[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

not want to wait.
"Now would be better if you don't mind," he said.
"Oh, I don't mind," Mrs. Mikulka said. "I'm happy to do a favor for your
wife."
Smith's expression grew puzzled. "My wife?"
"Well, this is for her, isn't it? I assumed she'd forgotten to tape it for
herself."
"My wife doesn't own a video recorder."
Mrs. Mikulka didn't think her employer ever watched television. She knew he
liked computers, involving himself with solitaire or other distractions. This
was the first indication she had that something else might be going on in the
Folcroft administrator's office. If he spent his time hidden away watching
those silly reality-TV shows, it was no wonder he kept the door locked most of
the time.
"I just assumed it was for your wife. I'll run home and get the tape right
now. I'll be back as fast as I can."
As she hurried from the room, Smith pursed his lips.
So far the damage was limited to Harlem. Only people who lived within a few
blocks of Hal Shittman's Greater Congregation of the Lord Church had fallen
victim to the subliminal signals. The dead BCN man had broadcast from there.
But there could be other commands laced into the same program in different
areas. And, like the image of Remo at the police station, some of those could
be linked to CURE.
Feeling a fresh twinge of worry deep in his belly, Smith reached in his pocket
for his wallet.
Page 55
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
TWO CRISP ONE-DOLLAR bills sat on the edge of Smith's desk when Eileen Mikulka
returned twenty minutes later.
The first words out of his secretary's mouth almost sent the CURE director
into cardiac arrest.
"It's a shame about Remo," Mrs. Mikulka said as she handed over the tape.
"Excuse me?" he gasped. What little color he possessed drained from Smith's
gray face.
"He was the poor 'Winner' contestant who was killed last night. Kieran told me
about it when I went home just now. That mob killed him on the set of the
show." She noticed the sickly look on her employer's face. "Oh, I'm sorry, Dr.
Smith. I assumed you would have heard. It was on the news."
"No, I hadn't," Smith replied, getting to his feet. "Please excuse me." He
scooped up the money, pressing it into her hand even as he ushered her from
the room. "This is for your gas. Thank you. I'll get the tape back to you as
soon as possible." He closed and locked the door.
Smith leaned back against the door frame.
His heart was racing. Although she had seen him many times over the years,
Mrs. Mikulka had never expressed any interest in Remo. Given the day's events,
her use of his name now had sent up alarm signals for the CURE director.
Pushing away from the door, Smith stepped over to a shelf where a small video
player was attached to his old black-and-white television. He slid in the tape
and the machine began to play automatically. Clicking on the TV, Smith
immediately hit pause.
He reasoned that the flashes Remo had mentioned would be timed with the motion
on the screen. Frozen, any subliminal signals would not register to the
unconscious mind.
He studied the image carefully from top to bottom and side to side. He saw
nothing out of the ordinary. Slowly, he advanced the picture frame by frame.
He felt a fresh thrill of panic when the name "Remo" suddenly appeared at the
bottom of the screen. He quickly realized that it wasn't part of any
subliminal message. The name appeared as a regular caption and was used to
identify one of the contestants on the game show.
It was odd to see that name applied to someone else.
After another minute of frame advancing, Smith realized there was nothing
there-at least nothing that he could see. He popped the tape from the VCR.
Folcroft didn't have the facilities to properly analyze what-if anything-might
be there. The tape would have to be sent out for professional analysis.
For an instant he thought of Mark Howard. This would have ordinarily been one
of his duties. A minor thing, but one of the many small responsibilities the
young man had taken on over the past year.
Smith's face hardened.
Purging thoughts of his assistant, he spun from the television. Stride
resolute, he marched back to his desk to locate a facility that could uncover
whatever messages might be hidden on Mrs. Mikulka's tape.
Chapter 13
The Broadcast Corporation of North America occupied a forty-story building on
Madison Avenue.
The midtown Manhattan headquarters of BCN had been built in 1928. At the time
it was just around the corner from the original NBC offices. By building so
close, BCN had intended to be a constant thorn in NBC's side. But then NBC had
ruined its rival's best-laid plan by up and moving to 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
Instead of dogging its competition to its new home, BCN reluctantly opted to
remain where it was.
It turned out those two early decisions established a pair of precedents that
the BCN network would follow for the rest of its corporate and creative
lifetime.
BCN never led. It followed. When radio giant NBC was on Fifth Avenue, BCN
decided to build right in its backyard.
Precedent one: BCN the Copycat.
By not following NBC to its new 30 Rock address, the upstart network quickly
Page 56
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

  • zanotowane.pl
  • doc.pisz.pl
  • pdf.pisz.pl
  • thierry.pev.pl

    •