Contact

Chapter 12

            The deep web is a place that few people in the world know about.  Almost everyone has heard of the black market, but little do they know there are actual market places where people can buy drugs; acquire fake IDs and stolen identities.  These web sites also happen to be where you could hire a contractor.

            Jean was a contractor, and he was currently looking over the newest contract on the market.  The job was to steal a software program from Kimura Corp in Japan.  “What do you have on Kimura Corp?”  Jean asked.

            “High tech research and development firm specializing in astrophysics,” replied Jean’s companion.

            “Do we have anything on its security?”

            The softball-sized head of Jean’s companion tilted his head slightly the same way that he always did while searching the Internet.  “Blue prints submitted show seven guard stations in the building.  It also shows bio scanners, infrared, and pressure sensors installed before the building was completed.  These plans are twelve years old.”

            “Humph,” replied Jean.  “Not taking a job based on twelve year old blue prints.”  Jean was manipulating his DNAC, created a private and encrypted message and sent it.  “What do we know about Kimura Corp’s relation with the Triads?”

            Once again the small head tilted to the side slightly and his oversized metal looking eyes shifted.  “It seams that there is no connection to the Triads, or even any other known mafia groups.  Each member of the board has a fairly clean record.”

            Jean sat back in his bench in disbelief, “really?  That doesn’t seem highly likely.  A high tech company with software worth stealing, with no connections to organized crime.”  Jean spoke out loud as a way of trying to make sense of the information rather than a mode of communication.

            Brit had become use to Jean’s odd and sometimes confusing human traits.  Brit was an NBS, or Non-Biological Sentient, and had been working with Jean for close to thirty years now.

            Jean’s DNAC bipped, it was a response to the message that he had just sent.  He opened it and grinned, “well it seems some people still like us.  It appears as if Geiko Iwasaki has a Maiko who often performs at Kimura Corp functions and parties.”

            Geiko Iwasaki was a very renowned Geisha who was the head of the Kamishichiken School in Kyoto, known to be the best and most strenuous Geisha school in the world.  Geiko was her title at the school and wouldn’t reply to anyone unless the title was used.  Geiko Iwasaki was a priceless contact concerning any job in Japan.  However Jean knew that he was not her only contractor that she worked with.

            Jean quickly wrote another message and sent it on its way.  “Brit, would you be so kind as to contact Madam Hitomi, and inquire about the probability and price for a room for approximately two weeks?”

            Brit tilted his head once again and then replied, “request sent.  Are we making a bid on the contract?”

            Jean looked up from his DNAC and smiled gently, “well that all depends on what Geiko Iwasaki has to say.  We should know any time now.”  Jean looked back down at his DNAC and shortly was rewarded with another bip.

            Jean took a moment to read the message before he looked up at Brit.  “According to Geiko Iwasaki, there are no mob connections with the company, and she will be willing to negotiate information about security and the like.”

            Brit could tell that Jean had left something out and waited a moment to see if he would bring it up.  Jean didn’t and so Brit asked, “I see no issues as far as the contract and the Corp, but something seams to be bothering you.  What is it?”

            Jean took a moment to collect his thoughts.  “Something just doesn’t seem right about this one,” he said at last.

            “I am not sure what you mean.”

            “Well,” Jean said, “this job seems to be a little too easy, with high pay.  This software that they want it must be something of high importance or value.”  He paused for a moment and then continued, “and there is something that we are missing.”

            The two sat in silence for a moment before Jean brought up one of the feeds.  Another immaculately dressed man in his late twenties was talking to the camera.  “In a press conference held a little over an hour ago the Jackson Stone Corp. released the findings of the investigation into the cause of death to the seven asteroid minors out at the Near Asteroid Ring.  It was announced that a airlock malfunction decompressed the shuttle as they were en rout to the Mars Station.”

            “As it has been reported before, the shuttle was picked up on radar, and when hailed, there was no response.  A tug met the floating shuttle and found that all passengers on board were dead.”

            The reporter continued to talk but Jean stopped listening.  He had heard this story already but this one stood out to him.  People lost their lives in space all of the time, so why was this tragedy getting so much airtime?  He would most likely never find out the particulars why this story had resurfaced several times over the week, and he logged it in the back of his mind simply as an oddity.

            Jean refocused on his DNAC and submitted his bid for the contract.  “Well, I guess now we wait and see if we get to visit Madam Hitomi.”