was turning over a newly independent leaf," Daniel said. "Three months later she married a clone of my father and retired with him to Costa Rica on the insurance. I haven't seen her for two years."
"And you feel guilty?"
"Relieved."
She watched for some sign of how this estrangement affected him, but his mask was indifferent. "Well. My theory is that no one knows what's needed or useless until they're dead. Maybe not even then."
"So how do you choose?"
"You follow your heart."
"Even into the pit of the minotaur?"
"The mythical monsters have been sponged from our world, Daniel. We're not in a labyrinth, we're in the Utiligrid, the utility network that feeds the city. These tunnels go for miles- miles and miles. They lead to reservoirs, power rooms, sewers, waste masticators. It's amazing, really."
"And we're not supposed to be here."
"I'm supposed to be here."
"Why?"
"Because it makes me feel alive!" She lifted her head and shouted. "Alive!" The call echoed down the corridor.
"Jesus! You'll get us caught!"
She laughed. "Maybe. Are you frightened of that?"
"No." He glanced over his shoulder. "Just nervous, okay?"
"There's nothing down here but utility robots, with brain chips about as smart as the potato variety. And we're not hurting a thing by exploring. Come on, I can take the pack for a while. We'll go to our picnic spot."
"No, I've got it."
She teased him. "Gallant as well. A man of the past."
"Sometimes I think I'm in the wrong century."
"Do you?" Again, she seemed to be appraising him. It reminded him of the joke about a first date being a job interview that goes on all evening. She didn't offer agreement.
Walking the Utiligrid was indeed like exploring a labyrinth but Raven seemed to know where she was going. "I've learned to read the signs," she explained. Occasionally the ground would tremble from the passage of a tube train overhead, or they would hear the rumble of pumps from behind steel doors, but mostly there was a humming stillness, their steps echoing on concrete.
"It's eerie down here," Daniel said. "Empty, like a catacomb."
"Don't you like it empty? Everywhere else is full."
"I like to get away."
"Down here is an away that gets to the heart of things."
Suddenly a dot of red danced across them and there was a warning beep. A detection laser. They turned and saw the lights of a maintenance-bot growing in intensity as it sped down the tunnel toward them, its orange crown flashing. "Uh-oh," Daniel said. The machine could summon the police. "Run!"
He yanked her arm and they sprinted down a side tunnel, Raven actually laughing as they fled. There was a bang as the janitorial vehicle took the corner too hard and bounced off the concrete. Then it was wheeling their way, beeping madly, its dim circuitry probably assuming they were some kind of giant rat in need of fumigation. He turned into one tunnel and another, utterly lost, and then Raven sprinted ahead of him to lead, twisting this way and that in the maze like a deer as the alarm shrilled behind them. Daniel followed her as he had on the run, noticing the swell of her hips and rhythm of her bottom as she ran. You sexually hopeless lunatic, he scolded himself. Then she pointed above at a dark hole in the ceiling and sprang, grasping a pipe. She looped her feet to catch the overhead piping with her heels and then boosted herself up into blackness. Daniel jumped, pulled, and kicked his legs to follow. They were in a tube that led upward but his climb ended when he banged into a steel cover. There was just enough room under its lid to squeeze together above the pipes.
She was breathing hard, grinning at him as the robot cart went honking by underneath in what seemed to be a machine imitation of frustration.
"What if it calls for help?"
"I don't think the cops like to come down here."
He realized that they were pressed against each other to wedge in place and he could feel the softness of her hair. Her smell had the sweetness of slight
"And you feel guilty?"
"Relieved."
She watched for some sign of how this estrangement affected him, but his mask was indifferent. "Well. My theory is that no one knows what's needed or useless until they're dead. Maybe not even then."
"So how do you choose?"
"You follow your heart."
"Even into the pit of the minotaur?"
"The mythical monsters have been sponged from our world, Daniel. We're not in a labyrinth, we're in the Utiligrid, the utility network that feeds the city. These tunnels go for miles- miles and miles. They lead to reservoirs, power rooms, sewers, waste masticators. It's amazing, really."
"And we're not supposed to be here."
"I'm supposed to be here."
"Why?"
"Because it makes me feel alive!" She lifted her head and shouted. "Alive!" The call echoed down the corridor.
"Jesus! You'll get us caught!"
She laughed. "Maybe. Are you frightened of that?"
"No." He glanced over his shoulder. "Just nervous, okay?"
"There's nothing down here but utility robots, with brain chips about as smart as the potato variety. And we're not hurting a thing by exploring. Come on, I can take the pack for a while. We'll go to our picnic spot."
"No, I've got it."
She teased him. "Gallant as well. A man of the past."
"Sometimes I think I'm in the wrong century."
"Do you?" Again, she seemed to be appraising him. It reminded him of the joke about a first date being a job interview that goes on all evening. She didn't offer agreement.
Walking the Utiligrid was indeed like exploring a labyrinth but Raven seemed to know where she was going. "I've learned to read the signs," she explained. Occasionally the ground would tremble from the passage of a tube train overhead, or they would hear the rumble of pumps from behind steel doors, but mostly there was a humming stillness, their steps echoing on concrete.
"It's eerie down here," Daniel said. "Empty, like a catacomb."
"Don't you like it empty? Everywhere else is full."
"I like to get away."
"Down here is an away that gets to the heart of things."
Suddenly a dot of red danced across them and there was a warning beep. A detection laser. They turned and saw the lights of a maintenance-bot growing in intensity as it sped down the tunnel toward them, its orange crown flashing. "Uh-oh," Daniel said. The machine could summon the police. "Run!"
He yanked her arm and they sprinted down a side tunnel, Raven actually laughing as they fled. There was a bang as the janitorial vehicle took the corner too hard and bounced off the concrete. Then it was wheeling their way, beeping madly, its dim circuitry probably assuming they were some kind of giant rat in need of fumigation. He turned into one tunnel and another, utterly lost, and then Raven sprinted ahead of him to lead, twisting this way and that in the maze like a deer as the alarm shrilled behind them. Daniel followed her as he had on the run, noticing the swell of her hips and rhythm of her bottom as she ran. You sexually hopeless lunatic, he scolded himself. Then she pointed above at a dark hole in the ceiling and sprang, grasping a pipe. She looped her feet to catch the overhead piping with her heels and then boosted herself up into blackness. Daniel jumped, pulled, and kicked his legs to follow. They were in a tube that led upward but his climb ended when he banged into a steel cover. There was just enough room under its lid to squeeze together above the pipes.
She was breathing hard, grinning at him as the robot cart went honking by underneath in what seemed to be a machine imitation of frustration.
"What if it calls for help?"
"I don't think the cops like to come down here."
He realized that they were pressed against each other to wedge in place and he could feel the softness of her hair. Her smell had the sweetness of slight
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