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“Come back to us, Amber,” ordered Lucas. “Come back to us right now!”
I pulled back into my own mind, and opened my eyes. “You’re right about it being like all the senses are on too high a volume, but the amount of different information was just as bad. It was like listening to the dialogue of a dozen bookettes at the same time.”
“You clearly found it difficult reading Beckett’s mind,” said Lucas. “Does that mean there’s a problem with him joining our unit?”
“There’s no problem with him joining our unit at all. I just found the deafening volume and amount of sensory information disorienting.”
“You’ll find it much easier when Beckett’s settled in our unit and has his headset and glasses with him,” said Lucas.
“I’m not likely to be reading Beckett’s mind very often anyway,” I said. “I only read the minds of my team leaders and Strike team members on a regular basis. There are many unit members, such as Hannah, where I’ve only read their minds a couple of times, and others where I’ve only ever done the compulsory check when they joined the unit.”
Lucas laughed. “I think you’re wise to avoid reading Hannah’s mind. She must have some terrible thoughts about your untidiness when she’s cleaning our apartment, especially when she sees something like this morning’s great bookette room disaster.”
I wrinkled my nose at him. “It wasn’t that bad. I just remembered we’d left a tray of food and drink in there, went to get it, and it somehow slipped out of my hands.”
“When Hannah called me about it, she said that dropping the tray on the floor wasn’t the problem. It was your attempt to clean up the mess yourself that destroyed the carpet. She says that you must never try to clean anything again.”
I groaned. “I won’t.”
Lucas grew serious again. “We can count you reading Beckett’s mind now as being the initial check on him joining the unit. You mentioned some smells. What sort of smells were they?”
“Unpleasant,” I said. “Like when the waste chute in my teen room got blocked.”
“Beckett’s somewhere not too far from a waste chute,” muttered Lucas. “It probably isn’t blocked though. He’s just far more aware of the smell than most people.”
“There was what seemed like someone was wearing a whole bottle of lavender perfume too.”
“What about the sounds, Amber?”
“There was a repetitive throbbing sound.” I tried to imagine what that would be like if it was much quieter. “I think that could have been the sound of the express belt. Something was going bang every second or two as well. I couldn’t make sense of the other sounds at all.”
“Beckett wasn’t riding on the express belt?” asked Lucas.
“No, he wasn’t moving. He was sitting on the floor with his back to something cold.”
“Was there a carpet?”
“No.”
Lucas stood up. “I’m going to walk south alongside the express belt, Amber. I don’t want you to link to Beckett’s thoughts again. Just try to guide me towards him.”
“Rothan and Kaden can go with you, Lucas,” said Adika.
“No. I’ll need to be alone when I find Beckett.”
Adika grunted his disapproval. “Rothan and Kaden can follow you at a discreet distance then.”
Lucas sighed. “I didn’t have a very pleasant time when I lived on Teen Level, Adika, but I think I can survive it alone for a few minutes without a bodyguard.”
“Keith has already tried and failed to get you and Buzz transferred to his unit,” said Adika pointedly. “He could have set up this situation with Beckett to lure you into a trap.”
“You believe Beckett is luring me into a trap for Keith?” asked Lucas incredulously. “Do you think that Gaius is part of this conspiracy as well? Neither Beckett nor Gaius would do anything to harm me, and Beckett would be the worst conspirator in the history of the Hive. He can’t even tell the normal polite lies about someone’s hairstyle suiting them. Besides, Amber would have seen Beckett’s thoughts about the trap when she read his mind.”
“Beckett might not know it was a trap,” said Adika. “Keith could be using both Beckett and Gaius without their knowledge. Remember how Keith tricked his Strike team into arresting one of Sapphire’s people.”
Lucas was silent for a moment. “All right, Rothan and Kaden can follow me.”
I closed my eyes, and watched the beacon of Lucas’s thoughts move west. Once he reached the stream of minds on the express belt, he turned to head south. Finally, I spoke.
“You’re very close to Beckett now. Just a fraction west of him.”
“I’m standing next to a solid corridor wall,” said Lucas. “Beckett must be somewhere on the other side of it. I’ll go back to the last of the side turnings I passed.”
The glowing mind of Lucas moved north a little before turning east. He was definitely getting closer to Beckett, closer, closer, then ...
“Wait!” I ordered. “You’ve just walked right by Beckett.”
Lucas stopped and went back. “Amber, could the smell of lavender have been from some sort of cleaning fluid rather than perfume?”
“Probably.”
“There’s a cleaning supply room here,” said Lucas. “Beckett must have gone in there to get away from all the lights, noise, and people. The door code will be one of the standard maintenance ones.”
He paused. “Rothan and Kaden can wait at the end of this corridor while I go inside the room. I’ll be setting my crystal unit to receive only while I talk to Beckett, and reporting back to the rest of you afterwards.”
“I insist on you leaving your crystal unit on transmit,” said Adika. “In fact, I want you to set it to visual as well.”
“Keith has put Beckett through a cruelly unnecessary ordeal,” said Lucas. “I’m not adding to the damage by having everyone witness a conversation where Beckett may be deeply distressed.”
“Your safety is my responsibility, Lucas,” said Adika firmly. “Either you let me see and hear what’s happening in that room, or you take Rothan and Kaden in there with you.”
“I’d try pointing out that I’m your boss,” said Lucas plaintively, “but that tactic has never worked before.”
“And it won’t work this time either,” said Adika.
“Setting my crystal unit to visual,” said Lucas, in a resigned voice. “Nicole, please keep my visual and audio transmissions limited to yourself, Adika, Megan, and Amber unless there seems to be some sort of threat developing. This conversation is absolutely not to be included in the recording of our communications available for later reference.”
“Understood,” said Nicole. “Your visual link is green now, Lucas.”
I didn’t bother getting out my dataview to watch the images from Lucas’s camera, just linked to his mind. I usually got a better perspective on events by looking through someone’s eyes, and if there was even the faintest possibility that Keith had set up this situation to trap Lucas ... Well, I needed to be checking his thoughts to make sure he was safe.
I was just in time to see the view as Lucas opened the cleaning supply room door. The lights inside were on a low setting, but I could see the room was much larger than I’d expected. There were shelves of cleaning materials along the left-hand wall, and a sink and waste chute at the far end.
Lucas was aware of a faint lavender aroma in the air, but couldn’t smell anything unpleasant from the waste chute at all. The repetitive throbbing sound of the express belt was a barely perceptible hum. The loud banging noise that I’d heard was a quietly dripping tap at the sink.
Beckett was sitting on the floor in a corner, with his back against the wall. Lucas couldn’t see Beckett’s face because he had his head bowed, but I guessed that his eyes were still closed. Something with orange and brown fur was draped around his neck, and he was rhythmically stroking it with his right hand.
Lucas sat down on the floor opposite him and spoke softly. “Hello, Beckett. It’s Lucas.”
It must have been at least a full minute before Beckett answered. “Hello, Lucas.”
“Gaius called me and told me what Keith had done, so I’ve come to help,” said Lucas. “There’s a quiet room in the shopping area four corridors away. Do you want me to take you there?”
Beckett still hadn’t lifted his head to look at Lucas. “This place is quiet.”
“Can we talk now, or do you need to rest for longer?”
“I want to talk,” said Beckett. “I need to know what will happen to me now. Keith shouted at me and ordered me to leave his unit at once. Gaius said I should go to Amber’s unit because you and Megan would be there, but the signs kept flashing and I fell off the belt.”
“You did everything perfectly,” said Lucas. “You got far enough away from Keith’s unit that he couldn’t object to us searching for you. What happens to you now is your decision. If you want a place on my Tactical team, then Amber says you are very welcome to join our unit. If you want to go somewhere else, then you can stay with us while we arrange that for you.”
“What will things be like if I join your unit?” asked Beckett.
“It’s a similar physical layout to Keith’s unit,” said Lucas, “but you’ll notice the corridors aren’t quite in the same positions, and there are some colourful wall murals. Would you like to call Megan so she can explain the arrangements for your quiet room and apartment?”
“I can’t call Megan,” said Beckett. “I’ve lost my dataview.”
I felt Lucas’s surge of alarm, and his myriad thought levels flared brighter. Beckett’s dataview was lost. If we couldn’t find it, then all the Blue Upway timeline pattern analysis work would have to be redone, and that would take several days.
Lucas needed to make an impossible decision, and he needed to make it before our undercover men reached their rooms in Blue Zone.
... all my instincts have been telling me there’s something horribly wrong about Blue Upway. I told Gold Commander Melisande that when I insisted I needed a full timeline pattern analysis. I explained that I needed to understand exactly what had been happening inside that game, when it happened, and most importantly why it happened before taking action. Why didn’t I listen to my own words rather than rushing into ...?
... so aware of the urgency of shutting down Blue Upway, and so sure that Beckett would finish the timeline pattern analysis precisely when promised, that I chose to send men undercover this evening. I gambled on it taking them at least a day to join Blue Upway and find a game group to ...
... was counting on getting the timeline pattern analysis of Blue Upway tomorrow morning, spending the day studying it, and if necessary recalling the undercover men before any of them attempted their first Blue Upway challenges tomorrow night. Couldn’t have foreseen Keith destroying ...
... have to stop making excuses for myself and make decisions instead. Do I let our men go undercover or recall them?
I shared Lucas’s moment of indecision. Letting our four men go undercover would put their lives in a completely unknown amount of danger for the days it would take to recreate the timeline pattern analysis. The problem was that recalling them would put lives in danger too.
Lucas had used the tactic of deliberately attracting attention to our undercover men. They were travelling to Blue Zone with a large escort of the Beta team members dressed as hasties. Their group must have already been noticed by a lot of Blue Upway players, and once the men arrived at their undercover locations they’d be the focus of attention for every teen in nearby corridors.
If we recalled our men now, enough teens would find the events odd that we couldn’t use the attention-seeking tactic again in the near future. We’d have to send men undercover the slow way, and every extra day meant more Blue Upway player injuries or even deaths.
For an instant, Lucas contemplated a choice between killing friends and killing strangers, and then went for the third option. Buy time to let him make the right decision. His thought levels all converged on the pre-vocalization level of his mind.
Amber, you must be reading my mind. Tell everyone that Beckett has lost his dataview. Emili needs to delay the Beta team arrival in Blue Zone while we try to find it. We planned for Forge to cause trouble when the Beta team arrived in Blue Zone, as a reason for the undercover men to be put in restraints. Forge has to cause trouble in Turquoise Zone instead. He fakes a fall during the incident, and the Beta team detour to a medical facility to get the troublesome teen checked for injuries. They stay there until I clear them to carry on to Blue Zone.
As I repeated the words on the crystal comms, Lucas spoke to Beckett in a perfectly calm voice. “How did you lose your dataview?”
“It happened when I fell off the belt,” said Beckett. “I dropped my dataview, and I couldn’t stay and search for it because I needed to get away from the flashing signs. I know I could get a new dataview, but I’d prefer to have my old one back.”
“We’d prefer you to have your old one back as well,” said Lucas. “Keith’s erased the timeline pattern analysis information on Blue Upway. I was hoping that you’d have taken a copy on your dataview to work on the final integration.”
“I did,” said Beckett.
“Some of our Strike team members will go to search for your dataview,” said Lucas.
Again, Lucas thought of instructions on the pre-vocalization level of his mind, and I repeated them on the crystal comms.
“Lucas says Beckett’s dataview has been lost near the express belt red signs with flashing countdown numbers. All Alpha Strike team members who aren’t on bodyguard duty should go and search for it immediately. We don’t have to worry about teens stealing it, because they all believe that nosies are checking their minds for crimes, but they’re quite likely to tread on it by accident.”
“Contacting all hasty teams in the area to ask them if anyone has handed in a lost dataview,” said Nicole.
Lucas continued his conversation with Beckett. “I’ll call Megan myself so you can talk to her.”
Lucas took out his own dataview, tapped at it, and held it out. Beckett lifted his head and took the dataview with his left hand, while his right hand kept stroking Cee Cee. I winced as I saw blood running from a nasty cut on the left side of Beckett’s forehead, and dripping onto his plain pale-grey top. I guessed the injury had happened when he fell off the belt.
“Hello, Beckett,” said Megan’s voice.
“Hello, Megan.”
Megan continued speaking, surprising me by not mentioning Beckett’s injury at all, but focusing on physical details in the same way that Lucas had done.
“The Tactical office is in a different place in our unit than in Keith’s unit, but I’m setting up the same arrangement with a quiet room next door. Your apartment will be in virtually the same position as in Keith’s unit, and as identical to your old one as I can manage, though there’ll be some new paint smells. You’ll have the major advantage that Amber won’t shout at you the way Keith does when he meets you walking down a corridor. Amber doesn’t like arguments or shouting.”
She hesitated. “I’m afraid we can’t get your old furniture, but I’ve found some similar pieces. The good news is that Gaius has managed to get all your personal belongings packed and smuggled out of the unit, so couriers are bringing those to us right now. I’m going to meet the couriers and bring your headset and glasses to you myself.”
“If I have my headset and glasses back, then I can cope with the other changes,” said Beckett.
I felt Lucas’s lips curve into a smile. “You’d like to join our unit then?”
“Yes,” said Beckett. “I don’t want to work for Keith ever again. He kept shouting at me. Megan says that Amber is like me, and doesn’t like arguments or shouting.”
“That’s wonderful,” said Lucas. “Just tell us any problems you have, and we’ll see if we can find a way to help.”
“Beckett, do you want to stay where you are until you can have a quiet ride to our unit, or keep travelling on the standard belt system?” asked Megan.
“I’d like a quiet ride,” said Beckett.
“I’ll contact Assisted Transportation now,” said Megan. “Lucas, quiet rides have to be booked at least an hour in advance to allow time for scheduling. Do you want Amber and the rest of the team to head back while you, Rothan, and Kaden wait to travel with Beckett, or shall I book a quiet ride for everyone?”
Beckett has been through a lot today. The symbolic significance of welcoming him into the unit by heading back with him would be ...
“Let’s all wait and have a quiet ride home together,” said Lucas. “It will give everyone a chance to see an unusual view of the Hive.”
“Could you explain something to me, Lucas?” asked Beckett.
“Yes?”
“Keith came to my apartment and asked why I was helping your unit. I explained that Gold Commander Melisande had ordered me to coordinate the Blue Upway pattern analysis. I told him that I’d already sent you the geographical pattern analysis and was working on integrating the timeline pattern analysis.”
Beckett paused. “Keith got really angry when I told him that. He dragged me to the lift and fired me. Why did Keith get so angry? Working on the pattern analysis was a good thing for the Hive, wasn’t it?”
“It was a very good thing for the Hive,” said Lucas. “Keith got angry about it because he’s jealous of Amber. He doesn’t like her being a more skilled telepath than him and solving so many problems for the Hive. Keith knows he can’t do better himself, so he wants her to do worse.”
“That’s a destructive attitude,” said Beckett disapprovingly.
“Keith is a destructive person,” said Lucas. “You can forget about him now. He won’t be able to upset you any longer. Let’s talk about Blue Upway instead. You said that you were working on the integration of the timeline pattern analysis. Am I right that the Game Commander changed at the last Carnival?”
Beckett was speaking far more confidently now. “You understand that I can’t be totally sure until the final integration is complete.”
“Of course,” said Lucas.
“My provisional assessment is that there was an organization disruption last Carnival, but no corresponding fracture line in the timeline pattern. I think the Blue Upway Game Commander did change, but not at the last Carnival. The Game Commander changed at Halloween.”
That information didn’t mean anything to me, but I felt Lucas’s shocked reaction and his many-layered gleaming thoughts started racing.
... wouldn’t believe that claim from anyone else, but Beckett is always right about patterns, so ...
... explains some things that were puzzling me, but ...
... thought the Game Commander changing at Carnival made Blue Upway unusual. The Game Commander changing at Halloween makes it unique. How could ...?
What the waste has been happening in that game?
