Computer Crimes & Capers by Isaac Asimov Martin H Greenberg Charles G Waugh

Author:Isaac Asimov Martin H Greenberg Charles G Waugh [Waugh, Isaac Asimov Martin H Greenberg Charles G]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

He drove them to the South Village area himself in one of the less blatant official cars. Judy’s face was a blazing mixture of flippie colors, and she wore a modified body-stocking with the traditional flippie boots and belt. “I’ll freeze to death in this outfit,” she complained.

“Come on,” Jazine said with a chuckle. “Flippies aren’t supposed to mind the cold. They’re supposed to be flipped out.”

Crader remained in the car, turning on the one-way polarization so no one could see inside. He knew that wouldn’t attract attention, because many people used it when they parked their cars, to discourage thieves. No one was going to break into a car when they couldn’t see what—or who—might be waiting for them inside. He was especially interested in the arrivals at the meeting hall across the street, and he realized quite quickly that the gathering was open to non-flippie types as well as the usual South Village residents. He saw Bunyon and Linda Sale arrive together, dressed in regular office clothes. Perhaps he wasn’t as much of a flippie as they’d been led to believe.

Ten minutes after the beginning of the gathering, Crader left the car and crossed over to the entrance. A large sign outside depicted the joint U.S.-Russian moonport and space observatory. It was to be an evening of lunar happenings. The interior of the place was bathed in a cold white light of the intensity to suggest moonlight, and several of the flippie couples were swaying to some computerized musical sounds. He saw Jazine and Judy at once, standing against one of the foam rubber walls, but there was no sign of Bunyon and Linda.

Crader had been watching the multi-media proceedings of light and sound and smell for some fifteen minutes when a cry went up from the far end of the room. Someone had shouted, “Blue moon!” and others had taken up the chant. “Blue moon! BLUE MOON!” Then the nearest of the flippies fell upon the chanters, and a tussle was in progress. Crader knew that the “Blue Moon” people opposed the joint U.S.-Russian moonbase. They wanted the moon to stay blue, or American, rather than become even partly red, or Russian. The base had functioned well, with surprisingly little friction, for more than five years, but that didn’t cool the tempers of the “Blue Moon” people.

Crader was startled to see Linda Sale fighting her way through the crowd to the side of the Blue Moon chanters. What was she up to? What. . .? Someone yanked at the smooth stretch fabric of her body-stocking and a seam ripped at her shoulder. Then suddenly John Bunyon was at her side, fighting off the grasping hands. The loudspeaker bellowed a cry for order, but the situation was already out of hand. Crader was shoved aside by the panicking crowd. He had a glimpse of Earl Jazine drawing the M-3 pistol from beneath his flippie costume, and then someone crashed into him from behind. He went down on his face beneath the crowd.

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