Free Nemesis by Alex Lamb Page A

think they’re likely out of a job anyway. They don’t feel there’s much left to lose.’
    ‘Can I help what they think?’ Mark snapped.
    Jim laughed nervously. ‘Well … maybe yes. You see, the guys feel … well, they feel like you’re showing them up, Mark. Like they can’t compete and you make them look slack.’
    Mark seethed. ‘What?’
    ‘It’s hard for them,’ said Jim. ‘You’re so … different – you do the work of, like, ten guys at once, and you don’t even try to fit in.’
    ‘Don’t I?’ said Mark. ‘I’ve attended every single fucking work social since I showed up here.’ But he knew that wasn’t what Jim meant.
    ‘Yeah, but they don’t care about socials,’ said Jim. ‘I mean, you still haven’t declared an affiliation. And it’s been what, over a year?’
    Here it comes , Mark thought.
    ‘Did you consider that last offer I sent you …?’ said Jim, his voice trailing off as he hit the end of the sentence.
    Jim kept sending Mark invitations to join his faith group. His congregation was Standard FiveClan Transcendist church-lite – about as watery as religion got. As a Fleet roboteer, Mark would be highly regarded. There’d be special roles for him in their prayer meetings, no doubt.
    Mark quietly suspected that was one reason he’d got the job, but it was the last thing he wanted. And he had no desire to join some gang of Truist Revival bullies, either. He didn’t see why he had to join somebody’s church to be considered an Earther. He was aware of the historical context, but surely the planet was better than that? However, he knew not to say such things to Jim’s face and hurt the man’s feelings even more.
    ‘Look, Mark, I know you’re not super-fond of religion,’ said Jim anxiously, ‘but church doesn’t have to be about belief. It can just be about community. Making friends. Letting the guys feel like you’re on their side so everyone can relax a little. There are hundreds of congregations in the tower, Mark. Not joining any of them just makes you look weird. Like a Colonial. Like you don’t care. And besides, you’ve been here for over a year and you don’t have a girlfriend. I know you’re straight from your stats, so don’t you want to get laid? What girl will go for you if you’re not signed up?’
    ‘One who’s not religious?’ Mark offered bluntly.
    In truth, Mark had actually gone on a few dates since he’d arrived, but only with other roboteers. He wasn’t great with norms. He’d never quite worked out how you were supposed to trust them when you couldn’t share thoughts. Plus they always talked too much.
    Finding women with handler interfaces in the depleted remains of New York was rough. Earthers hadn’t exactly lined up for genetic modification after the war. Losing to a tiny colony of gene-tweaked atheist intellectuals didn’t leave them particularly receptive to the idea in the immediate aftermath and the prejudice still hadn’t eroded. However, locating potential dates turned out to be the least of his problems. All three of the women Mark had met felt he was hiding something from them. Which, of course, he was.
    The words I’m a secret government experiment had hovered on his lips a hundred times, but he’d never said them because his job would have vanished along with what was left of his freedom. In the end, loneliness had proved easier. He was used to loneliness. His childhood had featured plenty.
    Jim sighed. ‘Look, Mark, your skills are unbelievable. I never thought I’d get a roboteer on this team, let alone one from the Fleet. When I heard you were available and wanted to come here, it was like my dream come true. Really. But frankly, it’s screwing everything up. You told me when you first arrived that you were supposed to be lying low, yet you show off every chance you get. Half of the guys have already figured out you’re something special and the others are only in the dark because they don’t know enough