Frank’s car was indeed nice. A late model hydrogen/electric hybrid that was comfortably spacious, unlike the van she still hoped to get reactivated. He picked her up at ten sharp.
“So, where do we go and who do we meet?” he said.
“Sorry, Frank, a slight change of plan. My boss is wary of bringing in newcomers, especially someone with your background.”
“What do you mean, my background?”
“Well, let’s face it, all your experience with drug distribution has been on the wrong side of the law.”
“So it’s drugs? Legal ones?”
She nodded.
It took Frank only a beat to grasp this.
“Are you guys working with opioids?”
The legal trade of opioids was strictly controlled. From manufacturing to distribution to prescription to ingestion, every single pill was tracked. It had taken years to get this market under government control. Institutional persistence being what it was, it was still firmly in the hands of the state, even after the algorithms took over and most human proclivities became self-regulating via the IRX.
“We are,” she said. “My partner has developed a new algorithm that can manage the distribution of opioids as effectively as the government at a fraction of the cost. She’s getting ready to start a major field test.”
“How did you get hooked up with her?”
“Well, after our last outing, I realized I was up shit creek, so continuing with delivering bots was a dead end.”
The mention of the trip to the Double D ranch made his lips twitch, but he didn’t say anything.
“I have a degree in decentralized distribution marketing,” she said. “I swallowed my pride and contacted an old college mate, who contacted someone, and so forth.”
“How many doses are we talking about?”
“A million, just for the field test. If we succeed, the entire market.”
Frank couldn’t help but lick his lips. “What do you need me for?”
“You were the one who offered his expertise, remember?”
“Right, right. What do you need to know?”
“It’s the last node problem. Our algorithm takes care of the entire distribution but we’re facing a problem getting the pills to the actual client. That’s where seepage could be an issue. I figured you’d know that problem better than anyone.”
“You’ve come to the right guy.” Not even a halfhearted attempt at humility. “I got this. So the field test is here in Portland?”
Maddie nodded.
“And you are attempting to deliver a million opioid doses to legal patients?”
Maddie nodded again.
“And the government tracking of those pills is suspended for the time of the test?”
Maddie shrugged, “Well, not completely. We’ve got to prove that the pills landed with the individual they were prescribed for. So we’ve got to keep track of it, but, yes, for the field test, the usual tracking will be suspended for the doses we deliver.”
Again, Frank couldn’t hide his glee, despite his best efforts.
Gimme a couple of weeks. I’ve got to rejigger my network. But, no sweat. I’ll call you.”
Now Maddie had a hard time hiding her glee.
