Reaching for The Moon by ThePekingNoodle
Chapter Fifty-Seven: Where's the Cheese?
In which our hero and heroine have to figure out exactly what flavor cheese their mouse prefers…
Max settled in next to Logan and watched intently as he pulled up information from the intranet website of a company named Millennium Microprocessors.
"This is the company Lydecker is interested in?" she asked.
"It's the one he mentioned to me, and going by the email they sent me today, Manticore has already approached them."
"Did they say what they wanted?"
"Not specifically. They wanted to know who Manticore LLC was, and if I had given them Millennium's name. The technology that Millennium develops isn't offered on the open market to just anyone. Most of it is actually done under very specific contracts for other companies."
"So how did Deck find out about it? And what is it?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out. I don't keep in daily contact with the companies I own. They send me updates periodically, but I don't really delve into all the technology they may be working on at any one time," he explained. "Ah. Okay. This is what I want." He was quiet as he clicked and opened a series of files.
"What are you looking for?"
"Lydecker said something about a micro-chip. These are the ongoing R&D project files for the microchip division."
There was silence as Logan clicked and opened files, skimmed them and then went on to the next. He was down to the last four projects and about to close the file he was in, when Max let out an exclamation.
"Stop. Go back to that file there."
Logan obliged, clicking open the document she indicated with a slender finger.
"This is one of their wild card projects," he explained.
"What's a wild card project?"
"Sometimes a contracted job spins off something unrelated
but promising. There may not be a specific buyer for it at the time. When that
happens, Millennium contacts me and I can approve an R&D budget to look
into it further. We've made a few nice profits from things that were originally
wild cards. What makes you think this might be the one Lydecker is interested
in?"
Max was silent as she read through the document that was open on the screen.
"He said he was interested in a micro-chip right?"
"Yeah."
"This is a micro-chip the way I read this file. And it's not one designed for a computer or a piece of machinery. It's designed for implantation in a human being."
"Yes. It's an offshoot of some advanced neural system work that Millennium has done under contract in the past. The project leader has a special interest in nervous system damage and repair. His son was paralyzed in an auto accident and he's made some amazing advances in technology to bridge the damaged spinal cord. When he saw the possible applications of the past work, he asked for a permission to pursue it as a wild card."
"But this isn't a simple bridge, Logan. This chip is a neural booster. From what I can see it can pick up the nerve impulses sent from the brain and amplify them to increase muscular reaction time. In other words in an ordinary human it could duplicate the speed that I have from my genetics. And if it's modified in other ways it might be able to enhance strength as well."
"So what would it do to a super soldier with your already enhanced capabilities? Or might it replace the need for genetic tinkering? I can see why Lydecker might want to get his hands on this." Logan mused out loud.
"He can't get it. Look at the results on this thing. No way is it ready to be used in a human being." Max pointed to a page of preliminary test data.
"Why would he want it if he can't use it? Maybe we need to look for something else."
Max looked at Logan. "Logan, you don't understand Lydecker or Manticore at all. They won't care about those results."
"Max, you can't be serious. The test results on this indicate that in its present state it's as likely to burn out the brain of anyone using it as it is to enhance their neural signals."
"I know. I'm sure Deck knows as well. They don't care. He doesn't care. They'll take this chip and implant it in their test subjects and watch what happens to them. They don't look at their creations as human. So what if it kills a dozen or so before they get it to work."
Logan stared at Max as the implications of her words sunk in. "Max are you…"
"…speaking from experience?" She looked at him. "I saw one of my brothers killed in cold blood so the doctors there could take apart his brain to try to figure out why we had seizures. I saw others killed and dissected when they exhibited other less than perfect traits. We aren't human to them. We're less than test animals. If Lydecker gets this chip he'll do whatever it takes and kill however many he has to, in order to get it working."
"Then he can't get it." Logan's words were simple and matter of fact.
"He's ruthless, Logan. If you tell him no, he'll take it anyway. No matter who he has to hurt to get to it."
Logan abruptly closed the file he was in and stood up. "It's lunchtime."
Max stared at him. "That's it? Lunchtime? What about Lydecker and the chip?"
"He can't have it. We have to figure out how to make him not want it. That way, nobody gets hurt. But right now I need some food and so do you."
Max realized Logan was right. They hadn't eaten since their dinner last night. Suddenly she was starving. Logan smiled at her "What does milady feel like eating?"
Max smiled back, "I'll leave that to the chef. Lead on."
As they walked out to the kitchen engrossed in each other, neither one noticed the alert that had begun blinking in the corner of Logan's computer.
End of Chapter Fifty-Seven…TBC…
