Chapter 13
Dawn removed her lab coat, hanging it over the back of the chair he’d pulled out for her. Then she sat, allowing him to help move the chair closer to the table.
His acting like a gentleman all of a sudden was throwing her off. She was used to the sexual tension, used to the sparring they’d done since he showed up there unexpectedly. But whatever they were doing now was unfamiliar territory.
Before her, the table was arrayed with a bounty that smelled so inviting, she started to salivate. Most of her meals consisted of lukewarm takeout or something she could pull out of a box with limited effort. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a hot, homecooked meal.
“I hope you like it,” he said softly as he sat down in the chair across from hers. If the smell was any indication, she was going to adore it.
Taking a bite of the salad, she was surprised at the zestiness of the dressing. In mere moments, she’d devoured the entire plate of salad and was moving on to the main course. “What is this?”
He gave a shy smile. “It’s a take on a meat pie but with bacon.” Shrugging, he cut himself a bite. “It was the only meat I could find. Let’s hope it tastes okay.”
She took a bite and her eyes rolled back into her head. “Okay? It’s divine.” There were flaky layers of buttery crust combined with what tasted like crispy potatoes, cheese, and the salty bacon. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten something that tasted so wonderful.
He was already cutting her another piece of the meat pie when she looked up from her plate, ravenous for more. With a smile, he refilled her plate, then dug into his own second slice. They ate for a time quietly, and Dawn was finally able to release the breath she felt like she’d been holding since she’d found him on her doorstep.
She was flirting with the idea of a third piece when he finally broke the silence. “Will you tell me about your current project?”
His tone was neutral, his voice soft, and his eyes were planted on his own plate, but in spite of his deference, Dawn felt a streak of anger go through her. With those words, he’d caused the tension to crash back down. It made her muscles stiffen and her mind go on the offensive.
There’s no way I’m telling a spy what I’m doing, she thought, barely stopping herself from giving him another tongue lashing.But I have to tell him something, even if it only serves to keep him off the trail of my true research.
“Okay,” she said after dabbing her mouth with a napkin. “I’ll share with you, if you’ll do the same. If I tell you what I’m working on, you have to agree to explain what happened with the lock earlier.”
His expression was frozen, but his eyes widened slightly, and his nostrils gave a little flare. It looked like he was as unhappy to reveal his secret as she was to discuss her own. At last, he gave a solemn nod in agreement. “You first,” he said.
Kicking herself mentally for not coming up with a cover story already, Dawn decided to keep things vague, while at the same time exceedingly technical. “You know that device on my workbench, the one I said was a toy? Well, I might have told you a little fib. Its actual purpose is to replace the current integrated services network we use for communications. The application is nearly limitless, as it can be applied to any type of communication network, from the simple AI in our most basic robots to complex interplanetary grids and even neural networks.”
She could tell she had him hooked, so she kept laying it on thick. “We’ve been using the same old asynchronous hierarchy for centuries, and the basic rate interface for information packets is fast, but it’s nothing compared to the speed of light.”
Dawn continued, the lies pouring out of her. Although she had theories related to this very technological improvement, she’d never been able to build anything remotely close to what she was now proposing. “I believe I’ve found a way to compile huge packets of information, equivalent to one kiloton of data, into the blink of an eye, so to speak.”
“Continue,” Z said, brushing his hand over the front of his shirt to dislodge a few stray crumbs. His tone said that he understood everything she was saying, so she decided to crank up the jargon a little higher.
“The prototype I’m building will harness this packaging ability to send information at the speed of light. The current packets inherently hit a wall of multidimensionality, processing power, and sheer space concerns. Being able to fold information into light particles in a way that mimics biological systems, in which dense clusters can be packed inside a molecule and transmitted to other molecules, means almost unlimited storage capacity. The only theoretically faster means of transmission would be on the quantum level, as a result of quantum entanglement which postulates that simultaneously vibrating electrons, when separated, carry a bond that allows them to sense one another’s vibrations instantly, regardless of the distance between them. In fact—”
“Whoa there,” Z said with a laugh, waving a hand to draw her attention. “I think we need to slow down a little here. My background is in capital generation, not astrophysics.”
“Quantum mechanics, you mean,” she replied sweetly, mentally laughing at his bravado.He should have called bullshit when I used a material measurement for data. A kiloton of data. Ha!
Z nodded, a half-smile ratcheting up the handsomeness on display. “You said the applications were limitless. If that’s true, then holding the patent on this type of device would mean astronomical returns, correct?”
Her smile became sharp.Here it comes, the underlying greed. “Yes,” she replied shortly. “Its owner could basically print their own credits.” It was true. Technology this revolutionary would make its inventor exorbitantly rich. Too bad it was currently impossible.
“And the source of these light transmissions, what is it? I mean, do you use a crystal or a similar light source?”
Crystal?Dawn stiffened.Where had that come from?
Could this good-looking fraudster have found out about her discovery? She’d been careful to keep any mention of it from any transmissions she sent. Nor had she told Brian about it, luckily, but more out of forgetfulness than distrust. She’d kept the crystal and its inhabitant hidden in the storeroom for the last several months and stopped herself from considering it as she focused intently on finishing up the other projects she’d been working on. Mostly, it was to keep herself from getting distracted while she cleared her calendar for the immensity of this new research.
It wasn’t until after Brian had defected to the Hills that she’d even brought it into the main laboratory. But just because she’d never shown it to him didn’t mean that Brian hadn’t uncovered it himself. If he’d snooped around at all, looking for information to use to get into the Hills’ good graces, he might have uncovered the crystal and told his new superiors about it.
That would mean Z knows about it. And that may be the real reason he’s here now. To find out more information.
She had to un-ball her hands from the fists they’d formed of their own accord and take a deep breath before she could answer him. “I’m still debating on which source to use in the final prototype,” she said offhandedly, leaning forward to poke gently at dessert with her spoon. “Say, what is this concoction?”
“Spun sugar with gummy roses,” he said, his tone polite, but a probing look had taken up residence in his eyes. “Please, try it.”
Dawn helped herself to a portion of the delicate treat, wincing when one of the little sugar leaves broke off and fell to her plate. She felt like the break represented the fragile truce between them. It was easily shattered.
How could it not be? He’s a goddamn spy, here to ferret out my most vital research and sell it off to those who would misuse it. I can trust him about as far as Ladee can throw him.
Staring down at the sugar sculpture, she couldn’t help the disappointment that mired her in inaction. She couldn’t bring herself to taste the saccharine structure in front of her, knowing it came from a man who was anything but sweet and delicate.
He was a purveyor of lies, a trickster. A cheat. And the only way to not fall victim to his charm was to constantly stay on guard against it.
She’d always kept a step ahead of the Hills, and she would keep her advantage, come Hell or handsome traitor.
“So,” she said, lifting her eyes to meet his gaze. “It’s your turn now. Tell me how you happened to override my security lockout earlier?”
