Probability Space by Nancy Kress Read Free Book Online

could see that Father Emil was serious. It embarrassed her.
    “I forgive you,” she said awkwardly. “But where do we go now?”
    “Back to the ship.”
    This wasn’t what Amanda meant, but she trudged alongside him until they were through the airlock and unsuited. Then, to her surprise, Father Emil said, “Come into the galley, Amanda. The crew wants to talk to you.”
    The ship’s living area consisted of a common room, ringed by closed bunks that were like sleeping in a dresser drawer, and a tiny galley into which was squeezed a table and six chairs. The three-man crew was waiting for her. She sat down awkwardly in one of the chairs, very aware of the light gravity. Father Emil remained standing.
    “Amanda,” said the captain, “the time has come to talk to you about your situation.”
    She nodded, a little scared. They looked so serious. She could only remember one of their names: Captain Lewis. He was a big man with a big nose.
    He said, “We’ve done something for you, bringing you here to look for Marbet Grant. Now we need you to do something for us, something that will help you, too.”
    Again Amanda nodded. He was talking to her as if she were a grown-up, which both pleased and frightened her.
    “You witnessed your father’s kidnapping by government agents out to destroy the antiwar movement. We’re members of that movement, as is Father Emil, who rescued you on Earth. We want you to make a broadcast, which will be beamed by satellite to the entire Solar System, telling exactly how the government agents took your father.”
    Now Amanda was confused. “But then the kidnappers will know where I am and come get me, too!”
    “Not after your broadcast. The whole world will know where you are, and the whole world will be watching you. You’ll be much safer than you are now. Safe with us.”
    “But … but I don’t know who kidnapped my father. I don’t know if they were government agents. My father does good physics work for the government. He decoded the Protector Artifact that keeps the Fallers from destroying the whole Solar System!”
    “Great. That artifact makes it possible to destroy spacetime itstead,” the woman said bitterly. Captain Lewis scowled at her.
    “Your father was being used by General Stefanak,” Captain Lewis said, “to help him carry on this terrible war. Dr. Capelo is a brilliant and good man, Amanda. Nobody doubts that. But he’s a scientist, and science is not the same as politics.”
    Amanda nodded. That, at least, made sense: Her father always said “Science is above politics and outlasts it.” But she didn’t say that. It would be rude, since Captain Lewis was obviously more interested in politics than science. You didn’t go around insulting other people’s interests, unless you were Daddy.
    Captain Lewis continued, “General Stefanak kidnapped your father in order to blame it on Life Now. You’ve heard him do it on the news holo. Life Now is full of people who want to end the war, who only want peace. Don’t you want peace, Amanda? Don’t you want the war to end?”
    “Yes.” Of course she did. Everybody did.
    “The war killed your mother, didn’t it?”
    She could only nod. Father Emil said warningly, “Lewis…”
    “Look at these pictures, Amanda.” Captain Lewis opened an envelope and handed her pictures, one by one. Bodies all burnt up, lying on scorched grass, people screaming in pain … Amanda handed them back, feeling sick.
    “Those are war victims, Amanda. Wouldn’t you do anything you could to end the war so no more people get hurt like this? Wouldn’t you?”
    Again she nodded.
    “Then General Stefanak has to lose his power. People have to see clearly the terrible things he’s doing, like kidnapping your father just to make everyone think the antiwar movement did it. People think your father is a hero, Amanda. You know that.”
    “Yes…”
    “And you want him back. Of course you do. Making the broadcast will help get him back