Into the Shadows by Various

Author:Various [Various]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

envelopes for the old-men producers who thought simulated-senses technology was best suited to travelogues. Everyone was afraid of pushing it too far, of making it too real. Witt and a willing starlet showed them how to make it better than real. He made MegaMedia the premier telecom corporation of his generation. He's paid handsomely, but the men calling the shots are suits, not artists. Witt remembers the days when simsense programming was raw, an art for the risk-takers, not prestructured sequences and patterns. Back before he was required to supply an urge pulse every 137 seconds. He remembers those days most clearly when he sits quietly in his study, carefully dipping his finger in and out of his straight Absolute Platinum.

Witt Lipton has an idea, and it's one he hopes someone will be willing to kill for.

*

I coughed once gently into my hand, watching as Raphael's mind returned from whatever far shore it had been travelling, then continued speaking. "Ever since MegaMedia lost Res-nick during the February sweeps, they've locked down on their creative people pretty hard."

Just to my left, Allyce ran one hand through her long blond hair. It was a luxury, a risky indulgence for someone in our line of work to have shoulder-length hair. "Can it be that tight?" she asked, eyes darting between Raphe and me. "I can't imagine arty types being too happy with watchdogs at their heels."

I started to reply, but saw Raphael finally bringing his full attention back to the matter at hand. All this time, he'd been distracted enough that everyone had noticed. A thoughtful Raphael was a common sight, but for him to be inattentive was a rarity. "No, but I'm sure it's tight enough to make this more than a simple pass and grab," he said, absently playing with the lobe of one ear.

The small tray of soft-pack drinks on the end table jittered as a wave of near-subsonics filled the room. Jack's voice came from every corner in booming, multi-channel digital stereo. "MegaMedia has a Lone Star contract for high-security jobs, but use their own people in-house. The Star guys are generally pretty good, but the house-boys are reformed punkers," he said, the frequency of his voice distorting very slightly on the high end. Trust hotel telecoms to have bad chips.

Next to Raphael, Janey Zane grabbed the remote control and tuned down the frequency response. "Owy! You may be fast, Jack, but you ain't swift! A little less on the bass, eh?" A security camera in the corner of the room tilted slightly toward her, its single red eye blinking slowly.

Jack's dry chuckle was reproduced nearly perfectly, except for that high-end jitter. You couldn't tell, but I knew it must have been driving him wild. "Oh, Janey baby, you're pressing my buttons."

"You want buttons, tiger? Hows about this one?" Her finger flexed and the entertainment center's power lights faded to black. I shook my head and waited for Raphe to say something, but he merely turned slightly and looked at the table phone.

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