I fainted.
Twenty-Two
Injury Time
By the time I came round someone had put a pillow under my head and draped a cold damp cloth over my nose. The bleeding seemed to have stopped, but I didnt dare move in case it started again. My vision was blurred, but I could see that at least half a dozen standing figures were gathered about my supine form. They were arguing.
How was I supposed to know who it was? Solantha Handsel was complaining. It was dark. How was I supposed to guess that his IT had been stripped? I hadnt even registered the fact that my IT had been stripped. It wasnt my fault.
I took some small comfort from the fact that nobody seemed to be in agreement with this judgment not even Michael Lowenthal.
I counted, and decided that there were five standing figures. Then a sixth hove into view, and finally a seventh.
There was little comfort to be gained from the fact that they all looked frightened, with the possible exception of Christine Caine. Adam Zimmerman looked very frightened indeed. He hadnt had any time at all to adjust to the world into which he had been reborn before it turned bad, and he had to be figuring that he was now even further removed from his objective than he had been on the day he stole the world for the Hardinist Cabal. Davida Berenike Columella seemed more terrified than her emortal companions, but that may have been an illusion fostered by the fact that she was so tiny and so seemingly immature.
Of the party that had been on the guided tour of Niamh Hornes ship only the two other cyborgs were missing. Suddenly, the assumption that Niamh Horne had been behind our kidnapping, if we had indeed been kidnapped and it certainly looked that way at present didnt seem quite so natural. It wasnt just the fact that she was here with us that made it seem less likely it was the fact that wed all been deprived of our smartsuits, the most vital components of our internal technical support, and our dignity. That, and the gravity. Wherever Niamh Horne would have taken people shed kidnapped, it wouldnt be Earth, or anywhere that simulated Earth gravity.
On the other hand, I thought still trying hard to demonstrate my presence of mind Niamh Horne was the only one among us to have retained a considerable fraction of her intimate technology. Her intimate technology had included a great deal that was far too intimate to be removed without leaving great gaping holes in her head and body. She still looked whole, if not quite human.
I made no attempt to get up, but I muttered and stirred, expecting that somebody would take notice and kneel down. They werent in any hurry to oblige, but one of them eventually took the hint. It was Niamh Horne again, and I flinched reflexively.
Sorry about that, she said. It seemed to be the right thing to do. I didnt realize. Sorry.
Mortimer Gray knelt down with her. Like Lowenthal and Zimmerman, he now had a beard of sorts, but his looked more remarkable than theirs because its dark brown color clashed with his silver hair. I think youll be okay, Mr. Tamlin, he said. It looks worse than it is. Very unfortunate, but not mortal. Not mortal was easy enough for him to say even without his IT, he was engineered for emortality at the cellular level. I carefully refrained
from touching my nose to investigate how badly out of shape it was.
Where are we? I contrived to ask.
We dont know, Gray said. The simple answer is that were in a cluttered room with seven doors. Four of them open into cells like the one you woke up in. The other three are locked. There are several antique wallscreens, but only two control panels, both of which seem to be inactive. Like all the other equipment, they seem ridiculously primitive. The gravity seems to be Earth-normal, but nobodys ready to conclude, as yet, that were on Earth. If its not spin, it might be acceleration but if its acceleration, we dont have any clue where we might be headed. We dont know how long its been since we were aboard the Titanian ship, although it must have taken between eight and ten days to flush our IT, and the growth of our body hair cant have begun until that process was at least halfway through. The means they used to keep us asleep seems to have been rather crude if the way we feel is a reliable guide. Did you see the thing that seemed to capture Child of Fortune ?
Yes, I said, thickly, unable for the moment to say more.
We dont believe in it either, he said, picking up the skepticism in my tone. Opinions are sharply divided, however, as to what kind of real story the fake was covering up. Accusations have been flowing freely, but I think Niamh and Michael have called a truce for the time being. At least nobodys suggested that you were to blame. That gives you an advantage over the rest of us.
It was obvious that he had not been excluded from the riot of accusations.
Who stands to gain from taking us prisoner? I said, thickly but just about comprehensibly.
We havent been able to figure that out either, Gray said, looking at Niamh Horne who was obviously suspect number one in everyones eyes but her own.