AfterNet 01 - Good Cop Dead Cop

They rode the elevator down two floors. On getting out, they were in a small room that contained a security guard, his desk and chair, two revolving security doors, a disembodied entrance and two large double doors that were marked emergency exits.
    “Hi, Bob,” the guard said.
    “Hector, hi. I’ve got two guests. Can I use your computer?”
    “Sure thing.” The guard got up from his desk and Feore sat down.
    “OK, I’m adding you two as visitors and I’m …” — he waited as a printer sitting next to the computer produced a form — “… printing out a non-disclosure for you to sign, Linda. And Alex, I’m …” — he manipulated the mouse and keyboard “making a form online for you to sign. If you’ll just log in.”
    Munroe moved closer to the computer and felt the AfterNet field. He saw that Feore had sent him a secure PDF to sign electronically, which he did. Meanwhile, Feore collected Yamaguchi’s form.
    “On its way,” Munroe said.
    Feore checked his email. “OK. Sorry, Alex. I’m afraid you have to go through the disembodied entrance again. And Linda, I’m afraid you have to give your phone and terminal to the guard. And whatever else you have.”
    “OK, but if the phone rings …”
    “Hector will answer it and page us.”
    “And how will I hear Alex?”
    “There are hotspots throughout the lab. We don’t need the terminals.” He gave the guard his terminal. “Shall we?” he asked, motioning them toward the entrances.
    They went through the revolving doors and waited while Munroe made it through.
    “I’m here,” Munroe told them, as he acquired the strongest AfterNet field he’d ever felt. It was almost like basking under a warm, tropical sun.
    A speaker in the ceiling produced Munroe’s words. It was in an almost normal accent, the best digitized voice Yamaguchi had ever heard.
    “OK, that will be Munroe’s voice from now on. It was generated just for him. No one else can ever use it and if he ever visits this building again, it’s the one you’ll hear. It’s the new speech algorithm we’ve been working on. It’s also spatially oriented. Alex, walk to a different part of the room and say something.”
    “How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” he said.
    His voice traveled across the room. Once it stopped, she saw that she was looking at a vast open area, broken only by the supporting pillars and the central core of the building’s elevators and other services behind them. Glass walls divided some parts of the space, and through them, she saw several large, white spheres, possibly six feet tall, dotted around the floor.
    A woman, wearing the lab coat of mad scientists everywhere, came walking toward them.
    “Hey, Bob,” she said. She was only an inch taller than Yamaguchi, with medium length blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. She had the rosiest cheeks Yamaguchi had ever seen without the use of cosmetics. She looked to be 15 years old.
    “Shel Younger — Dr. Shel Younger — meet officers Linda Yamaguchi and Alex Munroe.”
    “Hi,” Younger said, extending her hand to Yamaguchi. “Dr. Feore said you were interested in the search chamber.” She emphasized the word doctor, dragging it out artificially.
    Yamaguchi shook her hand, impressed by the grip, and decided she liked her, despite thinking: She’s like me, but an inch taller, cuter, smarter and blonde.
    “Yes, we’d like to find out if …”
    Younger held out a hand, tilting her head slightly in the process and looking like a school crossing guard. “Please don’t tell me. I’m not interested in the search parameters. Might skew the results. Now, where’s the test subject?”
    “Uh, is that me?” Munroe asked, suddenly regretting this.
    She turned to the voice. Munroe had joined their group. “Follow me,” she said, and marched off.
    “Linda?” Munroe asked.
    Feore looked at her and nodded. “Don’t worry, it’ll be OK.”
    “Uh … yeah. Go with her Alex. It’ll be OK.” She turned to Feore and started to speak, but he stopped her.
    “It’ll take about 15 minutes for Shel to get the readings from Alex’s signature. We don’t have this part of the process automated yet. Let’s go into the break room.”
    Munroe followed Younger, feeling deserted by his partner. What the hell have I gotten myself into?
    “Been dead long?” she asked. He hurried to catch up. For a short woman, she walked quickly.
    “Since ’96.”
    “How old when you