Matrix Man by William C. Dietz Page A

light. Shadows modeled her face as she looked down at some sort of printout. She was just as pretty as he remembered, maybe even more so. It seemed as though her hair was different, shorter maybe, and there was something about her eyes. Makeup? Whatever it was, he liked it. "Hello, Kim, I got your message. What's up?"
    In spite of the cheerful greeting Kim could see Corvan was tired. Not only that, but he had deep scratches on his face where the man called El Toro had clawed him, and he walked with a slight limp.
    Suddenly it all seemed real: the terrible fight, his victory over the convict. Her carefully hoarded anger melted away, leaving her all soft and mushy. Damn the man! Suddenly she was grinning like an idiot. She spoke quickly, hoping he wouldn't notice. "I saw the story. What they say is true. You really are crazy."
    "Stupid, is more like it," Corvan replied wryly. "Had I known what it was like in mere, I would’ve stayed in bed. Is the story getting good play? I'd like to see Warden Waller spend some time in her own lockup.”
    "Good play?" Kim asked. "Are you kidding? The preliminary ratings are off the charts, and as for Waller, well, I'd say her days are numbered. The governor just announced an investigation."
    "Good," Corvan said. "I got your message. What's up?"
    "You remember the little puzzle you left with me?"
    Corvan nodded. "Sure, Neely's disk."
    "Well, I’ve been working on it, and guess what? There's something on it after all. A lot of something. I thought you should take a look."
    A grin exploded across Corvan's face. He grabbed Kim and kissed her on the cheek. "All right! The ace editor strikes again! How did you do it?"
    Kim responded with a frown of disapproval but felt pleased nonetheless. She shrugged modestly. "It was a combination of perseverance and dumb luck. I noticed that though the video was scrambled, it was scrambled in a uniform way, and that suggested some sort of encryption. I ran it through every modulator/ demodulator the studio has. Still nothing. So I modified the gear and kept modifying it until it worked."
    Corvan shook his head in amazement. "You're just as stubborn as Frank was. So give, what's on the tape?"
    "Hold on for a moment and you can see for yourself."
    As Kim sat down and reached for a wire, she found herself pointing up at the second cord and asking an unexpected question: "Would you care to wire up?"
    Corvan looked at her for a moment, sensed it was special, and nodded. "Yes, thank you. I'd enjoy that."
    Kim felt suddenly jubilant. He knew! He understood! She slipped the jack into the side of her head and felt the cool darkness rise to surround her.
    The equipment began to talk, murmuring its soft litany of readiness, but Kim's attention lay elsewhere. This wasn't her first time. She been dual wired before. First with her instructors, later with a few peers, and finally with some insistent clients.
    But not willingly and not for a very long time. She'd done it because she had to, because the job demanded it, because they'd hurt her if she didn't.
    And later she'd spent hours in the shower, scrubbing her skin until it bled, trying to rid herself of the invisible dirt. But no matter how hot the water was, or how much soap she applied, a part of them remained. A stain on her soul.
    But this was different. This time it was her desire, her interface, and her decision. Theoretically it could be good.
    When people were linked by the interface, thoughts could flash back and forth at incredible speed, emotions could be shared rather than described, and relationships could be built or destroyed in seconds. What would Corvan be like?
    On one level it was idle curiosity, on another it was something more, a need to peek under the surface. The only problem was that in order to get a little, you had to give a little, and Corvan would end up knowing just as much as she did.
    The reop took the seat next to her, pulled the second cord down, and jacked it in. Suddenly he was