The screen lit. She went over to it. There was only one item waiting for her.
The regular weekly update. Second week of April, 2290.
She sat down in front of the screen. Her hands were shaking. She clenched them, terrified, not sure why. But something was in it. Something Denys wanted was in that week, that year.
Second week of April.
Second week of April. Five years ago.
She had been at school. In the sandbox. She had started home.
"Selection one."
It came up. It started scrolling at the usual pace.
Olga Emory.
Deceased, April 13, 2290.
Ari senior had been at school. When her uncle Gregory had come to get her and break the news.
"Dammit!" she screamed, and got up and grabbed the first thing she found and threw it. Pens scattered clear across the bed and the holder hit the wall. She grabbed a jar and threw it at the mirror, and both shattered and fell. she screamed, and got up and grabbed the first thing she found and threw it. Pens scattered clear across the bed and the holder hit the wall. She grabbed a jar and threw it at the mirror, and both shattered and fell.
As Catlin and Florian came running in.
She sat down on her bed. And grabbed up Poo-thing and hugged him, stroked his shabby fur, and felt like she was going to throw up.
"Sera?" Florian said.
And he and Catlin came and knelt down by the side of the bed where she was sitting, both of them, even though she had been breaking things and they must think she was crazy. It was terribly scary for them; it was scary for her to have them come that close when she was already cornered. She knew how dangerous they were. And there was nothing she could trust.
"Sera?" Catlin said, and got up by her, just straightened up, solid muscle, and flowed onto the bed and touched her shoulder. "Sera, is there an Enemy?"
She could have taken Catlin with her elbow. She thought about it. She knew Catlin did. Florian put his hand on hers, on the edge of the bed. "Sera, are you hurt? Has something happened?"
She reached up with her other hand and touched Catlin"s, on her shoulder. Florian edged up onto the bed on her other side, and she got her breath and got her arm behind Catlin and her hand locked onto Florian"s and just sat there a moment. Poo-thing fell. She let him.
"They sent maman away," she said, "because Ari"s mother died."
"What, sera?" Florian asked. "What do you mean? When did she die?"
"The same day. When Ari was the same age. Her uncle came to get her. Just like uncle Denys came for me." Tears ran out of her eyes and splashed onto her lap, but she wasn"t crying, not feeling it, anyway; the tears just fell. "I"m a replicate. Not just genetic. I"m like you. I"m exact." exact."
"That"s not so bad," Catlin said.
"They sent my maman away, they sent her on a long trip through jump, it made her sick and she died, died, Catlin, she Catlin, she died, died, because they wanted her to!" because they wanted her to!"
Catlin tapped her shoulder, hard, leaned up to her ear and whispered: "Monitors."
She felt the shock of that reminder in her bones and caught her breath, trying to think.
The scrolling stopped on the screen in front of them.
"Ari, check Base One," the Minder said. the Minder said.
She made a second gasp after air. Like she was drowning. She held onto Florian and Catlin.
"Ari, check Base One."
Uncle Denys had known what would come up.
Uncle Denys hadn"t wanted her to go on-line tonight. Go to Amy"s, he had said.
Then told told her to check the computer. her to check the computer.
"Ari, check Base One."
"Base One, dammit!" She disentangled herself from Florian and Catlin and thought it was Unusual that uncle Denys and Seely hadn"t tried to get in to see about her when the mirror broke. And then she thought that it wasn"t Unusual at all.
Not with the room monitored.
She sat down at the terminal, in front of the monitor.
Ari, it said. it said. This is Ari senior. By now you"ve gotten the update. By now you know some things you may not have figured out before. Are you upset? This is Ari senior. By now you"ve gotten the update. By now you know some things you may not have figured out before. Are you upset?
"Of course not." She felt Florian beside her. She grabbed his arm and held it, hard. "Go on, Ari."
Your access is upgraded. You are no longer on time-lag. Data is available through April 13, 2295.
She grabbed Catlin"s shoulder, on the other side of her.
"Go on, Ari."
That"s when I was 12. Updates will still be weekly.
Good night, Ari.
She clenched down until her fingers hurt; and then she realized what she was doing and let up. "Log-off," she said. And sat there shaking.
Catlin patted her shoulder and gave her the handsigns they had made up for Tomorrow, Outside.
Florian signed: Tonight. Take-out Monitor.
She shook her head, and signed: Stay.
And took them each by a hand.
Knowing that five more years of data were in the files. But she had an idea what was in it.
Exactly what was in it.
Dammit. Dammit. Dammit.
Security was still taping. "Florian," she said, "Catlin, we are are going to Security. Right now." going to Security. Right now."
Catlin made the sign for Seely.
"They won"t stop us. Get your stuff. Come on. We"re going to go kill that thing. Hear that, uncle Denys?" Hear that, uncle Denys?"
He didn"t answer. Of course not.
She went and washed her face while Florian was getting his small tool kit. While Catlin was getting whatever she thought she might need. Which probably included a length of fine wire.
They walked out into the living room. Uncle Denys was reading at the dining table beyond the arch. Like most evenings. He looked at her.
She said: "We"re going down to Security, in case you missed it."
"I"ll advise them," uncle Denys said. "Don"t "Don"t break anything, Florian." Seely was not in the room. Seely should have been. Maybe Seely was monitoring from the office. break anything, Florian." Seely was not in the room. Seely should have been. Maybe Seely was monitoring from the office.
She stood there and stared at uncle Denys a long, long while. "Like your maman," uncle Denys said, "I"ve tried to help you."
"They could kill you."
"Yes. I know that. You know that. You could do that anytime, if you put your mind to it. We have to take chances like that. Because I"m your friend. Not your uncle. Not really. I"ve been your friend for as long as you"ve lived."
"Which how long?" how long?"
"As long as you"ve lived. You"re Ari. One is is the other. That"s what this is about. Neither one of you betrayed the other one. You the other. That"s what this is about. Neither one of you betrayed the other one. You are are the one who did all these things-in a very direct sense. Think about it." the one who did all these things-in a very direct sense. Think about it."
"You"re crazy! Everybody in this House is crazy!"
"No. Go see about Security. I"ll tell them. Your accesses have upgraded considerably tonight. You have have real authority in some things. You don"t have to live here. You can take your apartment, if you want to. It"ll be very large, for a young girl and two azi. But you have the key. If you want to go there, you can. Florian can access the Security system there, and vet it for you. Or you can come back here when you"re through. Or you can go over to Amy"s. Her mother won"t ask any questions." real authority in some things. You don"t have to live here. You can take your apartment, if you want to. It"ll be very large, for a young girl and two azi. But you have the key. If you want to go there, you can. Florian can access the Security system there, and vet it for you. Or you can come back here when you"re through. Or you can go over to Amy"s. Her mother won"t ask any questions."
"Does everybody in Reseune know what I am?"
"Of course. Everybody knew the first Ari. And you began, at least on paper, the day after she died."
"d.a.m.n you."
"Same temper, too. But she learned to control it. Learned to use use it, not let it use her. There"s a lot of Cyteen history in those data files, too. A lot of Reseune history. A lot of things your education has just-avoided, until now. Once upon a time there was a man who could see the future. He began trying to change his life. But that it, not let it use her. There"s a lot of Cyteen history in those data files, too. A lot of Reseune history. A lot of things your education has just-avoided, until now. Once upon a time there was a man who could see the future. He began trying to change his life. But that was was his future. Someday you"ll access yours-as far as you want to. Think about it." his future. Someday you"ll access yours-as far as you want to. Think about it."
"I"m not doing anything you tell me from now on."
"Ask yourself why five years. Why not six? Why not four? Ask the computer what happened April 13, 2295."
"You tell me." tell me."
"You can look it up. You have the access."
"I want all my stuff up at my apartment."
"That"s fine. Tell Housekeeping. They can do that first thing in the morning. You"d better pack at least the basics-for the apartment where you"re going. Or buy it. Necessaries Necessaries is open round the clock. If you need anything-like advice on how to fill out the paperwork, whatever, -call me. I certainly don"t mind helping you." is open round the clock. If you need anything-like advice on how to fill out the paperwork, whatever, -call me. I certainly don"t mind helping you."
Trust Denys to get to the mundane, the depressing workaday details of anything.
"I"ll manage."
"I know you will, dear. I"m still here. If I can help you I want to. Florian, Catlin, don"t let her hurt herself. Please. And take some pajamas."
"Dammit, uncle Denys, -"
"Dear, somebody somebody has to take care of things. It"s usually me. Do you want to go to your apartment, -or do you want to come back and live here for a little while, till you"ve figured out what it takes to has to take care of things. It"s usually me. Do you want to go to your apartment, -or do you want to come back and live here for a little while, till you"ve figured out what it takes to run run an apartment on your own?" an apartment on your own?"
"No. No, I don"t. I"ll manage."
"I"ll send Housekeeping for for you. They can"t go in up there. But I"ll have a package waiting at your door, and send your things on tomorrow. Practical things, Ari. I"ll fill out your supply forms for you, and your budget report, you have to have that, or you foul up accounting. I"ll give you copies so you know how to set it up in your Base." you. They can"t go in up there. But I"ll have a package waiting at your door, and send your things on tomorrow. Practical things, Ari. I"ll fill out your supply forms for you, and your budget report, you have to have that, or you foul up accounting. I"ll give you copies so you know how to set it up in your Base."
"Thank you."
"Thank you, Ari. Thank you for being reasonable about this. This is different from Ari senior, understand. She was fourteen when she moved out of this apartment. But you"re overrunning your course too, by a little. Please. Take care of yourself. Can you give me a kiss?"
She stood there, frozen. Out of this apartment. Out of this apartment. She swallowed a lump of nausea. And shook her head. "Not right now. Not right now, uncle Denys." She swallowed a lump of nausea. And shook her head. "Not right now. Not right now, uncle Denys."
He nodded. "Sometime, then."
She clenched her jaw and motioned to Florian and Catlin that they were leaving.
ARCHIVES: RUBIN PROJECT: CLa.s.sIFIED CLa.s.s AA.
DO NOT COPY WITHOUT COMMITTEE FORM 768.
CONTENT: Computer Transcript File #5998 Seq. #1 Denys Nye/Catlin II Emory I/Emory II/Florian II
2418: 4/14: 0048.
AE2: Minder, this is Ari Emory. Florian and Catlin are with me. Print out all entries since I was here last.
Ell: There are two messages.
Welcome to your own home. If you get scared and you want to call me or Security, please don"t hesitate. But you"re as safe there as here. Trust Florian and Catlin. Take their advice when it comes to your safety.