Last Year by Wilson Robert Charles

Author:Wilson, Robert Charles [Wilson, Robert Charles]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
Published: 2016-12-05T16:00:00+00:00

11

“Change of plans,” Kemp said. “I’m ordering a full evacuation, beginning right now.”

The sun had just risen over the long Wyoming plains, visible through the bulletproof windows of the train as he and Elizabeth hurried forward to Kemp’s private car. Blue sky and brown earth, each streaked with red. But he could see none of that now, because Kemp’s car was windowless. It was a single undivided chamber, its walls lined with electrical devices and display screens. Jesse knew the train was connected by radio to the City and to the City’s outposts in San Francisco and New York, and he guessed Kemp had received some bad news by way of these machines. All of Kemp’s traveling security crew had crowded into the car, some twenty people, most in uniform, most with automatic pistols strapped to their hips. Most were male, and tall, and Jesse had to crane his head to see Kemp through a forest of shaved heads and black duck-billed caps.

“We’re putting the train on a siding at the nearest depot,” Kemp said. “We’ve got another train returning with a tour group from San Francisco. This afternoon we’ll be transferring passengers from our train to the eastbound train, and I need you to help with that. I don’t want any kind of panic breaking out. Anybody asks what’s up, you can say it’s some kind of legal dispute with Union Pacific. We’re printing up explanatory handouts—everybody will be getting a full refund, no questions asked. If people grumble I want you to be gracious about it, but we need everybody on the train back to Illinois by sundown. Any questions?”

One large and obvious one, Jesse thought. But no one was bold enough to ask it.

“Okay,” Kemp said. “We’re also recovering some gear from this depot, so we’ll need able bodies to lift and carry. Chavez and Epstein have already been briefed on all this and they’ll be forming you into teams. From here you head on over to the common room at the depot for duty assignments. Clear?” The security crew began filing toward the exit. Kemp said, “Jesse and Elizabeth, please stick around.”

When the car was empty but for the three of them, Kemp slumped into a chair. He looked exhausted, as if he had been awake all night. So had Jesse, of course, but for less onerous reasons. Elizabeth said, “We can lift and carry with the rest of them.”

“That’s not what you’re here for. Only the tourists are going back to the City. An evacuation takes time and work. We’re still bound for San Francisco.”

Jesse said, “Do you want to tell us why this is happening?”

“It’s not a secret, or at least it won’t be much longer. The papers published another fucking Blackwell letter. This one claims we arrived in 1873 with a fortune in counterfeit financial instruments, and it says we used these instruments as collateral to acquire two failing banks, the Union Trust Company and E. W. Clark. It says everything we’ve done

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