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The blue colored code flowed freely before her. It arced in and out of other objects and libraries, revealing its true purpose before finding its inevitable end in some random function or another that connected to a second library of programs and code located on the other side of the country. It was these connections that Regina was searching for, to find the secret connections that few could. Connections that numbered beyond what most would ever, or could ever, count. The hidden links that revealed the truths of their designers. These links always seemed to reveal themselves to her.
“Coming in,” came a voice in Regina's headset.
Regina reached up and pushed the headset up and away from her eyes, letting it rest on her forehead. “Thomas O'Malley, you are late!”
“Not Thomas fault,” came the reply.
Regina glanced at a monitor that showed the live video feed from Thomas. She couldn't make out much at night, other than some lights coming from what she assumed were other hotel rooms at the Kogami. She stood and walked to the window of the room to look out at the black starless sky in anticipation of Thomas's arrival. “Really? You didn't stop on your way back to kill some birds again, did you? I was almost late delivering the package last time because of that.”
“No eat birds that smell funny. Metal taste bad.” Thomas replied.
“I bet camera parts taste bad, too. Try not eating spy birds next time. There is a reason it wasn't moving. But anyway, you still haven't told me what has you running late. Did you stop for food?”
“No. Humans at meeting,” Thomas replied.
“Humans! What do you mean? Is that why your video feed disappeared for a while?” Regina asked quickly.
“Not know feed gone. Humans delayed data deliver,” Thomas replied with a strained voice. “Can Regina talk later? Climbing now.”
“Yes. Sorry, Thomas. My fault.”
“Okey dokey,” Thomas replied.
Regina waited patiently for a few moments in the comforting blue glow of her rig's monitors, the only light source currently on in the hotel room. Several seconds later, she looked out the window and saw the large furry black paws of Thomas O'Malley slowly reach up over the edge of the balcony and into the light coming from the hotel room. She watched as Thomas's other paw reached out a bit further as the genetically engineered, cybernetically enhanced, black cat continued his slow climb onto the balcony.
“Why so high?” Thomas asked.
Regina took his question as a request for help and quickly slid the door open to help him over the balcony. “Sorry,” she said, as she helped the large black cat over.
Thomas looked at Regina with his large blue eyes for a moment with a somewhat confused expression on his face. “Why so high?” Thomas asked again with a tilt of his head.
“We're always up high when we're on a job,” Regina replied, somewhat confused.
“Why!?”
“I've tried to tell you a dozen times, Thomas. I really don't have time right now. I'll tell you later, okay?”
Thomas tilted his head the other way as though he was trying to interpret Regina's words. “Okay.”
“Alright. Come here,” Regina said as she held her hands out.
Thomas took a few steps toward Regina, and she gave him a quick head scratch as he came towards her.
“Do you want the harness off?” Regina asked, as she started scratching Thomas under his chin.
“No.”
“No?” Regina questioned.
“Last time,” Thomas replied.
Regina let out a sigh. “Okay, turn around then.”
“Okay.”
“I keep telling you that last time was an accident. It won't happen like that again,” Regina said, opening one of the side pouches on Thomas's harness.
“Accidents happen lot,” Thomas replied.
Regina pulled out a data stick from the pouch and started inspecting it. “Wow, this is one of those new Hilatchi data sticks. I didn't even know these were out
The blue colored code flowed freely before her. It arced in and out of other objects and libraries, revealing its true purpose before finding its inevitable end in some random function or another that connected to a second library of programs and code located on the other side of the country. It was these connections that Regina was searching for, to find the secret connections that few could. Connections that numbered beyond what most would ever, or could ever, count. The hidden links that revealed the truths of their designers. These links always seemed to reveal themselves to her.
“Coming in,” came a voice in Regina's headset.
Regina reached up and pushed the headset up and away from her eyes, letting it rest on her forehead. “Thomas O'Malley, you are late!”
“Not Thomas fault,” came the reply.
Regina glanced at a monitor that showed the live video feed from Thomas. She couldn't make out much at night, other than some lights coming from what she assumed were other hotel rooms at the Kogami. She stood and walked to the window of the room to look out at the black starless sky in anticipation of Thomas's arrival. “Really? You didn't stop on your way back to kill some birds again, did you? I was almost late delivering the package last time because of that.”
“No eat birds that smell funny. Metal taste bad.” Thomas replied.
“I bet camera parts taste bad, too. Try not eating spy birds next time. There is a reason it wasn't moving. But anyway, you still haven't told me what has you running late. Did you stop for food?”
“No. Humans at meeting,” Thomas replied.
“Humans! What do you mean? Is that why your video feed disappeared for a while?” Regina asked quickly.
“Not know feed gone. Humans delayed data deliver,” Thomas replied with a strained voice. “Can Regina talk later? Climbing now.”
“Yes. Sorry, Thomas. My fault.”
“Okey dokey,” Thomas replied.
Regina waited patiently for a few moments in the comforting blue glow of her rig's monitors, the only light source currently on in the hotel room. Several seconds later, she looked out the window and saw the large furry black paws of Thomas O'Malley slowly reach up over the edge of the balcony and into the light coming from the hotel room. She watched as Thomas's other paw reached out a bit further as the genetically engineered, cybernetically enhanced, black cat continued his slow climb onto the balcony.
“Why so high?” Thomas asked.
Regina took his question as a request for help and quickly slid the door open to help him over the balcony. “Sorry,” she said, as she helped the large black cat over.
Thomas looked at Regina with his large blue eyes for a moment with a somewhat confused expression on his face. “Why so high?” Thomas asked again with a tilt of his head.
“We're always up high when we're on a job,” Regina replied, somewhat confused.
“Why!?”
“I've tried to tell you a dozen times, Thomas. I really don't have time right now. I'll tell you later, okay?”
Thomas tilted his head the other way as though he was trying to interpret Regina's words. “Okay.”
“Alright. Come here,” Regina said as she held her hands out.
Thomas took a few steps toward Regina, and she gave him a quick head scratch as he came towards her.
“Do you want the harness off?” Regina asked, as she started scratching Thomas under his chin.
“No.”
“No?” Regina questioned.
“Last time,” Thomas replied.
Regina let out a sigh. “Okay, turn around then.”
“Okay.”
“I keep telling you that last time was an accident. It won't happen like that again,” Regina said, opening one of the side pouches on Thomas's harness.
“Accidents happen lot,” Thomas replied.
Regina pulled out a data stick from the pouch and started inspecting it. “Wow, this is one of those new Hilatchi data sticks. I didn't even know these were out
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