Rillas and Other Science Fiction Stories by A. R. Morlan

Author:A. R. Morlan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: science fiction, short stories, high tech, sci-fi, vonda macintyre
Publisher: Wildside Press
Published: 2012-02-17T16:00:00+00:00

ROBIN WILLIAMS, SPEAKING SPANISH

“Amazing...that’s amazing. He should work for NASA, or something like that.”

“So much for NASA....”

Ronald Bas and Barry Morrow,

Rainman, 1988

Case #290727DD/I-R

03-01-58/T. Kenward, caseworker

Day 1: Contact

“The Jones’ cabin’s down past Storage Module Four...don’t bother to knock. Ain’t like he’s gonna get up to greet ya—”

“Throw some cheese balls in first, he’ll never notice you’re in there—”

Sabriah put one hand on my shoulder and pressed her dark fingers into the soft hollow between my collarbone and the top of my upper arm, as she told the to asteroid engineers, “Dalton wouldn’t appreciate that...he’s lactose intolerant.” Turning her scarf-wrapped head my way, as she steered me down the diffusely-lit corridor, away from Broga Hastings and Moire Payne, Sabriah continued, her voice loud enough for the man and woman behind us to hear easily, “I also have Dalton on a yeast and gluten-free diet. I’m not all that sure that it’s helping him, but between that and his meds, he does seem to be content.”

I guessed that the last part was strictly for my benefit: every ships’ nutritionist on every asteroid-tracking or asteroid-mining vessel I’d visited in the last eighteen months inevitably managed to toss off some sort of comment about how “happy” or “content” or “integrated” his or her Savvy happened to be. Even when the rest of the crew was attacking their Savvy, taunting him, teasing him, or calling him names like “Rain Man” or “Equipment” or (on the last vessel I’d been on before boarding the Isen-Rodor a few hours ago) “Ballast.”

Nodding my own head, I said, “That is the goal here...although, I have to admit—” twisting my neck as far to the left as it would go comfortably, I made sure that the pair of engineers were out of hearing range “—it doesn’t look like the rest of the crew is all that content with Mr. Durwin’s presence on this ship. Not that that’s uncommon,” I added quickly, when I saw what seemed to be a moue of consternation pucker the nutritionist’s mouth. “The presence of a Savant-Contingent usually does create some interpersonal difficulties...which is why I’m here—”

“Listen, Ms. Kenward. You can cut the socio-worker babble with me. You’re here for pretty much the same reason Dalton’s here...there’s a big damn glut of social workers running around on Earth and the Moon, tending to all the Savvy-babies who’ve grown up to be a bigger damn burden on the economy than anyone could’ve guessed when they were all born some thirty-odd years ago. Only thing is, at least someone got creative when it came time to find all those Savvies jobs....I don’t see much of anything creative or useful in your job. Especially when it comes to the Savvies.”

“Well, I do think what I’m doing is ‘useful’ when it comes to Savant-Contingents. Have you been on some of those other ships—”

“Do you think things actually change once you’ve been on any of those other ships? I doubt anything you can do will make asteroid monkeys like Moire and Broga change when it comes to how ‘content’ they are with a Savvy like Dalton.

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