Hybrids

“Healthy day,” said Bandra’s voice.

“Bandra, honey, this is Mary.”

“Mare, my darling! I didn’t expect you to be back until the day after tomorrow. I’m so nervous about Two becoming One. If Harb—”

“Bandra, get out of the Center. Don’t ask me why, just do it.”

“Is Harb—”

“It’s got nothing to do with Harb. Just get a travel cube, and get going, anywhere far away from the Center.”

“I don’t understand. It’s—”

“Just do it!” said Mary. “Trust me.”

“Of course I—”

“And Bandra?” said Mary. She looked at Louise and Reuben, then thought to hell with it. “Bandra, I should have said this before now. I do love you.”

Bandra’s voice was full of joy. “I love you, too, Mare. I can’t wait until we can be together again.”

“I’ve got to go,” said Mary. “Hurry, now. Get out of the Center!”

Mary looked defiantly at Louise, who had a “what was that all about?” expression on her face. But then Louise pointed past Mary. Mary turned. The travel cube was approaching, flying over an open area covered with a blanket of snow. They ran toward it, and as soon as it had settled to the ground, Mary straddled the saddle-seat beside the driver, a redheaded male 144. She watched as Reuben and Louise climbed into the back and awkwardly mounted the two seats there. “Saldak Center, as fast as possible,” Mary said to the driver. Agonizing seconds were lost as her Companion translated her words, and the driver’s response.

“Yes, I know Two are separate!” snapped Mary. “And I know he’s a male,” she said, tossing her head in Reuben’s direction. “This is a medical emergency. Go!”

Christine was a clever little device. Mary recognized the Neanderthal imperative “Tik! ” as the first word she uttered, meaning she had moved “Go!” up to the begi

“Christine, get me Ponter.”

“Done.”

“Ponter, why the hell does it take three adjudicators to order that Jock be tracked?”

Ponter’s translated reply started to come into Mary’s cochlear implants again. She pulled out a bud on her Companion’s silver faceplate, and the rest of his reply was shunted to the external speaker, so that Louise and Reuben could hear: “Hey, you’re the one who was saying we didn’t have enough safeguards for privacy in our alibi-archive system. In fact, it takes unanimous consent of three adjudicators to order judicial scrutiny of a Companion when no criminal accusation has been made.”

Mary glanced at the landscape speeding by—at least it was by Neanderthal standards; the cube was probably only doing sixty kilometers an hour. “Well, can’t you accuse him of a crime?” asked Mary. “Then you’ll only need one adjudicator, right?”

“This way will be faster,” said Ponter. “An accusation requires a complicated procedure, and—ah, here’s my travel cube.” Mary could hear the sound of a vehicle descending and a few clangings and bangings as Ponter boarded. He snapped the Neanderthal words for “alibi archives,” which Mary recognized, then turned his attention back to Mary.

“All right,” he said. “Now let’s—oh, wait a beat…” The co

Reuben leaned forward so that he could talk into Mary’s Companion. “Ponter, this is Reuben Montego. As soon as they’ve located Krieger, get them to clear the area. I’m safe, and so are Louise and Mary, but any Neanderthals exposed to Jock’s virus are as good as dead.”

“I will do so,” said Ponter. “We can broadcast an emergency message to every Companion. I’ll be at the alibi pavilion shortly; I’ll make sure it happens.”

Ahead, the buildings of Saldak Center loomed. Dozens of women were out putting up decorations for Two becoming One.

“We’ve located him,” said Ponter’s voice. “Hak, cease translating; transmit directly.” Ponter began to shout in the Neanderthal language, clearly addressing the driver of Mary’s travel cube.

The driver replied with several words, one of which was “Ka. ” The car started veering off.

“He’s in Konbor Square,” said Ponter, his words once more being translated. “I’ve told your driver to take you there. I’ll meet you there.”

“No,” said Louise, leaning forward. “No, Ponter, it’s too risky for you—for any Neanderthal. Leave it to us.”

“He is not alone. The adjudicators are looking at his Companion transmissions right now; he’s with Dekant Dorst.”

“Who is that?” asked Mary.

“One of Saldak Center’s elected officials,” said Ponter. “She’s a female of generation 141.”

“Damn,” said Mary. Normally, she’d trust any female Barast to restrain just about any male Gliksin, but 141s were seventy-eight years old. “We don’t want this devolving into a hostage-taking. We have to get her out of there.”

“Indeed,” said Ponter.

“Dekant Dorst must have cochlear implants, right?” said Mary.

“Of course,” said Ponter.

“Christine, get me Dekant Dorst.”

“Done.”

Mary spoke immediately, before the Barast woman could respond to the chirp her Companion would have just made between her ears. “Dekant Dorst, don’t say a word, and don’t give any sign to Jock Krieger that you are communicating with anyone. Just cough once if you understand.”

A cough emanated from Christine’s external speaker.

“All right, good. My name is Mary Vaughan, and I’m a Gliksin. Jock is currently under judicial scrutiny. We believe he is smuggling a dangerous substance into Saldak Center. You have to get away from him at the first opportunity. We’re on our way to your location now. All right?”

Another cough.

Mary felt awful; the old woman must be terrified. “Any suggestions?” Mary said to Reuben and Louise.

“She could tell Jock that she has to go to the washroom,” said Louise.

“Brilliant! Ponter, where are Jock and this woman right now? Indoors or out?”

“Let me ask the adjudicator…They are outdoors, heading on foot to the central plaza.”

“Jock’s Wipeout virus is designed for airborne transmission,” said Mary. “He must have some sort of aerosol bomb in that metal box he’s carrying. He probably intends to plant it in the central plaza, with it set to go off during the Two becoming One festivities.”

“If so,” said Ponter, “he’ll likely time it to go off right at the end of the holiday, so that all the males will go back home before anyone shows signs of illness. Not only will that get it out to Saldak Rim, but there are many males who come in from further locations.”

“Right,” said Mary. “Dekant, when the chance presents itself, tell Jock you’ve got to go into a public building to use the washroom, but that he’ll have to stay outside because he’s male. Okay? We’ll be there soon.”

Another cough, and then, for the first time, Mary heard Dekant’s voice, sounding quite nervous. “Scholar Krieger,” she said, “you must forgive me, but this old body of mine…I’m afraid I have to urinate. There’s a facility in there that I can use.”

Jock’s voice, muffled, distant: “Fine. I’ll just…”

“No, you must wait outside. Two aren’t yet One, you know—not yet!”

Jock said something that Mary couldn’t quite make out. About twenty seconds later, Dekant spoke. “All right, Scholar Vaughan. I’m safely indoors now.”

“Good,” said Mary. “Now, if—”

But she was interrupted by a female Neanderthal voice emerging from all four Companions in the travel cube—and, presumably, from every other Companion linked to Saldak’s alibi archives. “This is Adjudicator Mykalro,” said the voice. “We have an emergency. Immediately evacuate Saldak Center. Do it on foot, by hover-bus, or by travel cube, but get out right now. Do not delay. There may soon be a contagious fatal disease in the air. If you see a male Gliksin with silver hair, avoid him! He is under judicial scrutiny, and is currently located in Konbor Square. I repeat…”