From: atmpas@vax.oxford.ac.uk
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.chatsubo
Subject: The Inverse Square Law : One
Date: 13 Aug 92 14:05:48 GMT
Organization: Oxford University VAX 6620


	What can I say : part one of several:



			 The Inverse Square Law
			 ======================  

	Paradise is in the south-west Pacific, anchored on the Lord Howe rise,
off the east coast of Australia.

			************************  

	The bubble was filled with the scent of rosemary.  The air conditioning
raised just enough breeze, and taped crickets chirped in the background.  Mark
could almost imagine that he was a boy again, lying in the herb garden in 
Madrid.  Only the stars, and the gentle rocking of the bubble stood against the
feeling.  They were instantly forgettable.

	He settled back into the cocoon of solitude and fell asleep.

	In the morning, the tropical sun blazed through the roof of the bubble,
and they fed him a carefully chosen breakfast through the dumb waiter.  He tried
to forget all the reasons for it.  When he'd finished the rest, he took the 
plate of fresh pineapple over to the wall of the bubble and settled back into 
the padding to enjoy it, letting the juice dribble over his chin and on to his
chest.

	He bit into the second piece and shuddered, just managing to spit it
out.  The bubble swam and the sun knifed down at him, stabbing in viciously. He
curled into a ball with a sharp scream, feeling the floor grab at him,
breathing fast.  The pineapple juice on his chest trickled horribly downward. 

	After a few minutes it stopped.  He got up and punched the intercom
button.  The response was a sweetly feminine computerised voice.

	'Hello Mark, I'm Paradise Eliza.  I'm afraid the coordinator is busy at
the moment, but if you'd like to talk to me, then I'm sure I can help you deal
with your problem.' 

	'No you can't, you've got less sensitivity than a blocker on rainbow
and you haven't the faintest idea about anything that happens outside your
bloody constructive entertainment programs.'

	'You're angry.  I can understand that...'

	'No you can't, you're a machine you bloody idiot, get me the 
coordinator!'

	'...and I don't mind you insulting me if you feel that will
help, but I'd rather hear what you're really angry about.  I'm sure the
coordinator is...'

	The voice paused with a click, and then the coordinator started.  He
was human, but his voice sounded studied and artificial, even to Mark.

	'... with you now.  I'm sorry about that, umm, Mark, but I was talking
to someone else.'

	Mark paused to try to work out what the coordinator's tone meant, then
gave up.  He was starting to calm down.

	'Tell me what happened or you'll be talking to Personnel Monitoring
by the afternoon.  I can't take this kind of lunacy with all these ABs in 
my system.  And you can turn the Happymakers off, too.  Don't think I can't
feel them.'

	'Mark, we had a minor emergency in the next bubble, that's all.  It's
under control.  I can't tell you any more, and the Tranquillity Units are just
normal procedure under the circumstances.  I expect we'll be able to deactivate
them soon.'

	Mark tried hard, but it was impossible to stay angry with the 
Happymakers gurgling away behind the soft walls of the bubble.  When he started
to feel uncomfortable an hour later, he realised they'd been turned off.  After 
that, he tried different piped sounds and smells for a few hours, but couldn't
settle again, even with the herb garden set up.  For once, he was relieved
when Dr. Taylor called for him.

			************************  

	She sent the files in through the dumb waiter and briefed him over the
intercom while they waited for the ABs to wear off.  It felt good to get the
fog out of his head.

	'It's a simple enough job, Mark.  There's a computer operator in the
Warsaw branch who's getting close to one of the contract scientists, a
biochemical engineer by the name of Dupont.  Fair enough, but one of our
people remembered seeing her around in the J-Corp branch, and it doesn't track
in our records.'

	'So what does Warsaw want us for, doctor?  If they want to interrogate
her, they've got their own people.' 

	'Warsaw doesn't as far as I can tell.  This is straight from New Dehli,
and they haven't told me why.  I would guess that they either have some rumours
about Dupont, or they think there's something funny in Warsaw.  Either way, they
want someone they feel they can trust.'

	'I'll have to deal with that feeling next time I'm around New Dehli.  
I've still got Bangkok kicking around in my head, and then there was the
coordinator and his blasted "minor emergency".  Did they tell you about that?'

	'I caught something about it over lunch.  A construct, I think.  Are
you all right?'

	'I'll live.  They were only in the next bubble.  This woman - does
Dehli want a full DI done?'

	'Yes.  I'm sorry Mark.'

	'You're sorry, Doctor Taylor?  What's she going to be?'

			************************  

	


	Well, that's the first chunk.  This is my first attempt, and I hope
it wasn't too bad - though it may have been a little confusing because I avoided
doing an infodump.  Use the characters if you like, but the setting is a bit
ideosyncratic (sp?) and they wouldn't fit well in many of the worlds out there.
(for example, neither of them would be likely to go into any low class bars!)


		- Paul Sherliker
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.chatsubo