“Well, I’m a known quantity and you’re probably about to be one too.”
That part hadn’t occurred to Callie.“What exactly does that mean?”
Siku stopped and opened his mouth as if he was about to speak.It took him a moment, but eventually he said “you can back out now if you want to.”
Callie thought it over.“I don’t even know what I’m backing out of.I just want to know if I have to travel everywhere by creeping through tunnels now.”
“Ah, okay,” Siku nodded, he blew his cheeks out before continuing.“The short answer is no.The long answer is you’ll only be using them to see us.Biosig readers can’t penetrate very deeply and there aren’t many in the tunnels.If they know who you are,” Siku held up his hands in a shrug, “they might find the rest of us.”
“I thought you worked with corporations.”
“Oh, we do.We’re not naïve enough to believe that they won’t sell us out to a different corp if it becomes expedient.”Siku turned to keep walking.
“Would it be rude of me to ask why you’re limping?”Callie started following again.
“Yes, but I get it.Like I said, Sesi and I can’t use DocPods.You’re probably not used to seeing injuries because people get them fixed at the slightest problem – if they can afford it.If you can’t, you end up unemployed and eventually,” he gestured in a broad circle, “in the tunnels.”
“That seems unfair,” Callie played with the strap of her overalls.
“It is, but very human.”Siku kept his pace.When Callie didn’t say anything, he added.“Qimmiq told me once that we used to put the elderly on ice floes.I don’t know how true that is.Maybe it was his way of showing gratitude.”
“Qimmiq?”
“Our grandfather.He raised us when our mom disappeared in the city.Sesi found work here, sent supplies and I took care of him until he passed.Then I moved here.”
“And now you escort people in the tunnels?”Callie was trying to keep up with all the new information.
“Not usually.I’m the contact for people outside the city, I negotiate deals, that sort of thing.But there was no-one else available today.Because of you.”
“Because of me?Is this some sort of fantasy where you tell me I’m thechosen one?Only I can save the galaxy?”Callie flailed her arms dramatically.
“No,” Siku chuckled.“You’re just the last piece of the plan.”
“So, how does that make you the only one available to escort me?”Callie was beginning to feel slow again.
“Because everyone else is getting ready.Sesi has been working on this theory for months.”Siku slid open the access hatch and lowered himself through.“Normally, I’d say something cliché like,ladies first, but I see you’ve got a strength amplifier patch.You can probably handle yourself better than I can.”
Callie joined Siku in the tunnel and closed the hatch.She dusted her overalls off, more out of habit than anything.It was even filthier down here than it was up there.
“And you don’t have one because you can’t take implants, right?”
Siku shook his head.“Even if I could, I wouldn’t install one.”
“Why not?”Callie bit at her cuticles.
“Two reasons.”Siku held up two fingers.“First, is that they can be used to send remote commands to your system.That’s how we took you and Sparx.”
“What?”Callie took a step back.
Siku nodded.“Surely you wondered how we did that.”
“I thought it was an EMP or something,” Callie muttered.“Does everyone know about this?”
“That would have taken out the power station you were checking on.And no.We’re pretty sure we’re the only ones who know about it.Talia was the one who found the exploit.”
“Oh.”Callie felt a slight dropping sensation in her chest.It was a bit disturbing knowing that she could simply be rendered inert at the press of a few buttons.Callie realised that Siku had kept walking.She skipped forward and caught up.
“What’s the second reason?”
