Read Online Acts of Conscience by William Barton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: William Barton
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, Sex, love, Aliens, Animal Rights, starships, Starover, vitue
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sudden, intense alarm. Why the hell wasn’t I facing a company law clerk, that ridiculous Mr. What’s-his-name? Something not right here.
She said, “Line one of the router instruction tells me to offer you, in exchange for a parity quitclaim on your B-VEI stock options, the sum of one million livres and advancement to Wage Grade Eleven step Zero.”
I could feel my mouth suddenly hang open.
I stammered. Tried to get some words out. Failed. Stammered again.
She said, “You have to make the decision right now, Mr. du Cheyne.”
“I... can’t...”
She looked back down, looking deep into the desks imagery. “Line two of the router instruction requires me to tell you that this is the company’s final offer.”
I shrugged, suddenly found my voice. “They must know I’ve had a counter-offer. Berens-Vataro will be...”
She spread her hands. “This has nothing to do with me. All they want to hear is, Yes or no?”
Something. Something she’s not telling me. I can see it in her eyes.
I said, “No. I’m sorry, I...”
She said, “Now that you’ve made your decision, line three of the router instruction requires me to tell you that your employment contract with the Eighth Ray Scientific-Industrial Enterprise is terminated.”
Long moment of silence.
Almost stupidly: “ What ?”
She let out a long sigh, sounding somehow relieved, and said, “Sorry.”
I found myself standing, mouth open, eyes wide. Fired ? I said, “You can’t fucking get away with this. The machinist’s union... the steward... I...”
She motioned at something in her desk display and the office door whispered open, two beefy security guys standing out in the hall. Then she said, “Mr. du Cheyne is no longer employed here. Please escort him from the company premises.”
Security guys stepping in, hands raised, as if reaching for me.
I said, “Now wait just a second here...”
She folded her arms across her chest and said, “Look, I’m sorry Mr. du Cheyne. There’s nothing I can do. I’ll have the shop steward gather your personal tools and bring them to your apartment.” A glance downward. “I guess the equilibrimotor belongs to us. You can leave it here”
No more words left inside.
All I could do was nod.
Nod and be led away.
o0o
Somehow, I got back to my apartment and sat down in my favorite chair, facing the vidnet wall, still wrapped in my spacesuit, spacesuit curious, for it’d never been to my apartment before. What the hell am I going to do with my tool packs when they get here? They’re not going to be happy, just lying around. Orange pulsing now. Apartment AI clamoring for my attention. Mr. du Cheyne! Please Mr. du Cheyne, you’ve got to...
Shut the fuck up.
AI quite puzzled.
But Mr. du Cheyne...
Shut up, damn you.
I heard the drink mixer rattle forlornly, off in the kitchen, icecubes clinking softly, glasses shifting back and forth, waiting for me to want them.
Just sitting here. Staring. Waiting. Empty. I keep thinking there’s something I ought to be able to do about this.
The apartment said, Mr. du Cheyne, please ...
Communicating a great sense of anxiety to me, as if I didn’t have enough trouble. Jesus. Maybe I can call them up in the morning, call that nice Miz Yoshida and tell her I changed my mind. Call that fucking lawyeroid asshole and...
Something chattering away in the background. My suit. Talking very fast, not to me. Talking to the apartment. Suit’s a lot damn smarter than the household appliances AI, even without its ERSIE-5 processor link. I...
God damn, I want my job.
I liked going there every day.
My friends.
The ships.
The machinery.
The... doing . I...
The suit said, Mr. du Cheyne? I’m sorry, sir, but I’m forced to override your last order to the apartment.
Boggling. Override ? Like this was some kind of hardware rule sieve emergency? I...
The vidnet wall lit up with a flash, and there was the Board of Trade Regents meeting hall, down in good, old Kiev, down
She said, “Line one of the router instruction tells me to offer you, in exchange for a parity quitclaim on your B-VEI stock options, the sum of one million livres and advancement to Wage Grade Eleven step Zero.”
I could feel my mouth suddenly hang open.
I stammered. Tried to get some words out. Failed. Stammered again.
She said, “You have to make the decision right now, Mr. du Cheyne.”
“I... can’t...”
She looked back down, looking deep into the desks imagery. “Line two of the router instruction requires me to tell you that this is the company’s final offer.”
I shrugged, suddenly found my voice. “They must know I’ve had a counter-offer. Berens-Vataro will be...”
She spread her hands. “This has nothing to do with me. All they want to hear is, Yes or no?”
Something. Something she’s not telling me. I can see it in her eyes.
I said, “No. I’m sorry, I...”
She said, “Now that you’ve made your decision, line three of the router instruction requires me to tell you that your employment contract with the Eighth Ray Scientific-Industrial Enterprise is terminated.”
Long moment of silence.
Almost stupidly: “ What ?”
She let out a long sigh, sounding somehow relieved, and said, “Sorry.”
I found myself standing, mouth open, eyes wide. Fired ? I said, “You can’t fucking get away with this. The machinist’s union... the steward... I...”
She motioned at something in her desk display and the office door whispered open, two beefy security guys standing out in the hall. Then she said, “Mr. du Cheyne is no longer employed here. Please escort him from the company premises.”
Security guys stepping in, hands raised, as if reaching for me.
I said, “Now wait just a second here...”
She folded her arms across her chest and said, “Look, I’m sorry Mr. du Cheyne. There’s nothing I can do. I’ll have the shop steward gather your personal tools and bring them to your apartment.” A glance downward. “I guess the equilibrimotor belongs to us. You can leave it here”
No more words left inside.
All I could do was nod.
Nod and be led away.
o0o
Somehow, I got back to my apartment and sat down in my favorite chair, facing the vidnet wall, still wrapped in my spacesuit, spacesuit curious, for it’d never been to my apartment before. What the hell am I going to do with my tool packs when they get here? They’re not going to be happy, just lying around. Orange pulsing now. Apartment AI clamoring for my attention. Mr. du Cheyne! Please Mr. du Cheyne, you’ve got to...
Shut the fuck up.
AI quite puzzled.
But Mr. du Cheyne...
Shut up, damn you.
I heard the drink mixer rattle forlornly, off in the kitchen, icecubes clinking softly, glasses shifting back and forth, waiting for me to want them.
Just sitting here. Staring. Waiting. Empty. I keep thinking there’s something I ought to be able to do about this.
The apartment said, Mr. du Cheyne, please ...
Communicating a great sense of anxiety to me, as if I didn’t have enough trouble. Jesus. Maybe I can call them up in the morning, call that nice Miz Yoshida and tell her I changed my mind. Call that fucking lawyeroid asshole and...
Something chattering away in the background. My suit. Talking very fast, not to me. Talking to the apartment. Suit’s a lot damn smarter than the household appliances AI, even without its ERSIE-5 processor link. I...
God damn, I want my job.
I liked going there every day.
My friends.
The ships.
The machinery.
The... doing . I...
The suit said, Mr. du Cheyne? I’m sorry, sir, but I’m forced to override your last order to the apartment.
Boggling. Override ? Like this was some kind of hardware rule sieve emergency? I...
The vidnet wall lit up with a flash, and there was the Board of Trade Regents meeting hall, down in good, old Kiev, down
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