Read Online Ultraviolet by Joseph Robert Lewis - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joseph Robert Lewis
Ads: Link
these new guys are willing to fight a little legal battle over my patent rights with Cygnus.”
Felix nodded. “Sounds like a big hoop.”
“Yeah, pretty big.”
“So is that why you need the rubidium?”
“Yeah, I need to make another pair of gloves to give to Susquehanna for testing and stuff, but—”
“Whoa, back up. Susquehanna Power? That’s who you’re selling to?”
“Yeah.”
“No, no, no.” He pushed his thick curling hair back as he shook his head. “You can’t go to them.”
“What? Why not?”
“Because they’re owned by Cygnus.”
The world stopped. I wondered if I’d heard him right. He had to be wrong. Cygnus and Susquehanna were both very huge, and both very different.
“Did you hear me?”
“Uhm, yeah.” I nodded. “Are you sure?”
“Sure, I’m sure. See, Cygnus does lots of bulk orders to big companies for feedstock, and there were always two shipping codes. One code for outside companies, who get charged full price, and one code for subsidiaries, who get a discount. Susquehanna gets the discount.”
“But… then why would they do that whole interview with me?”
“Maybe didn’t realize who you were. You know, maybe Cygnus hadn’t put out a major alert on you yet. Or maybe they knew, and they were trying to play it cool, tricking you into turning over the gloves voluntarily. I don’t know.”
I started rubbing my head and pacing across the width of the aisle. This could not be happening. “No, come on, no.” I kicked a crate of plastic rods. The crate didn’t seem to mind but my foot sure did. “Damn it, it’s not fair!”
“I’m sorry.”
I waved him away. I didn’t trust myself to speak. I wasn’t sure if I was going to break down and cry or if I was going to start screaming and tearing off heads, and his was the only head nearby.
“Look, it’s not that bad,” he said. “I worked here for a few years, and I know lots of companies that are totally independent from Cygnus, parts of other corporate families. You can sell your tech to one of them.”
“Are these independent companies big and rich and powerful? Powerful enough to go to court against Cygnus, and win?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. Some of them.”
I nodded. I knew he was just trying to help, but he couldn’t help. No one could. Cygnus was holding all the cards and blocking all the exits. They hadn’t just rigged the game, they were the game, and the house, and all of the other players. There was no way to win.
“There’s really no way to beat them, is there?” My voice sounded really small and far away to me.
“There must be.”
“How? They’ve got all the money. They’ve got the law on their side, and the government in their pocket. They can kidnap people’s families. Break into homes. Throw people in secret prisons.”
“Yeah. I know.”
“So what do I do? I can’t stay here. I can’t get a new apartment or a new job. I can’t sell my invention. I can’t help myself, let alone my parents.” I shook my head. I couldn’t see a way out, and it was really starting to piss me off. I wanted to punch something, but the people I wanted to punch were all far away, safe in their offices and private homes on the north side of the city.
“I don’t know, but I’m sure we can figure something out. But right now, let’s just get out of here and back to the city, someplace safe, and we’ll come up with a plan.”
I nodded. I didn’t know what else to do. Felix pointed back behind him and I followed him down the aisle to one of the side doors, where he swiped his stolen badge to open the lock and let us out. It was pitch black outside, except for the glaring parking lot lights. I couldn’t see any stars overhead, but that was nothing new. They say you had to drive halfway to Pennsylvania before you’d be far enough from the city to see any stars. Sounds about right.
Felix pulled an old red bicycle from the rack against the side of the building. “Do you have a
Felix nodded. “Sounds like a big hoop.”
“Yeah, pretty big.”
“So is that why you need the rubidium?”
“Yeah, I need to make another pair of gloves to give to Susquehanna for testing and stuff, but—”
“Whoa, back up. Susquehanna Power? That’s who you’re selling to?”
“Yeah.”
“No, no, no.” He pushed his thick curling hair back as he shook his head. “You can’t go to them.”
“What? Why not?”
“Because they’re owned by Cygnus.”
The world stopped. I wondered if I’d heard him right. He had to be wrong. Cygnus and Susquehanna were both very huge, and both very different.
“Did you hear me?”
“Uhm, yeah.” I nodded. “Are you sure?”
“Sure, I’m sure. See, Cygnus does lots of bulk orders to big companies for feedstock, and there were always two shipping codes. One code for outside companies, who get charged full price, and one code for subsidiaries, who get a discount. Susquehanna gets the discount.”
“But… then why would they do that whole interview with me?”
“Maybe didn’t realize who you were. You know, maybe Cygnus hadn’t put out a major alert on you yet. Or maybe they knew, and they were trying to play it cool, tricking you into turning over the gloves voluntarily. I don’t know.”
I started rubbing my head and pacing across the width of the aisle. This could not be happening. “No, come on, no.” I kicked a crate of plastic rods. The crate didn’t seem to mind but my foot sure did. “Damn it, it’s not fair!”
“I’m sorry.”
I waved him away. I didn’t trust myself to speak. I wasn’t sure if I was going to break down and cry or if I was going to start screaming and tearing off heads, and his was the only head nearby.
“Look, it’s not that bad,” he said. “I worked here for a few years, and I know lots of companies that are totally independent from Cygnus, parts of other corporate families. You can sell your tech to one of them.”
“Are these independent companies big and rich and powerful? Powerful enough to go to court against Cygnus, and win?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. Some of them.”
I nodded. I knew he was just trying to help, but he couldn’t help. No one could. Cygnus was holding all the cards and blocking all the exits. They hadn’t just rigged the game, they were the game, and the house, and all of the other players. There was no way to win.
“There’s really no way to beat them, is there?” My voice sounded really small and far away to me.
“There must be.”
“How? They’ve got all the money. They’ve got the law on their side, and the government in their pocket. They can kidnap people’s families. Break into homes. Throw people in secret prisons.”
“Yeah. I know.”
“So what do I do? I can’t stay here. I can’t get a new apartment or a new job. I can’t sell my invention. I can’t help myself, let alone my parents.” I shook my head. I couldn’t see a way out, and it was really starting to piss me off. I wanted to punch something, but the people I wanted to punch were all far away, safe in their offices and private homes on the north side of the city.
“I don’t know, but I’m sure we can figure something out. But right now, let’s just get out of here and back to the city, someplace safe, and we’ll come up with a plan.”
I nodded. I didn’t know what else to do. Felix pointed back behind him and I followed him down the aisle to one of the side doors, where he swiped his stolen badge to open the lock and let us out. It was pitch black outside, except for the glaring parking lot lights. I couldn’t see any stars overhead, but that was nothing new. They say you had to drive halfway to Pennsylvania before you’d be far enough from the city to see any stars. Sounds about right.
Felix pulled an old red bicycle from the rack against the side of the building. “Do you have a
Similar Books
