Strider's Galaxy Read Online Free PDF

could, and then head straight back home.
    It had been projected that the building of the Santa Maria would take thirty years but, as time went by and no further probes reported, some urgency was put into the construction. Unlike most major engineering projects, it was coming in ahead of schedule.
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    The semicircular desk had been replaced by a much smaller one, seemingly made of wood. Pinocchio ushered Strider into the room, and left. Today only Dulac and Macphee were there, and they were smiling.
    She could have done with a few smiles during her interrogation yesterday. In fact, she could have done with any palette of human emotions from her interviewers, whatever those emotions might have been: even outright antagonism would have been better than what she had endured.
    The three of them exchanged greetings, and sat. The chairs were placed at precisely one-hundred-and-twenty-degree intervals, Strider observed, and despite herself she began to feel excitement kick in. The arrangement was for a meeting of equals.
    "A few final questions, Strider," said Dulac.
    "I'm ready."
    "Why is it that you lack neural implants, stim sockets, cortical amplification, secondary retinal screens, augmented musculature and a direct commline?" Dulac was still smiling, but she could tell by the way he was leaning across the desk towards her that her he wanted an answer: this wasn't just friendly chitchat.
    She decided to be honest.
    "Because I've never felt the need of any of them," she said. "Most of them are just toys. I don't need augmented musculature, because I augment my own by working out in the gym. I refuse to have stim sockets or secondary retinal screens because they get in the way of my perceptions: I'm more efficient without them." She put her hands, palms down, flat on the table in front of her. "I've often thought about having a direct commline installed, because it could be useful, but—"
    "Would you object to having a commline installed?" Macphee interposed. Even though this was a much lower-key interview than yesterday's, and even though the friendly smiles were still in place, the two still seemed determined to play the good-cop, bad-cop game.
    "It would depend on the circumstances. I was fitted with a stim socket for a while a few years ago: after a while I got tired of getting high when I didn't really want to, so I had the thing taken out again. Occasionally I use a commlink to hook myself into the system temporarily. Ideally, I'd rather do without a permanent commline. On the other hand, if it meant I could perform my job better . . ."
    "What degree of technological enhancement does your body in fact possess, Strider?" said Dulac.
    "Nothing except nanobots—but you must know that from my records."
    "How much holo do you watch?" said Macphee.
    "Not much. Most of it's garbage."
    "So you wouldn't describe yourself as addicted to it?" said Dulac.
    Strider laughed. "Of course not."
    "Yet you watched some in your hotel room last night."
    "So you were observing me. I tuned in to a bit of holo, yes, because I was too tired to start a new bookette and I wanted something to relax with." She drew a finger across the bridge of her nose. "You're putting me on the defensive, and that pisses me off."
    Dulac cleared his throat. "Thanks for the frankness, Strider. We wouldn't be doing it unless we had reason."
    "We're not fooling around here," added Macphee. "These questions are more important than they might seem. Would you get up and go over to the window?"
    "It's a pretty scene," said Strider, pushing back her chair.
    "We've changed it today," said Dulac. "Please, go and look at it and tell us what you think."
    She stared at him for a moment, then obeyed.
    The tranquil groves and the ambling philosophers were gone. Instead there was a scene of such extravagant bleakness that Strider sucked in her breath. There was a prairie of long grey grass that seemed to stretch out towards infinity. Vicious sleet was coming down at an angle, and a