by F X Holden
AJ thought about that. It hurt a bit, what Leon was saying. Wouldn’t anyone call the cops if he went missing? Apart from his Ma? He thought about Henni. She’d been with him two years, but then she decided she wanted children and AJ couldn’t help with that, and she didn’t want to adopt, so it was over. It was six months since he spoke with her last. There was Cyan, boss and friend, but mostly boss. Then there was Cassie. A girl he’d had two dates with? “I guess not,” he said. “Which sucks.”
Leon punched his shoulder, “Cheer up. That’s the way it is for people like you. You living the free life, just doing your job, no one to cramp your style, but the price you pay is nobody except Leon and Cyan going to miss you if you don’t come back from the Capitol.”
“Don’t come back?”
“Yeah man. The scenario I’m painting, you go to the Capitol, you hand over that document, the Congressman reads it and sees it’s poison. He’s got a Core-tap on you, knows exactly where you are…”
“I’m a cyber Leon,” AJ reminded him. “You can keep a Core-tap secret from a citizen, not from a cyber.” Tapping the data flow between an individual and the Core as a way of tracking their movements was as old as time, but where a citizen might go around oblivious they had a tap on them, a cyber could see the hitch-hiker on their drift status. It was one of the defenses the Core gave its cyber agents, and thus itself.
“OK, yeah, so he’s using good old fashioned physical surveillance – drones, foot soldiers. You have a nice chat, maybe he says hey, how about we give you a lift to your hotel. A car pulls up and you jump in. Last thing you see is the inside of a car, you’re wondering hey, why is there a groundsheet on the floor of this limo, happy tourist smile on your face fading as you die. Then I come to work Monday, Cyan says to me, “Hey Leon, have you seen AJ? He didn’t show for work today.”
Leon let the silence draw out. Let AJ think about that.
“Remind me why the hell I am going to the Capitol then? Tell me why I’m not just going to the cops and saying, hey, there’s some messed up business going on with Warnecke and this Congressman and the old guy has got a gun - you guys sort it out.”
Leon laughed and gave AJ a patient look, “Sure. You let me play the cop, OK?”
“What?”
“Look, I’m the cop, and you just came to me with your story, OK, so I say, “OK sir, let me understand this. This old guy at Sol Vista showed you his gun and said he would kill himself if you didn’t give this document to the Congressman?”
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“OK. But he didn’t threaten you?”
“No, not directly. He said I didn’t get to decide anything, I should do what he said.”
“OK, let me just check something,” Leon makes out he’s accessing the Core. “Citizen David Warnecke you say, House 96, Sol Vista… yes, I can see he has a permit for a handgun. So it’s a legal weapon. And he didn’t threaten you with it, he just showed it to you?”
“I guess.”
“Sir, I’m not seeing any crime here,” Leon said. “Perhaps you should speak with a psych A.I. about his suicide threat?”
AJ got that cornered feeling again.
“You see what I’m saying,” Leon said.
“I guess. So, forget this. I don’t go to the cops, but I don’t go to the Capitol either. I just ignore Warnecke. So he kills himself, his manuscript goes to a lawyer or something, the Congressman gets the heat, or maybe nothing happens at all. What do I care, if it really is like you say - it’s me or Warnecke.”
“Yeah, I know that isn’t my man AJ talking there, but you under pressure,” Leon sighs, “You like your job?”
“Yeah, you know it.”
“What if he don’t kill himself? Most people talk big, but they never go through with it. You don’t help Warnecke, so you’re no use to him, he’s got a grudge now. Next thing you know, Cyan is in your face with the cops because Warnecke said you assaulted him. Even if you don’t get charged, you know that means you’re out of here, no matter how much the boss lady likes you. She got a business to run and it don’t run smooth if the people hear the staff are beating up on the residents.”
“OK. So I find another job. That’s a bit better than getting whacked in a limo in the Capitol.”
“Getting whacked? You heard that in some vintage gangster show?”
“Killed, assassinated, whatever. I’ll miss you Leon, but there’s plenty of other jobs.”
“And they’ll leave you alone, Warnecke, the Congressman?”
“Why not? I’m gone.”
“You read the document.”
“It could be nothing,” AJ said. “You read it too. It’s just an allegation, about some crazy science and a ship that crashed.”
“The part you saw. Congressman Winter, he knows you haven’t seen the whole manuscript?”
“I’ll tell him.”
“Yeah, and he can choose to believe you. Or, he can choose for you to disappear, along with Warnecke, and his manuscript. What’s the safest option, for him?”
“Damn it. You got a sick mind Leon, the way you look at this stuff.”
Leon tapped his forehead, “I got an educated mind, mano. I learned this stuff so well, I used to teach it. It’s why I don’t sleep so good.”
AJ didn’t even see Leon at the drone port. He’d offered to meet him there, pay his flight, but Leon had told him don’t worry, he’d get in touch with him once they’d reached the Capitol. He told AJ the best way to stay in contact was via an encrypted app for his earbud. He pulled it down from an off-Core site and taught him how to use it to call him.
“I’m betting they won’t go through official channels for something like this,” Leon said. “They’ll keep this low key, off the books. Probably use private assets, not government. So this little encrypter should be fine. You use it with your earbud, talk to me that way, they have to be in physical range to hear your side of the conversation, that’s all they can do.”
“What does the encrypter do?”
“Encrypts the call, in transit, with end to end quantum paired keys,” Leon said.
“Like I know what that means,” AJ said.
“It means it uses entangled particles to encrypt the call. No A.I. on this frozen rock can listen in on the call; it can’t even see who you are calling. All it could possibly see is that you’re using encryption, which will tell it you’re being careful. That’s not necessarily a bad thing either.”
“OK.”
“Also, it works like a tracker - I can track your earbud with it, so keep it on you.”
“Will do.”
“I made an ID in there for you to call me,” he said, smiling. “It’s called ‘Hermano’.”
AJ was beginning to think Leon hadn’t even made the flight; after all, it was boarding 0600. But after he took his seat and was settling in, he saw Leon walking down the aisle toward him carrying a small backpack, dressed in dark trousers and a blue shirt. He didn’t even look at AJ, just walked past him, down the back, and took his seat. It was a four hour flight, so he had to go to the john a couple times and the first time he went past, he saw Leon was reading a book, didn’t look up. The second time, Leon had his cap on, pulled down over his eyes like he was sleeping, or trying to.
It was middle of the afternoon local time when they got into Capitol State Drone Port and AJ was walking down the concourse after he got off the drone, trying to see where the exit was, when he felt his earbud buzzing. He put it in and tapped his ear, and saw the call was coming in via the app Leon had installed. His earbud stopped buzzing. He hit the app to call Leon back. As he did so, he saw Leon walking past him and saw him talking at the same time as he heard him on the comms. Leon just kept walking, following the crowd to the exit.
“OK, so you’re just behind me now,” Leon said. “You’re going to lose me when you get picked up by the car the Congressman sends, so let’s hope you don’t get ‘whacked’ on the way in to the Capitol.”
“Ha ha,” AJ
said. “Yeah, let’s.” There was a short lag after Leon spoke, but otherwise it was like a normal comms call.
“I’ll be behind in a car. Might catch up to you, but I doubt it. Once you’re in your limo, ask the A.I. where you’re going. Wait a while. Then call me, tell me where. You ask the A.I. to stop so you can get a drink somewhere or take a leak, so I can get ahead of you, OK?”
“OK.”
“You call me Ma, anytime we talk on the comms, OK? In case someone is nearby listening.”
“OK Ma. Why?”
“So you don’t call me Leon. You good?”
“Yeah. Hey, you sound like you got a bad cold Ma,” AJ said, pulling on his pack and heading toward the exit again.
“Keep jokin’,” Leon said. “Devil likes people can make him laugh.” He hung up.
AJ saw Leon go through the door to arrivals and then head for the car queue. He was scanning the chauffeur line when he saw a guy in a dark suit hold up his hand and show him his name on a sign.
“Hey there sir,” the guy said. He was an old guy, looked pale like most Capitol Staters. Had that long-short haircut they all liked over here. “You’re AJ?”
“That’s me.”
“Good, just making sure. Take your bag?”
“No that’s OK,” AJ said.
“OK, well, just follow me,” the guy said. “I’m Ernesto.”
He followed the guy into the limo area at the parking garage and he led them to a silver Town Car and popped the door, waiting with his hand out to hold AJ’s pack.
“That’s OK, I got it,” AJ said.
“No problem,” the guy said, helped AJ inside. AJ wasn’t used to having a whole car to himself. The middle seat partition on the back seat was folded down, and there were two bottles of water in the bottle holder, some snacks and a box of tissues.
“So, downtown Capitol sir, that right?”
“Congressman Winter’s office, yeah, if that’s downtown Capitol,” AJ said.
“That’s what I got on my running sheet,” the guy said. “Any changes én-route, just tell it to the A.I.”
“OK.”
“Be 45 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic,” the guy said. “Water and food there if you want it. Just took it out of the storage in back. It warm enough?”
AJ lifted a bottle and felt it, “It’s fine, thanks.”
“Okay then,” the guy said and closed the door.
AJ had seen limos on VR. Some of them had minibars stocked with drinks. He looked around but couldn’t see one. Maybe that was just the luxury limos. As they pulled onto the freeway, he sat back. “Do the Congressmen and women drive in these?” he said out loud.
“Which congressmen and women sir?” the car A.I. asked.
“Capitol Politicians,” AJ said. “Any of them.”
“Oh, not usually sir,” the A.I. said. “The Government has its own fleet, usually they use those.”
“So this car is private?”
“Yes, sir,” the A.I. said. “It’s pre-paid in case you’re worried about the cost of hiring a private car?”
“Good to know, thanks.”
“Your return trip is paid for too,” the A.I. said. “Just call us and give us your name, we’ll pick you up.” An advertisement came up on the screen set into the door beside him.
AJ looked at it, “A1 Car Service.”
“Yes sir. We guarantee pickup within fifteen minutes of your call.”
“Ok, thanks.” The idea they’d booked a return trip for him was reassuring. Then he thought about what Leon would say about that. ‘Mano, they want you to be relaxed, right up until you disappear.’
“No problem. Would you like to chat sir, or would you like some peace and quiet?”
“Huh? No, I’ll speak up if I need anything.”
“You do that sir.”
AJ watched traffic. He relaxed a bit, and took a sip of water. After about ten minutes, he tapped his earbud and called Leon.
“Hey Ma, I’m in the car,” he said.
“You on the freeway?”
“Yeah I guess. We’ve been driving about fifteen minutes.”
“I’m a ways behind you. In about ten minutes, ask him to pull off so you can take a whizz. And where you going, you worked that out yet?”
AJ put his hand over his earbud and said out loud, “Excuse me driver, where are you dropping me? I just want to be sure it’s the right address.”
A map came up on the screen, “Independence Avenue, Hyburne House,” the A.I. said, “Does that sound right sir?”
“Yeah, thanks,” AJ said. “Independence Avenue, Hyburne House Ma,” he told Leon.
“OK, that’s where his office is, I looked it up,” Leon said. “Got a view of the Capitol Congress probably. You just slow it down, I’ll be there when you get there. And AJ?”
“Yeah Ma?”
“Stop saying Ma at the end of every sentence, OK?”
“OK.”
AJ asked the A.I. to find him a men’s room somewhere and so they took an off-ramp and he used the washroom at a recharge station and then went inside and bought himself a drink before coming back out.
“What time is your appointment?” the A.I. asked, sounding a little worried. AJ figured he had just added about a quarter of an hour to the trip.
“When I get there,” AJ said. “No fixed time.”
“OK then. You good to go sir?”
“All good,” AJ said, settling back in.
After a while AJ recognized he was on Penn Avenue and saw the Congress building approaching up on their left. A huge white building that if you saw it from above, was shaped like the icecap colony it ruled over. As they came onto Independence Avenue, the A.I. flashed the map again. “Hyburne House coming up on the right, sir. You want me to just drop you on the curb? I can pull in right out front.”
“That’s fine,” AJ said.
Like Leon had said, the building was right opposite the south wing of the Congress building. It had two big statues out front flanking wide staircases leading up to an entrance through six columns. After he climbed out of the limo, AJ looked around him, trying to see Leon, but all he saw were tourists, some cops, and a lot of traffic.
His comms buzzed, “Stop looking for me. I’m here,” Leon said.
“I’m just admiring the sights, Ma,” AJ said. “Never been in the Capitol before.”
“You go in, have your meeting. When you come out, call me, I’ll follow you.” He sounded serious now. “AJ?”
“Yeah?”
“The way I’d play this if I was serious, I wouldn’t just have electronic surveillance on you. If they planning to grab you or worse, that requires feet on the ground, citizen or cyber. If I tell you to run mano, you run for your damn life, ok?”
“OK.” He thought about Leon’s comment about the last thing he’d see would be a groundsheet inside a limo. “What if they get me in a car?”
“I’ll follow. I got my own wheels now.”
“I thought you’d be in a shared car? How did you get a private car?”
“Think you the only guy with contacts in the Capitol mano? Now get in there. Good luck.”
AJ walked up the winding stairs and quickly realized he wasn’t getting in that way before the guard on the door told him as much. The guy pointed at a sign saying ‘Visitor Entrance, South Capitol St.’ and AJ followed it around the corner to an entrance with people coming and going and a reception desk.
“Help you sir?” another guard asked him as he walked up.
“I have an appointment with Congressman Winter,” he said, expecting the guy to say, “Sure you have.”
But the guard picked up a stylus, asked for his name, wrote it down then touched his earbud and called a number, spoke a couple words and then hung up.
“Someone will be down in a minute, you can wait over there,” the guard said, pointing at some benches.
AJ sat himself down and about ten minutes later, a young man in a smart blue shirt, pressed trousers
and shiny shoes walked toward him. He had his eyeliner thick, just on his lower lids. It made him look sleepy.
“AJ?” he asked.
“Good guess,” he said, looking around him. He wasn’t the only one sitting there.
“You’re the only guy here with a tan,” he said, smiling. “I was told you’re from South Coast City.” He tapped a spot between his eyebrows, “Plus, you know, this. Anyway, let’s get you signed in. I’m William.”
Formalities done, he followed the guy to an elevator, “Sorry to keep you waiting, but it was lucky I was in this part of the building when I got the call to come pick you up or it would have been even longer,” he said. “This building is a nightmare. Can take twenty minutes to get from one side to the other, you been here before?”
“First time in the Capitol,” he said.
“Cool, after me,” he stepped into the elevator and AJ followed as he asked for the second floor. “The AI they commissioned to design this place was an attempt to see if AIs could be creative, with architecture,” he said. He blew some hair out of his eyes. He had dark brown eyes, a kind round face, was chubby in an office worker kind of way and smiled like he meant it. AJ guessed he was about 25. “Which we all know now, they can’t. No offense,” he said, without feeling. “So it’s made in an H-shape, as in H for Hyburne. Super creative, right? Except if you are up in the top of the H, to get to the other side of the H you have to go down, left, left, then right. If they just made it a square, the distance would be about two hundred yards, this way, it’s three times that. And the is full of dead ends. Drives you crazy.” He gave AJ one of his smiles, “Don’t worry if you haven’t been caching, I’ll show you out again.”
He took AJ along an anonymous corridor, a couple turns, then arrived at an office with a nice couch in the reception area and an empty desk. “Mary usually sits there, but not on weekends,” William said. “There’s only a couple of us in today.” He pointed to a coffee pot on a stand next to a potted plant, “But there’s hot coffee if you want?”