Yuen-Mong's Revenge (34 page)

 
     
"What’s that?"

 
     
"It’s actually a misnomer. In the olden times, applicants would submit
to the conference organizers a document, usually on new research findings or on new theories, actually printed on paper, and then either read
it or talk about it to an audience of other interested researchers. Today,
one submits an electronic file containing an extensive summary of what
one proposes to present. There’s always a session or two on telepathy,
viewed by most serious researchers as discredited, but tolerated at the
conference for its entertainment value. All sorts of crazy ideas may be
presented there and none are taken seriously. So a presentation with a
title of ‘remote communication by empathy’ would be accepted.
Obviously it would be under my name. Yours can’t appear or else it’ll
raise suspicions. And my proposal would also has to disguise the full
nature of instantcom."

 
     
She beamed and kissed his cheek. It surprised him every time she did
it. "So we have a date to aim for. Can you get the equipment made in
time to allow us testing it out prior to the convention?"

 
     
"I think so. It looks to me that the devices can be built as several separate modules and it would be wise to use separate firms to produce each
module. They should be able to do this within a month. Some parts I can
buy finished and then I put everything together. Like this no firm really
knows what they’re building."

 
     
"Yes, that’s an excellent idea."

 
     
"I also think that we should select small, unknown firms."

 
     
"And as a diversion we also should at the same time make preparation
for a trip back to Aros —"

     
"— such as getting a new shuttle. We need one in any case."

 
     
"Yes, but we also want to have it modified so that it can be used with
both electronic and manual control where absolutely nothing, not even
energy sources, involve electronics, and that must be kept secret too."

 
     
"You’re really serious about visiting Aros again?"

 
     
"Yes. At least I want to keep the option open."

 
     
"Since the PA4 class hasn’t been produced for a long time, a suitable
shuttle will have to be constructed especially and that would make it
easier to have dual control built in. So I also need to find a suitable
shuttle manufacturer. That means we need to go back to the ship to get
a copy of the ship’s specifications, and I’ll also need to prepare separate
specifications for each module —"

 
     
"— and while we are on the ship, we also download all of father’s
research records for UniCom," interrupted Yuen-mong with an amused
twinkle. "Let’s go tomorrow and take Anouk along. She can help me tidy
up the ship while
we are
there."

* * *

The next day, Atun visited three small electronics outfits, while Yuen-mong continued her training of Anouk and also signed her up for further
study through the extramural Free University of Androma to occupy her
ample free time. All three agreed to build the modules they were given
within one month and Atun paid half the cost on signing the contracts.
Rather than charge it to his personal account, he used the one under the
name Aros Enterprises he had set up specially for these transactions.
Another precaution to make detection more difficult.

     
For Thursday, Yuen-mong had arranged an appointment with her
uncle at her grandfathers’s house where he had lived ever since the tragic
death of his wife ten years earlier. She asked Atun to accompany her. The
relatives might as well get to know her partner. They took a taxi to the
Sanctum gate they had entered illegally and were promptly admitted
when she presented her own thumb. They again strolled leisurely through
the park, taking a different path. As they approached the pedestrian area
that led to the covered shopping mall, three young men in aristocratic
dress entered the park and came down the path. She sensed their snide
remarks about her limp without the need to hear them. Atun grabbed her
elbow, pulling her aside, and whispered: "We are expected to move
aside."

 
     
"I won’t, not for snotty guys like these," she replied and, resisting his
pressure, continued up the path, but leaving enough space to her left for
two people to pass. The three continued to occupy the whole width and,
as they encountered each other, everybody came to a halt. She answered
their outraged looks with an amused smile.

     
"Move, cripple," sneered the one in the middle.

     
"Since you consider me a cripple, it is only courteous of you to move
aside and let the cripple pass," she replied calmly.

     
"Insolent woman! I will teach you," he shouted, while raising his hand
to slap her face, but he never connected. Her open left hand hit his wrist
like a blade, while her right knee crunched into his groin. He crumbled
to the ground, moaning. Then she countered the man on his right with a
fist in his face. He staggered back, holding his bleeding nose, hollering.
She looked at the third, but he stepped aside, raising both hands palms
forward, and said: "Lady, I know when I face a superior force. Please
pass."

 
     
She smiled at him and walked past, Atun at her side. He had not said
a word, but now whispered: "They’ll call security. Let’s disappear
quickly."

 
     
They hurried into the covered mall. The alarm sounded almost immediately and everybody around them stood still. Not sensing any
danger, Yuen-mong continued walking.

     
Atun held her back. "Freeze," he whispered.

     
Only one uniformed man moved rapidly through the crowd toward
them. He was armed with a laser gun and looked at her. Still, she felt no
emanations.

     
"Who’s this?" she whispered.

     
"An android security device."

 
     
The android lifted his gun, pointing it at her, and a metallic voice said:
"You are under arrest. Do not move."

 
     
She acted instinctively. In one swift flowing movement, her right
hand ripped the sling from her pony tail while the left retrieved two
stones from her top side pocket and a split second later the first and then
the second stone flew at the Android, shattering the eye lenses. A fraction
of a second later, she threw herself sideways, just barely avoiding the
flash of his laser gun that made the safety glass of the display window
behind her explode. In the same movement, she cartwheeled to him and
kicked the gun from his grip. A new burst of alarm sirens broke the
silence, followed by a second metallic voice hailing her from the other
side of the mall. She quickly picked up the gun, and with short blasts disabled all six surveillance cameras. A final long blast sent the blind
android smoking to the ground.

     
By then, the screams of terror of the shoppers echoed through the mall
and assailed her mind. People started running in all directions, ignoring
the repeated shouts of "freeze" issued by the metallic voice. Atun again
grabbed her hand, pulled her quickly into a nearby shop and ran through
several adjacent neighboring stores. In the last he picked up in passing
two caps from a bin, paying by throwing a credit note on the counter. He
put one on himself and gave her the other, pulling its sunshade firmly
into her face, and then they joined the frantic rush from the mall.

     
"These crowds don’t behave that much differently than the savages,"
were Yuen-mong’s first words, as they walked past the church up toward
the Young mansion.

     
Atun glanced at her and suddenly burst out laughing. She sensed that
it was both a release of tension and amusement. "You’re the most
amazing woman in the world. You just destroyed the entire security
system in the mall, and all you have to say is that their behavior is no
different from the savages… You know that sooner or later they’ll
identify us, and we’ll be in trouble. It’s an absolute rule that everybody
freezes when ordered by security."

 
     
"But he pointed a gun at me. Did you expect me to just let it happen?"

 
     
"No, I doubt you could, even if you wanted. Twenty years on Aros
cannot be wiped by a few days on Andromatis."

 
     
She cast him an amused glance.

     
"Maybe Syd Twan can help getting us out of trouble."

 
     
She pondered that for a moment and then said: "Yes, I think we
should ask him."

 
     
They walked along in silence for a while, Atun occasionally shaking
his head. "Where did you learn these jujitsu skills?"

 
     
"My father was a black belt and he taught me when I was still a small
child. Look, that mansion up there is my grandfather’s residence."

 
     
"Looks forbidding."

 
     
"Yes, it does."

 
     
A butler ushered them into Ko Young’s office and asked them to wait
for a few minutes, apologizing that Mr. Young had just been called away
by an emergency. The dimly-lit office, huge as all rooms in the house,
was sparsely furnished. She admired the paintings on the walls.

     
Atun pointed to a large still life. "A Quarasie, worth several million."

 
     
"Who is Quarasie?"

 
     
"He revived traditional oil painting early in the last century and is
famous for his still life oils."

 
     
Three charcoal drawings between the two windows that opened into
the courtyard drew her attention. One was of a little girl that she thought
looked remarkably like Mai. All three were signed by Ko Young.

     
"Look," she murmured, pointing to the signature. Although she had
readily agreed with Syd to speak to her uncle, she had not been looking
forward to the meeting, but seeing these drawings cheered her up. She
liked this unexpected side of her uncle. It made him more human.

     
He entered the office after about fifteen minutes, an upset and preoccupied mind preceding him. Atun briefly looked at her when he saw
his face, and she guessed his thoughts.

     
"Ah, you are waiting," he said. "I just had to attend to an emergency."

 
     
Do important men never apologize?
she questioned and replied: "I
hope nothing serious in your family."

 
     
"No, Foundation security matters. There was a serious disturbance at
the mall, but we will get to the bottom of it."

 
     
Not before we have warned Syd Twan.
"Yes, I heard that you are on
the governing body of the Foundation," she replied smiling. Then she
turned to Atun and continued: "This is Atun Caruna. It was thanks to his
shuttle that I was rescued from Aros."

 
     
Ko Young thanked him in a rather stiff manner for rescuing his niece.
She caught Atun’s eyes in time, and he simply acknowledged it. Her
uncle asked about his professional background and advised him to get in
touch with UniCom’s exploration division, that he was certain they
would offer him a suitable job. He then asked them to take seats and sat
behind his desk.

     
"My niece, you asked to see me. How can I help you?"

 
     
"Uncle, I first want to thank you for administering my mother’s
property during all these years, and —"

 
     
He raised his right hand and interrupted her: "It was my duty as her
brother, and her interests are also mine."

 
     
"Nevertheless, you increased her wealth greatly."

 
     
"I will be happy to do the same for you."

 
     
"This is the reason for coming to you. I have several projects that I
would like to pursue and that may require substantial funds at short
notice."