Chapter 33 #2
Oro1 holds out a set of PalmPrint prototypes to him. He eyes them anxiously. “Remind me again why we couldn’t test these at a MediSpa in C Quadrant?”
“If they register an alarm, we want to be as far away from where we live as possible,” Oro1 supplies.
James peels away the adhesive on the back and lines his hand up.
As he inches closer, he can feel the attraction of the molecules that make up the fleshy palm-shaped sticker.
Once his skin touches it, a suction sensation dances across his palm, letting him know it’s adhered properly.
All that’s left to do is peel the plastic protector sheet off the other side. Well . . . and test it.
Fifteen minutes later, they are nearing the front of the line at OXY. Oro1 leans over, whispering, “If yours works and mine doesn’t, just go in and act like there’s no issue. Then meet me back at Kate’s.”
James steps forward. The woman with a cropped blue bob gives him a huge grin.
“Welcome to OXY, MSP’s premier oxygen infusion chamber.
Please place your palm here.” She holds out a tablet similar to the ones in the SATs.
James can hear the blood rushing in his ears as he places his hand on the pad, doing his best to pretend nothing untoward is going on.
The split second the system takes to recognize him lasts an eternity.
Finally, it flashes green, and Jett’s identification number pops up.
“Hello, Jett,” the woman says. She’s reaching for the aqua velvet rope when the screen beeps, flashing an angry red.
Her brow winkles as she examines the response.
A chorus of fucks reverberates in James’s mind. Oro1 shuffles behind him but doesn’t say anything. “There seems to be an issue with your identification. Please try again,” she says, holding the tablet out.
He holds his hand over the imprint scanner. This time, the scanner doesn’t tease him with a green response. As the red light flashes, the woman taps her m-volt. “Please send a security—”
But before she can finish, James swipes the scanner out of her hand and turns to dart down the hallway right as a bouncer pops out of the barricaded door.
With the stolen device in hand, James runs past the elevators, which appear to be stuck in an emergency open position, to the stairwell.
Thankfully, they’re only on the tenth floor.
James hopes they can’t or won’t fully lock down the building.
As he races down the stairs, he can’t help but think that if he can get away with the stolen device, how useful it will be to have.
Oro1 can hack into the system, delete the record of the PalmPrint attempt, and reprogram it so they can test each print as a means of quality assurance.
Maybe they can even figure out what triggered it to fail.
Each industry’s identity verification devices are a little different, and MediSpas that don’t require retina scans are the most sensitive, therefore a useful testing measure.
James suggested IdenTECH buy their own, but he discovered NHOS doesn’t issue the devices except to legally registered businesses.
His minor crime will be worth it in the long run.
The lobby is crowded as he bursts out of the elevator shaft, slipping into the throng.
He only spares a single glance over his shoulder before snatching a mask off the wall and bumping an alarmed woman out of his way.
Once he’s in her air exchange slot, he breathes a little easier.
Despite that, the bouncer has finally caught up.
Once he’s outside, the towers in this quadrant are so congested it shouldn’t be too hard to disappear.
The door opens and James rushes out. He runs until his lungs burn and the inside of his mask is damp from his heavy, hot breath.
Finally, when he’s made it to M Quadrant, he stops, taking a moment to inspect the stolen device.
It comes alive at his attention. A message is displayed on the screen in big bold letters: “Please return to OXY, MSP’s premier oxygen infusion chamber. Thank you for your cooperation.”
James taps the screen until he figures out how to power it off, shutting down any enabled tracking. Outside, the buzzing sounds of SATs making their way through the city draw his focus. He needs to find one and make his way back to Kate’s unit before Oro1 gets there. He doesn’t want her to worry.
Right as he’s about to enter the air exchange door of the nearest building, a SAT painted like he’s never seen slowly creeps by.
Colorful lights and words cover it. They say, in various languages, POLICE.
Shit. Even if they’re looking for him, they can’t see his face underneath the air filtration mask.
Plus, he wore an atrocious multicolored jumpsuit for this specific purpose.
He blends in with the other brightly clad pedestrians roaming the streets.
What a world, where wearing black would be what made him conspicuous.
As it stands, the only thing that might make him distinct is the stolen device gripped in his white knuckles.
Before the police car gets too near, he unzips the top of his jumpsuit and slips the device in at his chest. He can just make out the inside of the vehicle and the pair of officers inside.
He gives them a nod before stepping into the building.
He doesn’t dare look back out the windows until he’s safely inside. Thankfully, they’re gone.
The building’s directory hangs on the wall next to the mask deposit. SAT garages are on floor twenty-five of the mostly residential tower he’s stumbled into. His heart doesn’t stop racing until he’s scanned his own palm and is safely enclosed in the SAT, zipping through the city, back to Kate.