A pause. Then Ali hung his head, the moment of defiance passed. “I am fine. Thank you for asking. I will require water, food, air and a toilet. And if at all possible, I would prefer to be with my friends.”
“The last, I cannot provide. The other requests I allow.”
In various locations around the dome on levels A through D, members of Neutral Moresnot linked into various networks, snipped wires, set up com field disruptors, severed computer connections. Took readings. Then, their assigned tasks completed, they nodded with satisfaction, and headed back to bubble 37-C.
Celeste, Shotz and a bodybuilder called Gallop entered the green room. Ali watched them, fantasizing about bloody murder. Despite all efforts to protect him, he’d heard rumors of his grandfather’s early days.
“We’ve got everything under control,” Celeste said. “Time to send the first message.” Shotz nodded, and Celeste clicked her teeth, then spoke into a throat mike.
“Phase one complete,” she said.
While the threat level was raised to red around Heinlein base, Douglas Frost remained on duty in the poultry area. When a light blinked on his wrist communicator, he sighed. The air rushing out tasted foul. “I need to take a break,” he said.
His boss’ face twisted in an expression that, on another day, might have been thought a smile. Everyone seemed stretched thin that day. “Sure, Thomas.”
Doug grinned. No, no one could tell them apart.
The main communications node was only five minute’s Moonwalk from the farm. He sat, slid a data clip into the input slot, and waited as it called an interplanetary prefix and access number. Doug knew it was sending a photograph across a quarter-million miles of space to a satellite circling Earth. And from there to a certain General Motabu, currently commanding the rebel forces storming a certain Central African palace.
The game was going very well indeed.
Scotty and the gamers crawled through the sterile, micro-dust coated spaces between the bubbles. The air in those dark curved spaces felt cold and confining. Above and between the bubbles, tunnels had been grafted like vines in a tropical forest.
“How far does this passage go?”
“They kept changing as we reinforced and added the safety baffles,” Darla said. “But even though we weren’t finished, it was up to code, and we could authorize Cowles to run this game.”
Scotty mopped sweat from his face. “The short answer?”
“I can get us about halfway down. Hopefully, we can figure it out from there.”
She felt around the walls until she found her trap door. She cut through the plastic inner lining. Then they climbed up into the bubble.
The walls within were broken bubbles. A few of them still had grubs curled within. The floor was inscribed with a variety of curlicue patterns.
“What is this place?” Scotty asked.
Darla shook her head. “Don’t really know.”
Angelique frowned. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”
“Xavier didn’t tell us everythin’, just what we needed to play our parts. My part’s already over.”
Sharmela was crouching down near the floor. “This is very strange. The power is off, but… do you see this?”
“See what?” Angelique asked.
“The indicators. The gaming indicators are still on.”
“That’s strange. They must be on a different circuit.”
“Or even independently powered,” Scotty said. “Angelique. What do you know about this?”
“Standard procedure,” the Lore Master said. “Backups in case of failure.”
“Is that some kind of safety arrangement?”
Wayne managed a chuckle. “It’s a gambling thing. A lot of money rides on these games, and that means that everything has to be recorded. If the signal fails, and there aren’t backups, a lot of bets will forfeit. Is that important?”
“Maybe. It depends. I’m thinking that we can’t communicate directly with Heinlein… but there might be a way to talk with Xavier. And…”
“Cameras,” Wayne said.
Scotty frowned. “What?”
Angelique pointed to the ceiling, to the corners of the room. “There are cameras everywhere, not just the security stuff. Resolution of the three-dimensional images requires… well, I don’t know the tech on it, but my guess is that they are on independent power. Low-power pinpoint cameras all wired into the central com field. Probably some hardwired backup as well. We’re probably guessing in the right direction if we assume that Xavier can see us.”
“Which means that they can help us, even if they can’t talk to us,” Scotty said.
“We might be able to fix that,” Darla said. “But first things first. We have to get out of the dome.”
“Not without Ali,” Scotty said.
Angelique squinted. “What is it with you two? Is he your boyfriend, or…?”
“I’m his bodyguard.”
“This one’s gonna look great on your resume,” Wayne said.
Scotty repressed an urge to remove Wayne’s front teeth.
“Griffin,” Angelique said. “I know that you have obligations to your client. But I have obligations to my ass. We have a little miracle here: Darla can get us the hell out. The kidnappers got what they want. We can skedaddle on out of here. Or you can stay behind, and rescue him. But I’m getting my people out of here.”
“Not to mention your ass.”
“Not to mention.”
“I completely understand your position,” Scotty said. “Just help me figure this place out. Where I am relative to where we were? And if there is a way out, how do I get to it?”
“There are at least two emergency suits,” Darla said. “Know how to use them?”
“Spent two years up here. Where are the lockers?”
“Down on D level. Look.”
She bent, wet her finger and drew on the floor in dust. “This is the dome. It’s been divided into eight levels, with about a hundred bubbles distributed between them. Seven of the levels are above ground: A through G. H is underground, in the foundation just above the aquifer level. We were on level C… in fact, we still are. Most of the gaming was going to be on C, with some lesser action on D through H, and the climax down in the aquifer. That’s where we were supposed to exit, and I’m hoping we can still get out. But there are emergency exits here-and here.” Again, she dabbed at the ground with a moist finger.
“All right. I’ll take my chances.”
“Alone?” Wayne asked.
“Alone.” Scotty stood up. “I have to go after Ali.”
Angelique cocked her head. “I don’t hear anything. I don’t think they know we’re gone yet. You’ve got a narrow window until they check on us again.”
“What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking that Ali deserves a chance.”
“I’m thinking about him,” Sharmela said. “And about Asako.”
“We had to leave her.” She paused. “Didn’t we?”
“Maybe she doesn’t have to stay left,” Scotty said. “Does anyone here read… Morse?”
“I was a Girl Scout,” Angelique said. “I can. What do you have in mind?”
“I want to talk to Xavier. But first we have to see if he’s watching us.”
