Cloned. Raised, as he would put it, "like a common vegetable." Out of the axolotl tanks and into an Earthside womb.
Why?
There it was even as she asked. "To conceal the fact that it could be done, the birth was made to appear natural."
It was a feat of politics worthy of Shi.... or Oakes. Did he know? How could he know? She stopped the printout and asked who else had called up this data.
"Ship."
It was an answer she had never before seen. Ship had worked with this data. Fearfully, she asked why Ship had called up the bio on Oakes.
"To store it in a special record for Kerro Panille should he ever desire to write a history."
She pulled her hands away from the keys. Am I talking to Ship?
Panille was one of those who said he talked to Ship. Not one of the fools, then.
A...fool?
She found herself more fearful of this discovery than she had been of the Scream Room. Ship dealt in powers far beyond those of Oakes and Lewis and Murdoch. She glanced around the enlarged cubby - pretentious damned place. Her gaze fell on the mandala. He had taken the movable hangings. The mystical design lay exposed against a bare metal bulkhead of silvery gray. It appeared lifeless to her, robbed of some original breath.
I'm not worthy of talking to Ship.
This had been an acciden.... a dangerous accident. Hesitantly, she started the Oakes bio printing once more. Words again flowed across the screen and the printer rattled with its text.
Legata heaved a deep sigh of relief. Perilous ground. But she had escaped.
This time.
She felt that something strange was happening, some new program awakening in Ship. It was a feeling in her shoulderblades. Something even more awesome might happen and she was right in the middle of it.
Her attention returned to the Oakes bio. That had been a time of great scurrying about Earthside, great secrets. Salvation and survival - whatever the label - the arrival of Ship and the desperation of doomed people.
Desperation breeds extremes if nothing else.
"Legata."
It was Oakes calling her name and she felt her heart skip a beat. But it was the console override. He was calling her from groundside.
"Yes?"
"What are you doing?"
"My job."
She glanced at the com-console telltales to see if he could find out what she was reading. It was still blocked by the Ox gate.
He recognized the sound of the printer, though.
"What are you printing out?"
"Some data you'll find interesting."
"Ahhhh, yes."
She could almost see his mind working on this. Legata had something she would not trust to the open channels between Ship and ground. She would show it to him, though. It must be interesting.
I'll have to find something juicy, she thought. Something about Ferry. That's why I'm here.
"What do you want?" she asked.
"I've been expecting you groundside."
"I'm not feeling well. Didn't you get my signal?"
"Yes, my dear, but we have urgent matters demanding our attention."
"But it's not full dayside yet, Morgan. I couldn't sleep and I still have work here."
"Is everything all right?"
"Just busy," she said.
"This cannot wait. We need you."
"Very well. I'm coming down."
"Wait for me at the Redoubt."
At the Redoubt!
He broke the connection and it was only then that she realized he had spoken of needing her. Was that possible? Alliance or love? She did not think there was much room for love in the convoluted patterns of Morgan Oakes.
Sooner expect Lewis to start raising a pet Runner.
Either way, Oakes wanted her presence. That gave her a wedge into the power she needed. Something still nagged at her, though - the one fear above all others: What if he does love me?
Once, she had thought she wanted him to love her. There was no question that he was the most interesting man she had ever met. Unpredictably terrifying, but interesting. There was much to be said for that.
Will I destroy him?
The printer finished producing the Oakes bio. She folded it, crossed to the mandala looking for a place to conceal the thick wad of Shipscript. The mandala was fixed solidly to the bulkhead. She turned and glanced around the cubby. Where to hide this?
Do I need to hide it?
Yes. Until the right moment.