Manhattan in Reverse: Shorts by Peter F. Hamilton

Author:Peter F. Hamilton [Hamilton, Peter F.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Space Opera, Sci-Fi
ISBN: 9781781030844
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2011-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

* * *

Ziggy takes less than an hour to confirm the presence of biononics in every cell of the tiny fetus.

“Son of a bitch,” Paul grunts.

“I thought you’d be pleased,” Ziggy says. “It means what we did was right.”

Paul gives Imelda a guilty glance. The girl is crying silently, her face sticky with tears. Occasionally she lets out a small piteous snivel. Traumatized though she is, he still cannot grant her the comfort of oblivion. There is one question he still has to ask. “I don’t like being forced to do what’s right,” Paul says. “Not this.”

“Right,” Ziggy says. He slides the dead fetus into a flash furnace, eradicating the last trace of the angel’s attempt to subvert their world.

Paul leans over Imelda. “One final thing,” he says, “and this will all be over.”

Fear squeezes yet more tears from her eyes.

“Did you know you were pregnant?”

The distraught girl opens her mouth and cries out in anguish. “Yes,” she sobs.

Studying her face, Paul knows she is telling the truth. There will be no need to use drugs or other, stronger methods of inquiry. “Thank you,” he says. At last he activates the sleep inducer, and her weary eyes flutter shut.

“We’ll need a replacement fetus,” Paul says. “I can wipe tonight’s memories from her, but if we take away that entire week she spent screwing Erik and the angel, she’s going to know something happened; that kind of gap can’t be covered up. A doctor will find our tampering.”

“Not a problem,” Ziggy says. “We’ve got both of them. I can fertilize one of her eggs and reimplant it before morning. She’ll still have lover boy’s baby. There’ll be nothing for anybody to be suspicious about.”

“Apart from their new friend vanishing.”

Ziggy shrugs. “Kids their age, it’s hardly unusual. They all have a dozen relationships a year, more if they can. Erik was desperate to bring more girls back to the angel’s apartment. You said he was always going on about it; he wanted to bed Imelda’s sister for a start. Horny little devil.”

“Yeah,” Paul says. “It’s about time Erik learned he has responsibilities.”

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