Baker, Kage - Company 05 - The Life of the World to Come by Baker Kage

Author:Baker, Kage
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf

"What happened?" said Chatterji.

"Oh, they lost the case," Ellsworth-Howard said. "Him being peerage and all, and only seven, too. They went into receivership two years later. Stupid bastards."

"Did he continue to display genius at school?" Rutherford said.

"Well, he got high marks in maths," said Ellsworth-Howard, after listening again. "Top of his class there. Shrack-wonder how he got past medical scans all his life?" He looked panicked for a moment. "That brain I designed- oh, shrack, and his bleeding DNA!-"

"His Company handlers hushed it up, of course," said Chatterji, with a wave of his inhaler. "Just as they faked the genetic assay."

Ellsworth-Howard relaxed, and listened again. "No university. Seems he's designed the cybernavigation system for his boat, though. That's what he spends his money on when he's not partying. And-aw, shrack!"

"What?" Rutherford and Chatterji stared at Ellsworth-Howard, whose face had contorted in fury.

"He's shracked with my design," Ellsworth-Howard snarled. "He's had himself modified for interface. He's a cyborg! Not one of them old plughole jobs but the new ones, look like a tattoo under the skin. Where's he think he gets off, the sodding bastard?"

"Well, it's his body," Rutherford said.

"No it ain't." Ellsworth-Howard clenched the buttonball fiercely. "I designed it. If he's gone and compromised my brain-"

"Ah." Rutherford frowned in comprehension. "Well, perhaps that's our problem.

Nothing you could have foreseen when you designed him, Foxy. I think we were all envisioning he'd operate in pre-electronic eras. Perhaps he's become one of those Lotus-Eaters one hears about, lolling around in cyberspace. That would explain this self-indulgent and useless existence."

"Though he seems to be physically quite active," said Chatterji, watching worriedly as Ellsworth-Howard worked the buttonball, attempting to break into

Checkerfield's cyberenvironment. There was a fixed glare in his eyes that Chatterji had seen only twice before, on two very unpleasant occasions.

Ellsworth-Howard began to growl in his throat as he was repeatedly frustrated in his efforts.

"Most of the port junkies don't get out much-" Chatterji was continuing, when Ellsworth-Howard gave an animal scream and threw his buke across the room. He was in the act of picking up his chair too when Chatterji seized him from behind, pinioning his arms. "Rutherford! The meds, for God's sake!"

Rutherford ran for the sideboard and brought out a forced air applicator.

Ellsworth-Howard was twisting in Chatterji's arms, doing his best to bite him, when Rutherford darted in and jabbed with the applicator. There was an audible hiss. Ellsworth-Howard began to snicker. Laughing feebly he sagged to the floor, falling through Chatterji's arms. His eyes rolled back in his head. He stopped laughing.

"Oh, poor old chap." Rutherford ran and got a cushion from the sofa. "Let's make him comfortable until he comes to, Chatty." He tucked the cushion under Ellsworth-Howard's head while Chatterji busied himself with opening Ellsworth-Howard's collar and cuffs and checking his pulse.

"He'll be all right," said Chatterji shakily.

"He's an artist, that's all," said Rutherford, climbing back into his chair and curling up. "It-it can be very upsetting to have your art interfered with."

"Yes, certainly." Chatterji got to his feet and looked around.

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