Hard Reboot - Django Wexler Page 0,18
Firidi said. “I was young once, loath though your generation is to admit it. But . . . intimate services . . . were restricted to sims on Sentinel for good reasons, including the safety of all concerned. Obviously, Old Earth falls into a different jurisdiction, but that does not change the dictates of ethics and prudence—”
“Wait,” Kas said. “Wait, wait, wait. You think I was . . . what, visiting some kind of brothel?”
“There’s no need to be ashamed. It’s merely an error of judgment. Not unexpected, given your youth and class.”
“My class?”
Firidi raised one delicately cultivated eyebrow. “Everyone knows third-waves are more susceptible to . . . carnal influences.”
Only because nobody would fuck you for all the creds in the Googolvault, you withered old turd. Kas kept a straight face, but only just.
“In any event,” Firidi said, “I wished to speak with you alone, so we could resolve this matter between ourselves. Gneisin is young and promising, and part of my role here is to protect her from any influences that might damage her career.”
“I see.” Kas let out a long breath.
“Good.” Firidi turned back to her fruit, face a little flushed. “I trust we can speak no more of the matter.”
“Of course. Wouldn’t want to be indelicate.” Kas pushed her plate away. “But I think there may be some real research potential here. I’ve had several excellent leads.”
“Hmm,” Firidi said.
“I may need some support once I run them down. Transport arrangements, that sort of thing.”
“If you truly believe you’ve found something, you can run it by me and Vanalt. Gneisin would have to come and confirm your findings, of course.”
“Gneisin?”
Firidi smiled thinly. “Of course. Her family contributed generously to the Scholarium. They are going to expect appropriate results.”
“Appropriate . . .” Kas fixed Firidi’s gaze. “You’re joking.”
“Kas . . .” Firidi sighed. “You cannot be that naïve. What did you think was the purpose of this expedition?”
“To further the knowledge of the Scholarium!”
“Yes, of course, in the general sense. But specifically . . .” Firidi waved a hand. “For Gneisin to continue on her path to becoming a first-rate scholar, she must publish well-respected research. Her family expects this trip to provide it.”
“So what are the rest of us here for?”
“To . . . support her.”
“To do it for her, in other words?” Kas said.
“Vanalt and I are to serve as . . . mentors.”
“And me?”
“Once she has made a discovery, no doubt there will be a great deal of data-gathering and other minutiae . . .”
“I see.” Kas pushed herself to her feet.
“Apparently I ought to have clarified your position earlier,” Firidi said. “I assumed it had been made understood to you.”
“That I’m supposed to be an assistant to some twenty-year-old who couldn’t find a warbot in a closet without an algo?”
“Kas,” Firidi sighed. “This is how the Scholarium works. You know it as well as I do. Perform well, and the Archscholar will take notice. In a few years, perhaps—”
“—he’ll trust me to clean the bathrooms?” Kas shoved the chair back in and turned away.
“Kas!” Firidi snapped. “Where are you going?”
“Back to the fucking brothel,” Kas shouted back, and slammed the door behind her.
* * *
The hangar doors ground open, startling Zhi out of a light doze. Her hand went to her knife—a useless gesture; if the House had found her the game was up regardless—and she only relaxed when she recognized Kas standing beside a powered cart full of miscellaneous scrap.
’Bout time. A low-grade anxiety in Zhi’s gut vanished. She’d had faith in Solomon, of course, and she thought Kas was neatly trapped, but there was always a chance one or the other would slag things up. But here she is. So far, so good, yeah?
Zhi hopped down from the gantry, not bothering with the ladder, and trotted over to meet Kas. The off-worlder had traded her diaphanous silk for a practical working outfit, which showed good sense, although Zhi found herself obscurely disappointed. Kas’s face was thunderous, and she gestured the cart-drone forward with a grumpy wave.
“You found Solomon okay, yeah?”
“More or less,” Kas said.
“Killer. And he found what we need?”
“Almost everything,” Kas said. “He’s waiting on a few pieces.” She paused, then added, “Custis roughed him up pretty bad, you know.”
Zhi’s chest clenched. “Slagging scumfuck. He’ll get his when we get Alpha Zero going, yeah?” She forced down the boiling anger and blew out a breath. “Sol going to be all right?
“He says he will.” Kas nodded at the cart. “You don’t