The Infinity Mainframe (Tombs Rising Book 3)
Page 1
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Connect
Dedication
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Friday, 19 April 2115
9:01 PM
9:20 PM
9:51 PM
10:23 PM
Saturday, 20 April 2115
6:00 AM
Monday, 29 April 2115
9:13 AM
12:32 PM
2:40 PM
Devan Oster
17 years ago
Wednesday, 1 May 2115
2:45 PM
Drone footage from 19 April 2115
3:39 PM
Thursday, 2 May 2115
6:30 AM
8:29 AM
10:21 AM
10:37 AM
6:00 PM
7:14 PM
9:45 PM
Devan Oster
17 years ago
Friday, 3 May 2115
4:35 PM
7:04 PM
Sunday, 5 May 2115
12:04 PM
12:52 PM
2:01 PM
3:15 PM
Monday, 6 May 2115
7:44 AM
8:24 AM
8:40 AM
6:05 PM
7:11 PM
Devan Oster
17 years ago
Monday, 27 May 2115
10:01 AM
10:24 AM
11:01 AM
11:58 AM
12:34 PM
12:38 PM
12:40 PM
1:14 PM
7:00 PM
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Acknowledgements
The Infinity Mainframe
Robert Scott-Norton
The Infinity Mainframe
Copyright © 2017 Robert Scott-Norton
ebook Edition, Licence Notes
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(20170616)
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Friday, 19 April 2115
9:01 PM
“Do you see him yet?” Ruby held her finger against the earpiece as her eyes scanned the room.
“Nothing, yet.”
Damn.
Ruby had hoped this would be an easy catch tonight, so she could finish up, go home, and take off this ridiculous outfit. It had taken her a while to find the cocktail dress buried at the back of the wardrobe, and amazingly, the thing still fit her. However, she hated the way it clung under her breasts and made it difficult to twist freely.
Drinks flowed as waiting staff melted through the gathering, trays with crudites and champagne flutes aloft. The Arts Centre had been transformed from its usual sombre self by the event organisers. The hundred foot entrance hall looked magnificent tonight with spotlights aligned perfectly along the walls, lighting each of the twelve columns leading to the ceiling. A stage had been erected at one end of the atrium with screens and lights and a podium. Balloons and streamers trailed from the first-floor balcony. Music played from hidden speakers and sounded equally nuanced wherever she stood. Guests clustered together sharing stories and gossip, all trying to outdo each other to be the most interesting.
“Anything your end, Nikoli?”
“No.” He sounded bored. “This isn’t going to go well if we can’t at least identify who we’re looking for.”
“We’ll find him.” Ruby tried to reassure her colleague but failed to feel the same optimism she was trying to instill. Tracking down an individual amongst a sea of strange faces was difficult enough, but all they’d been given to act on was a tipoff that a rogue would be here tonight. As the local Department for the Regulation of Telepaths team, it was their responsibility to follow up on such tip-offs. Especially as tonight was OsMiTech’s latest press event and the main man, Devan Oster, was due on stage in ten minutes. “You alright, Nikoli?”
“Fine. I just want to get this over with.”
Ruby took half a dozen steps up the staircase to the balcony level and caught sight of Nikoli at the far side of the room. He’d taken up a position close to the stage where he had a good view of the main doors into the event and could keep his eyes on the people around the stage area. She smiled weakly at him as his eyes met hers and he half-heartedly returned the smile. This was his first day back at work after being off ill all week. She wondered whether it had been a mistake bringing him in on this job.
With just the two agents inside the event, and a couple of hundred guests, she felt grossly outnumbered. The Department for the Regulation of Telepaths was under a budget crunch, but Glynn was doing the best he could to feed them information from the discomfort of the DRT support vehicle, parked on the street opposite the main doors. She imagined him hunched in the back, eyes poring over the many camera feeds from the event.
“Glynn, we’re waiting.”
A woman strolled in from the street outside, a man half her age pinned to her arm. OsMiTech security stepped in her path and inspected her invitation. Ruby noted a single security member in a tux, leaning nonchalantly against a pillar by the entrance. He hadn’t spoken to a single guest all the while she’d been there and she knew why. The man was a snoop. One of OsMiTech’s telepaths, paid to scan those entering the building, seeking out any bad thoughts from the guests, anything that might indicate they’d be causing trouble. Illegal, of course. Rule one of the teep code was no unauthorised scanning without prior consent. OsMiTech would argue that by attending the event, implicit consent had been given, but then, as they helped write the code they would say that.
Glynn spoke through her earpiece. “I’m still processing faces. Matching up to known members of the league.”
Ruby sighed. They didn’t know what the rogue was planning to do at the event, but their insider at the Anti-telepath League had been worried.
“If you don’t give us anything more soon, we might as well hand this over to the police. You’re wasting our time.” Nikoli sounded fed up.
“Take it easy,” she replied. “We’ll get him.”
“Assuming it is just the one guy we’re looking for. We don’t have the manpower to intercept more.”
Ruby sighed. “Could our informer have been wrong?”
“He’s your informer,” Glynn replied.
Thanks for the reminder. Ruby was composing a suitably tart but professional response to that, when a woman knocked into her. The woman had been too busy flirting with the man beside her. Instinctively, Ruby checked her blocking patterns were cycling then threw the stranger an irritated smile and wondered how much longer she would have to be here, pretending she was one of the interested guests. She took a glass from a passing waiter and sipped at the champagne for appearance’s sake. She’d last tri
ed champagne at Fiona’s wedding, but that champagne had been a cheap fizzy wine with a posh label. There might be a lot of fakes at this OsMiTech event, but the alcohol was the genuine article.
The drinking didn't interest Ruby. Her head was aching with the chattering guests, tiresome orchestral music, and the effort required to smile whenever anyone made eye contact.
Nikoli was no longer alone. A young woman clung to his side, younger than Ruby, early twenties. Confused, Ruby leant on the stone bannister and tried to catch their conversation. But it proved impossible to filter out the background chatter. Nikoli joked and laughed with this other woman, leaning in a little too close to her neckline when talking. Nikoli was a married man, and this woman was so young. Ruby’s stomach curled. There was nothing coming over her earpiece despite Nikoli’s lips moving. He’d silenced his comms—poor protocol. What the hell was he playing at?
“Excuse me, Madam.”
Ruby opened her eyes. A young man in a black t-shirt, with the crescent OsMiTech logo on his chest, stood beside her. He proffered a tiny white bag on the end of his finger.
“Thank you,” she replied, gently tugging at her ear. “What…”
The greeter dipped his fingers into the bag and withdrew a band of chrome. “It’s the latest model.”
“Oh, wonderful,” she said, not feeling any wonder at the HALO she’d been offered. It looked identical to the second generation she was already wearing.
“Let me sort out the transfer for you.” He moved to take her existing ring from her finger but Ruby pulled her hand away.
“That won’t be necessary,” she replied, forcing a smile. “I’d prefer to keep this one.”
The greeter, surprised at the rejection, handed her the bag, “Well, perhaps you’d like to register it yourself later.”
Job done, he smiled and wandered off to find more recipients.
OsMiTech loved to bring out new devices, and no one seemed to mind paying for more stuff. From its infancy supplying innovative consumer tech to its meteoritic rise as the king of all things technological, everyone loved the company.
And then the telepaths came and changed things, and the country loved OsMiTech even more for saving them.
She stepped back, intending to move along to the next pillar to change her perspective but instead walked into someone crossing behind her. Ruby’s arm shot up and emptied the contents of her champagne glass all over the front of her dress.
“Oh, for the love of God,” Ruby exclaimed, wiping at the champagne she’d managed to spill over the front of her dress.
Then she glanced up at the person she’d been so unaware of.
Devan Oster stood before her, a frown curving his arched eyebrows, making his birdlike obsidian eyes even more intense. The founder of OsMiTech, the reason they were all here tonight, the man she’d just walked into. Her brain took a moment to process all of this, and the realisation that the surrounding people on the balcony were looking at her, mild amusement on their faces. Her dress clung to her skin where she’d spilt the drink. Her face burned.
Beyond reason, a smile danced on his narrow lips.
“I’m so sorry,” Devan said, summoning a waiter with a flick of the finger.
“It’s not your fault. It was mine. Not looking where I was going.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
The waiter appeared with a cloth, and Devan offered it to Ruby. She gratefully took it and dabbed away at herself. “Thank you,” she said, focusing on the dress.
“Candice,” he called behind him softly. His voice was distinguished. The accent still carried the faint cadence of his Swedish origins. However integrated he’d become in this country, that would always remain.
A woman appeared at Devan’s side. Ruby saw with surprise that it was Nikoli’s woman. Standing this close, she caught the whiff of expensive perfume.
“Yes, Devan,” she replied. Her accent wasn’t local.
“I’ve been incredibly clumsy and spilt wine over this charming lady. Please, can you make sure she’s OK for the rest of the evening? Also, I think we owe her a replacement. Arrange a trip out for her to get a new wardrobe on the company’s account.” The corners of his eyes crinkled as he looked at Ruby.
“That’s really not necess—”
He raised a hand and Ruby fell silent. “No arguments.”
She felt a sudden warmth of gratitude to this man she’d only ever seen in media streams.
“Have a great evening.”
And then he was gone.
The surrounding crowd went back to their own conversations although many were quick to tap Devan on the arm as he passed and express their thanks for the event.
“Such a fabulous evening.”
“—wonderful food—”
“—so gracious—”
Devan shrugged off the comments and made his way through the crowd. Flashes centred on him as the press realised he’d entered the room.
“So, if you leave me your details I’ll have someone take you out.”
“Sorry,” Ruby asked.
“Your details?” Candice held out her hand.
“Oh.” Ruby tried not to think about how angry she was with this woman that was interfering in someone else’s marriage. She saw the class two tattoo on her forehead and wasn’t surprised. Most people working for Devan at OsMiTech were telepaths.
They touched HALOs and exchanged details.
“No trouble. Do you need a hand with that?” Candice nodded at the stain on Ruby’s dress.
“No,” Ruby blurted, “I’m fine.”
And with a curt nod, Candice left Ruby to her thoughts and hurried after Devan. Her HALO already to her ear, giving instructions to someone. Must be a tough life, working with a man like Devan. But, with all that going for her, why was she so engrossed with Nikoli?
“Glynn, any update?”
“Still running facial recognition.”
“No one on the local ATL lists?”
“Nothing yet. Keep sharp.” Glynn paused. “I’m not getting anything from Nikoli. What’s up?”
Ruby looked but couldn’t see her teammate anymore.
“No, I’ve lost him. Nikoli? Are you reading me?” She spoke quietly, not wanting to draw any undue attention her way. “I’ll find him. There might be a problem with his HALO.”
“Wait on that.” Excited beeps through her earpiece. “No facial matches, but a member of the serving staff was taken ill an hour before the event and has been swapped.”
Ruby froze. There were dozens of serving staff around them; they were as good as invisible.
“Any idea what he’s planning?”
“No. A weapon would be hard to get in.”
“But not impossible. He could have arranged this weeks ago.”
“I’ve got a name. Scott Logan.”
“Description?” A pause. Ruby's heart quickened. “Glynn,” she hissed. “I need information.”
Her eyes flicked around the catering staff in her vicinity. Disregarding the women, she counted ten, three on the balcony level, seven down on the ground floor. “Nikoli, are you reading?” No response. She couldn’t see him either.
A male server edged around her to pick up a pair of glasses left on the balcony railing. A second was ten metres to her left with a tray of crudités.
Where the hell was Nikoli?
Then she saw him. Everyone saw him.
“You’ve got to stop it, Devan. The tombs are dangerous.”
A hush swept over the floor as guests angled their heads, turning their bodies to seek the disturbance.
Nikoli stood in the middle of the room, a glass of beer in his hand, and he was pointing at Devan Oster. Devan had stopped, everyone had stopped. A huddle of plain clothes security was standing out from the crowd, closing in. Devan raised a hand to pause them. What the hell’s he doing?
“Glynn, we’re in trouble. Nikoli’s picked a fight with Devan Oster.”
“What?”
She coul
d hear the confusion in his voice, but didn’t have time to explain. If she didn’t act, Nikoli would blow the whole operation, exposing Devan to risk and the whole team would come under fire for failing to execute its duty.
“I’ve got to stop him.”
But, as she moved to the stairwell, she realised Devan had reached Nikoli and was whispering in his ear. Nikoli’s face transformed—a white pallor dropped like a sheet over his features. Devan walked towards a pair of double doors. Nikoli hesitated a moment then followed like a well-trained puppy.
“Seems Devan has got it under control,” Ruby relayed to Glynn.
“You’ll have to fill me in later. We’ve still got Scott Logan to find.”
“A description yet?”
“Negative. His record is scrambled. I’m running through the camera logs, using facial recognition to eliminate the rest of the staff.”
Damn. Ruby considered just asking a member of staff to point out Scott to her and was ready to interrupt a waitress when she realised she’d lost track of one waiter on the balcony layer. Short. Five foot eight. Slim build. Hair thinning. In his thirties. A white towel over his wrist. Leaning against a column, looking down over the event below. He’d something in his hand.
“I’ve got him,” she whispered.
“Wait for Nikoli.”
“Nikoli’s gone.”
“Wait for backup. I’ve called the police.”
“No time.”
And then the man she knew to be Scott Logan turned in her direction, and their eyes met. She smiled, turned her head away, tried to make it look like she hadn’t been staring at him just a moment before.
But, he was smarter than that. He nodded, then headed for the back of the room and the doors the catering staff had been using all evening.
“He’s leaving the party. In pursuit.”
“Ruby, stand down!”
Ignoring the shrieks of polite alarm from both sides of her as she brushed through the crowd, she ran, bursting through the double doors into a temporary kitchen that had been set up to cater for the event. Glynn was still shouting instructions in her ear but she was done listening and filtered him out as she caught her bearings and ran after her quarry. She collided with a waiter hoisting a laden tray of snacks to his shoulder, and the waiter, tray and food crashed to the floor. Ruby mumbled an apology as she skipped over his flailing form.