Quickly! Diana hissed again.
I canvased the datasphere, the houses memory, Dianas comlog umbilical, the two goons tenuous connection to the information universe and although I now knew where I was: the Philomel country estate, six hundred kilometers from the capital of Pirre in the agricultural belt of terraformed Renaissance Minor and precisely who the goons were: Debin Farrus and Hemmit Gorma, plant security personnel for the Heavens Gate Scrubbers Union I had no idea why one was sitting on me, his knee in the small of my back, while the other crushed my comlog under his heel and slipped an osmosis cuff over my wrist, up my arm
I heard the hiss and relaxed.
Who are you?
Joseph Severn.
Is that your real name?
No. I felt the effects of the truthtalk and knew that I could confound it merely by going away, stepping back into the datasphere or retreating fully to the Core. But that would mean leaving my body to the mercy of whoever was asking the questions. I stayed there. My eyes were closed but I recognized the next voice.
Who are you? asked Diana Philomel.
I sighed. It was a difficult question to answer honestly. John Keats, I said at last. Their silence told me that the name meant nothing to them. Why should it? I asked myself. I once predicted that it would be a name writ in water. Although I couldnt move or open my eyes, I found no trouble in canvasing the datasphere, following their access vectors. The poets name was among eight hundred John Keatses on the list offered to them by the public file, but they didnt seem too interested in someone nine hundred years dead.
Who do you work for? It was Hermund Philomels voice. For some reason I was mildly surprised.
No one.
The faint Doppler of voices changed as they talked amongst themselves.
Can he be resisting the drug?
No one can resist
it, said Diana. They can die when its administered, but they cant resist it.
Then whats going on? asked Hermund. Why would Gladstone bring a nobody into the Council on the eve of war?
He can hear you, you know, said another mans voiceone of the goons.
It doesnt matter, said Diana. Hes not going to live after the interrogation anyway. Her voice came again, directed toward me.
Why did the CEO invite you to the Council John?
Not sure. To hear about the pilgrims, probably.
What pilgrims, John?
The Shrike Pilgrims.
Someone else made a noise. Hush, said Diana Philomel. To me she said, Are those the Shrike Pilgrims on Hyperion, John?
Yes.
Is there a pilgrimage underway now?
Yes.
And why is Gladstone asking you, John?
I dream them.
There was a disgusted sound. Hermund said, Hes crazy. Even under truthtalk he doesnt know who he is, now hes giving us this. Lets get it over with and
Shut up, said Lady Diana. Gladstones not crazy. She invited him, remember? John, what do you mean you dream them?
I dream the first Keats retrieval personas impressions, I said. My voice was thick, as if I were talking in my sleep. He hardwired himself into one of the pilgrims when they murdered his body, and now he roams their microsphere. Somehow his perceptions are my dreams. Perhaps my actions are his dreams, I dont know.
Insane, said Hermund.
No, no, said Lady Diana. Her voice was strained, almost shocked.
John, are you a cybrid?
Yes.
Oh, Christ and Allah, said Lady Diana.
Whats a cybrid? said one of the goons. He had a high, almost feminine voice.
There was silence for a moment, and then Diana spoke. Idiot. Cybrids were human remotes created by the Core. There were a few on the Advisory Council until last century, when they were outlawed.
Like an android or something? said the other goon.
Shut up, said Hermund.
No, answered Diana. Cybrids were genetically perfect, recombed from DNA going back to Old Earth. All you needed was a bone a fragment of hair John, can you hear me? John?
Yes.
John, youre a cybrid do you know who your persona template was?
John Keats.
I could hear her take a deep breath. Who is was John Keats?
A poet.
When did he live, John?
From 1795 to 1821, I said.
Which reckoning, John?
Old Earth A.D I said. Pre-Hegira. Modern era
Hermunds voice broke in, agitated. John, are you are you in contact with the TechnoCore right now?
Yes.
Can you are you free to communicate despite the truthtalk?
Yes.
Oh fuck, said the goon with the high voice.
Weve got to get out of here, snapped Hermund.
Just a minute more, said Diana. Weve got to know
Can we take him with us? asked the deep-voiced goon.
Idiot, said Hermund. If hes alive and in touch with the datasphere and Core hell, he lives in the Core, his minds there then he can tip Gladstone, ExecSec, FORCE, anybody.
Shut up, said Lady Diana. Well kill him as soon as Im finished. A few more questions. John?
Yes.
Why does Gladstone need to know whats happening to the Shrike Pilgrims? Does it have something to do with the war with the Ousters?
Im not sure.
Shit, whispered Hermund. Lets go.
Quiet. John, where are you from?
Ive lived on Esperance the last ten months.
And before that?
On Earth before that.
Which Earth? demanded Hermund. New Earth? Earth Two? Earth City? Which one?