"FWLS2" - читать интересную книгу автора (A Future We'd Like to See)

"Why not just get there by the net? Speed's no problem, you
just @tel there."

"It's not on the net," I said. "No outside links. Phantom
floating castle style of thing, some metal box in space with a
buncha databanks. You think a buncha escaped AIs would survive
one minute if they were linked up? A buncha old proggers with a
sense of revenge'd be on them like gnats to a picnic."

"Okay, NOW I get it," Gosub said, relieved. "Well, that's
great. A shuttle ride in exchange for cutting the professor's
computer. We'll have this job wrapped up in minutes for that
jock, whatisname--"

"Aim higher, kiddo."

"I'm not a kid."

"What, we use a program with the potency of an atomic bomb
on some measly grade-fudge job?" I said, alarmed. "Jeez! We
ditch that job. We gotta aim higher, much higher than that. We
go all the way or none of the way, style of thing. Cliche, yes,
which I normally 'ate, but it works here. Keen."

"So who do we cut?"

"Good 'Q. Lesse. We need someone with gobs of cash and
plenty o' defenses to guard it, or it's no use at all, no rush,
no fun. How 'bout that chap, guy who thinks he's really hot shit
around here. Escher," I said, taking another nip at the bottle
and awaiting the explosion.

"ESCHER!?!?" Gosub exploded. On cue. "Are you NUTS? He
thinks he's hot shit because he IS hot shit! That guy's got
security flowing up the wazoo! He's got a fucking PlastiCard,
after all!"

"Which is exactly why we can burn him," I said, grinning
like a maniac. Gosub probably had doubts as to whether I was one
or not.

*

Credit Cards can be stolen, or anybody who's got the number
of one can suck you dry if needed. So how do the megarich easily
purchase items from common stores? Simple. You get a
PlastiCard.

The PlastiCard has security that rivals the Terran