I'm great at being bad."
He raised his eyebrows. "That we can agree on."
Chapter Four
Sara was watching Mei work at her computer even though Sara didn't really understand what was happening. All she saw were windows full of symbols, numbers, and obscure commands. To Sara, it was a glimpse into the future. One day the language of computers would be the first language of man, assuming humans still existed at all.
Is that how human life will end? she wondered. Intelligent machines will sweep us aside?
The question had profound metaphysical implications. Heaven and Hell were repositories for human souls. If computers started thinking for themselves and making ethical decisions, would they acquire souls? Would Final Judgement decide cases involving robots? Would machines get their own versions of Heaven and Hell? What qualified as a sin in an electronic world? What was eternal punishment for a computer? Perhaps the inherent contradictions would crash the entire system.
Sara's phone rang. She checked the caller ID but didn't recognize the number. Frowning, she accepted the call.
"Hello?"
"This is the Office of Experimental Aero-Physics," a man said. "You left a message earlier today."
Sara was surprised, but she recovered her composure quickly. "That's right. I'm Sara Blandish, a detective for the Illinois State Police. A body turned up this morning in Columbus Park. Detective Thomas Haymaker tried to investigate, but your people treated him rudely and stole the evidence. He called us for assistance."
Mei stopped what she was doing. She looked up at Sara curiously.
"Trace the call," Sara mouthed silently.
Mei turned back to her computer and typed.
"I'm very sorry about that," the man said. "The O.E.A.P. prides itself on courtesy and professionalism. I'll certainly have a word with our agents about their behavior."
"That's nice," Sara said, "but it doesn't do me much good. I want to know where you took the body. I want to examine it myself."
"I'm afraid that's classified information."
"Don't play that card with me. The Illinois State Police isn't some hick county sheriff office. We can get our Congressmen involved. I'm sure there is an oversight committee in Washington which will want to know why federal spooks are dropping corpses on Chicago."
The man paused. "I don't like those kinds of threats, Ms. Blandish."
"That's Detective Blandish to you, and I'm not screwing around. You can't just sweep this thing under the carpet of national security. Haymaker told me the victim was crushed and cooked. Are civilians in danger? Should Chicago be on alert? What are we supposed to do if more bodies show up? These questions demand official answers, not bureaucratic stonewalling."
"I see." He paused again. "Perhaps we should have a face-to-face meeting?"
"That would be outstanding. Your office?"
"Uh, my office isn't really open to visitors. What about your office?"
Sara was stumped. She hadn't thought that far ahead. The closest thing she had to an office was the basement of Red Palace Antiques, and she certainly wasn't going to invite strangers there. A solution occurred to her.
"Our offices are in Springfield," she said, "but we're visiting Chicago. I know of a local coffee shop where we can meet. Rooney's Coffee in Greektown. Conveniently, the rest of my team is already there."
"I'll send two senior agents immediately," the man said.
"Good. I'll be waiting by the door. Thin woman with long, brown hair wearing black."
"Bye."
Sara ended the call and looked at Mei. "How did the trace go?"
"Not well," Mei said. "I got as far as the Pentagon and hit a firewall I couldn't break through."
"The military is behind this?"
"Looks like it. The security was hard-core. The good news is I blocked them from locating you, so at least my shop is safe... I hope."
Sara furrowed her brow. "I'd better call Virgil." She dialed Virgil's number.
"Yes?" he answered.
"The Office of Experimental Aero-Physics called back. I'm meeting two
He raised his eyebrows. "That we can agree on."
Chapter Four
Sara was watching Mei work at her computer even though Sara didn't really understand what was happening. All she saw were windows full of symbols, numbers, and obscure commands. To Sara, it was a glimpse into the future. One day the language of computers would be the first language of man, assuming humans still existed at all.
Is that how human life will end? she wondered. Intelligent machines will sweep us aside?
The question had profound metaphysical implications. Heaven and Hell were repositories for human souls. If computers started thinking for themselves and making ethical decisions, would they acquire souls? Would Final Judgement decide cases involving robots? Would machines get their own versions of Heaven and Hell? What qualified as a sin in an electronic world? What was eternal punishment for a computer? Perhaps the inherent contradictions would crash the entire system.
Sara's phone rang. She checked the caller ID but didn't recognize the number. Frowning, she accepted the call.
"Hello?"
"This is the Office of Experimental Aero-Physics," a man said. "You left a message earlier today."
Sara was surprised, but she recovered her composure quickly. "That's right. I'm Sara Blandish, a detective for the Illinois State Police. A body turned up this morning in Columbus Park. Detective Thomas Haymaker tried to investigate, but your people treated him rudely and stole the evidence. He called us for assistance."
Mei stopped what she was doing. She looked up at Sara curiously.
"Trace the call," Sara mouthed silently.
Mei turned back to her computer and typed.
"I'm very sorry about that," the man said. "The O.E.A.P. prides itself on courtesy and professionalism. I'll certainly have a word with our agents about their behavior."
"That's nice," Sara said, "but it doesn't do me much good. I want to know where you took the body. I want to examine it myself."
"I'm afraid that's classified information."
"Don't play that card with me. The Illinois State Police isn't some hick county sheriff office. We can get our Congressmen involved. I'm sure there is an oversight committee in Washington which will want to know why federal spooks are dropping corpses on Chicago."
The man paused. "I don't like those kinds of threats, Ms. Blandish."
"That's Detective Blandish to you, and I'm not screwing around. You can't just sweep this thing under the carpet of national security. Haymaker told me the victim was crushed and cooked. Are civilians in danger? Should Chicago be on alert? What are we supposed to do if more bodies show up? These questions demand official answers, not bureaucratic stonewalling."
"I see." He paused again. "Perhaps we should have a face-to-face meeting?"
"That would be outstanding. Your office?"
"Uh, my office isn't really open to visitors. What about your office?"
Sara was stumped. She hadn't thought that far ahead. The closest thing she had to an office was the basement of Red Palace Antiques, and she certainly wasn't going to invite strangers there. A solution occurred to her.
"Our offices are in Springfield," she said, "but we're visiting Chicago. I know of a local coffee shop where we can meet. Rooney's Coffee in Greektown. Conveniently, the rest of my team is already there."
"I'll send two senior agents immediately," the man said.
"Good. I'll be waiting by the door. Thin woman with long, brown hair wearing black."
"Bye."
Sara ended the call and looked at Mei. "How did the trace go?"
"Not well," Mei said. "I got as far as the Pentagon and hit a firewall I couldn't break through."
"The military is behind this?"
"Looks like it. The security was hard-core. The good news is I blocked them from locating you, so at least my shop is safe... I hope."
Sara furrowed her brow. "I'd better call Virgil." She dialed Virgil's number.
"Yes?" he answered.
"The Office of Experimental Aero-Physics called back. I'm meeting two
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