The sunlight flashed against her closed eyelids as they crossed the shadows of passing trees. The gravity engines hummed; she kept her tongue between her teeth to keep them from vibrating against each other. She felt a strange motion and she opened her eyes. The boat was slowing, lowering itself into the water.
She could hear it now, the great churning of waters. This was where the East and West forks of the Dime river met. She looked over the side as the boat touched the water and floated.
Blue and green waters mixed in torrid upheavals and violent whirlpools. The river was wide here. Seven kilometers.
The boat turned. “We’re going out toward the middle,”
Duane’s voice came from somewhere up front, out of sight. “The biggest fish are out in the middle.”
Odd, she thought. He had always said the best fishing was near to the shore.
Duane made his way back with rods in his hands. “Are you ready for this?”
“We’re going to the middle?”
“Yes.”
“The only big fish out there would be a cleotis; they eat tiny insects. You can’t catch them with hooks.”
He was smiling.
Erin took a close look at the rods he was holding and realized they weren’t rods at all. They were expensive, programmed fish guns with intelligent harpoons. “Where’s the sportsmanship in that?” she said.
Duane laughed. “To hell with sportsmanship. I want a big fish.”
Erin didn’t like the way he’d said that. Her fear was coming back. He’s talking about fish, she told herself. Fish. Regardless, she found herself in her own nightmare, all the terror was coming to her, all the horrible helplessness. She sat rigidly in front of him, unable to move.
There was a signal from her interface, and she heard the calm, clear thoughtvoice of her executive AI.
Yes, she thought. Yes, it’ll calm me down.
TIM summarized the day’s global business since the report last night. Her labor service, which provided 32% of the robotic rental and leasing of all of Terranova colony, was still healthy and thriving. Echoes of her husband’s last scandal still had stocks down 9%, but the company was riding it out. A hacker had tried to enter her system, but TIM had turned him away. Five new models of industrial robot were announced by Terranova Machinery.
Other news … Erin went into unnecessary details to delay her return to the real world. Then business was concluded, and she focused her eyes to find Duane staring at her.
“I can tell when you’re interfacing,” he said. “Your eyes get glassy, like when you’re drunk.”
“I just received the morning report.”
“I know, it’s nine.”
“TIM said another hacker’s been trying to get into my system.”
“It wasn’t me.”
“What?”
“It wasn’t me.”
“I wasn’t accusing you.” Her voice rose. “Why did you think I was accusing you?”
“You’re always accusing me.”
Erin thought this over. She had accused him a lot recently, and she was right every time. My god, she thought, he’s hacking my system. “Why are you hacking my system?”
“See?”
“Duane, my system is my livelihood and my life.”
“I have a present for you,” he said.
“I don’t care. Duane, what are you trying to get out of my system? If you want information just ask me for it.”
Duane had turned and was digging in a pack for something. He found something small and produced it, showing it to her. “You know what this is?”
She looked at it briefly. A small black crystal of some sort, it looked like cheap jewelry. He peeled something off the back, reached forward and, before she could stop him, placed it against her skin between her breasts.
“It’s pretty,” he said. “Do you like it?”
She pulled at it; it wouldn’t come off. “Duane, what is this?”
“A pretty jewel.”
“It is not. It’s ugly and it’s stuck to me. Duane …”
“It’s okay, it’ll come off if you soak it in water for a while. Don’t you like it?”
“No, I don’t … I don’t wear this kind of jewelry. Duane, what is going on? Tell me, please, I’m getting frightened.”
“Well, I can tell you now. That is a tachyon signal blocker.”
She stared at him in shock.
“I don’t want you talking to your executive for a while, so I waited until after your report. Now I have about 8 hours of your undivided attention.”
“I don’t think this is funny. I want this thing off me now.”
The boat slowed and stopped. They had reached the middle of the river, a good 3.5 kilometers from land in either direction.
Duane picked up the fishing guns from the deck beside him.
“You know, ” he said, “that crystal really does look nice on you. I mean, it’s really set off. Something so black and shiny against your white skin. I’ve always found you beautiful, Erin, I’ve never had to fake that.”
“Ffake … what do you mean?”
“It’s not important now. Hey, do you feel like a swim?”
Erin shrank back. Her dream! It was her dream! “Don’t touch me,” she said to him in a low, shaking voice. “I’ve already sent for the police, your signal blocker isn’t working.”
“That’s a lie.”
“You don’t know that!”
“I know you, sugar.” He grinned.
Erin was desperately calling out for TIM, but the interface signal was completely blocked.
“This is your pole,” he said, indicating one of the fishing guns. He turned and casually fired it out over the water. The harpoon shot out in a great arc, trailing strong, dangerously thin monofilament. He held it out for her, and said, “Here.”
She made no move to take it.
He shrugged, and put it in a holder. Then he turned and fired off his. “This is a special lure,” he said. “It’s custom made.”
Erin gave up trying to call for TIM. In desperation she set her interface to record.
“Don’t you want to fish?” he asked.
Very slowly, fighting for control, she said, “I want you to take me home, now.”
“But we haven’t caught anything yet.”
She began crying. This was terrible – it was really happening. “You’re going to kill me,” she said.
Duane sighed. “Yes, I am. You’re right.”
“Oh God,” she said, sobbing. She was crying and shaking in terror.
“Come on, Erin. What is death, anyhow? We’re ready for it.
We can survive it. What’s there to be afraid of?”
“Why are you doing this?” she screamed at him, her voice cracking. Tears streamed and her nose was running.
“I mean, all that’ll happen is you’ll get into a new, younger body,” he said. “You’ll only be away from the business for a few days.”
“I don’t want to die!” she cried.
“Come on, Erin. Get into the water, let’s get this over with.”
“I don’t want to drown!”
“You won’t drown, I promise. I’ve made sure it’ll be absolutely painless. You see, this is going to be a fishing accident. You’re going to fall overboard while we’re fishing. My lure is going to mistake you for a fish. The lure will hit you in the head, boom, that’s it. You’ll feel nothing. The signal block will come off in the water, and they’ll find your body. You wake up in a new body. Tada! Everything’s better.”
Erin dove to the right of him, trying to get past to the front of the boat. He grabbed her, his arms around her stomach, and lifted her over his head. She struggled in blind terror, kicking, squirming. She hit him somewhere that stunned him. He dropped her to the deck and staggered backward, groaning. Erin hit the deck hard, landing on her wrists, and one twisted back with a sickening crack. Pain shot up her arm like fire.
She rolled over onto her back, holding her injured wrist against her chest. Erin had never broken a bone before, she was shocked by how much pain was involved. She accessed her interface, chose body controls, and began raising her pain threshold.
Duane recovered, and came toward her.
“No!” she screamed.
“Come on, you bitch!” He bent down to pick her up.
Erin placed both feet against his chest and shoved with her legs. He flew backwards, a surprised look on his face, hit the edge of the starboard deck and tumbled over into the water. There was a large splash, and Erin saw water droplets spray up in a fountain and come raining down. She thought immediately of the lure, and that it would get him. Panting, she crawled to the starboard side on knees and elbows and looked over.
He was swimming in place, looking up at her.
“Why did you do it!” she screamed at him. “Why?!”
“It’ll get me, now.”
“Oh, God,” she said. “Why?”
“I suppose I deserve it. I deserve to die.”
She was crying. She couldn’t believe this it was all so insane. She didn’t want him to die. “Why did you want to kill me?”