Read Interlude- Brandon for Free Online Page A

last met. I thought that the money you requested would be used to build the computers, so I went ahead and did the work for you. Since you have the computers, you don’t need the money.”
    Thorn smiled coldly. “My price to work with you has doubled, General. Now I require the computers and the sum of money quoted.”
    “Very well,” the General said.
    “Just like that?” Thorn asked.
    “Just like that,” the General nodded. “Look, Mr. Thorn, I don’t want bad blood between us. If paying the credits on top of building you the computers puts us on good terms then it’s a small price to pay, as far as I’m concerned. I can have that sum credited to you within the hour. Would you like to confirm receipt before we get to work, or do you trust me enough that we can begin now?”
    “I’m not sure I will ever trust you, General,” Thorn said. “However, I’m willing to get started now.”
    “Excellent,” the General said. He opened a desk drawer, pulled out a small box, and passed it to Thorn. Inside was a platinum pin fashioned into the shape of the infinity symbol; the General’s mark. “If you wear this at all times, it will help our work progress more quickly. I bestow these pins on very few individuals, Mr. Thorn, and anyone who works with me will recognize it as a symbol of authority. Your orders will be followed without question while you wear it… as long as your orders don’t counteract my own.”
    “Thank you, General,” Thorn said. “This will certainly help save time.”
    “How soon will we be able to put my people into virtual reality?” the General asked.
    Thorn pulled out three files and handed them to the General. “Each of these files must be completed before we will be ready to proceed with initial VR testing. The first file is a checklist to make absolutely certain that the computer systems you’ve built meet my specifications. The second file gives biological data so that we can form facilities capable of holding the subjects and keeping them healthy and fed while they are immersed in virtual reality. The third file covers the parameters that need to be selected. It might look complex, but it’s very basic. The computer mainframe will fill in most of the blanks when we get subjects into the simulations. If everything goes quickly and efficiently, then I expect we should have your first people inside the system within the next three weeks.”
    “That is excellent news, Mr. Thorn. I would like to ramp up the simulations, starting first with simple drills and building in complexity as we go.”
    “That sounds easy enough to accomplish,” Thorn said.
    “Is it possible to record everything that goes on inside the simulation, and measure each individual’s vital scores and functions?”
    “Absolutely,” Thorn said. “We can start with as many as twenty individuals on the first run. I thought you might want to send in an entire General’s Avatar?”
    “I will likely only send in one individual to begin with,” The General said. “I would also like to formulate a special project, Mr. Thorn, using younger people.”
    “How young?” Thorn asked.
    “Ten-year-olds,” the General said. “I have a new batch of Gamers in one of my feeder facilities. I’m thinking it might be best to start them immediately inside the virtual reality system. Then I can measure their results and scores against others who have experience in the traditional games that I’ve been running for years.”
    “It sounds like an interesting idea, General,” Thorn said. “Of course we can try that out and see how it will work. Ten-year-olds will be no problem to integrate at all. I wouldn’t go any younger than five, just to be safe.”
    “Funny you should mention that,” the General said. “I was just reading a report from one of my prime facilities, the facility that produced Cooper. It seems that there is one remarkable five-year-old attempting to gain admission to the program. If he makes it, I