stic cover had been placed over
the medical computer terminal. The air was scented with the smell of
antiseptic cleaning fluid.
He went back outside and checked the number on the door. No mistake
there - what the hell was happening? 'Simple. She'd been moved
somewhere else during the last three days. He stopped a passing
nurse.
'Room 18. There was a mother and child in there. Can you tell me
where they've been moved to?"
'uhh, I'm not sure. I think they been discharged, sir."
Steve's stomach turned over. 'Discharged?! Where to?!" 'No idea,
sir - but the Chief Nursing Officer should have the details. If you go
to the end of this corridor and -, 'Yehh, I know where it is.
Thanks."
To avoid the confusion of inserting alien Plainfolk names into the
computer, Clearwater had been logged into the Life Institute as
Brickman C.W. The given name had not been spelt out; the W stood for
Washington- the divisional name for those born in Houston/GC.
The Chief Nursing Officer was not there when Steve arrived, but one of
his admin staff obligingly screened the nursing records. 'Here we are
... 9616 Brickman C.W. and 0987 Brickman S.W. Discharged from LTC, 1200
hours, 12 January 299 -' 'Jezusss! Three days ago? Where were they
logged out to?"
The staffer studied the screen then tapped some more keys and studied
the result. 'Strange... No destination has been entered."
'That's crazy,' said Steve. 'Let's get this straight. I'm enquiring
about a 19-year-old woman and a newborn child. Those are the records
you're looking at?"
'Yes. Brickman S.W - born 1627 hours, 15 December, 2991." The staffer
tapped a few more keys. 'I'll just check through the B file on either
side in case there's a double entry. If someone types in the initials
back to front, the computer thinks it's a different person. If the
mistake is repeated, you can end up with data held in two separate
files."
Steve contained his frustration. 'I thought the system was
foolproof."
The staffer smiled. 'Yes, I heard that too." She studied the screen
again. 'Nope. Sorry, sir, there -' An item caught her eye. 'Wait a
minute. What's this...?" She looked across the counter at Steve.
'The subject of your enquiry. she just had the one child, right?"
'Yes, why?"
'Well, there's another Brickman listed here. Lucas W. Brickman, born
1642 hours on the same day - 15
December. Just fifteen minutes apart. Multiple births are very rare,
but that's a typical time scale - which is why I asked if she'd had
twins."
This is getting stranger by the minute, thought Steve.
'Who's listed as the guard-mother?"
'Of Lucas Brickman...?"
A hard-edged voice behind Steve said: 'That's okay, Jenni, I'll handle
the captain's enquiry."
The staffer made a diplomatic exit leaving Steve facing the CNO. A
brisk figure of authority who introduced himself as Major Bradman.
Steve repeated his original query about Clearwater.
Bradman checked the screen. 'Ahh, yes. This file has a data lock.
One moment..." He inserted his ID, typed in an access code and read
the displayed information.
'llnnh! I'm afraid you're out of luck, Captain. The woman and child
were discharged on receipt of a presidential order. A PO-1. Which
means it came from the Oval Office as opposed to somewhere else in the
white House. There are no other details - and no onward destination.
See for yourself-' Bradman swung the screen round towards Steve, who
read the sparse strands of information with a sinking heart. 'But you
must know something! Who took her away? I' 'All I can tell you is
what's on the screen, Captain. I don't know how well you're connected,
but as a member of the Family you can access more information than I
Can."
'Maybe. what about this Lucas Brickman?"
Bradman spread his hands. 'I'm not authorised to answer that query,
Captain."
'Then who is, Major?"
'I can't answer that either. Ask someone inside the Family."
Steve saluted curtly and walked out. who the hell was he going to ask
inside the Family? He had met both the President-General and