Free Infinity Cage by Alex Scarrow Page B

lasttime I heard a digi-broadcast, it ain’t so good inland. Millions on the road, shortages of food and water. And in Colorado the FSA government’s struggling to look after them millions of migrants flocking in, and –’
    Maddy interrupted him. ‘So, Waldstein just … 
gave
you this whole tower?’
    Walt nodded his head, then furrowed his brow thoughtfully. ‘Reckon I got to know him better than almost anyone. You folks know he didn’t have no family, right?’
    Maddy nodded.
    ‘He once had a wife and a son, if I recall correctly,’ said Rashim.
    Walt nodded. ‘Oh yeah … you’re right, but that was a long time ago. When I started working for him, he was a very, very private man. Very lonely man too. Sometimes he didn’t see any other folks but me for days and days. So, I reckon I’d say we got almost close enough to be called friends.’ Walt looked out of the window at the darkening sky. ‘When he finally left? It was strange, the way he was with me.’
    ‘How do you mean?’
    ‘Like … well, that particular morning he was preparing to leave and he just gave me this tower? He was like … it was like he was someone getting set to face his own end, you know? Giving away all of his earthly possessions so he could finally go to God empty-handed. Naked as a newborn.’
    ‘You haven’t heard from him since?’
    ‘Nuh-uh. He just said to me, “
It’s all yours, Walt. Look after it for me.
” Then he got in the gyro’ with the others. Flew away. Never seen him again since.’
    ‘Can you tell us any more about what he was like?’ asked Rashim.
    ‘What he was like?’ Walt shrugged. ‘I was just his valet. What’s any multi-multi-billionaire like to wash and clean up after?’ He gestured at the large room. ‘He was human, if you know what I mean. Left his fair share of things around for me to clean or tidy. But I guess he wasn’t the clutter type. Liked things neat ’n’ spare. He kept this place mostly empty. There was a desk, a bed, a couch. This table and these chairs. He didn’t have many clothes or shoes or normal stuff. He wasn’t one for gadgets and possessions.’
    ‘You said he seemed like someone facing “an end”? Do you mean …?’
    ‘Suicidal?’ Walt shook his head. ‘No … just sort of settled, resolved. At peace even.’
    ‘Did he seem, I don’t know,
agitated
? Did he ever do anything or say anything strange?’
    Walt laughed. ‘Only all the goddamn time. Strangest man I ever met!’
    ‘Was there anything going on here in this building?’ asked Maddy. ‘Any research areas? Any floors with restricted access?’
    ‘Hell, no. This whole tower was just
corporate
. The boring stuff, you know? Finance, patents, human resources, administration. The interesting stuff, the research projects … all those things happened over in the Rocky Mountains.’
    ‘You mean the Denver campus?’
    Walt nodded. ‘W.G. Systems’ research centre.’ He looked puzzled. ‘You said you were W.G.S. people? I’d expect you’d know about that place.’
    ‘Sure we do,’ replied Maddy quickly. ‘Yeah, we know of it. But we’ve been abroad most of the last decade.’
    ‘Which division you say you folks were from? Genetics? Energy? Licensing? Research and development?’
    ‘Foreign-aid projects,’ replied Rashim. ‘We were abroad mostly.’
    ‘Where?’ asked Charm.
    Maddy, Rashim and Becks looked at each other.
    ‘Africa,’ said Maddy finally. ‘We’ve been over in Africa most of the time.’
    ‘Uh, yes … East Africa. Studying drought-resistant, high-protein-yield gene-crops.’ Rashim flipped his hand casually. ‘That kind of thing.’
    Charm sat forward. ‘Guess it must be pretty bad over there too? All those inter-ethnic, inter-tribal wars in the east?’
    ‘Yeah.’ Maddy slowly nodded her head. ‘But then where isn’t it bad these days, huh?’
    ‘True, that,’ uttered Walt.
    The conversation lulled for a few moments and they listened to the soft