The softwire : Virus on Orbis 1 (22 page)

“The whole time we were on the
Renaissance,
I dreamed about living on Orbis. I thought of nothing else. But we don’t have a hope of making a good life here unless I can prove there’s a virus in the central computer. The Citizens and the Keepers are convinced it’s each other, and they’re willing to take extreme measures to prove it.”

“What extreme measures?” Theodore asked.

“I’m going to do this with or without you,” I said.

“No. If you go, we all go,” Max said, and Theodore nodded.

With a deep breath and a lot of apprehension, I headed for the elevator door.

None of us had ever used Weegin’s elevator or entered Weegin’s office before. We tried to be as quiet as possible, but the elevator screeched as it lifted us to Weegin’s level. If we had hoped for an element of surprise, we had definitely lost it.

“I don’t like this, JT,” Max said.

“Me neither, but when that door opens, get ready to duck under the stilts of the Neewalkers. That will give me enough time to access the chip and knock them over.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Max said.

“No, I’m not.”

Theodore kept mumbling as he stared at the door.

“What are you doing?” Max asked him.

“He’s counting,” I said. “It calms him down.”

“Counting what?” she asked.

“My heartbeats,” he replied.

The elevator rose at a deathly slow pace, centimeter by centimeter. When the door finally disappeared, Ketheria panicked. She grabbed my vest and yanked me to the back of the lift. She got in front of me and punched at the controls.

“Ketheria, I have to,” I said, trying to calm her, but it was no use. She was frantically trying to get the elevator to go back down.

“Ketheria?” Max said.

“Look, no one is there,” I said when the lift stopped, but that didn’t stop Ketheria. She would not let me leave the elevator.

“Ketheria, I must do this now. C’mon — please,” I said as I fought her off and headed for Weegin’s office.

A familiar sound came from behind us.

I turned to find Sar Cyrillus poised with a large ion rifle aimed right at us.

“Surprised?” he asked.

I immediately accessed the chip that controlled Sar Cyrillus’s mechanical legs.

“Don’t bother, Softwire. You can only do that to us once.”

He was right. I immediately encountered a blocking device that would take some time to figure out.

“Get your dirty little mind out of my computer chip,” he said, shifting toward us. “And get a move on.”

Sar Cyrillus motioned toward the office with the giant weapon that extended from his right arm. No one argued, and I took the lead.

I reached for the door to Weegin’s office, and Ketheria tugged my arm again.

“I know. Stay close,” I said. I looked at her. She shook her head very slowly, almost as if she was trying to tell me she was sorry — for what, I didn’t know.

“No, it’s my fault, Ketheria. Maybe I should have listened.”

The door disappeared.

“It’s about time. I didn’t know Weegin let his chattel stay out so long. I would not have come so early,” a familiar voice said from the shadows.

Madame Lee stepped out from the corner of Weegin’s office.

“You?” I stared at Madame Lee. Her jet-black skin and pure white hair were a stark contrast to knobby little Weegin, who hung in the air, thanks to the meanest-looking Neewalker I’d ever seen. Another Neewalker stood in the corner.

“Don’t look so surprised. I might be offended,” she said, pushing a braid behind her long, thin ears.

Ketheria moved behind me, trying to stay out of Madame Lee’s sight. Madame Lee set her piercing silver pupils on Theodore.

“Who’s this?” she asked, and she snuck a peek at Ketheria. When Madame Lee moved closer to Theodore, Ketheria moved behind Max.

“I’m Theodore.”

“Yes, you are, and you’re wishing you hadn’t invited yourself on their little excursion, aren’t you?”

“How did you know?” he said.

“I know a lot of things.”

Sar Cyrillus grew impatient. “Get on with this,” he growled, and Weegin squirmed in the hands of the ugly Neewalker.

“Put me down,” he demanded.

“Be quiet, worm,” Madame Lee snapped.

I tried to push into the computer chips of the other Neewalkers, but they were also using the blocking device.

“Poor child,” Madame Lee said, obviously knowing what I was trying to do. “Do you think the Trading Council succeeds without any defense against those Space Jumpers and that nasty little habit of yours? How could we do our business if we didn’t know how to shut those meddling creatures out of our computers?”

“Why are you trying to destroy the central computer? It’s only going to ruin Orbis,” Max demanded.

Madame Lee let out a deep breath. “Oh, ignorant little one. We are not destroying the computer; the Keepers are. They’re greedier than we are, if you can believe that.”

“Not really,” I said.

“Well, they are. They want those beautiful moons all to themselves, and I will not allow that. Were it not for that idiot Trefaldoor, everything would be mine by now.”

“Boohral?” I said.

“Yes, that oversize, bloated yellow do-gooder. How can a Trefaldoor be expected to do business for us? Trefaldoors, poor things, are biologically unable to lie, and lying is essential to our success.” She grinned.

“So is killing,” Max said, but the comment didn’t even faze Madame Lee. She smiled at Ketheria. A knowing smile I couldn’t figure out.

“Unfortunately, you’re right. But it was so easy to disguise. The creatures on this ring will believe anything they see as long as it comes from that stupid central computer. And that brings us to how we’re going to deal with you meddlesome brats. Especially you.” She pointed at me. “There is no way I’m going to let the Keepers put you into the computer to spy on us. If they’re going to waste your talents by making you live in the central computer, I would rather see you dead.”

“What?” Theodore said.

Max and Theodore looked at me. Ketheria could not hold back her tears.

“Is that true, JT?” Max asked.

“It certainly is,” Madame Lee replied. “The Keepers, those two-headed know-it-alls you admire so much, have condemned your little friend to a life of servitude inside the central computer. Isn’t that nice?”

“Well, I’m not doing it,” I said.

“Oh, but you know the penalty if you don’t obey your owners. You’re dead either way, I’m afraid.”

“Weegin, is this true?” Max asked.

Weegin dropped his head.

“Don’t worry. Weegin will be paid handsomely for his loss.” Madame Lee smiled. “He’s been planning to sell you off from the very beginning.”

“Don’t kill them all,” Weegin said. “That’s almost half my stock.”

“
Your
stock? Remember, I own you, too, now. I’m not going to kill anyone — yet.”

“How do you know about the Keepers’ wanting Johnny to live in the computer?” Max said.

An evil grin spread across Madame Lee’s face. “Powerful friends in powerful places? I mean, how can I have any control over their precious computer if I don’t know about their security devices?”

Madame Lee drifted toward Ketheria. Ketheria would not look at her.

“What’s the matter, my child? Still trying to hide your secret?” she said in a motherly voice. Ketheria just stared at her feet.

“What secret?” I asked, trying to position myself between Madame Lee and my sister.

“Quite a big secret. A secret she discovered on the
Renaissance
but was afraid to tell her brother once she read about how they treated telepaths on Orbis. Aren’t I correct, dear?”

Madame Lee stroked Ketheria’s hair as Ketheria stared at me.

“Telepath?” Max and I said in unison. Theodore simply stared with his mouth open.

“I have a softwire
and
a telepath?” Weegin said.

“Shut up,” Madame Lee scolded him. She turned back to me. “Your little sister has the ability to read minds. She actually prefers it to talking. I’m sure she could talk if she wanted to. Isn’t that right?” But Ketheria did not respond.

This definitely explained a lot of things about my sister.

Ketheria pointed at Madame Lee. I understood immediately.

“You’re a telepath, too!” I exclaimed.

Madame Lee only smiled. “Getting smarter by the moment.”

“Why didn’t you let me know, Ketheria?” I asked her.

Max knelt next to Ketheria. “She couldn’t, JT. All telepaths must report to security upon their arrival. It’s one of the Keepers’ decrees. First they are quarantined, and then they are fitted with a device to control their abilities,” Max said.

“Your little sister would have been taken away once you arrived. Who would have wanted that?” Madame Lee added.

“If you’re a telepath, how come you’re not registered? How come you’re not wearing a device that lets everyone else know?” Max asked.

“I made them write the decree, of course, a very, very long time ago. Besides, how do you think I find them? But now the truth must be told.”

Madame Lee reached into her tight-fitting outfit, a combination of leather padding and something that resembled turtle shells or reptile scales. She removed a communication device and spoke into it: “This is Councilwoman Lee. I must report an unregistered telepath. I’m requesting an immediate self-guiding security sphere. Direct it to these coordinates.”

“No!” I screamed, but before I could even move, Ketheria was sealed in a green security bubble like the one they had used on me. I could see Ketheria pounding on the inside of the bubble, but no one could help her. I tried to grab the bubble. Max and Theodore tried, too, as Madame Lee and the Neewalkers laughed. I knew from experience it was no use. The bubble left Weegin’s World with Ketheria inside.

“If you ever want her back, you must do exactly as I say,” Madame Lee said.

“What do you want me to do?” I demanded.

“That’s better,” she said with a smile. “First, we’ll deal with this.”

Madame Lee pulled out a computer drive. I could not hide the surprise on my face. It was the same computer drive Boohral had revealed at the tribunal. Could it be the one that contained the restricted files from the
Renaissance
?

“Cost me a Trefaldoor to finally get my hands on this,” Madame Lee said.

“You’re a murderer,” Max said, spitting out the words.

“Such name calling,” Madame Lee said. “Is that really necessary?” Madame Lee looked at me. “You’re dying to know what’s on this, aren’t you, my boy?”

“Not really,” I said.

Madame Lee snapped back, “Have you not been paying attention? I’ve been listening to you think about this meddlesome hunk of metal since the moment I pulled it out. Do not underestimate me, Softwire.”

Madame Lee tossed me the drive. I stared at it in my hands. I wanted desperately to know what was on it.

“I know you do,” she said. “Now throw it out the window.”

“What?” I said. I couldn’t; there was no way. Here it was, right in my hands. I tried to push into it, but there was no power source.
What’s going on here?
my mind screamed.

“Fine, we’ll do it the hard way.” Madame Lee motioned to the Neewalker, who grabbed Max, lifted her off the floor, and moved toward the open window.

“Wait!” I needed more time. I looked around the room.

“It’s either her or that meddlesome little device. It’s your choice,” she said.

There was no choice. I looked at Max. I had hoped there was some secret, some clue my parents had tucked away in these files, but I was not willing to risk Max’s life for it.

“You think all your answers are in that, don’t you, earthling? Maybe an answer for why you and your sister are what you are?” Madame Lee walked to the window. “You’ve been asking the wrong question, my son. I’m afraid the answers on this drive are to questions I do not want asked.”

“But —”

“Oh, this is so boring. Toss her over.”

“All right!”

I tossed the drive out the window. It sailed out of Weegin’s office and smashed on the factory floor. Weegin’s robotic scavengers scurried out and gobbled up the pieces. I had been so close to finding out the answers to everything, but nothing could bring that drive back now. I felt like I had watched someone die right before my eyes.

“I hate you,” I said to her.

“You wouldn’t be the first,” she replied.

“Why do you care about that drive?” I asked. Madame Lee laughed.

“Now that the drive is gone and it would only be the word of a slave against mine, I will tell you. Although I’m quite disappointed you did not figure it out yourself. I always expected more from the son of a Space Jumper.”

A Space Jumper?
What was she talking about? “You’re crazy,” I said. “I’m a human.”

“He does not need to know this,” growled Sar Cyrillus.

“I want to know,” Weegin said, who was now quite comfortable, watching the events unfold in front of him.

“A Space Jumper?” Max said.

“Quite handsome, too,” Madame Lee added.

“I don’t believe you,” I said.

“That’s impossible. JT’s father died over one hundred years ago on the
Renaissance,
” Theodore said.

Madame Lee rolled her eyes and shook her head. “What are they teaching these children?”

“Madame Lee is an immortal,” Weegin said.

“Thank you, Weegin, but not really.”

“She’s over twelve hundred Earth years old,” he added.

Theodore started calculating. “Throw in some interstellar space jumping and the time dilation could make it possible. If the speed of light is 186,000 miles per second . . .” he mumbled.

“I like this one. He shows potential,” Madame Lee said, stroking Theodore’s chin with her long black fingernails. “Your father wanted to leave Orbis. He grew tired of our petty bickering and a life of exile. He chose a simpler life on another planet. Your rotting little planet, that is.”

“If you’re telling the truth, why would he come back, then?” I asked.

“Oh, I am telling the truth. Leaving the comfort and security of your own home is never easy. He believed that every person needed to make that journey to improve their station and fortify their character. But in order to leave the Trust, he accepted one more mission. A ridiculous mission. The details were on that drive,” she said, motioning to the factory floor. “But I’m afraid it was a mission I did not want completed, and I’ll do anything to get my way. Anything.”