Trepidation | Trepidation Trilogy | The Empty World Sequence

Twenty-Six

"Michael, I need your help again," Quick said, floating in the virtual boudoir with seemingly billowing curtains and a view of unscathed Paris. He was not visible, and being the host Claudia would not find him if he did not want her to. Quick moved to the door that was closed. Manipulated virtually it opened inward and then quick floated in a hallway with French panelled walls and old gas lamp sconses csting pools of yellow light.

      A door opened from elsewhere and then Michael was there, fully rendered in a smoking jacket of velvet and quilted satin. "Here I am, Ma Petite."

      "I need help. It is important."

      "Ask."

      "Is there anyone who's terribly old school and gone corporate in manufacturing? Or just anyone infamous still that I could ask. I have a large project."

      "Manufacturing of what exactly?"

      "Personal computers. Mobile preferably. Someone who could go into production...someone black craft, or at least quite gray."

      "Black craft, eh? What are you into little one?" Michael asked.

      "A revolution," Quick answered.

      "Have you checked the usual industry sources?"

      "Yes. I have a crew sifting through old news but it will take a long time to find the right individual. If you can help..."

      "You can give me some time to consider?"

      "Some," Quick said.

      "You need a gray craft talent now in manufacturing loyal to your cause?"

      "I don't forsee large profit of the financial sort."

      Michael appeared to hold his hand to his chin in thought. Quick's symbols shifted impatiently. "Have you also checked among friends of your father?"

      The Metro Noir. They had the connections to distribute possibly... "I believe they could help in distribution, if needed, but my father never told me the occupations of his friends."

      "A few names come to mind, but I will need to make certain of things. I will contact you, if I get what you need."

      "Thank you." Quick opened a panel and disconnected completely.

      The crew were looking at Claudia expectantly when she removed her headset. "He'll contact me if he finds anyone," Claudia said to them. "Did you get anywhere?"

      "We can get names of manufacturers past and present and tell you where their factories are, and we can get a decent list of known hackers or associates, but putting them together, getting the BW on any of them..." Robbie said.

      "Near impossible," Claudia finished. "Sascha, what about our other project?"

      She was sitting perched on the table with her own mobile at her feet. She frowned. "I got into somewhere with the process you planned, but I have no idea where it is. I don't recognize prompts or code or anything. I can still send to it. And I can leave."

      "I'll take a look in a while," Claudia promised.  It had been nymph. Nymph had gotten them somewhere...but there had to be more to it. There was more needed. "Any thought on hard min reqs?"

      "Dual line capable with cable and mobile linking," Erik said.

      "Nice," Claudia said. "I think we need optimum a/v acceleration and decent resolution on display. Full color. As much memory as we can afford. Myriad parallel ports, all the basic interface types for peripherals."