The Fortress in Orion by Mike Resnick Page A

“you can leave us. We can find our way back to where we met you.”
    â€œI cannot leave you alone with the prisoner,” replied the robot.
    â€œOkay. Move as far from us as you can and don’t listen to what we say.”
    The robot moved to the far end of the short corridor.
    Pretorius turned back to the blob of fur. “Hey, can you hear me?”
    â€œI have heard every word you have said since you arrived at my cell,” said a very human voice in near-perfect Terran.
    â€œYou know Madam Methuselah?”
    â€œI know of her” was the answer.
    â€œShe says you’re a shape-changer.”
    â€œShe is mistaken.”
    â€œDamn,” said Pretorius. “Then we’re wasting our time here.”
    â€œPossibly not,” said the inmate, and suddenly Pretorius was staring at a gray-haired blue-eyed man, an inch or two under six feet, dressed in an expensive suit, perhaps twenty pounds overweight.
    â€œThis is you ?” said Pretorius, staring at him.
    â€œYes.”
    â€œThen you are a shape-changer.”
    â€œI told you I am not.”
    Pretorius turned to Circe, who nodded her head that the alien was telling the truth.
    â€œThen what the hell are you?” insisted Pretorius. “Why do you look exactly like a Man?”
    â€œI cannot change my shape,” answered Gzychurlyx. “But what I can do is change your perception of my shape.”
    â€œExplain, please.”
    â€œAny security machine will know my true appearance. So will cameras. But I can project an image of myself that will fool any living being of any race, no matter how close or far away they are.”
    â€œI see,” said Pretorius, frowning. “That makes it more difficult, but I think we can still use you.”
    â€œWho is this ‘we,’ and how do you propose to use me?”
    â€œLet me answer that with a question,” said Pretorius. “We’re in neutral territory between the Democracy and the Coalition. Which side do you favor?”
    The Man who was not a male grinned. “I favor any side that will get me out of this dungeon.”
    Pretorius turned to Circe for confirmation, and she nodded again.
    â€œAll right,” he said. “If I pay your bail, will you come to work for me? I warn you, it will be dangerous.”
    â€œIt can’t be any worse than being bored to death in this cell,” replied Gzychurlyx.
    â€œOkay. It’ll take me perhaps an hour to raise the funds for your bail.”
    â€œI am not going anywhere.”
    â€œOne more thing,” said Pretorius.
    â€œYes?”
    â€œI can’t begin to pronounce your name, and neither can anyone else on my team. Have you got a nickname or an alias?”
    â€œNo.”
    Pretorius lowered his head in thought for a moment, then looked up. “All right. From this moment forward, your name is Proto.”
    â€œProto?” repeated the alien.
    â€œFor protoplasm, and the way you sling it around.”
    â€œBut I don’t.”
    Pretorius smiled. “We’ll let that be our little secret for the time being.” He turned to the robot. “Okay, we’re ready to leave now.”
    The robot escorted them to the ground level and out the front door. Their vehicle was gone, but another pulled up in less than a minute, and shortly thereafter they were aboard the ship.
    â€œYou look troubled,” noted Circe.
    â€œI was hoping he and maybe Djibmet could masquerade as members of Michkag’s military and march us into the fortress as prisoners, but we’ll never pull that off, not if he can’t fool a security system.”
    â€œThen why are we getting him out of jail?”
    â€œHe’s got a talent. We’ll find some use for it. Besides, I don’t think Wilbur will let us keep the pirates’ loot, so we might as well spend it.”
    â€œWilbur?”
    â€œGeneral Cooper,” he answered. “Okay, let’s get