Ten
The apartment of Sal Edenmack, American computer systems expert living in Acapulco for over fifteen years, was located west of Senor Toad´s facing Playa del Secreto, five minutes with Trecker´s car. LT´s friend drove them to the computer expert´s place and drove back to close Senor Toad´s by one. Clarity followed the trail of the car headlights into a narrow ramp which led them to a parking lot perched atop a high cliff. They stepped out of the car to a viewpoint and Clarity grabbed admired the trail of lights on Acapulco Bay. She enjoyed looking at resort areas at night, knowing that the place was alive with people who had come there to rest and have a pleasant stay for a few days.
They took out the trays with the quesadillas, the chicken and beef fajitas, the tacos and the guacamole from Trecker´s car, and rode the elevator to the second floor. After ringing the bell for a few seconds, a short man with a Saint Louis Cardinals cap appeared before them.
“Oh, you brought a late dinner like Trecker said, thank you, please come in,” said the man.
Clarity eyed the place and immediately saw it was a mess unlike anything she´d seen before. Meshes of computer cables were stacked on top of all types of screens and turrets. Clarity counted twelve screens and stepped forward just in time to avoid crashing her tray into the hi fi system, which was playing On the Beach by Chris Rea. They offered a few nachos to their host and conversation turned quickly to their inquiry.
“We´d like to know something more about this new computer system which is being installed at Senor Toad´s,” said Clarity, “it seems quite impressive”.
“The Granadilla system? It´s amazing, it has this interactive menu with graphic icons for over two hundred different types of fruit. The software company which made it is preparing a video game based on fruit cultivation, where you can grow your own orchard by crossing two different types of fruit. We want people to have fun and at the same time know the trends that they are likely to follow in terms of their consumer preferences in fruit and drinks.”
“Cocktails for instance?” asked Clarity.
“Exactly, cocktails, we know people like them when they come here on vacation, they like the fruit, the fructose in the fruit which makes their drink sweet, and increasingly, we noticed that they like to come up with their own cocktail.”
“Where does all the information go?”
“We´re still negotiating with our supplier, they want to gather more information about consumer preferences than we would like, not necessarily related to cocktails. You know, cross the information with their preferences in hotels, clothes, sports activities, vacation schedule, the work they do…”
“Basically spying on people´s lives,” said Lanai.
Clarity nodded and pressed Edenmack about the software supplier. He noticed the computer expert look away uncomfortably and found him more reticent to share information about the supplier. Finally, she asked him the reason for being so secretive about the makers of Granadilla.
“Well, we have a non disclosure agreement with them, this is all confidential information and we can´t just share it with anybody.”
“We can offer you a spot on an ocean liner as head of maintenance, I´m sure you´re more honest than Cactus,” said Lanai.
Clarity jumped at Lanai´s comment and told him about the City of Wellington enjoyeable activities. Edenmack lifted his eyebrows at first and then became more cooperative, specially after he finished the late dinner quickly offered by LT.
“Who is this supplier exactly?”
“It´s part of a high security sensory Lab outside Acapulco in an area called Las Lomas. I really don´t know what they do there exactly, I think they test all kinds of new drinks all the time, and they´re not all natural from what I hear. I have only met one of their employees, they call her a super taster, she´s on the field all the time trying out new cocktail combinations.”
“What do you mean the ingredients are not natural?” asked Clarity.
“They put artificial ingredients in their drinks, we only sell the natural fruit menu to Senor Toad´s, because we think the customers prefer natural fruit better.”
“Can you get us into that lab, I know that super taster and she has gotten us into trouble with the police,” said Clarity. Edenmack´s face color changed and became pale.