Journey of Rick Heiden Ch. 41-42

"Pearce!"

"Oh shit."

He quickly reattached it to the tripod, but he had crossed a line, and they turned on both of us. Pearce clicked the line's release switch, grabbed the attached bucket, and ran toward the tributary.

"Come on!"

He climbed into the tributary and held the line as the flow carried away the water-filled bucket. In reluctance, I followed him once the wrathful bots were bearing down upon me.

When the light from the room vanished, the tunnel turned pitch black, and I switched on my wrist lamp. The water had filled one-quarter of the height in the metal lining of the tributary. I had plenty of space in the tunnel if I didn't raise my head much. The slippery metal caused us to slide fast, but I could keep my head above the water with ease, and I did my best to keep the light facing down the tunnel so Pearce could see.

"Junction!" he yelled. "Hold your breath!"

I did so, and where the two other branches joined at the mouth of the larger tributary, the water deepened. We passed through to the larger tributary, at one-third full, and I had a harder time keeping my head above the water. That lasted no more than 30 meters, where we hit another junction with the same problem. The excess depth had me plunged beneath the surface. I emerged in an even larger tunnel, half full of water, and I struggled in my effort to sit up, because the tributary had the height to do so, but our speed and the water depth kept me off balance.

I saw what Pearce was doing ahead of me. He picked the bucket up from the water and dumped it, to use it to slow us down. They made the tributaries round, but unlike the main tunnel, they left the upper half stone.

"Hold on! The water is going to get a little deeper."

He turned the metal bucket upside down and shoved its bottom into the stone above him. Sparks flew as he slowed down just enough for me to catch up with him. We were sitting at that point, and I came up right behind him. Together, we both pushed on the metal bucket above our heads. We continued our slide, and it did slow us, but the bucket was wearing away.

"I see the end!"

I tipped my head to see around his, and we were getting there a bit too fast. We both pushed as hard as we could. The bucket was getting hot, and the water at my back deepened. In the light of my lamp, with my hands pushing the bucket, I could see the bottom had worn away. It lost traction, and we couldn't stop in time.

Our momentum tossed us out of the tributary into the main tunnel. The water moved swiftly, but we both held onto the bucket. We traveled 10 meters from the junction when the line made a timely jerk to a stop. Either we had reached the end, or the bots stopped it. The bucket no longer had a bottom, and therefore the flow of the water didn't drag us by it, and since the line halted, it pulled us to the side of the tunnel where the water moved with less swiftness. That allowed us to keep our heads above the surface with ease. We hadn't noticed it at first, but we experienced a slight pull upstream on the line.

"I think we're moving!" We both started to laugh.

It took about three minutes, but the bots dragged us back upstream to the junction, and we made it to a little lichen-covered ledge we could stand on. Once we got there, we couldn't move, standing flat against the wall.

Pearce wiped his eyes. "Where's the Attendant?"

We spoke loudly to hear one another over the tributary's waterfall next to us. "I don't know," I said. "Attendant, show yourself to me!" It took a few seconds to find it with my lamp, but it kept up with us. I asked it to come closer. When it came eight inches away from my face, I told it to give the ship our location and to come to us. Also, that it could leave through the vent above us, but to use caution because it exited onto the busy Central Avenue. I had no idea if it understood anything that I said to it, so we relied on Venn's ingenuity and prudence. When I told it to do as I asked, I aimed the light at the tunnel with the grating above us. I saw it go.

"Will the ship know how to find us?"

"I should think so," I said. "We came here two nights ago."

"When this is over, and we get some rest," said Pearce. "I'm going to leave to get my son back."

"I understand your urgency," I said, "but don't you think you should wait until the Prime Sharer Enhancement takes effect?"

"I suppose you're right," he said. "I feel like I'm so close to having him back. I couldn't have done this without you, Rick. Thank you. I will keep my promise to you."

"Thank me when we're sitting on the ship."

"I believe in you, Rick," he said. "We'll be fine."

The rush of water looked less than an arm's length below us, and Pearce could reach out and touched the gushing water from the tributary. Our feet fit the depth of the ledge on which we stood, so we had no margin for error.

"We've got a problem," I said.

"What problem?"

"The water is pouring from the tributary farther into the main channel than where we stand. The ship can't get close enough for us to climb aboard easily without also flooding the cabin. We'll have to jump."

"Can you jump?" he asked.

"I've not jumped anything in quite a while."

I saw the label for junction number (sixteen) across the way, as we clung to the wall. Two nights prior, we made it to junction three in half an hour. The ship must have doubled its speed as it arrived in fifteen minutes. We saw its exterior lighting in the distance. As it closed in, it turned to face the exit and got as close as it could, and I asked it to open the port hatch. It hovered more than a meter away, well beyond stepping distance.

Pearce insisted I go first, and with minor difficulty, I made it. I don't know what happened with Pearce. Perhaps by standing closer to the waterfall, the ledge where he stood had grown more slippery, and it transferred to his shoes, making them more slippery. Maybe his legs didn't have the strength mine had. A combination of factors could have caused it, but when he jumped, his shoes didn't grip, and I flailed about in my attempt to grab his arms. He fell backward into the water, striking his head on the ledge where we stood. The deluge from the tributary pushed him into the swifter current, washing him downstream.

I yelled. "Attendant, get us in front of him!"

The autopilot on the ship maneuvered to get in front of him, and we skimmed the rush of water beneath us, moving only slightly slower downstream than Pearce. As he came to us, I grabbed his arm by the shoulder and his shirt, heaving him into the ship. The door closed immediately, and dry air purged the air moisture from the vessel.

Pearce had profuse bleeding from the head; I couldn't tell how badly with all the water. I checked for vital signs. His heart was beating, but his breathing had stopped, so I laid him flat on his back, opened his airway, and blew air into his lungs. He began coughing and gasping. I turned him onto his side. The ship's teacher showed me where to locate the emergency medical kit, and I tried to staunch the bleeding with some gauze. He continued to cough, and I kept him on his left side. The nanos in his system should take care of his wound if I could slow the bleeding with compression. He had a nasty gash on the back of his head, and head wounds always bleed a great deal.

I kept the pressure on his wound and leaned close to him. "Can you talk to me? Speak to me, Pearce."

He could say nothing, and his disorientation caused his eyes not to focus on me when I checked his vision. I left the ship on autopilot and told the Attendant to get us to the hospital quickly. When we exited the drain minutes later, I contacted them and had them meet us at the emergency entrance and informed them of the situation. Pearce's cough slowed. I didn't know what that meant, either good or bad.

On the way, I removed the vials from his shirt, placing them in a cupboard, and held the vial we intended to give Dmitry in my hand. We had made it to the vault and out again, but at what cost? Pearce might not make it; head wounds were tricky. We also had passed the four-hour mark, so if Dmitry followed through with his threat, I would have no misgivings about following through with mine.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

It continued to pour rain upon One City, and we arrived at the covered roundabout at the hospital's emergency entrance. Faye and her team took Pearce into the trauma unit. Several men and women worked over him, performing various medical tasks. Faye told me she would keep me informed so I would leave and get out of their way. I didn't take offense; I couldn't blame her.

I borrowed an examination room where I washed my hands of Pearce's blood and contacted Mason to ask about the status there. It seemed that both Dmitry and Maggie had lost consciousness. When he told me about Maggie, I felt like someone had removed the air from the room and reached into my chest to squeeze my heart as hard as they could. Through watery eyes, I looked at the vial of Nano Reset in my hand. Bloody hope, that's all I had. Cure or not, she might require care. I couldn't know when it would take effect, or if it would have any effect at all. I pulled myself together and requested two medical transports to the Penthouse. I left Pearce in the capable hands of the clinicians and departed for home. On the way, I contacted Magnar, requesting he come to the penthouse.

In the captain's seat of the Berlioz, my wet and bloody clothes clung to me, and I stunk from the lichen residue ground into my pants and shirt.

I landed the ship on the balcony, unable to see into the penthouse, as the rain caused Mason to close the glass door.

Four hours up or not, Dmitry should have wanted to keep his insurance if we hadn't returned from the vault. Why hadn't he waited? Maggie was lying on the couch, her face placid and her mind inactive, like those of Amaré or Neal. I saw Dmitry on the floor in the same state.

"Did you use his device on him?" I asked Mason. "It looks like you had to beat the hell out of him to do it. I'm proud of you."

"If you refer to his developing bruises," said Mason, "Maggie made those. Near the end of the four hours, Dmitry used his device on her as she tried to escape his grasp. He told her what he had done, letting her go. He underestimated her reaction. Before she succumbed to its effects, she had the opportunity to, as you say, beat the hell out of him, at which point she used his device on him. She didn't feel well and laid upon on the couch. She's lain there ever since."

"How long ago did she lie down?"

"Eleven minutes before you contacted me," he said.

"Eleven minutes." I knelt before Maggie on the front side of the couch. I popped the cap on the vial I had containing the Nano Reset and poured the few milliliters of liquid into Maggie's mouth. "Come back to me, Maggie," I said. Her eyes stayed closed as if she slept. I would have to wait and see.

"Once again, I detect the pungent odor," said Mason. "I assume you went into the drain at some point."

"Yes," I said as I stood. "I've given Maggie the Nano Reset."

"So, Pearce meant it as a ruse," said Mason. "He didn't lie. Where is he?"

"He's in the hospital. He had an accident," I said. "I will ask you to keep the Nano Reset a strict secret."

"You can count on me," said Mason.

I moved toward Dmitry. I got down on my hands and knees, my face within a few inches of Dmitry's, bloodied and bruised. I held him responsible for much of the havoc that had happened. Not only the attacks against various people, including Maggie, Amaré, and Neal. He attempted to retrieve files from Rom, which resulted in Rom's unnecessary death, which resulted in the exodus, which resulted in David leaving before he meant to. I wanted him to watch me sneer at him, but he lay as unresponsive and vacant as the others.

When I contacted Magnar, he took my communication and spoke to me like our argument never happened. Even as a hypocrite, Magnar was a good man. Venn delivered him to our building after a few minutes. I stared at Maggie while we waited, searching for any sign she was coming out of it. I still waited when Magnar and the medical personnel reached the top of the staircase to our private rooms.

Magnar wore a pair of black pants and a grey pullover. I had never seen him in anything besides his uniform.

The medical staff moved both Maggie and Dmitry onto levitating gurneys, and before they left with Maggie, I kissed her on the cheek. I told her I would see her when I could.

I looked Magnar in the eye. I had to make my apology to him. "Magnar, I -"

"You don't have to apologize," he said, interrupting me. "I accepted that you wouldn't take it well before I said it, and I knew you'd come to your senses given time. It took less than a day for you. It took me ten when I made a similar mistake in my youth. I know that we seem the same age, but we're not. I've made many more laps around the proverbial block than you, and believe me, the view never changes. Stick with David; he'll show you another, more interesting path." He sat upon one of our wingback chairs. "Now, tell me of Dmitry."

I sat in the chair opposite and told Magnar everything that had occurred involving Dmitry's treacherous actions, including what it caused the Master Builder to do. I also told him of my vow to kill Dmitry if he harmed Maggie.

"I know he's angered you," he said, "and that's understandable given the result of his actions, and I feel the same. But you couldn't honorably kill him in his current state, and I couldn't guarantee you would have the opportunity otherwise. He harmed more than just you, and I happen to know he has broken certain vows he made to the Trust. Besides, as a non-member, you should leave it to us to take care of those things."

"I intend to join the Trust when things settle down," I said.

He opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated; reconsidering it, he said what he almost kept to himself. "As one of the members who proclaim a candidate worthy of consideration for a student of the Trust, I urge you to reconsider pursuing that."

"Why? I'm trustworthy."

"The Trust is for a certain kind of person," he said, "and I agree with you. When it comes to trustworthiness, you are, without a doubt, an ideal candidate, and I'm not just saying that."

"So, what's the problem?" I asked. "Have I some flaw that negates my admission? What is it?"

"You're not a killer," he said.

I just looked at him. "Could you clarify that, please?"

"Yes," he said. "What I'm saying is you are perfect for the Trust. You are honest, trustworthy, disciplined, and in every other thing that would make you an ideal member of the Trust, except in the one way that is the most necessary. The Trust exists to kill invaders, and while we often have other duties, it exists for no other reason, and that's not you."

"I see," I said.

"But...there's something I want you to know," he said, "there is a reason we have only one-third of the population as members of the Trust. It takes a certain kind of person to kill people and get on with their life. Not everyone can do that, and that's perfectly fine. We recognize that here. Could you kill someone if you had to? I'm certain you could, most people can, but we're not talking about one person, and then it's over. Invasions don't work that way."

"I guess I never thought of it in that context." I took a deep breath. "What about me makes me not right for the Trust?"

"You ruminate and analyze your experiences, and you experience your emotions at great depth," he said. "Now, I'm going to ask you, because you know yourself better than me, am I mistaken?"

I sat there a moment. "No, you've pointed out my weaknesses well enough."

Magnar tipped his head. "I wouldn't call those weaknesses. I see them as your strengths. I can't think of a worse personal travesty, than for you to join the Trust and become changed by it. You're not flawed if you're different from the people you tend to admire. You're an amazing man, Rick. David is lucky to have you."

I didn't know what to say.

"I know you well enough to know something has precipitated your desire to enter the Trust," he said. "So, what is it?"

"I want to learn to defend myself," I said, "and to help protect Jiyū."

He laughed a little and leaned forward in his seat. "Do you not recognize that protecting Jiyū is all you've done since the day you met Amaré? You've protected Jiyū more than most any member of the Trust." He took a deep breath and reclined in his seat. "Now, as for learning to defend yourself, that's a worthy pursuit, and there are things you can learn here that will help you. Venn told me you're having the gymnasium installed on the first floor. That's an excellent start, but remember, strength is important, but it's not everything." Magnar stood. "We can discuss these matters later when your eyes aren't red from sleep deprivation." He picked up Dmitry's reprogrammed NP device from the coffee table. "I shall take this for the Nano team." He made for the staircase. "The hospital knows to inform you if any change occurs with Maggie or Pearce. Mason, please ensure he doesn't skip meals."

"Of course," said Mason.

"Thank you, Magnar," I said as he vanished down the steps.

I showered and slept to the second meal the next morning, although Mason awakened my disgruntled self to eat for the first one. I felt better after five hours of sleep. Mason informed me of the news while I ate.

"In evidence out the window, the rain has stopped," he said. "I have cleaned your clothes, but you have ruined the seat of your trousers. I cannot imagine how you wore them out in less than two days. As you seem partial to them, I had requested that Svend create several duplicates. He will have them delivered this afternoon.

"The Master Builder tells me that your advice to her has proven invaluable and sends her appreciation. Venn informs me that her having done so is an unprecedented event. She also tells me that she will have the gymnasium completed by tomorrow morning.

"Venn finalized the forging of the second ship overnight, and Magnar designated Cadmar as its captain. Cadmar has learned you named yours the Berlioz, so he has decided to follow in the same line, naming his ship the SJS Offenbach."

I smiled, knowing he did it as a long-distance expression of his devotion to me.

"A woman by the name Etsuko, contacted me," said Mason. "She is the artist Cadmar asked to paint the name on his ship, and she has offered her services."

"Aiden will appreciate that," I said, "Please, accept her offer with my thanks."

"I have no news of Maggie," said Mason. "Pearce, however, is conscious and stable. His scans continue to improve, and they expect him to recover soon. One thing you should know, nanos can do many things, but they cannot restore brain tissue. They can replace or augment, but not restore."

"What's wrong with Pearce?"

"The blow to the back of his head has damaged his visual cortex. He is blind, and evidence suggests he will remain blind when the swelling diminishes."

"Oh no, can they correct that?"

"You should present that question to the clinicians at the hospital," said Mason.

"Okay, I'll see to that. Thank you for letting me know."

"In other news," said Mason. "After beddo this morning, Magnar sent two Trust members to bring back our families with young children, and to fetch Aiden and Fennec with Amaré. Those three still waited in the park for an ambulance and have already returned. Amaré is currently in the hospital with Maggie and Neal.

"Magnar has given the NP device to the nano technicians, and they have set all current projects aside to analyze the viral code."

"I gave Maggie the Nano Reset hours ago," I said. "It doesn't appear to work."