Black Mirror

Chapter 21 - Computer World

"Wait, won't they call you AWOL or something?" Ty asks.

Paul grins at us. "Annie's in charge of this whole wall operation. She'll understand once she knows the facts."

"Since when is Annie in charge?" I ask.

"And if she's your boss," Gideon asks, "can you get me a minute with her so we can talk about reimbursing me for my phone?"

Paul looks at Gideon, nonplussed. "She never did? I could've sworn she said something about it. Or maybe it was some 'note to self' crap that she never got around to doing."

The "computer terminal," as Paul called it, is around the corner from the elevator. It's actually "terminals," plural, with several clusters of monitors scattered around a large room. If I stay still long enough, I can feel the gentle thrum of the engines churning below us. Or maybe I'm feeling the sheer amount of electricity it must take to power these babies. Would that mean I'm developing some kind of electromagnetic sensitivity? Maybe I could be the first angel to have an electric elemental in addition to one of the four classical ones.

Wait, that would just mean I've got light powers.

Yeah, that'd be just as cool, I bet. And maybe then I'd really be able to give Penner a taste of his own medicine.

"Listen, man," Ty says as Paul closes the door behind us, "not that we don't appreciate your help, but we're kinda trying to get into the city."

"Yeah, our friends are in there," Kelly chimes in.

"I got you covered," Paul says. "I think. I'm just spitballing at this point. As usual, nobody knows what's going on-" There's a series of knocks at the door. Three short taps, then a single loud pound. "Okay, that'd be Freddie. Hang on, let me let him in." He opens the door just a tad, enough for our redhead friend to crab-walk through. He's not as skinny as I remember. I guess he's spent whatever free time he's had working out. Pumping iron as opposed to slinging pizza.

"They're losing it on the streets," he says, wiping sweat from his brow - he must have run a long way to get here. "I'm not even sure why we're turning the guns outside. There's nothing the fuck out there, man." He looks around and sees the rest of us. "Oh, Alex. You only call him a 'friend from Prime,' Paul?"

"Just in case the enemy is listening in."

Freddie chuckles, then takes his seat at the computer and logs in. "At least they haven't frozen my account yet."

Ty walks around and checks the logo on the monitor. "Oh good, this ain't a Peppermint machine."

"Damn right," says Freddie. "Peppermint's been trying to worm their way into every corner of every city for years. As long as we got the Troys in charge, though, they're never getting a major foothold." He opens a window and reveals some ominously blinking Matrix-type code. Green letters and numbers and other assorted special characters you're supposed to add to your passwords to increase their security. "Although...that was the Guardian building they took out, wasn't it? You think the Troys are still-"

"Don't say it." Paul's been pacing around behind us all, keeping his eyes on the door so he can alert us to any incoming danger, but now he looks at Freddie with conviction. "The Troys are okay. Marian got out of the Third 'Verse just fine, so even if any of her kids bought it too, we'll be seeing them soon anyway."

"What are we looking for?" I ask, trying to keep up with whatever Freddie's typing up. I wouldn't know. Computer code and I really don't mix.

"Something. Anything."

"Let him do his thing," Paul says. "He's been learning how to white hat, but he hasn't had any chances to really put those skills into action."

"Harlan's a great teacher. When he's not high." Freddie codes a couple more lines - that's the proper technical term for it, right? - and then gasps when he sees what he's found. "Oh, you gotta be bloody..." He stares at the screen, not even blinking.