Transporter (an Ell Donsaii story #16), page 10
Zage shrugged as he returned it. “Only place I’ve ever lived.”
The guy laughed as he kicked the bag to Zage. “Good answer. She ever do any of her amazing feats around you?”
“Didn’t your mom seem amazing to you?”
The kid laughed again as he sent the bag to Zage. “You’re really good at hacky sack.”
Zage kicked it back, “Is that what this is called?”
The teenager’s eyes widened, “You’re this good and you don’t even know what it’s called?!”
Realizing he shouldn’t have been kicking the bag back and forth without knowing how well most people could do it, Zage made a wild kick, sending it high and to the right of the kid. “Oops, sorry. I think so far I’ve been lucky.”
The teenager leaped up and caught the errant hacky sack in a hand. Landing, he stared at Zage. “That didn’t look like luck to me.” Dropping the sack, he kicked it to Zage.
Zage kicked at it but missed. “Oops, I guess it was.”
The kid said, “Come on…”
He trailed off when Ell’s voice came from behind Zage, “Hey kid, time for us to go. Say goodbye to your friend.”
Zage said, “Goodbye,” and turned to go.
The kid said goodbye in return, but Zage couldn’t miss the suspicious look in his eyes.
As they walked out of the house, Ell glanced down at him and said, “Looked like you played hacky sack with that kid without watching any video first?”
Zage sighed, “Yeah, sorry. I’m guessing it’s a known game? I just thought they were kicking around something they’d found.”
Ell gave a little laugh. “You probably should do anything athletic poorly until you figure out how well other people can do it.”
“That’s what I did!” Zage said indignantly. “I watched those boys kicking the ball for quite a while before one of them accidentally kicked it to me and I kicked it back.”
“Ah, but I’ll bet they were all teenagers, and teenagers are usually a lot more coordinated than six-year-olds. And they’d been playing hacky sack for a while, so they should’ve been better even if you were the same age.”
“Yeah,” Zage said disgustedly, mad at himself. “Sorry.”
As they approached the little bus with the transporter in it, Zage said, “The security team drove this bus down here ahead of time?”
Distractedly, his mother said, “Uh-huh.”
“Seems kinda rude that they have to drive it around, so we can take the transporter back and forth.”
Ell nodded. “But it makes their job easier if they don’t all have to drive down here with us. Most of them got to transport down here too. They think not driving’s a big plus.”
“Oh…” Zage said thoughtfully as they climbed onto the bus. They didn’t immediately go through the transporter. Instead, they sat in the seats and the bus pulled out of its parking spot and started down the road. Zage quietly asked, “Are the transporters something you’re going to keep just for us, or are you going to release them to the world?”
“To the world. But first, we’ve got to work out some kinks and then talk to the incoming president about how to soften the blow to existing industries.”
He tilted his head curiously. “Blow to existing industries?”
Ell gave him an eye-opening description of the effects of disruptive technologies on current industries.
“If all those vaccines of yours work out you’re going to cause some trouble for some of the industries that produce vaccines, though the drawn-out approval process will probably soften the blow enough that you won’t need to negotiate with governments about their release.” She shrugged, “Besides, it’d be unethical to delay the release of a lifesaving medicine just to make it easier on the existing manufacturers.”
“Oh…” Zage said thoughtfully, studying her. “Why are you wearing such a balloony dress?”
“You don’t think it’s stylish?” his mother asked with a grin.
“I don’t know anything about style other than that Aunt Lane told me stylish women’s clothes are usually painful.”
Ell laughed. “I’m trying to hide my pregnancy so no one’ll know about the twins.”
Zage frowned, “You’re quite a bit bigger. You really think no one noticed?”
“I’m hoping they just think I’ve been putting on weight.”
“No one asked you?”
Ell gave him an alarmed look. “People do not ask ladies if they’re pregnant. If they have just gained weight, they can be highly insulted.”
Zage noticed the little bus was pulling to a stop. His mother got up, so he did too. He turned toward the transporter, but she said, “No, we’re getting out.”
“Really?” Zage asked looking around. “Where are we?”
“Your grandmother’s house.”
“In Morehead City?”
Ell nodded.
“But it’s late. Won’t she be in bed?”
“No, she’s waiting up for us.”
“Why?”
“Because we’re going to sleep at her house. In the morning we’ll have Christmas with her, Duncan, and Gram.”
Zage realized he’d never been to his grandmother’s house. “I thought her house was small?”
“It is. But it has three bedrooms. Gram’s living in one and we’ll be in the third. You’ll sleep on the couch.”
Zage frowned, “Why aren’t we just porting home and coming back in the morning? It’d save on washing sheets.”
His mother and father looked at each other for a moment, then laughed. Ell said, “It’s going to take a while to adjust, isn’t it?”
Shan snorted, “It’s embarrassing having the munchkin point stuff like this out to us. I think he should be more thoughtful of his elders’ feelings.”
Ell turned to the door, “Let me just run in and tell Mom what we’re doing, then we can port home…”
***
Marie was already awake when her mother knocked on the door to wake her and Rosa. Excitedly, she ran to the bathroom in their new apartment. It had a toilet and a shower—so much nicer than their old shack with its frighteningly foul outhouse and the washtub they had to fill with water carried in by hand. She quickly used the toilet and was in the shower by the time Rosa came in.
Marie and Rosa were in their new clothes, eating their mashed plantains—a traditional Dominican breakfast that Marie loved but had rarely eaten—by the time their mother had shepherded Pedro through the bathroom.
All four of the Pierre family arrived at Señora Gonzalez’s school early that morning, January 6th, the first day of the new adult classes. Pedro was joining a class of first-graders while the other three were starting in the new classes for those who’d never attended school. To Marie’s surprise, her mother had said she was glad there was a separate class for adults because she’d feared she couldn’t keep up with how fast children learned. Marie and Rosa would be in the same class for younger people, which Marie thought was going to be strange.
Marie worried that she wouldn’t be able to keep up with her older sister. She hadn’t said anything yet, but her AI had found her reading and arithmetic games online and she’d already started learning through her HUD. She planned to tell Rosa about the games if it turned out that Rosa was the one who couldn’t keep up with her.
Marie knew her life was still going to be difficult. The rich kids attending the school had already been giving Marie and the other poor children some ugly looks.
And, her mother worried about whether she could get a job even if she did learn reading and basic numbers.
But Marie felt certain their lives were going to be much better. Maybe not as good as they were while they had the apartment and stipend Señora Gardon had arranged, but better than they’d been under Sanchez. How Gardon had found the people to pay for all this was a mystery no one had solved.
Once she met her new teacher, Señora Garcia, Marie decided school was going to be wonderful.
***
For a moment Sophie studied their newest student, Gage Reyes-Gardon. His mother had talked big about how he loved animals when she’d signed him up for the Nature Learning school, but Sophie always suspected parents were just looking for a place to park their kids after school.
She looked around at the rest of the cluster of kids under the pavilion with her. All but Gage and Roxy Landis had been in her class last fall, so they knew each other. Sophie clapped her hands to get the kids’ attention and made a few announcements ending with an introduction of Gage and Roxy. “Can you two tell us a little about yourselves?”
The talkative Roxy immediately launched into a description of how she and her mother had just moved to the area from Chicago. She finished with, “My mom likes hiking so she’s sure I’ll think going to an outdoor afterschool is a lot of fun. I’m not convinced, but I’ll probably like it.” She glanced at Olivia, who’d been complaining about the weather. “And if you think it’s cold today, you’ve never lived in Chicago!”
Sophie took advantage of that to remind the kids that it was going to be cold for the next few months and that they shouldn’t forget to wear warm coats because Nature Learning was always held outside, no matter the weather.
Gage stood next. Sophie had thought he was shy but he spoke confidently, “I was born in Virginia but I’ve lived in…” he stumbled, “P-Pittsboro ever since. I like biology so I hope I’ll like Nature Learning too.”
Biology? Sophie wondered. What kind of six-year-old says he likes “biology?” Then she smiled at Roxy and said, “Well, we hike on Mondays, so today we’ll get to see whether you like hiking as much as your mother does.”
As they started on their hike Roxy asked, “Will we see any Venus flytraps? My mom says they’re native to North Carolina.”
Caught by surprise, Sophie said, “I didn’t know that. I’m pretty sure they don’t grow around here or they’d be on the list of species we keep an eye out for. Let me ask my AI.”
Gage said, “All the wild Venus flytraps live within sixty miles of Wilmington.”
This caught Sophie by surprise. “Surely not all the flytraps live in that one small area. I’m pretty sure most of them grow in the tropics, don’t they?”
“They’re only native to that area, though people have planted them a few other places. They grow in wetlands where the ground’s deficient in nitrogen and phosphorus. They catch the insects to get those nutr—”
Sophie’d turned to stare at Gage and he broke off in the middle of “nutrients,’ looking embarrassed. Ashamed of herself for damping his enthusiasm, she said, “I guess you do like biology, don’t you?”
“What’s biology?” Olivia asked.
Sophie looked at Gage for a moment, hoping he’d answer Olivia, but he didn’t. Sophie said, “It’s the study of plants and animals. Like we do here at Nature Learning.”
Gage didn’t volunteer any answers after that.
But, about twenty minutes into their hike, he asked, “Why’s that man following us?”
Sophie’s blood ran cold as she turned to look.
It was Mitch.
Forcing a cheerful tone in her voice, she said, “He’s, um, my new boyfriend. He likes to follow me around and see what I’m doing.” I’ve got to confront him, she thought, so she told the kids, “But he really shouldn’t be out here. I’m just going to go let him know that.”
When she started walking back along the trail Mitch faded behind a tree, but when she got close, he stepped out and smiled. “Hi, Sophie.”
“Mitch! You can’t be out here!”
Looking puppy-dog, he said, “It’s only ’cause I like watching you.”
“You can’t! The kids have noticed you. If they say anything to Ms. Grant about a man following us around, I could lose my job!”
His eyes narrowed, “Don’t be such a bitch Sophie. It’s just because I love you.”
“Mitch, we’ve been on two dates. You don’t know me well enough to love me!”
He gave her a look that sent frost down her spine, then turned and stalked away.
She’d stopped shaking by the time she got back to the kids, but she still thought some of them could tell she was anxious.
Especially that Gage kid.
***
Washington D.C. — Julio Romero was sworn in as President of the United States today. Although many expected there to be fireworks between the conservative Romero and fiery outgoing President Stockton, she was unusually gracious. As so often happens, Stockton has aged significantly while in the office. Some think she’s just glad to put this phase of her life behind her. Though Romero’s campaign bitterly criticized Stockton’s policies while painting Governor Grassley as, “more of the same,” he took pains to thank Stockton for her efforts on behalf of the country. Romero went on to say he was looking forward to taking on some of the deep-seated economic problems that had developed during years of wasteful spending and…
New York— The Wall Street Journal reported today that the hyper-reclusive Gordito posted amino acid sequences for purported vaccines against many major infectious diseases. These include multiple species of influenza, herpes, adenovirus, coronavirus, HIV, dengue, rabies, eastern equine encephalitis, Ebola, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, sleeping sickness, tuberculosis, leprosy, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, valley fever, and plague. Gordito claims they will work on influenza and adenovirus despite the way those viruses constantly mutate. Though many in the medical establishment have proclaimed it absurd to think that more than one or two of the sequences will produce successful vaccines, others point out that Gordito has had an astonishingly high success rate in the past.
Unusually, this time Gordito notes that the vaccines are “patent applied for,” and that manufacturers must negotiate rights for their production. Gordito has also posted an unusual licensing scheme aimed at keeping the end user’s costs low. This will be achieved by requiring that the price to the end-user be no more than one dollar. Companies can bid, winning the business, not on how much they’re going to pay Gordito, but on how cheap they’re making each vaccination for the end user. The website claims that 100% of Gordito’s vaccine profits will be turned over to KEC, a new charitable organization. KEC’s stated goal is to outfit everyone in the world, no matter how poor, with AIs, thus enhancing their Knowledge, Education, and Communication.
Vaccine manufacturers are claiming that no one can make vaccines for the prices Gordito is…
***
John Simon cleared his throat. “There’s one other suggestion I’d like to make before I leave.”
Ariel Vardaman, Simon’s successor to the office of Presidential Science Advisor, glanced up, looking harried. She sighed, as if she were tired of getting advice. “What’s that?”
“This advice came down to me from the advisers before me. They said to check in with Ell Donsaii early and often. Ask her to let you know about any disruptive technology D5R might be about to release.”
“Why would I need to know about that ahead of time?”
“Because the economic impacts of such tech may need to be addressed politically. Like PGR chips upended telecommunications and ports had major effects on pipeline and power transmission companies. Believe me, your boss is going to want as much warning as he can get about things like that.”
Vardaman didn’t look like she believed this was a real concern. “I’ll talk to her when things settle down, sure. But I think she’s had an unbelievable run of luck and it’s got to be running out of steam. I doubt she’s going to come up with any more game-changers.”
Simon said, “Sounds like you don’t want me jogging your elbow. Nonetheless, I’d like to give you one more piece of advice. If she does come out with something disruptive, ask her how to lessen the blow.”
Vardaman didn’t look away from the screen she was focused on.
John let himself out.
***
With all the goings-on in the news about Ell joining the Kinrais family, Malcolm and Fay had decided to forgo sponsoring the usual Kinrais winter ski vacation. They thought the whole family would’ve been plagued by reporters and paparazzi if they got together on US soil.
Instead, this February they decided to sponsor a Costa Rican winter vacation. They’d rented a large home on the beach with the thought that they could all learn to surf.
To no one’s surprise, despite the extra thickness of her pregnancy, Ell was amazing on a board. She had trouble laying on the board to paddle out to sea, but solved that by sliding off the back end and pushing it like a kickboard.
Zage made surfing look easy the few times they could convince him to go. He thought surfing was interesting at first, but once he’d mastered it, he’d decided any more riding the waves was boring. He much preferred going on wildlife tours or snorkeling where he could check out the fish.
One evening AJ found himself sitting next to Ell on the patio. She said, “What with all the time I’ve been on vacation, I haven’t seen you much at work. What have you been getting up to?”
“Is this an AJ your brilliant engineer employee question, or an AJ the brother-in-law question?”
She shrugged, “Either, or both. Though I don’t think you’re my brother-in-law. The in-law relationship only jumps across my marriage to Shan, not on through your marriage to his sister Morgan.”
“Ah, good to know. I’m not very good at that kind of stuff. As far as the brother-in-law question goes I spend most of my free time frantically trying to keep Morgan happy.”
“As you should,” Ell intoned sonorously.
“As an employee,” AJ grinned, “you’ll want to be aware that we’ve got a twenty-meter port working.”
“Working continuously? Or working for a couple of minutes then blowing up? That’s what I heard they were doing.”
AJ waved dismissively, “Shucks, ma’am, you can just chalk those up to ordinary testing in the process of engineering optimization.”
Ell snorted, “And here when we were out in Colorado that first time I thought your ski bum buddy was the smooth talker.”
