~ ~ ~
“I’m in,” Prav’s accomplice stated. An earpiece was connected to a small mic, which clung to the left side of her face. She quickly pulled back her dark hair and put it in a makeshift ponytail in order to get it out of the way. Her apparel was combat-like, black on black, from head to foot. A medium-sized flat screen was pulled from an inside zipper of her coat and then placed on Derrick’s desk, adjacent to his laptop. “Sit down,” she ordered. Derrick complied.
Prav Gill instantly appeared on the tablet. “Alright,” he stated. “Time is of the essence, Mr. Landry, so let’s establish a few things at the outset. I don’t know how involved you were with my recent financial predicament, but I am prepared to make you an offer nonetheless. The deal is this. I will guarantee your safety providing that you follow my representative’s instructions to the letter. Are we clear on this arrangement?”
“Seeing as self-preservation is one of my specialties,” Derrick quipped.
The gun-yielding woman grimaced. “Did you hear what he said?”
“Quite,” Derrick agreed, after its muzzle was felt on his right temple.
“Outstanding,” Prav announced. “And, by the way, that’s Zara holding the gun to your head. Well, that’s not her real name, of course, but it will suffice for now.”
Prav was now sitting in a glass-enclosed, second floor lounge located at the rear of his yacht. His laptop sat on the oval table before him, while lengthy bench-like seating followed its curvature. A map, presently
minimized on his computer, reflected his boat’s course; north-by-north east. They were heading for Canadian waters.
“Zara has several memory devices which you will use to download …”
“The super genome,” Derrick interjected. He couldn’t help wondering if Simon’s plan could account for such a dramatic timeline deviation.
“Yes, the super genome, Mr. Landry,” Prav replied. His tone seemed menacing, yet gentlemanly at the same time. “And if you don’t mind I will also require everything you have on the Xavior file. You understand, of course, the two go hand in hand.”
Derrick’s face was deadpanned. “You realize I can’t do this on my own. I’ll need Sophia’s authorization in order to access most of these files.”
“Ring her up then. The greater the challenge, the more prodigious the prize.”
In only moments, Sophia appeared on Derrick’s laptop. Prav remained on the large tablet alongside.
“Yes, Derrick, what can I do for you?” Sophia asked. Her three-dimensional bust hovered within its usual holographic space.
Derrick cleared his throat. “Sophia, it seems we have found ourselves in a bit of a predicament. I’m not sure whether you can see this,” he added, while making a few adjustments to his webcam. From Sophia’s perspective, Zara came into view. Derrick explained that he was being held under duress and would be killed if he resisted Prav Gill’s demands.
After realizing what was at stake, Sophia didn’t hesitate. “Please inform Mr. Gill that I can only comply with approximately 74% of the super genome demand and unfortunately 0% of the Xavior request.” Her soft enunciation defied any sense of peril.
She went on to explain that the super genome was, for security purposes, split up and stored in four separate locations. Three off-site venues accounted for equal measures of the 74% of the helix. Those portions were remotely accessible and could be downloaded to Derrick’s laptop in due course. The fourth and most important segment of the super genome, however, was stored within the confines of Simon’s office. It, as well as the Xavior files, could only be accessed there, through his personal desktop computer.
“I expected as much,” Prav stated. He turned to his other female ssistant, who was standing close by, and nodded. With cell phone in hand, the blonde woman turned away and spoke quietly to someone who was obviously waiting to be called into action. Upon her command, two hover vehicles lifted off from a high-rise helicopter pad located somewhere in midtown Manhattan. They resembled a cross between a motorcycle and a hovercraft. Both lift and steering were provided by two fan-like devices, fore and aft, while each carried a single, blacked-out rider.
Derrick noticed Prav’s gesture and surmised another variable had just been inserted into the equation. “I should remind you that One World Trade Center is one of the world’s most secure buildings.”
Prav smiled, knowing Derrick’s comment was directed more toward Sophia than him. “It may be, Mr. Landry, but we have the world’s smartest computer at our disposal, do we not?” His expression turned serious. “Please begin the download immediately.”
Zara took that as her cue to plug the first of three memory devices into Derrick’s laptop. As she watched him type in several commands, enabling the first download, Derrick knew the process would trigger a response from PurIntel’s System’s Integrity Unit. In moments, his phone would ring whereby he would have to instruct its new team leader that an unquantified threat required him to execute a department lockdown. A secure in place order would therefore prevail until further notice. He also expected the unscheduled activity to be reflected on Simon’s phone. Yellows would undoubtedly be turning to reds.
SOPHIA - Age of Intelligence Page 44
