Chapter Four
Phantom Threat
Meagan's new job would officially begin the first Friday in September — the end of the first week of Academy classes. It was to begin with a news conference. However, her work at GundTech unofficially began after her breakfast meeting with Gwen and Gus. She flew with her hosts by helicopter from the roof of the hotel to the company headquarters, where several scientists and mathematicians joined the trio. During three long, grueling days of meetings, briefings, and instructional sessions, they formulated a rough outline of how to handle the release of the world-changing knowledge. Finally, it was time for Meagan to return to Phoenix to make her farewell appearance at WBN.
Gus rode with Meagan as she was chauffeured to the airport. It was the first time he had been alone with the young woman. The long, slow ride by car gave them an opportunity to talk privately.
"Thanks for this opportunity, Gus."
"It is a lot to ask of you, I know, but I'm confident you can handle it." Meagan could see something was weighing on the man's mind. He was hesitating. He was holding something back.
"Gus, what is it?" She reached out and touched him on the knee. "What is it you want — or need — to say? Are you worried I'll reveal your identity before we've planned?"
"No, Meagan. I'd trust you with my life." He sat silent for several minutes, filled with indecision. Meagan Fletcher didn't press the issue. "Do you remember," Gus started to ask, breaking the awkward silence, "when I told you I needed you for two reasons?"
"Yes. I do."
"I haven't told anyone — anyone — about the second reason."
"About the threat?"
"Yes, the threat from within."
"What threat? Tell me about it," Meagan urged.
Gus shook his head, "I'm probably just crazy. You know — the isolated child prodigy with paranoid tendencies." He tried to make light of the situation, but Meagan was not laughing. His gaze fell to the floor. "I just have this feeling of a vague, impending threat and a sense that the threat comes from within."
"Within the company? Within you? What?"
Gus looked Meagan in the eyes. "I'm not sure. That's why I need your help. I need the help of a… of a…"
Meagan saw beneath the exterior of the boy genius. He looked like a helpless, lonely little boy. X-Boy's Ode to a Child Prodigy came to mind. "The help of a stranger," she suggested.
"No, not a stranger — I hope we aren't strangers any more. Even though you don't know my real name, I feel as if you know who I am — who I am inside. What I meant to say is: I need the help of an outsider, someone outside the company and outside my family. I need the advice of an independent thinker."
"Whatever I can do, I will."
Twenty-four hours later, Meagan Fletcher went on the air live. She was not only on WBN, but on many of the world's media networks. Only the night before, WBN had broadcast her final report. It was the scoop she had promised her producer. Today, she sat at a table before a room filled with the world press. Her producer sat next to her on one side and the president of WBN on the other. Meagan felt odd. I've gone from reporting the news, she thought, to being the news!
"I want to begin by thanking all the people here at WBN for their support. I hope you will appreciate the reason I gave them the story to break last night. I'm here today to answer your questions and give you more details. I'll take questions now."
A woman rose in the front row. It was Meagan's old friend. "Michelle Michaels, from EuroNet," she said formally. Meagan noticed she and Philip North were seated together. "When will you be leaving WBN?"
"As of my report last night. I'm here today as a representative of the GundTech Corporation."
"A follow-up, please," said Ms. Michaels quickly. "How did you happen to be recruited by GundTech? Rumor has it that you had uncovered something — that you were bought off by GundTech with this new job."
Meagan wasn't sure how to respond. The question raised old doubts. Was she recruited? Had she been manipulated? Had she been lead down the path of discovery by X-Boy? Perhaps it was just her reporter's ego, but she felt she had uncovered the facts about X-Boy on her own. Was Michelle correct in her statement? Had she been bought off by GundTech? She shook her head as she answered. "No, I don't believe I've been bought off by GundTech. I know many of you personally — most of you professionally," she paused as she looked over the assembled media, trying to make eye contact with as many of her colleagues as possible. "The importance of what I've been asked to do is very great. For me to succeed in my task, I need to establish a trust between us, between you and me. Yes, I had uncovered some new information. Yes, I approached GundTech with what I knew, seeking verification." Murmurs swept through the room. Meagan raised a hand to silence the crowd. "But I don't believe I was bought off. In fact, GundTech's response was to confirm my information and offer me even more. That's why I'm here today."
Philip North called out the next question. "When you were in Oslo, did you meet with the man who created the IHT technology?"
"I met the entire IHT development team and with top GundTech officers."
"Then the person behind the company is a man?" prodded Mr. North.
Meagan took on a scolding tone, "Now, Philip, did I say that?" She looked over the mass of reporters. "Anyone? Did I say the head of GundTech was a man? Don't forget, I was one of you. One reason I was picked for this job was to make sure you got the facts, to make sure you reported the facts. Now Philip, did I say what you just implied?"
"No," admitted the reporter reluctantly, "you didn't."
"Now that that's cleared up, I will tell you the person behind the multiCom and the IHT is a man." A buzz swept through the room. "But that is all I will reveal until the proper time. Over the next few months, the focus needs to be on the achievement, not the man. The information needs to be handled in a responsible manner so it does not harm the current world economy."
"Speaking of that," shouted someone from the rear of the room, "What are the potential problems?"
Meagan consulted her notes before speaking. "As you know, orders for the current generation of computers have dropped sharply. Even multiCom sales are down. We want to urge everyone to stay calm and rational. All of the affected companies will have equal access to the new concepts as soon as they are presented. Social issues are another area of concern.
"For instance, a few weeks ago, GundTech announced some unexpected side effects of the IHT. They had to do with two physically challenged students. In their excitement over the possibilities, GundTech made an announcement about a new foundation they had created to look into these possibilities. In doing so, some people were offended, particularly in the case of Becky Weingold, the hearing impaired student. Many in the deaf community felt GundTech implied that deaf people were somehow 'broken' and that GundTech could 'fix' them. I assure you, no one at GundTech meant to offend anyone. They were not intentionally insensitive. We learned the hard way that our enthusiasm for technology should not blind us to the human issues and human sensitivities. That is why I'm imploring you all today to stay focused on the facts and stay away from the sensational."
An older woman in the second row asked the next question, "When will GundTech start releasing the specifics of the technology?"
"As we speak, the company is filing patents on the hardware they have produced."
"Hold on there," interrupted a man in the center of the room, "I thought you said the technology would be shared freely?"
"I did," Meagan affirmed. "The patents only cover hardware GundTech has created. Today, the groundbreaking concepts were submitted to all the relevant scientific magazines for publication and review by scholars around the world. You can also find copies of the documents on some of the net sites like X-Boy. Next, GundTech will hold a series of summit meetings for world leaders, researchers, and corporate management within three weeks. You can expect to see the introduction of an entry-level IHT product for the home viewer within six weeks. By early next year, the world should have transitioned from binary to quantum computing. We must work together for six months to make this a smooth transition."
Gus Villfarelse sat in his office watching the news conference on his multiCom. Meagan had just revealed that the inventor of the IHT was a man when his picture turned to static. Gus squinted and rubbed his eyes. He thought they were playing tricks on him. The swarming dots of static seemed to take on a vague form — a phantom silhouette of a person. Was it a man or woman? He couldn't tell.
The crackling hiss of the static also seemed to take shape. Villfarelse heard a low, scratchy voice within the random noise. "I know who you are," it said, "and I know what you are doing. I see how you are using that Fletcher woman to manipulate the media, just like you manipulated her. You need to be stopped."
Gus quickly typed on the display embedded in his desktop.
"No use trying to trace me Villfarelse, or should I say, X-Boy. I'm in your system. My tracks are clean. You'll never find me. I'm nowhere and everywhere. I'm weak now, but I'll gain power as I find my away around."
(Chapters 5-8)
