按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
fant deaths all over the western United States； going back at least fifty years。 We've already searched those lists for the years each of you was born； trying to find babies who died with your hair and eye colors…and with your first names； too； just because it's easier for you not to have to change both first and last。 We found a little girl； Nora Jean Aimes； born October twelfth of the year you were born and who died one month later； right here in San Francisco。 We have a laser printer with virtually an infinite choice of type styles and sizes； with which we've already produced a facsimile of the kind of birth certificate that was in use in San Francisco at that time； and it bears Nora Jean's name； vital statistics。 We'll make two Xeroxes of it； and you'll receive both。 Next； we tapped into the Social Security files and appropriated a number for Nora Jean Aimes； who never was given one； and we also created a history of Social Security tax payments。〃 He smiled。 〃You've already paid in enough quarters to qualify you for a pension when you retire。 Likewise； the IRS now has puter records that show you've worked as a waitress in half a dozen cities and that you've faithfully paid your taxes every year。〃
Travis said； 〃With a birth certificate and legitimate Social Security number； they were then able to get a driver's license that would have real ID behind it。〃
〃So I'm Nora Jean Aimes？ But if her birth certificate's on record； so is her death certificate。 If someone wanted to check…〃
Van Dyne shook his head。 〃In those days； both birth and death certificates were strictly paper documents； no puter files。 And because it squanders more money that it spends wisely； the government has never had the funds to transfer records of the preputer era into electronic data banks。 So if someone gets suspicious about you； they can't just search out the death records On puter and learn the truth in two minutes flat。 They'd have to go to the courthouse； dig back through the coroner's files for that year； and find Nora Jean's death certificate。 But that won't happen because part of our service involves having Nora Jean's certificate removed from public records and destroyed now that you've bought her identity。〃
〃We're into TRW； the credit…reporting agency；〃 one of the twin Spielberg look…alikes said with obvious delight。
Nora saw data flickering across the green screens； but none of it had any meaning for her。
〃They're creating solid credit histories for our new identities；〃 Travis told her。 〃By the time we do settle down somewhere and put in a change of address with the DMV and TRW； our mailbox will be flooded with offers for credit cards…Visa； MasterCard； probably even American Express and Carte Blanche。〃
'Nora Jean Aimes；〃 she said numbly； trying to grasp how quickly and thoroughly her new life was being built。
Because they could locate no infant who had died in the year of Travis's birth with his first name； he had to settle for being Samuel Spencer Hyatt； who had been born that January and had perished that March in Portland； Oregon。 The death would be expunged from the public record； and Travis's new identity would stand up to fairly intense scrutiny。
Strictly for fun （they said）； the bearded young operators created a military record for Travis； crediting him six years in the Marines and awarding him a Purple Heart plus a couple of citations for bravery during a peace…keeping…mission…turned…violent in the Middle East。 To their delight； he asked if they could also create a valid real…estate broker's license under his new name； and within twenty…five minutes they cracked into the right data banks and did the job。
〃Cake and pie；〃 one of the young men said。
〃Cake and pie；〃 the other echoed。 Nora frowned； not understanding。
〃Piece of cake；〃 one of them explained。
〃Easy as pie；〃 the other said。
〃Cake and pie；〃 Nora said； nodding。
The blonde with copper…penny eyes returned； carrying driver's licenses imprinted with Travis's and Nora's pictures。 〃You're both quite photogenic；〃 she said。
Two hours and twenty minutes after meeting Van Dyne； they left Hot Tips with two manila envelopes containing a variety of documents supporting their new identities。 Out on the street； Nora felt a little dizzy and held on to Travis's arm all the way back to the car。
Fog had rolled through the city while they had been in Hot Tips。 The blinking lights and flashing…rippling neon of the Tenderloin were softened yet curiously magnified by the mist； so it seemed as if every cubic centimeter of night air was awash with strange lights； with an aurora borealis brought down to ground level。 Those sleazy streets had a certain mystery and cheap allure after dark； in the fog； but not if you'd seen them in daylight first and remembered what you had seen。
In the Mercedes； Einstein was waiting patiently。
〃Couldn't arrange to have you turned into a poodle； after all；〃 Nora told him as she buckled her seat belt。 〃But we sure did ourselves up right。 Einstein； say hello to Sam Hyatt and Nora Aimes。〃
The retriever put his head over the front seat； looked at her； looked at
Travis； and snorted once as if to say they could not fool him； that he knew who they were。
To Travis； Nora said； 〃Your antiterrorist training 。 。 。 is that where you learned about places like Hot Tips； people like Van Dyne？ Is that where terrorists get new ID once they slip into the country？〃
〃Yeah； some go to people like Van Dyne； though not usually。 The Soviets supply papers for most terrorists。 Van Dyne services mostly ordinary illegal immigrants； though not the poor ones； and criminal types looking to dodge arrest warrants。〃
As he started the car； she said； 〃But if you could find Van Dyne； maybe the people looking for us can find him。〃
〃Maybe。 It'll take them a while； but maybe they can。〃
〃Then they'll find out all about our new identities。〃
〃No；〃 Travis said。 He turned on the defroster and the windshield wipers to clear the condensation off the outside of the glass。 〃Van Dyne wouldn't keep records。 He doesn't want to be caught with proof of what he does。 If the authorities ever tumble to him and go in there with search warrants； they won't find anything in Van Dyne's puters except the accounting and purchasing records for Hot Tips。〃
As they drove through the city； heading for the Golden Gate Bridge； Nora stared in fascination at the people in the streets and in other cars； not just in the Tenderloin but in every neighborhood through which they passed。 She wondered how many of them were living under the names and identities with which they had been born and how many were changelings like her and Travis。
〃In less than three hours； we've been totally remade；〃 she said。
〃Some world we live in； huh？ More than anything else； that's what high technology means…maximum fluidity。 The whole world is being ever more fluid； malleable。 Most financial transactions are now handled with electronic money that flashes from New York to L。A。…or around the world… in seconds。 Money crosses borders in a blink； it no longer has to be smuggled out past the guards。 Most records are kept in the form of electrical charges that only puters read。 So everything's fl