131 Torridian   The Trainer 132
and replaced with a couch, coffee table, reclining chair, and some office furniture typical of a meeting room including a white board. Mr. White is seated in the reclining chair with a steaming cup of coffee in his hand as he waves Robert in, smiles, and nods. Glancing at the remaining open space in the cabin, Robert sees Rico arranging several crates and opening them individually by dialing in a combination by their latches.
Rico looks up to greet him. “Hello, Robert, good to see you again. I’m going to be training you on the proper usage of our latest ballistics equipment including our nano-tech, proximity-sensitive, incendiary cartridges. You ever wonder what your tax dollar can buy?”
“Only every April fifteenth,” replies Robert as he makes his way to the couch. “Exactly what do you mean by proximity-sensitive nano-tech?”
“Remember the camera we had in the bomb during Desert Storm a decade ago?”
“CNN must have played that clip about ten dozen times,” replies Robert, as Jacquelyn enters with a tray of hors d’oeuvres, sets it on the coffee table, and takes a seat on the couch close to Mr. White.
Rico continues, “Well, using nano-technology, we’ve been able to miniaturize the camera so that it fits on the head of a bullet.”
“I bet that’s useful.” The tone of Robert’s comment is less than genuine.
“It is in some applications. But in this one, we’ve used nano-tech to pack an accelerometer, timing circuit, and micro-capsule behind the lead in a 45mm cartridge. The combination allows us to calculate distance to target and distance from shooter.”
“I guess that would help deploy the air bag before impact.” Robert smirks and looks at Jacquelyn who fires back an irritated glare. Realizing he’s got to tone down his sarcasm, Robert directs an earnest question back at Rico, “I thought earlier you said something about incendiary?”
Rico looks at Mr. White, who nods. Looking back at Robert, Rico continues, “To help eliminate evidence, the proximity-sensitive circuit arms the micro-capsule if the bullet is sufficiently far from the shooter. The impact sets off a chain reaction, creating a rapidly expanding, hot plasma for only a fraction of a second.”
“How hot is it, Rico?” inquires Robert.
“Have you ever stood next to the space shuttle during takeoff?”
Now seated comfortably on the couch next to Jacquelyn, Robert folds his arms, then looks at Mr. White, then Jacquelyn, then back at Rico.
“Rico, forgive me, but I know a little bit about nano-technology and a little bit about physics, and what you’re 		suggesting seems about as plausible as little green men.”
Rico looks at Mr. White again. And, again, Mr. White gives a simple nod as he takes a sip of his coffee.
Looking back, Rico offers Robert a little perspective, “Robert, the Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb lasted from 1942 to 1945 — in just three years, the science of it all went from drawing board and theory to production. What do you think the nuclear engineers at Los Alamos have been doing for the past 50 years — twiddling their thumbs?”

Robert’s Hotel — 6:41 p.m.

Robert opens the door and walks in, pulling his roll-about and computer bag behind him. Jacquelyn follows behind with her wheeled suitcase, still wearing the stewardess uniform.
“So what do you think of the arrangement?” she asks.
“I train students by day. You guys train me by night. Works for me. But when do I sleep?”
They make their way over to the beds, and Jacquelyn collapses on one of them. Robert walks over to the curtains and draws them open to allow light to come in. Out of the corner of his eye, he spies a seaplane landing in the harbor as he looks out over the city toward English Bay.
“You’ll get plenty of sleep, don’t worry. In fact, our operational specs mandate that operatives be well rested because tired and fatigued people make mistakes.”
As Robert looks back at Jacquelyn, she sits up at the foot of the bed, resting back on her elbows.
“I’m still dumbfounded by the nano-nuke stuff Rico talked about. And why would you have to be a good shot? With a nuke, just get it close.”
Jacquelyn sits up to answer. “First of all, they’re incendiaries, not nukes. Nukes would be in violation of nuclear nonproliferation treaties. They use fuel cell technology similar to the rings, “Jacquelyn points to her ring finger, “to start the chain reaction. The fuel decays so fast and so thoroughly that there’s only a trace of radiation.”
“That doesn’t explain why you need to be a good shot.”
“About one in five fails to detonate.”
“Must be a software bug,” Robert muses. “What’s next on the agenda?”
“I need to join Rico and Mr. White for a briefing. And you need to set up your equipment so that you’re ready for your students tomorrow morning.”
Robert walks up to Jacquelyn and sits beside her on the edge of the bed. “Really, I was hoping we could have that talk I’ve been wanting to have since I first saw you at the deli.”
Jacquelyn gets up, walks over to the window, and looks out over the city. As she does so, she replies, “What’s there to say?”

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