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Many solemn-faced men gathered round a genuine mahogany table. Dark grey suits, exquisite shirts, and faces like thunder.
The man with the rhodium cuff-links was standing and addressing the others.
"The GSSA are not much nearer to capturing him. Apart from one dramatic confrontation with an unidentified corporation, there is no activity that matches his modus operandi. The GSSA is loathe to assign more operatives to this problem while the corporate war is still brewing."
A shortish man interjected: "Why did we have to involve them at all? We usually keep such matters in house."
The first speaker turned his head, just a little.
"We discussed this in depth at the time. We keep few operatives, and those are needed to protect our property. It would be unthinkable to leave our business addresses undefended, and would we leave our other - ah - holdings unmanned?"
The short man looked at his fingers.
"Although perhaps the time has come to expand our security division," the speaker continued. "We have deliberately kept our security personnel relatively poorly equipped until now, to avoid the attentions of our rival firms. It was beneficial to appear as a benevolent supplier. Now, I believe, we should put our unmatched medical facilities to use. Our enemies will underestimate us."
There were nods of agreement.
A third man spoke up, "Vot of the plans he stole?" He had a German accent. "I understand they are in the public domain. Need I remind my colleagues that ve vill no longer have a definite superiority?"
There was a pause.
"The CICI is but one component in the package. Our other equipment is superior, and no one else has the capacity to produce as much as we do."
The shortish man allowed himself a smile.
The German was not to be deterred. "Und can ve be sure, I mean absolutely sure, that he does not also have access to more sensitive material from our files? The fire destroyed vot records there may have been."
From the foot of the table, a deep voice rumbled.
"I can guarantee that he knew nothing of our other concerns. He was considered too volatile for those projects. It was only his exceptional talent that persuaded me to assign him to the CICI project. Do the GSSA still believe we were unable to decrypt the files?"
Rhodium cuff-links nodded.
"The pretence will not last much longer," the deep voice predicted. "It was ill-advised to begin with. He is of no concern to us for the moment. Let the GSSA deal with him at their leisure. We must forge ahead with our other projects, to ensure they reach fruition before the normal course of business breaks down."
There was a respectful silence. The German nodded towards the foot of the table and said,
"Preparations for project Baumfahler are complete. I only avait consensus from this table."
The man with the rhodium cuff-links was sitting now. He gauged the mood of the room. "I believe we are in agreement. Let us begin as soon as possible."
The German man blinked, as if a moment he never thought would arrive had come.
"Vorzueglich! If this meeting has ended, I vill set matters in motion immediately. Danke, gentlemen."
He allowed himself a smile.
"Babbage vill die."
Ben Wright, 31/05/01
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