Descending Road - AN ACCESS PORT BECKONED by Dana W. Paxson

AN ACCESS PORT BECKONED

1563 4D

The passage bent into a rightward descending spiral, with no side branches or doors. Leil stumbled again and again, and Andrew, pulling her forward, finally stopped. She reached down, her face in pain. “What’s wrong? Oh, no, Leil, your feet.”

“No shoes.” She sat down in the soft light and massaged her toes. “I haven’t walked far or fast in a long time.”

“I wish Janny could see you right now. She’d climb all over you and giggle. Remember?” Andrew smiled at Leil. He wanted to find Janny again, but she would probably find him first, with VeeVee and Billy T in tow, and then what would he tell Leil about them? New recruits for the family, maybe.

“Janny?” Leil‘s face looked blank.

“Janny. You know? Our little girl?” Andrew laughed, and the walls absorbed it. Happiness kept rising in him; he rode it now as he sat down with his back to the wall facing Leil, took her feet in his hands, and rubbed them gently. Why hadn’t Turiosten been singing for a while? Maybe the alien had grown tired. He didn’t care right now.

“Andrew, we don’t have children. We haven’t even joined contract.” She put her hands to her temples. “Have we? I mean, I’m not sure of anything since I woke up in this place after the fire, and the screaming, oh, Andrew, it was just a few years ago when we met and my father swore at you— but then I know there was a farm in the country, and you, but who was screaming?” She swayed where she sat, clenching her fists as if her brain tried to jump out of her skull.

Andrew released her feet, scrambled to her side and embraced her. “You’re confused and afraid. Don’t worry. It’ll all come back. Janny and Maiji, and Engel, our kids? You’ll remember.”

Leil took her hands down and laughed, an edge in her voice. “You’re crazy. Children?” She grinned and shrugged him away. “Come on, I can walk now. I want to get away from here, from that place, and him.”

They stood up. She seemed a little wobbly, but Andrew took her arm and walked ahead with small steps, steadying her. They came to a dead end, facing a closed door. Andrew examined it. No access port. No handle or opening plate. He studied the ceiling and walls near the door, but couldn’t find any openings. He pushed the door without effect. “Turiosten? Turiosten? Wake up.”

A sleepy voice inside him. Why? Do you have food for me? I’m very low on energy.

“You’re calling that thing?”

“Yes, Leil, the door won’t open.”

“Uh, why don’t you just knock?”

Andrew took a deep breath. “I don’t want to run into Arlen out here, or any of his people. This is his territory. What else do you suggest?”

“There aren’t many choices. Want to go back the other way?”

“No.”

She shrugged. “So? You don’t have a gun or a knife, or anything.”

“All right. Maybe Turiosten can suggest something.”

Sleepily. Knock. Whoever’s there, exhale on him or her, close up if you can. That’s the best I can offer right now. If you’d fed me, it’d be a different story.

Andrew set himself facing the door. “Get back, Leil. If I get in trouble, just run.” He knocked firmly on the door; it responded with a metallic thrum. Then, crowding Andrew back to bump into Leil, it opened toward them.

They faced an empty hallway under brighter light. The door they had opened entered the hallway from one side. This corridor lay straight and rectangular in profile, with gray stonefluid walls and ceiling lighted in pink by globular lamps hanging from the lengthwise ceiling conduit and spaced every stride or so. A low polytonal hum crooned softly over a deep bass throb and a soft white wash like a waterfall.

They explored. Corridors lay in a cubical matrix about sixteen strides on a side, spiral ladders in shafts leading between levels at each crossing. The area seemed deserted. Three doors, a datapanel beside each one, interrupted each corridor wall at regular intervals between crossings. Each door faced an identical door on the opposite corridor wall.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Andrew said.

“Does it go on forever? My feet,” Leil said.

“I know. I’ve still got these cuts, and they’re hurting now,” Andrew said, pointing to his ripped coverall stiffened with blood.

Leil pulled the fabric aside. “You didn’t tell me. We’ve got to get this fixed somehow.”

“Yeah, but when? We don’t know what all this is. Maybe I should try one of these doors.”

“It worked the last time.” Leil sat down on the floor beside one of the middle doors and rubbed her feet again.

Andrew inspected the datapanel, glowing in holo white against dark gray with occasional brief color accents. It looked standard but with a large graphic section, showing a square array of vertical cylinders which flickered and flashed numbers and graphs at him in a long repeating sequence.

An access port beckoned his finger probe. He held up his probe and flexed it. Still working. He plugged himself in, found the latch lines, and tried a short pulse. Turiosten muttered something; the door slid aside; the thrum and throb and wash rolled out to Andrew and Leil. He peered into a darkened space, seeing a violet glow, and stepped inside, onto a metal grillwork floor.

Story List	SURPRISE ME	Author Page
USER SURVEY	PUZZLE ME	MAKE ELM MARK

HOVER Lucida Bright BARE	HOVER Lucida Bright FULL	HOVER Palatino Linotype BARE
HOVER Palatino Linotype FULL	HOVER Times New Roman BARE	HOVER Times New Roman FULL
PAD Arial BARE	PAD Arial FULL	PAD Lucida Bright BARE
PAD Lucida Bright FULL	PAD Times New Roman BARE	PAD Times New Roman FULL


	AN ACCESS PORT BECKONED 1563 4D The passage bent into a rightward descending spiral, with no side branches or doors. Leil stumbled again and again, and Andrew, pulling her forward, finally stopped. She reached down, her face in pain. “What’s wrong? Oh, no, Leil, your feet.” “No shoes.” She sat down in the soft light and massaged her toes. “I haven’t walked far or fast in a long time.” “I wish Janny could see you right now. She’d climb all over you and giggle. Remember?” Andrew smiled at Leil. He wanted to find Janny again, but she would probably find him first, with VeeVee and Billy T in tow, and then what would he tell Leil about them? New recruits for the family, maybe. “Janny?” Leil‘s face looked blank. “Janny. You know? Our little girl?” Andrew laughed, and the walls absorbed it. Happiness kept rising in him; he rode it now as he sat down with his back to the wall facing Leil, took her feet in his hands, and rubbed them gently. Why hadn’t Turiosten been singing for a while? Maybe the alien had grown tired. He didn’t care right now. “Andrew, we don’t have children. We haven’t even joined contract.” She put her hands to her temples. “Have we? I mean, I’m not sure of anything since I woke up in this place after the fire, and the screaming, oh, Andrew, it was just a few years ago when we met and my father swore at you— but then I know there was a farm in the country, and you, but who was screaming?” She swayed where she sat, clenching her fists as if her brain tried to jump out of her skull. Andrew released her feet, scrambled to her side and embraced her. “You’re confused and afraid. Don’t worry. It’ll all come back. Janny and Maiji, and Engel, our kids? You’ll remember.” Leil took her hands down and laughed, an edge in her voice. “You’re crazy. Children?” She grinned and shrugged him away. “Come on, I can walk now. I want to get away from here, from that place, and him.” They stood up. She seemed a little wobbly, but Andrew took her arm and walked ahead with small steps, steadying her. They came to a dead end, facing a closed door. Andrew examined it. No access port. No handle or opening plate. He studied the ceiling and walls near the door, but couldn’t find any openings. He pushed the door without effect. “Turiosten? Turiosten? Wake up.” A sleepy voice inside him. Why? Do you have food for me? I’m very low on energy. “You’re calling that thing?” “Yes, Leil, the door won’t open.” “Uh, why don’t you just knock?” Andrew took a deep breath. “I don’t want to run into Arlen out here, or any of his people. This is his territory. What else do you suggest?” “There aren’t many choices. Want to go back the other way?” “No.” She shrugged. “So? You don’t have a gun or a knife, or anything.” “All right. Maybe Turiosten can suggest something.” Sleepily. Knock. Whoever’s there, exhale on him or her, close up if you can. That’s the best I can offer right now. If you’d fed me, it’d be a different story. Andrew set himself facing the door. “Get back, Leil. If I get in trouble, just run.” He knocked firmly on the door; it responded with a metallic thrum. Then, crowding Andrew back to bump into Leil, it opened toward them. They faced an empty hallway under brighter light. The door they had opened entered the hallway from one side. This corridor lay straight and rectangular in profile, with gray stonefluid walls and ceiling lighted in pink by globular lamps hanging from the lengthwise ceiling conduit and spaced every stride or so. A low polytonal hum crooned softly over a deep bass throb and a soft white wash like a waterfall. They explored. Corridors lay in a cubical matrix about sixteen strides on a side, spiral ladders in shafts leading between levels at each crossing. The area seemed deserted. Three doors, a datapanel beside each one, interrupted each corridor wall at regular intervals between crossings. Each door faced an identical door on the opposite corridor wall. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” Andrew said. “Does it go on forever? My feet,” Leil said. “I know. I’ve still got these cuts, and they’re hurting now,” Andrew said, pointing to his ripped coverall stiffened with blood. Leil pulled the fabric aside. “You didn’t tell me. We’ve got to get this fixed somehow.” “Yeah, but when? We don’t know what all this is. Maybe I should try one of these doors.” “It worked the last time.” Leil sat down on the floor beside one of the middle doors and rubbed her feet again. Andrew inspected the datapanel, glowing in holo white against dark gray with occasional brief color accents. It looked standard but with a large graphic section, showing a square array of vertical cylinders which flickered and flashed numbers and graphs at him in a long repeating sequence. An access port beckoned his finger probe. He held up his probe and flexed it. Still working. He plugged himself in, found the latch lines, and tried a short pulse. Turiosten muttered something; the door slid aside; the thrum and throb and wash rolled out to Andrew and Leil. He peered into a darkened space, seeing a violet glow, and stepped inside, onto a metal grillwork floor.