Judy gave a sad smile. “I don’t think there’s any point,” she said. “I don’t think that I will be coming back out.”
“I’m sure you will,” said Maurice.
Judy’s tight smile widened a little. “Thank you.”
She took a deep breath and walked away from Maurice, right up to the building itself. And then she was gone.
judy 3: 2251
“Hello, Judy. Welcome home.”
“Hello,” said Judy. She looked around the empty hallway. Through the glass doors, she could see Maurice squinting in her direction, trying to catch a glimpse of her through the stealth technology.
“Where is everyone?” Judy asked.
“Adverts are going out now in our drive to recruit the talented personnel that will take DIANA into the twenty-third century and beyond.”
“I see. My name is Judy. Were you expecting me?”
“Of course, Judy. We have been looking forward to your arrival. Please make your way to your quarters and await briefing and reassignment.”
“I don’t know if I will. Who am I speaking to at the moment?”
“This is DIANA reception.”
“You’re just a Turing machine, aren’t you? Just an answering service.”
“Yes, but if you have any queries beyond the scope of this service, please flag them up and they will be answered as quickly as possible.”
“What happens if I just walk out of here right now?”
“Why should you wish to do that, Judy? Please make your way to your quarters.”
Judy laughed to herself. How could you bluff a dumb machine?
“I need directions,” she said.
“Take the lift.” At that, a door slid open at the back of the hall. Judy took a last look at Maurice, still squinting outside, and then turned and began to walk slowly into the building’s throat. A low pool bubbled in the center of the atrium, empty of fish and plants. Pearly pebbles formed pyramids on bottom. Judy could hear the sound of her feet as they tapped across the grey floor. The air smelled of water and stone and electricity.
She paused before the lift. This, she realized, was the point of no return. Out here she was still Judy, the virgin, ex–Social Care operative, only surviving sister. Once in there, she was property of DIANA. She did something she had never done before. She listened to her heart, and wondered what to do. All she heard was the sound of water bubbling in emptiness.
Judy stepped out of her life and into the lift.
The door slid shut.
The lift descended. Judy leaned against the rear wall and relaxed totally. Her head tipped forward, her shoulders curling, her arms folding around her body. Her lips moved into an impish smile.
“Chris was right, you know,” she said out loud, and she rolled her eyes coyly to the ceiling. “I see that now. You
Her eyes moved to the left and to the right, looking for confirmation of what she had just said. No reaction. She closed them and leaned her head back against the wall. She yawned.
“Oh, come on,” she said. “I know you’re listening. You’re the Watcher. You see and hear everything. You’ve been watching me ever since I got here. I wonder why you aren’t speaking to me?”
One eye opened to look around again. There was no suggestion of movement in the tranquil stillness of the lift; no sign of motion…save a suggestion put forward by the meta-intelligence. It had sensed the processing space far below, where FE lurked. From its perspective, the still thoughts of the FE were rising, not the lift descending.
