Imprisoned -- Chapter 30

3.  "Ich wusste, dass die Partei am Ende mussten über kurz oder lang," he said, and then translated,"I knew the party had to end sooner or later.  Is this the simulator?"  He was being a bit rhetorical because he knew it wasn't the simulator. 

4.  Xanax and Onimex copied the index merger and refit Dayton and Ireana in outfits commensurate with the date.  Dayton was in a Hawaiian shirt and plaid shorts.  Ireana's outfit was different too.  Before she could ask, Onimex replied, "Xanax improvised."     

5. Ireana unholstered her weapon and leveled it at Dayton's back.  She didn't seem terribly hesitant.  The real question was, "Would she?"  Being a pseudo-Nazi, he recognized the sound, and instinctively raised his hands while turing around slowly.   The 'follow through' was definitely more likely in his previous world. 

6. She asked Onimex psionically, "Does your analysis of this period indicate any convergences or anomalies?"

9. "Onimex?" Ireana said to elicit a confirmation.

10. "Xanax will not assist him," Onimex answered.

11.  "What do you mean, 'Xanax won't assist?'" he rebuked.  He understandably presumed limited proprietary rights, "I built him -- his loyalty is to me!"  

12. "Onimex and your little unit are friends now," she answered.  She knew that her assertion would not convince him.  Dayton was certain that Xanax had nothing to do with his removal. 

13.  Onimex interrupted, "I have an unobstructed link with Corlos..."  Ireana also heard, "because there's no interference here at all."  

14. "... I have advised them that you have Dayton targeted and are prepared to carry out your orders."

15.  She maintained a steady aim, realizing that she would be terminating the most gorgeous shellan she had ever seen. 

16.   Even with a bullet, a split-second from his heart, he took time to give his assassin the most romantic grin he could muster; utterly unfazed.  Maybe he was expecting this.  Ireana cocked her head with a peculiar blend of emotions, "Is my cold, 'killer' stare really that transparent?" she directed at Onimex privately.   

17. "Daniel wishes to speak to you both, directly," Onimex replied out loud.

18.  This was unprecedented; God doesn't usually watch the dress rehearsal.   Dayton spread his hands to indicate, "By all means..."  He certainly had nothing to lose, but perhaps a few minutes to gain.  

19.  Ireana modified her posture to stand down somewhat, still ready, but highly curious.  "This ought to be good," she thought.    

20.  It also made her re-think the sequence of events:  If Corlos extracted Dayton before he could influence the future -- he should no longer be guilty of anything.  If that's the case, "Why punish him?"   She remembered a conversation with B'jhon:  "It is the condition of timelessness on Corlos that makes consequences eternal," he said.  It didn't make perfect sense then, but it does now.  The Psionic Guard would have held Dayton responsible for his actions, even though the effect was reversed.   

21.  Dayton breathed a sigh of relief as if he had been holding his breath the entire time.  “Maybe they’re not going to kill me,” he thought.

22. “I wouldn’t bank on that just yet,” Ireana suggested.  Dayton raised an eyebrow.  "How did you do that?"  She was quietly stuperfied.  "He was plugged into the mainframe and built a Segment 8 computer, but doesn't know anything about..."

23. “It’s called psionics,” she answered disingenuously, “How long were you with Corlos?”  She was perplexed, not angry.  

24. "You're on," Onimex said. "Yes, Daniel," she acknowledged. 

25.  "Ireana, there's a 'plan B' to Dayton's termination," Daniel said, "but it requires your consent."

26.  Ireana drew her bottom lip into a sulky frown that conveyed intense curiousity, "Ooooh Kaaay," she said.  She wasn't ready for this one.  

27.  Daniel proceeded, "The Theites have a contract on you in every system we operate in.  You're not safe no matter where you go or what you do.  The layers of dimensions, time and space involved are dynamically irreversible -- we simply can't insert a fix.  Not like we did with Dayton." 

28.  Ireana did not so much as grimace – nothing Daniel said surprised her, ever.  "What about the 1986 Earth I saw?" she asked.

29.  "Xanax moved Dayton before he could affect the future, and I-40 created a fix here.  Dayton could not be backed out of 1938 until you were free of the Cardship's amplifier net that Xanax told us about through Onimex.  Between Xanax and I-40, we cancelled what Dayton did... and that gives me additional discretion," Daniel said, "In our dimension, unpardonable sins can not be forgiven... that's why we call them 'unpardonable sins.'  Messing with the simulator without authorization was covered during orientation, was it not?"  "It was," Ireana confirmed.       

30.  Daniel continued, "You can terminate him and work here on Sunova permanently for the rest of your life.  Or...if you want, you may remain on Earth with him in your current time.  I will suspend his termination if he agrees to this condition without question.  The choice is yours."  There was another matter on Ireana's mind, but it didn't involve Daniel, it could wait.  "So the B-80's on my back now?" she thought.  Something she heard G-49 say.     

31. "Dayton!” Daniel pronounced louder and much more severely.

32. "Ja, Sir!" Dayton answered.

33. “You can not begin to know just how off-the-scale you are on my shit list!  There is no excuse for your conduct!” Daniel adjusted his tone from that of a military commander to a disappointed parent.  "If I-40 had not of been able to intercept your meddling -- you would not be breathing right now.  Do you understand that?" 

34. “Yes, Sir!” Dayton acknowledged, still being held at gunpoint by Ireana, if one could call it that.  

34.  Daniel took a deep breath and returned his attention toward Ireana in a more composed tone, “He might make you good company, Ireana, if you can keep him out of trouble,” Ireana gave Dayton a forced mean look, which was utterly lost in his dashing complexion.   "You better not be playing me," she thought, while wagging her pistol for emphasis.  

35. "And there’s one other stipulation," Daniel added.

36. Ireana perked up to listen, "We will retrieve Xanax and / or Onimex without protest at any time we deem necessary - no questions asked.   The droids are on loan 'to you,' not to us -- they belong to Corlos...  allowing Dayton to live is your implied consent."   "Like Corlos needs anyone's concent," Ireana thought privately.

37. Onimex relayed her sentiment. 

38. "Well, actually, we do need it," Daniel remarked behind a devious chuckle.  

39.  She drew a bead on Onimex and gave him the evil eye.  "And it gives the droids a place to be where nobody will ever think to look," Daniel reasoned.  "If the chief biological of the Universe says so, then it must be so," she accepted, "and if you transmit that... " she aimed again at her fat, round A.I. friend.