Data Runner Read Online Free PDF Page A

speaks. “Would you care to come up or shall I come down?”
    This I can do. In one continuous motion I hop onto the track rail and one-hand myself onto the platform. Shaking the grime off my hands, I watch the blonde kid do the same. That’s when I reconsider. I guess the way he moves isn’t so clumsy, it just seems that way to me.
    â€œThat’s Bigsby,” says the man. “Don’t mind him.”
    I don’t mind him. In my head I’ve already navigated two lanes out—one to the upper deck and the other into the tunnel. Just in case.
    â€œMy name is Cyril.” He reaches into his pocket for a sterling silver business card holder and ejects one. It rolls out crisp. He hands it to me.
    The card is a beautifully textured ivory. There isn’t much by way of information, just a few lines embossed in gold and a topaz-blue 3D barcode hologram in the lower right corner.
ARCADIAN TRANSPORTS
when security is the only option
Cyril Murphy, Agent
    Arcadian Transports. I could hardly believe it. And not just because they’re the best firm out there; these guys had proven themselves nearly impossible to find. You can’t even reach them. They have no known office, no address. They don’t even have a telephone number. All they have is one very simple portal on the aggrenet. That’s their only means of contact, and it’s entirely one way. If you need their services, you send them a message detailing the job. If they’re interested, they call you back. That’s all. A bunch of hackers once tried to track them down by backtracing their portal but only ended up getting pinballed off all the proxies until they landed at a live show in some strip club in Little Ukraine.
    I could just hear Dexter laughing in my head. A bunch of hackers?
    Alright, it wasn’t a bunch of hackers, it was me. I did it. Dex asked me to do it, and that was where we ended up before I broke off the backtrace. Ever since I’ve known him, running for Arcadian Transports has been Dex’s dream job. The trouble was the way it works; you don’t seek out Arcadian to become one of their runners. They have to come to you.
    â€œI don’t have to ask if you’re familiar with our firm,” says Cyril.
    I’m not sure if this is a statement or a question. “I know who you are,” I reply.
    â€œVery good. You know who we are, and you know what we do, so let’s get down to brass tacks. I’ve been following you very closely, Jack. Your times at the Open last month were quite impressive; your lanes through the course very clever.”
    Cyril was talking about the Free City Open PK Exhibition that we participated in a month earlier. “If you’re going by those numbers then Dexter Drake is the person you’re looking for. His skillset far exceeds mine.”
    Cyril kind of smirks. At least I think that’s what it is. “I think you know that’s not true. Trust me, we know all about Dexter Drake. He may have a few more moves than you on the run, but you’re just the kind of person we’re looking for. You’re smart. Quick on your feet. Highly intelligent. Very capable. We could use someone like you on the sneakernet. Consider this an offer, Jack. I want you to come run for us.”
    I’m bothered by the way they so easily dismiss Dexter. If they’ve been following my traces then they know I’ve gotten pretty good at it, maybe even real good, but not as good as Dexter. Plus he has the fighting skills to boot. Or maybe that’s just the thing they don’t want. If your only training is in flight, then fight is never an option. So maybe Dexter’s ability to choose is actually working against him. Regardless, there is a much bigger issue here than that. Tracing the sneakernet? That is a very steep curve of calculated risk.
    â€œDon’t answer yet,” says Cyril. “Go home and think about it. Remember, a year or