mine. With a roll and a push she slipped down the side of the sloping wall, and stood up on mercifully smooth floor. If she raised her hands she could touch the ceiling, but she could stand, and Bach, floating out next to her, had ample room to drift beside her as she crouched and peered, gun raised, in both directions.
The shaft was deserted, and silent. A small antenna rose out of Bach, and after a moment of dense quiet he gave a four-note whistle, All clear, one hundred meters.
She motioned to Kyosti, and the others clambered out of the shaft behind her. She surveyed them briefly, and then set out to the right, toward the main tunnel.
The shaft was empty, lit by an uninterrupted string of tube lighting. Shafts branched out at irregular intervals, and three times they had to climb long stretches of ladder seamed into the rock face. At last, ahead, the intensity of the light changed, and Lily knew they were nearing the shaftâs opening into the main level 9 tunnel.
She put a hand back, stopping the five people behind her, and then reached up to tap an acknowledgment of previous commands into Bachâs keypad. He winked lights, a quick pattern, instead of replying in song, rose to the ceiling, and went forward alone.
Yehoshua pushed quietly past Jenny and Kyosti and crouched beside Lily. He waited for a while in silence. Shifted once, then spoke in an undertone.
âYou really think this is going to work?â
Beneath the concealing mask of her helmet, Lily smiled. âI think so. Heâll go up the elevator maintenance ladder just like we will, only faster. And once he gets to the power plantâs main console, weâre free. No one will expect Bach.â
Yehoshua considered this in silence for a time before replying. âIâve never seen a âbot like that. And I wouldnât have believed it if I hadnât seen it. Where did you say you got it?â
She began to reply, heard voices, crouched and poised her rifle. The voices passed, evidently guards patrolling the main tunnel.
âHow many prisoners can we expect will be down here?â she asked after a suitable interval.
Yehoshua shook his head. âI canât guess. Not many. This deep the only cells are for the recidivists: violent or political repeat offenders. My great-grandmotherâs brother spent time on Harsh.â
âWhat for?â
âTriple murder. Died here, too. Story is he got in a vendetta and was taken out with one of those old vibration drills.â
âHoy.â Lily shuddered. âThatâs terrible.â
Yehoshua chuckled. âYeah. Because weâre Monists, we got the body back for proper burial. My old grand-pap once told me that there wasnât much left.â
âIs this true?â Lily demanded suddenly. Yehoshua inclined his head, recognizing her question, but he retreated back to stand beside his cousin without answering her. Quiet descended on the little group.
They waited.
Lily felt one foot begin to numb, shifted it. Now and again she looked back to check Jenny and Kyosti, but they both remained still and absolutely quiet. Rainbow coughed once or twice, a low sound, and Yehoshua whispered something to Alsayid, followed by a muffled laugh from the cousin.
More time passed. Inevitably, her mind wandered from the task at hand. She thought of the dead Ridanis in the shaft they had just passed through. The Sar had never employed Ridanis, but she knew him well enough to know that he would not countenance a policy that condemned them to such a horrible death. She felt a sudden and unexpected urge to tell him what she was doing now. It was strange, thinking of Ransome House after having been away so long. Perhaps he would even approve of her new lifeâbut the chance to explain was unlikely to present itself. With a sigh, she checked her wrist-com for the hour.
Then, without warning, without any transition whatsoever, the lights went out.
Lily stood, banishing
The shaft was deserted, and silent. A small antenna rose out of Bach, and after a moment of dense quiet he gave a four-note whistle, All clear, one hundred meters.
She motioned to Kyosti, and the others clambered out of the shaft behind her. She surveyed them briefly, and then set out to the right, toward the main tunnel.
The shaft was empty, lit by an uninterrupted string of tube lighting. Shafts branched out at irregular intervals, and three times they had to climb long stretches of ladder seamed into the rock face. At last, ahead, the intensity of the light changed, and Lily knew they were nearing the shaftâs opening into the main level 9 tunnel.
She put a hand back, stopping the five people behind her, and then reached up to tap an acknowledgment of previous commands into Bachâs keypad. He winked lights, a quick pattern, instead of replying in song, rose to the ceiling, and went forward alone.
Yehoshua pushed quietly past Jenny and Kyosti and crouched beside Lily. He waited for a while in silence. Shifted once, then spoke in an undertone.
âYou really think this is going to work?â
Beneath the concealing mask of her helmet, Lily smiled. âI think so. Heâll go up the elevator maintenance ladder just like we will, only faster. And once he gets to the power plantâs main console, weâre free. No one will expect Bach.â
Yehoshua considered this in silence for a time before replying. âIâve never seen a âbot like that. And I wouldnât have believed it if I hadnât seen it. Where did you say you got it?â
She began to reply, heard voices, crouched and poised her rifle. The voices passed, evidently guards patrolling the main tunnel.
âHow many prisoners can we expect will be down here?â she asked after a suitable interval.
Yehoshua shook his head. âI canât guess. Not many. This deep the only cells are for the recidivists: violent or political repeat offenders. My great-grandmotherâs brother spent time on Harsh.â
âWhat for?â
âTriple murder. Died here, too. Story is he got in a vendetta and was taken out with one of those old vibration drills.â
âHoy.â Lily shuddered. âThatâs terrible.â
Yehoshua chuckled. âYeah. Because weâre Monists, we got the body back for proper burial. My old grand-pap once told me that there wasnât much left.â
âIs this true?â Lily demanded suddenly. Yehoshua inclined his head, recognizing her question, but he retreated back to stand beside his cousin without answering her. Quiet descended on the little group.
They waited.
Lily felt one foot begin to numb, shifted it. Now and again she looked back to check Jenny and Kyosti, but they both remained still and absolutely quiet. Rainbow coughed once or twice, a low sound, and Yehoshua whispered something to Alsayid, followed by a muffled laugh from the cousin.
More time passed. Inevitably, her mind wandered from the task at hand. She thought of the dead Ridanis in the shaft they had just passed through. The Sar had never employed Ridanis, but she knew him well enough to know that he would not countenance a policy that condemned them to such a horrible death. She felt a sudden and unexpected urge to tell him what she was doing now. It was strange, thinking of Ransome House after having been away so long. Perhaps he would even approve of her new lifeâbut the chance to explain was unlikely to present itself. With a sigh, she checked her wrist-com for the hour.
Then, without warning, without any transition whatsoever, the lights went out.
Lily stood, banishing