The long view, p.18
The Long View, page 18
part #2 of The Long View Series
Kybel gestured toward the man. "Eyron Langer. And-my other assistant."
"Kybel! What is this? The girl-"
"Oh, she was Welfared last month. The usual thing-trea-
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son-I forget the details. I leave such things to others. But I need her so they left her on the j ob."
His thin lips pouted. "It's a nuisance-they deliver her late and pick her up early; she has to work through lunchtime to keep pace with her tasks. But I suppose I'll adjust to the added burden."
"You will adjust?" With effort, Rissa refrained from striking the man. Eyes narrowed, she said, "She has a name, does she not? I wish to know it."
"She was Aiela Lindstrom. Now she's Client-oh, I forget the number, it doesn't matter; she knows who I mean when I speak to her."
"How fortunate for you." She turned. "Anse-watch these two. Keep them here and see that they touch nothing. Aiela Lindstrom-you come with me." Kybel tried to speak, but Rissa chopped with her hand-deliberately missing his face by only millimeters-and he held silence. Rissa took the girl by the arm and led her out.
"I-ma'am, is it all right if I speak to you? I don't understand- "
"Of course you may speak, but come along."
"What are you doing? Administrator Kybel-"
"Administrator Kybel may be Welfare Client I-cannot-remember-the-number before this day ends-I have not decided as yet. Now-here we are, my quarters." Inside, she closed the door. "Now take off that jumpsuit."
"All right. I-I haven't had to have sex with women before, but I'll try."
Rissa stared, then remembered Welfare Supervisor Gerard. "Peace take you, girl-I want nothing from you!''
"Then why-?"
"Because, as of two minutes ago you are no longer a Welfare Client, and I wish to provide you with more suitable clothing. We are nearly of a size; for the moment, my garments will do." She took underclothing from a drawer, then rummaged in a closet and came out with green slacks and an orange top. "Do you like these?" The girl nodded. "Then put them on, please."
While she changed clothing, Aiela said, "But what will happen? They'll come to pick me up, then report me missing to the Center, and they'll be one short-I don't know-" Tears
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welled. "And there's no place I can go--"
"Perhaps-as I mentioned-Kybel may take your place. It will be a nuisance, of course, but he will know who I mean when I speak to him. And he can work through lunchtime to keep pace with his tasks."
Aiela Lindstrom stared. "Why, you mean it! You do, don't you?" Rissa nodded. "But-they took everything, all 1 owned, and my room-someone else has it, I suppose. What will I do?"
"Well-for starters, as my husband says-you will live here, on Inconnu." Seeing the girl's bewilderment, "That is the name of this ship. Its captain is my husband, Bran Tre-gare. And 1 think we can find room for you with no difficulty."
"Tregare? Kybel didn't tell me-"
Kybel now, thought Rissa-not Administrator Kybel. Good -She said, "Here, let me straighten the top. Yes, the colors are right for you. Now you look almost as you should."
She stroked the stubble, half soft, half prickly, on Aiela'sscalp. "The hair will take longer, unfortunately." Now shetouched the coil atop her own head. "But it will grow. Minedid."
"You were in Welfare?"
"For eleven years, from when I was five."
"But how did you get out?"
"The lotteries. I won a top prize."
"Lotteries? But those were stopped before I was born-for Welfare Clients, I mean."
Rissa shook her head. "The bastards! So they no longer feel the need even to hold out hope!"
Aiela touched Rissa's hand. "I don't understand-but it's all right. Shouldn't we go now, though? Admin-Kybel gets impatient."
"What I care about Kybel's feelings you could stuff up his nose. But a good man named Anse Kenekke is probably becoming quite bored, so let us go."
They went upship to Control again. "Any troubles, Anse?"
"No, Ms. Kerguelen. The Administrator here, he asks a lot of questions, like when do we get on with it. Too bad I don't have any answers." His mouth twitched but did not quite smile.
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"Thank you, Anse. I should have thought to provide a few, should I not?"
Kybel stared at Aiela Lindstrom. "What does this mean? Speak up!"
"I will speak for her," said Rissa. "Aiela is the first of many who will be released from Total Welfare. She is no longer your assistant, but mine instead, and she is quartered here on Inconnu. Have you other questions?" Then, not waiting, she said, "Put on your Administrator hat, Kybel. Get on the appropriate circuit and cancel all current and future Welfaring actions-except those approved personally by Tre-gare or myself."
"I can't do that! The Committee-"
"To the Committee, by being on this ship you are a traitor to be executed. I trust you know Gairn Forbisher?"
"I-yes, you're right. I have no choice, have I?"
Why-he's relieved! "I would say not. Get on the circuit."
when the man was done, Rissa checked computer readout to be certain the new directives were clear. Then she questioned Kybel, crosschecking Markine's data and ascertaining that UET's computer confirmed it also.
Markine's percentages-Welfare, UET, and a quarter of the populace caught between them-were quite accurate, almost exact. The population of North America-and of Earth, for that matter-was much less than Rissa had expected.
"That's why they leveled off," Kybel told her, "nearly ten years ago, and haven't Welfared so many since then. And sterilization of Clients isn't automatic any more. The top-testing ones, physical and mental, are given reversibles so they can be bred together, the children raised outside Welfare. No point in wasting a traitor's genes if the traitor has ability."
"Very sensible," said Rissa. "There will, of course, be a few changes now."
"I don't understand," said Kybel.
"And it is not necessary that you should. But tell me one thing-was Aiela sterilized?"
"How would I know? I don't keep track of minor details."
Rissa looked to the girl. Aiela said, "Yes. I was off work
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several days-and penalized for it, of course."
And Rissa said, "Kybel, I hope you look well in a jumpsuit-for tomorrow you will be wearing one."
tregare, when she told him, said, "You're moving a little fast, aren't you?"
"Perhaps. But it strikes me that by using their own machinery with its known penalties, we can make such peopleserve us without fear of treachery." . .
"You going to have Kybel sterilized?"
"I shall leave that up to the standards of his own procedures, I would not want his genes in my garbage can!"
But when Rissa thought to check the records, and found that Aiela's sterilization was reversible like her own, she relented. "I have ordered that he be left intact and a portion of his holdings kept for him. If his attitude changes for the better, he will be freed again. But he is not to know this, yet."
Tregare laughed. "Your trouble, Rissa, is that you're not really half as mean as you think you ought to be."
by next mid-afternoon, command communications were reestablished. "The network's jerry-built," said Tregare, "but we can reach nearly anyone we need to. I've already ordered all Space Academy training halted, until I can inspect in person and set up a new system of regulations." He frowned. "One thing bothers me-a whole group of priority trunks is dead. It's not tagged, so I don't know where it's supposed to go."
Rissa said, "Possibly to the individual Committee members?"
"That's my guess, too-but everybody pretends not to know. Kybel really doesn't, probably-you said he likes to leave details to others.''
"How has he adjusted to his changed status?" "You haven't seen him? No, I guess not. Well-he's a little subdued. Sullen at first-then I told him his fertility was riding on his grade of cooperation, and he snapped to, a lot better."
"A good Hulzein move, Bran-multipurpose." "Yeah. Oh, say-Kickem found the Committee Police
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backup command base and took it without resistance. Got on their comm net and convinced the other major bases to surrender to the ships we sent to each. Then he lined out the new Interim Regulations and called Ressider to relieve him, so he can go to the port."
He grinned. "So now we can get Liesel and Hawkman out of freeze!"
"Oh, Bran! Through the fighting-Kickem going through UET's cone, and attacking the Police base-not once did 1 think of them on that ship, in such danger!"
"Your mind blanked it in self-defense, maybe. I thought of them-but I didn't want to say anything. Besides-from experience I'll go with Kickem's luck over someone else's caution."
"But why the port, Bran? Why not here?"
"Because now I'm getting cautious. We've got pretty good control here, but for now the port's still the safest place."
zelde mtana reported on the screening of UET personnel. "The seventeen Escaped ships, we're nearly done. Most are ours, all right-they check out fine. We've run into some that probably have the hypnotic-implant protection. Can't be sure because the tech who handles that special gear we brought-he doesn't seem to know if it's working right or not."
"Can't Ivan check on it?"
"Ivan's having a hard time right now-Ilse needed surgery and she's not doing too well."
"Poor Ilse!" said Rissa. "Bran-I have worked with the equipment-and I want to see Use. I could go in the scout."
Tregare scowled, then nodded. "All right, but not tonight; tomorrow's soon enough. And not in the scout. I'll have a ship come pick you up. Zelde? Who's available?"
"Ragan wants to see you in person, anyway. Okay?"
"Fine. Tell him, get here early, he can breakfast with us."
ragan landed Loose Goose well away from Inconnu. On screen he said, "I'm not being standoffish-merely leaving room for fast lift if need be. I'll be with you as soon as I give a few instructions here." "That is agreeable," said Rissa. "I need to speak with my
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assistants now, anyway." Kybel had entered Control and stood, waiting.
She looked at the man and hardly recognized him. His face was drawn, and now she saw why he had worn his hair long- clipped to stubble it no longer hid the jutting ears. Like two antenna dishes, she thought. The changes of proportion-head, face and ears-transformed him utterly.
She said, "And how does it feel to be Client whatever-your-number-is?"
He looked at the floor; she could not see his eyes. He said, barely loud enough to hear, "If I'd known what it's like. But Welfare's a fact of life-you take it for granted. To lose everything you have-" Now he looked up. "I had no way to know!"
Rissa felt pity-but no, it was too soon. "You are fed adequately? You sleep well?"
He shook his head. "I haven't slept. The food-it's edible, I guess."
"I am sure you will adjust-and meanwhile there is work to do. I have listed the information I wish and indicated the way you are to organize it. There is perhaps two days' work outlined; if you finish before I return, report to Tregare instead."
She paused. "Kybel-you see, I break custom and use your former name-remember, work done well can never worsen your condition."
"You mean-?"
"I mean what I say-nothing more. And now, to work." She left him.
over breakfast, Terrel! Ragan reported. "I didn't want to put this on the air, even scrambled-there's no telling what kinds of decoding gear the Committee has available." He took second helpings, "Early rising-pardon the pun-gives me an appetite." A sip of coffee. "Now then-Laje Markine's coming. Not here, but to the port; I don't know why. You won't recognize him-he's good at disguise-but he'll use the same initials and expects you to know who he is."
"Why all the string-slipping?" said Tregare.
"String? Oh yes-I recall now. Well-if you'd spent your life dodging UET on its own home grounds, Tregare, you'd slip a few yourself, perhaps."
Tregare shrugged. "Sure-I see it. I didn't get over their
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Space Academy all that quick, come to think of it."
Rissa said, "Do you know what Markine wishes, at the port?"
"Not a clue. But he'll tell you when he's ready."
"You trust him?" said Tregare.
"His problem's whether he can trust us." Done eating, Ragan poured more coffee. "What worries me is-Tregare, there's still no response from the Hulzeins. I've tried through Markine, through the New Mafia-any bootleg circuit I could get a line on-nothing. And something else may be wrong, too."
Tregare leaned forward. "Like what?"
"The Australians. As you asked, I've tried to set up contact. Well, Altworth-to hear them tell it, he's always busy. Just once he came on the circuit-for about ten seconds, and all he'd say was that he'd get back to us in a few days, but that right now-"
Tregare said, "He's stalling. I wonder why."
"Perhaps, only waiting until the outcome is clear," said Rissa. "But I wish we could be sure that were all of it."
"I agree," said Ragan. "Well, I guess we're ready to go."
"Yes. I will call, Tregare, when I have news."
ragan made a smooth takeoff. As Loose Goose rose and turned southeastward, Rissa used one screen to scan the terrain. Below she saw farmlands, cities looking almost deserted, and always the vast ugly blocks of Total Welfare Centers. "Housing may be a problem," she said. "If they have let the emptied citizens' quarters go to ruin-"
"A lot of them are still occupied, I'm told," said Ragan. "Converted to Welfare operation, though, mostly."
"How to undo this damage? It will not be easy. I only hope it is possible at all."
Now the port lay ahead, and Ragan's landing was as gentle as his liftoff. Rissa complimented him, then said, "Would you call the Hoover for me, please?"
Ragan shook his head. Before she could speak her puzzlement, he said, "No such ship-not any more. What you want is Hobnails,"
"Hob-oh, I see! Kickem Bernardez-and Hobnails to do it with."
"Right. One moment-there's your circuit."
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She called for Bernardez; after a short wait he appeared, "Congratulations on your new insigne, Kickem. It is an excellent choice."
"I thank you. And what you're after, I expect, is word of Liesel and Hawkman. Well, they're coming up nicely, Liese! taking a little longer about it as she did at Stronghold. They might possibly be ready to see you this evening-but actually, were it up to me, I'd advise a night's natural sleep first."
"Yes-by all means. Shall I visit you in the morning, then?"
"Unless they decide to disregard the sage advice of Bernardez-in which case I'll let you know. Or they will." "Very well. Thank you, Kickem. And how is Aedra?" "Fine, as usual-she's in charge of the resuscitations." "Then they are in good hands. Please give her my love." As soon as the call ended the screen lit again, and Zelde M'tana said, "Hi, Rissa-there's some people here, want to see you. I'm set up in the HQ Building. The guards out front-they're off Valkyrie, they know you-just ask for my office."
rissa signed off, thanked Ragan and went groundside. As she walked to the building, sunshine took some of the briskness from morning autumn air. From Stronghold days she knew the faces of both guards but only the woman's name. "Garnet Spence, are you not? And-I am sorry-you are-?"
"Dalton Heindekk. I don't think we've met, actually, to speak."
She smiled. "Well, now we have. Can you tell me the way to Zelde's office?"
"I'll take you," the woman said. "She's not using the old Command office in the penthouse-said it was too much of a nuisance getting there." They walked inside, along the major corridor. "Captain M'tana had some walls knocked out here on the first floor-made several smaller rooms into one big one-alongside the auditorium where the truth field's set up. Not much farther now. Here-this door and through the anteroom."
"Thank you."
Garnet Spence turned back and Rissa opened the door. The man behind the desk said, "Good morning, Ms. Kerguelen. Commander M'tana's expecting you."
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"Thank you." Then; "1 do not seem to recall you. Have we met?"
"That's not only unlikely, it's impossible. You left Earth some fifty-eight years ago, I understand. I'm only thirty and I've never been off Earth."
"Then-you are of UET?"
"I was-hanging onto my job and hoping the next day wouldn't find me working in a jumpsuit. I asked to join Tre-gare-I was one of the first-and the truth field confirmed. So -Tanner Havelock, at your service."
