Clade by Mark Budz

Author:Mark Budz
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Science Fiction, General, High Tech, Fiction
ISBN: 9780553586589
Publisher: Spectra
Published: 2003-12-01T16:00:00+00:00

FIFTEEN

Anthea can’t sleep. While Rigo’s mother snores, beached on the couch, Anthea spends the night pacing in front of the wallscreen, toggling her attention between the flitcam image of Rigo and Ibrahim in the bedroom and the information on her eyescreens regarding the Tiresias project.

Other than usual media fluff, there isn’t much on Xengineering or the warm-blooded plants. The biochemical fine points of the ecotecture are proprietary, a carefully guarded secret. No surprise. What is surprising is the lack of gossip. Usually, the infosphere is an electronic landfill of hearsay, supposition, useless factoids, and wild speculation. Despite that, the best Doug can turn up are a few unsubstantiated rumors, ranging from slave pherions and mRNA locators to a softwired meta-consciousness. Based on their earlier inquiries, it seems reasonable that Xengineering is engaged in a behind-the-scenes tryst with RiboGen. Meaning Noogenics is, as well. Exactly how her knowledge of this troika is going to help Ibrahim remains unclear.

“ ‘Tha-tha-that’s all, folks,’ ” Doug stutters, sounding like Porky Pig on methamphetamines. “Th-th-the problem is th-th-these could be nothing more th-th-than information decoys p-p-posted by th-th-the politicorp to muddy th-th-the water.”

Or they could be true. There’s no way to tell.

“Y-y-you want me t-t-to keep l-l-looking?”

“If you don’t mind.”

“No pruh-pruh-problem.”

Anthea returns her attention to the wallscreen. Rigo is sitting against the headboard, pillow propped behind his head, Ibrahim curled on his lap. How much information has Rigo been given about Tiresias? Not a lot, she guesses. Most likely he’s on a need-to-know basis. Enough to do his job, and not much more. He doesn’t ask a lot of questions, swallows what he’s been told like it came from Mount Ararat. Which is why, she suspects, he was chosen for the job. It’s one of his strengths and weaknesses, one of the things she loves and hates about him. She likes it that he doesn’t question why she’s with him, or why he’s with her. It means he doesn’t have second thoughts about their relationship, like a lot of the men her friends and co-workers are involved with. At the same time, his blind acceptance of the status quo drives her nuts. He doesn’t want to make the world a better place—just wants to make his place in it better. He’s content to jump through the hoops. Never makes waves. Can’t understand that if he lives by the rules, he’ll die by them. He’s like a kid that way. Always trying to please people. Feels guilty when he lets someone down, makes a mistake. Thinks he can alter fate. Is convinced that if he believes in something enough or works hard enough it will eventually come true. Fairy tale shit.

Maybe that’s why she fell for him. Blind optimism is not her forte. She’s not entirely sure what he sees in her. If it was just sex, he wouldn’t have stuck around as long as he has. Not that sex between them is bad. It’s just that there are plenty of mujeres out there who are a lot prettier than she is.

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