Permanence by Karl Schroeder

Author:Karl Schroeder [Schroeder, Karl]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction
Publisher: A TOM DOHERTY ASSOCIATES BOOK
Published: 2001-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

RUE COULDN'T SLEEP, so she drifted out into the common area. Rebecca was sitting up, talking through a holo window to one of the women from Crisler's security team. She noticed Rue and said, "Call you later," then closed the connection. Then she frowned at Rue. "Back whence ye came."

"I can't." Rue settled down at the table next to Rebecca. She clasped her hands in front of her and stared through the holos. "I'm glad Mike came over tonight," she said. It wasn't what she wanted to say, but she didn't know how to approach that.

Rebecca arched an eyebrow. "You like him, don't you?"

"Yes, but… It's just… I was starting to go seriously crazy worrying, when he showed up. He proved I was right about not trusting Crisler. But he also took my mind off things."

"What things?"

She shrugged angrily. "You know what's at stake tomorrow."

Rebecca sighed. "I know what you think is at stake."

"Rebecca, we haven't found anything like a control system anywhere else in the Envy. If it's not in the Lasa habitat, then maybe there isn't one. Not one we'd understand, anyway." All during their search for supplies to repair the stacks, Rue had kept an eye out for anything that might be a control surface. They hadn't opened all the habitats yet, but they'd certainly visited the biggest ones. For days a sense of helplessness had been growing in her and she'd confided in no one, until tonight she felt like bursting. "We've got to think about what happens if we can't control the Envy," she said.

Rebecca put a hand on hers, "Yes, Rue, we do need to do that. But we don't need to do it tonight. There's months to go before we reach our rendezvous with Colossus. Anything could happen in that time.

"Hmm." Rebecca looked at her appraisingly. "I remember when you showed up at Treya, all jittery and determined. You didn't seem to know what you were determined about, but you were determined." They both laughed. "But that's just it, Rue; have you asked yourself what you're going to do if we do find out how to control the Envy?"

Rue stared at her. The question was infuriating somehow, though she couldn't have said why. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Ah, I think you do." When she saw that Rue wasn't going to answer, Rebecca continued. "You know, Rue, you're one of the most driven people I know. But you don't think of yourself that way."

"I'm just trying to survive."

"By doing this?" Rebecca waved around at the habitat. "This is more than just survival. We could have settled down on Chandaka; I could have finished my education there, you'd have found something—"

"We'd have been poor! Worse than poor— indentured. Same as I was at Treya."

"Rue, you were perfectly happy working in the mountains and living hand-to-mouth. I remember it very well."

Rue shrugged angrily. "But I wasn't responsible for all you guys then."

"We can look after ourselves, you know." The words stung. "I'm not

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