"Let's get him over here."

12.

Beenan: Imageries part antes

CONNECTED.

ENTER USER ID CODE: XXXXXXX.

PRESENT RIGHT EYE FOR RETINAL SCAN.

(IF YOU ARE WEARING GLASSES, PLEASE REMOVE THEM.).

WELCOME TO THE INSCID SECURE CONFERENCE SERVER MAJ.

BARNEY PAINE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO INITIATE A CONFERENCE OR.

JOIN ONE IN PROGRESS?.

CHECKING ATTENDEE LISTS FOR CURRENT SESSIONS. YOU ARE.

CONFIRMED FOR SESSION "FLEDERMAUS," ENCRYPTION LEVEL.

EPSILON. ATTENDING:.

[BEEP] [VID WINDOW COMDR. THOMAS BECKET].

Hi, Barney. Thanks for setting this up.

[BEEP] [VID WINDOW MAJ. BARNEY PAINE].

No problem. No kinky stuff, though. I don't want to have to clean the console.

I'll get her.

[VIDWIN BECKET].

Hi. Talk to you later, Barney.

[VIDWIN PAINE]Hi. It's good-it's very good-to see you. Not as good as touching, but not bad. Is there still a problem with cockroaches?

[VIDWIN BECKET].

Not on this line, not with this level of encryption. My guys are certain. I wasn't very happy being, uh, constrained, on the phone yesterday.

[VIDWIN PAINE].

Who do you think is listening?

[VIDWIN BECKET].

Our friends on the Sycorax. Turns out it's a technology test bed for intercepting and decrypting communications. Its goal is to gather intelligence on drug and alien traffic, but that doesn't mean it isn't being used in other ways.

[VIDWIN PAINE].

Yuck. I have to come over here to talk to you without an audience?

[VIDWIN BECKET].

I'll try to come up with something simpler.

[VIDWIN PAINE].

So, since you aren't constrained now, what did you want to say?

[VIDWIN BECKET].

Well... I'm sorry I got you into that mess, with the guns.

[VIDWIN PAINE].

[VIDWIN BECKET].

Don't look at me like that!

[VIDWIN PAINE].

I guess I was hoping for something a little different.

[VIDWIN BECKET].

Well, besides being totally besotted with you, what is there to say? Surely you know how I feel. Doesn't it show?

[VIDWIN PAINE].

[VIDWIN BECKET].

Doesn't it?

[VIDWIN PAINE]Let's just say I suspected it. I certainly hoped for it. I'm certainly feeling that drunken, reeling feeling, myself. And my life was really quite acceptable before. It was much easier walking across the floor when I didn't have to worry about hitting my head on the light fixtures. I had a meeting with the school staff this morning. I had to make them repeat everything.

[VIDWIN BECKET].

[VIDWIN PAINE].

Stop laughing.

[VIDWIN BECKET].

Sorry.

[VIDWIN PAINE].

When will you be back here?

[VIDWIN BECKET].

Wednesday for sure.

[VIDWIN PAINE].

Where will you stay?

[VIDWIN BECKET].

I'll be working. I'm still concerned about you. They might still try to get at me and if you're with me- [VIDWIN PAINE].

And this is supposed to console me? My apartment building is an armed camp.

There's police downstairs. There's police upstairs. It's the safest place on earth.

And if that's not enough, I'll put you in SubLorraine, and we'll put a half a mile of water between ourselves and the rest of the world.

[VIDWIN BECKET].

We'll see. It's just that things-the investigation-has gotten a lot messier, a lot, uh, larger in scope, than previously thought. The number of bad guys is potentially greater.

[VIDWIN PAINE].

What's happened?

[VIDWIN BECKET].

I'll talk about it in person. For the time being, though, don't leave those policeman behind. I've already talked to Barney, and he's going to continuesurveillance.

[VIDWIN PAINE].

How are you getting here? Can I meet your plane?

[VIDWIN BECKET].

I don't think that would be very safe for either of us. I won't leave without seeing you. Honest.

[VIDWIN PAINE].

You better not. Think of all those cute, young policeman who are following me around.

[VIDWIN BECKET].

Never happen.

[VIDWIN PAINE].

Says who?

[VIDWIN BECKET].

You prefer stronger vintages and older.

[VIDWIN PAINE].

[VIDWIN BECKET].

Right, then.

[VIDWIN PAINE].

Know-it-all.

[VIDWIN BECKET].

I have to go. We've gone from few leads to many.

[VIDWIN PAINE].

Safe hunting.

[VIDWIN BECKET].

I have to be-to come home to you.

SESSION "FLEDERMAUS" ENDS.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO INITIATE A CONFERENCE OR JOIN ONE IN.

PROGRESS?.

DISCONNECTED.

They found the bomb, midmorning.