Free They Also Serve by Mike Moscoe

her."
    Henrietta nodded slowly. "I will have to discuss this with Chu. Her party can't oppose your helping a poor child. This would be a nice way to get them used to the good that will come from our involvement again with humanity."
    Ray nodded while cringing inside. Would he ever become so much of a politician that helping his child took second place to policy? On second reflection, he realized that his own policy of limited technological transition had just taken a major hit. He was using his tech. But it's to help a little girl. Oh, Rita, if only you were here.
    Was it an accident that Chu Lyn was announced as breakfast ended? Henrietta had the nurse bring Rose down to join her and Ray in a sitting room. Chu, a tall, dark-skinned woman with no visible evidence of her Asian namesake, and San Paulo chatted for half an hour before San Paulo invited Rose into her lap and told Lyn of Ray's offer.
    Rose's bloodshot eyes grew wide; she said nothing, but the look she gave Ray was heartrending. Lyn talked in platitudes for several minutes, of her party's support for rational change and growth, but their long experience of mad, irrational action. Then she shrugged. "Of course, no one could possibly object." Rose and her nurse left to pack. Ray excused himself.
    Fifteen minutes later, a small crowd collected on the steps of the Residency as everyone gathered for their good-byes. While Mary and the nurse loaded suitcases, Rose went through the tortures of a nine-year-old ... excited to ride in something new like the mule, reluctant to leave Mom and the familiar.
    "Would you like to talk to your mommy whenever you want?" Ray asked. The shy child nodded. Ray took off his wrist unit, made a few adjustments so it would only be a commlink, and offered it to San Paulo.
    "When we get back to base, I'll get Rose one. That way, you can talk to each other whenever you want."
    San Paulo and Chu eyed the offered gift. "It doesn't plug into the net? It has no fiber cables?" the mother said.
    "It's wireless," Ray explained.
    "We know of radio technology," Chu answered. "We never redeveloped it. Our power cells are so big. If you could plug into a power line, you might as well plug into a data cable."
    More local data to pass to Kat for analysis. Ray took his leave, strolling to the far side of the mule as Mary bent to help Rose and her nurse into the near side.
    A young man with wild eyes and a long, shiny knife stepped from the crowd and dashed for Ray.
    Mary must have seen the glint of knife. She took two quick steps back. Ray raised a cane in defense, falling against the mule. Part of him analyzed the attack. Piss poor. Idiot's holding the knife overhand. That would not help Ray.
    "Die, you—" the man shouted as Mary kicked out, caught him in the gut, then spun to chop at his knife arm. The knife flew past Ray's ear to land in the mule with a clatter.
    The attacker rolled away, screaming.
    Mary stood to her full height; her sidearm materialized in her hand as her eyes did a quick look around for more attackers. Ray did the same; he saw none. By the time Ray could spare a moment for his assailant, the guy had bolted back into the crowd; shocked bystanders made way for him. Mary started to take a shot, then raised her pistol high as the crowd closed behind her target. Ray caught a hint of the man's head as he vanished behind the Residence.
    For a moment, everyone stood in shocked silence. Then San Paulo and Chu descended on Ray. "Are you hurt?" "Where did he come from?" "We've never had anything like that." "No, nothing at all."
    All Ray saw was a crowd moving closer, giving another assailant a shorter run.
    Mary grabbed his elbow. "Out of the car," she ordered Rose and the nurse. "Into the front seat."
    Rose scrambled over the seat, eyes wide and locked on the knife. "What's cook's knife doing here?"
    "Not now, Rose," Mary snapped. Rose frowned, accepting the answer as a familiar one. Mary shoved Ray into the backseat just as Jeff rode up on some