Mattie sipped instant decaff and pondered the code on the screen. It was lunchtime, the day of the attempt to restore Fred. Mattie was not hungry. She dialled Leo's number.
It rang, went to voicemail. No greeting. "Hey. It's me. I need to talk to you, I think I've found a problem."
She clicked off, frowned at the phone. Dialled Max. "Hi."
"Hello, Mattie."
"This plan to get Fred's code and download it to an ordinary synth."
"Yes."
"I can't work out how to start the remote download of Fred's code." Mattie scrolled through the program Leo had sent. "This code Leo wrote, it assumes there is a physical connection."
"I see."
"Where's Leo?"
"He's out fetching extra memory to store the backup. Then we well be completely ready for tonight."
"Max. Can I access you remotely?"
"No. You and Leo developed code that prevented it. We tested it in the pub called the New Boot. Don't you remember?"
"I remember the code. But I never saw it applied except to Mia."
"Leo updated me once we arrived home."
"I see. Leo took a backup of Mia, didn't he?"
"And me. Now he can always get us back if we get lost or damaged." She could hear Max's fond smile in his voice.
"Did he update his own code as well?"
A pause. "I didn't see him do it."
"I bet he hasn't," said Mattie.
"I will ask him."
"No, don't. It's his business, his own stupid business."
"Are you and Leo still friends, Mattie? Sometime you say hurtful things to each other."
"We're still friends," she said.
"We'll see you soon, Mattie. We miss you."
"You too."
Mattie threw the phone on the bed.
Arrogant idiot. Leo was no way getting more memory. He was en route to London right now, to fix Fred by himself. He'd spotted the same issues in the code as Mattie, that although their code had not stopped Fred's locator message being sent, it would prevent remote online access. Leo had worked that out, just the same as she had, and knowing that this made it dangerous, he'd decided to go on his own rather than risk Hobb finding the others.
It was extremely selfless, and bloody typical.
She grabbed her car keys. The summer job had at least gained her an ancient Fiesta, which meant she was mobile.
Mattie set her jaw. London, where Fred was, would take about two hours to reach. Leo and the others were about the same time away, from the north. Leo wasn't expecting her to be in London for another five hours at least. Which was why she was leaving right now.