On Shalimar - III E-Book

Suzann Dodd

• Herausgeber: BookRix
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

The ZerShaz have conquered all human occupied planets.  Shalimar has not experienced much dislocation.  

Sharon leaves the Engredi Preserve, steals a car, flies to the nearest city.  Her memories are hidden, but bits emerge; how to mox cards, how to load them with credit.

Leseprobe

Suzann Dodd

On Shalimar - III

BookRix GmbH & Co. KG81371 Munich

Miss Lyra Carfaldi

MISS LYRA CARFALDI

SHARON FEINSTEINSPRINGSMAGRIT PROVINCESHALIMAR

I finished my shift, came out with my working card which identified me as Lyra Carfaldi. Lyra had died before my shift. So had Joy Ruth Cook. Thanks to me, Central Com didn't know.

On the other side of the building was Current Com. People change their faces like their blouses and had to keep their card matching their current head.

Unlike mil plastic which required a DNA match, civ only needed a holo laid over the right thumbprint. The face didn't matter as much as the thumb.

My thumb didn't match either fem, but a dab of coataline would fix that.  I didn't check how I knew, but I knew.

I never heard of coataline all day, but as soon as I got to Cur Com I knew all about it. My Sharon memories were bubbling.

If I went to remember, it'd be headache time, if I sidewise thought, moved on autopilot. Coming like I had this guard at the gate of my brain who wouldn't let me pass, but if I had like an excuse to get in, I would.

I went looking for a Neverlock not thinking about coataline. I knew it a kind of makeup which acts like a mask. Invent a face in the refo, smear coataline on yours, the machine molds it to match. This is so you could change your appearance temporarily.

My feet were cold, the ground hard, though the shop wasn't five chains away it felt ten miles.

Neverlocks are robot run. I guess humans would be taking this kind of a job pretty soon, but for now, considering the time of day being 5:10 a.m., robots.

I used my Lyra plastic, bought a pair of sneakers and a small tube of coataline. I put on the cheap sneakers and walked back to the Data Centre. I found the Current section. I squeezed a dab of coataline on my thumb.

I put in Joy Ruth Cook's card, my coataline thumb against the grid and got through. My holo was pasted over hers. I went out, waited a minute then did the same with Lyra.

I walked over the Information section to check the balances.

Joy Ruth had $134,000.

Lyra had $2,000.

Not bad.

I then went through ads looking for a place to live. There was a furnished flat with dispi and refo going for twenty three hundred a month. I clicked 'okay', pushed in Joy Ruth's card.

It read my card, approved it.

I used my Lyra card to take a robotaxi to the address. The sun was rising, traffic just beginning. The trip wasn't five minutes.

I got out before a very tall building loaded with condos. Using my Joy card I entered the lobby, the lifter. I pushed Joy's plastic into the slot, the lifter took me to the twenty third floor. I got out, went to my flat, 2310. At the door, I inserted my card.

'PIN?' It goes.

That was a number. I picked 2491. The door slid open. I entered. It was wonderfully neat, richly furnished. It was novel and known at the same time.

I'd lived in places like this, where/when didn't matter. I was here.

I explored my new 'home'. I'd guess the living room about twelve by fourteen, which led to a small balcony on my right. I had a wonderful view of the building across the street.

There was a walk through kitchenette and opposite the balcony door, my bedroom and bathroom.

Okay.

Now what? Safe and alone, what comes next?

I used the toilet, showered, looked at my face in the mirror. It was pinched and old. I progged the refo, put my head into the boothette. For one second I thought about making changes. If I don't know who I am, not looking like me would make it worse.

I had the refo give me a facial, a vitamin E treatment, a wrinkle remover and that was that.

I didn't bother 'personalising' the flat by chosing colours or scents, I was tired. I went to the bed. Just as I was drifting to sleep a lot of past flooded in. I was too tired and too wise to sort. I went with the flow.