Proceso de recarga
3.3.4 Características del acuífero
C—
Forgive me for the Bombay cliché, but they’re on to me.
I went to five different people — big mistake — with the story, and they’re either part of the cover-up (maybe out of ignorance) or hostile. Obviously, the guy I talked to as my Utopia liaison (Albert Petalan) is part of it, but so are the Calcutta police, the AP reporter and my representative with Amanda Wu’s company. I don’t know about Rourke anymore.
The bottom line is, we can’t go to anyone. Get everyone together and let them know the scale of this thing, but keep it hush-hush. Obviously, if you’re not part of Utopia’s “solution,” you’re part of the problem. And Utopia’s got almost everyone involved as part of the solution on some level.
Anyway, gotta run. I’ve left my “resignation” from Utopia here in C. We’ll talk later. Be careful,
S—
P.S. Heard of something called “Proteus”? Let me know.
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AP Wire Dated Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Calcutta, India Calcutta, IndiaCalcutta, India
Calcutta, IndiaCalcutta, India — Team Tomorrow nova Jennifer “Slider” Landers, under temporary contract to Novelty Consultation, was re- ported DOA at UN Franklin Moran field hospital this morning at 4:02 a.m. Paraphysicians worked tirelessly for eight hours to reinvigorate Slider’s failed biological processes, only to declare her dead after unsuccessful attempts.
Slider had been retained by Novelty Consultation to safeguard against Teragen corporate espionage, and agents of that organization are suspected to have some relation to her death.
Details are few and far-between in this event, but the act seems to be one of assassination, possibly linked to Teragen radicalism. Slider’s injuries appear to have been caused in conflict with another nova, though no more information is forthcoming at this time.
[BROADCAST JOINED IN MEDIA RES] …GIVES ME GREAT SADNESS, AS NOVAS AND
BASELINES ALIKE HAVE LOST A STRONG HERO NEEDLESSLY.
N! AND CNN TELEVISED LIVE BROADCAST FROM SLIDER’S FUNERAL AND WAKE
JENNIFER WAS A CREDIT TO THE CAUSE, BOTH AS A NOVA AND AS AN INDIVIDUAL, AND HER PASSING SHALL LEAVE OUR EARTH A SADDER PLACE FOR A BRIEF
TIME, ALTHOUGH I KNOW SHE WOULD WANT US TO MOVE PAST THIS TRAGIC EVENT, HOPEFULLY FINDING
IT WITHIN OURSELVES TO—
DAMMIT, SHUKI, WHERE’D HE GO? SARAH, PUT SOME- ONE ON IT — THIS IS LIVE, FOR GOD’S SAKE. JESUS
CHRIST, SOMEONE GET IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA. SWITCH TO THREE ON THREE, TWO, ONEº.
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THE ABERRANTS AND RECENT HISTORY
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From USA Today, 05/21/08
Do you think the allegations of a conspiracy within Project Utopia are true?
Yes 14%
No 58%
Not sure 28%
Who do you think murdered Slider?
Teragen 34% Corbin 21% Government agency 18% Project Utopia 11% Criminal cartels 4% Unknown 12% 5/31/2008 Director Ozaki:
I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that we have a problem. However, what you need to know is that you’ve just been designated a troubleshooter. The information leak on classified material extended beyond Landers and her immediate circle of friends. Although our plants minimized the damage control among Team Tomorrow members, she somehow managed to transmit some of her findings to other Utopians, who have subsequently gone rogue. In all likelihood, Park was the one responsible for their evacuation; naturally, he is among the missing. At least 10 have fled [files for each are attached]; we’re awaiting for confirmation from all cells, but we believe that number could rise to 15 or 20.
The good news is that the renegades have very few options. Landers’s findings were too comprehensive, and we suspect that she put a somewhat histrionic, possibly Teragen-inspired, spin on the data; that may work in our favor. The renegades can be presumed to be aware that Proteus has contacts among global authorities, and they have little reason to trust any particular agency there. Similarly, although our tense relations with the United States government might seem more promising to them, they would be fools to try that route openly. The Teragen, though quite possibly behind this whole Landers situation, is hardly an option; these renegades are theoretically smart enough to realize that they can’t count on that nest of vipers. And although some media backlash is inevitable, we are instituting controls to make certain that the damage is minimal. T2M is already being withdrawn, and we won’t be making any press conferences until we’re certain we know exactly what needs to be said.
Your role in all this is simple. You are to use whatever resources you can mobilize covertly to track down the rogue novas, silence them however possible, and leave counter-evidence to draw attention away from Utopia. We would prefer that you reason with them, convince them of Landers’s compromised status, and bring them back into the fold; if that option fails, you are free to escalate damage control options as you see fit. We cannot afford to be exposed; subtlety is of paramount importance here, so don’t let any of your agents get too enthusiastic. Especially not Chiraben.
Whatever else, be certain that Æon doesn’t find out about this. They have enough to worry about already, and the world needs them focused on other tasks. It’s much better for all of us if Æon, like the rest of the world, believes these renegades to be just a fringe group of conspiracy theorists.
THE ABERRANTS AND RECENT HISTORY
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Excerpt, phone conversation between public terminals, May 30, 2008
Voice 1 [male, estimated age 25]: Voice 1 [male, estimated age 25]: Voice 1 [male, estimated age 25]: Voice 1 [male, estimated age 25]: Voice 1 [male, estimated age 25]: Hello? Voice 2 [female, indeterminate age]: Voice 2 [female, indeterminate age]: Voice 2 [female, indeterminate age]: Voice 2 [female, indeterminate age]:
Voice 2 [female, indeterminate age]: Thank you for picking up. Voice 1:
Voice 1: Voice 1: Voice 1:
Voice 1: Look, who is this? Voice 2:
Voice 2: Voice 2: Voice 2:
Voice 2: Someone who’s well aware of who you are and what you’re running from. Voice 1:
Voice 1: Voice 1: Voice 1:
Voice 1: I dinnae have time for games. Voice 2:
Voice 2: Voice 2: Voice 2:
Voice 2: Can you guarantee that this phone line is completely secure? Can you guarantee that it’ll remain so? Voice 1: Voice 1: Voice 1: Voice 1: Voice 1: ... Voice 2: Voice 2: Voice 2: Voice 2:
Voice 2: I thought not. Listen to me. I can offer you and your friends shelter. I have resources enough to keep you hidden — but I also have resources enough to back you on a more aggressive course of action, one that stands to help you correct some of your current problems.
Voice 1: Voice 1: Voice 1: Voice 1:
Voice 1: Can ye prove this isn’t a trap? Voice 2:
Voice 2: Voice 2: Voice 2:
Voice 2: You have a telepath among your number, yes? He will be the proof. Now hang up and start walking south. I’ll call you again in five minutes.
[Transmission ends.]