“And there’s the possibility that Eisenhower shaved production time off the game backs by not including all programming that downloads automatically from the Net.”
“But they could have simply issued a download site on the Net,” Maj said.
“Yeah,” Andy agreed. “But there’s nothing like putting a brightly colored box into a gamer’s hand. That’s total euphoria, and that’s why game companies haven’t gone totally online with releases.”
“Massive downloads can still be a problem online,” Mark said. “A corporation can stumble and fall and fail to provide for all the immediate demand by consumers.”
“All the more reason to produce a complete game pack and keep downloads short,” Maj said. A dragon drifted lazily across the sky above them, but it wasn’t Peter’s dragon. A thought struck her and she looked at Mark. “Did you try adding in the programming that the Net automatically adds?”
Mark nodded. “First thing. But there wasn’t any change in performance. No bleed-over anomaly.”
“Then how did it happen at the convention yesterday?” Maj asked.
Mark shook his head. “The only thing I can think of is that Eisenhower is going to upload some other files beyond the normal Net load.”
“They could blend that programming in with the Net upload, couldn’t they?” Maj asked.
“Sure, but the Net checks for viruses.”
The thought felt right and Maj stayed with it. “I don’t think we’re looking for a virus or a Trojan Horse, or a worm. What if it’s just part of the game programming?”
“Veeyars will accept it and won’t think twice.”
“Yeah,” Andy said, “but if the bleed-over effect can be canceled, why didn’t they?”
“Because maybe it’s not so easily canceled once the whole program runs,” Maj answered. “But I think it’s because Eisenhower and whoever is behind them want the bleed-over in there.”
“Why?” Andy asked.
“That,” Maj replied, “remains the big question.”
A knock at the hotel door woke Maj. Her head felt as if it had been packed with sawdust, and her eyes were too heavy to lift. She stumbled up from bed and pulled a robe on, then looked through the vid security plate. Leif stood out in the hallway. She let him in.
“Catch you sleeping?” he asked in a voice that was simply too cheerful to stand.
“It’s after midnight,” Maj said.
“So?” Leif was dressed in a fresh tux and carefully groomed, but his eyes looked glassy.
“You haven’t been to sleep yet?” Maj asked in disbelief.
“Things to do.” Leif dropped into a chair. “And I thought you’d want to be the first to know.”
“Know what?”
Leif grinned. “Who Eisenhower’s mysterious benefactor is.”
“Tell me.”
“Allow me my moment of drama,” Leif said. “After you gave me Fortress Games, I had my dad’s people start checking on them, find out who’d invested in them. There are generally a few players in any corporation. He turned up a string of shell companies that led back to a source. However, that started me thinking. The way my dad’s guy was able to find out who was behind Fortress Games was through the money manipulations. They crossed a dozen borders, nearly three dozen banks, and sixteen different governments.”
“Sounds complicated,” Maj said.
“Very complicated,” Leif agreed. “My dad hires some very good people, though, and Hendricks is one of the best. Anyway, I asked Hendricks to look back through other funds that had been funneled along the same routes, marking the dates as around the time Eisenhower got their healthy boost of vitamin cash.”
“Same source?”
Leif nodded. “Oh, yeah. Ever heard of D’Arnot Industries?”
“D’Arnot Industries,” Captain Winters said, “is a France-based corporation heavily invested in the production of munitions.” His holo stood in the center of the hotel conference room. A Net Force team had secured the premises, encrypting telecommunications that passed between all interested parties. The captain’s image blurred and his words sounded hollow occasionally because those telecommunications were being cached and sent as bursts, making them even harder to access over the Net.
Maj listened intently. During the hour it had taken Winters to arrange the meeting place, she’d done some research on D’Arnot Industries herself. The other Explorers and Roarke occupied chairs around the room.
“The corporation got its start back during the Cold War in the 1960s,” Winters went on. Slides and vid projected in the air as he spoke. “They produced small arms through most of the 1970s and 1980s. By the 1990s, when all the unrest started in the Russian satellite countries, they started producing tanks and attack helicopters as well.”
“It was a major corporation after 2002,” Leif said. “They made a bigger profit every year after that. They also invested heavily in software development.”
Winters nodded. “War makes for good business. It always has. However, D’Arnot traded freely with whomever they wanted, using shell companies to sell some of the goods they produced. There were times during the crises then that D’Arnot or their affiliates supplied both sides of a conflict.”
“You said they’re based in France,” Matt said. “That’s where Oscar said Peter Griffen stayed while he built his game.”
“After D’Arnot arranged the financial deal with Eisenhower,” Leif said. “We took a peek at Griffen’s passport. The dates all match up.”
“Then why aren’t we busting D’Arnot?” Andy asked.
“Because it’s not a crime to invest in another corporation,” Leif answered.
“They hid the money,” Andy protested.
“That’s suspect,” Winters replied, “but not criminal. So far, we’ve yet to uncover any malfeasance on D’Arnot Industries’ part.”
“What about Heavener?” Maj asked.
“We can’t prove that she works for D’Arnot.”
“What about her passport?” Catie asked. “Has she been in France lately?”
“It depends,” Winters said, “on which passport you’re looking at, under which name, or which intelligence report on her movements you want to believe. The woman is a ghost.”
“Even if we had anything against her, kid,” Roarke said, “we’d have to find her. I’ve got a feeling that’s not going to be easy.”
“As many people as she’s had on the scene here,” Winters said, “she’s got a local base of operations. I’ve got security teams going through records on this area and the surrounding counties. If they can be found that way, we’ll have them.”
“What about a Net Force team?” Roarke asked.
“I’ve got one in-bound,” Winters said.
“There are local guys,” Roarke pointed out.
“And they’re all tied up, Agent Roarke,” Winters said with the steel in his voice that Maj had seldom heard before. “I need a team here who has worked together before, not one cobbled together on a moment’s notice.”
“I’m just saying maybe we should get these kids out of the way.”
“I don’t think these young women and men are in any danger here, and to enforce that belief I want you to stay with them.”
Maj could tell by the look on the agent’s face that the assignment didn’t sit well.
“They also serve who baby-sit,” Roarke grumped.
“Agent Roarke,” Winters said, “at another time, you and I will discuss that point of view regarding my people. At length.”
“Yes, sir.”
Winters turned his gaze back to the Explorers. “Pulling you people out of the convention after Heavener knows who you are might be safe, but it could also tip our hand. It would be better if they thought this meeting was over the ongoing investigation regarding Peter Griffen’s disappearance. If you vanish, they’re not going to believe that.”
