Matrix Man Read Free Page B

mention of this mission until the very last possible moment so that our broadcast won't compromise the WPO mission.
    "So, with that in mind, let's join special correspondent Rex Corvan somewhere above the Canadian wilderness. Rex is one of the few reops equipped with a so called bod-mod, a tiny camera which replaces his right eye and makes it possible for us to see what he sees and to hear what he hears.
    "He's also equipped with a flying robo cam, which will allow us to see Rex in action. Remember, when you watch News Network 56, you get the news from the inside out."
    "Bullshit," Kim thought to herself as the man in New York finished his five-second countdown and said, "Take the feed."
    Kim opened the intercom channel and said, "You're on, Corvan." Then she pushed a mental button, and millions of people suddenly found themselves inside a Boeing V-73 alt-rotor aircraft sharing a Corvan-eye view of a spectacular sunrise.
    Corvan stood just inside the open hatch and looked out. The sun had just poked its orange-red head up over the eastern horizon and the foreground was black. It was one of the rare moments when he missed his right eye and wished it was still there. Yes, he could see through the camera, but it wasn't the same somehow. At moments like this, it felt as though the plastic and metal separated him from the real world.
    As Kim's voice intruded on his thoughts, Corvan directed his mind to the task at hand and ordered the robo cam into the air. It left his shoulder and flew halfway down the length of the aircraft. Normally the robo cam was quite loud, but the sound of the aircraft's twin engines drowned it out.
    Kim took control and cut to the robo cam just as Corvan began to speak. The audience saw a big man with a lens protruding from his right eye socket. He had brown hair, one blue eye, and a metal guard which fit over his left shoulder. It had a six-inch antenna, a flat place for the robo cam to land, and two battery packs front and back, which helped hold the guard in place and balanced each other out. His military flight suit was black and equipped with a lot of zippers. When Corvan spoke, his voice was calm and slightly gravelly.
    "At the moment we're flying along the edge of the Banff National Park. Unlike other Canadian parks that have been released for residential development, this one has been kept as a wilderness."
    Kim cut to Corvan's eye cam as he turned away from the hatch. There was a momentary shift in video level as his auto-iris struggled to make the change from bright sun to dark interior.
    The shot showed a utilitarian aircraft interior with two opposing rows of heavily armed troops. Their uniforms fluttered slightly in the breeze from the open hatch. The scene was lit by a number of evenly spaced red lights and gave the impression of crowded efficiency.
    "This is what it looks like inside an assault craft going into action. The World Peace Troopers don't know whether they'll run into armed resistance or not, but as you can see, they're ready for anything."
    Corvan turned his head to the left and zoomed in on a youngish man dressed in a set of carefully tailored cammies. He wore a command helmet with the visor tilted back. A black wire connected the helmet to an olive drab plug in his right temple. The audience got a glimpse of blue eyes, a slightly flattened nose, and a boyish grin. The man's white teeth made a stark contrast to his deeply tanned face.
    "This is Captain Hans Dietrich. He's a graduate of N.Y.U., a commissioned officer in the reunified German army, and I'm told that he plays a mean saxophone."
    The officer in question laughed and waved to the camera.
    Now Corvan turned to give the audience a look at the other side of the aircraft's interior. The troopers were loaded down with body armor, assault packs, and extra ammunition. Each carried a quick-release combat knife, two grenades, and a rotary breech H&K G-40 assault rifle.
    Having served with the Green Beanies just before they were