showed no such activity at all. I knew that something was wrong—so I went back in to question Hoshi. He wouldn't answer, or stop what he was doing until he was finished. I was afraid to force an interruption. When I went to check on Miss Moi, I found her just as she is now."
"There must be some mistake in the log," Jonders said. "Have you checked it all the way through? How could he have gotten past the security blocks?"
A sudden laugh made him turn. It was Hoshi—laughing to himself in sad and bitter triumph.
Jonders's anger hardened. The computer's security programs were supposed to be impenetrable. How could Hoshi have defeated them—and why?
"Security blocks," Hoshi hissed, and it was hard to tell whether he was laughing or crying.
"Hoshi," Jonders said deliberately. This time he was rewarded by Hoshi's head rising—eyes meeting his. In that gaze he sensed an acknowledgment, given grudgingly but almost proudly, of the truth of everything Forbes had said. He took a painful breath. "Why did you do it?"
"She wanted me to," Hoshi said, his gaze still locked with Jonders's. "She begged me."
"Begged you? For what?"
"I gave her what she wanted," Hoshi answered defiantly. Then more softly: "I gave her what she wanted." His frown twisted into a pathetic smile.
"Hoshi, what did she want? A full brainscan? Why?"
Hoshi peered at him with an almost quizzical expression. Then the gaze turned inward, and Jonders knew that the moment was gone.
Chapter 10
It really was the middle of the night before Jonders learned much more. The company physician arrived and examined Mozelle. Finding no physical injury, he ordered her removed to the infirmary for observation. Meanwhile, Jonders had Tim Forbes working on a trace of the program records, to try to learn what exactly Hoshi had done. Joe Kelly, the Chief of Security, arrived at two-thirty in the morning, along with Ken Fogelbee, who was angrier than Jonders had ever seen him. Chief Kelly, a stocky and energetic man, was by contrast less upset, more intent on calming people down than on obtaining immediate answers.
The four of them sat in Jonders's office, with only a desk lamp turned on for illumination. Hoshi was seated in a chair beside the desk, his face half-revealed by the pool of light. He ignored a cup of coffee steaming by his elbow. Jonders sat behind his desk, while Kelly perched on the window ledge, cradling a styrofoam cup in his hands. Fogelbee sat some distance away, in near darkness.
"Hoshi, how long do you think you can keep this bottled up inside you?" Jonders asked, leaning across the desk. "What do you hope to gain?"
Hoshi, as before, would not meet his eyes.
Kelly watched silently from the window ledge, sipping his coffee. "Hoshi," he said, after several more failed efforts by Jonders. "If you've thought this out—and I assume you have—you must know that at this point you can only make matters worse by—"
"She wanted me to do it," Hoshi muttered, interrupting him. The young programmer looked down, and a shadow fell diagonally across his face. "She begged me. I only did it for her."
"What, exactly, did you do?" Jonders said.
Hoshi shrugged. "You already know. Full-spectrum scan." He raised his eyes, peering thoughtfully into the darkest corner of the room. "I used the programs we've been developing."
"But why?"
Hoshi seemed not to hear the question. "I didn't expect it to hurt her." He suddenly turned to meet Jonders's gaze with his oddly focused eyes. "I didn't want to hurt her!"
"Well, Hoshi, it's too late for that. She is hurt. Perhaps badly." Jonders scowled. "Why did she want to be scanned?"
Hoshi gazed down at his hands, clasped together in his lap. A series of expressions passed across his face, ranging from bemusement to sorrow. He opened his mouth as though to speak. Fogelbee, who had been stirring impatiently until now, suddenly leaned forward into the light and snapped, "Answer the question! What was her purpose?" Jerking back,
"There must be some mistake in the log," Jonders said. "Have you checked it all the way through? How could he have gotten past the security blocks?"
A sudden laugh made him turn. It was Hoshi—laughing to himself in sad and bitter triumph.
Jonders's anger hardened. The computer's security programs were supposed to be impenetrable. How could Hoshi have defeated them—and why?
"Security blocks," Hoshi hissed, and it was hard to tell whether he was laughing or crying.
"Hoshi," Jonders said deliberately. This time he was rewarded by Hoshi's head rising—eyes meeting his. In that gaze he sensed an acknowledgment, given grudgingly but almost proudly, of the truth of everything Forbes had said. He took a painful breath. "Why did you do it?"
"She wanted me to," Hoshi said, his gaze still locked with Jonders's. "She begged me."
"Begged you? For what?"
"I gave her what she wanted," Hoshi answered defiantly. Then more softly: "I gave her what she wanted." His frown twisted into a pathetic smile.
"Hoshi, what did she want? A full brainscan? Why?"
Hoshi peered at him with an almost quizzical expression. Then the gaze turned inward, and Jonders knew that the moment was gone.
Chapter 10
It really was the middle of the night before Jonders learned much more. The company physician arrived and examined Mozelle. Finding no physical injury, he ordered her removed to the infirmary for observation. Meanwhile, Jonders had Tim Forbes working on a trace of the program records, to try to learn what exactly Hoshi had done. Joe Kelly, the Chief of Security, arrived at two-thirty in the morning, along with Ken Fogelbee, who was angrier than Jonders had ever seen him. Chief Kelly, a stocky and energetic man, was by contrast less upset, more intent on calming people down than on obtaining immediate answers.
The four of them sat in Jonders's office, with only a desk lamp turned on for illumination. Hoshi was seated in a chair beside the desk, his face half-revealed by the pool of light. He ignored a cup of coffee steaming by his elbow. Jonders sat behind his desk, while Kelly perched on the window ledge, cradling a styrofoam cup in his hands. Fogelbee sat some distance away, in near darkness.
"Hoshi, how long do you think you can keep this bottled up inside you?" Jonders asked, leaning across the desk. "What do you hope to gain?"
Hoshi, as before, would not meet his eyes.
Kelly watched silently from the window ledge, sipping his coffee. "Hoshi," he said, after several more failed efforts by Jonders. "If you've thought this out—and I assume you have—you must know that at this point you can only make matters worse by—"
"She wanted me to do it," Hoshi muttered, interrupting him. The young programmer looked down, and a shadow fell diagonally across his face. "She begged me. I only did it for her."
"What, exactly, did you do?" Jonders said.
Hoshi shrugged. "You already know. Full-spectrum scan." He raised his eyes, peering thoughtfully into the darkest corner of the room. "I used the programs we've been developing."
"But why?"
Hoshi seemed not to hear the question. "I didn't expect it to hurt her." He suddenly turned to meet Jonders's gaze with his oddly focused eyes. "I didn't want to hurt her!"
"Well, Hoshi, it's too late for that. She is hurt. Perhaps badly." Jonders scowled. "Why did she want to be scanned?"
Hoshi gazed down at his hands, clasped together in his lap. A series of expressions passed across his face, ranging from bemusement to sorrow. He opened his mouth as though to speak. Fogelbee, who had been stirring impatiently until now, suddenly leaned forward into the light and snapped, "Answer the question! What was her purpose?" Jerking back,
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