Once we were outside of the academy, Carrie chose to take her own transportation, since the guard had returned after dropping off her mother back ho. I told her I would et her at her address and climbed into the Delamain taxi waiting for .
“Hey, choom.” Delamain said and closed the door. “Good day at school?”
“I was hired by Arasaka to help develop food stuffs and things.” I answered.
“This soon?” Delamain asked as he pulled out into traffic. “I thought things like scouting for talent didn't happen until just before graduation and the corpos bribed a teacher or stole a copy of your marks from the academy servers.”
I chuckled at those being the expected thods to use. “I had an in with a division head's daughter. I didn't know she was at the ti, though. It was just a happy coincidence.”
“And she was smart enough to poach you at the start of the last sester?” Delamian asked and I nodded. “Good for her. I hope she earned so class credits for her initiative and benefiting the company so quickly.”
“Huh, we didn't think of that.” I said and sent off a ssage to Carrie to ntion it to her mother. “I've passed it on. Thanks, Delamain.”
“Anyti, choom. I'm always glad to help.” Delamain said and pulled in behind Carrie's armored limo. “Look at that bad suspension. They're driving that poor car into the ground.”
I leaned forward to look and saw he was right. “Huh, it could be the hydraulics getting soft and they just need to be refurbished. It'll save them a ton of eddies instead of paying for a full replacent.”
Delamain's image flickered once and he smiled at . “I've added that idea to my own maintenance departnt, Veder. You're right, it's much cheaper to refurbish several tis before paying the full price to replace them when they wear out. Thank you.”
I sat back and saw his smile. “You have a mountain size pile of used hydraulic shocks stored sowhere, don't you?”
Delamain winked at and I laughed.
“You should set half of them aside for your own use and sell the rest for a slightly reduced cost to the other car companies and recoup so of that unused revenue.” I suggested.
“I'm already doing that, choom.” Delamain said and followed the limo into the Glen section of Heywood subdivision in Night City. Everything looked bright and new and looked nothing like the rest of the city.
“It's like a whole other world.” I comnted as we ca to a stop at a very nice mid-range two storey house. It looked like it cost a fortune and I had no doubt that it really had. It would also depend on if it was bought outright or was rented.
“If you need a ride ho, flash the deets.” Delamain said and opened the door. “Later, choom.”
“Later, Delamain.” I said and climbed out.
Carrie looked inordinately happy as she ca over to and took my hand. “I'm so excited!” She said and helped walk across the large driveway and up the small set of steps into her house. “You're the first person I've ever been allowed to have over.”
By the ti we reached the living room, I knew what she was implying. “No open favoritism?”
Carrie bead a smile at and helped sit down. “I knew you'd understand.” She said and gave my suit coat a questioning look.
“I'm sewn in, so it's only coming off if you or your mother are skilled with small sharp scissors.” I told her.
Carrie couldn't hide her disappointnt at hearing that.
“It's only until tonight, rember? I'm getting them all cut off later.” I reminded her.
Carrie nodded and glanced down at my feet. “Those, too?”
“Yes, and I'll be indulging in a long hot bath to clean everything that's been covered for nearly two weeks.” I said and Carrie's face went a little slack as she beca lost in thought while she imagined what that would look like. I needed to get her to focus, so I asked her a question. “Does your mother have a ho office?”
Carrie blinked her eyes at for a second and then blushed. “Y-yes, I... I'll be right back. She needs to know were here and... I'll be right back.”
I held in my laugh as she rushed off and didn't ntion her repeating herself. Almost no ti had passed as I observed the stylish living room furniture and both Carrie and her mother returned to the living room.
Patricia carried a briefcase and set it on the coffee table in front of . “We always have both digitial and physical copies of official contracts.” She said and opened the briefcase and handed a set of papers, which was the contract we had discussed, and then she hooked a cord to a small cyberdeck in the briefcase and handed the other end to .
Since I still had my access port, I easily plugged myself in. Luckily, it wasn't actually attached to anything, so the Arasaka monitoring program didn't automatically download into my non-existent cyberware. A quick check with telepathy showed that Patricia didn't know about the automatic feature, so I assud she wasn't being malicious, just ignorant.
I disabled it without revealing it, since it was designed to hide itself like the virus bomb Tanaka had used. That gave more information than I really needed, since it pointed the tactic's use right back at the Tyger Claws and their netrunners. I didn't remove it, because that would be easily detected the next ti Patricia plugged herself into the thing.
My eyes went to Carrie and knew she would have had the thing installed in her head without knowing, so I had to decide if I ntioned it to Patricia or not. Did she already have it in her head, too? Would disabling it after her having it for so long, cause any alarms to trigger? Would they storm her house or would they wait to ambush her when she went back to work?
Dammit, I can't stay quiet about it, not if I want to keep Carrie's trust and to earn her mother's. I thought and took a deep breath, then let out a sigh as I unplugged the cord.
“What's wrong?” Carrie asked. “I thought you agreed to work for the company?”
“I did.” I said and held the cord out to Patricia. “Would you mind explaining why this tried to install spyware into my implant?”
“WHAT!?!” Patricia and Carrie yelled as one.
“It pinged my ICE software imdiately and I disabled it.” I partially lied and glanced around. “Do you have a portable display, a handheld monitor, or even a diagnostic tool with a screen? I can show you.”
“CHRIS!” Patricia yelled and one of the guards rushed into the room. “Retrieve the diagnostic tool from the top drawer in the lab and bring the portable monitor to hook it to.”
“Right away, Mrs. Vogul.” The guard said and ran out of the room.
“How robust is your cyberware?” Patricia asked .
That was a difficult question to answer, since I technically didn't have any installed. I could easily fake having it, though. “It's so advanced that it can't be detected with dical grade diagnostic tools.”
Carrie and Patricia stared at with wide eyes.
“I can communicate fluently with any technology I can gain access to.” I said, this ti truthfully.
Patricia's thoughts imdiately went to my request for access to the R&D database and she assud she understood why I asked for full access. I wasn't going to dissuade her of the wrong impression, either. It was safer for to let her think what she wanted and to reach the wrong conclusions.
“Here you are, Mrs. Vogul.” Chris said and handed her the device.
Patricia handed it to . “Show the proof, Mr. Veder.”
I quickly set up the diagnostic tool and checked it, only to see the sa program on it. Instead of using the device, I did a few programming tricks to reveal hidden files and then displayed the list on the portable screen.
Patricia imdiately took the device from and used the various commands to check it, only to discover that it was the device itself and not the small cyberdeck in her briefcase that had the monitoring program on it.
I handed her the cord to her briefcase and she plugged it into the device and used it, only to find that it couldn't detect the sa hidden files on it. I walked her through my executable file and she used it on the briefcase, only to discover many other things on it than just the monitoring program.
Patricia started softly cursing as she used my program to made copies of the files and programs that shouldn't have been on her personal equipnt and it gave her the digital signature of the creator.
Normally, that wouldn't show up in a regular scan; but, after I had copied David's expertise, digging them out and revealing them had been as easy as reading the hidden file nas. The clearly irate woman disconnected the diagnostic device, gave her briefcase a disgusted look, and shoved it off of the table and onto the floor.
“This may take a while.” Patricia said and looked at the scattered papers on the floor. “Ignore those. They lack a certain aspect that's necessary to add to to it before you sign anything.”
I nodded and Mrs Vogul waved for the bodyguard to follow her out of the room and she carried the diagnostic tool like it was a sword that she was going to use to cut everything down.
“Wow.” Carrie whispered after we were alone for a few seconds.
“I was surprised, too.” I said and sat back on the couch. I suspected her mother's estimate was going to be way off, if her ho lab had as many pieces of equipnt and computers necessary for the research she did, since bringing work ho was an enforced habit for all corporation employees.
“Do you think she'll be done by supperti?” Carrie asked.
“That depends on if you have a kitchen staff or if she likes to take a hand preparing it for herself.” I answered.
“Staff.” Carrie said.
“Then yes, she'll make it.” I said, confidently.
Carrie relaxed and started to lean on , then blushed and sat up straight.
“As long as you're careful of the casts, it's okay.” I said and gave her a co here gesture with my fingertips.
Carrie smiled shyly and slipped in close to lay against my side and I carefully put my arm around her and didn't hit her with the cast. She partially hugged my arm and let out a sigh. “Is it always like this?”
“Corporate espionage?” I asked and she nodded. “If she's lucky, it's all just internal tracking and her bosses trying to keep an eye on her. If it's Miltech or Biotechnica, there's going to be a huge overhaul of her entire division starting tomorrow.”
“Which would be better?” Carrie asked with a curious look on her face.
“Personally, I think internal would be worse. There's no way to call anyone out on it, since internal politics almost demand they try stuff like that.” I answered.
Carrie lifted her head from my chest and looked into my eyes. “Which would you prefer?”
“External, hands down. It'll let us rip apart all of the company provided cyberdecks and equipnt throughout the entire division, including privately assigned ones. It'll cause a lot of necessary and unnecessary expenses and it will let us comb through everything to get rid of all of the spyware and not just the foreign stuff.”
Carrie smiled and laid her head back down on my chest. “Are you going to slip sothing in, just in case?”
I chuckled at her being sneaky. “I could; but, I don't have to. I saw a Biotechnica netrunner file in her briefcase cyberdeck that copies all of her contracts and business deals and sends them through cutouts whenever she passes near Kendall Street downtown.”
Carrie caught her breath. “The coffee shop she adores and stops at every morning?”
I checked the map in my head and nodded. “Capitan Caliente. It's a great front and even offers free net browsing for paying custors. Isn't that wonderful?”
“She's going to freak out if you tell her that!” Carrie huffed and shook her head. “Do you want to get fired on the sa day you were hired?”
“Hey, she's your boss and your mom.” I responded and she shook her head again.
“You found it, you can tell her.” Carrie said and put her arms around . “I'm just gonna veg right here.”
I held in my laugh as she cuddled in and one of her hands lightly caressed my abs. I hadn't even noticed she had opened up the bottom of my shirt, so I ntally applauded her sneaky efforts and didn't say anything about it.
Carrie swirled her fingertip around my belly button and then poked it. My abs twitched and she giggled at getting to react. I stayed quiet instead of calling her a tease, though. She was content with just this much and wasn't trying to push for anything more, so I let her enjoy herself as she explored my stomach and caressed my skin.
Was it weird that won seed to be a lot more touchy-feely here? I asked myself and then realized sothing. No, it wasn't that they were more inclined to do that. It was because they were so used to the artificial feelings produced in virtual constructs that physically touching soone was a novel experience and they were comparing them to see which felt better.
Since both were electrical impulses interpreted by the brain, it was probably the route their took that was the key. Physically touching soone and sensing their reactions through your own physical touch, was probably giving them that extra little undefined thrill that was lost in a VR translation.
Before I could voice my observation, Patricia Vogel and the guard nad Chris ca back into the living room and their faces showed both shock and anger. Patricia held the diagnostic tool like it was made of precious materials and the guard has his palm resting on his usually hidden firearm under hi armpit.
“I'm cancelling all leave. Each and every employee in my division will report to work in the morning to answer so pointed questions, and they will answer them, to my satisfaction or else!” Patricia exclaid.
“Mom? What is it?” Carrie asked, pretending I didn't already tell her.
“There is at least one traitor in our midst and we've been infiltrated.” Patricia stated, her anger overriding her shock. “I'm going to need your expertise as my assistant to help evaluate everyone tomorrow.” She gained a determined look. “We will find the culprit! I swear it on our family na, the Vogels!”
Carrie stood up and her face mirrored her mother's. “Yes, ma'am! You can count on !”
A pretty maid with all silver skin entered the room. “Dinner is served.”
“To the dining room!” Patricia shouted and dramatically pointed the diagnostic tool at the maid.
“Yes, ma'am!” Carrie and the guard nad Chris shouted back and the three of them rushed out of the living room and ran past the maid, whom shrugged and followed them.
I sat there for a few seconds and made a copy of the last few minutes to save as blackmail material. I was sure I would have an opportunity to tease one, or perhaps both won about it at a later date. I pushed myself up off of the couch and hobbled along after them, my mind wondering what kind of food a division head would have access to and was willing to share with her employees.
I entered the dining room a minute later and witnessed an embarrassed woman settling down on her assigned chair at the table and her daughter sat beside her. A mousy and thin little man, with an amused look on his face, sat across from Carrie and Chris the guard was whispering what was going on to the other guard.
I walked over to sit beside Carrie and didn't say a word about what happened as the food was served. Being caught up in a charismatic woman's excitent and enthusiasm was nothing to be ashad of... until you watched the footage and realized Patricia had declared a charge to go to dinner and they stord the room right afterwards.
Seeing stuff like that, taken out of context, was pretty damn funny.
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