Ill Wind Read online

  She explained her problem but the man on the other side of the counter did not seem to understand her.

  “Without a proper AI, you'll have to enter your request for an escort manually...”

  “I have this,” she responded holding up her portable AI unit.

  “As I said, without a proper AI, you'll have to...”

  What? Because she didn't let them drill a hole into her head and stuff it with electronics she would now have to write things on paper in order to be understood. And then she realized he had said 'escort'.

  “And I don't need an escort, I need help with a missing person.”

  “You certainly do need an escort and otherwise it makes no sense for me to even send you anywhere else. Does that unit allow me to charge it?”

  “Oh!” Ann almost laughed. “So my AI is too antiquated for you to send information unless it is a payment request?”

  Ann's voice was laced with annoyance as she looked around the room. She hated corpers so much. It was just as she envisioned it would be, no surprise at all. The monotony of the Domes.

  “What does she need?” a stern voice came out of nowhere. She looked back to find another man, this one shorter and his uniform black, had somehow emerged from the bureaucratic chaos. His eyes were dark and his hair was straight and cropped short. The newcomer was certainly older than the greeny in front of her, but probably not a senior officer.

  “It's nothing, Deputy,” assured the man in gray. “Some foreign villager here without an escort. I'll get one for her even if I have to process it all manually.”

  Ann shook her head.

  “I asked you what she wanted, not what she needed,” the 'Deputy' spoke evenly and calmly despite a stiffening of his posture and a flashing of his eyes.

  “But I told you, she has to have...”

  Ann spoke up. “I am looking for a friend, she is missing and I would like to contract your services to find her...”

  “You said she wanted an escort,” the shorter man's tone was accusatory.

  “I said that she needed one.”

  “Take a break,” the newcomer offered.

  “I'll take care of this...”

  “Go,” the Deputy prodded with a quick tap on the back of the man's chair.

  The attendant sighed, rose and walked off while the new officer sat down easily, his eyes scanning whatever notes had been left for him. Ann started to speak but he lifted a lazy hand.

  “Annabelle Paige? From the village of Corousel, Techview?”

  “Yes, that is me.”

  “You are a guest in our dome?”

  “Yes, I suppose I am,” she admitted. She had almost reached her hotel when she had seen the sign and become inspired by Lyn's previous success.

  “How can Transom Security Services help you?”

  “You could help me understand why I need a male escort to walk down the street?” Ann began. He had asked so she would get her money's worth.

  The Deputy shrugged, “The growth of our city and our population is of primary importance these days and so women are of special importance. The public wants to see that they are protected, especially here in our domes.”

  “I can understand escorts for citizens who want it or need it, but this is a required practice? Really?”

  “It is not required, just recommended.”

  “Recommended for women more than men.”

  “Yes.”

  He looked at her, his eyes darting back and forth behind his black spectacles, the fingers of his hand moved with purpose within a glove on the counter before him. She got the impression he was attending to other matters while conversing with her. Still, he did not seem hurried or impatient.

  “Would you recommend it?” she asked.

  He shrugged.

  “That is like asking me what style boots you should wear or how to style your hair. If you hire an escort, a profitable business for us, it will make people that you meet more comfortable around you and it will be less obvious that you are a tourist. If you don't have an escort, some may refuse to speak with you and some may go out of their way to do so. In the end, it is up to you and I will offer you a 20% discount. Now tell me about this missing person.”

  “I traveled here to visit a friend, but I find she is missing, no one has seen her and the facility where she works has received threats. So I am concerned.”

  “How do you know that she is missing?” the question was quick.

  Ann gave him the basics and was prepared for more questions.

  “Good. Now I understand what you need. Even if she were corporate, I would have limited jurisdiction unless she were our own. But as you have said that she is from Las Tunas, we have even less jurisdiction. I can't go into the villages, but you can. My suggestion is that you continue your investigation there.”

  “I have been to her home village, they have not seen heard from her.”

  “Perhaps she is staying with friends in another village or even here in the Domes. With a boyfriend perhaps?”

  “I don't believe that is the case, but I can't be sure,” Ann admitted. “If she were being held against her will...”

  “If she were being held in the villages, I can do nothing for you. If she were being held in the Domes, then it is a crime even here. There are some who do not approve of Sponsorship or what happens to those villagers who enter into that agreement, so we have enough trouble without antagonizing those villagers who do not, many of whom work in our Domes. Here in Transom, we provide a shuttle and escort all of the workers in to start their day and then we bring them back out at the end of the day. We don't want any trouble.”

  “If I could prove that she was being held somewhere?”

  The man raised his eyebrows.

  “Do you have such proof?”

  “I just want to know if it makes sense to ever come back here no matter what I find...”

  “If you had proof, we would help you.”

  “Why?” Ann tested.

  “I told you why. But, additionally, in New Berlyn, just like all of Las Joyas, crimes by corporations or their members, come with monetary penalties. We would take a share of that, probably a large share. Is that what you expected to hear?”

  He handed her a card. She looked down at it.

  “No, Deputy Harilla, but neither does it surprise me. Thank you for your honesty.”

  Junior Officer

  “Tell me how you did it, Miriam?” Ann asked as they walked back to their hotel. “How did you become an officer so quickly? How did you get out of...out of Sponsorship?”

  “Good question!” Miriam laughed nervously. “Why are you asking?”

  “I don't mean to pry, and when I'm not at the Sanctuary in Techview, where we met, I spend very little time in the Domes. Still, I do meet some of you...I mean corporate assets and I have always felt sorry for them, thinking that they will never pay off their debt or whatever. I have similar concerns for that Cynnamon girl you met on the train. To be honest, I was ready to wager that I would never meet anyone who made it through and now here you are, an officer..”

  “Junior officer,” Miriam corrected her.

  “Still, you are a free woman, right? You can do what you want? You can travel the Joyas, return to the villages, go where you want.”

  “I wouldn't say that...” Miriam said carefully.

  Ann looked over at her friend, the pretty forehead was wrinkled.

  “So...it's not true?”

  “No, no, don't get me wrong,” Miriam turned to her with sincere, intelligent green eyes, “It is true: once your Sponsorship is paid you are free, a full citizen, with all privileges and benefits. It's just that....I wouldn't know where else to go or what else to do. I can't imagine going home.”

  “But it is possible, right? You are the proof?”

  “Anything is possible. It's possible to get swept up into Maltiempo and that it will let you go. I've heard that story. It's an anecdote, just as I am. It means almost nothing.”


  “But you know how it worked for you...”

  I don't know how to answer your question, Ann,” Miriam said irritably. “You are trying to get me to make a general statement and I can't. You have no idea...there isn't ANYONE who can fathom what I have been through or the price I have paid. Some days I can't believe I am so fortunate and other days I envy everyone else...”

  “Miriam, are you worried about something else? Does it have something to do with Petyr...”

  “No, no, no!” Miriam cried, her eyes fading into frantic innocence. “Don't even say that, I love my life, I adore the Doctor. It is all I ever wanted!”

  “But you just said..”

  “I said I have a headache and this makes it worse! I have to go back to my room.”

  New Escort

  Ann was not put off at all by Miriam's behavior from the previous night. It just confirmed what she already suspected - there was something going on in the young villager-turned-asset-turned-corper's life. Ann decided she would just need to be more subtle in the future to find out exactly what.

  Meanwhile, she was making little progress in her search for the missing First Sister. Her conversations with all of Lyn's family and friends had not unearthed any leads, the influential and odious 'Faithful Sons' were willing to only try to help but in exchange for being absorbed into their fold and corporate security admitted there was little they could do, even for money.

  Still, Ann had been satisfied that the corporate officer's belief that Lyn was more likely held by her own people, a rival village perhaps. Her own sister had admitted that many had become angry with Lyn when she left the villages to accept her role as 'First Sister', so she decided to follow that path. Rather than speaking with Lyn's friends and family, people who might omit an important piece of information in order to avoid making her look bad, Ann decided to seek those who seemed critical of this missing one. That strategy got her a name, a woman from another village.

  Ann was preparing to leave the Domes when an unknown man arrived.

  “Ann Paige?”

  “No more escorts, get lost,” Ann muttered without looking up. How did Miriam always know? It didn't matter, she was done with these Humantis toadies hampering her investigation.

  “What?” The voice seemed confused. “Dr. Petyr sent me, he asked me to try to help out. You are leaving the Domes?”

  Annabelle had finished checking and adjusting her weather suit, intending to simply leave the man behind. But when she looked up, the escort, a man older than his predecessors, had finished equipping himself as well. Surprised, Ann even took the time to walk over and inspect his work and him at the same time.

  The man was tall, with a medium build and graying hair. His limbs seemed toned and able unlike those of the corpers which were either corpulent or bone-thin. And this one's skin had the healthy glow of someone who waded in the storms. So he was a villager by birth and must now be another corporate slave, unable to pay his debt even at his half-century mark. Or perhaps he started late?

  “I don't need anyone today. Perhaps tomorrow.”

  “Are you sure?” the man called as he moved into the storm with her. Ann had chosen a exit which was closest to the forests but still it was never wise to be too exposed to the weather so she moved quickly into a low, quick, jog.

  “You are from Techview, right? You don't know the lands around here, it is best to travel in groups,” the man said over the communication link as she approached the trees.

  Perhaps, she thought, but she refused to wait for this...this 'escort'. She meant to look around to see how far the stranger had fallen, but, to her chagrin, he had kept up with her and returned her glance even as they reached the dark and twisted limbs of the forest and started to ascend a hill. She sighed, she would not be so infantile as to push herself harder than usual just to try to lose him.

  It was just over an hour later when they arrived in the village of Guisa. The man, whose name was Ryk, had stayed with her the entire way.

  “You really will return to the Domes tonight?” the woman named Charlee asked as she served tea first to Ryk then Annabelle. “You are welcome to stay the night...if you wish,” She added giving Ryk an extra smile before sliding into a chair.

  Ann realized that her escort might turn out to be useful after all. They had spoken only ten minutes and already this woman, a science teacher, seemed to resent Ann's questions while simultaneously enjoying Ryk's polite small-talk.

  Charlee's short, well-sculpted, sandy blonde hair clung to her dark complexion and piercing green eyes. She shooed her young boys away so that the adults could speak.

  “Thank you for the offer, but the trip over was pretty easy,” Ann began and then added tactfully, “of course my companion might not be up to it. I really would like to ask you about Lyn.”

  Charlee flashed Ryk another smile, “You are both welcome, or either of you, of course,” she spoke, her smile fading as she turned back to Ann. “Well, as I told you over the comm, I worked at the Sanctuary for about a year and submitted status reports to Sister Lyn once a week as well as progress reports, lesson plans and the like. But I didn't find her all that easy to know. She was one of those who speaks rather than tells, if you understand.”

  “I don't, could you explain?” insisted Ann.

  The woman took a sip of her tea and then spoke quickly and plainly. “I mean that she hardly ever spoke about herself, she was too busy advising others how to live their lives or telling them how things should be, I found it off-putting. Don't get me wrong, I respected her, I just didn't often agree with her.”

  “I have never met her, myself,” Ann interjected, “In any case, I have some important business to discuss but have been unable to locate her, could you help me with that? Perhaps you overheard her plans about where she would go when the Sanctuary was abandoned?”

  Charlee shook her head.

  “I did ask about her plans after she told me about the hiatus but she told me she couldn't leave, that she had to stay with the Sanctuary, that some one must be there at all times. So I just assumed that is what she did. Now you tell me she left, can't say I'm all that surprised.”

  Charlee rolled her eyes and gave Ryk a meaningful glance. She clearly was not a fan.

  Ryk leaned forward, entering the conversation. “This Lyn, did she often say one thing and do another? It might help Miss Paige if you provided some examples.”

  Ann looked over at him pleasantly even as she wished he would keep out of it. But the words seemed to resonate with the woman.

  “Sure, no one is perfect, I know, but it's hypocrisy which really rattles my cage. For example, Lyn was always pushing adoption of village orphans rather than having our own. I even heard her give a talk where she declared that bearing children was a selfish act. Can you imagine? Do you have children Miss Paige?”

  “I do, I have two girls and a boy, all grown now. I don't agree, of course.” Ann said with an air of indignation. She didn't want the woman to edit herself in any way.

  “Well, then here is the killer!” Charlee muttered as she stood and scrambled to fetch more tea. “She comes in one day, and I overhear her arguing with her boyfriend. Come to find out she is pregnant!! After all that talk about adoption and selfishness? And all that talk about 'living in the Sanctuary'? She'll be going off to live with him, that's what she'll be doing, if you ask me.”

  “She had a boyfriend? Did you know him?” Ann asked calmly, but her heat was beating quickly.

  “I never saw him before, but he was definitely a corper and I am pretty sure he is the boyfriend because they were arguing about which doctor to see. He insisted on going to TRS rather than the villages so not only is he probably the father but...”

  “TRS?” Ann asked.

  “Transom Reproductive Services,” Ryk and Charlee answered in unison.

  Miriam's Uncle

  “How long has your friend been missing?” Ryk asked as he held out his hand to Ann. She looked at it. She would have grabbed a
limb and pulled herself up but now he was blocking the way. She grasped his hand and he pulled her up easily and without delay. She used the impetus to move past him and into the trees.

  “A couple weeks at least.”

  “Well, I am very sorry. I know what it is like to be completely cut off from someone that you care about, knowing that they might be reached if you only knew how. So frustrating.”

  “Yes,” responded Ann, “It is that. I did not fully appreciate it. Our Sanctuary works with many women and it is not uncommon for them to just go away and never return, to break contact. I am somehow used to that. But this is...as you said, frustrating.”

  They walked on, but Ann thought about what he had said and she thought she detected some pain in his voice.

  “So, you will look for the boyfriend?” the man was continuing.

  But she was turning around, not wanting to ignore what he had said.

  “You said that you lost someone?”

  Ryk looked confused. “Well, Miri was out of contact for more than a year, and for us it was the same...”

  Ann stopped completely and pushed back toward him, directing him behind the trunk of a large toppled tree.

  “Miri? Who is Miri!” but of course it was coming to her.

  “Oh, you know her...Miriam? I'm her Uncle.”

  “You?!” Ann gasped. “You are that Uncle? The one who is checking on her child?”

  “Yes, I did that. But as it is safe in a development chambers...well naturally I wanted to see her. You didn't know?”

  “No,” Ann admitted. It had been so hard to get any time with Miriam recently. And she was so distracted and irritable when they did talk. “Okay, let's get back. I think you could use a drink and it is your lucky day because so do I and I'm buying.”

  The two sat in a tea shoppe in downtown Transom, ignored by busy corpers shuttling in and out.

  “This is quite good,” Ryk said happily. “Root pear beer, huh? Is it a local product?”