Paradox by John Meaney Page A

sustained it as the arachnargos's lower belly puckered open, swiftly dropping a cord-thin tendril at Zhao-ji's approach. It looped itself, figure-of-eight-wise, aroundhis body—“Fly, Zhao-ji!” “Good luck, mate!”—and drew him swiftly upwards.
    Tom raised a hand in farewell.
    Be nice to people—
    Spinning as he rose, Zhao-ji's small figure might have looked in Tom's direction once before being pulled inside. Then the bulbous body rippled shut, became smooth-bellied once more.
    â€” unless they're not nice to you. Petyo's white hair was visible among the crowd of boys. Then you take revenge. That's the strategy .
    The arachnargos moved.
    Thwap!
    One tendril unfastened itself, whipped back into the body, then spat out again at a forward angle and adhered farther along the cavern roof. Then another tendril unhooked, retracted, whipped forwards. Another…
    â€œThere he goes.”
    The tendrils moved ever faster, and the central body's motion was a smooth trajectory high above the broken floor as the tendrils became a blur and the arachnargos accelerated, arced down towards a wide tunnel's entranceway, turned sharply and sped away.
    And was gone.

Steam rose from the cup, rising in the shaft of sunlight which poured through the tall, crystalline window. The assistant registrar—“Call me Anne-Marie”—sat behind her hexagonal desk and sipped her tea.
    â€œYou won't get much sympathy from the VL Institute, Karyn.” Another sip. “But to the UTech students, you'll be some kind of hero.”
    The steam rose close to her randomly shifting eyes.
    â€œWonderful.” Karyn looked out across the campus. “That's all I need.”
    â€œI don't think,” said Anne-Marie, “that the intention is for you to be comfortable here.”
    â€œI know. If this doesn't make me change my mind, then nothing will.”
    â€œExactly.” Anne-Marie's blind eyes continued to shift as she placed her cup down.
    It would be tough. For three months, Karyn would be expected to continue her training—including her physical awareness drills—all by herself. No lecturers, no instructors. No sensei.
    That was part of the ordeal. They knew she could take discipline: they were testing her self -discipline.
    â€œAre there any other Pilot Candidates on campus?”
    Anne-Marie smiled. “One left, from the previous intake.”
    â€œI see.” Karyn did not want to ask how many there had been initially. The drop-out rate, here at the final hurdle, was very high.
    â€œHis name's Dart. He'll be going through with it.”
    â€œAnd what about me?” Karyn could not help asking. “Do you think I'll see it through?”
    â€œBad choice of words,” said Anne-Marie, then smiled ironically at Karyn's discomfort. “I don't know. But I'm rather hoping you don't, because I think I like you.”
    Great. Part of the act? Or genuine concern?
    â€œSo”—Karyn let out a long breath—“what do you think of us, Anne-Marie? Crazy, or plain stupid?”
    â€œOh, no.”
    Anne-Marie was silent for a moment, then added seriously: “Most of the time, I think you're all as brave as hell.”
    And the rest of the time?

    â€œWhat?” Tom looked up from his infotablet. He was sitting cross-legged by the school's main entrance.
    â€œFeelin' lonely, now your little friend's gone?”
    Tom minimized the display. “What do you want, Algrin?”
    It had been eleven days since Zhao-ji's departure.
    â€œHear you might be payin' him a visit.” Algrin's foot nudged Tom's knee. “Got a permit.”
    Closing his eyes, Tom said: “All right, Algrin. The permit will work for a group. Up to six additional people, and we have to go tomorrow.” He heard Algrin suck in a breath, surprised. “After that, it expires.”
    The Captain had explained how it worked, when Tom had asked permission to go upstratum on