John W. Patterson
Word count: 1,015

Selling Out "It's not like anyone gets hurt," Jaspins said, adjusting his REMGUI, "We're just the first to try it here." "Jaspins, this really stinks," Phil whispered, "I don't like this at all." "You never like it until it works and we get the cash, Philodendron." "Shut it, Jaspins! Here she comes." Celia Loftis ambled towards the view-bench and asked for her recently expired Fred. As always his random generated HOLOSELF drifted in from very real mist, (an added feature exclusive to Never Alone Gardens). Mrs. Loftis' voiceprint unlocked a sequence of encrypted code generating not only Fred Loftis but a most sensitive, understanding Fred. Mr. Loftis, had helped market HOLOSELF in the early days and worked a special deal for his survivors. His holo was stress -sensitive and able to comfort the bereaved. Fred had spread a bit more bucks around and hooked his holo up with an AI in Helena. In the past, HOLOFRED or AI-Hel had even tipped Celia off to some good sales at the grocery. Fred alive, had never been so good, to her. Jaspins hated how the Malaysian-made REMGUI's fit so snug. He could barely breathe. With the extra gear he'd added, his neck and back felt mold -packed in sytrogoo. "Phil," Jaspins said, "Move back, you're standing on the sync-mesh grounding. I'm not interlacing with Loftis' grid." "I told you this was a stupid idea." Phil stepped back as Jaspins started to hitch a ride on the HOLOFRED. He idolized his friend. Jaspins was the first minor to be convicted of HOLO theft and abuse in Montana. He had borrowed a night watchman or HOLOCOP and used it to scare off some punks in his neighborhood. He lifted and hocked most of the stolen micronics from their hangout while the HOLOCOP kept the dudes busy. He tried it another night without success. He made the AP news and later went on Hello North America. Jaspins was now seriously abusing a corporate scholarship privilege at DUKE II in Toronto. Setag Systems grabbed him about a year after his innovative crime spree and thought they owned him. Phil was a Remote Grid User Interface specialist and got off on field testing modified units. Mrs. Loftis was about to be the first very delicate, very tacky, trial run of a REMGUI overriding an AI generated HOLOFRED. "Here goes," Jaspins sighed, "nothing Philo." "Hello Celia, I'm glad to see you again. Your hair looks so nice," HOLOFRED was in more than rare form tonight. "Fred? Can you really see me?" Celia asked, a bit nervous. "Way to go Jaspins," Phil snickered, "Let's see you wangle outta that one." "Celia, my darling, there have been improvements made in accordance with the continuing care package I arranged before my demise," answered Jaspins, regaining composure, "As always I wish to care for you until we can be reunited one day." "Oh yes, Fred, this is a wonderful development. Is there word on investments, airfares, or closeouts at Shoe Universe?" "She is pathetic," Phil added. "Well Celia, it's like this, a contact back at the home office in Ress has modified me further than I'd ever dreamed and not only can I see you but that perfume is divine!" "Fred, Fred, now stop that and let's get back to business, you silly thing," she replied. "Why most certainly Celia dear, and isn't it a lovely moon. Do you remember --" Celia got up abruptly and turned to leave. "Where are you going so soon? Celia? Celia! Wait, there's news of a merger in communications!" Jaspins spoke quickly. Celia stopped and returned back to the thermal-active seat. "Fred, I liked the prior version better. Get rid of this new you and let's talk dollars and cents, not moons and scents. Okay?" Celia demanded and pulled out a microcam. "You're screwed Jasp," Phil snickered under his breath, "Heh, heh, hoo baby." "Celia, Setag is buying out Spiritview next week. Related stocks to buy are FTSGUI and Realtimez. Even if Spiritview holds out on the hostile bid, the news at WS2 is going to pump the ancilliary companies in anticipation. Put it all in Realtimez tonight and shift your gains on Monday into FTSGUI. Got 10K, do it, got 100K, do it, do it now, Celia," the faked HOLOFRED finished. "Where'd you get this Fred?" Celia asked. "Confidential dearie or do we want to call SEC and report us?" Jaspins was jerking yo-yo, HOLOFRED real good now. Celia hesitated, pulled out her comlinkvid. "She bought it, Jasp, I not believing this," Phil whispered. "Anything else Celia, dinner? The special at Bistroworld tonight is --" "Be quiet, Fred. I'm trying to move some assets and your yammering is no help." "I could have done all that for you like having the pizza sent last week and --" "Good bye, Fred!" Celia activated end program sequence and Jaspins logged off as a wraith into the moonlight. Jaspins' Realtimez company and Phil's FTSGUI fund got phat fast with Celia's help and her assorted contacts. Jaspins and Phil sold their shares with enough profit to vanish for months into comfortable obscurity. "Jaspins, I'm still not understanding how Celia Loftis and a few cronie friends of hers jacked our stock up over 12 billion before we got out," Phil said, pulling his ultralight closer to Jaspins as they circled Waterton Lake again. "Phil, I used an unsecure feed, no encryption, all traceable back to the AI in Helena. AI crosstalk wound up back at Setag and Spiritview. Hackers and frustrated "yes-men" jumped in on the scam and internal security walls dumped their wad into AI-Global at Langley. By the time Celia Loftis got back to her car we were billionaires," Jaspins answered, pulled a tight loop, and pointed out the girls sunbathing on Bear Hump Mountain. "They're gonna figure it out by the end of the summer, you know," Phil called back, angling in for a better look at a brunette. "Yeah, maybe. By then I plan on you and I becoming somebody else. You like the name, Alexander Lane Griffins?" Jaspins asked. "Whatever, and who you gonna be?" "Philip K. Dick," Jaspins said as he banked back over towards the hotel to catch afternoon tea.