Hidden Faults (2 page)

“Oh yes. A bit of a rabble-rouser, but we need people like him to fire up enthusiasm in the hearts of our young scientists.” He got to his feet. At twenty midecs, he towered over me and everyone else who worked for him. “Nuela reminded me that you’ve not been to supper with us in ages. It’s your birthday next week, isn’t it?”

“Yes, sir, but I'm going out with a lady friend for dinner.”

Kregan tsked. “Then perhaps the week after?”

“Yes, sir. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. Nuela enjoys your company.” He lowered his voice a little. “It’s important to remain objective, Jodi. Care about your work, believe in it, but remain detached.”

“I believe we should care about the patients too, sir. They don’t choose to be paranormal.”

“Very true, and I’ll point that out to your assistant. If she really doesn’t care, then I’ll reassign her myself. You’re a top class researcher, Jodi. You deserve top class assistance.”

“Thank you,” I said, flushing at the praise.

“Now I expect a report on the conference by the end of next week. Don’t be tempted to put a gloss on the reaction to your presentation. I’m aware how thin it is. This time next year, we’ll have something to amaze them.”

“Yes, we will,” I said, answering his determined tone if not the hard facts, which were that we had no idea if we’d ever crack this problem.

“Carry on, Jodi.” And then he left.

I slumped, sighing, partly with relief and partly out of annoyance at myself for letting him see me lose control that way. Limiw was adequate at her job, and if she’d learn to keep her opinions to herself, I’d have no problem with her or anyone else on the staff. Neim had rattled me—struck at my physician’s pride. No doctor should force patients back into drug addiction that served no therapeutic purpose. But when the alternative was mass internment, or worse....

I forced myself to remember I wasn’t in fact Neim’s doctor, and he’d consented freely and with full information. He wasn’t the first to beg me for something I had no power to give, and he wouldn’t be the last. Not until we succeeded.

I shook myself, made sure I’d cleaned my coat thoroughly of Neim’s spittle, and then put a call down to security.

“Arwe Jodimai here. Send the next subject on up, please.”

“Further refreshments, sir?”

“One moshino, one khevai,” I ordered, after glancing at Timo to confirm his usual. “And then the bill, my dear.”

Our waitress bowed low. “Yes, sir. Immediately.”

I smiled politely, and she rushed off to fill our order, ducking around her colleagues and the patrons. At this time of day the great and the good—the lawmakers and the judges and senior politicians in the government, even one or two familiar faces from skims—filled the restaurant. A respectable doctor and his engineer companion passed quite unnoticed in this company and in such elegant surroundings.

Timo called my attention back to him with a quiet tink-tink of his spoon on my water glass.

“I’m surprised Kregan didn’t withdraw your slot at the conference, since the report’s so lacklustre.”

“Would have looked worse if he had. If our department can’t present a paper once a year at the leading forum specifically aimed at their own central research, it looks bad for him. This way, it looks bad for me.” I shrugged at the sour face he pulled. “Come on, don’t tell me you’ve never gone to a professional conference and done presentations which amount to ‘we can’t make it work and we still have no idea why, but hey, we’re still amazingly clever’?”

Our waitress returned, setting Timo’s khevai down before him, and placing my moshino in front of me, her hands barely shaking at all. Impressive control, but then she wouldn’t have a job if she hadn’t had it.

“The bill, sir?”

“To me—ah, ah, you paid last time, Timo,” I said, fending off his grabbing hand. I looked up at the waitress. “To me, please.”

She put the metal salver down beside my cup, the heavy paranormal tattoo on her hand reflected in the silvered surface. I extracted my wallet. Ignoring Timo’s attempt to hand me some money, I placed three hundred down on the salver, then placed my hand over hers, pressing it down gently over the notes.

I looked up at her puzzled face. “Keep the change,” I said, keeping my voice low.

“Sir—”

“Keep the change.”

She kept her hand over the notes as she picked up the salver, fear mixed with her gratitude in her expression. Did she think it was some kind of trick? Tips weren’t illegal, not even of that size, not even for her kind.

“Thank you, sir. M-Marra bless you, sir.”

“Thank
you
.”

Timo gave me a wry look as I turned back to him. “You think that makes a difference?”

“I don’t want to talk about it, Timo.” I hoped my research would lead to a world where no one needed to be marked out for their paranormality. Until then, donations such as this were all I could offer to salve the guilt of privilege.

We left not long afterwards. The elegant restaurant was in an elegant area, full of modern apartment blocks and expensive offices, but still we passed a dozen or more para beggars, all with the characteristic naksen shake, as we made our way out onto the cold, windy street, down towards the commercial veecle stands.

A smart red and white veecle for hire accepted our hail and pulled in, and I offered it to Timo. I shook hands with him, relishing, as always, the familiar strength of his arm, even if these days only as a friend.

“Hana insists on you coming to dinner for your birthday,” he said. “The boys want to see their favourite uncle.”

“I'm sorry, but I'm going out.”

“Oh. She’ll be very disappointed.”

I faked a long-suffering sigh. “Oh, well, if she would mind so much....” Truthfully, a dinner with Timo and his family had far more charms for me than what I’d planned. “I’ll cancel my other arrangement.”

Timo raised a slim eyebrow at me in a knowing manner, but said nothing. My social life was a matter of survival, as well he knew. Marriage wasn’t an option as it had been for him.

He took the veecle and went back to his engineering firm’s headquarters in north Vizinken. As I waved him away, preparing to hail a veecle for myself, I saw a man across the lane, looking my way. He smiled, showing his teeth, his big dark eyes alight with secret mischief. I couldn’t help smiling back. He tipped his head as if acknowledging me, quickly and discreetly, then walked off, perhaps as conscious as I was how it looked. I admired the shape of his arse for a second or two, but then turned my eyes away, not wanting to be too obvious. No, marriage wasn’t an option for me—but the life I followed had a few pleasures I wasn’t yet ready to surrender.

I secured a veecle in a minute or so, and headed east to our labs. I came inside out of the cold wind, took off my coat, then ran my wrist chip over the door security sensor and walked into the foyer. Ajeile, our receptionist, gave me a bright smile.

“Hi, Jodi. Nice lunch?”

“Yes, thanks. Pity there’s nowhere closer to eat—such a nuisance for entertaining people.” She nodded politely. “Speaking of which...you remember we were supposed to go out next Juine, on my birthday?”

Her pretty face fell, anticipating rejection.

“I’m sorry, but I’ve been asked to go to dinner with some very close friends. I’m sort of honorary uncle to their sons but....” I drew the little folder out of my inner coat pocket. “If it’s an acceptable alternative, I’ve got two tickets the following night for the Kladi concert. Would you...?”

I smiled to myself as her expression changed from disappointment to raw amazement. “Jodi, are you
serious
? Tickets? They’ve been sold out for months! How did you—”

“A friend was disposing of them, and I thought I could find a use for them,” I lied smoothly. Actually, I made a habit of picking up tickets to highly popular events to use in this way. “Short notice, but I take it you’d—”

She clasped her hands together in prayer. “Please? Jodi, I’d do anything to go!”

I gave her my most charming smile. “All you have to do is make yourself ready for half six, and I’ll collect you.”

She’d talk about it to all her friends until the concert, and doubtless long after, embellishing the details as she went. I’d have to go back to her place so she could show her gratitude, of course, but for the cost of the ticket, I would have my undoubted heterosexuality verified for at least a month, and that would take some pressure off me. The costs of my deceptions were high, but so were the risks of exposure. I wouldn’t allow my work and the potential benefits to be sidelined for the want of a few harmless dates with a person of the socially expected sex. The sacrifice was more than worth it.

~~~

Kanar’s talk was the last one at the conference, and provocative as always. More of a medical ethicist than pure researcher, hailing from the more liberal environment of Tsikeni in the south, his constant theme was whether we had a right to meddle with a genetic inheritance which had no debilitating consequences other than infertility and what society artificially created. That those with the gene, active or not, were protected against many common cancers and had a far stronger immune system, had been known for many years, of course. Were we as clinicians prepared to add the burden of increased illness on our citizens, for the benefit of an increased population and safety from paranormal crime?

The discussion that followed grew heated. Kanar loved it, smirking as the insults flew. It was what he lived for. I, who preferred a quieter existence, still admired his bravery in putting himself out as a target. His views on paranormality had attracted a good deal of attention, and he’d received serious death threats. It was widely accepted that he lived under constant security surveillance, and not just for his own protection. He dealt with that by being utterly transparent. He had nothing to hide. Lucky for him.

The conference ran over time, but that surprised no one. Since we were at the inn where the official drinks reception would be held, all we had to do was move from the auditorium to the ballroom, conversations barely interrupted by the change of venue.

After getting a drink and snatching up some snacks to stave off hunger pangs until supper, I found myself in a circle of scientists around Kanar, listening to him holding forth. I didn’t comment, but hung back like several others, old and wise enough not to fall for his bait, but young enough to be amused by those who did.

Distracted by the entertainment, I finished my wine rather too quickly, and wanted something non-alcoholic to chase it. The last thing I wanted was to end up drunk and incapable among my professional colleagues, and these events could be deadly that way. Not all of us could drink like Kanar, who could take alcohol in quantities that would fell an urtibes, and still sound coherent.

I spotted a waiter with a drink tray and caught his eye. He moved smoothly over and offered me the tray, but as my hand reached for a glass of juice, it nearly collided with another. I looked up and found a dark-featured man smiling at me.

“Oops. You first,” he said.

I took the glass, he collected his own, and the waiter turned away to serve other people. The newcomer didn’t seem inclined to move on, so I smiled at him.

“Hi. I don’t remember seeing you earlier. I’m Jodimai hon Belwin.”

He held out his hand. “Tek.”

I shook his hand, noted the casual introduction, the calloused palms, the somewhat badly fitting suit, and the aggressively short hair that looked like his mother had cut it for him. Someone from the regions, I surmised.

“You’re not from Vizinken?”

He jerked as if surprised, and I set his hand free. “No...I’m a student. From Tsikeni.”

I looked at him again. Slightly shorter than me, though taller than most, slim build, narrow features that were unremarkable except for the long-lashed brown eyes that wouldn’t have shamed a barchin. Possibly my age, but with the dark Pindoni looks that made it hard to tell.

“No you’re not. Where’s your conference badge?”

“Dropped it?” He flashed white teeth at me, as though his obvious lie was a wonderful joke, and I couldn’t help but grin back. “Gonna report me?”

His hand had lingered a tiny bit too long in mine, and his eyes now held something...knowing. My heart beat a little faster, the thrill rising in my blood. I guided him a little way from the knot of people around Kanar.

“Here for free drinks?”

Those long lashes dipped again. “Not...entirely.” He looked up. “There’s free food too.”

I held down a laugh with some difficulty. “And afterwards?”

“Maybe a chance of something hot?”

My face had certainly heated up, but I pretended a casualness I didn’t feel at all.

“Could be. How were you planning to get a seat at the supper table?”

“It’s a buffet. Finger food. You sure you’re not gonna report me?”

“Make it worth my while?”

He saluted me with his drink. “I’d do that for free.”