VI #4
"Of course there's a delivery room and a fully equipped clinic. It's all one floor down, and I'm sure that when the time comes she'll be more than satisfied."
Erik's face brightened and he nodded gratefully toward Nika.
Nick understood the point of her lie. Erik needed support to be able to run security and handle situations in the shelter without the extra worry about his wife's childbirth.
Once again he admired the speed of Nika's mind, her reactions.
Though fatigue showed on her face, her mind still worked flawlessly.
So he decided not to waste time, but handed Erik the magnetic card.
"This is the gate card. It unlocks the staircase." He tapped a short sequence of numbers on the keypad. "That's now the only thing needed to unlock it." He looked at Erik. "I think you're the best choice for gatekeeper."
Erik studied the card, then looked at his friend.
"Why me, Nick? Why not someone else?" he asked.
Nick thought for a moment, then calmly answered:
"Because I think you won't abuse the authority and that you'll always put the good of the community first."
"Because I have more to lose, because of my wife and the child on the way."
"Because of that, but also because of all the others who aren't able to think that way. I think you're the right choice."
Erik thought, and in the end agreed with a shrug:
"Okay, I'll be your gatekeeper."
Nick laughed.
"No, friend, you're not the gatekeeper."
Erik looked at him in surprise. Nick tossed at him, amused:
"From this moment you're the head of security, friend. It's on you to keep order in the shelter."
Nika looked at Nick in surprise. It was completely sudden and entirely on his own initiative. Erik asked:
"Are you sure about that?"
"Completely, and I don't think anyone will oppose your nomination."
"I believe the council will agree with your nomination too," Nika added, and Erik nodded. "Besides, I believe the council has continued its negotiations, and maybe it's better you're there with Ana."
Erik nodded in farewell and joined the newly gathered little crowd of people, who were now, in calmer tones, negotiating over something indistinct. Nika turned toward the unlocked gate, intending to explore the laboratory. Nick gently took her by the shoulders and said:
"There's time for exploring, right now we need to rest. The beds on the fifth floor are waiting just for us."
Nika silently agreed and began climbing the staircase. Soon she asked:
"What the hell was that, Nick?"
"What do you mean?" he looked at her as he climbed the steep staircase.
"That, appointing Erik head of security on your own initiative. What if they chose someone else in the council?"
"Do you really see anyone else, better qualified than Erik for the job?" Nick said, amused.
She thought as she climbed, but wouldn't give up:
"I'm not sure, but the council might know. That's the whole point. We can no longer make decisions on our own, Nick. Then it's not technocracy, but autocracy. Is that what you want?" Nika stepped onto the wide platform of the ground floor and headed with Nick toward the security room.
"Of course I don't want that, but what if the council idea falls through — you saw them down there," he said, and gallantly let the girl start up the staircase first.
"In that case we have to work on another idea, but I honestly believe this will work." Nika entered the room and headed toward the elevator.
"Let's hope so," Nick added, not quite convinced.
He called the elevator with a button and stood waiting in silence. The girl went on over the hum of the electronics:
"Remember, down there is a whole host of young and intelligent people who believe in democracy. And they're smart enough to know that anarchy isn't the answer. There are exceptions, but I believe most of them agree with the idea of guilds."
"Let's hope you're right," Nick agreed at last, stepping into the elevator.
They didn't talk during the short elevator ride. At one point Nick spoke up as they walked down the familiar corridor of the residential block. The better part of the block.
"Let's hope the council justifies this extravagance of ours and our use of the wealthier block of apartments."
Nika stopped. Then she smiled.
"What the council doesn't know, it doesn't need to be told."
"Aha!" Nick laughed. "Everything's lovely and wonderful and grand until it concerns personal comfort, isn't it, young lady?"
"As you said yourself, with responsibility and privilege come certain perks."
"And where did you get the idea that we're privileged?" Nick stopped at one of the doors of the residential block.
"Right now we are, because we have the privilege of knowing about this block, a fact no one else knows. So in this situation things can be interpreted as necessary."
"Pragmatism in its best light," Nick teased. He gallantly opened the door for her.
Nika slipped past him with a smile and stopped in the doorway. She blocked, with her body, Nick's attempt to enter with her. She looked at him and said:
"I'm tired and I'd love to get some sleep."
Nick understood, stepped back from the door, and with a smile gave a playful salute.
"See you tomorrow, young lady, but don't get too used to the comfort, because the council might forbid us from sleeping here."
Nika smiled and closed the metal door. She leaned her back against the doorframe and looked over the apartment.
The sofa looked inviting, but Nika was thinking of only one thing — a hot shower and a comfortable bed.
She quickly undressed, tossed the unneeded clothes onto the sofa, and literally ran into the small bathroom, from which then came the hiss of water.
The shower didn't take her long, and soon she appeared in the room wearing only towels.
She spent some time searching the room's wardrobe and finally managed to find a light nightgown that looked as if it had been made in the 1950s.
But she didn't care — the nightgown was surprisingly comfortable, and the girl quickly pulled the plastic off the bed and slipped under the sheet.
With a sigh of relief, she closed her eyes, and it didn't take long before she fell asleep, exhausted by the stress and the events of the past day.