You were afraid of this. Klaus is having you foot the bill at his favorite hole in the wall sushi bar. The food is not particularly expensive, but Klaus is a pig. Sitting next to him while he stuffs his face is not your first choice for how you'd like to spend your lunch hour.
"Alright, you animal. I've indulged you. Now can you tell me anything about that big robot?"
"I don't know any of the details, but supposedly this group of foreign hackers and roboticists called the Electric Sheep Society is behind the rash of similar tech burglaries all over the country in the past few weeks. In every incident eyewitnesses described robots that looked like giant billiard balls. Hey, can I have your soy sauce packets?"
"Why billiard balls?"
"Who knows. They must be big into symbolism with that pretentious name of theirs."
"I don't suppose you know where to find these guys?"
"I'll take that as a "yes" on the soy sauce."
"Klaus."
"You know, I checked their company website, but their contact info was strangely absent! If it were that easy, don't you think the police would have gotten to them by now?"
"I don't get it. What would some punks like that want with the Heart of Atlas? What could they possibly do with something that powerful?"
"How should I know? Maybe they'll try to sell it. I'm sure tech like that commands a hefty price on the black market. More than a hobbyist like yourself could afford, that's for sure."
"Can you tell me anything else about them?"
"I think they're robot rights activists or something. Probably wanted for acts of technological terrorism and things like that. And the hacking. Maybe they'll follow you home and protest you riding a robot to work every day! Heh."
You don't think Klaus has anything more useful to say. You will not be sorry to cut this encounter short. You plop some money down on the counter and jet.
"Leaving so soon? Let's do this again sometime! Your treat!"
Ugh.
That's enough of that. Now you have a lead, but what to do with it? You're still pretty fresh at this whole sleuthing thing.
