STILL tangled in the bedsheets, Jo eagerly tapped on the phone console's keyboard the instant Keith's call ended. The small screen showed the coordinates of the call's point of origin.
With a little whoop of triumph she ordered the computer to store the information. Then she phoned Tomasso. He was not at his apartment, but within seconds the computer tracked him down and made the connection.
"Keith phoned me a few minutes ago," she said breathlessly. "He's all right, but I want you to get a team of people ready to reach him."
Tomasso's face looked slightly puffy, sleepy. On the small phone screen it was impossible for Jo to see much of the background. In the back of her mind she wondered whose bed Vie was in and how much sleep he had gotten.
"Where is he?" Tomasso asked.
"Coordinates are on file. Get to the office and get to work!"
"Yes, boss." Despite the dark rings beneath his eyes, Tomasso grinned at her with his flawless teeth.
Instead of returning to his room, Stoner went down the corridor to the door of Ilona's bedroom. He stood there for a long moment, listening, hearing nothing.
Gently he tried the doorknob. It turned easily and the door opened.
She was stretched out on the bed fully clothed, glassy eyes staring sightlessly at the ceiling, fingers twitching spasmodically. Her honey-colored wig of thick curls lay discarded on the floor, thrown aside in her rush. A helmet made of plastic straps studded with metal contacts was cinched tightly on her shaved head. Hair-thin wires connected to a console the size of a laptop computer resting on the carpeted floor beside the bed.
Stoner's nostrils flared as if he smelled the stench of rotting garbage. His first instinct was to stride to the pleasure machine and smash it beneath his heel.
No! warned his star brother. Not abruptly.
Stoner knew he was right. He had to find the reason why Ilona could become addicted before he could truly end her dependency.
He sat on the bed beside her. She did not move, did not
blink, did not acknowledge his presence in any way. My god, I could strip her naked and screw her all night long and she wouldn't even know it What an opportunity for nec-rophihacs
Isaac Newton had discovered that for every action there is an opposite reaction Popular wisdom declared that every dark cloud has a silver lining. While Ilona's conscious mind was completely shut down in the tidal surges of pure pleasure coming from the machine, her unconscious mind was as wide open as it could ever be Leaning over her, gazing into her unseeing eyes, Stoner tried to learn the who and why of Ilona Lucacs
It was a matter of guilt. Born in an age when parents could pick the sex of their offspring, Ilona was the daughter of a proud and forceful woman who had overridden her husband's desire for a son Yet although the passive father had acquiesced to his wife's wishes, Ilona was made aware from her earliest days that she was a disappointment to her father.
He was the nurturing parent, the one who was always there with his child. Her mother, a concert pianist, travelled all across the world. Ilona and her father remained in Budapest, where he could watch her and feed her and play with her. And make her know, hour by hour, day by day, year after year, how much he would have preferred a son.
She loved her father and broke her heart to please him. In school she skimped her studies to practice athletics. In a nation of fencers she became a champion with the foil. When she handed her gold medals to her father, he smiled and reminisced about his youth when he had been a saber fencer. Women were not allowed to fence saber in international competition. Too bad. Foil was good, of course, even though overly dainty. Now saber--ah, that was real fencing
Ilona grew into a beautiful young woman. Not as tall and regal as her mother, but so obviously feminine that she felt almost ashamed of herself. She dressed as manmshly as she could when she entered the university To please her father she took the science curriculum.
And found that she had a first-rate mind She not only understood science, she loved it. For the first time in her young life she found that she was enjoying what she was doing not because it pleased her father but because it pleased her. At her graduation, when she placed first in her class, her father collapsed with a heart attack She could not go on to graduate studies, she would be needed at home to take care of him.
Nonsense her mother replied. She retired from her world tours and concentrated on video performances that she could do from Budapest. Ilona went on to get her doctorate. And her father recovered his health with stunning swiftness.
To be killed in a traffic accident. A few weeks after Ilona had moved from their apartment to begin work as an assistant to the youngest professor in the university: Zoltan fanos. He died in a head-on collision while driving to visit her in her new apartment.
She immediately fell in love with Janos and would have moved in with him if he had responded to her. But he was too wrapped up in his work to make a commitment to anyone. The old sense of guilt reasserted itself. Ilona believed she was responsible for her father's death. The man she loved would not respond to her. Her work suffered. She grew morose, depressed
Janos introduced her to the pleasures of direct brain stimulation, more as a way of "pepping up" than anything else. He had tried it himself, found it enjoyable, but had never delivered himself to it. Ilona, needing to be told that she was loved for herself, took the electrical pleasure of direct stimulation instead.
And became hooked on it.
Now Stoner knew the why and wherefore. He sat on the bed for long moments more, considering what to do. It was bitterly ironic You're willing to take the fate of the entire human race in your hands, he told himself, but accepting responsibility for the life of this one young woman gives you pause.
He leaned down and turned the dial that governed the
amount of current being fed into her brain Just a bit Then he turned back the timer dial, so the machine would shut itself off and she would awaken
He stood up and watched as the seconds ran out and the current stopped Ilona shuddered, her eyelids fluttered, the pupils focused and she realized he was standing over her, a tall man with wide shoulders and a grim, darkly bearded face looking down at her
"Oh'"
"It's all right, Ilona," Stoner said softly "It's all right I just want you to know that you're not alone And you never will be Not anymore "
"I what " Her hands flew to her shaved head
"It's all right," he repeated
"Get out'" she screamed "Get away from me "
She ripped the electrode grid from her head and threw it at Stoner's face
"Meddling bastard' Get out Get out "
He turned and swiftly left the room, leaving her sitting up on the bed, clothes wrinkled, dishevelled, hands trying to cover her shaved scalp, feeling utterly miserable and confused
Stoner wore his new clothes when he came down to the library a fresh set of jeans, shirt, and jacket, all manufactured in Bangladesh Ilona glanced at him warily, her tawny eyes angry, suspicious She wore a simple white tunic over plain black slacks, no jewelry except a necklace of carnehan and matching earrings Her wig had been carefully combed Janos was in an old-fashioned double-breasted suit of light gray with pinstripes and a formal shirt with a carefully knotted tie that bore the crest of the university
"I have just been informed," he said, his eyes glowing, "that we will have an important guest join us for dinner A very important guest The president of the republic "
Stoner saw that Janos was impressed with himself Ilona did not seem surprised Janos stood by the library's one win-
dow, obviously struggling with the urge to part the curtains and look outside The gas-fed fireplace was alight with thin bluish flames, their warmth felt good in the gathering chill of evening A robot glided in with a tray of cocktails Stoner sipped at his and identified it as a vodka martini Probably the president's favorite, not his own
A helicopter thundered down on the parking lot outside Janos gestured with both hands to keep Stoner and Ilona in the library
"The butler will bring him in here," he said "No need to run outside and gawk like peasants " But his free hand twitched toward the curtained window
A few minutes later the door to the library was opened by a beefy-faced security man in the traditional dark suit Then the president of Hungary stepped in, all smiles and nods
He was a tiny man, slightly stooped, walking rather slowly Arthritis, Stoner guessed He looked sprightly, though, for seventy-eight An elegant dark blue business suit Still some color to his graying hair, and his skin looked a healthy pink without the waxmess of cosmetic surgery His face was wreathed in a broad, toothy grin that squeezed his eyes to mere slits He held an enormous cigar in his left hand, keeping his right free for clasping Janos's
"My brilliant young friend," said the president "How are you this fine evening'"
Before Janos could respond the president had already turned to Ilona "And the lovely Dr Lucacs I see that you have been successful in bringing Dr Stoner to us I spoke with your mother this morning She sends her love "
Ilona smiled and blushed as the president brought her hand to his lips For a moment Stoner thought she was going to curtsey
"And you," said the president, releasing Ilona, "are the illustrious Dr Keith Stoner "
He took Stoner's hand in a surprisingly powerful grip Janos said stiffly, "President Novotny "
The man was so short that it was difficult for Stoner to see
into his eyes They were narrow and masked by thick dark brows And they darted about the room constantly, never meeting Stoner's gaze squarely, always shifting away as if searching for danger Or opportunity
Janos led them to the long dining table, where four places had been set at one end President Novotny sat at its head, Janos and Ilona on his left, Stoner on his right He wondered where the rest of the laboratory staff was having its dinner this evening Equal but separate, Stoner said to his star brother Which means not equal at all, the alien responded The food was good, the wine better, and dinner conversation pleasant and inconsequential Once the dishes had been cleared away and several musty bottles of brandies put before the president, he lit a fresh cigar and began telling long, rambling stories about his childhood and early political experiences
"Those were terrible days," he said, puffing thick clouds of blue smoke toward the beamed ceiling "My grandfather died in the uprising, my father was arrested and held for nearly six years They wouldn't let me join the Party until I was almost forty That's what the rebellion of '56 left us A heritage of suspicion and anger "
"In the West," said Stoner, "the Hungarian uprising was regarded with great sympathy Students fighting Russian tanks with little more than their bare hands "
For once Novotny's eyes bored straight at Stoner "The West applauded, but did nothing to help Hungary The West praised our Freedom Fighters, but stood aside and allowed the Soviets to crush them "
Stoner admitted, "True enough "
"But--" The president's eyes began to rove again and he smiled |ovially, "--all that happened more than sixty years ago Ancient history Hungary is proud and free today "
"And we will grow stronger," Janos added
"Indeed we will," President Novotny agreed
"By developing biochips?" Stoner asked
Novotny's smile faltered for )ust a moment Then, "Why, yes, biochips are what they are called You know of them "
"They are being developed in the West, as well "
"So I had heard "
fanos nearly sneered "We know about the work being done in the West Primitive, compared to our research "
"One British group is working with a team of pri-matologists in Africa," said Ilona "They are trying to estab lish linkages between humans and apes through implanting biochips "
"Primitive," Janos repeated
Stoner replied, "I think the research that Vanguard Indus tries is doing is further advanced than that I'm sure other corporations are also working on the concept "
"The corporations do their work in secret," Novotny said, his bushy brows knitting "They do not publish their results in the scientific journals "
"Nor do we," Ilona pointed out "Our work is kept secret We are not allowed to publish "
President Novotny spread his hands in the classic what can I do gesture "You see that we have competition It is important--vital--that our competitors do not learn of the ad vances we have made "
Stoner wondered how they intended to have him help them without revealing the advances they had made No matter, he told his star brother, we can always talk our way out of here when we're ready to
As if reading Stoner's mind, the president turned to him and said, "Of course, this has almost nothing to do with you, sir Our interest in you sterns from your unique experience in surviving cryonic freezing "
Stoner smiled back at Novotny "Do you mean that you don't believe there's a connection between the two"
Novotny looked startled and glanced at Janos
The scientist glared at Stoner "Until this moment, the connection was nothing more than a hypothesis of mine "
With a grin, Stoner said, "I see that Dr Lucacs has im pressed the correct word on you "
The president's head swivelled from Stoner to Janos and then back again
"What is your hypothesis'" Stoner asked as softly as a leopard padding through the jungle
Janos looked distinctly uncomfortable Obviously he had not intended to speak of this in front of President Novotny, but now he was in a corner
"It will sound . outlandish," he said
"It is my idea " Ilona snapped "And it is pure speculation, nothing but a series of surmises "
She's trying to shield him, thought Stoner
"I would still like to hear it, regardless of whose idea it is," said the president His smile was deadly now He put his cigar in the oversized metal ashtray that had been placed at his elbow and reached for the nearest brandy bottle
"The biochips," Ilona said as the president poured for himself, "are miniature electronic elements based on protein instead of silicon or other semiconductor materials "
"This I know," Novotny said He did not offer anyone else a drink
"The purpose of using protemoid materials is to allow the chips to be implanted in the body and connected to the nervous system "
"But that is only the first step," Janos took over, his clear tenor voice trembling slightly "It is conceivable--conceptually possible--to make other devices for implantation in the body Smaller devices Machines that can do many different tasks, much as the cells of the body themselves But better "
"And smaller than cells, much smaller," said Ilona
"Nanotechnology, it has been called," Janos said "Creating devices that are a millionth of a millimeter in size Devices that can exist inside the human body, repairing cell damage, enhancing the body's health, counteracting the effects of aging--"
"And freezing," Ilona said, staring directly at Stoner
"Even producing extraordinary mental powers," Janos added
All three of them focused their total attention on Stoner
He said nothing, merely leaned back in his chair while his star brother waited, shuddering, within him
"I have heard of this thing called nanotechnology," President Novotny said "My director of scientific research briefed me on its possibilities But he said that such a development would not be possible for many decades to come "
"The alien race that built the starship must have developed nanotechnology," fanos said
"And Dr Stoner spent many years in cryonic suspension aboard that ship," Ilona added "His body could have been invaded by alien "
"Devices," Stoner said for her "Not creatures The devices are machines By themselves they are as inert as an automobile parked in a garage "
Janos gasped "It is true "
Stoner said nothing But, gazing at President Novotny, he could see the whirling thoughts behind his darting eyes What weapons could we make of such devices' Invisibly small machines that could invade the human body and tear it apart from the inside What a truly incredible weapon that could be The man who controls such technology could become the most powerful man on Earth