“Of course, Derec.” The image and the robot both froze.
“What? What’s going on?”
“I just want to point out that someone else might have been on the ship, too.”
“What are you thinking about?”
“I had wondered why Wolruf and the robot were taking so long to get back from their errand. What if Aranimas regained consciousness? They might still have been trying to lock him up when the bomb went off. Alpha would have come running back. He wouldn’t worry about Aranimas. He probably wouldn’t even worry about what Aranimas might do to Wolruf. Aranimas and Alpha could both have gotten back into Hull A before it was cut loose.”
“And Alpha would have protected us from him, just as it tried to protect us from the rescue crew.”
“That might even explainwhy Alpha gave the robots trouble.”
“He could have hidden,” Katherine said thoughtfully. “It was his ship. He would have known where he’d be safe. Until the ship was brought in-”
“Just what I was thinking. If he doesn’t have the key, he’s looking for it-or us. If he’s got it, he still may be looking for us. Either way, the key’s not safe, and neither are we. And we can’t just sit around and tell ourselves there’s no rush. We have to start doing something right now.”
Katherine cast her gaze downward into her lap. “All right,” she said at last.
“Hajime,” Derec said. “You can rejoin us.”
The robot stirred again. “Thank you, sir. Shall I continue with the recording?”
“No. Terminate the replay. We’ve seen enough,” Katherine said.
“Very well, madam,” the robot said, complying. “Do you have other questions?”
“Yes. Where is Oh Seven B now?”
“I do not know, madam.”
The answer brought Derec up off the bed, his face reddening. “What do you mean, you don’t know?” he demanded. “You’re the second highest ranking staffer on the station.”
“That is correct, sir.”
“And you don’t know where our ship is?”
“I only know that Oh Seven B is no longer in the berth at which it was moored when first towed into the station.”
“Was it stolen?” Derec pressed. “Are you trying to tell me it’s gone?”
“It was not stolen. It was moved under the authorization of the station manager.”
“Why didn’t you say so from the start?” Katherine snapped.
“Derec asked if I knew where Oh Seven B was berthed. I do not, and so informed him.”
“Then find out where our ship is. I want you to take us to it.”
“I am sorry,” Hajime said. “I am not permitted to do that.”
“Then find us a robot who is permitted,” Derec snapped.
“I have been instructed to refer all inquiries of this sort to the station manager.”
Derec sighed. “All right. You can go.”
“Thank you, sir.” The robot paused. “May I make an inquiry, sir?”
“What about?”
“Do you continue to refer to Oh Seven B as ‘our ship’ out of habit or as a matter of affection?”
“What do you mean?”
“I have been informed that the vessel known as Oh Seven B is no longer your property.”
Chapter 16. Into The Darkness
The station manager, a robot named Anazon, would not come to see them, but agreed to a brief vidcall.
“Is the care you are receiving satisfactory?” Anazon asked politely. “I hope that Hajime is seeing to your other needs-”
Derec did not waste any time on pleasantries. “Where is our ship? Where is Oh Seven B?” he demanded.
“I regret, sir, that I am not permitted to tell you,” the robot said without a hint of regret in his voice.
“Who gave that order?”
“I regret, sir, that I am not permitted to tell you that, either.”
Derec was determined not to be thwarted. “Who is your supervisor? What’s his name?”
“My supervisor’s name is Aram Jacobson.”
“Get him on this channel.”
“Mr. Jacobson may not be available at this time-”
“Do it. Use whatever priority you have to to get him to answer. And keep the line open. I want to hear what you say.”
The robot reached forward for the hyperviewer controls. “This is Anazon, Manager of Rockliffe Station, requesting a conference with Mr. Jacobson.”
A voice said “One moment,” and there was a pause.
“Yes, Anazon,” a new voice said. The words were muddied by the faint electronic echo which was the telltale sign of a scrambler somewhere in the link. “What is it?”
“Anazon called you on my behalf,” Derec cut in. “Your robots have appropriated my ship. I expect you to order them to return it.”
“And our robot,” Katherine added. “We want Capek back, too.”
The hypervision image of Anazon faded and was replaced an instant later by one of a round-faced man with narrow eyes and shiny black hair. In sharp contrast to the robot’s slender physique, Jacobson’s stout body was perched precariously on his executive chair like an egg on a teaspoon.
“Excuse me, by whom do I have the pleasure of being ordered about?” he asked with exaggerated politeness.
“My name is Derec. This is-”
“Just Derec? No last name, like a robot?”
“Don’t be cute. You know all about me. I’m sure there’s a file on me in your library.”
“I have many files in my library,” Jacobson said. “I’m responsible for facilities which employ twenty-six hundred humans and nearly eight thousand robots. Believe me when I tell you that neither your name nor your face are familiar to me.” His gaze flicked toward Katherine. “And you, miss?”
“Katherine Burgess. And don’t call me miss.”
“My apologies if I insulted you,” Jacobson said, bowing his head slightly. “Now if I could ask you to restate your complaint-this is most irregular, to have someone barge in on a private call. I’m afraid it rather distracted me.”
Derec was too furious for words, but Katherine took over smoothly. “We were found on a damaged spacecraft and brought here to Rockliffe Station. Now the station manager refuses to allow us access to our ship.”
“Refuses you access?” Jacobson asked, wrinkling his forehead. “Whatever for?”
“It won’t tell us,” Derec said. “It says it’s been ordered not to tell us-my guess is by you.”
“I assure you not,” Jacobson said, reaching for his computer. “If you’ll just allow me a moment to check the records-” He turned his back to them briefly. “Oh yes, of course,” he said to himself as he studied the screen.
“Of course what?”
Jacobson turned back to face them. “I do recall hearing about you after all, Derec. You’re the amnesia case Dr. Galen is studying. That explains a great deal.”
“Not to me.”
“But it does all the same. You see, the care you’ve been receiving is quite costly-”
“Dr. Galen said my bill would be charged against a station account.”
“I’m afraid Dr. Galen made an error,” Jacobson said. “That would be the case if you were indigent and unable to pay, or if the costs of your care exceeded the guarantee made by your homeworld on behalf of its citizens.”
“But my case is different-”
“Indeed. Your citizenship is unknown. Your financial assets are unknown. Indeed, there is even some question about your majority under Spacer law,” said Jacobson.
“I’m old enough.”
“We have decided to presume so,” he said. “But in any case, since you have not been able to supply us with identification, we have no choice but to seize your tangible personal assets in payment of your account.”
“My tangible assets-”
“Your ship and its contents have been appraised generously, I assure you,” Jacobson said, glancing back at his computer. “Even so, I’m afraid there’s not much left after subtracting the salvage fee and the expenses of the rescue operation. Still, there’s more than enough to cover passage to Nexon on the next shuttle and keep you fed in the meantime.”