she was not going to put up with any prevarication. After the previous evening, both her intellect and her ego deserved better. She nodded—a quick curt movement of her head—and his shoulders relaxed. He turned to Srin, still blocking Moon from view.
“Srin, perhaps you could look over a brief I’ve prepared on the equipment in this lab.” Moon had to admit he hit just the right note in his tone of voice. Friendliness, combined with brisk professionalism.
“What about…?” She could only guess from Srin’s words that he made some kind of movement towards her. Once again, she was being shielded from what was going on. Was it because she was a woman? The thought set her temper simmering.
“I’ll talk to Dr. Thadin now and get everything sorted out. The brief is in the library meta-unit.”
There was a charged silence before Srin conceded. “All right.” His face bore an unusually grim expression. Moon knew from his tone that he would be taking the matter up with his “handler” at some point in the future.
At that point Savic put a hand around her upper arm and whisked her out of the lab.
Savic released her just as they cleared the doorway, but said nothing as he strode down the Differential ’s corridors. Moon was almost gasping for breath, half running to keep up with his long legged stride, by the time they reached an anonymous door that opened into a small briefing room. Despite taking a gulp to steady her breathing, she didn’t wait for a comment or remark to open the discussion, but launched into it herself.
“What the hell’s going on?” she demanded, as the door shut behind them.
“I apologise, Dr. Thadin. I meant to explain the situation to you over breakfast this morning, but you didn’t appear in any of the canteens, and Srin was eager to begin work himself.”
She narrowed her eyes. “There’s something wrong with him, isn’t there?” Her heart dropped at the words, but she forced herself to say them calmly and dispassionately.
“Only if you describe genius as wrong.” He took a seat and gestured to another low chair on the opposite side of the table. “Please, sit down.”
“I’ll stand, if you don’t mind.” But she did place a hand on the back of the chair in front of her, unsure of whether she was using it as a shield or support.
“Very well.” He looked at the wall, but his gaze was focused far beyond that. Moon was used to that look, an indication that someone was putting his or her thoughts into order. She was content to wait, deliberately clearing her own mind so she wouldn’t jump to any erroneous conclusions.
After a heavy silence, Savic pulled a deep breath into his lungs and let it out on a long exhale.
“Srin is unique,” he said. “The Republic has come across brilliant people before, but none who have been so easy to work with, especially considering their intellectual gifts. We discovered his talent almost twenty years ago and he’s been working for us ever since.”
“His mathematical talent, you mean.”
“Mathematical talent, processing power, perfect photographic memory, combined with unprecedented social skills, empathy. Srin’s got it all.”
Each word stung Moon as if it were physical, the barbs digging into her skin.
“If he has a perfect photographic memory,” she asked quietly, “why can’t he remember me?”
Savic changed position and pursed his lips. “Srin’s home world is Tonia III. He was a scientist himself, and did great work for the Republic while he was there. The Science Directorate, however, decided that he would be more productive if he moved closer to the centres of research within the Republic. When we first relocated Srin to the Science Hub at Tor Prime, he was very cooperative. At that time, we were only up to the Mark Two Quantaflex and, in comparison, his speed at calculating was?” Savic shook his head. “It was phenomenal, unbelievable. However, as we neared the end of the third year, he started
“Srin, perhaps you could look over a brief I’ve prepared on the equipment in this lab.” Moon had to admit he hit just the right note in his tone of voice. Friendliness, combined with brisk professionalism.
“What about…?” She could only guess from Srin’s words that he made some kind of movement towards her. Once again, she was being shielded from what was going on. Was it because she was a woman? The thought set her temper simmering.
“I’ll talk to Dr. Thadin now and get everything sorted out. The brief is in the library meta-unit.”
There was a charged silence before Srin conceded. “All right.” His face bore an unusually grim expression. Moon knew from his tone that he would be taking the matter up with his “handler” at some point in the future.
At that point Savic put a hand around her upper arm and whisked her out of the lab.
Savic released her just as they cleared the doorway, but said nothing as he strode down the Differential ’s corridors. Moon was almost gasping for breath, half running to keep up with his long legged stride, by the time they reached an anonymous door that opened into a small briefing room. Despite taking a gulp to steady her breathing, she didn’t wait for a comment or remark to open the discussion, but launched into it herself.
“What the hell’s going on?” she demanded, as the door shut behind them.
“I apologise, Dr. Thadin. I meant to explain the situation to you over breakfast this morning, but you didn’t appear in any of the canteens, and Srin was eager to begin work himself.”
She narrowed her eyes. “There’s something wrong with him, isn’t there?” Her heart dropped at the words, but she forced herself to say them calmly and dispassionately.
“Only if you describe genius as wrong.” He took a seat and gestured to another low chair on the opposite side of the table. “Please, sit down.”
“I’ll stand, if you don’t mind.” But she did place a hand on the back of the chair in front of her, unsure of whether she was using it as a shield or support.
“Very well.” He looked at the wall, but his gaze was focused far beyond that. Moon was used to that look, an indication that someone was putting his or her thoughts into order. She was content to wait, deliberately clearing her own mind so she wouldn’t jump to any erroneous conclusions.
After a heavy silence, Savic pulled a deep breath into his lungs and let it out on a long exhale.
“Srin is unique,” he said. “The Republic has come across brilliant people before, but none who have been so easy to work with, especially considering their intellectual gifts. We discovered his talent almost twenty years ago and he’s been working for us ever since.”
“His mathematical talent, you mean.”
“Mathematical talent, processing power, perfect photographic memory, combined with unprecedented social skills, empathy. Srin’s got it all.”
Each word stung Moon as if it were physical, the barbs digging into her skin.
“If he has a perfect photographic memory,” she asked quietly, “why can’t he remember me?”
Savic changed position and pursed his lips. “Srin’s home world is Tonia III. He was a scientist himself, and did great work for the Republic while he was there. The Science Directorate, however, decided that he would be more productive if he moved closer to the centres of research within the Republic. When we first relocated Srin to the Science Hub at Tor Prime, he was very cooperative. At that time, we were only up to the Mark Two Quantaflex and, in comparison, his speed at calculating was?” Savic shook his head. “It was phenomenal, unbelievable. However, as we neared the end of the third year, he started
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