Interface: A Techno Thriller by Tony Batton Read Free Book Online Page A

balance.
    Bern threw his coat on a stand and stretched his neck. He gave a passing glance at the angular steel sculpture his design team had spent weeks sourcing, then walked the not inconsiderable distance to his desk, deviating only slightly to skirt around the Persian rug that had cost fully half as much as his Aston Martin.   He took his seat, then suddenly became aware he was not alone: he looked up and saw CERUS' head of HR, clad in his usual plain grey suit.
    "Didn't see you there," Bern said with a frown.
    Marron shrugged. "That would be the preferred title of my autobiography."
    "Planning on writing one?"
    "Writing, maybe. Publishing, no."
    "Are you here for the meeting?"
    "I wasn't invited. As you are well aware."
    "Indeed. In fact I know it was arranged with the utmost secrecy, yet you clearly know all about it. What should I read from that?"
    "That I'm doing my job."
    "What about the work you've had taking place up on the roof? I haven't been able to land there since the party."
    "Also me doing my job."
    "I saw workmen carrying up a large number of metal rods but, when I went and had a look, I couldn't see any change."
    "Exactly my intention."
    "And also a large number of steel drums, which I could see. They look a bit out of place."
    "They won't be there much longer. As you know."
    Bern nodded distractedly. "Was there something we needed to discuss?"
    "There was an incident with an employee earlier who fell in his office."
    "Is it going to be a problem?"
    "I believe I've managed the situation appropriately. He's at a private clinic."
    Bern blinked. "Good. We don't need any complications right now. "
    "I'd better go so your secret meeting can take place. I hope CERUS' most brilliant minds come through for you."
    Bern watched Marron vanish into the shadows. So do I , he thought.

    ◇◇◇

    Bradley followed Heidn and Holm into Bern's office then locked the door. The CEO nodded to them and gestured towards a conference table across from his desk. They all sat and watched while Bern poured himself a glass of sparkling mineral water.
    "You are familiar with our last set of financial results?" he said. "Those that suggest the company is tracking on target for the year."
    There were nods from around the table.
    "And also the rumours that have been circulating? About how CERUS is about to fail?"
    More nods.
    "The latter are a more accurate representation of our current status. And regrettably it's too late to contain the problem. The whole company will be lost if we don't produce a miracle in the next sixty days." Bern took a deep breath. "Thankfully, this miracle doesn't have to be something new . Two months ago I tasked Neil to trawl the archives for something we could do again, but better ."
    "Intelligent nanites?" Holm asked, adjusting his glasses. "That's why Bradley had me looking at those? I may have produced a null batch in the lab, but monetising the project... that's a long way off."  
    Bern nodded. "True. And yet nanites may provide a way to transform a much older project."
    Heidn ran his fingers through his long grey hair. "You mean Tantalus?"
    "This is what I was looking at?" Holm said. "I just saw some code. What exactly is it?"
    Heidn cleared his throat. "Tantalus was a Greek demi-god, famous for his eternal punishment in hell. He was made to stand in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree, the fruit eluding his grasp, the water always receding before he could drink. It's where we get the word tantalize." Heidn leaned back in his chair. "The name was a joke but it became a challenge – a call to beat the odds and prove that it could be done."
    Holm waved his hand in irritation. "Thanks for the story, but I don't care about the name. What was the project about?"
    "An interface. A point where two systems would meet and interact. Man and machine."
    Holm gave a snort. "A brain-computer interface? Twenty-five years ago? Did you even have computers then?"
    Bradley sighed. "They had electricity and instant