Page 27 of Last Chance to Save the World

At least I hope so. I’m definitely gambling a lot on that theory.

UNITED GALACTIC SYSTEM

MEMO

To:Rian White

From:Phoebe Brücke

Re:Climate-Cleaner Launch

Dear Sir:

I am uncertain if you will receive this prior to accessing reliable communication networks. Please be advised that all security measures have been enacted to your recommendation. Agents are in position to move in at your signal.

One additional note: our officers have been monitoring all known networks of the various organizations that we suspect A¦¦¦L¦¦¦¦¦has been a part of, particularly the organization referenced in-house as Green Rogue, under the presumed leadership of an agent code-named Jane Irwin. There has beenzerocommunication in regards to the climate-cleaner launch from that group, with no pings on the network within the region.

It is unknown if A¦¦L¦¦¦¦¦is no longer working for that organization, never worked for that organization, or if our network monitoring has been detected and alternative means of communication are being used.

Should it come to light that Green Rogue is using an alternative form of communication, we may be at a disadvantage. It seems likely that this—a major conservation effort on Sol-Earth—would have attracted their attention, so the lack of buzz on the comms has been disconcerting.

In short, I fear we are missing something important.

10

Floor forty-two is going to get more and more crowded as the next few hours go by. It’s just the employees now, taking advantage of the celebrations to avoid work for today and scarf as much catered food as they can before the media shows up.

I can’t believe I walked away before the tower of platters was set up. What the fuck was I thinking?

Right, save the world first. Food after.

Still, it’s almost with reluctance that I reach the stairwell door labeledFORTY-THREE. There is no handle here, and it’s locked from the other side. It’s definitely a weak spot, though, as evidenced by the way Rian opens it up for me from the inside.Hehad to go through clearance, but more eyes are on Fetor’s personal office, not this one. I mean, it’s also not the only level of security, but still.

We head to the server room where the nanobots are stored and developed. It’s climate-controlled and on a private network relay. The building is pretty much square, and on this floor, the server room takes up the entire middle, with offices lining the outside. I try not to think about how that means all the food is right under all the nanobots.

“This feels too easy,” Rian mumbles.

“This is a government-funded project built by a private company,” I say. “And that private company is run by a dumbass who lucked into wealth and power.”

He frowns, and when he glances at me, I’m pretty sure he can see that I agree with him, despite my bravado. We’re both waiting for the other shoe to drop.

We stop outside the server room. Getting on this floor required a loophole. Getting through this door? It’s going to take a little more luck.

Rian stands in front of a small step beside the door, his face pressed against a scanner built into the wall, doing a retinal scan as well as basic facial recognition. At the same time, he has his left palm on a different glass pane, a red light scanning his entire handprint. When he steps back, a PIN pad pops out, and he punches in a twelve-digit alphanumeric code.

The door slides open.

“Ready?” Rian asks.

I adjust my sun shield.

“As I’ll ever be.” I step through the door.

It closes automatically behind me.

In,I say, using the subvocal transmitters.

Rian says something in reply, but then another voice fills the room, computerized. “Visual sensors disrupted.”

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