As the vehicle moved through the Hudson Valley, Terry looked at her, disconcerted, but quickly regained his composure. He spoke to himself, aloud: “I think I might have more than I bargained for here.” Then he looked at her closely, perhaps for the first time since they met. He looked carefully at her clean, sharp features, her strong demeanor; registered her flash – out front, where he could miss it only by ignoring her reality. He could sense her earnest sincerity. She was not taunting him; she was asking him to define his needs.
“Pru, I don´t sell sex. Anyone can do that, and the people who do it aren´t any different than they were long ago. Just about anyone can get sex without a lot of difficulty now, even though some people are still hung up on it. But, that´s not the issue.
“I don´t sell sex,” he repeated, “I sell satisfaction.” Terry leaned back in the seat.
“And, just what is that?” Pru demanded. She sat back in her seat, too, her eyes and voice level. “I don´t think sex should be ‘satisfactory´”. Though her voice was calm, her scorn was evident. “I don´t want ‘satisfactory sex´. That´s bullshit, and you can´t sell bullshit to people in a world that doesn´t even know what a bull is.”
Terry shrugged. “Sure you can, but semantics aside, it´s not bullshit. And maybe it´s not even satisfaction.” He stirred in his seat. “The people who accept Neo-Tantric training find they can relate to other people more effectively. In sexual or non-sexual situations. They seem to understand each other more readily and when they choose to relate sexually, the union seems to be deeper, more – uh, well the only word I can come up with is ‘satisfying´. Perhaps you´ll be able to help with that.”
The heavy ´mobile was moving more slowly, now. They were no longer computer-guided along the main way they had first taken beside the river; what Pru could see of the way was rougher and not as readily passable by a ´mobile that hovered on its fields only a few inches above the surface. It was a broad path that had been smoothed, obstacles largely removed. They were probably moving at about 60 klicks, the driver alert and manually controlling the vehicle, his eyes sweeping the sides of the way.
Every now and then, Pru noticed small animals fleeing the on-coming ´mobile. When they passed what had once been a town, they could now see only a cluster of decaying buildings, and she saw a road sign, faded to illegibility.
“Finding a better word shouldn´t be hard,” Pru said. Then, thinking she´d been a little harsh, she smiled and changed the subject. “How far out are you? Nyack is far enough out for a Metro connection, I know, but that means it´s something like 80 klicks from the main Controlled Area. Does anyone live here?”
“Well the big agricultural and industrial OC areas are fairly well populated, especially upstate. No one´s really sure what the population of an OC area like this is, but there are quite a few people. They stay out of sight, mostly, because that´s why they´re here. Voluntary or Expelled, they either don´t like people much, or they want to be left alone. It´s not a problem most of the time.”
As if to comment on Terry´s remark, a rock sailed out from behind a bush, bouncing on the edge of the way and, caught in the ´mobile´s field, zinged off in a different direction at greatly increased speed with a loud crack.
“It´s a kid,” offered the driver. “I could see him behind those bushy things.” He glanced sideways at his passengers. “They love to throw rocks at us and see what happens when they hit the fields. Now and then they get hit by the return, and sometimes they hit the ´mobile. I don´t like that, even though they can´t hurt us.”
“Eddie doesn´t like it because he has to fix the scratches,” Terry offered. “And sometimes, some of the Expellees will get drunk and take their frustrations out on us. This area isn´t too well suited for agriculture; those freight lifters you saw by the river come from farther north: the agricultural and industrial areas. Most of the people around here are recluses or malcontents. They call us Control Freaks.”
“I think that once had another meaning,” Pru said, a little surprised by the incident. “Is that why this ´mobile is, uh, so heavily built?”
“Well, that´s part of it,” Terry said, but did not volunteer any further explanation. Instead, he swung his seat from side to side, looking out of the windows as they moved quickly through a ruined town. He looked at Pru.
“There´s a seat belt there. Would you please fasten it?”
Disturbed, Pru fastened the three-point belt and settled back into her seat, somewhat glad of the restraint as they continued their talk.
A few minutes later, a chime sounded from the driver´s position, followed by a beeping noise. “Incoming!” the driver said, “Looks like a grenade. Hang on!” Pru felt herself pressed back into her seat as the mobile smoothly leapt forward. The missile streaked past the rear of the car and burst in a cloud of dirt, rocks and fragments well behind them.
“Looks like that´s the only one, Terry,” the driver said, guiding the ´mobile around a bend and continuing at the faster speed along the way.
Terry turned to Pru. “There are one or two Expellees in this area who sometimes get out of hand. We´ll report this – I think Eddie´s doing that now.” The driver was murmuring into his remote. “The local law will come around and take his toys away, and extend his period of expulsion. Even if he had hit us, that grenade wouldn´t have done much damage.”
Not at all pleased and rather disturbed, Pru said, “I guess you mean this thing is armored.”
Terry, more relaxed, but still watchful, nodded. “Yes. And it has a few surprises if things go any further.”
“Didn´t they once call these things ‘tanks´?”
“Well, that was an armored fighting vehicle for war. This is simply a ´mobile with a few extras. You know, of course, that this kind of thing isn´t usual.”
“Oh, of course,” Pru replied. Then, she continued, “I´m beginning to think I wouldn´t like the ride to work.”
“Well, if you´d prefer, you could work at home, or in one of our other offices. They´re in Controlled Areas. That would reduce the need to come all the way here. On the other hand, housing is available at the home office compound, of course. It´s quite safe there.”
“I´m sure.” Although Pru was not sure at all.