would form lines before a row of security scanners—boxy white arches
linked together across the entryway. One by one GoCom personnel passed
through and had their ID cards scanned. Their facial features were also
scanned, making sure each ID was being carried by the person authorized to
carry it. If the scanner detected no card, if the card and the face
didn’t match, or if there was any other problem, a few of the on-hand security
officers would ideally resolve the problem as quickly and painlessly as
possible.
Of those who
didn’t commute via ferry almost all took the skybus—quicker but more expensive,
which meant most of its passengers were a bit higher up in the GoCom food
chain. The skybus departed from a terminal just blocks from the ferry
pier. Several busses left every weekday morning at 8:30 sharp and formed
a little parade thirty feet above the lake’s surface. They dropped their
passengers off at a plaza on a terrace, just as the ferry passengers were
swarming across the plaza thirty feet below. The bus passengers then
entered a similar entryway, and passed through similar security scanners where
issues were resolved by similar security persons.
The handful of
remaining 9-to-5 folks was the most pampered. These were the proud few
who had obtained parking permits for the garage—the garage from which Jill had
made her getaway in the unwitting Martin P. Daniels’ vehicle. From the
garage, employees entered a similar but smaller entryway, and passed through
similar but fewer security scanners.
By the time these
select few dozen were entering the building, the workday of Anterra’s
Governmental Complex was just getting underway.
Most of this Jill
discovered doing searches on her computer in the comfort of her own
apartment. She enhanced her understanding of the process by donning a
newly-purchased business suit and riding a bus on Wednesday and a ferry on
Thursday. She also read on the official GoCom post that the complex’s state-of-the-art
security had functioned without any major hitch in the decade since it had been
installed.
Today would be
the first.
11
IT was 7:30 a.m. when she met Jerry G at a café on the lakeshore. The café
was about a five minute walk from the skybus terminal, and an even shorter walk
from the ferry pier.
“You look good,
girl,” Jerry G said as platonically as possible. “First time in a
business suit?”
“No,
actually.” She didn’t elaborate. “You look very professional
yourself. Had to slick down the fro, huh?”
“I figured it
would be worth it for a prank like this.”
Jill
fidgeted. “Look, Jerry, I should tell you…This is more than just a
prank.”
Jerry G didn’t
look too surprised. He didn’t look too happy, either. “Want to tell
me about it?”
“I’m not sure
about all the details myself. All I know is...well, this is my last job.”
He looked at her
sideways. “What do you mean?”
“I mean I’m done
with crime.”
“Um, you’re
actually about to commit the biggest crime of your career.”
“Maybe the
biggest. Definitely the last.”
“Hmm. So
what are you getting into?”
“Like I said, I’m
not sure.”
Jerry G
shrugged. “Hey, it’s okay by me. Whatever’s going on, I’m glad to
be on board.”
“Thanks.”
“I don’t just
mean the plan. I mean, yeah, I like our plan. But I mean...you
know, I’m glad to be helping you out. Whatever you’re doing.”
Jill found it
easier to smile down at the table than at him for some reason. “Thanks,
Jerry G.”
The moment got
longer and more awkward.
“We’d better get
going,” Jerry said, clearing his throat. “You’re sure you want the
ferry? The bus is nicer.”
“It’s cool.
You take the bus.”
“If you
insist. By the way, I never did ask you how you were going to cover the
other employee entrance—the one off the parking garage?”
Jill
half-smiled. “I
linked together across the entryway. One by one GoCom personnel passed
through and had their ID cards scanned. Their facial features were also
scanned, making sure each ID was being carried by the person authorized to
carry it. If the scanner detected no card, if the card and the face
didn’t match, or if there was any other problem, a few of the on-hand security
officers would ideally resolve the problem as quickly and painlessly as
possible.
Of those who
didn’t commute via ferry almost all took the skybus—quicker but more expensive,
which meant most of its passengers were a bit higher up in the GoCom food
chain. The skybus departed from a terminal just blocks from the ferry
pier. Several busses left every weekday morning at 8:30 sharp and formed
a little parade thirty feet above the lake’s surface. They dropped their
passengers off at a plaza on a terrace, just as the ferry passengers were
swarming across the plaza thirty feet below. The bus passengers then
entered a similar entryway, and passed through similar security scanners where
issues were resolved by similar security persons.
The handful of
remaining 9-to-5 folks was the most pampered. These were the proud few
who had obtained parking permits for the garage—the garage from which Jill had
made her getaway in the unwitting Martin P. Daniels’ vehicle. From the
garage, employees entered a similar but smaller entryway, and passed through
similar but fewer security scanners.
By the time these
select few dozen were entering the building, the workday of Anterra’s
Governmental Complex was just getting underway.
Most of this Jill
discovered doing searches on her computer in the comfort of her own
apartment. She enhanced her understanding of the process by donning a
newly-purchased business suit and riding a bus on Wednesday and a ferry on
Thursday. She also read on the official GoCom post that the complex’s state-of-the-art
security had functioned without any major hitch in the decade since it had been
installed.
Today would be
the first.
11
IT was 7:30 a.m. when she met Jerry G at a café on the lakeshore. The café
was about a five minute walk from the skybus terminal, and an even shorter walk
from the ferry pier.
“You look good,
girl,” Jerry G said as platonically as possible. “First time in a
business suit?”
“No,
actually.” She didn’t elaborate. “You look very professional
yourself. Had to slick down the fro, huh?”
“I figured it
would be worth it for a prank like this.”
Jill
fidgeted. “Look, Jerry, I should tell you…This is more than just a
prank.”
Jerry G didn’t
look too surprised. He didn’t look too happy, either. “Want to tell
me about it?”
“I’m not sure
about all the details myself. All I know is...well, this is my last job.”
He looked at her
sideways. “What do you mean?”
“I mean I’m done
with crime.”
“Um, you’re
actually about to commit the biggest crime of your career.”
“Maybe the
biggest. Definitely the last.”
“Hmm. So
what are you getting into?”
“Like I said, I’m
not sure.”
Jerry G
shrugged. “Hey, it’s okay by me. Whatever’s going on, I’m glad to
be on board.”
“Thanks.”
“I don’t just
mean the plan. I mean, yeah, I like our plan. But I mean...you
know, I’m glad to be helping you out. Whatever you’re doing.”
Jill found it
easier to smile down at the table than at him for some reason. “Thanks,
Jerry G.”
The moment got
longer and more awkward.
“We’d better get
going,” Jerry said, clearing his throat. “You’re sure you want the
ferry? The bus is nicer.”
“It’s cool.
You take the bus.”
“If you
insist. By the way, I never did ask you how you were going to cover the
other employee entrance—the one off the parking garage?”
Jill
half-smiled. “I
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