Traffic (Complete two-hundred pages) (Moving to Kindle Vella in 30 Days! )

39

EXCHANGE

JACK, MARGARITA and the SENATOR stared at Giant Carlos Cortez in horror until he broke into a laugh that signified it was clearly a joke. They started to follow in his humor. Laughing, Jack still wondered, was that really a joke?

"I brought you here to talk about the bill about border clearance on autonomous vehicles," said the giant. "I want to advocate that you pass it so I can have driverless cars ship my cargo to and from America."

Senator Arturo Anthony immediately recalled the bill in question. "And you want this passed so you can send business products to the US without sending employees, correct?"

"Precisely."

"I cannot pass that bill."

The giant seemed to predict this reaction. "Tell me why."

"Many reasons. One of them including that what if the cars are locked? We won't be able to check it for weapons, drugs or other collateral."

The giant laughed disrespectfully. "That problem has an easy solution. We'll merely provide mutual access to our storage vehicles via mutual lock/unlock functions. Either we use that or we can also have predicated clearance signified with a sticker or electronically detectable passcode. In fact we've notified multiple tech companies that we would be willing to pay big to create those functions for us."

"Why would you be so invested? Makes me believe you're simply attempting to pass illegal collateral across the border without proper search and surveillance."

"You speak before you think. Let me remind you who bought your breakfast."

"My breakfast isn't even here yet and even if it was I am a man who speaks his mind and a true representative of the Mexican people. The last thing my people need are drugs going out of Mexico from the cartel in exchange for arms weapons from the US."

"Well, we shouldn't let improper etiquette on the US's part ruin our opportunities to run our businesses at higher efficiency via autonomous transport, Senator. It's an inevitable choice of the future. All I'm asking for is expediency." The giant snapped his fingers. "Waiter. Hurry with breakfast before lunch starts."

"Even with that technology there is one problem that simply cannot be mended. And that's hacking."

The giant seemed to have seen this objection coming as well and both he and Margarita looked over to Jack with a smile.

The senator continued, "We simply do not know if safe vehicles going out won't be tampered with upon return. Placing cameras within the car would invade privacy laws. Ways to detect tampering via other car functions have not been successful enough as far as software security viruses are concerned. We've consulted with top companies and they are only 'making major headway.' They are not ready."

Margarita touched the senator's arm and intervened. "I'll have you know that besides introducing you to my husband, I also brought him along because he is working for the top autonomous security software in the world right now. And he says the security software is ready. And it can't be hacked."

She gave Jack a glorious smile. Take the baton, her eyes told Jack. Your turn.

Senator Arturo Anthony turned his head in bewilderment to Jack. "Señor Kubrick! Here I thought you were just a wealthy fashionista's plaything," he said gesturing to Margarita. "But now you're a bonafide software engineer?"

Jack blushed. Actually he was just a salesman.

"Yes, he's of the top software engineers in the company," Margarita blurted.

"Impressive," said the senator. "But tell me how I can trust the cars are secure against foreign hacks."

Jack felt his heart skip a beat as everyone studied him with interest. "Well," he began and then the waiter came with the food--