Charlie struggled to regain the conversational high ground.
“Look, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten about six months back when they picked that bum off the streets in Chicago?”
“What bum?”
“I remember that,” said Adrienne brightly. “He was just a bum.”
“Out of work?” asked Gabriella suspiciously.
“No, I remember that one, too,” Eric volunteered. “He didn’t seem to have any special qualifications for off-world work. Hispanic, unmarried, not much immediate family. They sent him off with two transport workers. Not an advanced degree in the bunch.”
“You see?” Charlie beamed triumphantly across at Gabriella. “Anyone can be picked.”
“Maybe so,” she admitted reluctantly, “but it’s damned unlikely. Maybe they just do that to keep everybody’s hopes up.”
“That’s not an unreasonable thought,” Eric admitted.
“That’s nuts, they have to hew to some standards,” Charlie insisted. “There’s too much at stake.”
“There’s a lot at stake in keeping us ordinary slobs convinced we have the same chance of getting the pie in the sky as some guy with three degrees.”
“Well … maybe. But I’m not holding my breath.”
“Wouldn’t it be wonderful, though,” said Gabriella wistfully, leaning forward and startling Eric by rubbing her knee against his. “Garden and Eden, the paradise worlds. Where farmers get three crops a year, the scenery’s so beautiful it breaks your heart, and the weather is balmy all year round. No dangerous animals, no pollutants to worry about, all the conveniences of modern society shipped regularly through the GATE … and no taxes. I’d go in a minute if I bought it.” She gazed abruptly straight into Eric’s eyes.
“What about you, Eric? Would you go?”
“I don’t know,” he said awkwardly, acutely conscious of the friction below the table. “I guess so. Everyone else does.”
That much was true. The government didn’t have to cajole. Hardly anyone refused the GATE. Families were always kept together. In the 150 years of GATE operation there’d been only two or three instances when someone selected had refused the opportunity. Eccentrics Everyone else went. Who wouldn’t accept a free trip to Eden if given the chance?
It was something for everyone to dream about. The lowliest of the low could hope, for unimaginable psychological reasons, to be chosen. A poor man had the same chance as a millionaire.
Sure he’d go, he told himself. Right now, though, there was promise of a more immediate sort in Gabriella’s eyes and in the actions of her leg. It appeared he’d bought something besides the GATE.
Halftime ceremonies concluded and the game resumed. The remote chance of buying the GATE vanished from the minds of those cheering and commenting on the action.
As the evening wore on Eric responded to Gabriella’s game of footsie with interest, if not with excessive enthusiasm. She was attractive enough, and as Charlie claimed, she certainly seemed interested in him, but she was still a bit aggressive for him. Time would tell.
The game stayed close. Much to everyone’s delight Phoenix pulled it out in the last minute.
People began filing out of the restaurant, leaving it in possession of the serious drinkers. Colligatarch Local gave the weather. Business commentary followed. Eric disengaged his leg from Gabriella's and rose.
“Well, I’ve got a full day tomorrow.”
“Yeah, yeah, we know,” said Charlie, also standing and pushing back his chair. “We’ve all seen the headlines. ‘Brilliant young Selvern designer has full day!’” Laughter came from their companions.
“No, really, I do,” Eric protested. “I have to go to Hong Kong next week.”
“Hong Kong?” said Gabriella. “How exciting!”
“It might be if I hadn’t been there so many times before.”
“You never told me the company sends you overseas.”
“You have to pull information out of Eric,” Charlie told her with a wink. “He thinks anything he says about himself sounds like boasting.”
“It wouldn’t be boasting, I suppose,” Eric said. “It’s only business. Selvern has a big plant over there. It has to do with the new ring opto. It’s supposed to go into production next year, and since I designed some of the backup circuitry, they want my input on the line.”
“Well,” said Adrienne, “I guess it won’t be long before you won’t be coming up here to eat with us commoners. Sounds to me like you’re teetering on the edge of a promotion.”
“Teetering, hell,” said Charlie proudly, “it’s practically assured. Assistant Chief Designer.”
“Does that mean you’d be leaving Phoenix?” asked Gabriella.
“Naw.” Charlie answered before Eric could. “Moving up a few floors, maybe. Pretty soon you’ll be able to take the stairs to dinner, Eric.”
“Give me a break, will you, Charlie?”
“Sure. What d’you want broken? Seriously, I think it’s great. Wish I could go along. Never been to Hong Kong.”
“No, but you’ve been to Caracas. I’ll trade you.”
“Would if I could,” Charlie told him.
Gabriella rose. “It’s time for us to leave, too. I’m certainly not going to hang around to listen to you two brag about your exciting lives.”
“You could travel with us,” said Charlie, quick to take advantage of the slightest opening.
