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Chapter 14 - Suspects of a Feather

World: Terra Veritas Moon

Location: Moonbase Gamma, Mare Imbrium

My team sat around the family-sized dining table, eating real egg rolls and lunar chicken chow mein. After a good fifteen minutes of cajoling, Tessa had taken Teepee to Moonbase Alpha, where they'd managed to score a full-course classic Asian dinner from 'Foo Yu Twice', a keg of Sapporo (2,000th Anniversary); and 5 white boards with 10 black markers.

We chomped on almond cookies made with real almonds (What Jake wouldn't give to have real bar nuts back in Chicago!) as we went over our suspects. First up: My ex-wife. I took no pleasure from putting her there. Well, maybe a little schadenfreude.

Helena Bracegirdle (Employer 1); Head of Uninada Cyber Security; CEO of SAMRA, bought out New Start Technologies; ZM23 death – loses current job and public confidence; ZM23 saved: gains international fame (poss. Presidential run?)

"Whoa, she's your ex?" Sunny gasped.

"She's past tense and past redemption, dollface," said Wanda, still in her new 'hottie honey husk' as she now called it.

"I don't understand, Dad. Why are your employers up there as suspects?" Teepee, for his age, asked a very good question.

"Because, son, sometimes the people who hire me to find someone are planning on hurting or killing that someone. In this case, whoever zapped Murkerberg's body might want to be certain that his soul is zapped as well. Maybe one of my employers might want to have him found quickly, so they hire a professional like me to search as well."

"Does that make you an accomplice to murder, then?" Tessa inquired.

Also, another good question. "Only if I know for certain that murder is the ultimate reason for my finding someone." I continued to profile the suspects, the black marker squeaking.

MetaAppleSoft/Virtuaverse (Employer 2); Intergalactic Corporation, Net Worth: Incalculable; ZM23 death – galactic & internal chaos, as there are no surviving clones to grow; no one to take over projects in development; freedom to take company in a new direction; loss of seat in Uninada Congress, and ambassadorship to Andromeda Cluster; ZM23 saved – stock prices rise, sales of afterlife membership plans increase, Virtuaverse expansions continue.

"New direction, huh?" Les commented. "I suppose that would be a bonus for the whole Murkerberg family, which has – I guess – been living in Zack's shadow for almost 3,000 years. I wonder..."

"Wonder what, ya big drama queen?" Tessa poked him in his stomach, Les belches, then responded, "...I wonder if Zack has a will, and if he does, who does he leave the company to?"

I wonder why I didn't think of that sooner and realized that I'd never thought of the possibility that Murkerberg could be a victim of perma-death. "Les, Wanda – can you tag-team and see if you can hack into his will?"

"Oh, sure Boss. That's so low-risk! Do you have any other low-risk task for us, cause it'll take ol' Les and me just a few seconds to do!" Wanda gave me her best side-eye and finger snaps, so I made smooching noises and said, "Please?"

"Ew, get away from me with those nasty-ass lips of yours, 'cause I know where they've been!" The pair went to the pool room downstairs.

A.I. Consortium (Employer 3); Hive mentality that normally operates as billions of independent minds; Granted status as a nation in the Terra Veritas World Congress; ZM23 death – loss of its founder and strongest advocate, possible loss of nation status; will gain independence from ZM23's veto power on all decisions. ZM23 saved – continued survival of its founder with accompanying changes in personalities and coding throughout the centuries.