Water Dictatorship Part 5

"I suppose so." Angelo said. "What was this about your system?"

"My thesis was to create a new operating system for computers. It's a fully modern system that can kick a.s.s all over any system currently in widespread use. That's what we use at LABN." Chee said.

"Is that why Marlowe bought so many new computers?" Angelo asked.

"Yeah. My new operating system is so advanced that state of the art systems are maxed out using it. The old iron we had was too dusty to keep up." Chee said proudly.

"Is your system what's going to make you and Marlowe billionaires?" Angelo asked.

Chee started and then got a crafty look. "Possibly."

"Your system is technically advanced, right?" Angelo asked.

"The best anywhere currently, and I'm working on keeping it cutting edge." Chee boasted. "Nothing can touch it."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't OS/4 considered better technically than Geos?" Angelo probed.

"Yeah. For its day it was a beautiful piece of code. Man, it was elegant. It should have eliminated Geos." Chee said, wistfully.

"I have a friend who swears by CP/M." Angelo said.

"Yeah, that's okay. I mean it's old. The original was written back in the sixties, okay, but it's robust. You have to be either a total idiot or a total genius to crash CP/M." Chee sounded wistful again.

"But every one uses Geos, now." Angelo pointed out.

"Ahhh," Chee dismissed "That was just marketing. Wild Bill Dornan can't code his way out of a paper bag, never could, but he knows more about underhanded business tricks and marketing to the great unwashed than any man alive."

"Underhanded business tricks?" Angelo asked. xx

"Oh, you know. Scuzzy s.h.i.+t like not giving us the source code for Geos-95. We couldn't write our network interface for it until I personally hacked the code and even then we had to pay a royalty. He has refused to license Geos-95 to certain vendors who prefer our system. He's practically giving away access to GeosNetwork to undercut our business. If LABN were to go under, then he'd ratchet the rates right up into the sky like he did in New York."

"And this is underhanded?" Angelo asked.

"He's giving away product in our market and subsidizing it with the profits from other markets. The whole purpose is to drive us out of business. I looked it up, that's the whole definition of unfair business practices. But Wild Bill also uses his huge profits to subsidize a large crew of very evil lawyers, so there's not much we can do." Chee said.

"You're certain that your new system can succeed where others have failed?" Angelo asked.

"Exactly." Chee said confidently. "People are getting tired of all the problems that go with the Geos system. They're tired of Wild Bill Dornan telling them what to think and what to buy and all the rest of it. As soon as there's a better alternative, they'll flock to our door with checks in their hot little hands."

"Well good luck with it." Angelo said. He didn't know exactly what problems with the Geos system that Chee was referring to. His computer on his desk in Vista City worked fine. "You know, I used to know someone who went to UCLA in the Computer Science department."

"Oh?" Chee failed to see why this should concern him.

"Yeah, It was a little before your time, but maybe you heard of her." Angelo speculated.

"What's her name?" Chee asked.

"Randi Aiken."

"Some newsman. Don't you know she's dead?" Chee asked.

"Yes, I know." Angelo said. He figured that a shallow grave out in the desert would suit the young hacker nicely. In a couple of years there would be nothing left but a desiccated skeleton.

"She was Marlowe's wife. She was pretty. You know that we had some tension, a little bit of attraction there, but nothing ever really came of it." Chee said. "Too bad."

"Did she work at LABN? Is that where she met Marlowe?"

"No." Chee snickered. "He met her at a trade show. She worked for Wild Bill at GeosWorks."

"Oh. That must have been an interesting courts.h.i.+p. Did she work for Marlowe after they were married?" Angelo asked.

"No. She was way past her prime. Thirty five, sheesh. Besides, she wasn't interested in working for a living once she bagged a billionaire, right?" Chee said.

"Right." Angelo growled.

"Gentlemen, h.e.l.lo." Marlowe said.

Angelo turned to find the entrepreneur standing over his shoulder. "Mr. Marlowe."

"Detective Mancuso, how nice that you've taken an interest in my business affairs." Marlowe said acidly.

"Oh, uh, hi Boss!" Shane Chee grinned.

"Shane what have you been telling the man about our business?" Marlowe took a seat at their table.

"He's after some deep background for an article he's writing. Wired or something." Chee said.

"Is that what you told him, Detective?" Marlowe asked.

"Detective?" Chee said confused.

"No, Sir. I never said any such thing." Angelo said.

"What do you mean Detective?" Chee squeaked.

"Show him your ID." Marlowe said.

Angelo shrugged. He could refuse but it wouldn't gain him anything. He fished out his papers and showed them to Chee.

"You're not a reporter at all, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d!" Chee snarled.

"I think lunch time is over for you, Shane." Marlowe said.

"Yeah," Chee pushed his chair back. He snickered at Angelo "Bad move, Pig. Kiss your pension good-bye." He walked away chuckling.

Angelo looked at Marlowe. "Kiss my pension good-bye?"

Marlowe shook his head. "Shane's young. He likes to throw his weight around. I'll tell you what, Detective. Just to show that there's nothing being hidden I'll answer your questions, right now."