The Naked God

  He didn’t believe in odds that long. That just left destiny, divine intervention.

  Interesting, given what they were supposedly flying towards.

  Louise awoke in some confusion. A young man was lying on top of her. Both of them were naked.

  Andy, she remembered. It was his flat: small, grubby, cluttered, and so warm the air itself seemed to have thickened. Condensation had licked every surface to glisten in the dark-pink light of dawn that drizzled through the fogged window.

  I will not regret what we did last night, she told herself firmly. I have no reason to feel guilty. I did what I wanted to. I am entitled to do that.

  She tried to ease him to one side and slip out from underneath, but the bed simply wasn’t big enough. He stirred, frowning as he focused on her.

  Then he flinched in shock.

  “Louise!”

  She gave him a brave smile. “At least you remembered my name.”

  “Louise. Oh God.” He lurched back into a kneeling position. His eyes stared down greedily at her body, and his mouth twisted into a beatific smile. “Louise. You’re real.”

  “Yes. I’m real.”

  His head darted forward, and he kissed her. “I love you, Louise. Darling, my darling, I love you so much.” He lowered himself against her, kissing her face urgently; his hands cupped her breasts, fingers teasing her nipples exactly the way she’d cherished last night. “I love you, and we’re together at the end.”

  “Andy.” She shifted round, wincing at how sore her breasts were. For someone so skinny, he was surprisingly strong.

  “Oh God, you’re so beautiful.” His tongue was licking over her lips, desperate to be inside her mouth.

  “Andy, stop.”

  “I love you, Louise.”

  “No!” She pushed herself up. “Listen to me. You don’t love me, Andy, and I don’t love you. It was just sex.” Her mouth parted in a small smile, softening the blow as much as she could. “All right, it was very good sex. But nothing else.”

  “You came to me.” His pleading voice came close to cracking, there was so much hurt in the words.

  Louise’s guilt was awful. “I told you that everyone else I know has either left the arcology or been captured by the possessed. That’s why I’m here. As for the rest … well, we both wanted that. There’s no reason not to now.”

  “Don’t I mean anything to you?” he asked in desperation.

  “Of course you do, Andy.” She stroked his arm, and leaned in closer, making the contact more intimate. “You don’t think I’d do that with just anyone, do you?”

  “No.”

  “Remember what we did?” she whispered in his ear. “How bad we were?”

  Andy blushed, unable to look at her. “Yes.”

  “Good.” She kissed him lightly. “This is one night we’ll keep with us forever. Nobody can ever take it away from us, no matter what happens to us now.”

  “I still love you. I have ever since I saw you. That’ll never change.”

  “Oh Andy.” She cradled him against her chest, rocking gently. “I didn’t want to hurt you. Believe me, please.”

  “You haven’t hurt me. You couldn’t. Not you.”

  Louise sighed. “Funny how different life could be, so many things that make you take one route instead of another. If only we could live them all.”

  “I’d live them all with you.”

  She hugged him tighter. “I think I’m going to envy the girl who winds up with you. She’s going to be so lucky.”

  “Won’t happen now, will it?”

  “No. I suppose not.” She gave the opaque window a resentful look, hating the day outside, the way time was advancing and what it would invariably bring. There was something else coming through the glass, riding the crimson light: a sense of rancour. It made her uneasy, almost fearful.

  And that red light was very deep for a dawn sun, it reminded her of Duchess.

  She let go of Andy and padded over to the high window. Standing on one of the boxes brought her face up level with it. She smeared the condensation away.

  “Oh dear Jesus.”

  “What’s the matter?” Andy asked. He hurried across and peered over her shoulder.

  It wasn’t dawn shining in, that was still two hours away. A large circular swirl of red cloud hung in the centre of the Westminster dome, a few hundred yards above the ground. Its malign glow glimmered off the geodesic crystal above, turning the struts to a lattice of burnished copper. The underside shone a blood-red light down on the roofs and walls of the city, staining them all an unhealthy magenta. Its leading edge was less than a mile away from the tenement, undulating gently.

  “Shit!” he hissed. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

  “There’s nowhere to go, Andy. The possessed are all around us.”

  “But … Oh shit. Why isn’t somebody doing something? New York is still holding them off. We should organize ourselves and fight back like them.”

  Louise walked back to the bed and sat down carefully. After last night, some movements were quite difficult. She used her neural nanonics to run a physiological review, making sure the baby was all right. It was, and she had nothing worse than a few tender areas. The medical nanonic package infused some biochemicals into her bloodstream which should help.

  “We did try to do something,” she said. “But it failed last night.”

  “You did?” Andy was standing in front of her, sweat pricking his skin. He rubbed his forehead, brushing damp hair from his eyes. “You mean you’re involved in this?”

  “I came to Earth to warn the authorities about a possessed called Quinn Dexter. I needn’t have bothered, they already knew. He’s the one behind all this. I was helping them to find him, because I’ve seen him before.”

  “I thought the Capone Organization had infiltrated us.”

  “No, that’s just what Govcentral told the media. They didn’t want anyone to know what they were actually up against.”

  “Bloody hell,” he groaned, badly downcast. “Fine excuse for a net don I make. Can’t even find that out for myself.”

  “Don’t worry about it. GSDI is a lot smarter than people think.” She stood up, the reminder of B7 making her restless. “I need the bathroom. You said it was at the end of the hall?”

  “Yes. Er, Louise.”

  “What?”

  “I think you’ll need something to wear.”

  She looked down at herself, and grinned. Totally unselfconscious standing naked in front of a boy, and not just any boy, a casual sex partner.

  Maybe I have lost some of my Norfolk past after all. “I think you’re right.”

  Her own clothes were in the pile where she’d thrown them, still damp and badly crumpled. Andy leant her a pair of grey jeans and a smartish navy-blue Jude’s Eworld sweatshirt, pulling them out of a box where they’d been partially protected against the humidity.

  When she got back he’d just finished wiring a couple of power cells into his air conditioner. The galvanised box started shuddering as the motor spun up, then sent out a clammy stream of cold air. Louise stood in front of it trying to get her hair dry.

  “I’ve got some food stockpiled,” Andy said. “Do you want breakfast?”

  “Please.”

  He pulled some preprepped meal trays out of a box and slid them into the oven. Louise started examining the flat in detail. He really was an electronics fanatic, just as he’d claimed at the Lake Isle restaurant.

  None of his wages had been spent on furnishings, or even clothes by the look of it. Gadgetry lay everywhere: ageing tools and blocks, spools of wire and fibre, microscopic components in lens cases, delicate test rigs; one wall was a rack of fleks. When she peeked into the other room, it was jumbled high with ancient domestic units. He scavenged them for components, he said. Repair work brought in some handy cash. She smiled at the familiar dinner jacket which was hanging up on the back of the door in its own plastic sheath, so obviously out of place.

&nbsp
; The oven ejected their meal trays. Andy pushed a flat orange juice carton into the nozzle on his water dispenser; bubbles gurgled up through the big glass bottle. The carton expanded outwards as the juice constituted itself.

  “Andy?” Louise stared at the conurbation of electronics, suddenly cursing herself. “Have you got a working communications block here, something that can reach a satellite?”

  “Of course. Why?”

  “Louise, my God, I thought we’d lost you,” Charlie datavised. “The sensor satellite says you’re at a tenement on Halton Road. Ah, I see, that’s Andy Behoo’s address. Are you all right?”

  “I survived,” she datavised back. “Where are you?”

  “I’m up in the Halo. It was a bit of a mad dash, but I thought it expedient after last night’s debacle. Do you know if Fletcher got out?”

  “I’ve no idea. I didn’t see anyone else once I started running. What about Ivanov?”

  “Sorry, Louise. He didn’t make it.”

  “There’s just me, then.”

  “Looks like I underestimated you again, Louise. My one consistent error.”

  “Charlie, there’s a red cloud under the dome.”

  “Yes, I know. Clever move on Dexter’s part. It means the SD electron beams can’t strike it unless they blow the dome as well. It also means I’ve got virtually no sensor coverage underneath now. I tried sending my affinity-bonded birds and rats through to see if they could pinpoint him for me, but I lose contact with them every time. And we all thought their energistic power didn’t affect bitek.”

  “Fletcher says they’re aware of everything that happens under their cloud. Dexter probably kills the animals.”

  “Very likely. That doesn’t leave us with much, does it.”

  “This red cloud is different,” she datavised. “I thought you should know that. It’s why I called, really.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I was under one in Norfolk as it was gathering together, that was nothing like this. I can feel this one, it’s like a really low vibration, one that you can’t quite hear. It’s not just here to shut away the sky, it’s really evil, Charlie.”

  “That’ll be Dexter. He must have gathered quite a few possessed together now. Whatever he intends to do, it started with that cloud.”

  “I’m frightened, Charlie. He’s going to win, isn’t he?”

  “Can you and Andy get to one of the outer domes? I have operational agents in place there. I can get you out.”

  “The cloud’s growing, Charlie. I don’t think we’ll make it.”

  “Louise, I want you to try. Please.”

  “Guilty, Charlie, you?”

  “Perhaps. I did get Genevieve to Tranquillity. The blackhawk captain swears he’ll never accept another charter from my company.”

  Louise grinned. “That’s my sister.”

  “Will you leave the tenement now?”

  “I don’t think so. Andy and I are happy where we are. And who knows what’ll happen when Earth is taken out of the universe? It might not be so bad.”

  “It won’t happen, Louise. That’s not what Dexter’s about. He wants to obliterate the universe, not leave it. And there are people on Earth who can stop him from doing anything at all.”

  “What do you mean? You’ve never been able to stop him.”

  “The red cloud’s appearance has finally given our wondrous President some backbone. He’s worried it means the possessed are ready to take Earth out of the universe. The senate have now given him approval to use SD weapons against the arcologies, and eliminate the possessed. It’s the new fatalism, Louise. The Confederation abandoned Arnstadt and New California so they could be rid of Capone. The President will sacrifice a minority of the republic’s citizens to save the majority. Not that history will remember him kindly for it, though I expect the survivors in the other arcologies will be quietly grateful.”

  “You have to stop it, Charlie. There are more people in London than there are on the whole of Norfolk. You can stop it, can’t you? B7 can’t let them all die. You rule Earth. That’s what you said.”

  “We can stall the order for a few hours, at most. Crash the command communication circuits, have SD officers refuse to carry out their orders. But ultimately, a direct order from the President will get through and be obeyed. The platforms will fire gamma-ray lasers into the arcologies. Every living cell inside the domes will be exterminated.”

  “No. You have to stop them.”

  “Louise, get yourself to one of the outer domes. You’ve got the anti-memory. You can use it against anyone who tries to stop you.”

  “No!” she yelled out loud. Her hand smashed down on the table, making the meal trays and glasses bounce. “No. No. No.” She picked up the communications block and hurled it against the wall. Its casing cracked, sending plastic splinters skittling along the floor. “I won’t.”

  Andy had frozen in his chair, staring at her in consternation. She whirled round to face him. “They’re going to kill everybody. The President’s going to fire SD weapons into the dome.”

  He got up and put his arms round her, trying to calm her angry shaking.

  Even in bare feet she was half a head taller, he had to look up to see the dismay in her eyes.

  “We have to stop him,” she said.

  “The President?”

  “No, Dexter.”

  “The possessed one? The maniac?”

  “Yes.”

  “How?”

  “I don’t know. Tell him. Warn him! Get him to dispose of the red cloud. He’ll understand that if he has no followers left alive then he’s nothing.”

  “Then what?”

  “I don’t know!” she shouted. “But it will stop everyone from being killed, isn’t that worth something to you?”

  “Yes,” he stammered.

  She went over to her pile of clothes and dug out the anti-memory weapon.

  “Where are my shoes?”

  Andy took one look at the neat black tube she was holding with such determination, and realized just how serious she was. His first thought was to lock the door, prevent her from leaving. He was too scared even to do that. “Don’t go out there.”

  “I have to,” she snapped back. “None of those monsters care about people.”

  Andy dropped to his knees. “Louise, I’m begging you. They’ll catch you. You’ll be tortured.”

  “Not for long. After all, we’re all going to be slaughtered.” She pushed her foot into one shoe and fastened the side clips.

  “Louise. Please!”

  “Are you going to come with me?”

  “That’s London out there,” he said, waving an arm at the window. “You’ve got a couple of hours to find one person. It’s impossible. Stay here. We’ll never know when it happens. Not an SD weapon, they’re so powerful.”

  She glared down at him. “Andy, haven’t you followed any news? You have a soul. You’ll know exactly when it happens. There’s a good chance you’ll be stuck into the beyond.”

  “I can’t go out there,” he moaned. “Not where they are. Don’t go.”

  She pulled her other shoe on. “Well, I can’t stay here.”

  Andy looked up at her as she stood over him, tall, beautiful, and resolute. Utterly glorious. He’d spent all night making love to her, punishing his body with a dangerous level of stimulant programs so she would be completely overwhelmed. And it meant nothing to her. She would never be his, for she’d seen the real him. They were further apart now than they had been before he knew she lived.

  His hand wiped over his nose, an attempt to cover up his sniffling. “I love you, Louise.” He heard the pitiful words come out of his mouth, and despised himself for everything he was, everything he could never become.

  Exasperation mingled with embarrassment. Louise didn’t know if she wanted to shove him aside or kiss him. “I still enjoyed last night, Andy. I wouldn’t want it any different.” A pat on his bowed, trembling head would be too awful. She moved
round him, and went out of the door, closing it quietly behind her.

  Loud voices and banging doors woke Jay. She sat up in bed and yawned extravagantly, stretching her arms wide. It was night outside, she could just hear the gentle windrush sound of waves rolling onto the beach above the noises in the chalet. People were moving through the rooms, talking in excited tones. Footsteps trundled up the creaky wooden steps to the veranda, and the front door banged again.

  She found Prince Dell and tiptoed into the short hallway. There’d never been such a commotion in the chalet before, not even when the old-timers were planning the new colony. Whatever was going on must be terribly important, which could make eavesdropping interesting.

  The voices stopped.

  “Come in, Jay,” Tracy called from the lounge.

  Jay did as she was told. It was impossible to get away with anything when Tracy was around. Seven of the ancient adults had joined Tracy, sitting and standing round the lounge. Jay kept her head down as she hurried over to the big armchair Tracy was sitting in, too shy to say anything.

  “Sorry, poppet,” Tracy said as Jay slithered up onto the cushions beside her. “Did this noisy rabble wake you?”

  “What’s the matter?” Jay asked. “Why’s everyone here?”

  “We’re trying to decide if we should petition Corpus for intervention,” Tracy said. “Again!”

  “Something’s happening on Earth,” Arnie said. “We didn’t realize it at first, but Quinn Dexter might be about to do something extremely dangerous.”

  “Corpus won’t intervene,” Galic said dejectedly. “There’s still no reason. You know the rules: only if another, unaware species is endangered. Quinn Dexter, according to the textbooks, qualifies as human. Therefore this will be self-inflicted.”

  “Then the textbook should be rewritten,” Arnie grumbled. “I wouldn’t classify him as anything close to human.”