The Jennifer Morgue by Charles Stross

Author:Charles Stross
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, azw3
Tags: Geeks (Computer enthusiasts), Howard, Humorous, Horror, Bob (Fictitious character), Fiction, Intelligence service, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Great Britain, Horror fiction, General, Demonology, Espionage
ISBN: 9780441016716
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2009-01-13T04:29:51.744125+00:00

11.

DESTINY ENTANGLED

I AM ASLEEP AND DREAMING AND AWARE AT THE same time—I appear to be having a lucid dream. I really wish I wasn’t, because that rat bastard Angleton has taken advantage of my somnambulant state to sneak into my head with his slide projector and install another pre-canned top secret briefing, using my eyelids as stereoscopic projection screens. And I don’t care how bad your nightmares are, they can’t possibly be as unpleasant as a mission briefing conducted by old skull-face while you’re asleep, unable to wake up, and suffering from an impending hangover.

“Pay attention, Bob,” he admonishes me sternly. “If you’re alive, you’re getting this briefing because you’ve penetrated Billington’s semiotic firewall. This means you’re approaching the most dangerous part of your mission—and you’re going to have to play it by ear. On the other hand, you’ve got an ace up your sleeve in the form of Ms. Random. She should be secure in the safe house your backup team has organized, and she’ll be your conduit back to us for advice and instructions.”

No she bloody isn’t! I try to yell at him, but he’s playing the usual tricks with my vocal chords and I’m not allowed to say anything that isn’t on the menu. Propelled by the usual inexorable dream logic, the briefing continues.

“Billington has let it be known that he will be conducting an advance Dutch auction for the specimens he expects to raise from JENNIFER MORGUE Site Two. These are described in vague but exciting terms, as chthonic artifacts and applications. There is of course no mention of his expertise in operating Gravedust-type oneiromantic convolution engines, or of the presence of a deceased DEEP SEVEN in the vicinity.

“He is restricting bidding to authorized representatives of governments with seats at the G8, plus Brazil, China, and India. Sealed bids are solicited in advance of the operation, which will be honored once the retrieval is complete. This indirect pressure makes it difficult for us to stay out of the auction, while simultaneously rendering it nearly impossible for us to take direct action against him—he’s very carefully played the bidders off against one another. Of rather more concern is who Billington hasn’t invited to bid—namely BLUE HADES. As I mentioned in your earlier briefing, our immediate concern is the response of BLUE HADES to Billington’s activities around the site, followed in turn by what Billington really intends to do with the raised artifacts.

“Regardless, your actual task remains, as briefed, to determine what Billington is planning and to stop him from doing anything that arouses BLUE HADES or DEEP SEVEN—especially, anything likely to convince them that we’re in violation of our treaty obligations. To supplement your cover you are officially designated as an authorized representative of Her Majesty’s Government, to deliver our bid for the JENNIFER MORGUE Site Two artifacts. This is a genuine bid, although obviously we hope we won’t be called upon to make good on it, and the terms are as follows: for an exclusive usage

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