Version Innocent

Chapter 9

  Once she left the center Terra realized how hungry she was. She had probably been on some kind of nutrient IV line, but it didn't do much to fill her stomach and it was grumbling now. Fortunately, this was a common occurrence, and so like all good entrepreneurs, a number of restaurants had been opened in the area just beyond the Restoration Center’s gates.

  Terra stepped in to Culinary Expression, a restaurant that she always visited when she was newly restored and, that she tried to visit as often as possible when business had brought her to Earth. The person who ran the restaurant was Johan Malisker, who was also the chef. He was sitting behind the reception desk in front of the entrance. The restaurant consisted of only ten tables. Johan couldn't handle more than that at one time and he didn't want to. As she entered, Johan looked up from his display.

  “Ah, Terra, so good to see you again, and you look so young. Your restoration has done you good, I think,” Johan said ecstatically. She had gotten to know him over the years. He was an interesting guy. He had been a chef back for fifty years before the restoration technology was invented, and over the next century had become independently wealthy through investments, as many of his generation had. Now he lived to cook. He had opened this restaurant to make the finest cuisine he could, not because he needed the money but because he simply loved to cook for others. Most other restaurants on Earth were the same way.

  “Hello, Johan, it's good to see you too.” Terra looked Johan up and down as he came out from behind the counter to give her a hug. He looked pretty young, only mid to late twenties. “You’re looking good,”

  “Well, I was restored only five years ago, heart attack,” he responded smiling. “I must have been enjoying the food too much.”

  “Oh, Johan, you always put me in a good mood. How's business?”

  “Not so good. The virus, you know. Not so many people getting restored this month, I think they’re waiting for this whole thing to blow over, but that is good for you. I can give you my undivided attention today. What is it that you want...no let me guess, the Chicken Caesar with a beer.”

  “Johan, that would be wonderful. It's your dressing, I can't help myself,” Terra said. It was making her mouth water just thinking about it.

  “Ah, well, I wish I could get you to try my Lasagna. It's wonderful, but do not let me keep you from your favorite. Let me go and get the ingredients together and I will have it whipped up in no time. Please, sit and be comfortable. When it is ready, you can tell me all about what brings you here,” Johan said gesturing towards an table near the window. “Or if you like, you can come in to the kitchen with me while I cook.”

  “Oh, that would be wonderful, Johan. But I haven't had a minute to think about anything since before my restoration. I could really use a few minutes of quiet.”

  As she said it, Johan raised up his hands, indicating that it was perfectly all right. “No, of course, I understand those people up there,” and he gestured towards the Restoration buildings, “They don't give you any time, just rush, rush, rush. Well, you just sit here, and I'll get your salad together. Please make yourself at home.” He started back towards the kitchen.

  Terra sat down and tried to figure out what she should do. Only a few moments later a man came in the restaurant and walked up to her table.

  “Terra Gates?” he asked.

  Terra didn't want to be disturbed. She wanted lunch and some time to think about what she should do next. “Yes,” She answered, looking up at the man, clearly annoyed.

  The man didn’t seem to notice her annoyance and continued politely with a half smile. “Good, I'm Special Agent Jim Dawson, with the FBI. Do you have a few minutes to talk with me?”

  It was a charming smile, Terra admitted, it had probably gotten many of women to talk to him, but she knew what he was doing. She didn't want to make trouble though, yet. She knew her rights. She was a Martian citizen, and she had diplomatic status, or at least she used to. Terra quickly queried Plato as to if she still had it. If she did, then she didn't have to talk with him and he couldn't do anything about it. If she didn't. ..well then she had better at least appear cooperative.

  My query of the Martian Embassy as to your diplomatic status has you listed as a private citizen with a temporary visa for restorational purposes only. Your visa expires in two weeks. Her companion related.

  Perfect. Just perfect, but that's what I get for being so out of date. She thought. The whole exchange with Plato had taken only a few seconds.

  “Sure, Agent Dawson, please sit down,” she said, with as much charm as she could muster. Two could play at this game. He sat down at the table across from her.

  “Would you like something? I've just ordered.”

  “No, thank you, I didn't eat that long ago.” Agent Dawson said with a smile. He had to admit, she was attractive. Her holograph didn't do her justice. He had to remember that she might have had a role to play in all this. “I am investigating the attack on the restoration division by terrorists, and I wanted to ask you a few questions.”

  “Agent Dawson, as I am sure you are aware, I have only just been restored. I have just been told that I am eight years out of date. How could I know anything about the attack?” Terra asked. She decided that she didn't really know anything; that was the whole purpose of having her backed up to the 262.3 version. It wouldn't matter what she told him.

  “No, that's not what I wanted to ask about. Of course, we realize that you couldn't know about the attack, but as you have been told, your restoration was initiated by the attack along with some others. However, yours was the only one that had progressed to an unstoppable point. It's a little odd, and we are simply looking for any insight that you might have as to why you could have been singled out by Sam Storm 6.7”

  Terra considered for a moment what to say, but Sam had obviously planned this whole thing so that she could not be touched, so the truth wouldn't hurt her here. “Well, I knew Sam Storm. In fact I was having lunch with him just before I got the 262.3 backup made. Sam suggested it, actually. He said he had something he wanted to discuss with me that could be deemed illegal and wanted to make sure that I had backed myself up.”

  Terra could tell that Dawson was surprised by her honesty on the subject, so she continued. “I thought it was odd, but at the time Sam Storm was a friend of mine who was working on several design projects for the department.”

  “Do you have any idea what it was that Storm wanted to discuss?”

  “No, he wouldn't say anything except that it might be considered illegal...but I can't imagine helping him in anything illegal. It would totally go against my character, but then going on hiatus for a half century is also against my character. I can't believe that he managed to wipe all my other versions. I have lost years of my life. It's very disconcerting.”

  “I can believe it. It seems however that he felt some responsibility for making sure the 262.3 version was restored, probably to keep you from being prosecutable for any knowledge of his plans. It's too bad that you don't know what your future version was up to. Do you have access to any of your companion files?”

  “Not yet, I may be able to get some backups from my personal data stores on Mars, but if I were my other version and had done something illegal, I would have made sure those files were destroyed,” she said, feeling that that was indeed what she would have done, if she had decided to help Sam. Dawson considered this for a moment.

  “Before Sam convinced you to get restored, did he give you any instructions? Something you should do if this version were ever restored?” Dawson asked.

  The question took Terra by surprise, but it shouldn't have. If Sam had really arranged all this, he would have had to give her some instruction. “Not really, he said he would owe me something...gratitude probably, although I can't say I really want it considering the circumstances. He also said that if I was ever restored from your version I shou
ld call his crèche mate, Stacey I believe, and have dinner with her before I return to Mars.”

  “Are you going to call her?”

  “I wasn't planning on it, I was going to head towards the Martian Embassy and try to figure out what's going on. Arrange transport back to Mars, where I belong.” It was true except for the part that she wasn't going to call Stacey. It couldn't hurt anything to call, could it?

  “Well, I can understand that you would want to get back to your life, but I think that Storm's asking you to visit his crèche mate was to get you to go there and get something, maybe a message from Storm himself. Instead of going home immediately, would you help us by going to that dinner and wearing a wire, it might help us find and bring Sam Storm to justice,” Dawson asked.

  “A wire?” Terra asked. “Is that legal?”

  “I would get a court order of course,” Dawson replied.

  “What if I were caught? Do you think that would put me in danger?” Terra knew that if she were bugged, she would ensure that it was deactivated if there were such a meeting but the question was valid. She didn’t know with whom Sam had been associating and how dangerous they would be, but she didn’t think that Stacey would hurt her. Sam wouldn’t put his own crèche sister in danger like that.

  “I don’t think you’d be caught; the bug is all but undetectable. As for the danger, well, we are asking you to do this country a service, but more than that to help us preserve the right to restoration for every human being. We have no idea what Sam Storm is planning. His next attack could be worse than the last.”

  Terra could tell that he was sincere and serious. She wondered who’d brainwashed him into thinking like that. The restoration establishment was what was under attack because, through it, the United States controlled everything. She would be glad if it were decentralized, and this attack of Sam’s might be just for that purpose.

  “I won’t do it for your country or for the rights of people everywhere…that’s just a plus,” Terra responded seriously. “I’ll do it for you so that I can find out what my other version was up to. She has been a part of this manipulation of me, and I don’t care for it.”

  Dawson was smiled. “Thank you, Ms. Gates. I appreciate your help, what ever the reason.” He stood up. “I need to go now. Thank you for speaking with me. And please let me know when you are going to visit Storm’s crèche sister. I’ll make sure one of my agents on the case gets the bug to you.”

  Terra stood up as well. “You’re welcome, Agent Dawson.” Terra put out her hand. “And please call me Terra.”

  Dawson shook her hand gently. “Thank you, Terra,” he said and then left.

  Just as he was walking out the door, Johan came from the kitchen with her Chicken Caesar salad and a beer. He noticed Dawson learning. “A friend of yours?” Johan asked while setting the food down at the table.

  “No, Johan, just someone who wanted to talk to me about someone I used to know on Mars.”

  “I see,” Johan said, dismissing the incident. “Well, here is your salad, I hope you enjoy.”

  “I always do, Johan, you make the best Chicken Caesar in the solar system.”

  Johan smiled. “Now, tell me how is everything?” He said sitting down with her at the table. He wasn’t family, but right now a familiar face and a sympathetic ear was what she needed. They talked for hours, and when dinner came around, she joined him in the kitchen and he cooked for two.