Port Casper

Chapter Twenty

"What now?" Grace hissed. Raj and Tim had chattered through her dermal dot for the past hour. Wasn't that enough? She was only three meters away from Maud's office and wanted to concentrate.

"Remember to keep your ptenda connected to us and your mimic fabric," Raj said for the third time.

"Right, got it, now please be quiet!"

"And remember, the access port nearest the window. Good luck, Ms. Donner," Tim said.

Grace thought about removing her dermal. She smiled benignly at three ITB employees as they passed and entered the lift down the hall.

Maud's door was to the left. She listened. Faint sounds, but no voices. Raj and Tim were finally silent. She took a deep breath, straightened her jacket, and entered.

The inner door was open. From her position, Grace could see several blank displays. She moved forward silently. There was the corner of Maud's desk. Grace craned her neck.

Maud wasn't there.

Grace's mind raced at the possibility. Could she just waltz in and deposit the gel? Like mini grinder Charlie. Should be easy: just dive in and swim for it.

She stepped forward.

"Donner? What are you doing here today?"

Grace nearly jumped out of her boots. Maud had been standing in the corner, staring out at the spaceport. Now she turned and walked over to Grace.

"Is there some confusion with the duty log? Wilmer mentioned there were some problems with the last uplink," Maud said, fingering her ptenda and looking down at the screen. "No: three on, three off. You're back the day after tomorrow." She quirked an eyebrow and smiled at Grace. "Enjoy the rest."

Maud started to turn away, then stopped.

"Well? What is it?"

Grace took a step forward. Always good to begin with the truth.

"I have a concern."

"Something important, Donner?"

Grace nodded.

Maud motioned for Grace to sit down.

"I'd prefer to stand, Protector Van Decker."

Maud shrugged and sat down at her desk. She touched a small panel and the office door closed.

"What's on your mind, Donner?" Maud leaned back in her seat and waited.

"Protector," Grace took a quick breath before plowing ahead, "did you send a loafer into my apartment?"

Maud blinked, crossing her arms. "We have hundreds of loafers patrolling Port Casper, Donner." She smiled, but there was a pucker of tension between her eyes. "Where do you live?"

You know where, thought Grace. "1964 Frawley."

"Hmm. I see you chose our best property," Maud said. "I lived there two years ago while my house was being constructed."

She tapped her ptenda and one of the wall displays lit up with a map of Port Casper. Orange dots crowded the display. Maud rose and walked over.

"These are all the active loafers," she said. "Zoom, Frawley."

The image magnified Grace's building. No dots.

"No, not today," Grace said. "Last night."

"She's stalling." Raj's voice. Grace felt like removing the dot and throwing it to the floor.