Read Online The Blue Nowhere-SA by Jeffery Deaver - Free Book Online
Authors: Jeffery Deaver
Tags: Fiction, General, thriller, Suspense, adventure, Action & Adventure, California, Crime & mystery, Technological, Serial Murders, Crime thriller, Computer Hackers, Murder victims, Privacy; Encroachment by computer systems, Crime investigations
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CCU. Gillette looked around the dinosaur pen, at the hundreds of disconnected boas lying in the corners and at the air-conditioning vents, his mind churning. A thought occurred to him. "April Fools' Day so the murder was March thirty-first?"
"Right," Anderson confirmed. "Is that significant?" Gillette said uncertainly, "It's probably a coincidence."
"Go ahead."
"Well, it's just that March thirty-first is sort of a red-letter day in computer history." Bishop asked, "Why?"
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
A woman's gravelly voice spoke from the doorway. "Isn't that the date the first Univac was delivered?"
CHAPTER SIX
They turned to see a hippy brunette in her mid-thirties, wearing an unfortunate gray sweater suit and thick black shoes.
Anderson asked, "Patricia?"
She nodded and walked into the room, shook his hand.
"This's Patricia Nolan, the consultant I was telling you about. She's with the security department of Horizon On-Line."
Horizon was the biggest commercial Internet service provider in the world, larger even than America Online. Since there were tens of millions of registered subscribers and since every one of them could have up to eight different usernames for friends or family members it was likely that, at any given time, a large percentage of the world was checking stock quotes, lying to people in chat rooms, reading Hollywood gossip, buying things, finding out the weather, reading and sending e-mails and downloading softcore porn via Horizon On-Line.
Nolan kept her eyes on Gillette's face for a moment. She glanced at the palm tree tattoo. Then at his fingers, keying compulsively in the air.
Anderson explained, "Horizon called us when they heard the victim was a customer and volunteered to send somebody to help out."
The detective introduced her to the team and now Gillette examined her. The trendy designer eyeglasses, probably bought on impulse, didn't do much to make her masculine, plain face any less plain. But the striking green eyes behind them were piercing and very quick - Gillette could see that she too was amused to find herself in an antiquated dinosaur pen. Nolan's complexion was loose and doughy and obscured with thick makeup that would have been stylish - if excessive - in the 1970s. Her brunette hair was very thick and unruly and tended to fall into her face.
After hands were shaken and introductions made she returned immediately to Gillette. She twined a mass of hair around her fingers and, not caring who heard, said bluntly, "I saw the way you looked at me when you heard I worked for Horizon."
Like all big commercial Internet service providers -AOL, CompuServe, Prodigy and the others Horizon On-Line was held in contempt by true hackers. Computer wizards used telnet programs to jump directly from their computers to others' and they roamed the Blue Nowhere wijh customized Web browsers built for interstellar travel. They wouldn't think of using simple-minded, low-horsepower Internet providers like Horizon, which was geared for family entertainment. Subscribers to Horizon On-Line were known as HOLamers or HOLosers. Or, echoing Gillette's current address, just plain HOs.
Nolan continued, speaking to Gillette. "Just so we get everything on the table, I went to MIT undergrad and Princeton for my masters and doctorate - both in computer science."
"AI?" Gillette asked. "In New Jersey?"
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Princeton's artificial intelligence lab was one of the top in the country. Nolan nodded. "That's right. And I've done my share of hacking too."
Gillette was amused that she was justifying herself to him, the one felon in the crowd, and not to the police. He could hear an edgy tone in her voice and the delivery sounded rehearsed. He supposed this was because she was a woman; the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission doesn't have jurisdiction to stop the relentless prejudice against
"Right," Anderson confirmed. "Is that significant?" Gillette said uncertainly, "It's probably a coincidence."
"Go ahead."
"Well, it's just that March thirty-first is sort of a red-letter day in computer history." Bishop asked, "Why?"
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
A woman's gravelly voice spoke from the doorway. "Isn't that the date the first Univac was delivered?"
CHAPTER SIX
They turned to see a hippy brunette in her mid-thirties, wearing an unfortunate gray sweater suit and thick black shoes.
Anderson asked, "Patricia?"
She nodded and walked into the room, shook his hand.
"This's Patricia Nolan, the consultant I was telling you about. She's with the security department of Horizon On-Line."
Horizon was the biggest commercial Internet service provider in the world, larger even than America Online. Since there were tens of millions of registered subscribers and since every one of them could have up to eight different usernames for friends or family members it was likely that, at any given time, a large percentage of the world was checking stock quotes, lying to people in chat rooms, reading Hollywood gossip, buying things, finding out the weather, reading and sending e-mails and downloading softcore porn via Horizon On-Line.
Nolan kept her eyes on Gillette's face for a moment. She glanced at the palm tree tattoo. Then at his fingers, keying compulsively in the air.
Anderson explained, "Horizon called us when they heard the victim was a customer and volunteered to send somebody to help out."
The detective introduced her to the team and now Gillette examined her. The trendy designer eyeglasses, probably bought on impulse, didn't do much to make her masculine, plain face any less plain. But the striking green eyes behind them were piercing and very quick - Gillette could see that she too was amused to find herself in an antiquated dinosaur pen. Nolan's complexion was loose and doughy and obscured with thick makeup that would have been stylish - if excessive - in the 1970s. Her brunette hair was very thick and unruly and tended to fall into her face.
After hands were shaken and introductions made she returned immediately to Gillette. She twined a mass of hair around her fingers and, not caring who heard, said bluntly, "I saw the way you looked at me when you heard I worked for Horizon."
Like all big commercial Internet service providers -AOL, CompuServe, Prodigy and the others Horizon On-Line was held in contempt by true hackers. Computer wizards used telnet programs to jump directly from their computers to others' and they roamed the Blue Nowhere wijh customized Web browsers built for interstellar travel. They wouldn't think of using simple-minded, low-horsepower Internet providers like Horizon, which was geared for family entertainment. Subscribers to Horizon On-Line were known as HOLamers or HOLosers. Or, echoing Gillette's current address, just plain HOs.
Nolan continued, speaking to Gillette. "Just so we get everything on the table, I went to MIT undergrad and Princeton for my masters and doctorate - both in computer science."
"AI?" Gillette asked. "In New Jersey?"
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Princeton's artificial intelligence lab was one of the top in the country. Nolan nodded. "That's right. And I've done my share of hacking too."
Gillette was amused that she was justifying herself to him, the one felon in the crowd, and not to the police. He could hear an edgy tone in her voice and the delivery sounded rehearsed. He supposed this was because she was a woman; the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission doesn't have jurisdiction to stop the relentless prejudice against
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