Evolution (Technopia Book 2) by Chase Greg

Author:Chase, Greg [Chase, Greg]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Bayou Moon Press, LLC
Published: 2016-06-19T16:00:00+00:00

14

The storm was still raging the next morning when the man in the trench coat arrived. Water ran down the synthetic fabric until the garment was completely dry, but he declined to remove it as he entered the building. Sam wasn’t in the mood for niceties. If the coat added to the odd fellow’s sense of identity, so be it. The man ran his fingers along the edge of the entrance doors to the building. “No locks?”

Wherever did you find this guy? But Sam wasn’t really looking for an answer. “The Rendition Building is completely networked. Every door, light fixture, and access is continually monitored.”

“That so?” The man didn’t bother making eye contact as he scuffed his foot along the marble floor. “Only access to the higher floors via these elevators?”

“There’s a stairwell left over from the original design. But it’s been sealed off I believe.” Sam wondered when they were going to get to something important. Sara had already been missing for five hours—time he should have spent searching the streets, but his human eyes weren’t likely to see anything useful.

“With the same technological locks?” The man didn’t even seem to care that she’d been abducted.

“That’s right. Do you want to see the penthouse?” Time to stop pussyfooting around.

“Sure.” The man waved his hat around the lobby. “Whole building like this—no cameras, no surveillance, no guards?”

Sam mentally pulled the man toward the elevators. “I told you, the building’s networked.”

“So you did.” As the doors closed, he ran his finger along the seam. “These power down at night?”

Sam wondered if it’d be more productive to just wander the streets calling out Sara’s name. “They run if someone requests them. It’s all automated. Call out for an elevator, and one arrives.” Had this guy even been in a modern building before?

“Convenient.” The man’s attention wandered around the small lift as aimlessly as his questions.

The doors opened to the scene Sam had been a part of all night: Jess pacing the room, Ed fading in and out of opacity, Ellie intermittently sobbing quietly or asking Joshua to check another part of the city. The view screen displayed a worried Doc. “I was just telling Jess, Dr. Shot and Jillian are on their way down. I thought it best to stay up here with Emily. She’s not happy about being exiled up here, but it’s the safest place.”

The strange man in the trench coat perked up. “First intelligent thing I’ve heard since I got here.” He turned back to the closed elevator. “Not even a lock to the private residence?”

“There’s really no need. The only way to open or close a door is through the network.” Sam wondered if he should draw the man a picture.

Dr. Shot’s face appeared on a view screen. “We’ll be there momentarily. Nice to see you, Fletch. Thanks for coming out in this weather.”

The man set down his heavy leather bag and opened his coat. “Not a single human-operated lock in the joint, Elliot? What the hell are you people thinking?”

“This really isn’t the time.

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