CaldwellwokeuptofindhimselfslumpedoverGlyph’smakeshiftworktop.Theterminalhadloggedhimoutofhisnetbaseandhewastotallyexhaustedfromhismemorytrip.Bluelightstreaminginthroughthetrailerwindowstoldhimitwasthecrackofdawn.HelookedathiswatchandtheclockononeofGlyph’sconsolestoconfirmit.Itwas6.10AMonboth.ThatwasthekindofaccuracyyougotwhenyougetthetimeviaradiowavesinrealtimefromtheAtomicClockinSwitzerlandbywhichalltimewasmeasured.
Katwasstillfastasleepbreathingwithafaintraspingsound.Stillcurleduplikeacontentfetus.Shehadsomehowchangedpositionthoughandherheadwasnowatthebottomofthebed.Weird.HerSimFilmhadendedandcoloredlightfromthedefaultscreensaverflashedintermittentlyoverhereyelids.Caldwellheadedintothemodifiedshowercubicle.Therewasashowerseatintherewithsteelgrips,whichGlyphobviouslyusedtohoisthimselfoutofhiswheelchairandontotheshowerseat.Itlookedlikeawheelchairbutitwasmadeentirelyofplasticanddevoidofwheels.
Caldwellshoweredandgotdressedinhisoldclothes,everyminuteheighteningtheexcitement.Therewasnohotwatersohewasnowwellandtrulyawake.Anicecoldshowerhadawayofdoingthattoyou.Hecheckedhisknapsack.Theconsolewasintherewrappedinitspackingmaterial.It’sallIhave.It’sallIneed.Herolledtheknapsack’sbinationlocks.Withthebination,onlyaslashercouldgainaccessintoitandhehadnoplanstobeinthevicinityofanyofthose.
CaldwellsatonthebedandcontemplatedwhetherornottowakeKatorleaveheranote.Whilehewasdeliberating,asthoughreadinghismind,sheturnedroundandstaredathimwithsleep-puffedeyesringedwithmarksfromthegoggles.
“Don’tknowwhyyouneedtosleepwiththemon,”hesaidtoherashertiredeyesadjustedtothenaturallightstreamingthroughthewindowsofthetrailer.
“Can’tsleepwithoutthem.Youknowthat.Stayedupallnight?”
“Prettymuch.I’mofftotheairportnow.”
“Sosoon,”shesaid,yawning.
“Afraidso.Butpromisemeyou’llstayheretillIgetback.”
“Alreadydid.Besides,Ilikeithere.”Shesmiled,tracesofsleepstillembeddeddeepwithinherpaleskin.
“I’veleftsomeinstructionsonhowtologinonGlyph’smainconsole.Ialsoriggeditsothatthemessageavatarisconfiguredtopromptyouwhenyouhavemessages.I’veunpluggedtheothers.TheHoloFlikisthatgrayprojectorthingontheceiling.”Hepointedupattheceilingwhereasmallholographicprojectorunitwashanging.“TheSimsgoinaslotonthatbox.”
“Thanks,IthinkIcanhandleit,”shesaid.Katwasalreadypreppingforgoodbye.Therestwasjustsemantics.
“OKtakecareofyourself.”
“Iwill.Youtoo.”
Hehuggedher.Sheheldonverytightlikeamothersendingheronlysonofftowar.Itwaslikeshewasafraidhewasn’tingback.Finallysheletgo,fightingbacktears.Afteronelastlookather,hestoodupandleftGlyph’strailer.Outside,thepolicecordonsweregone.Theever-efficientFoulerhadseentoitthattheyhadbeenremovedatdawn.Thisguyseemedtooeagertoplease.SuspicionroseinCaldwelllikebileinagallbladder.
***
OnthewaytoHeathrowUnionAirport,flankedonallsidesbymegacorpdronesreturningtowork,awaveofexcitementwashedthroughCaldwellforthefirsttimeinalongwhile.ThehumanautomatonsthatmadetheUniontickwereeverywhere,scurryingbackandforthviatheentrances,exits,platformsandpeoplemovers,likeamacabrebiologicalorchestra.Severalquestionsremainedthough.CouldhetrustFouler?WasthegirlMeiLinforreal?Hehopedshewas.WouldhebeabletotrackherdowninHongKong?Shecouldhelphimfillinsomeofthegapsinhispast,whatithadbeenlikegrowingupinHongKong.AndifhismemorieswerecorrectandnotplantedbyFoulerandhiscronies,therehadbeensomekindofaconnectionthere,somethingthatwentfarbeyondtheunrestrainedragingofteenagehormones.
AttheHeathrowUnionAirportTerminal10station,CaldwellsteppedoffthetranslucentMagLevpulsingintermittentlywithadvertisingandmadehiswaytothedeparturearea.Foulerwasstandingataspecialcounterwithnoairlinelivery.Helookeddifferentstandingup,taller,morefragilebutpositivelymoredangerous.NexttohimwerethetwoheaviesfromFouler’slimousineandanattractiveyoungwomancarryingaredleatherattachécase.ThegirlwasprettyinaprimandproperBritishwayandlookedvaguelyfamiliar.Thetwotoughsmadenosecretofthefactthattheythoughttheworldofher.Foulerwashisusualdapperselfinabeigepin-stripedsuit.Hehadn’tshavedthoughandafiveo’clockshadowclungtohislongsharpjaw.
“Goodtoseeyoudidn’tgetotherideas,Cad,”hesaidgood-naturedly.Hehadprobablymanagedjustafewhourssleepbutitdidn’tshow,exceptinthethrobbingveinsrunningupthebackofhishands.
“Afterthelasttwenty-fourhours,unlikely,”Caldwellsaidaffablyenough.HehadmadeaconsciousdecisiontogiveFoulerabreakthismorning.IfFoulerwasplayinghimitwoulddonoharmtoappeartobecooperating.
“IwantyoutomeetMs.Levin.Shewillbeacpanyingyouontheflight,aswillAgentJonesandAgentJackman.
“Goodtomeetyou.Doyouhaveafirstname?”Caldwellaskedtheprimandproperblonde.Hefiguredtherewasalsonoharminbeingfriendlywiththegirlwhowasprobablygoingtomesswithhisheadduringtheflight.
“Idon’tthinkyouneed”Foulerstarted.
“It’salrightBruce,”shesaid.“MyfirstnameisSeven.MyparentshadaweirdsenseofhumorandinkeepingthenametheychoseformeIamhumoringthem.”
Caldwellfoundithardworkkeepingastraightfacebuthemanagedsomehow.Hewassorelytemptedtoaskhersomethingaboutbeingopenallhoursbuthebithistongue.Forthefirsttimeinalongwhile,hewasinanupbeatmood.
“OK,lookhereCad.We’vehookedyouupwithoneofouragentsinHongKong.AgentJonesandAgentJackmanwillputyouintouchwithourcontactinHongKongandthey’llbeleavingonthenextflight.OurHongKongagentwillsortyououtwitheverythingyouneed.”
“OK.Soundssuspiciouslylikeaplan.”
Foulerignoredhimandcontinued.
“Thedealisthis.Assoonasyouidentifythisnetworkandfindawayin,youpullback,cleanupallyourtracesandgetyourHongKongcontactAgentHsutoinformus.We’llthentakeoverfromthere.Donotattempttoplayaroundinthenetwork.Yourjobisjusttogetaccessandco-ordinatesonthisthing.Imustwarnyou,incaseyou’veforgotten,thattheChinesehavesomeofthemostsophisticatedelectronicIntrusionCounter-AttackEntities(ICE)intheworld.Thesethingsdon’tjustkeepyouout.Theytrackyoudownuntilyouareaflatlineincyberspace.”
“Understood.”
“DonotattempttoloseAgentHsu.We’llhaveaGPStagonyouandwillbeabletoknowyourwhereaboutstowithininches.”
WiththatFoulerstrodeoffdowntowardstheescalator,hisstripedbeigesuitflutteringinthesubtlecurrentsoftheair-conditioning.AgentJonesandAgentJackmanstoodgawkingafterhimlikechildrenabandonedinacrowdedshoppingmall.
“ComeonMr.Caldwell,”urgedMs.Levin,grabbinghimbythearm.“Ihaveadatewiththatimportantbrainofyours.”
wWw。xiaoshuotxt。netT/xt.小/说.天+堂