Senescence (Jezebel's Ladder Book 5) (12 page)

At the Grand Canyon, Stu
revealed photos of the surface of Labyrinth to the press. He staged his press
conference like a political campaign. The teaser data seemed to say, “Vote to
recognize us as a country, and all this knowledge could be yours.” In addition
to the
Sanctuary
photos, he posted pictures of himself posing with park
rangers in front of the canyon. He also invited a Hopi Indian tracker to visit
the biosphere. He ended that day’s blog entry with a plea for citizens to
support and preserve Earth’s parks. High-end Nevada housing developments were
already encroaching on the western edge of the vast landmark.

Sunday
morning, Stu toured studios in Hollywood. There, he spoke with voice actors and
artists from around the world. The fact that the famous Sojiro had tutored him
in art made Stu more popular than being a star pilot. “I can show you some of
his portfolio.” As in the previous two days, he pulled out a handful of
interesting photos from the memory device. “I can’t show you the manga series.
His old publisher is out of business, and I’m still sorting out the legal
issues. These are shots I can share publicly. The first four came from the
chapel he designed for our village. Here’s the action mural he drew for my
bedroom wall—Gravity Boy.”

The
art director made a large bid for the design on the spot.

Onesemo coughed to hide an involuntary,
“Damn.”

“I
don’t know,” Stu hedged. “The character was based on my adventures in the
habitat. My favorite literary character as a child was Curious George. That got
me into a lot of trouble.”

The
art director offered to multiply the bid by a factor of ten if Stu told a few
sample stories.

Stu
winced. “I can’t share anything like that until the UN vote. You can use the
image if you donate the proceeds to the LA women’s shelter.”

“The
flat fee, plus 5 percent of the profits,” the manager agreed.

Both
men thumbprinted a document that lawyers brought to them near the end of the visit.

The
manager said, “If you want a safari, our studio has several parks that can
accommodate you—on the house.”

“No.
San Diego is one of the few places with both pandas and black rhinos. I need
the pandas for a presentation.”

****

Onesemo, two specialists
from corporate security, and the press cloud accompanied Stu to San Diego. The
zoo requested that he schedule his visit closer to evening when the crowds were
thinner. They provided him with complimentary passes to several other sites and
dining establishments in the area. For lunch at a seafood restaurant, he had
crab for the first time in his life. Onesemo had to show him how to crack it
open. Stu was still wary until the Samoan said, “Come on. This is just like
eating bugs.”

Stu
enjoyed the sample platter. As he chewed on a scallop, he asked, “Why are these
all round?”

“Because
it’s just the brains,” replied Onesemo.

Stu
spit the seafood into a napkin with a sound like a whale clearing its blowhole.
All the guards laughed. Stu accepted his ribbing with a good nature, even
though the incident had been posted online before the dessert mints arrived. In
the lobby, he gave his mint to a family with a vocal child who shouted, “But
I’m hungry
now
!”

The
topic of children percolated in Stu’s brain while the cars were being brought
around. When he had a moment alone with Mo, Stu said, “Not all children of
talents have talents themselves. Each of your children would only have a one in
four chance of being a multi.”

Onesemo
shook his head. “Still too great a risk. Any talented child can rack up
millions in bills and endanger the mother.”

Shrugging,
Stu said, “If you take me up on my offer, we have free medical in
Sanctuary
and the best experts in the business.”

“I
made a promise to serve my country. I have another year left in my enlistment.”

“You’ll
feel different the next time your moral code gets in the way of their immediate
need,” Stu predicted.

“Something
you’re not telling me?”

“That
waiter over there has been staring at me rather than bussing tables. He’s an
Active. If I had to guess, he has energy sensing.”

“I
don’t recognize him as US intel. Has to be foreign. Shit,” Onesemo said. “Why
is he looking at your crotch?”

“By
now he knows I have the memory chip from
Sanctuary
in my front pocket.”

“What?
Are you nuts? Why did you bring that? You were supposed to keep all the
confidential stuff in the armored case in the car.” Onesemo looked around as if
he expected men on ropes to swing through the bay window.

“I
need to drop breadcrumbs during my trip to keep everyone interested.”

“Paint
a target on your back, you mean?”

“I’m
only in danger from meta-organizations run by money and power rather than laws.
Are you saying that safeguards for liberty and expression in this country tend
to be discarded when they’re inconvenient?”

Onesemo,
who had been raised in temperatures several degrees warmer than San Diego, was
now sweating.

When
they returned to the vehicle, they found a circle melted out of the rear window
and the diplomatic case missing. Onesemo said, “We’ll stay here while they
radio for a replacement car. What did the thieves get?”

“Just
some dirty laundry and a signed Nemo print … for a friend.”

****

At the zoo gift shop,
Stu bought numerous stuffed animals with his stock-dividend account. When he
pocketed the receipts, Onesemo raised an eyebrow. Stu explained, “Every dime of
this money has to be accounted for because I’m doing this as part of my
ambassador duties, and it’s part of Zeiss’ stock-trust terms. Everything has to
be completely transparent. Expenses are summarized in the annual reports.”

“Why?”

“Z
would only accept the votes with those terms. He worried that too much money
would corrupt him. He wanted the company to reflect the ideals in the UN space
charter.”

The
guard wrinkled his brow. “Doesn’t sound like the criminal I learned about, the
guy who stole the alien artifact.”

“Sometimes
there’s a higher law.”

“Now
you sound like those freaks who blow up bulldozers to save trees.”

Stu
said, “They have a point. People can’t breathe money.” He wandered around the
looping path. “I like this better than being stuck in traffic.”

“Doesn’t
everyone?”

Smiling,
Stu handed out a panda doll to each child he encountered. He had a crowd of
admirers by the time he reached the panda enclosure. After a few moments of
relaxation and observation, he tacked a photo to the fact board on the guardrail.
“I came today to talk to you about another race of pandas—pandas as they were
meant to be.” The crowd formed a semicircle around him. “When we found them,
they were Stone Age savages. Our test as a crew was to lift them up to the
Bronze Age. However, Magi require that the hand of the uplifter cannot be seen.
To change their society, we needed one of them who would listen to us and
spread our ideas. For us, this agent was
Shuulagar.
” He passed out photos to the crowd.

“His
favorite concept from Earth was the ‘duty of the strong.’ This code enabled him
to spread written language and philosophy throughout his world.”
It also
helped him to find love with Pear Blossom.
“Once the UN votes to accept
Sanctuary
as a nation, we will release years of documents on the Panda civilization to
all scientists who endorse the UN space charter.”

“Can
you give us a preview?” a reporter begged.

“Shuulagar died bringing this
message to his people,” Stu said loudly. “It is the obligation of the strong to
defend the weak, and the responsibility of the educated to teach those who have
not heard. Kidnapping, rape, forced labor, and stealing at spear point are
wrong. To participate in this abuse, or allow it to happen without dissent,
crushes the spirit of the species and condemns your people to a downward cycle.
Only by raising the quality of all life can we lift up our society. Only by aiding
others can we be worthy of receiving such help.”

A woman in front asked, “What
religion is this?”

“None. These are principles from
the UN charter and every civilization with written laws in our history—the
codes of Bushido, chivalry, military code of conduct, and the oath of the
Rescue Corps. Most recently, it is the way of Tic Tic Lahzay.”

He
answered a few more questions, deflecting all queries about current world
politics. A child in front of him raised her hand and asked, “Do animals have
souls?”

Stu
leaned down to the girl’s level. “I’m not a theologian, but I know they have
desires, joy, and pain. I’m not saying they’re the same as humans. However, the
entire planet feels more than we give it credit for. We need to listen more if
we’re going to survive. If the planet acted more like us, the human experiment
would have been wiped out long ago.”

“How
do you like the zoo?” asked an employee in uniform.

“Informative.”
Stu shook his head in sadness. “I can’t believe the black rhinoceros is
extinct. Hunting it was illegal, but the poachers caught were never prosecuted.
Those entrusted with conservation concealed the decline. I cried when I found
out how and why they died.” He cleared his throat to cover a slight waver in
his voice. “I think more of Earth’s diversity needs to be captured in arks like
Sanctuary
before we lose other species forever.”

Onesemo
held up a finger for one more reporter question.

A
man in the back asked, “Is this the greatest problem you see facing mankind?”

“The
pain of the rhino’s extinction was nothing compared to what I feel when I see
what you are all doing to each other. Lincoln once said, ‘A house divided
cannot stand.’ What men are doing to women every day is unconscionable.”

The
guards closed ranks around Stu and escorted him to the nearby lounge in a black
SUV. Stu turned to Onesemo in the back seat. “How did the message sound?”

The
Samoan shook his head. “You’re pissing off a lot of people—governments and
religions.”

“Good.”

“What
do you mean?” asked Onesemo.

“I
told you already. Those of us on
Sanctuary
passed our test. This is Earth’s.”

Inside the Ballbusters surveillance
van, Laura settled on large glasses and a simple hair braid to make her look
younger and more innocent. Evangeline stopped by briefly to loan her a studded,
leather belt as an accessory to “send Stu a subliminal message.”

Sif
did voice-overs in the club, and Nemesis fine-tuned hidden cameras. Artemis was
missing, presumed shopping. As security coordinator, Freya assigned Laura to
keep track of the target’s location. She monitored a collection of several live
feeds from Stu’s stalker bots. Her mother sat beside her, reading a technical
manual for an ion propulsion system. Kaguya was dressed in her pajama kimono,
but that hadn’t raised any eyebrows among the troupe of actors.

When
Stu mentioned that everything purchased with the conscience shares had to be
documented, Laura made a mental note to check that out later. Right now she was
too busy tracking Stu’s movements for the Ballbusters team.
He’s cute and
good with kids
. Laura fed the zoo press conference to the main screen to
enlarge the photos of Labyrinth. The images seemed familiar to her, like
something from a playroom wall.

As
Stu finished his impassioned plea, Artemis stood in the van doorway and said,
“Nobody is
that
noble.” She wore an odd ensemble: a tight T-shirt, a
sheriff’s vest, miniskirt, and leather chaps.

Beside
Laura, Kaguya replied, “I can tell by his body language that he believes every
word. He reminds me of Conrad, Laura’s father—hardly surprising, since Conrad
is his commanding officer. I predict that if no one assassinates Ambassador Llewellyn,
he’ll be the leader of the new
Sanctuary
colony in ten years.”

Artemis
fanned herself. “Oh, my God. That voice. It’s you! You’re her!”

Laura
sighed and handed her mother a permanent marker for autographs. When Mom signed
her T-shirt, Artemis squealed in delight. “I’m never taking this shirt off!”

I hate fangirls
. “The rest
of us are trying to work here.”

Kaguya
flourished under the attention, but Laura struggled to block out the chatter,
even wearing an earpiece. The net celebrity hovered around the perimeter to ask
questions about the glory days. “I watched you in that Purple Rockets video a
hundred times.”

Her
mother related an interesting story about the band’s drummer and a
rollercoaster. “I won the bet, but they banned me from the park.”

Freya
called Artemis to the front seat.

Unable
to concentrate on her own duties, Laura took advantage of her mother’s period
of lucidity. She spoke in Japanese so she wouldn’t be airing the family laundry
in public. “When were you going to tell me about the 2-percent stock block?”

Kaguya
glanced down. “I made a deal with your grandfather. He gave me half the
proceeds for the first decade. Then, he wanted more.”

Laura
blinked. “That must have been over a billion dollars.”

“Plus
my music royalties, Mori stock options, and patents.”

“What
did you do with all that money?” Laura had checked her mother’s bank account,
and it was practically empty.

“Prepared
for the day I knew Conrad would return.” Kaguya hummed along with the tune
playing in the club outside the open van door.

And we’re off to crazy again.
Laura checked her automated web monitors. Internet interest had surged
when Stu’s latest speech was linked to earlier panda feeds. With the
governments watching his every move, he was number three for viewership in this
time slot. The opportunity for ad revenue was staggering.

Recognizing
a landmark, she switched to aerial view. “Target is on the move. ETA four
minutes.”

“Our
drones are warmed up and running test patterns,” Nemesis reported over the
radio.

Sif
called in from the stairwell inside the club. “Actors powdered.”

From
the front seat of the van, Freya said, “Guards are ready in case our guest
reacts a little too strongly.”

I wouldn’t mind seeing Stewart beat up a potential rapist to rescue a
damsel. In fact, I’d like to be that damsel.

“Any
word on who robbed their vehicle?” asked Hans over the radio.

Nemesis
replied, “Someone zapped it with an EMP—military grade. Should we scrub the
mission? The responsible party may come back to finish the job.”

Hans
said, “Negative, but stay on alert. Watch for people who don’t belong here, and
be ready to warn the target’s team. If someone makes another move against Stu,
our ratings will be off the charts.”

Laura
continued to monitor Stu’s stalker feeds. She didn’t want to screw up on her
first day.
We have to lure Stu in.

Artemis
closed the van door and sat down to watch the show unfold on the wall screen.

When
his entourage entered the lounge, Stu said, “Uh … guys, this place is for
twenty-one and above.”

Onesemo
shrugged. “They let service men in at any age.”

Stu
pointed to a woman in the curve-hugging catsuit with headband ears. “That cheetah
looks … chilly.”

“More
than she wears at her other job. Most of these girls are strippers moonlighting
… or should I say daylighting?”

Stu
walked out to the bench in front of the restaurant. “If my mother or future
wife watches this feed, I don’t want them to be disappointed in me. The rest of
you can enjoy.”

“What
are you going to eat?”

“Space
rations.”

Onesemo
scratched his head. “Paste from a tube instead of eating barbeque while
watching smoking-hot women?”

“I
had one adventurous meal today. I think that’s enough.”

“Your
call.” Onesemo turned to the other two guards. “Stay out here with him. I’ll
run in and grab sandwiches to go.”

Artemis
ripped off her headphones and tossed them on the console. “He’s not going into
the bar on moral grounds! Is this guy for real?”

“I
warned you,” Laura said.

Hans
said, “Keep the cameras on him while we shuffle the gag. Maybe we’ll have the actor
meet the drunk girl outside and haul her toward our van.”

Pop
music blared from the club, and a large computer screen beside the front door flashed
abstract patterns to match the beat. While the TV crew had been debating, Kaguya
had wandered over to the pretty, strobing screen. She was still dressed in her knee-length
kimono, and her head moved in time to the music. She stood on the other side of
the entrance from Stu, blocked from his sight by a thin, decorative evergreen.

Laura
panicked. “Mom? Oh my God. We have to pull her away. She’ll fall into a compute
trance. It’s almost an epileptic thing.”

Nemesis
shouted, “Boom mike,” which was radio code for anything unexpected that might
spoil the illusion of the gag for the target.

Before
anyone could respond, three construction workers left the club. The shortest
one bragged, “That fox was really a
fox
.”

The
second worker complained, “Shorty, this was one of your worst ideas ever. All
this place did was remind me I haven’t had sex since that bitch Sheila kicked
me out.” He elbowed the third worker. “Manny, what did you say to that waitress
that she sent the bouncer over?”

“I
told her she could have a big tip if she took the rest of it too.” Manny
grabbed his own crotch, and the other two laughed.

“Let
it ride,” ordered Hans over the radio.

“Lookie
what we have here.” Manny sidled up to the unmoving woman. “Hey,
bonita
,
you want a real man?”

When
Kaguya ignored him, the other workers laughed.

Manny
shouted, “What’s your problem, honey? You think you’re too good for me?”

Inside
the van, Laura tugged at the back door, but Artemis blocked her path. “She’s
completely safe. Have faith. Every woman on this crew has volunteered for bait
duty. You wanted in. This is how we live.”

Clenching
her fist, Laura prepared to punch this woman in the solar plexus in order to run
to her mother’s rescue. Freya leapt out of the front seat to intervene. Laura
could take them both if she had to, but she paused when Sheila’s ex said, “Hold
off. I think she’s a ’tard or something.”

Manny
ignored his buddy and pinched Kaguya’s butt. “She feels normal.” The frozen
woman didn’t react, but Manny’s breathing changed. “She’s not wearing any
underwear.” He slid a hand under her kimono and stroked her behind.

Sheila’s
ex said, “She’s high or something.”

With
a predatory leer, Manny said, “She
likes
it. Let’s take her behind the
building.”

“This
isn’t right, Man,” Shorty said. “I have a cousin who’s slow. We should call her
family or something.”

“Sure.
We will … afterwards.”

Laura
roared in rage. Artemis stepped aside. Freya tried to hold Laura back, but she elbowed
the blonde huntress in the eye.

As
she tore open the doors, she heard Stu’s voice in her earpiece. “Listen to your
pal. Call the lady’s family.”

Laura
sprinted across the parking lot. She could still hear everything in her ear and
see the conflict in the distance.

“None
of your business,
pal
.” Manny grabbed Kaguya’s arm to lead her away.

Shiela’s
ex said, “Just move along, mister. There’s three of us and one of you. Finders
keepers.” He pulled a hammer out of his tool belt and gripped it like a set of
brass knuckles.

Abruptly,
Laura was jerked backward and down. Artemis held her by the belt. “Stay down,
or you’ll interrupt the ass kicking.”

Laura
obeyed, watching the fight through angry tears.

“You
have no excuse to behave this way.” Stu’s voice was strained. “The rest of you
can leave. I’ll call an ambulance if this animal needs one when we’re through.”

Manny
asked, “What are you going to do, kid?”

“Hold
you till the cops arrive and then swear out a complaint.” Grabbing Manny’s arm,
Stu twisted until the worker released his victim. Sheila’s ex tried to
intervene. Stu blocked several solid punches with Manny’s body.

Stu
asked the guards, “Is it self-defense yet?”

They
both nodded.

Stu
shoved Manny face-first into the flashing light display on the wall. Kaguya
leaned sideways to see around him. The man with the hammer cocked back for a
real swing. Stu caught the arm, swung him around, and threw him into his
friend. The hammer caused a star-shaped fracture on the plastic video-screen
cover.

Manny
lowered his bloodied head to charge Stu. The astronaut side-stepped and snagged
the man’s right hand. Laura blinked, and Stu was already sitting on the
mother-fucker. “Anybody else moves, and I’ll be forced to break this wrist.” He
was holding the hand that had groped her mother twice.

Somebody please move
.

The
armed man dropped his hammer and fled. In the lot, Sif tripped the runner, who
then broke a side-view mirror with his forehead.

“I
love this job,” Artemis whispered. Releasing Laura, she said, “I’m going to go
find Evangeline.”

The
fractured screen by the club door had gone black and silent.

“The
song wasn’t finished,” complained Kaguya.

Stu
smiled. “My friend Mo can play it for you on his sleeve screen while we wait.
What’s your home link number?”

Laura
ran to her mother’s side. As she approached, Stu’s head moved to track her. She
tried her best to play the grateful daughter as Hans emerged to introduce
himself and the crew. She made a show of scolding her mother for wandering off.
Camera crews filmed the arrival of police and ambulance crews from the nearby
hospital.

Stu
never took his eyes off her. Unlike the ogling she got from most men, this
attention made her feel warm and gooey inside like a warm chocolate-chip
cookie. She didn’t trust herself to speak to him. Instead, she escorted her
mother back to the safety of the video van.

Through
her earbud, Laura listened to Hans rope Stu. He explained that Stu had wandered
into an episode of Ballbusters and asked him to sign a release.

Stu
agreed, gushing about how much he enjoyed the show. He behaved almost as
starstruck as Artemis had.

“Ambassador,
your own message in support of women has reached almost as many people in a
much shorter time.” Hans pretended that an idea had just occurred to him.
“Would you care to sit in while we film the rest of this episode?”

Stu
shook his head. “I couldn’t bear to watch that happen to another woman, even
knowing it was an act.”

He’s going to leave if I don’t do something.
Over the radio, Laura whispered in Hans’ ear,
“Tell him we’re visiting the Great Pyramid in our next episode. He wants to see
that.”