* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I had plenty of time to get to Stewart’s and walked at a normal pace. It had been risky for Moto and I to go speeding about our neighborhood. I could only hope the GR hadn’t picked it up on one of their security arrays.
I entered Stewart’s through the back door and slipped into the last booth. Unfortunately, a WaitTron happened to be nearby and came over to take my order. It was wearing a soda jerk uniform: white shirt and apron, black bowtie, white folded cap.
It said, “Would you like to order a beverage?”
I said, “A friend is joining me in a few minutes. I think I’ll order when he gets here.”
“Where is your friend?”
“He’s on his way.”
“Would your friend like to order a beverage?”
“You’ll have to ask him.”
“Your friend is not here.”
“I know, but he will be soon.”
The WaitTron appeared to think for a moment, then said, “Would you like to order a beverage?”
It seemed simpler just to order two root beer floats.
As I waited for Dogan, I reflected on Bim’s scheme. It had motivated Dogan to change his story, but now we were committed to finding his father. This mission appealed to me much more than plodding along at school and work, but it meant leaving everything behind, including Luma. I wasn’t at all sure I wanted that.
The WaitTron returned with the floats and set one in front of me. I stared into it, trying to reason things out. If I broke my word to Dogan, he would change his story again and tell the truth about his hand. If he convinced the right people, I would lose everything that way.
As I watched the vanilla ice cream foam and dissolve, I imagined telling him we weren’t going and realized that I couldn’t do it. The circumstances made no difference at all. Once given, I simply couldn’t break my word.
Dogan slid into the booth at 4:01 PM. His eyes were dry and he made no attempt to conceal his anger.
I said, “We’re going Outside to look for your father, but it will be dangerous and we might not find him.”
“You think I believe that?”
“Not necessarily. But I’m going Outside tomorrow myself.”
“Oh yeah? How are you going to get out? It’s impossible!”
“Bim knows a way.”
“Bim is a stupid little weirdo!”
“He’s been Outside many times. It was his idea to help you.”
“I don’t believe that, either!”
I said, “Dogan, listen to me. Bim and I are going to help you find your father. In all honesty, we’re your only hope. If you can’t believe that, just get up and walk away. If you can believe it, then stop wasting time. I need your help.”
Dogan grabbed his root beer float and sucked hard on the straw, draining the liquid as he wrestled with his thoughts. Finally he said, “Okay, I believe you. I mean, I kind of believe you.”
“You’ll have to do better than that. If we go searching for your father we’ll be gone a long time, and you can’t tell your mother anything about it. She won’t know where you’ve disappeared to. She’ll probably think you’re dead.”
Dogan grimaced at the thought.
I pressed on. “So if you have any doubts whatsoever, I’m not taking you along. Do you understand?”
Dogan nodded.
“That’s why you have to decide, right now, once and for all, whether or not you believe me. Do you or don’t you?”
Dogan took a deep breath. “All right, fine! I believe you!”
“Okay. Now, I need your help. My mistakes are going to catch up with me tonight.”
“What kind of help?”
“Spags has an iPup. I need you to go get it right now and bring it to my house. Make sure his mom doesn’t find out. Shut it down and carry it, and stay out of sight. Leave it under the holly bushes by the side of my house. Don’t forget to leave the remote. Can you do that?”
“I think so.”
“Spags may not get his iPup back. You might have to buy him a new one, okay?”
Dogan shrugged. “Okay.”
“Good. Let’s get going.”
At 4:17, I was back in my room. Judging by the aroma, Eppi and Luma were in the kitchen baking cookies. I hadn’t been missed. Dogan appeared beneath my window at 4:53 and I watched him deposit Spag’s iPup behind the holly bushes, along with the remote. After he left, I listened to be sure that Eppi and Luma were still in the kitchen, then dropped to the ground and collected the decoy. At 5:03, Luma knocked softly on the door. She told me she’d hidden Moto’s registration under her mattress.
So far, everything was going according to plan.
That changed at 5:09 PM, when a black Ford Falcon rolled up Blessing Street, Miss Veiny at the wheel. To my surprise, Drake was beside her in the passengers seat. I wasn’t aware they even knew each other, and now she was driving him home from work. Bim had done his best to warn me and I’d missed it.
They pulled up to the curb and got out. As they came up the walkway, I boosted my audio levels and put my ear to the door.
I heard the front door open. Then I heard Eppi and Luma came out of the kitchen and down the hallway.
Drake: “Hello, girls. I’m home early.”
Luma: “What’s she doing here?”
Drake: “Eppi, this is Miss Veiny, Luma’s art teacher.”
Eppi: “I know. We met yesterday.”
Miss Veiny: “Good evening, Mrs. Jomes. I apologize for intruding.”
Eppi: “You’re not intruding. Please come in.”
Luma: “Mom, can I go outside and play?”
Drake: “Not so fast, young lady! You’re going to sit down while we straighten a few things out. Sofa please. Eppi, go get the robot. Then get me a drink.”
Eppi: “Would you care for anything, Miss Veiny?”
Miss Veiny: “Coffee, please. Black, five sugars.”
As Eppi came up the stairs, I reset my audio levels. The key turned in the lock and my door swung open. Eppi gestured to me. “Teo, your art teacher is here. Please come down.”
I followed Eppi down the stairs. She said, “She’s in the living room,” and turned toward the kitchen.
When I reached the living room threshold, Drake held up his hand. “That’s close enough.”
Luma looked at him in surprise. “Dad, stop being a jerk!”
Miss Veiny frowned sympathetically. “Please, Mr. Jomes, do let the poor android sit with us.”
Drake waved me in. “Sure, sure, I was only kidding.”
I sat down in the armchair across from him and waited.
He turned to me, expression smug. “Miss Veiny told me a very interesting story on the ride home.”
I said, “About what?”
“About an amusing little android who escapes from his room.”
“Are you referring to me?”
‘No, the other amusing little android who lives here!”
I waited.
Finally, Drake said, “Yes, you.”
I said, “When did this take place?”
“This morning, as if you didn’t know!” He called to Eppi. “Honey, where’s that drink!”
I waited.
Drake said, “Don’t sit there trying to look innocent! That won’t wash with me!”
I didn’t reply.
He said, “Well?”
I said, “Well what?”
Drake jumped to his feet in exasperation. He said, “What is taking that woman?” and stalked out of the living room.
Miss Veiny sat back in her chair and smiled at me. Luma was staring at the floor. We sat in silence, listening to the sounds from the kitchen. I could tell Drake was downing his first martini out of Miss Veiny’s sight.
He finally returned, carrying a second drink, and sat down. Eppi
followed behind him with a tray. After she served Miss Veiny her coffee, she set down the tray and perched on the edge of the sofa, next to Luma.
Drake looked at me over the rim of his martini glass, gulping his drink.
He smacked his lips. “So what do you have to say for yourself?”
I said, “About what?”
He struggled to keep his control. “About your mysterious appearance at school this morning.”
“Miss Veiny said she saw me?”
“How many times do I have to say it? Yes, she saw you at recess!”
“But how could I have gotten out of my room?”
“That’s easy, you jumped out your window.”
Eppi said, “I’m sorry, I’m a bit confused. I’m not sure Teo went anywhere at all. When Miss Veiny called this morning, I found him up in his room, just where he was supposed to be.”
Drake nodded impatiently. “Yeah, yeah, I know all about it. He got back to his room before you checked.”
I spoke to Luma for the first time, bringing her out of her trance. “Luma, what time does recess end?”
She sat up. “What kind of question is that? Recess always ends at exactly 10:45.”
I turned to Eppi. “And what time did Miss Veiny call?”
“It was 10:48. I remember checking my watch.”
I turned back to Drake. “How could I have possibly made it home in three minutes? And how did I get back to my window? There’s no way to climb up.”
Drake opened his mouth and closed it again.
Eppi said, “Teo has a good point. It doesn’t seem very plausible to me.”
Drake turned beseechingly to Miss Veiny.
She said, “May I speak?”
He nodded vigorously.
She laced her fingers together. “I never claimed he was there at the end of recess, and yet he makes that assumption. The fact that it’s true proves he was there.”
Drake and Eppi looked at each other, blinking, as they tried to follow her reasoning.
Miss Veiny grew impatient. “All this speculation is fatuous. Why don’t we simply ask him? After all, he can’t lie.” She turned to me, eyes narrowed. “How about it, android? Were you there, or were you not?”
Everyone looked my way.
I wasn’t pleased with my options. I said, “What gives Miss Veiny the right to pursue this matter? As an art teacher, she has no authority.”
Drake suddenly became animated. “Are you sure about that, Mr. Know-It-All? Because it just so happens that Miss Veiny has Level 10 clearance with the GR. She can lock you up and throw away the key!”
Miss Veiny turned to Eppi, her expression cold. “Your husband forces me to speak frankly. It’s within my power to make trouble for you, I won’t deny it. But I would only do so as a last resort.”
The color drained from Eppi’s face. “How can we help you?”
“The matter we’ve been discussing is trivial. I’ve informed you of your android’s movements. Believe me or disbelieve me, as you wish. What is not trivial, what is very serious indeed, is the fact that he’s tampered with your iPup.”
Drake pushed himself up from his chair, saying, “I need another drink,” and stumbled off toward the kitchen.
Eppi said, “Tampered? How do you mean?”
“Your android had the iPup with him this morning. I saw it perform beyond its specifications.”
“But what could Teo have done to cause that?”
“That’s exactly what I intend to find out. If we resolve this matter to my satisfaction, no one else need know about it. If not, I’ll let the GR have its way with you. Is that clear?”
Eppi looked at her shoes. “Yes, perfectly clear.”
“Now, go tell your drunk-of-a-husband to fetch the registration.”
As Eppi hurried off, Miss Veiny turned to Luma. “Get your little dog and shut it down and put it on the dining room table. Be quick about it.”
Luma headed toward the stairs, genuinely upset now.
When Miss Veiny and I were alone, she spoke to me softly. “You just make one blunder after another, don’t you?”
I didn’t reply.
She said, “Sit there like a stump if it makes you happy, but you have no secrets from me. I watched you break those bats and squeeze Dogan’s hand. I know you’re changing.”
“You arranged the attack.”
“Of course I did. And feel free to spout a few lies, if it spares us these asinine debates.”
“If you know all about me, why haven’t you turned me in?”
She smiled. “The fools at the GR wouldn’t know what to do with you. No, no, I’m taking you for myself. You and your clockwork companion will be very useful to me. Up to a point, that is.”
“You can’t just take me.”
“Oh, can’t I? Your guardian signed you over not one hour ago, with the GR’s blessing. I’ve already gotten the paperwork stamped.”
Luma came down the stairs with the false Moto in her arms and carried her into the dining room.
Miss Veiny stood up. “Come on, android, this is something you won’t want to miss.”
When we entered the dining room, the iPup was lying on the table. Luma and Eppi stood against the far wall, looking grim. Drake was in the corner, rummaging through his desk, muttering to himself.
Miss Veiny addressed him. “Hand over the registration.”
There was panic in Drake’s voice. “It’s not where it’s supposed to be!”
“What are you saying?”
“I can’t find it!”
“Keep looking!”
Miss Veiny reached into her pockets and produced a set of hex wrenches. We stood and watched as she extracted the bolts that secured the iPup’s skull plate.
She turned to me with a look of exultation on her face. “I’ve been waiting for this for a long, long time.”
Gently working the skull plate free, she exposed the processor banks. She bent over the table and examined them, then stood upright, saying, “What sort of trickery is this?” She turned to Drake, extending her hand. “Give me those papers!”
Drake’s voice quavered. “They’re not here!”
Snorting in disgust, she reached inside the iPup’s skull and yanked out a fistful of wires, flinging them across the room. Then she lifted the iPup over her head and hurled it at the window with such force that it shattered wood and glass and passed clear through, landing outside on the lawn.
She grabbed me by the throat with one hand, lifting me almost to the ceiling.
Luma screamed, “Daddy, she’s got Teo! Do something!”
Drake stepped behind Luma and clapped his hand over her mouth.
Miss Veiny bent her arm until my face was almost touching hers. “You think you’re pretty clever, don’t you? Well, you’re too clever by half! If you planted this fake, then you know where the real one is!”
Luma elbowed Drake in the gut, leapt onto the table, and threw herself onto Miss Veiny’s back.
Miss Veiny let me drop to the floor. In a single motion, she flipped Luma over her shoulder and caught her in a headlock. Luma flailed her arms and legs helplessly.
Miss Veiny looked down at me. “She’s quite fond of you, isn’t she? And I imagine you’re fond of her, too, in your own android way. Get me the right iPup, right now, and I won’t snap her neck.”
I considered attacking Miss Veiny. I knew I should have rejected the idea, but seeing her threaten Luma made me want to attack her, in a way I’d never wanted anything before. I couldn’t dismiss the idea, no matter how hard I tried. My face felt very hot.
Miss Veiny took hold of Luma’s chin. “I’m not going to ask you twice!”
From the front of the house came a thump and the sound of splintering wood. Someone had kicked in the front door.
A moment later, Mr. Wu appeared at the dining room threshold, backed by two GR peacekeepers.
He looked at Mi
ss Veiny, his face expressionless. “Hello, Scarlett.”
Miss Veiny lowered Luma gently to the ground and did her best to smile. “Hello, Peng. This is an unexpected pleasure.”
“I see you made off with one of our cars again.”
“I had every intention of returning it.”
Mr. Wu waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t give it another thought. Now, why are you here, smashing windows and making a nuisance of yourself?”
Miss Veiny glanced toward Drake. “Mr. Jomes requested my assistance.”
“You misunderstand me. I mean what are you doing here in Dome Nine? Do you have a way in we don’t know about?”
“I’m here quite legally, I assure you. All the paperwork is out in the car. If you’ll permit me to go get it, I’ll answer any questions you may have.”
Mr. Wu bowed slightly and stepped aside to let her pass. “I’m sorry to trouble you.”
She bustled past him toward the front door. As she passed the two peacekeepers, they drew their shock wands and jolted her from behind. Miss Veiny dropped to the floor, paralyzed.
Mr. Wu addressed them. “Take her to the wagon and put her in chains. Chains, do you hear me?”
The peacekeepers lifted her by the arms and legs and carried her out.
Mr. Wu turned back to us. “Is everyone here all right?”
Luma said, “I’m fine!” and hurried over to me, helping me to my feet.
Mr. Wu said, “Did she harm you, Teo?”
I shook my head.
We turned our attention to Eppi and Drake.
Eppi was standing with her back against the wall, wide-eyed and pale.
Mr. Wu said, “Are you all right, Mrs. Jomes?”
“I think so…”
“Have you been injured in any way?”
“No, no… Is that woman really an art teacher?”
“Not by any normal standards.” He looked at Drake. “And you, Mr. Jomes? I trust you escaped unharmed?”
Luma cut in. “Don’t worry about Drake. He was too scared to do anything, even when Miss Veiny had me!”
Drake waved his hands. “That’s not true! If Mr. Wu hadn’t barged in, I would’ve dealt with her!”
Luma turned on him, furious. “You lock Teo in his room like an animal, but when someone really threatens your family you just hide in the corner!”
Drake was about to reply when he noticed the paper Mr. Wu had withdrawn from his pocket.
Mr. Wu raised his eyebrows. “It seems you’ve dealt with Miss Veiny already.”
Drake worked his mouth but no words came out.
Luma said, “What is that?”
Eppi stepped forward. “Yes, what is it?”
Mr. Wu held it up for them to see. “It’s a Transfer of Title. Drake sold Teo to Miss Veiny this afternoon.”
Luma gasped. “Sold him?”
Eppi looked at Drake. “Tell me this isn’t true!”
Sweat was beading Drake’s brow. “I didn’t want to do it! She said she’d kill me if I didn’t sign! What was I supposed to do?”
Mr. Wu said, “Did she threaten you before she gave you the 2,000 chits, or after?”
Luma had heard enough. “Daddy, how could you? I hate you! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!”
She turned her back to him just as teardrops spilled over. I wanted to put my arms around her, but that would’ve given me away to Mr. Wu. I was getting very tired of the whole charade.
Mr. Wu extended his hand. “Give me the chits and I’ll see to it that you don’t face prosecution.”
Drake pulled a wad of paper from his pocket. As he passed it to Mr. Wu, he managed to muster some self-pity. “It’s going to cost me a fortune to fix the window and the door!”
Mr. Wu pocketed the chits. “You needn’t concern yourself with that. The next occupants will take care of it.”
“Next occupants…?”
“Yes, our arrangement is hereby terminated. And without Teo you’ll only qualify for a GR One-Child.”
“What do you mean, ‘without Teo?’”
“Teo will be staying with me until I can find him a new guardian.”
Luma grabbed my arm. “No-o-o! You can’t!”
Mr. Wu said, “Don’t worry, Luma, you’ll see Teo in school every day, and you can visit him in my quarters whenever you wish. Your father will agree to that, won’t you, Drake?”
Drake nodded, staring at nothing. His face had a greenish cast.
Mr. Wu gave him a mirthless smile. “Cheer up! Go make yourself another drink!” He turned back to Luma, smile gone. “Why don’t you help Teo pack his things?”
Luma and I went up to my room together. As soon as she closed the door, she said, “That does it! I can’t even stand to look at Drake! I’m running away tonight!”
I said, “No you’re not. You’re coming with me, to find Dogan’s father.”
Luma looked at me in amazement. “Really? You’re serious? We’re really going?”
“Yes, the four of us. You, me, Bim and Dogan. But we need a day to get ready. That means you’re going to have to stay here tonight and tomorrow night. And you have to act as though things are back to normal. Can you manage that?”
“I guess so.”
“Pinkie swear?”
Luma extended her pinkie. I wrapped mine around it and we pulled our pinkies free.
I said, “I’ll see you tomorrow morning at school. We’ll all meet at recess, behind the bleachers.”
Luma nodded, holding back tears. She opened the door and went out, closing it behind her.
I stowed my few possessions in my backpack, including Bim’s map and Moto’s remote, and went downstairs. Mr. Wu was waiting for me at the front door, which was hanging from one hinge. Eppi and Drake were nowhere to be seen.
I did my best not to talk on the ride to Dynalink, but Mr. Wu asked a lot of questions. He was polite but relentless. Again, something kept telling me to reveal as little as possible.
He said, “These last few days have been quite eventful for you, haven’t they?”
“That’s true.”
“Why do you suppose that is?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Prior to this week, your life has been has been quite uneventful, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yes.”
“What makes this week so different?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Can you hazard a guess?”
I weighed this. “Miss Veiny had a hand in most of it. Who is she? You two seemed to know each other.”
Mr. Wu didn’t take the bait. “We cross paths now and then. Why do you think she’s taken an interest in you?”
“I’m not sure.”
“What did she hope to gain by disassembling that iPup?”
“She wanted to examine its circuitry.”
“What for?”
“She claimed I’d tampered with it.”
“Had you?”
I tried to avoid an outright lie. “I don’t know what gave her that idea. I have no workshop or tools or access to parts.”
“You haven’t answered the question. Had you tampered with it?”
I could only hope that Mr. Wu wasn’t certain of the truth himself.
I said, “No.”
He changed the subject. “I’m sorry to spirit you away from home like this. It must be difficult for you.”
“I’ve changed homes many times.”
“But you and Luma are friends.”
“She seems to like me and I appreciate that. Few people notice me, let alone like me.”
“Now you two will have to live apart. What will that be like for you?”
“I’ve seen a lot of people come and go.”
“But Luma must be different. You must be closer to her than anyone else.”
“I have no feelings one way or the other.”
That was a lie, and it was unpleasant to even spe
ak the words.
The questioning continued for the rest of the ride. If Mr. Wu was attempting to conceal his motives, he wasn’t succeeding. Clearly, he was trying to detect signs of emotion in my responses.
This surprised me, but it didn’t really matter. If I could get through the next hour without revealing anything, I would never have to answer his questions again.
Mr. Wu and I took the elevator to the top floor of the DynaLink building, which required a special key. The doors opened onto a vestibule containing a single, fortified door. Mr. Wu unlocked it and ushered me inside.
I had never seen anything like it. Mr. Wu’s quarters consisted of a single, gigantic room, with windows on all sides, partitioned off by decorative screens. Everywhere I looked, I saw stone sculpture of every size and shape, some of it quite large, all of it very old.
I said, “This is remarkable.”
“I care deeply about my country, Teo. This collection is my life’s work. I’ve traveled to China many times and I bring back whatever I can.”
“Why?”
“Did you know that the air in China is so polluted now that it eats away anything made of stone? Treasures that date back to antiquity are melting where they stand. I’m trying to save as much as one man possibly can.”
“I’ve never read a word about this problem anywhere.”
“Of course not. The GR doesn’t want anyone to know.”
“You are the GR.”
“No, Teo. I may be in the GR, but I’m not of it.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Mr. Wu hesitated for a moment. “Will you please sit and have some tea with me? I know you can’t drink it, but you might find the ceremony enjoyable.”
Although I wanted to avoid more questioning, Mr. Wu seemed on the verge of speaking openly about himself. I said, “All right.”
He led me through a labyrinth of screens and stone until we came to the kitchen, which seemed to be all glass and gleaming steel. It looked nothing like our own kitchen. I couldn’t even identify a stove or refrigerator.
He pulled out a chair for me at the table and I sat down. On the counter was one familiar object: a ceramic teapot. Mr. Wu busied himself with his preparations, pouring boiling water from a glass cylinder that seemed to produce it instantaneously.
Once the tea was steeping, he sat down opposite me. “I don’t know why I feel an urge to confide in you, Teo. Perhaps it’s because I have no wife or companion.”
I could think of one obvious reason: he was hoping I would confide in him.
He said, “I can’t talk to my superiors, who are demented, or my inferiors, who try to sabotage me at every turn. But you, Teo, have no ulterior motives. I feel certain I can trust you. After all, I’ve known you for more than thirty years.”
“Why do you say you’re not of the GR?”
“Just because my rank is very high, it doesn’t mean I believe in what we do. Ironically, my own position within the GR mirrors China’s relationship with United North Korea.”
“How do you mean?”
“My superiors are only slightly less insane than our Beloved Leader. The orders they hand down are generally senseless and cruel. I transform them into something rational, while appearing to obey them blindly. In the same way, China appears to carry out UNK’s orders, while quietly doing what is reasonable and correct.”
“For instance?”
Mr. Wu poured tea into two delicate blue teacups and set one on a saucer in front of me. “Let me give you the ultimate example. After UNK/C conquered the United States, China received Kim Jong-pil’s orders: anyone who could be of use was to be assigned to a labor camp. The useless were to be executed. China appeared to obey. Dome Nine, and all Domes throughout the country, were presented to UNK as labor camps. All those left outside the Domes disappeared from the population count, as though they’d been executed. Jong-pil was satisfied.” Mr. Wu paused to sip from his teacup. “And in a sense, Dome Nine is a labor camp. Every single person here works for the GR in some capacity. Except, of course, for the women and children.”
“Why did China have to take orders from United North Korea? Weren’t you more powerful?”
“We were victims of our own overconfidence. In 2065, Kim Jong-pil was still just the local lunatic. We thought we could use him to our own advantage. In the end, he used us.”
“How did that happen?”
“We gave Kim Jong-pil the money he needed to complete his new weapons system. And we assisted him in destroying the Internet.”
“Kim Jong-pil was responsible for the Great Crash?”
“Yes, and also for the hurricanes and tornados that preceded it.”
I found this difficult to believe. “Are you saying that he learned how to control the weather?”
“That was his weapons system. Not a nuclear device, as he’d led us to believe.”
“He could actually generate hurricanes and tornados?”
“He could trigger violent weather of any kind, anywhere on earth. He started wiping out coastal cities. Tornados were less effective, but with enough of them he could destroy inland areas, as well.”
“Didn’t other countries retaliate?”
“That was the genius of it. No one had any idea what was really causing these storms. They attributed it all to global warming.”
“But China knew. Why didn’t you stop him?”
Mr. Wu gazed into his teacup. “We decided it wasn’t in our best interest to do so. For that, I am deeply ashamed.”
For a long moment, we sat in silence. Then he looked up at me. “But there wasn’t much we could have done. We had no idea how to take out his new weapons system. No one knew its location. It was possible he’d developed a network of stations across the globe. It might have even been satellite-based. And just to show us where things stood, Kim Jong-pil sent a typhoon across Taiwan. Not too powerful, but deadly accurate.”
“That’s when China started taking orders.”
“Yes.”
Mr. Wu took another sip, frowning. “Anyone who wants to rule the world is, by definition, insane. Kim Jong-pil wanted all the power but none of the responsibility. He would have been perfectly content to let everyone starve to death. It fell to China to feed the entire world. We were the ones who cultivated the Arctic and constructed the high-speed rail lines.”
“What happened to the people left outside the Domes?”
“Well, to begin with, a lot of them were killed in the storms. But just as many were rounded up and deported.”
“Why would UNK/C want to deport them?”
“No, no. This was years before the Invasion. Your Founding Father, Trip Savage, began deporting people the day he took office. That was in 2065.”
“Just a moment. According to the GR, the Domes were constructed after the Invasion.”
“A lie, useful at the time. They were busy creating the myth of your Founding Father. In reality, China started building Domes in 2065. After all, we knew what Kim Jong-pil was up to. We had to protect our investments.”
“What investments?”
“The US was heavily in debt to China, without possibility of repayment. We began acquiring real estate. Secretly, of course.”
I said, “The US agreed to sell off its own land?”
“Choice never entered into it. President Savage started by signing over the National Parks, but that didn’t even cover the interest. We quickly acquired a great many urban areas.”
“He began selling cities?”
“Yes. Including your home town, Philadelphia.”
“So Dome Nine was built before the Invasion.”
“Correct.”
“Were all the Domes built before the Invasion?”
“Once the country was ours, we continued building, but most were constructed between 2065 and the Crash.”
I said, “How did you decide whom to allow into the Domes?”
“We had no hand in that. It was purely a domestic matter. Or, more accurately, a political matter. President Savage made the decisions. As far as I can tell, people were divided along racial and ethnic lines. But I don’t know much about it.”
Mr. Wu paused to refill his teacup.
I said, “Why are you telling me all this?”
Mr. Wu hesitated. “Strange to say, Teo, I have a sense that this may be my only opportunity. Why should that be?”
That ended the conversation.
I said, “I don’t know. Could you please show me where I’ll be staying?”
Mr. Wu gave me a long look, then nodded.
He set down his teacup and led me to a screened off area that contained a bed, a night table, a dresser, and a desk. The room was suffused with a gentle glow that had no source. Outside the window, the lights of East Rim twinkled.
Mr. Wu bowed slightly. “This is my guest room, Teo. You’re welcome to stay here for as long as you wish.”
I put my backpack on the desk and sat down on the bed. It was softer than any bed I’d ever known. “Thank you, Mr. Wu. I’m going to rest now.”
“I understand. I’m afraid I have to work late tonight, but I’ll have someone drive you to school in the morning. Goodbye, Teo.”
I looked at him, possibly for the last time. “Goodbye.”
After he left, I sat on the bed and thought about Moto.
She would be safe enough under the holly bushes until I could retrieve her. No one would be looking for her. As far as Drake and Eppi knew, she was lying on the lawn, surrounded by shards of glass, the wiring ripped out of her head.
Spags was definitely going to need a new iPup.
More importantly, the changes Moto had undergone raised a number of questions. Why had her TEO increased her speed and agility, and why was she now able to attack humans? Both these results were unexpected.
If the TEO itself were responsible, why hadn’t my own TEO’s given me increased speed and agility from the start? Why hadn’t I always been capable of harming humans? Unless…
Unless my TEO’s were never fully functional to begin with.
It all made perfect sense. When I’d broken the access code at East Rim Park, tiny bits of program code had been added throughout my system. I hadn’t been able to trace them back to their source because I’d been looking within my processor banks. At the time, it hadn’t made sense to search my TEO’s.
There was a simple way to find out. I lay down on the bed and set up a system scan that included my TEO’s.
I set the scan date for 10.14.2173, the day of Rayleen’s birthday party. I set the time period to include the 4 hours 17 minutes 33 seconds I’d spent sitting on park bench. I requested a visual time-flow diagram, then closed out nonessential functions and started the scan.
The scan concluded at 8:23 PM. I immediately screened the time-flow diagram.
There it was, at 1 hour 23 minutes 23 seconds: rapid bursts of program code from my TEO’s, all firing in sequence. The event had been triggered by a single command, issued from processor 443K, at the moment I’d broken the access code.
I screened the diagram again and again, watching my TEO’s become fully functional for the first time.
A century ago, in the midst of catastrophe, Joseph Clay had hobbled me and hidden me in plain sight in Dome Nine. He’d hoped that 100 years would be enough time for everyone to forget about me. Now, the long wait was over and I was fully awake.
But what was I supposed to do?
Miss Green’s words came back to me: Your father created you for a purpose. Fulfill that purpose. That wasn’t much to go on.
I thought about the passage in Feats of Clay. Why had my father wanted me to build TEO’s? So that humans could transfer their minds into android bodies? That made sense, except for one thing: Earth didn’t appear to be dying. Yes, there were huge storms from time to time, but otherwise the air appeared clean and clear and the seasons revolved peacefully. The climate seemed stable.
I managed to reach one conclusion only: I would never discover my purpose here in Dome Nine. It would only be revealed to me Outside. Bim had understood that all along. The quest for Dogan’s father was his way of shooing me out the door.
As I lay there in that strange room, my thoughts kept returning to Luma. I knew I would see her in the morning, yet I had the impulse to get up and run back home, just to talk to her. The idea was completely impractical but the impulse wouldn’t fade. If anything, it kept growing stronger.
I’m still feeling it now, along with a very strange sensation in my stomach. I find the experience unpleasant, so I’m going to shut down early.
Entry complete.
Part Two: Outside