Endworlds - Nicholas Read [76]
He had been even more shocked when Warujja had intimated these ‘Longcoats’ already existed in major cities worldwide, waiting for the command to rise up. The thought of it gave him chills.
He nodded slowly. “Yes, the Longcoats. They’d certainly want the equipment from Burroughs, and they’d have access to Fae’er infiltration tools through the Cassandra Foundation. It’s worth checking out.”
Then the General noted Warujja’s face was ashen, and asked his condition.
“You have stolen my light from one state and transferred it to another. From organic to electronic. Mark me, General, while I am pleased to serve you, I fear after all this time I am fading away in this unnatural place. I long to walk in the sun instead of this wretched darkness. Have I not proven loyal?”
It was not the first time the Dae’mon had asked, but Kriegmacher knew the software that held the being was not losing resolution.
“Warujja, when you meet your obligation and I have the Scepter in my grasp, I will meet my obligation to fully release you. But until then, I shall look into options to grant a broader range of mobility and interests.”
The Dae’mon’s face was downcast, the eyes baleful.
“Do not wait too long. There are many ways I can assist you, not all of them by remaining trapped in your pocket.”
“Warujja, I would rather you be in my pocket than I in yours.”
A flash of reaction, then the floating image returned to staring absently around the screen. Did he just look directly at me? wondered Kriegmacher. He watched a moment longer. No, impossible. Phone screens were not two-way.
“Great General, perhaps you should try to locate and question Longcoats in Britain. Even if it proved a dry well where the thefts are concerned, you need to assess their level of threat. I regret I cannot offer any physical assistance.”
Kriegmacher nodded. “A useful proposition. I will take steps.” Without giving the Dae’mon a chance to reply, he thumbed the phone off.
Terrorists. Rival companies. Inside job. Longcoats. The list of possible culprits in the thefts at Burroughs Labs was as long as it was diverse.
They would be identified, though. Identified and dealt with. Nothing would stand in his way.
As future ruler of the planet, nothing would dare.
15 The original Astrophysical Journal paper titled “A 2MASS All-Sky View of the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy: I. Morphology of the Sagittarius Core and Tidal Arms” (ApJ preprint doi:10.1086/379504) by professors Majewski, Skrutskie, Weinberg and Ostheimer from the Depts. of Astronomy from the Universities of Virginia and Massachusetts, is at: http://www.astro.virginia.edu/~mfs4n/sgr/preprint.pdf. The paper’s treatment of our solar system’s passage through the Sagittarius debris field begins in “Section 5.2.2 The Flatness and Proximity of the Sgr Plane” where it states: “Our proximity to the Sgr plane is a rare coincidence. If Sgr debris passes within a few kpc of the Solar Circle, we are very likely to be amidst that debris. Sections 6.4 and 9 address the implications of this unusual time in Solar System history.” [abridged].
16 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tevatron
17 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Hadron_Collider
18 This science can be explored further by searching “quantum pairing”, “EPR paradox” and at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_entanglement
19 By the time of this book’s publication, these measures have already been put into at least partial effect. Find the evidence by Googling the following links: “Fermilab closing 2011” and “CERN shut down 2012”; Reuters, BBC News.
20 In May 2010, news services carried a report that shows how Kriegmacher found his solution. Most references have been covered up, but some sites remain. Google: “Dr Maria Beloyvan” to find the remaining links. The case remains a matter of record at the DuPage County Coroner & Sherriff’s offices.
21 Search “strange creature found” using the Google Images view. Some results are false entries; others show mutated or embryonic fauna; and a few are deep-sea creatures pushed up to