“Daniel, you know the process.” The Chief Architect seems puzzled that she needs to say this. “Write up and file the bug reports with Jerry Neeson.”
All is well, apparently, between the Chief Architect and Chief Verifier. Neeson covered his tracks well enough with her. She doesn’t suspect a thing, It doesn’t take a genius to predict what Daniel would say the next time he saw the Chief Architect. Neeson made sure she’ll never believe it.
Daniel either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care, because he is about to burst. Ellie holds a hand up to forestall the oncoming torrent where he explains in too much detail everything that has happened. He spots her hand and growls softly again. Ellie wouldexplode too if she could get away with it. Neeson is about as likely to deal with bug reports about side channels as he is to resign from his hyper-innovative disruptive tech company and devote the rest of his life to the fervent worship of fermented soybean products. The Chief Architect would hear Ellie’s growl, though.
“Daniel has to take me to the train station, so we have to go.”
Ellie waves to the Chief Architect, then hustles Daniel up the stairs. Daniel, for his part, doesn’t resist. He merely stares oddly at her over his shoulder as she hurries him up the stairs. After a few steps, he faces forward and takes the stairs several steps at a time. Ellie hurries after him out of the house.
Daniel leans against his car, his arms folded across his chest when Ellie catches up to him. He still has a puzzled look on his face.
“Ellie, why didn’t you tell her about Neeson?” He lets his arms drop. “She needs to know.”
“One, I’m not sure she’d believe us. Two, the skunkworks still has all that extra machinery that needs to be cleared out.”
Realization is a grimace that creeps across Daniel’s face. His brow furrows and his mouth twists.
“Oh, I see.” His arms go back across his chest. “If Neeson is going to try this again, we want him to start from scratch and the only thing getting him to remove his work is the fact that no one else knows except us.”
“Pretty much.” Ellie shrugs.
“You know, the Chief Architect could believe us.” He spreads his arms out. “The idea isn’t that outlandish.”
“Are you prepared for the chaos that would unleash? Who knows how many of the maintainers on the planet work for Neeson one way or another right now.” Ellie jabs him in the chest. “If you want war, you should be ready for it first. For now, all we can do is keep to our half of the blackmail.”
“It’s annoying.” He goes to the driver’s side of the car and unlocks it. “I don’t have to like it.”
“Honestly, I don’t think you’re supposed to.”
He gets in and unlocks the passenger side. Ellie gets in.
“So that’s done then.” He starts up the car. “Let’s get you to the train station.”
The traffic is surprisingly reasonable. Even with a detour to Daniel’s apartment to pick up her luggage, they’ll get to Union Station with time to spare. They are, however, not done. Daniel knows it too, probably. Ellie slouches in the seat and, for a moment, lets herself doubt whether the universe they saved is better than the universe they prevented.
CHAPTER 25
The waiting room at the train station has both a glorious coffered ceiling and rows of really crappy plastic chairs. Travelers crisscross the room, dragging their roller bags behind them. Their voices, the click of footsteps against the shiny floor, and the low-key rumble of wheels echo in this vast space. Every once in a while, boarding announcements blare over the PA system.
Ellie sits in a crappy plastic chair, her roller bag parked by her feet. Daniel sits next to her, his fingers tapping against an arm of his crappy plastic chair. They’re both watching the people walk by. Ahdi will probably appear when they least expect it, but that’s no reason not to watch for him.
“Why do you always take the train down?” Daniel asks.
“It’s cheaper than flying.”
“That’s not what I mean. You know Chris’s house well enough.”
“For one, I have to lug this with me.” Ellie taps her roller bag.
“You don’t have to carry it all with you.” Daniel clearly doesn’t understand that his idea of traveling light is way lighter than hers can ever be. “You can just go back to Boston whenever you need something.”
“That’s not any less exhausting.” Ellie rolls her eyes. “And, honestly, if I ever did that, she would have found the time to change something to stop me from doing it again. I mean, she never even let me on the house Wi-Fi. Not that it matters anymore.”
Daniel peers at her roller bag. He crouches down, puts a palmbeneath it, then tests its weight. His hand moves as if the roller bag weren’t there.
“I could deal with this, maybe. You know my apartment now. Next time, if I study your apartment, I could take this back and forth for you.” Daniel sets the bag down and sits back in the chair. “There will be a next time, right?”
The sound of a throat clearing behind them interrupts whatever Ellie is about to say. She turns around to see it’s Ahdi and wonders how long he’s been standing there.
