Future crime, p.34
Future Crime, page 34
“Look,” Joe said. “When you get out of the hospital, it’ll be almost exactly one year since you first came to the Center. I think you’ve learned a lot in your first year. The hard way. But you’ve finally learned it.”
Danny nodded.
“Now, if you’re ready for it I can start really teaching you. In another year or so, maybe we can let you out of here—on probation. I can see to it that you get into a real school. You can wind up studying engineering, if you want. Learn to build airplanes … and fly ’em.”
In spite of the pain, Danny smiled. “I’d like that.”
“Good. And it’ll be a lot cheaper for the taxpayers to send you to school and get you into a decent career, than to keep you in jails the rest of your life.”
Joe got up from the chair.
Danny found himself stretching out his right hand toward him. The teacher looked at it, then smiled in a way Danny had never seen him do before. He took Danny’s hand firmly in his own.
“Thanks. I’ve been waiting a year for this.”
“Thank you, Joe.”
Joe let go of Danny’s hand and started to turn away. Then he stopped and said:
“Oh yeah … Laurie’s on her way here. She wants to see you. Says she’s willing to give you your Christmas present.”
“Great!” said Danny.
Joe pulled a cigar from his shirt pocket. “You two have a bright future ahead of you. And I can tell about the future. I’m part gypsy, you know.”
Also by Ben Bova published by Tor Books
As on a Darkling Plain
The Astral Mirror
Battle Station
Colony
Cyberbooks
Escape Plus
The Kinsman Saga
The Multiple Man
Orion
Orion in the Dying Time
Out of the Sun
Peacekeepers
Prometheans
Star Peace: Assured Survival
The Starcrossed
Test of Fire
Vengeance of Orion
Voyagers
Voyagers II: The Alien Within
Voyagers III: Star Brothers
The Winds of Altair
Edited by Ben Bova
The Best of the Nebulas
CRIME, ORBITAL STYLE
The days flew by, with each man counting the days until Sam showed up at the airlock with another few videos. We stopped eating ice cream so that we would have plenty to give him in return.
But then Sam sprung his trap on us. On me.
“Listen,” he said as he was suiting up in the docking chamber one day, preparing to leave. “Next time, how about sticking a couple of those diamonds you’re making into the ice cream.”
I blinked with surprise and automatically looked over my shoulder at the technician standing by to operate the airlock. He was busy admiring the four new videos Sam had brought.
“Impossible,” I said. Softly.
Sam seemed to accept defeat. “Okay. It’s a shame, though.” He pulled the helmet over his head. But before sliding down his visor he asked, quite casually, “What happens if Zworkin finds out what’s on those videos you guys have been watching?”
My face went red. I could feel the heat in my cheeks.
“Just a couple of little diamonds, pal. A couple of carats. That’s not so much to ask for, is it?”
—From “Diamond Sam”
Notes
1 Don’t worry if you haven’t read it. Neither have most science fiction fans. For that matter, neither have most of the modern generation, thanks to our modern educational systems.
2 Published in Battle Station, Tor Books, 1987.
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental.
FUTURE CRIME
Copyright © 1990 by Ben Bova
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form.
A TOR Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, Inc.
49 West 24 Street
New York, NY 10010
Cover art by Colin Hay
eISBN 9781429941945
First eBook Edition : April 2011
First edition: August 1990
Ben Bova, Future Crime
