Doctor Who by Kate Orman Read Free Book Online Page A

the world’s experts, all their knowledge, into one place. That’s what the net is gonna be: a World Encyclopaedia. Pure information from the best minds on the planet.’
    â€˜And pizza.’
    â€˜Lemme show you something here,’ said Bob. He fired up a brand-new IBM PC and pushed a diskette into the drive. ‘Same technology as the
Columbia
. Why don’t you have a look at the demo programs?’
    What a way to spend Christmas Eve: watching a computer draw spirals. You would never have known the time of year from Bob’s house: there was no tree, no cards. No matter where they had happened to be, her parents always arranged something. A bit of tinsel on a twig, carols in the tent. They could make Christmas out of virtually nothing. To Bob, it seemed, it
was
virtually nothing.
    What a relief to be interrupted by the jarring ring of the phone. She snatched it up before Bob could get his hands on it. ‘Hello?’
    â€˜Hello, Peri. I trust you’re well.’
    â€˜Fine, Doctor. Are you OK?’
    â€˜Never better. How did things go with your little expedition?’
    Peri sighed. ‘All I know is that whatever you’re looking for, it’s not in their computer room. I got to check the whole place before Swan scared us off, and there aren’t any locked rooms or secret labs that I could see.’ Her voice grew small. ‘I’m sorry we couldn’t find out more.’
    â€˜Given the circumstances,’ said the Doctor, ‘you’ve done remarkably well.’ Peri relaxed a little. Bob was practically jumping up and down, making ‘give me the phone’ gestures, but she held on. ‘And you’ve confirmed something I suspected: Swan’s project is a private one, not to be shared with her workmates. Even the government is not aware of what one of its contractors has hold of.’
    â€˜What is it?’ Peri asked point-blank.
    The Doctor hesitated. ‘Not yet, Peri. Not yet.’
    â€˜Well,’ Peri said helplessly, ‘be careful.’
    â€˜One more thing,’ said the Doctor. ‘It’s extremely rude to eavesdrop on other people’s phone conversations.’
    â€˜Aw,
shoot
,’ said Mondy. ‘No way!’
    He tossed the tape deck to me and scooted his seat forward, starting up the engine. ‘What about your equipment?’ I said, craning my neck. Bob’s study was dark.
    â€˜Never mind that,’ said the phreak. ‘I swiped it from an FBI tap. They can have it back.’
    â€˜Wait,’ I said, just as he pulled out. He slammed on the brakes and glared at me. ‘I want to talk to them.’
    â€˜You’ve gotta be kidding,’ he protested.
    â€˜Let me drive.’
    â€˜No!’ He was already out of the driver’s-side door.
    â€˜I’m serious!’ I said, as we ran around the bonnet, changing sides.
    â€˜Not a chance!’ he insisted, sliding into the passenger seat.
    â€˜It’s gotta be done!’ I said, grabbing the steering wheel.
    Bob’s Pontiac roared out of the little court like a rogue elephant. We followed, trying to hang back as they wound through a series of suburban streets. But we must have been pretty conspicuous: they kept speeding up and slowing down, and I could see Peri looking back at us. Once they took an obviously random turn, and came back down the side street a minute later to find us waiting for them.
    Bob got the Pontiac onto 495 and shot away. ‘Oh shit!’ shouted Mondy, as I followed them onto the Beltway, flattening the accelerator. Compared to Bob’s car, the Escort was like riding a lawnmower. ‘If you wreck my car, Peters, I swear I’ll swap your home number with a cathouse!’
    â€˜Relax,’ I said. ‘We’re not Kojak and neither are they.’
    â€˜This had better be worth it.’
    â€˜Swan’s got something even Uncle Sam doesn’t know about. And these guys want