Alarm Clock Read online

blamed, they bust something, see, so theyowe the company big money." He looked critically at a pair of socks.

  "So they get smart after a while. Dusted around the corner and wentback on the make. Do better that way, see?

  "Naw, they give you a lot of guff, you go to work outside, work hard,keep your nose clean, you come out of parole and you're in the money.It's sucker bait, is all. Don't go like that, see."

  Marlo came closer to Holme.

  "Naw, you go out clean, see, just like you say. Then you play it easy.Get a good score and lay back for a while. Don't go pushing your luck.

  "That's how they hook me, see. I get too hungry. Get a nice touch, itlooks so good I gotta go back for seconds, and they're waiting. Idon't make that mistake again." He shook his head.

  "Got me a nice pad, way up valley. Gonna hole up there. Go out, pull agood job, then I lay around, maybe a year and think up another. Then,when I'm all ready, I go out, pull a can or two open and lift whatthey got back to the pad. Ain't gonna be no more of this scufflingaround, hitting a quick one and running out to spend the pins quick,so's I can get in no traps."

  He looked at Holme thoughtfully.

  "I just now think of something, kid. You can make yourself a nice bit,real easy. Don't cost hardly nothing to set up and there ain't muchrisk. You work more'n a year, learning all about tools, huh? Theyteach you all about making tools, huh?"

  "Sure." Holme laughed shortly. "Got to make all your own hand toolsbefore you get through. Why?"

  Marlo grinned broadly.

  "I could tell you a lotta guys, need real special tools. Need toolsyou don't buy in no store, like maybe a good can opener a guy cancarry easy. And they pay real good, you make what they want and keepyour mouth shut." He rubbed his chin.

  "Nice," he went on. "Real nice. And all you need is maybe a few toolsyou can buy anywhere. And maybe you gotta build up a little forge. Guyknew his way around, he could make a nice pile that way."

  Stan looked at the man thoughtfully.

  "Sounds interesting," he broke in, "but suppose they find somefabricator operator out in the woods, heating up metal instead ofworking on a regular job? They'd be curious, don't you think?Especially if the guy's already picked up a record."

  "Naw." Marlo turned toward him. "So he's a graduate--who ain't? See,they show this guy up here, he's supposed to be a fabmeister. Onlymaybe he don't like punching keys. Maybe he don't like to chase themmeters, huh? So maybe he'd rather use muscle hardware, see?" Hegrinned.

  "Some guy sets himself up a shack up valley, see? Starts a fixitjoint. Looks real legit. Even with muscle hardware, he can put outjobs faster'n them people can get parts from way down Talburg way,see.

  "And he gets in with the joes, too. They got their troubles gettingthings made up for 'em. So this guy gives them a hand. Even workingcheap, he picks up some change there, too, and one way or another, theguy's got a living, see?" He glanced back at Holme.

  "Only now and then, here comes a few guys in the back door, they wanta special job, see, for real special pay. And there's your ice creamand cake. And maybe a little stack for later on."

  "I don't know." Stan picked up a book. "I'd rather try playing 'em onthe table for a while. It might beat getting flashed and dropped backin."

  Big Carl shrugged and crawled back into his bunk.

  "Aagh, can happen to anybody," he said. "Just keep this under yourhair. Smart kids like you can make out pretty good, you just use yourheads. Ain't nothing down Talburg way, though." He yawned.

  "Well, I've had it. Got into it with that Wanzor again, out on thepile. Give one of them joes a boost, he gets three meters high." Heyawned again and turned toward the wall.

  * * * * *

  Stan flipped the pages of the book. He had still been unable to puthis finger on the point at which Kellonia had ceased to be a planet offree citizens and become the planetary prison he had found himself on.

  There had been no sudden change--no dramatic incident, such as thehigh spots in the history of his native Khloris. Here, things had justdrifted from freedom to servitude, with the people dropping theirrights as a man discards outworn clothing.

  He leaned back, lowering the book. Kell's planet, he remembered, hadbeen one of the first star colonies to be founded after the discoveryof the interstellar drive. Settlers had flocked to get passage to thenew, fertile world.

  During the first three hundred years, people had spread over theplanet, but the frontier stage had passed and the land of promise hadstabilized, adopted laws, embraced the arts and sciences. One by one,frontier farms had given way to mechanized food-producing land,worked by trained technical teams and administered by professionalmanagement.

  Kellonia had entered the age of industrialized culture, with the largeindividual owner a disappearing species.

  Unnoticed and unregretted, the easy freedom of the frontier wasdiscarded and lost. One by one, the rights enjoyed by the originalsettlers became regarded as privileges. One by one, the privilegeswere restricted, limited by license, eliminated as unsuitable or evendangerous to the new Kellonian culture.

  Little by little, the large group became the individual of law andculture, with the single person becoming a mere cipher.

  Members of groups--even members of the governing council itself--foundthemselves unable to make any but the most minor decisions. Precedentdictated each move. And precedent developed into iron-hard tradition.

  In fact, Stan thought, the culture seemed now to be completelyself-controlled--self-sustaining. The people were mere cells, whoconformed--or were eliminated.

  Again, he picked up the book, looking casually through its pages.Detail was unimportant here. There was, he realized with a feeling offrustration, only a sort of dull pattern, with no significant detailapparent.

  * * * * *

  He awoke a little groggily, looked around the cell, then jumpedhastily out of his bunk. Usually he was awake before the bell rang.

  Pete Karzer was coming back from the washstand. He looked over.

  "You up, Graham?" he said in his whispery voice. "Hey, you know I'mgetting out this morning. Guess you'll want to swap blankets again,huh?"

  "That's right, too. No use turning in a good blanket, is there?"

  "Don't make sense." Pete massaged the back of his neck.

  "Never could figure that swap," he said. "Don't get me wrong, it wasreal good, being able to sleep warm, but you caught me good when Itried to swipe that blanket of yours. Ain't never seen a guy move soquick. And I ain't so dumb I don't know when I'm licked." He grinnedruefully.

  "So I'm down, like I been hit with a singlejack. Then you go and handover a good blanket for that beat thing I been using. How come?"

  Stan shrugged. "I told you," he said. "Where I come from, it's a lotcolder than it is here, so I don't need a blanket. I'd have offered aswap sooner, but I didn't want to look like some greasy doormat."

  "Wasn't no grease about that swap." Pete grinned and rubbed his neckagain. "I found out real quick who was the big man. Where'd you learnthat stuff anyway?"

  "Oh, picked it up--here and there." Stan glanced down at the floor.

  There would be no point in explaining the intensive close combattraining he'd been put through at school. Such training would make nosense to his cellmates. To the good citizens of Kellonia, it wouldseem horrifyingly illegal. He glanced up again.

  "You know how it is," he went on. "A guy learns as he goes."

  Big Carl Marlo swung his legs over the side of his bunk.

  "Looks like you learned real good," he said. He examined Stan.

  "Pete tells me about this deal. I kinda miss the action this time, butPete tells me he's got the blanket and he's all set to plug you good,you should maybe try a hassle.

  "Only all at once, you're on him. He feels a couple quick ones, thenhe don't know nothing till next day. You can maybe do things like thatany time?"

  Stan shrugged. "Guy never knows what he can do t
ill he tries. I know afew other tricks, if that's what you mean."

  Marlo nodded. "Yeah. Know something, kid? Ain't no use you waste yourtime being no fabricator nurse. You got a good profesh already, knowwhat I mean?"

  Stan looked at him questioningly.

  "Sure." Marlo nodded. "So you come here, like maybe you're a tourist,see. But the joes get you and they bring you up here. Going to teachyou a trade--fabricator nurse, see. Only they don't know it but you'reone guy they don't have to teach, 'counta you got something better.All you gotta do