“So, you just want me to plant three of these?” She held the device in her hand, examining it.
“I need at least three for this to work. The more you plant, the more accurate a reading we can get of the area. If you manage to get more down, I’ll give you a bonus.”
“How much of a bonus?”
He looked at her and smiled his wide grin.
“How about enough to cover your insurance deposit?”
Lena looked at him, wide-eyed.
He laughed.
“You think I would just pick up any meatsack off the street to do this job?” He stepped forward and bent down so that his face was close to hers. She saw every perfect detail of his face: the angled jaw, perfectly chiseled cheekbones, green eyes.
“I want to succeed. So do you. You do the job. I cover your insurance. Every extra surveyor you get down is another year of your insurance. I’ll even put up half right now.”
Lena felt uneasy.
“How do I move around without being seen by these
people?”
“Your guide android, Shel, will help with that.” Jael held out his left hand, palm upwards. A bright blue light shone from it. Within a moment, a three-dimensional circle cutout of a steep, hilled landscape appeared.
“What is that? Is this where it is?”
The map rotated slowly in it’s warm, blue glow.
“He’s going to meet you here.” A red arrow pointing downwards appeared towards the edge of the 3D model. She could now see a thin road that came from beyond the edge of the model and continued past the arrow.
“There’s a road that goes north from the city. You’ll be arriving from the south. Eventually, you’ll come to another road that’s not in any of the GPS systems. It’s been unused for decades. Shel will have a map you can use. I’ll give you a paper map of the area, but most of it is still guesswork.”
“Can’t I just use a 3D map?”
“If you want to be caught by sadistic terrorists.” he scoffed. “Opening a 3D map in a totally dark area will light you up like a beacon.”
“Can I ask you something?”
Jael looked at her, a bit puzzled.
“It just seems a little odd. Why are you asking me to go?” she asked, but then added, “I guess you don’t seem like the kind of person to get involved in social issues.” As she said this, she motioned her arms and her head as though to summon her surroundings in support of her statement.
Jael laughed.
“What? You think I only care about taking advantage of drunk people and exploiting holographic women?” He said this with a smile, but then sighed. “To be completely honest, this issue is a bit personal to me. My brother, Jazun, got involved with Verus a few years ago. I haven’t seen or heard from him since. I have on good word that this is where he might be.”
“I’m sorry. Was he taken?”
“No,” Jael took a sharp sip from his glass and continued. “He got sucked in. Started buying into the propaganda. He lost his family over this delusion.”
Curious, Lena prodded further.
“What happened?”
Jael sat for a moment, appearing to weigh his answer. Finally, he spoke.
“His son, became ill. He lost weight. Couldn’t even walk. His wife and I told him to get his son out of that human shell. It was the only option.”
Lena was taken aback by the sincerity. She saw the vain, synthetic, womanizer exposed as a real human with real human problems.
“No, we eventually convinced him. I fronted him the money for the transfer and the new cell. However, less than a year later…” Jael trailed off. A long pause built between them.
“He killed him.”
Lena sat there in silence.
“He actually murdered his son. Destroyed the cell. Afterward, he fled.”
The bass from the club below pounded the overlook window. Lena hadn’t noticed before, but in the heavy atmosphere it was deafening. Seeing this grown man so torn caused her gut to wrench.
“You want justice,” she said finally.
Jael got up from his chair and walked over to the window. He peered down through it.
“I honestly don’t care if he’s alive or dead. What’s done is done. The things he did to me...to his own family.” He looked at her. “I need this organization dismantled. I can’t let them tear apart more families with their lies and disregard for life.”
“I do have one more question,” she added.
He stood, silent.
“Where did you get the resources for this? An android guide? A 3D map? Just seems like an elaborate operation for one person to handle.”
He smiled at her.
“Lena, I think you’ve stolen my heart.”
Lena was baffled. She was unsure if she should laugh, so she sat there with a wide, blank stare.
He laughed again at her reaction as he walked back to his desk and sat down.
“There are other people who share my interest. Business owners, entrepreneurs, investors.”
“Politicians?”
“Probably. But this job is private.”
“Good. I’m not trying to get hunted down by government agents.”
Lena sat back in her chair, somewhat more confident. She could do this. It was the right thing to do, after all.
“So,” he briefly paused. “When can I tell Shel to meet you?”
She looked up at him. “Shel? The guide?”
“Yeah.”
The window opposite Jael revealed that the rain was falling much heavier now.
“I take it you have your own means of travel?” he asked, trying to regain her attention.
The rain pounded the window. Lena’s hands rested in her jacket pocket. She kneaded the smooth leather of her gloves between her fingers.