I loaded my custom transmission script on a Raspberry Pi I took from an old DEF CON badge, then duct-taped it to one of my transceivers. I added an upconverter to make sure I’d be able to transmit the extremely high frequency. I dug through my collection of antennas to find one that could handle the distance, signal strength, and be small enough to fit in a bag so I could get it through a hotel lobby without security wanting to have a chat. The end result looked janky, but I thought it would do the trick. TSA would have loved it.

  It was almost time to leave for DEF CON, so I had to hurry to get things together. I threw in some alarmed door-stoppers as well as a small security camera that saves to an SD card so I could see if there were any unannounced visitors who felt like taking a peak around the room while I was away. I shoved the equipment in my suitcase and covered it with clothes. I added a luggage lock, even though I wouldn’t be going through airport security, and a tracker tag in case the luggage was removed from my room. I also verified there would be a safe in my hotel room.

  I shoved everything into my car, and set up one of those pet car seat pod things in the front seat. I wanted Sprout to be safe during the journey.

  It would be about a half night’s drive through the desert to get to Vegas. Even though I would be driving at night, it was still going to be nearly 100 degrees, which would be rough on my car, but driving was the only option if I wanted to avoid uncomfortable conversations with TSA. (They pretended to hate me, but I think they secretly loved me because they always wanted to talk to me.)

  I made sure the windows and doors were all locked and did a final round of tending to my plants. Sprout was in the kitchen getting food together for the trip. I decided to take a few smaller plants with me to give to people at the conference who might be willing to help if I needed to ask for it. I made sure all my security cameras were working, and decided to leave my blinds on their automated up down schedule, that way it would look like someone was home, and the plants would still get sun.

  I pulled on some cutoff black shorts and put my hair up in a bun. I didn’t bother to change my shirt or underthings. I grabbed some of my stashed cash and shoved it in the Faraday bag with the small electronics and wallet.

  I went to the kitchen and found the cold brew I’d hidden from Sprout (lately, he'd been throwing away anything he deemed "unhealthy") and guzzled it. It didn’t really taste like it was good anymore - I'd had to hide it in the cabinets, rather than in the fridge - but I didn’t taste any mold, so hopefully it was fine. “Are you ready?” I asked Sprout as he put the top on a small cooler.

  “Ready.” He replied. He indicated that I should carry the cooler. Sprout stood at about a foot and a half tall, so, even though it was one of those small personal coolers, it was still too big and heavy for him to carry comfortably. I carried it and Sprout out to the car. After verifying the front door was really truly actually definitely locked, I made sure Sprout was safe in his seat pod. “I hope I brought enough food for you.” Sprout said.

  “I’m sure it will be perfect, if I need more, I’m sure there’s real food somewhere in Vegas.”1

  Sprout nodded. I turned on the headlights and took a deep breath. It was about 11 pm and it would take about five hours to get to Vegas. I took a deep breath. “You can do this.” Sprout assured me. He reached way over across the center console to pat my arm. I nodded. I didn’t know what to say. My stomach hurt, but maybe that was just the cold brew. “If we get there and you do not wish to complete this task, you could just go to the conference and have fun. You do not have to do anything.” I nodded again. But I did have to do it, didn’t I?

  “Yeah, we’ll see what happens.” I pulled out of the driveway and we headed toward Vegas.

  —

  We were alone in the desert. There were no streetlights, no gas stations, and no houses, the only light besides my headlights came from the moon and stars. I felt like Sprout and I were the first explorers sent to a new planet.

  I kept an eye out for any cactuses that might need me, but whenever I looked at one for too long, Sprout said it was better left growing out here than being taken to a hotel room.

  “The signs about speed being enforced by aircraft always worry me. They are up there, watching.” I said.

  “Just go steady and we will be fine.” Replied Sprout. I checked my rearview mirror, but no one had been behind me for at least an hour. There was someone earlier, the unblinking eyes of their headlights fixed on me for too long. The didn’t pass me, even though they could have, so I’d pulled into a gas station. My heart stopped pounding so fast when I say them drive past us. While I waited for them to get further down the road, I went in and got a cherry slushy. The heat on the short walk from the car to inside the gas station was vicious.

  When I got back in the car with my drink, Sprout eyed it and said, “I wish you would not poison yourself.”

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  “Just let me have my fake cherry garbage. I need to enjoy life’s pleasures while I still can.” Sprout did not respond to that.

  —

  When we got to the hotel parking structure, I was exhausted from the drive and not in the mood to talk to anyone. “I don’t know why I can’t just go to a room and pay later, or, like, pay from an app or something so I never have to talk to anyone. Don’t they have something like that in Japan?”

  “That sounds correct.” Sprout answered.

  I pulled on my frilly socks and black platform boots. We were in the parking structure in the early morning and the sun had not yet risen, but the heat of Vegas still pressed in. It was thick and heavy, it put me in a bad mood and made we sweat through my clothes.

  I made sure my dash cameras worked. I slung the strap of my messenger bag over my shoulder and grabbed my slushy. Sprout climbed into the bag and I closed the flap to hide him. I had to hold the little cooler in the crook of my arm while I triple checked the car was locked. I set the cooler on my roller suitcase and rushed to get out of the heat.

  —

  It was a fancier hotel than I usually stayed in. I could barely afford it. But it was the best choice in terms of being close to the conference, and it was the one that had the vending machine I needed to access.

  Inside was all shiny and white. It kind of felt like a space ship. The lights were so bright they hurt my eyes and I had to pull on my heart-shaped sunglasses. The few people who were still awake at that hour wore nice clothes and had their hair done, though they looked more disheveled than they probably had at the beginning of the night. The women wore full makeup. It made me feel like I didn’t belong there in my cut-off shorts and black oversized shirt with the toothpaste stain on the front, now soaked-through with sweat. Some of my hair had escaped the bun and stuck to my neck and forehead.

  The person at the front desk wore a suit. When I went to check in, he looked at me like my presence brought down the value of the real estate. I pushed my sunglasses up onto my head when I went to talk to him. I hoped it made me seem more trustworthy.

  He kept glancing at me as he checked me in. It made me want to hide. I jerked my head forward repeatedly, trying to get my sunglasses to fall from their perch on top of my head back down onto my nose. He glanced up at me again. “The lights are so bright.” I laughed slightly, as one more jerk of my head made the sunglasses finally fall. I grinned at him to prove that I was normal and trustworthy. He blinked and his head went back slightly. I hated when people looked at me like that. I knew enough about people to recognize when they finally realized I wasn’t like them. He looked down quickly and finished the transaction.

  I took the key cards from him and turned to get away as quickly as possible. “Miss, is this yours?” I turned back to see him indicate the cherry drink on the counter. There was a pool of melted red slush around it. I looked down at the floor and saw, with horror, a puddle of red slush on the ground, and then, even worse, a trail of red drops leading back the way I came. They stood out like a neon sign against the perfect white floor. I felt my brain glitch.

  I looked back at him and grinned again, “Oh, no thank you, you can have it.” I rushed to the elevators.

  The elevator up to my room was so fast it gave me slight vertigo and made my ears pop. I was in the highest room I could afford - these Vegas hotels were so tall. I made sure to ask for a room facing the direction B4ruch said the satellite would be.

  I dumped my things on the bed and helped Sprout out of the bag. I carefully took my plants out and set them on the table. I was happy to see they were relatively unharmed from the journey. I unplugged the phone and alarm clock. I checked the room for hidden cameras and listening devices. I check all the mirrors to make sure they weren’t two-way. I checked the safe and mini fridge to make sure they were there and working.

  Sprout went to look out the window. The cold gray morning light was just beginning to spread across the desert. Sprout pulled back the sheer curtain and sat down to gaze out the window. The entire far wall was glass, and we were so high up it made my stomach drop to look out.

  When I was satisfied with my initial sweep of the room, I shoved the transceiver in my messenger bag, told Sprout I’d be right back, and rushed out to find the vending machine.

  I found it without much trouble. It was right where B4ruch said it would be - in a corner of the hotel that probably had low foot traffic even during peak hours. It looked like a normal vending machine.2 I reached my hand in my bag and discreetly activated the transceiver, and an item dropped into the retrieval bin. I pulled the object out and examined it. It looked like a candy bar, but it felt much lighter, like it was stuffed with cotton or something. I shoved it in my bag and went back up to my room.

  —

  I dropped my bag on the chair and flopped down face-first on the bed. It was a nice bed. It looked king size. All my stuff was all over it, but I was still able to sprawl out. Sprout was still by the window. As soon as I hit the bed, exhaustion caught up with me.

  I almost passed out, but then I remembered the doorstop. I made myself get up and put the doorstop in front of the door. It had a pressure-activated alarm, that way, if anyone forced the door open, the shriek of the alarm would alert me, even if I was asleep. Then I went to the bathroom. I was too tired to find my toothbrush, so I opened my mouth under the running water from the faucet, swished the water around, and spit it into the sink. The water was red. I grinned at myself in the mirror. My teeth were stained red from the cherry drink. I figured a few more rinses should good enough to basically wash the red out.

  I told myself I’d set up the cameras later, crawled back into bed, and let sleep take me.

  1 When I've been in Vegas, I felt like even the food was an imitation.

  2 Vending machines that do things other than take money and dispense snacks are another fun feature of DEF CON. 's a short video about SODA -- the Defcon Vending machine that distributes virtual machines.