"Sean Williams - Metak Fatigue" - читать интересную книгу автора (Williams Sean)

I@Vould you care for a conversation?" They turned to face a holographic image
of the head a man in his late forties. The head was bald and ,angular, somehow
twisted from true; the nose in particular was obviously crooked. Its lips
curled with wry amusement.
The head floated in the air one centimetre above the tabletop. Barney's gasp
of astonishment was clearly audible. "The cost for my time is negotiable," the
head con-
tinued, radiating dubious goodwill. "It can be debited from your R&R account
or settled in cash. Whichever you prefer." "Really?" Roads settled back into
the chair. He doubted that the first option was accepted very often; the
Rations and Resources transaction could be too easily traced, for both patron
and establishment. Although the alternative, cash money, had only recently
reappeared in the city, as a result of the latest downgrade of the R&R
commerce network, unofficial currencies had always circulated through the
underground economy.
Barney reached out to touch the hologram, as though she couldn't believe what
she was seeing. Her hand passed through it unimpeded. "What is it?" she hissed
to Roads. "I am a computer-generated psychogenic template," said the hologram
before he could reply. "A simulated personality, if you like, provided for
nothing more than your entertainment." "But -" "My existence is highly
illegal. I can assure you of that." The head grinned, obviously enjoying her
discomfort. Hardware sophisticated enough to generate real-time holograms
hadn't been used in decades for anything as frivolous as entertainment.
Roads leaned forward to butt in. "Quit playing games, Keith. I haven't got all
night."
The head froze in mid-expression, caught between a
frown and the beginning of a word, like a movie in midframe. An instant later
it returned to life. Although its grey features hadn't changed, Roads detected
a subtle difference, a nuance of facial tension that suggested another, quite
separate personality. "Ah, yes," said the head, tilting in acknowledgment. "I
apologise for the previous personality. A simple ruse
to affirm your identity." "And you are?" "Tut-tut, Phil. It hasn't been that
long, has it?" "No, but it pays to be sure." "Quite so, for both of us."
Roads felt the pressure of eyes upon him, and belatedly turned to his
companion. "Keith, I'd like you to meet my assistant, Barney Daniels. Barney,
this is Keith Morrow."
Her eyes widened. "Pleasure," said the Head, bowing at the neck. Not just 'a
head', but the Head.
She stared at the hologram, then at Roads. "The Keith Morrow?" "At your
service." "Oh my God."
Roads knew what Barney was thinking. Keith Morrow was on the city's other Most
Wanted list, the one the general public didn't see. There was no physical
description for anyone on that list, just a tally of suspected crimes against
the city - including conspiracy, murder, and resource misappropriation.
Standing orders were not to arrest, but to 'decommission'. In Morrow's case,
in all the years Barney had been on the force, no Regional Security Department
officer had come close to doing either.
,*,-13arney's hand slipped down to the radio in her pocket.
t*Don't." Roads reached across the table to stop her. 94t of the corner of his
eye he saw the bouncers hov- "This isn't a bust." ',Hereyes flashed. "Then