The Great Race Read online

  Leif found himself elected spokesman, and he decided this call was better conducted in full holo format, with the others standing behind him. As soon as the captain saw them, he began shooting off questions in a full military bark.

  ‘We’ve gotten some very contradictory reports through the media,’ he said. ‘I want the real facts.’

  As Leif explained, backed by technical details from Matt and David, Winter’s stony expression grew even more grim. ‘An unknown number of civilians injured by means of hologram. I suppose we should be thankful that it didn’t happen during a general broadcast.’

  Leif didn’t see anything to be added to that sentiment.

  The captain slammed his hands down on his desk. ‘This has gotten well beyond youthful hijinks! I’m recommending that we take off the gloves with Pinnacle Productions. Up to this point, their legal department has been giving us the runaround. Personal privacy, proprietary systems - the only thing they haven’t invoked is the separation of church and state. But their lawyers can’t shrug this off. Somebody got around the safety protocols both for the Net and for holo-net broadcast. That’s not the work of some kid in his garage - or goat shed.’

  Winters had the look of a man who thought he’d picked up a rope and discovered instead that it was a tiger’s tail. ‘We’re talking elaborate, layered protections. Sometimes a bright programmer can get around them to the extent of giving someone a mild shock.’

  Leif thought about David and his punitive crash program.

  ‘But circumventing the safeties to this extent requires the resources of a major corporation … or government.’ Winters glared out at his young men. ‘Rest assured, we will find out who did it.’

  He cut the connection, and with his words still ringing in their ears, the boys staggered off to bed.

  They slept like dead men, awakening the next morning with barely enough time to get down to the restaurant before breakfast was over. The dining room was very sparsely occupied. Most of the contestants who’d normally be eating at this time were getting breakfast in the hospital.

  Of course, one team sat at a central table, looking like a sullen family group - the extremely unpopular bunch from the Carpathian Alliance. Both Zoltan and Mr Cetnik glowered at the Net Force Explorers as they came in, glares of hatred as intense as laser blasts. Leif was glad they weren’t in veeyar. He and his friends would be on the floor with holes burnt through them.

  He also noticed that Ludmila looked as if she hadn’t slept a wink all night.

  The Net Force Explorers got their food and took it to a table as far as possible from the C.A. team.

  ‘All right,’ Andy said. ‘I’ve kept my mouth shut since we got up. But I’ve got to ask. What were they thinking to pull the nonsense they did last night?’

  ‘I think they saw a chance to seize an unbeatable lead … and they took it.’ David took a sip of weak tea, tore a bit of crust off the dry toast he’d taken, and began chewing.

  Of the four of them, only Andy, the human garbage can, had loaded up a full platter. Just the smell of all that food made Leif faintly queasy.

  ‘If that’s what they hoped for, we must be breaking their hearts,’ Matt said, his eyes on his cereal bowl. ‘We’re still on their tail.’

  Leif nodded. No wonder we got those looks when we came in^ he thought. They went way beyond the lines of gamesmanship this time. Pranks, even sabotage, were one thing. But the latest exploit of Cetnik & Co. had put people in the hospital. It had drawn the attention of the media. And most galling from the Alliance’s point of view, it hadn’t gotten them what they wanted.

  ‘I can see what they were aiming for,’ Andy said around a mouthful of scrambled eggs. ‘But was it worth it? I mean one of the people on the stretchers was Milos Wallenstein. We always figured he was their friend at the studio.’

  ‘That’s right,’ Matt chimed in. ‘Look at the way he placated Cetnik for the press conference, and covered for the C.A. team’s spying and sabotage.’

  ‘Not to mention hiding the fact that their ship is armed,’ Leif added dryly. ‘We thought the big guy’s politics were influencing his better judgment on the first few incidents. And we thought that maybe he’d been caught off guard when the Thuriens used their guns. Maybe he got a worse surprise last night. I can’t believe that anybody would risk exposing themselves to that killer light show if they’d been warned in advance.’

  ‘Could have been a technical slipup,’ David suggested.

  ‘They might have thought the strobe effect would only nail people in veeyar, that it wouldn’t be a problem in holo-form.’

  Matt looked deeply suspicious. ‘Or he could have suffered through it to look innocent.’

  ‘So depending on which case you believe, Wallenstein would have to be a true fanatic, or a tool who could be dispensed with once he’d been use,’ Leif said. ‘One thing’s for sure, though. His job is at risk after last night.’

  The other three boys stared at him. ‘Think about it.’ Leif spread out his hands. ‘He exposed the studio to a slew of lawsuits - and for what? A special-effects holo that can never be shown without literally giving the audience fits.’

  They finished their breakfast under another set of unfriendly gazes - the restaurant staff was eager to get the room set up for lunch. When the Net Force Explorers returned to their room, the housekeeper was just leaving.

  ‘Excuse me, sir,’ she said as she moved her cleaning cart through the door. ‘I think there’s a message on your console.’

  Leif stepped inside. Sure enough, the display on the room’s holo-suite was glowing on and off. He immediately ordered the computer to kill it - they had all had enough of blinking lights just now - and asked for the message to be displayed.

  ‘Hey, guys,’ he called. ‘There’s a message from Pinnacle Studios. We got some good news - and some interesting news.’

  The others joined him to read the brief note. ‘I’m glad that everybody should be out of the hospital by this afternoon,’ David said.

  Andy pointed at the final paragraph. ‘But what do you think they’re going to say at the press conference they’ve scheduled?’

  ‘We’ll find out when we get there,’ Leif said. ‘The bus is supposed to pick us up at one.’

  The ride out to Pinnacle Studios took place in almost total silence. Most of the contestants, newly released from observation in the hospital, were not in a talkative mood. And all of them were angry to be riding with the team who’d put them in the hospital in the first place. There was a cordon of empty seats around the team from the Carpathian Alliance. It could almost serve as a dictionary definition of the term ‘pariah state.’

  Even Andy couldn’t find something to kid about in the oppressive atmosphere.

  The C.A. kids bailed out of the bus quickly, followed by the other teams. They were herded into the same oversized screening room where Wallenstein had heralded the beginning of the race just a few days ago.

  It was a different Milos Wallenstein who greeted the kids today. He looked sick - and somehow deflated, Leif thought, as if the events of last night had somehow shrunk him.

  If anything, the press turnout was even larger than for the race kickoff.

  Of course^ Leif thought. Now they’ve got some kind of scandal to cover. Not that he expected in-depth coverage on the broadcast news. How many holo-nets were going to tell their audiences that watching holograms could be bad for their health if somebody messed with their computer?

  Wallenstein’s usually booming voice had to be amplified to fill the room this time. ‘Ladies and gentiemen of the press, contestants, and fans. While recording a sequence for our Great Race episode last night, we - myself included - suffered a considerable mishap. Since the racing sequences are completely unscripted, anything could occur. What happened might be considered beyond the bounds of competition - the lead team used a pulsating stroboscopic effect to distract the other racers during a difficult maneuver.

  ‘Unfortimately, this distracti
on proved all too effective, creating seizure-like symptoms both for the competitors in VR - and for the crew and staff watching the sequence in holoform. However, my technical director, Hal Fosdyke, assures me that with careful editing, the sequence can be used in complete safety for the audience - and with considerable dramatic effects.’

  Right, Leif thought, after Fosdyke and his people completely reanimate it.

  An angry buzz began among the contestants. They’d expected to hear that the lethal recording would have to be scrapped, which would mean an effective do-over of the transfer between hyperspace currents.

  Wallenstein underscored his meaning with his next words. ‘The results of last night’s race sequence will stand.’

  The usually pink-faced Danish captain looked more gray today - except for the sudden, hectic flush on his cheeks. ‘You mean those tyven - those thieves - will be rewarded for what they did?’ he burst out.

  The producer was obviously ready for such a question.

  ‘It’s not a case of sportsmanship,’ Wallenstein said carefully, ‘but rather of authenticity. The actions of the Thurien team were totally in character for members of that race as they have been portrayed in the series for years.’

  In other words, Leif silently translated, we should have expected lethal tricks from them,

  ‘One of the hallmarks of the Ultimate Frontier series from its inception has been our willingness to go beyond the expected in our treatment of alien races. We want to show the diversity humanity can encounter in the universe - different races, different cultures … different ethics.

  ‘We do not condone the actions of an extremely competitive team. But we recognize that their response was a valid manifestation of the diversity of the Ultimate Frontier universe - a diversity which all participants were aware of when they agreed to participate in the race. For those who have lost their chances for further competition, we offer our grateful thanks for a splendid effort. For those still in the race - good luck!’

  With those words, the producer abruptly left the podium, staggering slightly as he left the room, ignoring the hectoring questions of the media people and the furious comments from the disqualified contestants.

  Leif looked after the man almost in sympathy. Looking past all the philosophy he’d spouted, Wallenstein had been forced somehow to let the race play out as it had.

  His show is a creature of publicity, Leif thought. And now he’s stuck with the publicity the C.A, stunt created.

  As the Net Force Explorers exited the screening room, Leif dug his hand into his pocket. Out it came with the keys to their rental car. ‘I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t think I could stand much more of that bus.’

  David nodded. ‘Especially with the mood people will be in now.’

  Telling the publicity person responsible for the bus that they’d be taking their own transportation, they headed off for the parking lot. Leif drove out of the gate, but turned in the opposite direction from the one that would take them back to the hotel.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Matt asked.

  ‘I thought maybe we could do with some lunch - and I happen to know that there’s a drive-in out this way that still serves real hamburgers.’

  The place was a drive-in, but it wasn’t cheap. Leif used his credit card to get some real food into his teammates. Call it therapy, he thought.

  Happily full, they headed back along the boulevards to their hotel. As the boys got out, Leif happened to notice the fuel gauge. ‘Go on up,’ he said. ‘I’ll go and feed the car, too.’

  There was a gas station a few blocks from the hotel. About halfway there, Leif pulled up for a red light - and noticed a familiar figure on the comer. He hit the ‘down’ button for the passenger-side window. ‘Hey, cutie,’ he called. ‘Need a ride?’

  Ludmila Plavusa glanced over in surprise, gave him a happy smile, then looked uneasy. ‘I had to get away for a while,’ she said. ‘I couldn’t stand staying around in there with all those people hating us.’

  ‘You won’t get very far on foot,’ Leif said.

  ‘Mr Cetnik - he uses our car,’ Ludmila said stiffly.

  ‘Well, I’m going to the gas station. Want to come along?’

  She looked at him almost shyly. ‘You wouldn’t… mind?’

  Leif shook his head. ‘Come on,’ he said.

  He unlocked the door and she got in, strapping on the seat belt. Ludmila’s blond hair stirred in the slight breeze that came through the window as the car started up.

  Well, you wanted to talk with her again, a little voice pointed out from the back of Leif’s mind. Now’s your chance.

  He stopped at the gas station and filled the tank. While the fuel glugged away, Leif got out his wallet-phone and punched in the number for the Net Force Explorers’ suite at the hotel. ‘Something’s come up,’ he said quietly as David answered the call. ‘I’m going to be out for a little while.’

  ‘We were going to go over other countermeasures to protect ourselves in the final sequence,’ David reminded him.

  ‘They’re not going to record that tonight, are they?’ Leif asked.

  ‘No,’ David said. ‘There was a message waiting for us when we got back. And I checked in with Jane Givens, just in case it turned out to be a phony. They’re giving us a day off before trying to wrap it all up.’

  ‘You’re developing a terrible suspicious streak, double-checking messages like that,’ Leif teased.

  ‘Must be the people I’m hanging around with,’ David retorted.

  ‘Well, you. Matt, and Andy are better at virtual engineering than I am.’

  ‘Yeah,’ David said dryly. ‘We’ll carry you - this time.’

  They disconnected, and Leif slipped away his wallet just as the gas pump finished. He got back in the car.

  ‘What do you say to a real drive?’ he asked Ludmila.

  ‘Where?’ she asked warily.

  ‘You’d never believe it, but there are still places in the hills where the concrete jungle almost disappears.’

  They stopped off to buy what Leif called ‘necessary supplies,’ like sunscreen, bug goop, and a pair of baseball caps to keep off the sun. ‘And so we’ll look like tourists,’ Leif explained. Sunglasses for Ludmila. Some upscale delicatessen for a picnic lunch. Leif could have done without it, but Ludmila confessed that she was starved.

  Then they drove up into the hills, to a park surrounding a reservoir. Above them loomed the world-famous Hollywood sign. ‘That’s Mount Lee,’ Leif said, pointing to the hill crest that backed the giant letters. ‘A California friend brought me up here during my first visit. He liked to imagine what the land had been like a hundred fifty years ago, when L.A. was still a small town.’

  They walked along a jogging trail, then sat under a tree. Leif drank a soda while Ludmila devoured their supplies.

  ‘The mountains back home aren’t like this,’ she told him. ‘The stone is gray. There’s less sunshine.’ She gave him a smile. ‘And there are very few palm trees.’

  They talked about nothing for a while, just personal observations about California and traveling. Then Leif decided to take the plunge. ‘The last time I talked with you, I got the feeling you wanted to tell me something -but then you disappeared under the tablecloth. Were you trying to warn me about the killer strobe light?’

  Ludmila looked down at her feet. ‘I knew they had something,’ she said, almost too low to be heard. ‘Mr Cetnik was on the phone, and I caught part of what he was saying - boasting about something being one-hundred-percent lethal.’

  Leif felt cold even in the brilliant sunshine working its way between the leaves. That didn’t sound like the strobe effect, which had incapacitated, not killed.

  ‘I’m so ashamed,’ Ludmila said miserably. ‘It was bad enough to use our laser in simulation. But to actually hurt people!’ She shook her head, as if to make the memories go away. ‘This is not why I worked and studied to use computers.’

  She shivered, and it seemed the
most natural thing in the world for Leif to put his arm around her shoulders. Ludmila snuggled against him, and they sat in silence for a while.

  ‘Ludmila—’ he finally said.

  She didn’t answer. She had fallen asleep.

  When Ludmila awakened, the shadows were considerably longer. ‘Oh, no,’ she said, abashed. ‘They’ll be wondering where I went.’

  ‘Tell them you got turned around on the streets and got lost,’ Leif advised. ‘Most of the people on the sidewalks of Beverly Hills are tourists. They wouldn’t be able to direct you.’

  They returned to the car. In moments, they were back in city traffic. As they approached the hotel, an almost identical car to the one Leif was driving pulled out of the garage.

  Ludmila immediately slunk down in her seat. ‘Mr Cetnik!’

  Leif glanced over at her with a smile, impressed by her chaperon radar.

  Then his smile faded. ‘I bet he won’t recognize you wearing that cap and sunglasses,’ he said. ‘Let’s find out where he’s going.’

  Cetnik was not one to enjoy city streets. He got on the nearest freeway, followed that concrete ribbon to another, and headed west. ‘It can’t be too far,’ Leif muttered. ‘The Pacific Ocean will get in his way.’

  The Alliance agent got on the coast highway and continued to his destination - Malibu. He exited from the freeway and headed for the beachfront neighborhood.

  Ludmila stared around at the small but obviously expensive houses. ‘Who would he know out here?’ she wondered.

  How about a rich anarcho-libertarian supporter? Leif thought^ but kept that to himself.

  Cetnik’s rental car pulled up at a set of gates which automatically opened for him. The driveway climbed to a house clinging to a hillside. The place was made of teak, glass … and money.

  Leif stopped on the street below, well away from the gate and its security camera. No name, but there was a small, tasteful address number.

  Digging out his wallet again, Leif set the circuitry for phone mode again. He punched a code sequence he’d seen Net Force agents use. It connected to a voice-activated database that, strictly speaking, he shouldn’t have been able to use. But hey, he was trying to find out who a foreign agent was visiting. Wasn’t that appropriate?