"David Marusek - Getting to Know You" - читать интересную книгу автора (Marusek David)

тАЬWhy? WhatтАЩs up?тАЭ

тАЬNothingтАЩs up. They want to tweak it some more is all.тАЭ He flashed her
his best PR smile.

Zoranna shook her head. тАЬTed, you donтАЩt pull the plug on a major field
test just like that.тАЭ

Ted shrugged his shoulders. тАЬThatтАЩs what I thought. Anyway, think you
can drop it in a shipping chute today?тАЭ

тАЬIn case you havenтАЩt noticed,тАЭ she said, тАЬI happen to be in a
transcontinental Slipstream car at the moment, which Bug is navigating. I
left Hounder at home. The soonest I can let Bug go is when I return in three
weeks.тАЭ

тАЬThat wonтАЩt do, Zoe,тАЭ Ted said and frowned. тАЬTell you what. General
Genius will send you, at no charge, its Dip-lomat Deluxe model, preloaded
with transportation, tele-communications, the works. Where will you be
tonight?тАЭ

Something surely was wrong. The Diplomat was GGтАЩs flagship model
and expensive even for Zoranna. тАЬIтАЩll be at APRT 24,тАЭ she said, and when
Ted raised an eyebrow, explained, тАЬMy sister lives there.тАЭ
 тАЬAPRT 24 it is, then.тАЭ

тАЬListen, Ted, something stinks. Unless you want me snooping around
your shop, youтАЩd better come clean.тАЭ

тАЬOff the record?тАЭ

тАЬFuck off the record. I have twenty-two days invested in this test and
no story.тАЭ

тАЬI see. You have a point. HowтАЩs this sound? In addition to the
complimentary belt, weтАЩll make you the same con-tract for the next test.
YouтАЩre our team journalist. Deal?тАЭ Zoranna shrugged, and Ted put his feet
back on the desk. тАЬHeads are rolling, Zoe. Big shake-up in product
devel-opment. Threats of lawsuits. WeтАЩre questioning the whole notion of
combining belt valet technology with artificial personality. Or at least with
this particular personality.тАЭ

тАЬWhy? WhatтАЩs wrong with it?тАЭ

тАЬItтАЩs too pushy. Too intrusive. Too heavy-handed. ItтАЩs a monster that
should have never left the lab. YouтАЩre lucky Bug hasnтАЩt converted yet, or
youтАЩd be suing us, too.тАЭ

Ted was exaggerating, of course. She agreed that Bug was a royal