Julian handed Tracy the package, leaving it to him to remove the slender rectangular case inside. The lid was on a tight spring-loaded hinge. The lining inside was padded for extra protection. CIA labs often make duplicates of their experimental spyware, but rarely when given such short notice. This was a one and only.
Tracy stared at the thick black frames. “What are these, like, special Dick Tracy glasses?” he asked.
“You’re thinking of his wristwatch,” I said.
“But Dick Tracy wore glasses like this, too, right?”
“He did, but it was the watch that was special. It doubled as a two-way radio.”
“Are you sure his glasses didn’t do anything?”
“I assume they helped him see better.”
“Ha. Very funny,” said Tracy. “You always make lame jokes when you’re not sure about something.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Yes, you do.”
Julian stared in disbelief at both of us. “Bloody hell, you two really are married,” he said. “If it’s any consolation, Tracy, these particular glasses happen to be very special. Go ahead. Give ’em a try.”
Tracy put on the glasses slowly, as if waiting for some big reveal. There wasn’t one. “I think your definition of special might be different from mine,” he said.
Julian moved to the laptop behind his desk, pressing a couple of keys. “Reach up to the frame around the left lens,” he said. “Use your thumb and forefinger to adjust how the glasses are resting on your nose. You know, like people do. Make it look natural.”
Boom. The second Tracy adjusted the frames, the walls of Julian’s office changed. We were no longer on Mars. We were now looking through Tracy’s eyes. Everything he was seeing, we were seeing.
“Whoa,” said Tracy, only to hear an echo of himself. We could also hear everything he could.
“That tiny hole on the frame by the left lens, where the little screw for the hinge would normally go—that’s your first camera,” said Julian. “When it’s on, it activates a microphone on the bridge of your nose.”
“So I’m wearing a wire without having to wear a wire,” said Tracy.
“Exactly. Better yet, we can also communicate with you.” Julian grabbed a headset from off his desk, covering his mouth as he whispered something into the mic. I couldn’t hear him.
But Tracy could. “Maxwell,” he answered.
“No kidding,” said Julian. He’d obviously asked what my middle name was. “All these years, and I never knew that. Dylan Maxwell Reinhart.”
“Wait, how is that happening? How am I hearing you?” asked Tracy. “There’s nothing in my ear.”
“Bone conduction,” said Julian. “The sound waves are emitted through both temples in the frames. They bypass the eardrum via your cheekbones and directly stimulate the inner ear.”
“You lost me at bone conduction,” said Tracy, “but very cool nonetheless.”
“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” said Julian. “Now reach for the rim around the right lens, just like you did with the left. Real casual.”
Tracy adjusted the frames again. We’d already left Mars but it was now shades of the red planet again. “What the…?”
“That’s the second camera, on the right side,” said Julian. “Thermal imaging.”
That one even took me by surprise. I leaned over, staring into the frames. “All in that tiny hole?”
“Yep.” Julian stepped out from behind his desk. “See anything interesting, Tracy?”
I spotted it right away amid the red-tinted outline of Julian projected on the wall. Tracy wasn’t too far behind. He pointed at Julian’s waist. “You’ve got a gun tucked underneath your shirt,” he said.
Julian lifted his shirt, removing his Glock. “The metal obstructs your body heat so you’re able to see it underneath clothing.”
Tracy didn’t seem as impressed as he should’ve been. He’d already jumped ahead. The ramifications. “Wait. If someone in that room has a gun and I don’t, how does this really help me?”
“Because it helps us,” said Julian. “It lets Dylan and me know who’s carrying in case you need to hit the panic button.”
“What panic button?” asked Tracy.
“It’s actually not a button. The second you take those glasses off is the second we’re bursting into the room,” said Julian. “That’s your SOS.”
“Won’t you already be able to see everything I can see?”
“Yes. We can see and we can hear. But we can’t feel.”
“Feel what?”
“Never mind. It’s not a big deal,” said Julian. “Forget I said anything.”
As if that answer would ever satisfy Tracy.