Synners by Pat Cadigan Read Free Book Online Page A

that is." She found the communications jack and plugged it into the ex-pump, then connected it to both the sunglasses and the chip-player. "If Gator comes back, I won't let her kill you more than you deserve."
    She settled down on the sand and put on the sunglasses. The screen in the left lens lit up, blurring for a moment before it settled on her focal length. There was a tap on her knee, and she looked over the top of the glasses at the kid.
    "Hey, you know you got lice?" he said, pointing at her pants.
    "That's not lice, it's rice," she told him. "Now don't bother me, I'm calling Dial-a-Prayer."
    "You older women sure are religious," he muttered.
    In a few moments she was inside the public net system, flashing through the menus until she reached the listing for the St. Dismas Infirmary for the Incurably Informed. She ignored the public posts and punched for the conference area.
    >You have been misinformed, said the screen. No conference area ex ists on this board. If you wish to pray, please make an offering. If not, please exit. <
    She had to peer under the glasses to watch her fingers work the tiny keyboard on the face of the pump.
    >Are services in progress?< she asked.
    >Prayer services require an offering. <
    She summoned the basic schematic for the adapted insulin pump system and uploaded it. There was a short pause before the screen said, >The doctor will see you now.<
    Sam frowned. The doctor? Christ, was St. Diz siccing a virus on anyone they didn't trust? She started to tap the little keyboard again when a new message appeared on the screen.
    >Wonderful to hear from you, Sam! Go to Fez and learn all. < Abruptly she was disconnected, not just back in the main menu area but off-line.
    She took off the sunglasses and rubbed her eyes. Fez. It figured. She probably should have headed straight for his place to begin with. He knew everything, or almost everything. Maybe he knew what had happened to Keely. Or how Diversifications' acquisition of a video-production company corresponded to the schematic drawing of a neuron from a human brain that Keely had zapped to her encrypted in music he couldn't stand. Maybe Fez would know. Somebody had to.

4
    The house looked quiet enough, but then the whole street was quiet, and Gabe knew that was all wrong.
    On his left Marly nudged him. "It's a lot weirder inside than it is outside," she said in a low voice. "Costa says a guy starved to death in there looking for a way out."
    Gabe shook his head. "You believe everything Costa tells you?"
    "I'd believe this. Since he's been in, and we haven't." She looked past him to Caritha standing on his right. Caritha held up the handcam projector, her half smile confident. Gabe felt a little more dubious. The projector was the best they could do on short notice, but it was awfully small. Like Caritha herself. The late-afternoon sun seemed to strike sparks in the black hair cropped close to her skull. By contrast, Marly's thick, honey-colored mane hung loose and wild.
    As if reading his mind, she suddenly gathered it between her hands and wound it into a knot at the back of her head. Gabe stared, fascinated. He had no idea what was keeping it up there. The force of Marly's will, perhaps. He wouldn't have been surprised. She smiled down at him and threw a muscular arm around his shoulders. "Don't tell me you want to live forever."
    Gabe winced. Marly was three inches taller than he was and possibly heavier, every pound invested in muscle. "Don't crack my collarbone, I might need it later."
    "You want it all, dontcha, hotwire?" Marly gave him an extra squeeze and released him.
    "All I really want now is to get in, get your friend, and get out," Gabe said.
    "I want that viral program," Caritha said seriously. "I don't like clinics that go screwing up people's brains."
    "I don't like clinics, period," said Marly. "Come on. Let's go do a little damage."
    Nobody came to the front door in response to the bell. (Caritha tried the doorknob, and Gabe