after a while, they signed on with stringers like me and have about as much security and stability as it's possible to have in there -- and some independence. In the Flux, most people more or less belong to other people, because whoever has the most power over the Flux can control everybody below them. Duggers belong to no one except themselves. These people work for me and they get paid for it. Now, if anybody wants to take a risk on surviving long enough to become a dugger, now you've seen what
SOUL RIDER: SPIRITS OF FLUX AND ANCHOR 89
duggers are like, you just escape. That's it. Get some food over there at the big tent and come back here to eat."
They went in orderly silence. The earlier lecture hadn't had much effect, but the duggers had, and as they entered the apron camp and saw that Matson's "employees" were among the least exotic variations around, the effect was greatly enhanced. The whole place was a terrible, crawling creep show. Most had little appetite when they returned to their grassy spot.
The small group reformed for the first time since back in the gym, but they were a sober lot.
"Did you see that one that looked like a squirmy, squishy thing?" Nadya asked, shivering a bit.
"And how about the one with the wavy things coming out of its head?" Ivon added.
"I think I've seen more than I want to right now," Cassie put in. "I don't need to catalog it. It's tough enough to eat now, and I was starving ten minutes ago."
They nodded agreement, but most managed to get something down nonetheless. At least the food was palatable -- some sort of warm meat and vege- table pies and a very sweet cake, with some sort of wine that was not at all sweet but a good thirst- quencher, Ultimately, though, the conversation re- turned to their own fates, past and future. They talked about their long drugged march, and com- pared aches, pains, and bruises, as well as leg muscles which were pretty outstanding, even on the girls. Finally, it was Nadya who noticed. "Hey -- what happened to the other group?"
They all looked around. Sure enough, there was no sign of the first group, the one that was to go with the other stringer. Jomo, who was looking to the mules grazing nearby, heard, turned, and in a gruff, barely human voice, said, "They go before you wake up with Missy Arden. They well into Flux now."
Jack L. Chalker
90
Rather than be startled by the dugger's attention, they all turned and looked towards the imposing Flux itself. The void, Matson had called it. The void between the Fluxlands. After a while they snapped out of it and attention turned to the future, although it was mixed with a little caution. Jomo had accomplished his main purpose of letting them know that they were being overheard.
"What do you think is going' to happen to us?" Dar asked at last. "I mean, once we go -- in there?"
Cassie sighed. "I don't know, but it doesn't sound very promising, does it?"
"Do you buy this magic business?" Ivon put in. "Sounds like those crazy old stories to me."
"I think he's telling the truth. Some of it, any- way," Suzl opined. "If what he was saying was true about the Flux energies, then it's very possible to have magic and a whole little set of mini-godhoods. The only thing I can't figure out is why some people have the power and others, probably most, do not. It seems to be something you're born with, anyway, if the story of Jomo is right, not something you learn or get from your parents, although prac- tice probably makes you better and better."
Nadya looked worried. "They have made a lot of changes in us, you know, so I can see how that might be taken further. I wonder, though, if they can change your mind like they can change your
looks?"
"They can do it with drugs and conditioning in Anchor," Cassie pointed out, "so why not in Flux as well? What's really odd, though, is that the changes seem to be so real, so permanent. I mean, if
SOUL RIDER: SPIRITS OF FLUX AND ANCHOR 89
duggers are like, you just escape. That's it. Get some food over there at the big tent and come back here to eat."
They went in orderly silence. The earlier lecture hadn't had much effect, but the duggers had, and as they entered the apron camp and saw that Matson's "employees" were among the least exotic variations around, the effect was greatly enhanced. The whole place was a terrible, crawling creep show. Most had little appetite when they returned to their grassy spot.
The small group reformed for the first time since back in the gym, but they were a sober lot.
"Did you see that one that looked like a squirmy, squishy thing?" Nadya asked, shivering a bit.
"And how about the one with the wavy things coming out of its head?" Ivon added.
"I think I've seen more than I want to right now," Cassie put in. "I don't need to catalog it. It's tough enough to eat now, and I was starving ten minutes ago."
They nodded agreement, but most managed to get something down nonetheless. At least the food was palatable -- some sort of warm meat and vege- table pies and a very sweet cake, with some sort of wine that was not at all sweet but a good thirst- quencher, Ultimately, though, the conversation re- turned to their own fates, past and future. They talked about their long drugged march, and com- pared aches, pains, and bruises, as well as leg muscles which were pretty outstanding, even on the girls. Finally, it was Nadya who noticed. "Hey -- what happened to the other group?"
They all looked around. Sure enough, there was no sign of the first group, the one that was to go with the other stringer. Jomo, who was looking to the mules grazing nearby, heard, turned, and in a gruff, barely human voice, said, "They go before you wake up with Missy Arden. They well into Flux now."
Jack L. Chalker
90
Rather than be startled by the dugger's attention, they all turned and looked towards the imposing Flux itself. The void, Matson had called it. The void between the Fluxlands. After a while they snapped out of it and attention turned to the future, although it was mixed with a little caution. Jomo had accomplished his main purpose of letting them know that they were being overheard.
"What do you think is going' to happen to us?" Dar asked at last. "I mean, once we go -- in there?"
Cassie sighed. "I don't know, but it doesn't sound very promising, does it?"
"Do you buy this magic business?" Ivon put in. "Sounds like those crazy old stories to me."
"I think he's telling the truth. Some of it, any- way," Suzl opined. "If what he was saying was true about the Flux energies, then it's very possible to have magic and a whole little set of mini-godhoods. The only thing I can't figure out is why some people have the power and others, probably most, do not. It seems to be something you're born with, anyway, if the story of Jomo is right, not something you learn or get from your parents, although prac- tice probably makes you better and better."
Nadya looked worried. "They have made a lot of changes in us, you know, so I can see how that might be taken further. I wonder, though, if they can change your mind like they can change your
looks?"
"They can do it with drugs and conditioning in Anchor," Cassie pointed out, "so why not in Flux as well? What's really odd, though, is that the changes seem to be so real, so permanent. I mean, if
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