Chapter 14

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Nick reached out to hold Sarah's hand. She demurely pulled it away, giving him a sweet smile as she did so.

He sighed softly. "Why won't you let me get closer to you, Sarah? We've been seeing each other for over a month yet I feel like you won't let me in."

The two were picnicking on a large red and white checked blanket laid out in a small section of Central Park that had been restored to its early 21st Century glory. As always, Nick had provided a huge selection of the finest foods money could buy. Because of the early-winter weather, he had ordered heat lamps set up in a ring around their blanket. He realized the display and resulting waste was obscene, but he figured he needed to work hard to impress a girl of Sarah's background.

The section of the park he'd selected was full of wooden benches, flower beds and small bridges over narrow brooks. The serenity of the scene was marred by a half-dozen heavily armed security guards, paid for by the elite members who supported this private acre of placid space. The rest of the park was decrepit and full of homeless families. A pall of dark smoke rose to the south, marking where the police had crushed a riot in Union Square early in the morning.

Nick had taken advantage of the sunny sky that had accompanied the cold front by wearing a baseball cap, which, when worn backwards and pitched back on his head, mostly obscured his MindWave exhaust fans. Since he'd turned off the device, he was in no danger of overheating. Once they were within the protective ring of heat lamps, Sarah had removed her coat and sweater to reveal a sleeveless white dress.

"I'm sure you have three dozen other girls you're romancing."

"What do you mean," asked Nick, gesturing with his glass of freshly squeezed lemonade to emphasize his point. "Almost every hour I spend outside the ether, I spend with you!"

Sarah laughed and took a bite out of a fresh strawberry. "Outside the ether. And what do you do, my dear Nick, when you're inside the ether?"

"Nothing," protested Nick. "I just hang out with the other Aeo—with the other kids with MindWaves."

Sarah arched her eyebrows, and reached out to place a hand on Nick's shoulder. "You hang out? Surely you do more than just hang out. I've read about MindWaves. I know they give you full sensory feedback – even more intense and real than what you feel in real life." She lightly ran her finger down Nick's arm as she spoke. "And you've never taken advantage of that?"

Nick's face reddened and he pulled his arm away. He could barely suppress the indignation that Sarah's implied accusations arose in him, especially because they were true. "No, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not some kind of pervert."

Sarah gave him a knowing smile. "Sure. Next, you'll tell me your eyes aren't green. Don't worry, I don't hold it against you. I'm just envious."

Nick decided it was time to shift the subject. Instead of letting her tease him, he'd tell her something to impress her. He could talk a bit about what he was doing at Sparkwise Energy as long as he didn't use its name. "Look, when I'm in the ether, I mostly work on this little company that some of my friends and I set up."

Sarah reached for her glass of chilled lemonade and swirled it in front of her face. "That sounds booooring."

"No, it's actually really cool," responded Nick. "We're doing really well. We're going to build it up into the biggest company in the world!"

"Don't you already own the biggest company in the world?" Sarah lazily reached into their picnic basket and popped a bright red strawberry into her mouth and slowly chewed it.

"No, well, Langar's my parents' company," countered Nick. "And it's only the second biggest company in the world. Anyway, I want to build something for myself."

"Very admirable." Sarah's tone was flirtatiously mocking. "So if your parents' company makes food, what are you going to make?" She arched her eyebrows as she reached for her cup again. "Lemonade?"

"No, we're making energy," said Nick proudly.

"Energy? So you're innovating to make cheap energy available to the poor downtrodden masses just like your parents have already made cheap nutrition available to them?"

"Um, no," responded Nick, less assuredly. Sarah's question was hitting on a nerve deep in his psyche, a nerve that screamed out that what he was doing was, at its very root, worthless. Worthless especially in comparison to the company his parents had built. He was reminded of his odd feeling that Laura and Kobus had known about, or even caused, the Five Mile Creek disaster. But these weren't issues to discuss with Sarah. "We're buying up and trading coal, oil, gas... you know, the stuff that makes the economy run and keeps families warm in the winter."

"Can you really make money buying and selling stuff back and forth?"

"Sure, with prices rising, there's a lot of unmet demand in the markets. You can take advantage of the imbalances through arbitrage, or you can try to lock up supply so you get a pricing boost..." his voice faded out. His psyche continued to scream out Worthless! Worthless! Worthless!

Sarah looked away and smiled again. "Yeah I heard that after that reactor blowout in Hurricane, energy is really expensive. I don't check my heating bill every month or anything, but I saw all the protests on National News. I guess you guys must be making killer profits."

Worthless! Now the voice in his head sounded like his father. Nick reached up to nervously rub the back of his neck where MindWave met flesh. He reminded himself that his father was not the paragon of virtue he often pretended to be. Even the great Langar Foods had only maintained its monopoly on lab food production for so long because of Dr. Lal's aggressive legal tactics and political patronage. "We're making the markets more efficient, without us, prices would be even hi—"

"Yes, sure, Nick. But I still think you should go with the cheap energy idea. You could help some people that way, and still make a lot of money." She lay back and fingered the small silver cross necklace she wore.

Nick looked away angrily. Was Sarah aware of how much he wanted to impress her? Could she see inside his mind and read his doubts about Sparkwise? Was she intentionally tormenting him, or was he just overly sensitive to everything she said because of his intense, unconsummated feelings for her?

He looked at her fingering the crucifix, seemingly oblivious to him even as he went through mental anguish trying to understand her.

"What's with that necklace?" asked Nick. "You wear it all the time."

"My mom gave it to me, a long time ago," responded Sarah, pensively, as she reflected sunlight off the silver cross into his eyes.

"It's very sweet, but couldn't she get you a nicer necklace? I mean, your parents own some of the biggest mines in the hemisphere."

She shot him a look full of daggers. "Yes and I know how they built that empire. Bribery, extortion, and violence. I know they had to; that's just how the mining industry works. So I prefer the necklace my mother gave me before she was wealthy. I also know the energy industry is even worse than mining, Nick. I'm afraid you're going to travel down the same path as you try to prove yourself."

"Sorry," he stammered. "I understand. The food industry wasn't much easier for my parents. Don't worry, I'll keep my head screwed on straight." He wanted to tell her about his concerns about Sparkwise, but he was afraid to. "But... that necklace, it just doesn't match your eyes. I'll get you a nicer necklace with sapphires for Christmas."

"No, Nick. Please don't."

"I want to show you how I feel..." Nick almost winced at the lameness of his protest.

"You won't impress me with big price tags, Nick. You're very good at earning money. It must be just as easy for you to spend it."

"Then how can I—"

She rolled over on her side, facing away from him. "If you want to impress me, stop bragging about how much money you make with your energy trading and put that super brain of yours to better use."

Nick persisted. "I will, I have some ideas already. First I want to build my own company. Before that, how can I convince you of how I feel?"

"You don't have to convince me. You can't. I'll make up my own mind," she said, rolling back over to look him in the eyes. "And Nick, if I do make up my mind, I'll give you this necklace. Because this does mean something to me. And you'll know for sure how I feel."

Nick looked away to hide his grimace. Once again, Sarah was keeping him in her control, dictating the rules of their relationship, holding the initiative for herself.


***

Dr. Aakar Lal settled into the deeply upholstered chair. "Thank you for seeing me, Senator," he muttered through gritted teeth as he fiddled agitatedly with his kara. No doubt, thought Senator Hal O'Brien, his security detail had insisted on feeling around inside Dr. Lal's turban to probe for hidden weapons. A Sikh like Dr. Lal would certainly be insulted by such a search.

He wished his guards could be gentler with the doctor. But with the amount of public unrest unsettling the nation, it was unavoidable that safety protocols around senators would be tightened.

While he intended this meeting to be their last, O'Brien still felt obligated to show respect for the doctor. "Please, how can I help you, Doctor Lal?"

"Why are you promoting legislation prejudicial to my family?"

O'Brien wouldn't let Dr. Lal's pugnacious manner provoke him. "You are referring to my bill proposing restrictions on the use of MindWaves for business activities?"

The bill had practically no chance of passing, given how beholden most members of the Senate and the House were to financial support from Aeons. O'Brien knew that the bill was a huge political risk that could lead to his defeat in his next election. But he had already made the decision to combat the Aeons when he'd agreed to secretly allocate funds to Rad Jaeger's anti-Aeon intelligence program.

Dr. Lal leaned forward and puffed out his chest. "My son has been persecuted every day since he got that blasted implant. At first he faced abuse and physical violence everywhere he went. So he dropped out of school and he withdrew from society. He fled alone into his imaginary world. My best hope for his future is that he go into business. And your new bill would make even that escape impossible."

This was going to be a difficult conversation, O'Brien thought. "Doctor, before I get into that specific bill, I wanted to bring something to your attention that may change your perspective on the matter. Have you heard of a company called Sparkwise Energy?"

"Only tangentially. A rapidly growing energy trading and infrastructure firm with a reputation for price gouging and other bad behavior." Dr. Lal's expression made clear that he did not appreciate O'Brien's change of topic.

"Did you know that your son Vinicius is a 24% owner of this company?"

"Nick? That's not—"

"He hid his identity by using offshore holding companies and trusts but it's possible to trace. Please confirm for yourself, but let me assure you now that it's true. And let me also forewarn you that the Federal Trade Commission is going to open an investigation into Sparkwise. The company is suspected of using their ownership of our energy infrastructure to create artificial bottlenecks and shortages that are unfairly restricting competitors' access to markets and improperly driving up prices. Put more simply, they're creating an energy monopoly."

Dr. Lal rose to his feet and his face reddened. "Energy prices have been going up ever since the government – the government you're supposed to be running – melted down its nuclear reactor at Hurricane. So don't go around scape-goating my son for your own shortcomings."

Instead of responding to Dr. Lal's challenge, O'Brien softened his tone before sharing even more bad news. "I think you should be aware that it's not just the US government investigating your son's company. The European Commission, the International Monetary Fund, and the Chinese Ministry of Trade are beginning hearings."

Dr. Lal seemed to be sputtering. "There must be some special interest group intent on smearing MindWave users. They've even gotten to you, Senator. Where do you get your evidence from?"

"We all have our own sources. And no one's persecuting the Aeons. We're just making sure the playing field is level. You must be aware of the economic crisis we're facing, that people are afraid they won't be able to heat their homes this winter, and that we won't even be able to afford the fuel to ship food into the cities. People worry that as the Aeons' numbers increase from dozens to hundreds and thousands, there won't be anything at all left for the regular folks."

"There won't be thousands of MindWave users. Not while Doctor P.J. Arora controls the patents and insists on doing all the surgeries himself. I believe there's another decade to go before the MindWave will become easy to obtain."

"Nevertheless, several government agencies are concerned that the Aeons are behaving improperly. I hope you will take the time to talk to your son."

"How dare you tell me how to raise my family!"

"I had hoped you would take this warning as a favor. Maybe you can get your son to cease his involvement. Otherwise, he risks arrest."

"Bah, if you try to arrest him, he'll just upload his consciousness to the cloud and escape from your clutches."

O'Brien paused and considered Dr. Lal's statement. "Is that something he can really do?"

"I don't see why not. The MindWave holds all his memories and a map of his neurons. That should be sufficient information to create a computer program that simulates his mind."

Senator O'Brien leaned back in his chair. He would need to consult with Colonel Jaeger about Dr. Lal's claims, but first he had a committee vote to attend. He stole a glance at his watch. "Thank you for this enlightening conversation, doctor. Given the bad news I had the unhappy task of delivering a few minutes ago, I am quite grateful that you have continued to talk with me so long."

Thankfully, Dr. Lal caught the hint and rose to his feet haughtily. "Senator, I am afraid to say that while you continue to persecute my family, my support for your political career must cease." He inclined his head curtly and walked out of the office.


***

"Nick, you need to come clean with the government." Nick's father's hand trembled as he pointed his fork at his son across the dinner table.

"Clean with the government?" asked Nick. He looked to his mother, but she was deathly pale and intently staring at her food. He was not sure what exactly his father was suddenly barking about, so he decided to play dumb.

"Your Sparkwise Energy colluding to drive up energy prices. It's disgraceful. I won't have it," his father yelled, shaking his head as he spoke.

"It's not as bad as you say," protested Nick. He wondered how his father had found out about Sparkwise at all, much less about the illegal actions Nick still secretly suspected Laura and Kobus were committing. Yet he couldn't admit that he'd had those suspicions if he hadn't acted on them. "We're just doing what any other company would do to maximize profits."

"It's not what Langar does," his father replied coldly.

Nick's face wound up in anger and hurt at the rebuke. The words Worthless! Worthless! Worthless! sprang to his mind again. "Are you forgetting all those other scientists whose competing companies you got shut down with your patent extensions?"

His father bristled. "That's different. The technology that Langar controls is dangerous, and needs to be contained."

"Sure, Dad, the rules don't apply to you. Anyway, in the long run, what we're doing at Sparkwise is better for everyone. Have you considered—"

His father cut him off. "The government is moving to break up Sparkwise, and no doubt to break up the other companies your friends have cobbled together through malfeasance and cheating. And you know what?" He slammed a palm down on the table and gave Nick a defiant look. "I support the government!"

Nick had always been loath to believe Laura and Kobus' frequent complaints that Aeons were being persecuted. He'd thought they were jumping at the faintest rumor and playing victim at the slightest setback. Yet now it seemed that they had been right to be alarmed. Even his own father had turned against him. "You support those government goons in dismantling everything I've been building for over a year?"

"Oh, dears, would the two of you calm down and talk like rational human beings instead of growling and hissing like animals?" interjected his mother.

Nick's father kept right on yelling. "Yes, and you'd better cooperate with them!"

"Cooperate? I know all about your political action committees and election financing, in America and across the world. Why don't you just call up the same politicians you bribe to protect Langar's patents and tell them to leave me alone?"

"Whatever you may think, those leaders support Langar because it made a great contribution to humanity. But your Sparkwise is just a scourge. So go turn yourself in and help the government dismantle it."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you're tearing apart your own country, that's why!" his father yelled, standing up from the table and walking around it to lean menacingly over Nick.

Nick was so much taller than his father that even sitting he was eye to eye with him. Only his father's high turban gave the impression that he was taller.

"My country?" Nick cried incredulously. He felt his face flushing with emotion and his eyes tearing as he pushed his way into a standing position, allowing him to stare down at his father. The US was no country of his, not if it was trying to arrest him just for trying to run a business. Laura and Kobus had been right to close ranks and retreat into the safety of their virtual worlds. "I don't live in America. I haven't since I got the MindWave. I live in the ether."

"It doesn't matter where you think you live when you're off in your fantasyland. You may think you live in the ether with the other Aeons but your body has always been in America. Surrounded by American people, protected by American laws."

"Protected? Hardly – I'm afraid to go outside without bodyguards. And— laws? Laws are a commodity. Any half-decent country can protect me with their laws. I can go to England or Canada for laws! I don't owe loyalty to my provider of laws any more than I do to my barber or butcher." Nick had stood up and was trying to shift around his father to get out of the room, but he was penned in by the table to his front and wall to his back. "And besides, the government here is twisting its laws to persecute us."

Dr. Lal reached up and grabbed on to his son's shirt by the collar. Tears streamed down his reddened face as he cried out in a voice that held a mix of pride and anger and disappointment. "Stop playing a victim! This is about your loyalty to your nation. I'm an American by choice. I immigrated because of the opportunities America offered to people like me. I was born in a land torn apart by a war. Ten years of horrible, relentless war and oppression. Then I escaped here to the United States. And they welcomed me, they gave me

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