disasters the Earth can
throw at us and all the crazy things we’re doing to destroy it, well…
that we’ll never know… not until it’s too late.’
Sitting motionless at his desk Carlos looked as if he was asleep with his eyes
open. He wasn’t. In actual fact he was experiencing the surreal verging on
meditative state that occasionally accompanies the mid-stage of a hangover and
acts as a welcome buffer against intrusion by the physical world. It is a
dreamy, ethereal place, where thoughts drift past like candyfloss clouds, demanding
only peripheral attention.
It was, however, no
match for Corrinne who burst through the door making him think his heart had
jumped out of his chest and landed between his feet.
‘Hans has been on the
phone again. He wants to see you. Urgently.’
Just one look at
Corrinne’s face and the interplay of emotions battling there warned Carlos she
was struggling to master an unfamiliar jumble of feelings. The combination of
irritation at delaying the Session meeting and worry about the security breach
was threatening to mess up her whole day.
‘Now will you please
tell me what this is all about?’ she demanded.
‘Sit down,’ Carlos
sighed.
She perched on the edge
of the chair, ankles crossed, hands folded in her lap and her head tipped to
one side like a plump little budgie. Just an inch further forward and the chair
would have overturned.
He stretched his arms
overhead, fingers interlaced, trying to release the tension in his shoulders,
and told her about the e-mails.
‘And just how much did
you have to drink last night?’ she asked, pursing her lips.
‘Corrinne, it’s no
joking matter.’
‘I’m not joking.’
‘Hey, I know it sounds
crazy,’ a crooked little smile started to form, then faded.
‘But it makes no sense.
Why’s this old man – this hacker…’
‘I call him Zul.’
‘Oh Carlos,’ she said
shaking her head, ‘but why’s he sending these messages to you?’
He shrugged. ‘I have no
idea.’
‘Well, Hans sounded
really worried.’
Carlos hooked his
forefinger inside his shirt collar and circled his head.
‘We can do without all
this,’ Corrinne muttered. ‘We need to finish preparing for the Session. And
you’re in DC next week for two days.’ She sighed. ‘I’ll tell Hans to come up
now. Meantime I’ll write up the meeting minutes and send them over. Please read
them, especially the parts you missed.’ She got up. ‘Looks like we’ll be
working late again tonight.’
She was halfway to the
door when she turned. ‘It’s past lunchtime, shall I send Sabine down for a
sandwich?’
‘Sounds good. Make it
two.’ All of a sudden he felt very hungry.
As Corrinne left his office, Carlos noticed the little swagger in her stride
had returned. She was back in control again but he wasn’t sure how much good it
would do them.
He leaned back in his
chair. He had no inclination to work. Nothing seemed that important any more.
He didn’t know if it was a symptom of his hangover or because he still didn’t
know where the messages had come from.
Hans walked into Carlos’s office, polishing his spectacles with the wide end of
his tie.
‘What have you got?’
Carlos asked. ‘Which UN location were the e-mails sent from?’
‘Here.’
‘And?’
Hans replaced his
glasses as he shuffled his weight from one foot to the other. ‘Carlos, they all
originated from your terminal sessions. The first from a session here
last night, the second and third from your home last night and this morning.’
‘That’s crazy!’ Carlos
raised his hands. ‘I was the only one on this floor last night. And at home?
Well Drew was there… hold on… you met him. But there’s no way he’s involved.’
‘I don’t know how to say
this…’ Hans paused.
‘Say what?’ Hans took
off his spectacles and started polishing them again. ‘Are you accusing me of sending the messages?’ Carlos jumped up jabbing himself in the chest with
his hands,
throw at us and all the crazy things we’re doing to destroy it, well…
that we’ll never know… not until it’s too late.’
Sitting motionless at his desk Carlos looked as if he was asleep with his eyes
open. He wasn’t. In actual fact he was experiencing the surreal verging on
meditative state that occasionally accompanies the mid-stage of a hangover and
acts as a welcome buffer against intrusion by the physical world. It is a
dreamy, ethereal place, where thoughts drift past like candyfloss clouds, demanding
only peripheral attention.
It was, however, no
match for Corrinne who burst through the door making him think his heart had
jumped out of his chest and landed between his feet.
‘Hans has been on the
phone again. He wants to see you. Urgently.’
Just one look at
Corrinne’s face and the interplay of emotions battling there warned Carlos she
was struggling to master an unfamiliar jumble of feelings. The combination of
irritation at delaying the Session meeting and worry about the security breach
was threatening to mess up her whole day.
‘Now will you please
tell me what this is all about?’ she demanded.
‘Sit down,’ Carlos
sighed.
She perched on the edge
of the chair, ankles crossed, hands folded in her lap and her head tipped to
one side like a plump little budgie. Just an inch further forward and the chair
would have overturned.
He stretched his arms
overhead, fingers interlaced, trying to release the tension in his shoulders,
and told her about the e-mails.
‘And just how much did
you have to drink last night?’ she asked, pursing her lips.
‘Corrinne, it’s no
joking matter.’
‘I’m not joking.’
‘Hey, I know it sounds
crazy,’ a crooked little smile started to form, then faded.
‘But it makes no sense.
Why’s this old man – this hacker…’
‘I call him Zul.’
‘Oh Carlos,’ she said
shaking her head, ‘but why’s he sending these messages to you?’
He shrugged. ‘I have no
idea.’
‘Well, Hans sounded
really worried.’
Carlos hooked his
forefinger inside his shirt collar and circled his head.
‘We can do without all
this,’ Corrinne muttered. ‘We need to finish preparing for the Session. And
you’re in DC next week for two days.’ She sighed. ‘I’ll tell Hans to come up
now. Meantime I’ll write up the meeting minutes and send them over. Please read
them, especially the parts you missed.’ She got up. ‘Looks like we’ll be
working late again tonight.’
She was halfway to the
door when she turned. ‘It’s past lunchtime, shall I send Sabine down for a
sandwich?’
‘Sounds good. Make it
two.’ All of a sudden he felt very hungry.
As Corrinne left his office, Carlos noticed the little swagger in her stride
had returned. She was back in control again but he wasn’t sure how much good it
would do them.
He leaned back in his
chair. He had no inclination to work. Nothing seemed that important any more.
He didn’t know if it was a symptom of his hangover or because he still didn’t
know where the messages had come from.
Hans walked into Carlos’s office, polishing his spectacles with the wide end of
his tie.
‘What have you got?’
Carlos asked. ‘Which UN location were the e-mails sent from?’
‘Here.’
‘And?’
Hans replaced his
glasses as he shuffled his weight from one foot to the other. ‘Carlos, they all
originated from your terminal sessions. The first from a session here
last night, the second and third from your home last night and this morning.’
‘That’s crazy!’ Carlos
raised his hands. ‘I was the only one on this floor last night. And at home?
Well Drew was there… hold on… you met him. But there’s no way he’s involved.’
‘I don’t know how to say
this…’ Hans paused.
‘Say what?’ Hans took
off his spectacles and started polishing them again. ‘Are you accusing me of sending the messages?’ Carlos jumped up jabbing himself in the chest with
his hands,
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