Port Casper

Chapter Thirty-Six

Grace woke up early the next morning. She was in Raj's spare bedroom, just like her first morning in Port Casper. Her head rested on her right forearm. She felt skin, her skin, against her cheek. She turned over and felt her right arm. Normal. Normal again.

Grace reached out automatically to the bedstand, where Ronnie and Jonnie were conspicuously absent. Her father's legacy and Flora's bet, both gone. Instead, she had Martin's gun. It was a Cloister Arms 6060, a beautiful little antique. She turned it over in her hands, her eyes welling up.

"Bounce, cadet!" she whispered to herself.

Raj was already having breakfast at the kitchen table when Grace came out of her room. He smiled as she walked over, and waved her to a giant bowl of oatmeal. With bacon in it. Oh yes.

"Morning, Grace," he said, grinning as she dug into the bowl. "Our antics at ITB last night have proved most popular. There's been a flood of intel, official and hearsay."

"Isn't it all hearsay?"

"Ha." Raj maneuvered his display so Grace could look, too. "Two kidnappings, corporate espionage, the murder of a vice minister. People are now shocked at how the Bransen family was removed from power at ITB. And Maud was in the middle of all of it."

"Let me see."

Grace scanned the readouts. Maud had been sent to the Luna-Six penal colony. A notorious place. She wondered what Maud thought of it.

If Maud could really think. Tim had explained that his LEMP would have robbed Maud of her mind. But if that were so, how could a court have found her guilty?

"Maud was in the middle of it, but she was still a scapegoat," Grace said, peering at the displays. "We saved Varghese's position when we had him launch that AI initiative. Now everyone thinks he was making a power-play against Maud."

Raj rose and walked to the kitchen. "Varghese will be hampered without Maud. At some point the board may move against him."

At some point. Grace glanced at her right arm. Technology created greed, like the gold of yore. Why else the swift "justice" for Maud? She doubted Varghese would be removed. And if he was, it wouldn't be for justice.

Grace's eyes darted back and forth between news sources as she finished her oatmeal. "Huh. They aren't mentioning us."

Raj returned with a steaming plate of eggs. He deposited it in front of Grace, who happily dug in.

"That's because Tim and I stayed up all night, removing our names and circumstances everywhere they popped up--at least on the grid." Raj sat down heavily, and it was only now Grace noticed the lines around his eyes.

"It won't last," Raj continued. "Too many footprints; too many witnesses. The compstate will undoubtedly issue writs for you and me. We have a few days at most."

Grace nodded. "I was somewhat surprised somebody didn't wake me up last night and haul us all in." She tossed her fork on the empty plate. "And that's for the best, anyway. I want to give my deposition to the compstate."

"I understand, Grace. But consider doing it remotely."

"Remotely?"

"Maud had allies, a lot of them in Port Casper. I want you to get out of here. Tim has altered your contract at ITB. You're on indefinite leave. With pay."

"But I don't want to quit. Or leave."

"I understand, Grace," Tim said from the floor. When had he walked in? "Eventually, I hope to return to ITB too. But now is not the time. We need to regroup at a safe distance."