directed Ren to Initech's company website, which was still archived on Google even though the company itself had folded.
Acknowledged. Processing,
Ren said, the words reverberating in my head.
I also need you to look for all sales for these components from Boeing. Cross-reference those with companies whose power usage exceeds 50,000 kilowatts a month,
I said, grinning. I kind of liked playing detective, at least when I had the unfair advantage of a crazy-fast alien computer. One of the things I'd learned working for Initech is that faster-than-light data communication was very, very energy intensive. Our tiny prototype had been extremely expensive to run, and if Dick had created a larger one, it would be a real energy hog.
Processing,
Ren repeated.
I considered withdrawing from the crystal to give him time to work, but within a few moments he spoke again.
Results compiled.
I browsed the file Ren had created, which was thankfully very short. There were only four addresses who met both the power requirements and had ordered the right components to create an FTL data transfer device that matched the specs we'd used at Initech. One in Madrid, one in Beijing, one in Portland, and the last in Washington, D.C. All four companies had convincing uses for the technology, at least at first glance.
I moved on to the part of the file that showed Dick's movements. He'd been picked up on a bank camera in San Francisco, and a gas station in Hopland, California. That was it. He'd apparently done a great job of cloaking his movements. So how could I find him?
Ren, give me a list of all offices associated with these four companies,
I ordered. The list appeared instantly. Two of the companies only had one office. The one in Madrid also had a location in Italy, so I dismissed that one. The one in Portland had offices in Peru, London, and, most importantly, a small satellite office in a tiny town called Garberville, California. It was less than twenty miles from Hopland.
Ren, check the power usage for this address,
I ordered. I smiled when I saw the results, then released the crystal.
"I've got you, Dick."
Chapter 19- Ringing
I'd grown used to the ringing by the time Jillian popped back into existence with a can of cold, beef stew and a warm soda. I spooned down the stew as fast as I could chew, and licked the can clean when I was done.
"So you were a little hungry then," Jillian said, with a half-smile. She sat on the table, folding one leg over the other with exaggerated care. I stared, of course. One does not simply ignore legs like Jillian's, especially when they're covered by nothing more than black yoga pants.
"Wow," I said, ignoring the soda in favor of eye candy.
"You're staring," Jillian said with a laugh.
"Sorry," I said. I wasn't.
"So did you find anything useful?" Jillian asked, stretching slowly until her back arched and my eyes widened.
"You're very distracting, you know that?" I said, grinning.
"It's accidental," she said, winking. "But seriously, did you find anything?"
"Yeah, I think I've located Dick. If I'm right, we should be able to hit his facility and knock out whatever FTL research he's working on," I said, meeting her gaze. It was harder than it should have been. "I've given it some thought, and I think you and I should do it alone."
Jillian eyed me quizzically for a moment, then understanding lit her eyes. "You're worried about the spy. You think Osiris was right."
"Yeah," I agreed. "The grey men have been too close, too many times. Egypt convinced me. Someone is telling them where to find us. There's no way they could have known otherwise."
"That's why you didn't want Summers to stay awake," she said, pursing her lips as she considered.
"Exactly," I said, nodding. "I don't know for sure who it is. It probably isn't her, but why take chances? Until we know for sure, we have to assume it could be anyone."
"Couldn't it be me?" Jillian asked, soberly.
"I considered it, but if
Acknowledged. Processing,
Ren said, the words reverberating in my head.
I also need you to look for all sales for these components from Boeing. Cross-reference those with companies whose power usage exceeds 50,000 kilowatts a month,
I said, grinning. I kind of liked playing detective, at least when I had the unfair advantage of a crazy-fast alien computer. One of the things I'd learned working for Initech is that faster-than-light data communication was very, very energy intensive. Our tiny prototype had been extremely expensive to run, and if Dick had created a larger one, it would be a real energy hog.
Processing,
Ren repeated.
I considered withdrawing from the crystal to give him time to work, but within a few moments he spoke again.
Results compiled.
I browsed the file Ren had created, which was thankfully very short. There were only four addresses who met both the power requirements and had ordered the right components to create an FTL data transfer device that matched the specs we'd used at Initech. One in Madrid, one in Beijing, one in Portland, and the last in Washington, D.C. All four companies had convincing uses for the technology, at least at first glance.
I moved on to the part of the file that showed Dick's movements. He'd been picked up on a bank camera in San Francisco, and a gas station in Hopland, California. That was it. He'd apparently done a great job of cloaking his movements. So how could I find him?
Ren, give me a list of all offices associated with these four companies,
I ordered. The list appeared instantly. Two of the companies only had one office. The one in Madrid also had a location in Italy, so I dismissed that one. The one in Portland had offices in Peru, London, and, most importantly, a small satellite office in a tiny town called Garberville, California. It was less than twenty miles from Hopland.
Ren, check the power usage for this address,
I ordered. I smiled when I saw the results, then released the crystal.
"I've got you, Dick."
Chapter 19- Ringing
I'd grown used to the ringing by the time Jillian popped back into existence with a can of cold, beef stew and a warm soda. I spooned down the stew as fast as I could chew, and licked the can clean when I was done.
"So you were a little hungry then," Jillian said, with a half-smile. She sat on the table, folding one leg over the other with exaggerated care. I stared, of course. One does not simply ignore legs like Jillian's, especially when they're covered by nothing more than black yoga pants.
"Wow," I said, ignoring the soda in favor of eye candy.
"You're staring," Jillian said with a laugh.
"Sorry," I said. I wasn't.
"So did you find anything useful?" Jillian asked, stretching slowly until her back arched and my eyes widened.
"You're very distracting, you know that?" I said, grinning.
"It's accidental," she said, winking. "But seriously, did you find anything?"
"Yeah, I think I've located Dick. If I'm right, we should be able to hit his facility and knock out whatever FTL research he's working on," I said, meeting her gaze. It was harder than it should have been. "I've given it some thought, and I think you and I should do it alone."
Jillian eyed me quizzically for a moment, then understanding lit her eyes. "You're worried about the spy. You think Osiris was right."
"Yeah," I agreed. "The grey men have been too close, too many times. Egypt convinced me. Someone is telling them where to find us. There's no way they could have known otherwise."
"That's why you didn't want Summers to stay awake," she said, pursing her lips as she considered.
"Exactly," I said, nodding. "I don't know for sure who it is. It probably isn't her, but why take chances? Until we know for sure, we have to assume it could be anyone."
"Couldn't it be me?" Jillian asked, soberly.
"I considered it, but if
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