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She’s a very special human, a
Bio-engineered Intelligence. She was modified when she was a baby.
They put those processors in her head and gave her artificial eyes.
That’s why they’re silver.”
    “But… why?”
    “So that she can run computers with her mind.
I don’t know how; just that she can enter your machines through the
sensors or any other data connection. That’s part of the reason why
she learnt your language so fast. Remember you said she knew words
you hadn’t remembered teaching her?” A sharp nod. “She went through
the sensors and learnt extra on her own.”
    “Yes. But I still don’t understand. If she
can do that, why can’t you?”
    “I don’t have those processors. Mine just
hold things like bank information, ID, medical history.”
    She frowned.
    “Look, not many people are suited to the
modification Selwood had. And what people like her do in our
society, is build all our technology. They’re the only ones who can
make changes. Even things like the processor in my head.” He
touched the lump behind his ear.
    Sayvu looked at him and then at the floor.
“That’s… amazing. And no-one here knows this?”
    “No. Only you.”
     
    ****
     
    Jones poured himself a mug of charb , the local
bitter brew. The spicy smell drifted through the room; Selwood
wrinkled her nose but he’d become a bit more accustomed to the
stuff. It was better than always drinking water. The guards stood
in their usual places against the wall and Sayvu had organized to
be a few minutes late. It had taken him three days to convince her,
now all he had to do was convince Selwood. He’d better hurry
up.
    He sat down next to her at the table, their
backs to the guards. “How’s it going, Selwood? Have you found out
where we are and how to get home?”
    She shook her head. “The star charts give me
no clues. A barred spiral galaxy is a barred spiral galaxy. I can’t
establish a point of reference and without that…” She shrugged.
“I’m running out of ideas. I really don’t know where home is, so
it’s pointless escaping. But I’m getting very sick of being kept in
a cell and treated like a criminal. I’m thinking of fessing up and
seeing what happens.”
    His heart jolted. “What? Tell them what you
can do?”
    She shrugged again. “It might get me out of a
cell.”
    Yes, it might. And he would lose his big
opportunity with Sayvu’s people. “It might buy you even bigger
trouble. A cell without sensors, a visit to the university
professors. They’ll do experiments on you.”
    Her lip twisted. “Erk.”
    He put the mug down, twirled it between his
fingers, careful to look casual. “Maybe there’s an
alternative.”
    She skewered him with those mercury eyes.
“What?”
    “I’ve been getting to know Sayvu over the
last few evenings. Extra lessons.”
    A snort. “Oh, yes.”
    “ She belongs to a group called Bunyada. Rich merchant types who don’t
get on with the military. They’re freedom fighters, working to
throw off the Mirka rule. She can get us a ship if you can fly it.
We can go and join her father. He’s a very wealthy man.”
    Selwood turned those disconcerting eyes on
him. “You believe her?”
    “Yes.”
    “ I don’t know.” She pulled a face. “It
sounds a bit… I’ve seen news items about terrorists called Bunyada , not
freedom fighters.”
    “ One man’s terrorist is another man’s
freedom fighter. She’s shown me news footage and explained how it
was distorted to blame Bunyada . Look, if you get out of here, you’ll be able to make your
own choices. With skills like yours, you’ll get on wherever you
are. Indra’s promised wealth and comfort. And daddy’s got the
wherewithal to make it happen. Then you’ll have time to work out
where home is.”
    “When?” she asked, rubbing her brow with her
fingers.
    “All you have to do is say yes and they’ll
finalize a plan. In two days’ time we get out of isolation. Then we
go into detention and she’s heard