Justinian didnt know. Then an idea occurred to him.
Good point. But none of them mentioned the fact that they knew anything. The fact that you have suggests that you may think differently. Why would that be?
The pod was silent. The sun was now well clear of the horizon. The water that slurped and sucked around the base of Justinians mud bank had turned a rather pretty shade of turquoise. As the silence stretched out, Justinian felt his heart racing. What else could he say? And then, at last, the pod spoke.
Youre right. Im confused. My original intelligence destroyed itself before this pod had grown a full sense array. Most of the long-distance senses are barely formed, hence, I suppose, the necessity for your visit here to be made in person. However, one of the deep-radar arrays is fully formed, and I can see no reason for that to be. It is pointing in the direction that I have just relayed to your fliers TM.
Thank you, Justinian said, smiling.
Just a moment. Youre too impatient, Justinian. I have to ask myself, why did my former intelligence grow this deep radar and nothing else? It must have wanted me to notice it, even though it knew I would be able to do nothing with it.
Okay, said Justinian. Do you know why its there?
No! Thats what Im saying. Listen, the deep-radar array is a physical device. There are a few kilobytes of data left inside it.
Okay?
Another pause.
Im not sure that you will like what the data represents.
Justinian frowned. The sun was rising higher and the day was promising to be a good one. If one could ignore the foul smell of the mud, there was a certain bleak freshness to the scene before him: red mud and turquoise water spreading out in lazy curls to the horizon. He had just had his first lead after three weeks on this bizarre planet. Why did the pod have to spoil it with such a roundabout way of speaking?
Justinian replied in the most uninterested tone he could manage. Pod, I can assure you, I dont care what the data represents. I just want to find out what happened here and then get off this planet.
A silence seemed to stretch on and on in the glittering morning, and then-finally-the pod spoke.
At first I thought it was just a random array of bytes, but then I noticed that when arranged in a grid they offered an old-fashioned way of representing images: a 2-D picture format. A bitmap.
Fine. So the deep-radar array contains a picture. Of what?
The pod gave a passable rendition of an embarrassed cough.
Of you, it said.
The Atomic Judy 1: 2240
Look, Bairn, he said, pulling her down to a crouch beside him. She leaned close, feeling safe to be so close to his strong, gentle body. He had this power over women, she knew it. She had seen him use it, time and time again, all through the virtual worlds.
A young blackbird lay in the dust of the path, wings stretched outwards for warmth. The cat was nothing more than a suggestion of a shape amongst the shrubs that had taken root in the still growing, smoke-blackened ruins. Its yellow eyes fixed on the bird.
Bairn bit her lip and looked from the cat to Kevin.
Oh, Kevin, cant you stop it? she whispered, knowing the answer even as she spoke.
Kevin tightened his big hand around hers. You know the answer to that, Bairn. If I save this little bird, the cat will only find another creature to kill. Its hungry. It needs to eat. Just look around you. He waved his hand around to indicate the black stumps of buildings, the new VNM growth bursting forth from the tops of the broken walls, like teeth from gums. DIANA is dead as a commercial organization, but something is born anew. Life springs forth from death.
Bairn shook her head. The cat doesnt have to eat meat. It could be fed a vegan diet. It wouldnt know the difference.
Kevin gently patted her hand. Its feral, Bairn. Look at it. Am I to spend my time rescuing birds until this cat dies of starvation?
As he spoke the cat pounced, one tabby paw pushing the birds head down onto the ground, the other slicing through feathers to the flesh underneath in one fluid movement. There was a brief fluttering, then, stillness.
Bairn looked away, and Kevin continued in his deep, matter-of-fact voice. The terms he used
were anachronisms. Its basic economics, Bairn. Where there is limited supply, a decision has to be made on how resources are to be distributed. Sometimes that decision must be to simply let nature take its course.
Bairn stood up, a pale morning sky showing above the blackened edges of the living building around her. She felt sick.
Food is not in limited supply, she said.
Kevin smiled tolerantly up at her and then slowly, deliberately, rose up so that he towered over her. He looked down into her eyes; there was an edge of amusement to the low rumble of his voice.
I wasnt talking about food. I was talking about lifestyle.
He paused, glanced down at the console on his wrist.
Ah, and speaking of lifestyles, I see that our black-and-white friend has located yet another of our lifestyle zones.
Bairn looked at Kevin questioningly. She seems to pop up everywhere lately, she said carefully.