Planetbound by DM Arnold (best contemporary novels TXT) 📕

“It's in the hands of the legal eagles, now.” George glanced up and his eyes fell on Nyk's necktie. “Where are you going today?”

“To the FloranCo offices.”

“I thought you were done with them,” Yasuko said.

“I am. My boss -- ex-boss asked me to stop by to talk -- as friends.”

“Excellent,” George said. “You have something he wants. Stand your ground, Nick and make them pay for it. God knows, they've made you pay enough.” He gulped his coffee, stood, placed his hand on Nyk's shoulder and squeezed. “I mean it, son. Stick it to 'em.”

Nyk climbed to the surface at the Canal Street subway station and walked the ten blocks to the Tribeca building where Seymor kept his office. He ascended the stairs and opened the door. “Hi, Jaquie.”

“Mr Kane. I thought we'd never see you again.”

“Is the big guy in?”

“Hold on...” she picked up the phone and punched a number. “Sir? Mr Kane... Go right on in.”

Nyk headed into Seymor's office and closed the door. Seymor looked at him and shook his head. “Lad, I was right about you. I had you pegged from the moment you first set foot onto this rock. 'That boy gets stuff done,' I said to myself. You sure do. How did you do it?”

“I found my own way offworld.”

“Not willing to say? I don't blame you. You know, sooner or later they'll discover you're here -- or assume it -- and send enforcers after you.”

“They'll have to find me first.”

“That shouldn't be too hard.”

“Oh no? Do you have a scanpad?” Seymor removed a ring of keys from his pocket, unlocked a cabinet and removed a device the size of a credit card. “Does it work?” The gadget chirped as Seymor pressed his wrist against it. Nyk took it and held it to his wrist.

“How?” Nyk unbuttoned his sleeve and showed Seymor the copper bracelet. “Do you wear that thing twenty-four by seven?” Nyk smiled. “You think you can game them. They will find you.”

“It's a chance I'm willing to take.”

“I spoke to Kronta this morning. He said, if our paths crossed to give you a message. He'd like you to call him.”

“That's rather difficult, since my communications have been disabled.”

Seymor gestured toward the computer on his desk. “Any time, Nyk.”

“I have nothing to say to Kronta.”

“He's on your side. I'm on your side. Your conversation will be off-the-record.” Nyk handed back the scanpad. How are things on the home front, lad? Has Sukiko delivered her baby?”

“About two weeks ago.”

“How's she doing?” Nyk made a hand gesture to indicate so-so. “The enforcers who returned her to Earth left her in my care. It's my policy to disseminate knowledge of my agents' home addresses on a need-to-know basis, and those goons had no need to know. I'll admit I was skeptical about you and her, but the time I spent with her convinced me I was wrong.”

“I'm happy to hear that. I wish I could convince Tomyka Wells of it.”

“Tomyka... She came up through Internal Affairs. She knows only one thing -- what the rules and regs say. No compromises, no exceptions for Tomyka. I'm surprised she let Sukiko free.”

“I thank Kronta for that.”

“Nyk, if you and Sukiko are trying to raise that child together -- I know there will be bills to pay. I have an idea how I can help you -- we can help each other. Are you agreeable?”

“I'm listening.”

“You know this whole ruckus has disrupted our ability to supply the plant breeders with the Earth material they want. We've closed the lab in Wisconsin, and our other lab in Scottsdale is swamped -- and, manned by a botanist who couldn't locate his ass with both hands and a flashlight. I'd like it if you'd consider coming back to us as an exobotanist.”

“Out of the question. I'm not setting foot on Floran territory or a Floran vessel.”

“Not as a FloranCo associate -- as an outside contractor. I'll forward the requests to you, and you can pass the cultures to me. I'll handle interfacing with the homeworld and delivering the specimens.”

Nyk nodded. “Where would I do this work?”

“Where would you like? We can lease some space in an under-utilized warehouse or factory. We already rent a warehouse in the Bronx with some space you could convert to a lab.”

“I'd rather it were in Queens -- it's closer to home.”

“Queens, then.”

“What would you pay me?”

“Name your price, Nyk. We're desperate for some help.”

Nyk looked at Seymor. “How would one hundred dollars an hour sound?”

Seymor smiled. “It would sound cheap at twice that price.”

“Can you get away with this?”

“Of course -- I work with outside contractors all the time. Who do you think does our diamond cutting?” He took Nyk's hand and shook it. “Glad to have you back on board. Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Seymor, Suki has agreed to marry me.”

“I recall. Have you set a date?”

“Not yet. When we do ... Seymor, I'd like you to be best man.”

“I'm honored, Nyk ... but, I must refuse. If the oversight committee discovered I participated in the wedding of a Floran to an Earth person -- I'd be drawn and quartered.”

“I understand. We'll manage.”

“I'll get started scouting out some real estate. Anything else?”

“There is someone on the homeworld with whom I'd like to speak.”

Seymor gestured toward his chair. “Be my guest -- I'll be in the outer office.”

Nyk sat behind Seymor's desk and entered Andra's locator code. The call initiated and Andra answered. “Nykkyo! Where are you?”

“On Earth. I wanted you to know I was safe.”

“I assumed... I hoped you were. I'm so relieved to know it for sure. How? How did you?”

“I'd rather not say -- you should appreciate why.”

“Of course I do. I woke up the other day and you were gone! I thought maybe you had fallen off the bluff -- for days I walked the beach looking for...” She brushed away tears. “As soon as I realized you were gone I called Senta. I thought she'd be concerned for you, but she was furious. Within half a day she and that odious Tomyka Wells were here in Sudal. Internal Affairs officers were crawling over The Residence and the Sea Research Center. They arrested me and questioned me. I told them I knew nothing, but Tomyka wouldn't accept my word. She tried to extort it from me.”

“Extort it from you? How?”

“She threatened me with truth drug.”

“But -- you've already experienced that.”

“You don't understand, Nyk. Vebinad Academy graduates are the most prized of the ax'amfinen. It's because of special ... conditioning we receive.”

“I'm beginning to appreciate the value of that conditioning.”

“Part of it is an implant we all receive in our subconscious minds, to protect Vebinad secrets.”

“A post-hypnotic suggestion?” Nyk asked.

“No. An implant.”

“A device?”

“Of sorts. It's built from living brain matter through neural induction and programmed for a specific task. This nerve center is activated by truth drug and stands sentry against divulging any of the Academy's trade secrets. If questioned about certain topics, it responds by ... by shutting down our bodies ... by paralyzing us so we can't speak ... can't breathe.”

“A Vebinad student will die before divulging secrets?” Nyk asked.

“Yes. No interrogation has ever revealed the deepest secrets of Vebinad's program, though a number of us have died in the attempt. All experienced interrogators know this and will refuse to ask the fatal questions.”

“Knowingly causing another's death is homicide,” Nyk observed, “no matter what the modus.”

“Tomyka let slip that her interrogator was a novice who would work from a script. She said she has been waiting years for the opportunity to have a Vebinad graduate under truth drug; then she showed me her list of questions and sure enough I saw lethal ones.”

“Then what happened?” Nyk asked.

“I told her if I knew anything I'd have told her. They took me to the clinic for interrogation. I gave myself to the drug not knowing whether or not I'd awaken from it.”

“You obviously did.”

“Yes... The medic who was my advocate, a Dr Vonn...”

“He's the one who worked on my wrist.”

“Your wrist? When did you injure your wrist?”

She must've erased her knowledge of that, too, Nyk thought to himself. “A while back,” he answered.

“Dr Vonn told me afterward that when the interrogator started asking about Vebinad, he intervened. He said those questions were irrelevant and off-limits and he would abort the interrogation and administer the antidote if the questioning continued down that path. I owe him my life, Nyk. He provided me with a transcript.”

“What did they learn?”

“Nothing, of course -- only that I would've done anything in my power to help you ... but I told them that already without the drug. They also asked if you requested help; and I said you never once asked me or discussed your plans. I told them that, without the drug, too... It seemed to satisfy the Sudal Internal Affairs commander supervising my procedure, and he ordered me released. Tomyka objected, but since I'm not part of the ExoService, she has no civil authority over me.”

Nyk regarded her through the circuit. She doesn't know. It really is remarkable... “Andra, I'm so sorry you had to endure that for my sake.”

“Nyk -- I'd happily do it again for you. As the ancients said, what doesn't destroy us strengthens us and I'm stronger for the experience.”

“Still... What Tomyka attempted was criminal and she deserves to be punished for it.”

“It was Senta's behavior that disturbed me,” Andra replied. “Even though I'm exonerated she clings to her belief I had something to do with it.”

“Senta is accustomed to having things go her way, and she responds poorly when they don't. I'm the one who deserves her wrath, not you.”

“She threatened me, Nyk.”

There's little she can do to touch you. I wouldn't lose any sleep.”

“I know, but it upsets me to lose a friend. I am so happy to see you safe, though. Now I truly can sleep tonight.” She kissed her fingertips and touched them to the camera lens and Nyk replied with the same gesture. “How's Sukiko?”

“She had her baby. It's a big adjustment.”

“I can imagine. Give her my love.”

“I certainly will.”

“Nyk -- about the genealogy...”

“Please, Andra -- I don't want to be reminded of it. Didn't you give it to Korlo?”

“No. Not yet...”

“Give it to him. He'll know what to do with it.”

“But, Nyk -- There may be something in it -- something that can help...”

“I don't want to know what's in it. I made it to Earth. My identity here is iron-clad -- I can slip into the population, find work... go native. I'm finished, Andra -- with the Agency and with Floran. My one regret is having to leave you behind. If I could've brought you here with me, I would've.”

“I know you would've. I do worry for you -- suppose Agency Enforcement...”

“They'll have to find me, first -- and prove who I am. They're going to find that difficult.”

“I hope you're right.”

“I don't know when I'll be able to call again, but rest assured you're always in my thoughts.”

“I understand. You're always in mine, Nykkyo.”

“Do you remember the night we had together on the research platform?”

“How could I forget it?”

“I'm really happy we had that, at least. Nothing can take that from us.”

She pressed her knuckle to her lips and closed her eyes. “It means a lot to hear you say it.”

“Take care of yourself.”

“No, Nyk -- you take care of yourself -- and Sukiko and that baby.” The vidphone went dark.

“Nyk, pass the rice,” George said. He picked up the rice bowl and passed it. George scooped some and looked toward Suki. “Rice?”

“Have some,” Yasuko said. “You've hardly eaten all day.”

“Don't you think I'm fat enough already? No, thanks.”

“Nick, how was your meeting at your old firm?” George asked.

“It went well. I've been asked to contribute as an independent contractor. The firm will find space for me to work and I can set my own hours.”

George nodded. “How much are they paying you?”

“One hundred an hour.”

George nodded again. “How did you arrive at that figure?”

“I tossed it out and they jumped at it.”

“You started too low.”

“I realized it right away. I should've started at five hundred and let them work me down.”

“You're catching on.”

Wakefulness seeped into Nykkyo's consciousness. He became aware of a sound coming from the nursery. Beside him in the dim light he could discern Suki, lying on her stomach and holding her pillow over her head.

“Nicky's crying,” he said. Suki gripped the pillow tighter. “I think he's hungry.”

She rolled over and glowered at him. “Then, go feed him,” she said. “You wanted this baby, you stick to your part of our deal and take care of him.” She flipped onto her