Down on the Farm: A Tor.Com Original (Laundry Files)
Charles Stross
Language: English
Pages: 39
ISBN: B003V4B4IO
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
In Charles Stross’s novel The Atrocity Archive and its sequels, the “Laundry” is a secret British agency responsible for keeping dark interdimensional entitities from destroying the cosmos and, not incidentally, the human race. The battles with creatures from beyond time are dangerous; however, it’s the subsequent bureaucratic paperwork that actually breaks men’s souls. Now, in “Down on the Farm,” Laundry veteran Bob Howard must investigate strange doings at another obscure, moth-eaten government agency—evidently a rest home for Laundry agents whose minds have snapped…
Charles Stross is the Hugo-winning author of some of the most acclaimed novels and stories of the last ten years, including Singularity Sky, Accelerando, Halting State, the "Merchant Princes" series beginning with The Family Trade, and the story collections Toast and Wireless. In 2010, his Laundry story “Overtime,” published on Tor, is a finalist for science fiction’s Hugo Award.
the board. 舠Bad patient!舡 It buzzes. 舠Bad PATients will be inCAR-cerATED! COME with ME!舡 I recoil from the stellate snout and beady lenses. The mechanical nurse reaches out with arms that end in metal pincers instead of hands: I side-step around the table and reach down to the chessboard for one of the pieces, grasping at random. My hand closes around the white queen, fingers snapping painfully shut on contact, and I shove it hard, seeking the path of least resistance to an empty cell in the
She舗s noticed my surreptitious inspection. 舠We can舗t use electric ones, except for Matron, of course. Come into my office, I舗ll fill you in.舡 We go through another door舒oak, darkened with age, looking more like it belongs in a stately home than a Lunatick Asylum, except for the two prominent locks舒and suddenly we舗re in mahogany row: thick wool carpets, brass door-knobs, light switches, and over-stuffed armchairs. (Okay, so the carpet is faded with age and transected by more of the parallel
shit-stirring missive. 舠Something about one of the long-stay inmates. And I was just wondering, do you know anything about them?舡 Angleton peers at me over the rims of his bifocals. 舠As a matter of fact I do,舡 he says slowly. 舠I had the privilege of working with them. Hmm. Let me see.舡 He unfolds creakily to his feet, turns, and strides over to the shelves of ancient Eastlight files that cover the back wall of his office. 舠Where did I put it舰舡 Angleton going to the paper files is another whoa!
a time. The outer door will lock automatically behind you when it closes, and it can only be unlocked from a control panel at this end of the viewing gallery. Someone up here舡舒meaning, Renfield herself舒舠has to let you out.舡 We reach the first periscope station in the viewing gallery. 舠This is room two. It舗s currently occupied by Alan Turing.舡 She notices my start: 舠Don舗t worry, it舗s just his safety name.舡 (True names have power, so the Laundry is big on call by reference, not call by value; I舗m
Alice confides in舒this must be Godel, I realize, which means Alice is Mandelbrot舒Godel, then with a wink at me: 舠he doesn舗t know anything, either.舡 Godel shuffles into the rest room. 舠Is it tea-time already?舡 舠No!舡 Mandelbrot puts his mug down. 舠Get a watch!舡 舠I was only asking because Alan and Georg are still playing舒舡 This has gone far enough. Apprehension dissolves into indignation: 舠It舗s not chess!舡 I point out. 舠And none of you are insane.舡 舠Sssh!舡 Godel looks alarmed. 舠The Sisters