BAD WINE CRAPPY CHOCOLATE

CHAPTER NINE-1

Brandon Cane joined the throngs of people on the walkway leading to Major's Park. He occasionally brushed against the pedestrians alongside him, and was amused by the startled expressions on their faces when they turned to see no one there. His friend Mitch Wilkes was waiting on a park bench for him. Brandon sat down next to him, rolling up the right sleeve of the invisibility suit so that part of his arm could be seen.
"Brandon?" Mitch asked in an incredulous tone.
"In the flesh."
"You weren't kidding about the suit. How did you do it?"
"I didn't invent it, someone in the past did. It was created by spraying nanoparticles over a layer of glass and then doing the same with evaporated gold particles. That creates nanocups, which are all angled in one direction. Any light that enters them is gathered and emitted in the direction of that angle, instead of back into the observer's eye. I did add some refinements, though."
Brandon's explanation meant very little to Mitch, as he was employed in the maintenance department of Allisours and knew very little about science. He reached out and touched the suit, discovering that it was made with a material that reminded him of terrycloth.
"How many of them do you have?" he asked, unable to conceal his desire to own one.
"Only three, and two of them are being used by others at the moment. I'll try to get one to you
later on, if I can. Now, what did you find out?"
"Foster and the rest of the board discussed Cybil at their meeting six days ago. I was cleaning the ventilation system near the conference room and could hear their voices. They've decided that something must have happened to Simms and Conners. Those were the two guys who were sent back to kill your mother."
"I know. I got their names and pictures from the Allisours computer before I went back in time."

"They don't have any Mises, so they're searching the lab Bardy worked in at the Allisours building tomorrow, hoping that the plans for the device are there. They're also hoping that there's a copy of the map that shows the places where the thing will work. You took the original, and the two killers took the only other copy the Allisours people had. If the plans and the map aren't in the lab, Bardy's home will be searched, though Foster and the rest of them don't really want to do that."
"Why not?"
"They think it might draw too much attention to what they're doing."
Brandon thought for a moment. He could go to the lab today. Since it was Sunday, the
company's headquarters would probably be deserted. Brandon also had an idea about how to search Professor Bardy's home before Foster's people arrived there.
Mitch suddenly realized that the passersby would see him carrying on a conversation with no one, or possibly someone's bicep. Then he entertained another possibility: they would assume the man on the bench was talking aloud during a Mibil communication session.
"Could you do me another favor?" Brandon asked. "I'm going to the lab to look for the plans. Can you give me your pass code so I can get into the building?"
Iris scanners were not used at the Allisours building, due to the number of business people from other cities and territories that visited there. Management had concluded that it was too cumbersome to constantly update scanners to accommodate the many people who had appointments with their employees, especially since a fair number of them were made at the last minute. A code was issued for the visitors and workers instead.
Mitch was very hesitant to give his away. If his friend were caught, he would be in serious trouble for allowing someone else to use his code, especially since that someone was named Brandon Cane.
"My ass will be in a sling if they find out I gave it to you."
"I know. I hate to ask you for it, but I'm desperate. My sister's life is on the line. I can get around most of the security devices in the city, but the ones in that building are extra tough. I know there aren't any weak spots. When I worked at Bender Tech we helped the people at Allisours design the system."

"It's 434 NAOMI."
"Thanks. And just one more favor. Can you call Cybil for me?"
"Isn't your Mibil working?"
"Yes, but I don't want to take a chance on someone overhearing my conversation. The security people are looking for me, but not for you."
"That's not possible. The chips were designed so that no one could tap into them."
"I've just been to the 21st century. Nothing's impossible."
"I see your point."
"Tell her that I'm going to Allisours. Ask her to have Max search his father's house for the Mis
plans and the map."
"Will do, Brandon," Mitch said. "You be careful. I want to be paid back for the favors you owe me."
"Thanks again."
Mitch watched in amazement as Brandon rolled down his sleeve and vanished into the night. He stood there for several moments, his mouth agape from what he had just witnessed, before contacting the senator-elect.
Cybil received her brother's message during dinner. She excused herself and spoke with Wilkes in another room. That was considered to be good manners, since she would have been mentally absent from the dinner table during the call. Cybil asked Max to join her when the conversation ended.
"Brandon is going to search the Allisours building for the plans to your father's time machine. Foster is going to have the Allisours people looking for them as well. If Brandon can find them first, he'll be able to send Cori home. She'll be safe there because they'll have no way to pursue her. They don't have any Mises left, and can't build any without the plans."
"That makes sense, but God help Brandon if they catch him," said Max. "Those people play for keeps. If there aren't any plans, then there are only eleven of those things left. Your brother never should have wasted one on getting me out of the slammer. Who knows how many of the remaining ones are defective? I guess you'd call the ones that don't work a near Mis."
"Maybe he did it because you're his friend. But I guess you're not accustomed to having people do things for you out of friendship."
"You'd be surprised. Did you ever hear the expression thick as thieves?"
Cybil continued without acknowledging Bardy's question. "He also found out that Foster intends to have your father's house searched if they don't find the plans in the lab. Could you check to see if they're there?"
"I haven't been to my pop's place in years. The province took it after he died, though they can't do anything with it until my brother and I sign it over to them. You see, the government can take anything they want, but they can't use until we give it to them. Maybe you can explain that to me, Madam senator to be."
"I'm sure there's a logical reason."
"You're already becoming a bureaucrat, Cybil," Max said with a sardonic grin. "I'll have to go see my brother. He can get me into the house."
"Be careful. The security people are after you. You're a hot item."
"I'm always a hot item, baby."
Max put on his suit and exited through the long tunnel. He made his way back to the main part of the city, stopping in one store to steal a bottle of water. The clerk behind the counter fainted as he watched it leave, apparently floating through the air without any assistance.
Bardy walked into the lobby of his brother's apartment building. He took a seat and waited for several hours before a familiar face came through the door. Just as Jim Bardy was granted access to the vertical lift, an invisible hand tapped him on the shoulder.
"Jimmy, it's good to see you."
He turned around and saw no one there.
"I guess you'd feel more comfortable if you could say the same," Max said with a laugh.