Robert Charrette: Find your own truth

"Well, then, Sato-san. How is your special project in Seattle prospering? "

That was a question she would not let him ignore. "Not very well at all."

For a, moment, the loom was silent. Then, click, clack.

"I am most sorry to hear that. I was so hoping you would have good news for me. You raised my hopes last year."

He was sure he had. His own hopes had risen when the Special Directorate had seemed to have achieved their goal of creating a true artificial intelligence within the Renraku matrix. "I am sorry if you were disappointed. The disruption brought me more trouble than it did you."

"Very true. But Aneki took it well, didn't he?" "Well enough."

"Well enough, indeed. You have not been dethroned as the director's heir-apparent, and you are still in command of the Seattle arcology. That shows a certain cleverness that I shall have to keep in mind when I think of you. Have you been telling your Aneki-sama pleasant things that you have neglected to tell Grandmother?"

"I have told him what I have told you. Since mismanagement in the Security Directorate allowed the loss of one of the principal designers, the Special Directorate has been stymied, demoralized, and beset with unavoidable delays. A significant amount of data

was destroyed, and what remained needed to be checked. Hutten, the designer who was lost, was clearly defecting, as evidenced by his theft of key da-tafiles and custom components. As he was the architect of some of those lost components and left no reliable notes, the Directorate has not yet been able to duplicate the functions. We are no closer to achieving the goal than when Aneki assigned me to move things along."

Click, clack. "The touted abilities of your toy would have been most useful. You have, of course, punished those responsible for the disappointment. What progress have you made in recovering Hutten?" "None."

Click, clack. The sound was harsher now. Sato knew he had better explain.

"There have been no notable advances among our competitors. The security agent responsible for the debacle was seen to have injured Hutten before she herself fell to her death. Perhaps fatally. He may be presumed dead. As to punishment, there is still no clue as to who was manipulating the rogue Verner.'' Click…

"Verner? The name seems familiar. Refresh an old woman's memory, Sato-san.''

He doubted her memory needed refreshing. She was testing him, as always.

Years ago she had set him the task of tracking a handful of individuals. Renraku Corporation was a world leader in data technology, and his placement with the firm made him an obvious choice to arrange for surreptitious information-retrieval. He might have understood if the individuals she wanted tracked were important people, but most were inconsequential. But she was so persistent over the years, wanting to know everything about these people and their relatives, that he had come to believe she had some deep concern beyond that of an information broker. She seemed obsessed with the fate of these individuals, but he had never learned why. They seemed to have nothing in common save traumatic experiences during the turbulent year of 2039. Especially common were brushes with death on the infamous Night of Rage and in the turmoil that had followed. He had come to suspect that this matter touched upon something she… was "feared" too strong a word?

His belief in her fear had solidified two years ago when she commanded the interrogation of Janice Verner. The questions he had been required to ask the girl were filled with paranoid suspicion. What did "they" want? What connection did "they" have with the Verner family? Then, so many seemingly unrelated questions. He did not know who "they" were, but he had come to believe that "they" really existed. Grandmother might be paranoid, but even paranoids have enemies. Anyone who gave her concern gave him hope. If he was careful, "they" might provide him a lever to pry loose her hold over him.

Not wishing to betray himself, he chose his words carefully. "The Verners are among those you watch." "Ah, yes. The woman was such a disappointment. Whatever happened to the man?" Click, clack.

"Little new information has emerged since he went rogue. We know he survived his raid on the arcology. We also know that a shadowrunner matching his description has been linked to a number of petty operations, mostly in the Seattle area. His continued existence seems likely, but remains untraceable."

Click, clack. "Surely the largest information corporation in the world keeps records."

"On him, we no longer seem able. His file vanished from Renraku's banks a few months after the Hutten incident, and every attempt to begin a new one has been fruitless. Each entry vanishes almost as soon as it is made. I believe that he is, or has acquired the services of, a computer expert of the highest ability.

He or his accomplice has inserted a dedicated virus of hitherto unknown sophistication into the Matrix, Ren-raku resources have failed to isolate it. We know of its existence only by its actions, as it destroys all data connected to Samuel Verner.'' Click, clack. "But not his sister's data?" "No. And in any case, that would be unnecessary. Her death was recorded on Yomi Island nearly a year ago."

"I am intrigued." Click, clack. "He was involved with Hutten. Perhaps your missing computer expert is still alive after all. Perhaps the nascent artificial intelligence was used to strip Verner's identity from the Matrix. As you said, he had gone rogue. As a shadow-runner, he would find his corporate records a detriment."

Sato thought little of the theory, but decided it would be best not to scoff. If Hutten and the AI still existed, some corporation would have them and would have used them. He would not be unaware of such a situation. "There is no evidence that the AI survived Hut-ten's sabotage. The Renraku matrix retains nothing more than sophisticated analogs and knowbots, and Huang and Cliber are unable to duplicate their earlier apparent success. Nothing comparable has been observed in any other corporate matrix or in the worldwide Matrix."

Click, clack. "And the current rash of ghost-in-the-machine tales?"

"Simply that. Tall tales, rumors, and lies. There is nothing verifiable, nothing to suggest that Hutten or the AI remain in existence."

"I am disappointed." Click, clack. "Ah, well. New lines of endeavor are not always rewarding. One must always have enough interests that a disappointment does not prove overwhelming. I understand that Atreus has made some interesting refinements in its Haas bio-chips."

He was growing tired of her patronizing manner. Irritated by the constant rattle of the loom, he snapped, "I know."

"I am sorry. Of course you would." Click, clack. "You have been showing quite an interest in their operations of late. Regrettably, they have shown little interest in your offers." "As usual, you are well informed." Click. Clack. "I have a new interest. I wish some data. Awaiting you upstairs are chips with details on the subjects." "I will see what I can do." "I am sure you will, Sato-san. You are always good to Grandmother. And because you are, Grandmother is good to you. The chips also contain other juicy tidbits. Atreus could become suddenly vulnerable, were such data to fall into the wrong hands."

Sato smiled. For Atreus, the wrong hands would be Sato's. For Grandmother's purposes, however, Sato's would be the right hands. His own plans would be advanced, but her schemes would be furthered as well. Of that he had no doubt. He would take advantage of her offering.

The longer the examination went on, the more anxious Sam Verner became. Was the stone unsuitable? Had people died because he had misunderstood the needs of the ritual and gone after the wrong kind of object? Maybe the opal was the right kind of talisman, but was not strong enough. Or not focused right. The stone had seemed to pulse with power when first he had seen it in the cavern, but its aural glow had changed during the trip back. Had it weakened? He didn't know. He wanted to pace, to scorch away his nervousness and uncertainty by burning physical energy.