world beyond, and Adam stepped into the cube, entering the scene.
He instantly recognized the area: Loston. He was standing on the main road, dust swirling along the highway. Two vehicles barreled past him, one in hot pursuit of the other. They passed near enough for him to touch, had they been more than holos.
"Give me a close up on the one in back. Center the holo on that SUV." he said, and though he couldn't see him, he knew Jason would be adjusting his controls to comply with Adam's command. The image moved to the car in back, an older vehicle that struggled to keep up with the more powerful sports car in the lead.
The holo kept the trailing SUV in its center, and as a result Adam himself appeared to be floating rapidly down the main street without actually moving. Though he had done surveillance in this manner before, the effect always made him slightly queasy. He choked back his gorge, however, and walked toward the sport utility vehicle as it barreled down the road beneath them.
He peered into the driver side, and now his nausea resurfaced, though for a different reason.
"John," he whispered. Then, in a louder voice, "Who's in front?"
The image moved to the lead car, a Mustang, and Jason's disembodied voice answered. "A nobody. A bit."
Adam took note of the bit, observing the man’s tousled, gray-streaked hair and fearful countenance. Then his eyes roved to the passenger, a young girl of perhaps fourteen.
"Who’s the passenger?" he asked.
He could hear the sound of Jason typing hurriedly on one of the pod computers, a soft clicking that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. The clicking stopped for a long moment, then resumed again.
"That can’t be right," came Jason’s voice.
"What?" Each of the cars swerved to avoid a large pothole in the center of the street, and the holo bounced and jittered with them. The swaying movement of the image was not helping Adam’s stomach.
"Records indicate...it’s his daughter."
"His daughter ? Bits can't have daughters!"
Jason's voice came back at him. "I don't know what happened, sir. The registry says it's his daughter."
Adam watched the Mustang turn off the dirt road. "Find out who made that entry and work back."
"The Fans?" asked Jason.
"Could be," answered Adam. "They might know about John and Fran, and if they do –"
"They couldn't. That would mean –"
"Exactly. Another traitor in our midst. So find out who made that registry entry and report to me." Adam watched the man driving the Mustang. "God in Heaven," he murmured, a swiftly-uttered prayer to stave off the fear that clutched him like an icy gauntlet holding fast to his guts.
He touched a control on his wrist, and the world around him desolidified, seeming to shatter into a trillion pixels that hung before him before slowly fading. Adam was already walking to Jason's station before the miniature starbursts had begun to dissipate.
"We need to fix this," he said.
"What happened to John?" asked Jason. "It's just a bit up front."
"I would guess from his reaction that John has seen him before. So we need to get the bit out of there, now."
Adam turned back to the monitor, image now flush against the wall, but still showing the chase.
"This could destroy us all."
DOM#67B
LOSTON, COLORADO
AD 1999
3:40 PM FRIDAY
John dropped his Pathfinder into second gear, simultaneously breaking slightly. The shift in momentum made the SUV surge forward, dropping the front closer to the ground and making a more efficient turn.
John smiled grimly to himself. If the Mustang had stayed on the main strip, it would have outpaced his small car quickly, leaving him behind and helpless to pursue. But the driver of the car ahead was obviously a novice. He panicked, turning onto one of the dirt roads that led to the farms outside of town. He took the turn too fast and fishtailed, sending up a great plume of
He instantly recognized the area: Loston. He was standing on the main road, dust swirling along the highway. Two vehicles barreled past him, one in hot pursuit of the other. They passed near enough for him to touch, had they been more than holos.
"Give me a close up on the one in back. Center the holo on that SUV." he said, and though he couldn't see him, he knew Jason would be adjusting his controls to comply with Adam's command. The image moved to the car in back, an older vehicle that struggled to keep up with the more powerful sports car in the lead.
The holo kept the trailing SUV in its center, and as a result Adam himself appeared to be floating rapidly down the main street without actually moving. Though he had done surveillance in this manner before, the effect always made him slightly queasy. He choked back his gorge, however, and walked toward the sport utility vehicle as it barreled down the road beneath them.
He peered into the driver side, and now his nausea resurfaced, though for a different reason.
"John," he whispered. Then, in a louder voice, "Who's in front?"
The image moved to the lead car, a Mustang, and Jason's disembodied voice answered. "A nobody. A bit."
Adam took note of the bit, observing the man’s tousled, gray-streaked hair and fearful countenance. Then his eyes roved to the passenger, a young girl of perhaps fourteen.
"Who’s the passenger?" he asked.
He could hear the sound of Jason typing hurriedly on one of the pod computers, a soft clicking that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. The clicking stopped for a long moment, then resumed again.
"That can’t be right," came Jason’s voice.
"What?" Each of the cars swerved to avoid a large pothole in the center of the street, and the holo bounced and jittered with them. The swaying movement of the image was not helping Adam’s stomach.
"Records indicate...it’s his daughter."
"His daughter ? Bits can't have daughters!"
Jason's voice came back at him. "I don't know what happened, sir. The registry says it's his daughter."
Adam watched the Mustang turn off the dirt road. "Find out who made that entry and work back."
"The Fans?" asked Jason.
"Could be," answered Adam. "They might know about John and Fran, and if they do –"
"They couldn't. That would mean –"
"Exactly. Another traitor in our midst. So find out who made that registry entry and report to me." Adam watched the man driving the Mustang. "God in Heaven," he murmured, a swiftly-uttered prayer to stave off the fear that clutched him like an icy gauntlet holding fast to his guts.
He touched a control on his wrist, and the world around him desolidified, seeming to shatter into a trillion pixels that hung before him before slowly fading. Adam was already walking to Jason's station before the miniature starbursts had begun to dissipate.
"We need to fix this," he said.
"What happened to John?" asked Jason. "It's just a bit up front."
"I would guess from his reaction that John has seen him before. So we need to get the bit out of there, now."
Adam turned back to the monitor, image now flush against the wall, but still showing the chase.
"This could destroy us all."
DOM#67B
LOSTON, COLORADO
AD 1999
3:40 PM FRIDAY
John dropped his Pathfinder into second gear, simultaneously breaking slightly. The shift in momentum made the SUV surge forward, dropping the front closer to the ground and making a more efficient turn.
John smiled grimly to himself. If the Mustang had stayed on the main strip, it would have outpaced his small car quickly, leaving him behind and helpless to pursue. But the driver of the car ahead was obviously a novice. He panicked, turning onto one of the dirt roads that led to the farms outside of town. He took the turn too fast and fishtailed, sending up a great plume of
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