therefore quite familiar with the strange construction. In fact I had it under observation at the time of the explosion.'
'Did you see what happened to it?'
