Terminal Connection Read Online Free PDF

to Steve. “That file contains the information that Allison has collected on Camille.”
    The file was lavishly stamped and embossed with Austin’s gaudy signature scrawled across what appeared to be a wax seal.
    “That is an encryption lock. You will need this to access the file.” Austin handed him a small scrap of virtual paper with the word “patch” written on it. “That seal is the latest in security software.”
    Steve memorized the password and handed Austin back the scrap of paper.
    “You will need that,” Austin protested.
    “The encryption protects the file?”
    Austin nodded.
    “But not that piece of paper.”
    Austin snorted, closed his eyes, and once again lost himself in the music.
    Steve stepped out of the booth and headed down the hall toward the lobby and Miss Allison Hwang.

6
    A llison awoke and gasped for air. Where was she? She sat up in bed, her arms still aching, her heart racing, and her pulse throbbing in her temples. She looked down at her hands. No blood, cuts, nothing except some scars. The nightmare faded.
    “Shit!” she gasped. Allison massaged her hands. She was soaked in sweat.
    A year had passed since that day on Hainan Island when the Chinese had launched their attack on the Spratly Islands. At least once a week she relived it; and when she awoke, her dad was still gone.
    Fresh tears streaked her face as the images resurfaced. She took several deep breaths.
    His death would not be in vain. She would find a way to fulfill his dream. Despite the failed mission and political fallout, Ed Davis had given her another shot. She promised him a way to sort though the mountains of data, to provide an interface for Warscape. That is when she approached another one of her father’s friends, Austin Wheeler, about the Nexus Transporter. The Nexus became Warscape’s interface, and she became the youngest DARPA chief in history. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency provided the Department of Defense with all the hi-tech military paraphernalia it needed, including Warscape.
    Of course, Austin required special funding, and the Nexus certification had to be streamlined. Allison had abstracted these details from Davis. Now it appeared that one of these details included a deadly bug that could jeopardize the project, and in turn, her position. She would have to go undercover one more time to correct the problem and protect the agency’s interests.
    Allison reached for a warm Pepsi sitting on her bedside stand. She popped it open and took a gulp. The tepid soda foamed as it hit her empty stomach. A few more sips cleared her mind. She placed the empty can back on the bedside stand and noticed the clock: 8:55 a.m. She collected her thoughts. Her appointment was in five minutes. Thank god for zero commute time.
    She groped for her Nexus on the stand near the bed. It was not there. Where was it? No time. She got up, opened a drawer, and grabbed the Portal Sphere’s headgear and gloves instead.
    She flipped over the bulky headset of the Portal Sphere. It resembled a motorcycle helmet and contained a flat screen for each eye and wide spectrum speakers for each ear. The fiber optic lined gloves enabled her to manipulate things in VR, but she had ditched the bodysuit and universal treadmill. Just two years prior, the Portal Sphere was cutting edge technology; then the Nexus came along.
    Now there were two types of VR gear out on the market. Unlike the Portal Sphere, the Nexus made things feel real and come alive.
    The Nexus bypassed the senses and muscles altogether and talked directly to the brain. Unlike the Portal Sphere, there was no screen glare, no hissing speakers, and no massive headgear pressing into your face. You would not stumble on a treadmill or hit the railing with your hand as you reached for something inside VR. The Nexus made VR feel like a dream.
    Allison walked down the hall to her living room and sat in a reclining chair. She shook her head and drew back her long, black hair.