|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- DEER EXPRESS--CUP 4--"ENGINEERS" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Deer Express  ||  -------> (Cup SRde004, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = "You think it's true what they say about Fife?" Eacho asked from the passenger seat of Dan's car. They were driving down a busy road with a lots of traffic. "I don't know, man." Yophappen Dan replied. "We've had a lot of trouble, you know? This whole Aconck thing--the available universe becomes so much bigger. No way are Letevs, Polk, and Bavler gonna get along with the goals of research and non-aggression." "Yeah, and these engineers--trying to help Letevs cover up the damage he did to Red Alley Earth--and not telling Bavler about it at all!" "It's tough." "Yeah... I don't know Dan... I think this may be the straw that breaks the tapir's back, man. We take out the engineers, Letevs Fife is gonna revolt. And if Fife revolts, you know Polk Thewsike's gonna revolt too." "I know it." "So what happens to us?" "Us? We don't count. We're not in any camp. We're friends of Bavler. We stay neutral, and we stay with the Group." "Yeah. It's just--I don't know--all the extra time we've had--living in Bestroystraw's experiments--getting our powers--it's all so..." "Don't get all depressed about it, Eacho. Look, we took the challenge to the edge, and crossed over. We lived well over a lifetime. So just think of now as bonus. Bonus time." "I guess." The traffic was getting worse, and a few drops of rain began to fall in the early twilight. "Damn!" Dan yelled. "Gotta do something about this traffic!" "Ah, who cares. Paith Paper's not going anywhere. Now that we know the engineers are hung up." "Yeah, yeah." Dan honked his horn, and silence followed. "This Paith Paper," Eacho finally said, quietly, "she's just an innocent bystander in all this, right?" "Er, yes and no. She didn't ASK to become involved, but she IS a celebrity of sorts. She could make some noise." "That's why Twield Cleverdusk and Vapstadam want her dead?" Dan laughed. "Yes and no again. If she became a problem, it would be a Group problem. If there really is going to be a revolution, Fife'd probably want to keep her around to cause Bavler trouble. On the other hand, if they want to smooth this little affair over, and aren't interested in revolt, taking her out would be in their best interest." "And--" Eacho said. "--yeah?--" "--and, and--does not morality come into this? I mean, killing this poor innocent woman?" "She doesn't have any kids." "What's that got to do with it?" "Ah, it'd make it a little bit harder." There was silence for a time. Finally, Eacho spoke--again, softly. "Cuz I've been thinking, what if the orders come down for US to kill her." "Ah, don't worry about it. We'll talk to her. If she can conveniently disappear somewhere, there'll be no need to kill her. You gotta take this job with a grain of salt--no one knows exactly what's going on. So you fudge it a little bit here and there. Still, you gotta be willing to kill." "I know it." Eacho said, staring out the window at a laundromat. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----