Weissenbaum's Eye - Stetten

Weissenbaum's Eye - Stetten - Chapter 23

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The next morning the door to Sand's cabin slid open, waking him from a sound sleep. Without so much as a greeting, Judy entered, wheeling a power dolly loaded with a couch.

"Here, let me help you with that," Sand managed, but Judy ignored the offer, and with a few twists of the dolly's handle, neatly unloaded the couch near a socket on the floor. She leaned over and plugged it in. "Where does the connection go?" Sand asked.

"To the cathedral," Judy replied.

"And not to any of the other couches?"

Judy seemed to consider the question unworthy of an answer. "Get up," she said. "I'm supposed to show you where we eat breakfast." Judy stepped out into the hall to wait for him. Well, he thought, putting on his clothes, at least they would eat together.

As they entered the dining hall, Judy showed Sand where to pick up a tray, and how to select from the menu. Sand ordered an omelette with a roll and apple juice. The processed food certainly appeared bland compared to Carrie's Cuisine, but it was still much preferable to algeast wafers. Tarni and Don Andrews were already seated. Following Judy's example Sand put his tray on the table and sat down. Tarni barely nodded hello, and Don Andrews gave Sand a long, cool stare. Theirs was the only table lit in the ghostly hall.

The four ate the bland, nourishing diet in silence. At times Sand watched Tarni, wondering about the stories of the Pinta. Was this really the young woman who had risked destroying cities, just to save a few hundred? She seemed not nearly such a monster, rather a tense, alert, yet strangely sullen creature. At times, too, Tarni glanced at Sand, perhaps in her mind the question that the ghosts around her seemed to echo. Why was an addict of the medium here, in Backdoor? Eventually, Don Andrews cleared his throat.

"Welcome, everyone. There are just four of us today, but Mara may be joining us soon."

"How can she contact us," Sand interrupted, "without the relay beacons?"

"Your mother will send a message probe from Earth when it is time," Don Andrews replied. "Tarni, you and Sand will pick her up." Sand glanced at Tarni, from whose expression it was clear that the idea of another ferry trip with him was not particularly appealing. But she said nothing.

"Also, we need to discuss defense," Don Andrews continued. This seemed curious to Sand. "I have secured a laser for each one of us. We need to practice shooting every day." Judy seemed to take this for granted, and Tarni remained expressionless.

"What are we defending against?" asked Sand.

Don Andrews turned to him. "Backdoor was invaded from Earth once," he answered. "We were taken off guard. That will never happen again."

"But there are only four of us," Sand questioned. "How could we hold out against the hordes Benjamin Holly could enlist?"

Their silence quickly gave him the answer. They would fight to the death. Then Don Andrews seemed to grow somewhat more reasonable. "An invasion isn't likely. The medium let us come here, after all. But it could change its mind at any time, if it perceives us as a threat."

"What kind of threat could we be?" asked Sand, noticing that his were the only questions.

Don Andrews seemed to grow impatient. "We will be starting a separate, different medium in Backdoor. The Earth might not...appreciate that," he said. Changing topics, he continued. "That brings us to your duties, Sand. Today, I want you to start making programs for Judy's couch. You have seen her workshop in the cathedral. It is no longer used for building vessels." Don Andrews paused, and he reflected, "No more ships can leave until we understand the turbulence that stopped the Pinta. That is beyond us now," he spoke as though the walls alone were listening, "but hollow globes we can construct, with circuits etched within each sphere, until our medium achieves the unity of survival, the evolution of identity."

Sand felt that he was listening to a crazy man, but Don Andrews quickly reverted to the business at hand.

"This morning we connected each couch to a sphere. This will extend the couches' memory. We are now ready to learn about texturing in three dimensions, constructing optical illusions, and all the other tricks of your trade." Relaxing further he went on. "Judy needs a simulated setting connected to the cathedral, like Tarni's was connected to the wingscoop. I want Judy to be enmeshed in the motions and feelings of her workshop. The complete plans for the cathedral have been loaded into her couch, and the controls have been connected. All that's missing is the program. She is to become the room. It is a trick I'm sure you can accomplish, with your training."

Sand listened with growing excitement. It seemed indeed that he was needed here. His skills would be appreciated. However, just as he began to feel at home, Don Andrews threatened him again. "Do not forget, there will be no two people in one simulation, no interaction in Backdoor. You will do your work alone, and when you finish, only then, will Judy use it."

Then to all of them he said, "Now, let's get to work." Judy collected up the trays, as Don Andrews left the table. Then Judy motioned for Sand to follow her. As he left the dining hall, Sand turned to see that Tarni was still sitting at the table, alone.

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