Playing God(7)

“We've got four conglomerates and six enclaves planning their economies for the next century around this project, Dr. Nussbaumer. We're going to save a world. Want in?”

A billion people. A billion people to transport and shelter and accommodate in all the billion ways each of them would need. Negotiations and treaties to begin and maintain. They'd have to cap wars that had smoldered for centuries. They'd have to clean out and rebuild an entire world.

“I'll need to consider it,” she said with what she hoped was an appropriate blend of aloofness and cautious interest.

Brador's smile was merely polite, but Lynn had the distinct feeling she hadn't fooled him for a second. “Of course. Your room has my direct address. You may contact me at any time.”

They said polite farewells, and Lynn cut the connection. She sat dazed at the enormity of the project Brador had just offered her. Finally, she shook herself and returned to the living room.

David was there, his long frame stretched out on the couch. Three of the windows were clear to let the end of the Martian day shine into the room. The fourth showed the treaty signing. The Queens-of-All were just receiving the treaty boards from the Sisters-Chosen-to-Lead.

She crossed the thick, burgundy carpet to stand behind the sofa and laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Look at that.” David's voice was soft as he gestured toward the view on the screen. “They actually did it.”

“I know, I saw.” Lynn watched the scene replay itself. “You wouldn't believe the scene in Crater Town.” Lynn shook her head without taking her eyes off the screen. “I always knew they had it in them, but I never thought I'd live to see it.”

Suddenly, a familiar shape caught her gaze, and she squinted at the shadows on the right of the stage.

A recorder stood on its tripod legs, panning its double lenses slowly to take in the audience packed shoulder to shoulder at the foot of the stage. A Human held its leash. Lynn leaned forward. A man. Old memories rang in the back of her head.

“Screen, zoom in on male Human figure on the stage.”

David cocked a questioning brow at her, but Lynn said nothing. The image repositioned itself so the thin, tan, bald man in his clean-suit was the only person on the screen. Involuntarily, Lynn gripped David's shoulder.

“Arron,” she whispered. Arron tracked his recorder's path with his own gaze. From this close, it looked like he was searching their living room for something.

“Arron?” asked David. “Not Arron Hagopian?”

Lynn nodded. On the screen, Arron thumbed the recorder's leash box. It turned its lenses back toward the delegates on the stage. His gaze followed the lenses. His face was tight, unhappy, and years older than it should have been.

What's the matter, Arron? Arron had once filled her life. She had always thought that someday, when she had the time, she'd find him again, and they'd be friends. She'd introduce him to David, and they'd get along great. But the time had never materialized, and without even thinking about it, she'd lost track of him.

David looked from Lynn to the screen and back again. “Do you want to talk, or do you want to keep watching?”

Lynn felt a smile forming. “Jealous?” she asked, tousling David's neatly cropped hair.

He raised his right hand. “I am not now, nor have I ever been jealous of Arron Hagopian,” he announced seriously. “Although I have occasionally wanted to beat him senseless for not appreciating you.” David lowered his hand to let it rest on top of hers.

She squeezed his fingers gratefully. “Screen off,” she said, and Arron winked out of sight, replaced by blackness.

“Well,” said David, wriggling around so he could see her better. “What'd you hear?”

Lynn opened her mouth and closed it again. What did I hear? Not a word about salary, or staff, or citizenship conditions. I just heard about helping to save a whole world, and I didn't think to ask about anything else.

David watched her face, listened to her silence, and nodded. “Yeah, that's about what I heard.” His eyes shone with a cold light. Lynn ran her knuckles along his chin and nodded.

David was an epidemiologist. He'd come to Crater Town shortly after the first wave of the plague did, when it was realized there wasn't one-tenth the number of doctors among the Dedelphi needed to deal with the crisis. Since then, he'd watched thousands of patients die, sometimes literally under his own hands. If Lynn had a handful of nightmares from the plague waves, David had a lifetime's worth.

Bioverse had offered Lynn a chance to rebuild a whole world, but they had offered him the chance to save lives.

“Okay.” Lynn squeezed his hand one more time. “We're going.”