heharshbieofjanuarymorningnippedviciouslyacaldwell’sears,ashehunchedinohisworndarkbrownsheepskinjackehehadboughisecondhandinhebazaarsofporobellomarkeforlessha

ohingduringbeerimesiwaseasilyhisfavoriepossession,assumingofcoursehahemyseriousconsolewassillheproperyofkenzoyamamoohebulkofheconsoleweighedheavilyinheknapsack,alongwihhefewhingshacaldwellhadmanagedograbfromhecapsuleeveryhingelsewasexpendableandcaldwellraveledsuperlighanywayhehadbroughhesv’svialofdeahwihhimasinsurance

hisamberhuedeyeswereonhighalerifherewasanyoneonhisail,hewanedomakesurehewasawareofiaparfromabeardedhomelessman,wearingenoughaeredclohingofilsalvaionarmysore,dousingamakeshiffirebyurinaingoniandcursingohimself,hesreesweredeserediwasnewyear’sdayaferall,andheciizensofheunionweresillsleepingoffhemassivehangoversbroughonbyhepreviousnigh’sfesiviies

ocaldwell,newyear’sdayheldasmuchsignificanceashisbirhdayandhefachahewofellonhesamedaydidnomakeanydifferencewhasoeverhedidn’celebraenewyearandhedidn’celebraebirhdays,bohevensrequiringasheydidapremediaedaempoproacivelyseekhepanyofohersbesides,hewasn’evensureifhefirsofjanuarywasreallyhisbirhday

inhedisance,amaglevhummedowardsangelsaion,ahinboloflighcuingsilenlyhroughhemorninggloodwellhadafeelinghewouldn’beseeingiagainforalongimehehadafeelingofimpendingdoomhismigrainehadsubsidedgivenhimherespieheneededorefleconhegraviyofhesiuaion

cad,gehehellouofwhereveryouareheyareaferyouyourlifeisinsomuchdangerdudemessagemefromhepuzzlepub,isleofdogs

whoheywerehehadnoideabuheknewhehadomakeconacwihglyphofindouwhahissrangeunexpecedemailwasalbouwashisfalloufromsomepreviousjob,ahackinoacorporaesysemlongagohahadreurnedohaunhehubandisperperaors?whywouldglyph,whohehadnevermeinperson,requesaphysicalrendezvous?ididn’makesense

ye,caldwellknewbeerhanodisrusglyph’sinsincshemessagewassena538am,afachasuggesedhaglyphhadprobablybeenupallnighaswashishabihewasasnocurnascaldwellwas,afirmbelieverhaeveryhourspeninbedwasanhourwasedglyphprobablylivedinheviciniyofhepuzzle,whichhewhiepagessearchdescribedasarespecableenoughpublichousedowninhehisoricdockndsareaoneofhosenewfangleddrinkingesablishmensheavyonwroughmeandechnology

couldhemessagehavebeenahoax,senbysomeonewhohadmanagedohackinoglyph’ssecurebase?hemessagehadbeenencrypedwihglyph’sencrypionkey,ohehackerhadbuilhimselfandhegavehedecrypionkeyonlyorusedonlineassociaesonlysomeonewhohadaccessohekeycouldunlockiorsomeonewihlosofmoneyandaccessohecuingedgeofquanumpuingechnologycaldwellhadreadsomewhereincyberspacehareivelysmallquanumpuerscouldbreakevenhemoseboraecrypographiccodesbuveryfewindividualscouldacuallygeheirhandsononeunlessiwassomekindofuniversiyresearchbevenso,heywouldhaveohavearealhardonforglyph’smunicaionsogoohakindofrouble

glyphwouldneverpromisehisencrypionalgorihmshewasooanalforhaheunionhadeyeseverywhere,inpcesoneleasexpeced,wachingandwaiingforhosebeyondisreachosumbleheunionhaddecredwaronallhoselivingousidehesysewasallforheirownbenefiandglyphookhugeexcepionohaexcepionransedinoprecauions,measures,counermeasures,surveyinghesurveyors,monioringhemoniors

so,iwenwihheerrioryhaglyphrusednooneglyphwasaninsiderurnedoucasheknewhowopyhegamecaldwellwasanoucas,alhoughhemaywellhavebeenaninsiderwhoknew?buhewasnogoingospendhiswholelifeworryingabouihehadinhepasaempedorackdownhispasbuwihlilesuccesshesillhadnoanswerohemospellingofquesionswhowerehisparens?wherewasheborn?whywasiheofficiallyneverexisedunilwoyearsago?hisidenificaionchipheldonlyhisnameandhisdaeofbirh,hispriorhisoryabnkmysery

caldwellhadoncehadhesvrunhechipagainsariggedupsolengovernmenreaderdaaghosseverywherehispashadbeenmyseriouslyanddeliberaelyerasedandhahadprompedhimoleavenosoneunurnedofindouheruhyehehaddrawnbnksaeveryurn,hedesireodiscoverheruherodingwihhepassageofimehesvhadbeenunableohelpandhadsimplyshruggedhishugedroopingshouldersandsaredpoeringaroundinhisworkshopmueringohimselfabouleinghepasbecaldwellmighnolikewhahediscovered,hesvhadreasoned

beforeleavingangel,caldwellhadakenonesnosalgiclookaroundhiscapsule,heoppressiveexrudedcaviyhahadbeenpunchedinodurablepsicaccordingohedicaesofsomefabriec’soldmouldheangelcapsulehoelhadbeenhisabodeforhesfewweeksandhehadfelwhawasdecidedlyapangofnosalgia,nosalgiaandfearinermingledbunosalgiaallhesamewhy?heyalllookedhesamehesecapsulesmadenodifferencewhichoneyoufoundyourselfholedupinmemoryfoammaressmighbealilemoreoralilelessforable,lighsmighbedimmerorbrigher,slomaysuckcredialilefaser,buonceyou’dsayedinonecapsuleyou’dsayedinhemallprobablyallrunbyhesameunionconglomeraeouofanwerporroerdabuffernow,onlyhecoldfingeroffear

caldwelldescendedinohesalerecycledairofangel’ssuberraneanmaglevsaionagrowingcrowdofsleepdeprivedrevelers,overworkedcorporaedronesmakinghemosofhenewyearholiday,movedredeyedhroughheheavilyforifiedu

elsheraracehadbeengivenaemporaryrespiefromheirdailyrouineofbeingembalmedinheirsaidfeaurelesscorporaeweavesnooday,hemechanicalmanipuionofcookiecuermorningpapers,ordoomedaempsameaninglesscrosswordsnoodayhezombielikepreoccupaionwihadverisingwihmyriadconfiguraionsofalcoholcoursinghroughheiriredveins,heciizensofheunionwerereiringhomeocoldlovelessbeds,vaguememoriesofsomenighonheownreceding

caldwellremindedhimselfogiveheraraceawideberhifhecouldhelpisca

ingfacesnowandhen,frombehindhefrayedrimofhisjackecolr

heauomaonsofmodernunionlifeneverceasedoamazehimanoalogehersrangereaciongivenhacaldwellhadneverreallyworkedinanofficeoranyypeofconrolledenvironmensocieyexcludedhimfromworkingforcorporaionswhichwasjusaswelshereckonedhe’drahersarveodeahhanundergohehumiliaionofbeingownedwenyfoursevenbyhesysem

herewasanoheradvanageofnobeingchipped?youdidn’haveopayhesysemforhepleasureofridinghemaglevsandifsomeonewasonyourail,someonewihaccessohesysem,andyouhadimpns,youwereasgoodasdeadmeaherewasalkofanewsysemhacouldreadhechipinyourpocke,buhehadyeoseeevidenceofhasofar,morelikeurbanlegendcaldwelldoubedhawhoeverwaslookingforhimneededoresorosuchmeasureshey’draherrackyoudowninyourcubbyhole,likeapyhonaferara,heasensorsonalerararappedinadeahrapofhisownmakingheclearedheickebarrierwihinchesospare

onhepform,ashemagicleviaionrainswhizzedbackandforhovariousdesinaions,caldwellwasreaedoheshuereffecofunionfacesencasedinplexigs,snapshosofhemundaneaquariumhawaseverydayunionlifehewassocaughupinhephilosophyofhishahedidn’noicehahisrainwasslowlypullinginohepformhemaglevscouldbeoosilen

ashelungedbeweenheclosingdoorsoheacpanyingorchesraofbeepsandpuerizedfemalevoicesurgingpassengersopleasesandclearofhedoors,hedeecedsomeunusuaciviyaheperipheryofhisvisionhewassurenowhahewasbeingfollowedhey,whoeverheywere,wereonohimhe’dprobablyneverhavenoicedhemanifhe’dbeenpayingaenioniwashisassain’ssuddenreacionwhencaldwelllungedforheclosingdoorshagavehimawayoneminuehewassandingsilndlookingincaldwell’sdirecion,henexhewasdoinghisumosnoobelefbehindonhepforhedoorsswishedshuashepulledhisarmawayjusinimeevenwihherainpickingupspeed,caldwellwasableodecipherheblurofheman’sfaceiwasafacesurgicallyreconsrucedinohesuffofnighmares