understand things in ways like this, they’re not
likely to put their simple, idyllic life at risk, are they? Look
around. Clean air and water, abundant natural food, no wars…. The
people here are fortunate. They don’t need to understand any more
than what they already do. That’s good for the project, it’s good
for the corporation, and it’s good for them. ”
“ It’s not good for that old
woman. ”
“ Actually, I think she might disagree.
She thinks they’re helping her by exorcising the demon. She’ll
thank them for it. ”
“ If she survives. ”
“ Well, there is that. I don’t suppose she
will, but the life of one primitive is a small price for what the
corporation has given them. ”
MO-126 glanced back to the woman tied to the
pole. She sat with her back against it, eyes closed and lips
trembling as some of the villagers taunted her from a safe
distance. This simply was not right. Three stray sheep should not
be difficult to find, and once they were returned, everything would
be fine.
“ I’m going to go look for those
sheep, ” the mobile observer android said.
“ Don’t! ” Tork said.
His furry partner disobeyed his instruction.
“ If I’m not back by tonight, find a way to give Galinda some
water and maybe some food. ”
“ I am not going to get involved. I don’t
need a black mark on my record when I’m looking for a job after I
leave here. ”
“ Who’s to know? ” the android dog
said. “ Besides, I’ll bite you if you don’t. ”
“ Not funny, ” the trader signaled. He
continued to urge the other android to return, but MO-126 did not
acknowledge him. Their integrated short-range communication systems
would allow them to stay in contact reliably at a distance of a few
kilometers. Even if MO-126 ventured farther than that, the signal
would be relayed by the project’s satellite system. He could not
pretend he did not hear him, but this did not mean he needed to
listen.
~*~
He did not know the time and location of the
sheep’s disappearance, but it seemed logical to begin a search near
where he saw other sheep earlier that day. The sheep, the shepherd,
and the dog he noticed there before were gone now. MO-126 welcomed
their absence because he would not need to be concerned as much
about behaving like a normal dog.
He reached the peak of the hill and stopped,
stood stiffly, and tuned his olfactory, auditory, and visual
sensors to their maximum sensitivities. At these settings, the soft
rustle of the high grass in the mild, springtime breeze sounded
like the waves of an angry ocean pounding the shore. His simulated
breathing wheezed like an asthmatic gond. This, at least, he could
do something about, and he made a conscious effort to stop it.
Voices from the village a kilometer away reached him. If he
concentrated, he could make out individual conversations, but these
did not concern him now. A slow visual scan of the surrounding area
showed numerous signs of sheep, from closely cropped grass to dung.
A long sniff revealed their strong, musky smell equally in all
directions. None of these observations provided clear evidence of
the three wayward animals.
Assuming they simply wandered off unnoticed,
he set off at a slow trot directly away from the village, staying
to the grassy slopes where the sheep normally grazed. Their smell
remained strong as far as two kilometers from the village, but then
it began to thin.
He paused to sniff the air once again.
Unfortunately the breeze came from the direction of the primitives’
settlement, and its smells of irregularly washed humans and even
more irregularly washed animals overpowered the weaker odors ahead.
A spot of grass downslope appeared to have been grazed, so he
paused to examine it and detected the scent of sheep laid down no
more that two days ago from the glands on their feet. MO-126
suspected the villagers seldom herded their sheep this far. Most
people stayed within sight of their homes, and the
likely to put their simple, idyllic life at risk, are they? Look
around. Clean air and water, abundant natural food, no wars…. The
people here are fortunate. They don’t need to understand any more
than what they already do. That’s good for the project, it’s good
for the corporation, and it’s good for them. ”
“ It’s not good for that old
woman. ”
“ Actually, I think she might disagree.
She thinks they’re helping her by exorcising the demon. She’ll
thank them for it. ”
“ If she survives. ”
“ Well, there is that. I don’t suppose she
will, but the life of one primitive is a small price for what the
corporation has given them. ”
MO-126 glanced back to the woman tied to the
pole. She sat with her back against it, eyes closed and lips
trembling as some of the villagers taunted her from a safe
distance. This simply was not right. Three stray sheep should not
be difficult to find, and once they were returned, everything would
be fine.
“ I’m going to go look for those
sheep, ” the mobile observer android said.
“ Don’t! ” Tork said.
His furry partner disobeyed his instruction.
“ If I’m not back by tonight, find a way to give Galinda some
water and maybe some food. ”
“ I am not going to get involved. I don’t
need a black mark on my record when I’m looking for a job after I
leave here. ”
“ Who’s to know? ” the android dog
said. “ Besides, I’ll bite you if you don’t. ”
“ Not funny, ” the trader signaled. He
continued to urge the other android to return, but MO-126 did not
acknowledge him. Their integrated short-range communication systems
would allow them to stay in contact reliably at a distance of a few
kilometers. Even if MO-126 ventured farther than that, the signal
would be relayed by the project’s satellite system. He could not
pretend he did not hear him, but this did not mean he needed to
listen.
~*~
He did not know the time and location of the
sheep’s disappearance, but it seemed logical to begin a search near
where he saw other sheep earlier that day. The sheep, the shepherd,
and the dog he noticed there before were gone now. MO-126 welcomed
their absence because he would not need to be concerned as much
about behaving like a normal dog.
He reached the peak of the hill and stopped,
stood stiffly, and tuned his olfactory, auditory, and visual
sensors to their maximum sensitivities. At these settings, the soft
rustle of the high grass in the mild, springtime breeze sounded
like the waves of an angry ocean pounding the shore. His simulated
breathing wheezed like an asthmatic gond. This, at least, he could
do something about, and he made a conscious effort to stop it.
Voices from the village a kilometer away reached him. If he
concentrated, he could make out individual conversations, but these
did not concern him now. A slow visual scan of the surrounding area
showed numerous signs of sheep, from closely cropped grass to dung.
A long sniff revealed their strong, musky smell equally in all
directions. None of these observations provided clear evidence of
the three wayward animals.
Assuming they simply wandered off unnoticed,
he set off at a slow trot directly away from the village, staying
to the grassy slopes where the sheep normally grazed. Their smell
remained strong as far as two kilometers from the village, but then
it began to thin.
He paused to sniff the air once again.
Unfortunately the breeze came from the direction of the primitives’
settlement, and its smells of irregularly washed humans and even
more irregularly washed animals overpowered the weaker odors ahead.
A spot of grass downslope appeared to have been grazed, so he
paused to examine it and detected the scent of sheep laid down no
more that two days ago from the glands on their feet. MO-126
suspected the villagers seldom herded their sheep this far. Most
people stayed within sight of their homes, and the
Similar Books
