CHAPTER 7
Nothing more I could do.The end. The Pop Cops had Broken Man’s port. Without his port, he couldn’t access his disks and the information. No information meant no proof or disproof of Gateway’s existence.
“Lieutenant Commander Karla has my port,” Broken Man said.
I stared at him. Was he serious? “You want me to ask her for it back?”
“Think, Trella. She doesn’t know about the disks. Pulling my teeth is standard procedure. She would have sent it to computer ops to check what I’ve been accessing in the system, and they would have returned it with their report.” Sudden understanding lit his gray eyes. “The report! I should have known. A few of the files I’d viewed probably made Karla suspicious and she set a trap in my room. If only I heard about you before she rigged my quarters.”
His comment reminded me of how I had gotten involved. Cog knew I couldn’t resist a challenge. “If Cog hadn’t told you about me, we wouldn’t be here now.”
He shook his head. “Your reputation as Queen of the Pipes intrigued me first.”
“Yeah, but Cog was the only person who knows what I’m really capable of. And he’s too quick to trust, he falls for any line, and is too eager to get involved.”
“The opposite of you?”
“Of course. I’m not the one getting my hopes dashed every time a new prophet arrives.”
“Yet here you are.”
In trouble with no solution in sight. “A moment of weakness, and an excellent lesson on whatnotto do in the future. Provided I evenhavea future.”
“From what I’ve seen in the lower levels, do you really want to live the rest of your life in these conditions?” he asked.
The standard scrub reply was to shrug and say there was nothing I could do about it or to regurgitate the Pop Cop line about a better after-life. But I had the opportunity to actually prove or disprove the theory about Gateway and Outside. If I wanted to risk my life. Was being alive enough for me? Could I really walk away without trying?
Broken Man could see the answer in my eyes. “Karla’s office is on level four, Sector?—”
“A4. I know. It’s the only area I avoid.” Last thing I needed was for the Pop Cops to catch me in an air duct above their offices and holding cells. I enjoyed a challenge, but I wasn’t crazy. And I limited my time spent in the Gap above level four for trips to my box.
Contemplating the theft of his port from the lieutenant commander, I crossed over from rational to insane. “Do you know what type of security measures are installed in her office?”
“The door’s always locked, but I’m guessing you’re not going to use it.” He smiled. “Probably the usual motion sensors.”
LC Karla knew I used the pipes to get the disks. Would she rig the air ducts above her office with sensors? Broken Man had said she was smart, so I assumed she had. But did she know aboutthe Gap above the ductwork? I needed to do a reconnaissance mission to her office. It would require a great deal of planning.
“How do I know which port is yours?” I asked.
“There’s an identification number etched into the bottom.” Broken Man recited his number and I committed it to memory.
“I need to eat before my next shift, hopefully I’ll think of a way to bypass the LC’s security measures.”
Various scenarios ran through my mind as I returned to the main corridor of level two. No brilliant ideas had formed by the time I shuffled through the cafeteria line and sought a free seat. And consuming the casserole of the day failed to ignite any exceptional plans.
The only way I could enter Karla’s office would be to find the wires for the motion detectors and disable them without setting them off. It would be time consuming and dangerous. The probability of missing a sensor would be high.
The noise in the room rose to an uncomfortable level. I grabbed my tray, intent on leaving, but two scrubs stood right behind me. A young man and woman. They both had the Mineko nose—a distinctly petite feature with a perfect shape. Combined with their matching oval faces and light greenish-brown eyes, I knew they were related. They wore the drab-gray and shapeless overalls of the recycling plant workers.
Pitching his voice so the sound cut through the din, the man said, “We want in.”
I stepped aside so he could claim my seat.
He shook his head. “We want to help you.”
“With what?” Confused, I glanced at each one.
She gestured to the table. Two more seats were empty. The scrubs sat and she pulled me back down.
