ã€ŠBioloxys Genesisã€‹


 Chapter One

    Gabriela lifted her head, letting the warm water from the shower flow over her face. The water trickled over her eyes and then down her lips and slid over her violet hair, washing away the suds of her shampoo before it finally slid down her neck and back. The water swirled around the drain. The flecks of dried blood from her arms turned the water pink before it disappeared down the drain. She ran a hand over her hair, pushing the rest of the suds away. She took a deep breath. The fragrance of roses and lilac masked the smell of the chlorine and fluoride of the water.

    Gabriela took a sip of her beer before she pressed her thumb firmly over the mouth of the bottle so that the warm water wouldn¡¯t delude the amber drink. Then, slowly, she opened her eyes. A warning on the showers control screen blinked and buzzed. ¡°You have. One. Minute. Remaining. If you would like to add more time, please choose yes. Standard rates apply.¡±

    Gabriela sighed as she put her palm to the screen. It dinged happily as it added two more minutes of water. It would cost her, she knew that, but it had been a bad day. No, it had been more than that for her. It had been one hell of a day, and she needed to forget about it, even if it was for only two more minutes.

    Her day had started like any other. She woke up, ran on the treadmill for one hour before she had a protein pack for breakfast, and then she headed out.

    It was raining that morning. It was always raining in New Madrid. Gabriela¡¯s mother had told her that New Madrid had a mild climate at one point. More sunny days than rainy ones, but things had changed; the weather got colder and wetter as the seas rose.

    Brian was waiting for her in the car, sitting under the lift-up door, with a cup of coffee in his hand. ¡°Good morning, Princess.¡± He said with a smile.

    She hated when he called her that, and he knew it. He smirked when she rolled her eyes. What bothered her most was that he knew he was the only one who could call her that and get away with it.

    ¡°Is that for me?¡± Gabriela pointed at the coffee.

    ¡°Two sugars and a creamer. Just the way you like it.¡±

    ¡°It better be real sugar if you¡¯re going to keep calling me Princess.¡±

    ¡°Fuck no.¡± Brian laughed. ¡°You think I have the chips for real sugar? Ask me if the cream is real. I need a good laugh.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gabriela grimaced and waved her partner to move. He handed her the cup and slid across the seat, behind the steering wheel. ¡°You going to drive?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I thought we could change some shit up today. Don¡¯t trust AI¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Ominisystem hasn¡¯t been responsible for an accident since it went online.¡±

    Brian shrugged and pressed the ignition. A low rumble indicated that the engine had engaged. ¡°Adjusting for.¡± A synthesized voice said before it paused. ¡°Detective Brian Elis.¡±

    He held out his hands as the seat and steering wheel adjusted themselves. ¡°Put me closer to the wheel.¡± He commanded. There was a moment of hesitation before his seat moved slightly forward. ¡°It¡¯s like the damn thing is telling me I need to lose weight.¡±

    ¡°Too many powdered doughnuts, Detective?¡± Gabriela asked, her lips parting in a small smile.

    ¡°I am the spitting image of good health, Princess. A goddamn Greek god.¡±

    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get going. I haven¡¯t been late since I joined Taurus.¡± She reminded him

    ¡°Oh, I know. Wouldn¡¯t want to mess up your promotion.¡±

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t happened yet.¡± Gabriela watched as the rain slid down the window. The neon lights of New Madrid bathed over them. Hues of blues, yellows, and purples slipped over the black exterior of the car.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Holographic advertisements flickered in the gray morning while animated billboards flashed with color and animation. A constant bombardment of ads and corporate propaganda.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to happen,¡± Brian assured her. ¡°Who else are they going to promote?¡±

    ¡°Montes.¡±

    ¡°Geraldo Montes?¡± Brian scoffed and shook his head.

    ¡°You think that deviant will be promoted over you? The guy is a fucking crip. The captain would never promote him. The only reason that guy is even here is to fill the quota. Able work for able bodies.¡± Brian said mockingly.

    ¡°Enough. Geraldo is good at what he does. Even if he¡¯s-¡± Gabriela hesitated.

    ¡°A crip?¡± Brian finished for her.

    ¡°No, I was going to say deviant. Just shut up and drive.¡±

    The time passed in silence. Brian had pushed it too far, and he knew it. The only time he was quiet was when he knew he had crossed a line.

    ¡°Hey.¡± He finally said as they pulled up to Station Nine. ¡°Sorry. I know you got a soft spot for deviants.¡±

    ¡°They are people, just like you and me, Brian.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s where you are wrong, Princess.¡± Brain said as he opened his door. ¡°They aren¡¯t anything like you and me.¡±

    Gabriela gave herself a moment to compose herself. Brian had a way of rubbing people the wrong way, and she was no exception, but the man had always been there for her since her first day on the job. Then, with one final deep breath, she lifted the door and stepped out into the rain.

    The car pulled away from the curb by itself, directed by Ominisystem to park in the garage. Brian was already making his way up the steps to the station. The large brick building loomed over Gabriela.

    The building felt out of place in a city of high skyscrapers, with holographic billboards and neon lighting. It was a relic of the past. Before New Madrid was even imagined, what its function was in those days, was a mystery to Gabriela. To her, it didn¡¯t matter because she didn¡¯t care. The past was just that; the past.

    The stairs led up to large double doors, with two massive security mechs flanking each side of the door. They beeped and whistled to one another but paid no attention to Gabriela.

    Gabriela pushed the glass doors open and stepped inside. Taurus Securities headquarters was bustling and alive. People of every walk of life formed lines to speak to a receptionist sitting behind wood-paneled counters or sat in high-backed wooden chairs, waiting to be called upon by a representative.

    A woman sobbed and cried as a security officer delivered terrible news. At the same time, two men argued as a detective tried to calm the two down. Voices washed over the room, cresting and colliding like waves in a stormy sea.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am!¡± A woman called out and waved at Gabriela as she tried to walk quickly through to the main hall.

    ¡°Are you a detective?¡± The woman asked as she caught up with her.

    ¡°You need to take a number and wait with the rest of them,¡± Gabriela mumbled and quickened her pace. The disjointed noise of the lobby swallowed up her sharp footsteps. All she had to do was reach the elevator, and then she wouldn¡¯t have to deal with this woman or any of the rest of them.

    ¡°I have. Please, I need help.¡± The woman pleaded as she limped alongside Gabriela. ¡°My daughter, she¡¯s pregnant.¡±

    ¡°Abortions are provided for free at your local health station.¡±

    ¡°She is missing.¡±

    ¡°File a missing person¡¯s report.¡±

    ¡°I did. Weeks ago.¡±

    Gabriela pushed the elevator call button. The number above the steel doors showed six and slowly started to count down.

    ¡°Then there is nothing we can do, Ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°She had a neural implant.¡± The woman hastily explained. ¡°It went offline two weeks ago.¡±

    Gabriela silently cursed as she jabbed the call button over and over. If a neural implant had gone dark, then it meant only one thing; the user had been terminated. ¡°You need to talk to homicide.¡±

    ¡°Please.¡± The woman grabbed Gabriela¡¯s arm.

    Gabriela looked down at the woman¡¯s hand before she narrowed her eyes and pulled her arm away. ¡°It¡¯s a class 2 offense to assault a Taurus officer.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry,¡± the woman began to sob, ¡°I just need someone to listen to me. Please.¡±

    Gabriela looked up at the elevator. It was on floor three. She let out a long breath and turned back to the woman. ¡°You got until my elevator gets here.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± The woman sobbed and wiped tears away, smearing her cheap makeup across her face.

    ¡°Time is ticking.¡± Gabriela pointed a thumb over her shoulder.

    ¡°My daughter, Nessa, went missing. I filed a missing persons report two days after she had disappeared. Her neural implant was working, but it wasn¡¯t the kind we couldn¡¯t track. It went dark two weeks ago.¡± The woman said in one long breath.

    The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss, Ma¡¯am,¡± Gabriela said as she stepped onto the elevator.

    ¡°The implant came back online two nights ago!¡±

    Gabriela¡¯s hand had wavered over the ¡®close door¡¯ button. Instead, she put her hand on the side of the doors. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    The woman nodded and retrieved an old palm terminal from her bag, and held it up for Gabriela to see. It was a ¨²nincom interface, showing a list of coded implants; all were highlighted in red, except for one.

    ¡°Can you cast this to me?¡± Gabriela reached into her back pocket and slid out her own palm terminal. The woman nodded and swiped the screen towards Gabriela. Her terminal dinged, notifying her that she had received the transfer. ¡°Who was the detective assigned to your case?¡±

    ¡°Detective Montes.¡±

    Gabriela let the door close. ¡°No promises.¡± She said before it closed all the way.

 Chapter Two

    The indistinct chatter and sounds of office equipment greeted Gabriela when the elevator doors opened with a ding. The smell of freshly roasted coffee washed over, and not the synthetic crap they served in the lobby downstairs, but freshly ground roasted beans. Gabriela smiled and let the relative quiet and the aroma of the office wash over her.

    Her office was small, and sharing it with her partner made it feel smaller. Brian was already at his desk, hunched over a monitor. His lips moved silently as he read through the morning''s emails.

    "Couldn''t wait for me in the lobby?" Gabriela took off her jacket and hung it on the back of her chair before she took a seat behind her desk. She had to shuffle halo disks to the side of her desk before she pushed the trash from yesterday''s lunch into the waste bin with a swipe of her arm. All so she could make room for her coffee.

    Brian''s desk, which was pushed up against hers so that they worked facing one another, was immaculately cleaned and organized compared to hers. He peaked up over his monitor. "You didn''t sound like you were in the mood to chat. Plus, I hate waiting in the lobby. Too damn depressing."

    Gabriela sat her palm terminal into its cradle. Her monitor lit up, and a corporate logo appeared, followed by a chime.

    "Besides." He continued. "I got us all caught up on this morning''s email."

    "Anything we should care about?"

    "Safety is the company''s number one concern." Brian held up two fingers when he said the number one. "I guess profits are a close second. They want every field officer to wear tact gear, as well as all detectives if they are going into the field."

    Gabriela took a sip of her coffee. The bitter taste almost hid the metallic tang of the fake sugar. "We have to strap on body armor before we leave the building?"

    "Safety is the number one concern, Gab. That, and rising insurance costs that accrue every time an officer is shot. But you say safety, I say profit. What''s the difference, really?" He shrugged.

    Gabriela smiled and quickly skimmed through her own emails. After she read and deleted them, she loaded up the file the woman in the lobby had sent her. The name on the medical record was Mary Andrews. Gabriela made a quick records search, using the bio-feedback information the girl''s mother had provided her.

    "Brian." She asked as she finished reading the missing person report. "You have dealt with a chop doc before, right?"

    "No, not since I was a beat officer," Brian answered as he peeked back over his monitor. "Why do you ask?"

    "I think I may have found one."

    "In the upper cities?" The normal bored tone of Brian''s voice changed to almost like a giddy boy opening presents on Christmas.

    "No, it''s in the lower city. Almost in the underpart."

    "Oh," Brian sighed and leaned back into his chair. "Not surprising."

    "I know, but it''s still something worth looking at, don¡¯t you think?"

    ¡°Run it over to one of the other offices that deal with the lower city.¡± He mumbled.

    ¡°Why not deal with it ourselves? Play it where it lands?¡± Gabriela folded her hands under her chin and gave him her best smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s not going to work on me.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Bri. Where''s your sense of wonder?¡±

    ¡°It died. The day I met you.¡±

    ¡°Funny.¡± Gabriela sighed and slumped back. She clicked back until the missing girl¡¯s profile came up.

    ¡°Okay, Princess. Tell me why you think you got a lead on a chop doc.¡± Brian leaned his chair back and placed his feet on the desk before he crossed his arms.

    ¡°A missing person¡¯s report. The girl was pregnant before her implants went offline, few days ago one came back online.¡±

    ¡°So?¡± He scoffed. ¡°The girl died before some lowlife pilfered her mods. Shit happens all the time.¡±

    ¡°It was wet gear.¡±

    Brian uncrossed his arms and leaned forward. ¡°Walk me through your thought process here.¡±

    "Getting pregnant excludes you from Bioloxys''s lotto or from their services altogether.¡± She explained. ¡±The lottery is all the kids in the lower city have to look forward to if they want a normal, healthy family. So, it makes sense they would seek out a ''bellow board'' solution to their problem."

    "Back street abortions are a little different from a chop doc." Brian frowned.

    "No, but it''s the perfect opportunity."

    "How so?"

    "Think about it. Desperate couple, looking to fix a problem, or maybe even birth an undocumented. They are going to need more than some asshat with a coat hanger. There is a market for fetal tissue, even on the street. And if the mom doesn''t make it, why not pilfer a few mods. She''s not going to need them anymore." She added.Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°You could be right,¡± Brian admitted, ¡°but it could be that this girl¡¯s mother needed some extra cash. Maybe she got hooked on bliss. She murders her daughter. Sells the body to bliss cook. He sells the shit mods this girl has, cooks up some bliss from the woman''s grandkid.¡±

    ¡°I doubt that.¡±

    ¡°Why? What makes you think this is a chop doc?¡±

    ¡°A hunch.¡±

    Brian laughed. ¡°You are starting to sound like the crip down the hall. Geraldo is always following his gut.¡±

    Gabriela ground her teeth and looked away, rapping her fingers rhythmically on her desk. ¡°Tell me about the chop doc you ran into.¡±

    He sighed as he shot her a disapproving look. ¡°It was a gang running a butcher shop, snagging people on the streets. A modder from the upper city had gone missing. That got the brasses attention. They found the gang in a matter of hours, sent us in to clean up and get the poor schmuck out."

    ¡°And?¡±

    "It was pretty fucked up, Gab. Implants hanging from racks like cuts of meat. The worst part was some of those implants were wet gear. You need blood flow to keep them from burning out. So, they had what they called blood bags. People kept alive after they took their mods out to keep the more delicate mods active. Just limbless torsos hanging from hooks. Still conscious." Brian finished with a slight shiver.

    "And the chop doc?"

    "Some med school dropout. Shot himself up with a bunch of chems when the raid started. Why are you getting involved in something like this? The lower city is not our beat."

    "I dunno." Gabriela continued tapping her fingers on her desk as she gave the question some thought. She wanted to tell him how desperate Mary Andrews''s mother was. The woman had to know her daughter was dead. "I guess I just want a little change in pace."

    "Yeah, right."

    "What?"

    "You want to lock that promotion down. And you think finding a chop doc will do it."

    "That''s it, Brian. You nailed it." She said as she rolled her eyes. ¡°You solved the case.¡±

    "That''s why they call me the best detective in New Madrid." He mumbled.

    "I''m going to check it out. Do some digging." Gabriela stood up and grabbed her jacket. "Want to come with?"

    "Not really." Already Brian was deep in thought, his lips slowly moving wordlessly as he read. Gabriela knew she had lost his attention. She grabbed her coffee and palm terminal before she left her office. She needed some more insight on the case and needed to talk to someone who knew it and the lower city. She needed to speak with Geraldo Montes.

    The man''s office was at the other end of the floor. Gabriela smiled and nodded as she passed colleagues and officers. She ran the gauntlet of pleasantries and office small talk.

    The office was alive. The conference room was filled with beat officers listening to a morning briefing. Pages rushed back and forth with boxes of evidence, mail, and even canned beverages. A few men and women were cuffed to desks as they were interrogated by officers. Most of the civilians were modded. The gen perfect had enough money not to be bothered with coming down to headquarters personally.

    Finally, she made it to Geraldo¡¯s office. The wooden door, which was probably as old as the building itself, was closed. Gabriela could hear Geraldo''s deep, baritone voice through the old door.

    She rapped her knuckles against the chipped and worn door when his voice had died down. There was a moment of silence before his gruff voice called out, "Come in."

    The room was dark and windowless, the only light was the glow of the desk monitor. Geraldo Montes''s office was small, smaller than hers. Boxes with case files were stacked everywhere, as well as halo disks scattered around. He sat alone behind a small desk that only added to the man''s bulk.

    He looked up; his augmented eyes gleamed briefly in the darkness of the room. "Detective Fohren. I did not expect you. Did we have an appointment?" His voice was a deep bass, the kind you could almost feel in your bones.

    "No," she said as she closed the door behind her. Geraldo worked alone. Most detectives in the lower city did. It was a matter of optics for her and Brian to work together. Clients in the upper city expected the extra treatment. "I wanted to talk to you about Mary Andrews."

    Geraldo''s eyes flashed for a few seconds before he nodded. "Went missing awhile back. Neural implant went offline, and we declared her dead."

    "Sounds about right." Gabriela said as she sat her coffee down on a box and produced her palm terminal. She cast the file she had received from the girl''s mother to him. "Until her implant came back online."

    Geraldo looked down at his monitor. "Well, unless she''s the second coming of Christ, I would say someone is using the implant."

    "That''s what I was thinking. It could be a chop doc."

    "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will look into it." Geraldo never looked up from his monitor as continued his work.

    "I was thinking of looking into it."

    "Did you find this information in the upper city?"

    Gabriela cleared her throat. "No, it was given to me by the girl''s mother."

    "Kathryn Andrews."

    "Yes, her."

    "Well, unless this case is somehow connected to the upper city, then it is out of your jurisdiction."

    "It''s not. I was just hoping you would let me look into this."

    Geraldo stopped his work and looked up at her. "Why?"

    Gabriela wanted to lie to him as well, tell him she just wanted a change of pace or some experience in the lower city, but-

    ¡°Because her mother is desperate." That was all she could say.

    "You want to go to the lower city and hunt down a chop doc because a girl''s mother is desperate?"

    "You''re right." Her face reddened. Gabriela didn¡¯t know what she was expecting. If the roles were reversed she would probably laugh him out of her office. They were not friends, they were hardly collegues; they were competitors. "Forget I asked. Good luck on the case."

    "Hold up." Geraldo stood up. He towered over her in the small dark room. "Get suited up, and I''ll meet you down in front of the building."

    "You are coming with me?"

    "It''s my case." He explained as he put on his long raincoat and checked his sidearm before he followed her out of the office. He had to stop and duck under the door frame. "Make sure you wear full-body gear. Standard PPG, nothing less. The lower city is rough. People tend to fire bullets down there, not cease and desist orders."

    "I can handle myself."

    "I never said you couldn''t. I said you could get shot. I''ll meet you downstairs. Let me know when you are ready, and I¡¯ll bring the car around." He left abruptly.

    Gabriela felt the pit of her stomach flutter. The excitement of something new, something dangerous. The feeling was almost impossible to contain. She stopped briefly by her office. "I''m headed out." She told Brian.

    "Have fun, don''t stay up too late, Princess." Was all he murmured.

 Chapter Three

    The Quartermaster looked up at Gabriela one more time while he processed her request for PPG. She waited patiently as he scrutinized it.

    ¡°It¡¯s not often I see an upper city detective requesting this kind of stuff. So either you are taking the Capitan¡¯s memo to heart, or things are starting to get bad up on snob nob.¡±

    ¡°Safety is the company¡¯s number one concern.¡± Gabriela held up two fingers. Which elicited a deep belly laugh from the Quartermaster

    ¡°Sun locker two-zero-four is unlocked.¡± The Quartermaster pushed over a small case.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Gabriela asked as she picked up the small case. It was no bigger than a pack of playing cards.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you read the captain¡¯s memo this morning?¡±

    ¡°I skimmed it,¡± Gabriela admitted with a smile.

    ¡°Augmented Feedback Display contacts or AFD is what the suits call it.¡±

    Gabriela flipped open the case and examined its contents. A sealed pair of contacts with an earpiece. The kind of earpiece that fitted into the ear canal as well as looping over the ear itself. ¡°Earpiece is a bit bulky.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more than an earpiece. It¡¯s the CPU for the whole setup. That unit interfaces you to the whole Taurus network. The same way the augmented officers can.¡±

    ¡°Interesting.¡± Gabriela flipped the case closed and thanked the Quartermaster with a quick nod.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go getting yourself killed out there.¡± He said as he returned the nod.

    204 was Gabriela¡¯s assigned locker. Her sidearm and tact gear was always stored there. The company required rigorous monitoring of company equipment to ensure assets remained in place and out of the hands of an employee looking to make a quick profit by selling their equipment.

    She opened her locker. It was filled with personal effects. A change of clothes, make-up, and washing kit. Water was expensive, and sometimes, to save a few crypto, Gabriela and the rest of the officers would wash up the best they could in the bathroom sink.

    There was a sub locker where the PPG and sidearm were stored. Gabriela required the approval of company oversight before she could access it. She opened the sub locker and grabbed her sidearm, a Koch mark 23. Standard issued for all Taurus officers. The weapon unlocked the moment she touched the grip. Gabriela pulled out the gun and checked it over, ensuring the clip was full before she sat it down.

    The tact gear was standard issue ¡°liquid¡± body armor. Gabriela examined the vest, ensuring that the many small pockets that lined the vest were still sealed. The gel inside the vest was a non-newtonian fluid, which hardened when she checked it by slapping the vest with the back of her hand.

    Gabriela quickly changed after she inspected the gear. The tact gear fit her like a glove, and she put her jacket back on, concealing the armor underneath. She holstered her sidearm before she took the small case containing the AFD contacts into the washroom.

    She opened the case and sat it on the sink, taking one of the contacts from its packaging and applying it to her eye with the tip of her finger. She blinked back tears as the contact slid in place. She did the same for the other before she slid the earpiece over her ear.Stolen novel; please report.

    A beep signaled that the device was activated. Gabriela looked at her reflection impatiently. She was not quite sure what to expect from the new gear. Green monochrome text and boxes appeared in her vision. She watched herself smile in the mirror. A box formed around her face as green text slipped across her vision. Her name, height, weight, and everything recorded in the Taurus system were displayed in slow, scrolling text.

    Gabriela took the elevator back down to the lobby and typed a message to Geraldo on her palm terminal. ¡°In the elevator, headed to the lobby.¡± She pressed send before she slipped the terminal in her jacket pocket just as the elevator doors opened and she got off the elevator.

    She decided to wait for Geraldo outside. The rain had died down from a downpour to a drizzle¡ªa welcomed relief in the early autumn months. No one paid her any mind as she waited outside. Instead, she watched one of the giant vidcasters that loomed over the block.

    ¡°My name is Cindy Byron, the Voice of New Madrid.¡± A woman¡¯s voice boomed from the screen. ¡°Today¡¯s guest is Owen Conner, vice CEO of Bioloxys and Chairman of the employment board. Mr. Conner, it is a pleasure to have you on today.¡±

    Owen Conner was much younger than Gabriela would have expected. Nevertheless, his hazel eyes sparkled with a jubilant nature that matched his brilliant smile. ¡°Thank you for having me, Cindy. And, please, call me Owen.¡±

    The Host smiled back. ¡°So, Owen. You are no doubt aware of the protest that has plagued New Madrid in the past week?¡±

    The screen flashed and showed protesters being pushed back by officers in riot gear. The protesters yelled and screamed, holding signs that read ¡°Work for the able, not the crippled.¡± and other anti-deviant language.

    ¡°I am.¡± Owen¡¯s voice sounded over the broadcast before the video switched back to his charming face.

    ¡°As the Chairman of the board of employment. It was you that championed the ¡®Able Work for Able Bodies program.¡¯ In Fact, it was you that created and promoted the program, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is. The focus was to give everyone of able-body a chance. A chance to work and provide for themselves, by creating positions which can be filled by those who have been affected by the Retrophage.¡±

    Owen cleared his throat as he brought a leg over the other. ¡°The Retrophage has been with us for almost 70 years. It has left its mark on every man, woman, and child. Even gen-perfect individuals have family members that are left disabled by the phage. Everyone knows someone who bears this disease¡¯s mark. No deviant asked to be born crippled, or blind, or disabled in any way. Bioloxys only feels that those who can work should have the opportunity to work. And we are all in this together.¡±

    ¡°There are some detractors that claim this program will take work away from gen-perfect employees, that this is nothing more than a corporate handout that comes at the expense of more desirable workers in favor of deviants.¡± The Host said with a fake smile.

    Owen shook his head and held up a hand as if he was easing the concerns of everyone watching. ¡°We, as a corporation, have a duty, first and foremost, to the consumer, which is you and everyone watching. We must ensure that no one falls to the wayside. Everyone must have access to employment; the alternative is government welfare, which, as we know, has not worked well in the past. Unfortunately, welfare leads to higher corporate taxes, passed on, hurting consumers and those the taxes were meant to help the most. Why continue having the government act as a middle man, taking money from those who have earned, keeping a bit for themselves, before giving it to those who have not earned it? With our Able Work Program, we are placing the responsibility of the care of our citizens at the feet of corporations.¡±

    Why have a middle man to facilitate what we are already doing?¡± Owen asked. Gabriela wasn¡¯t sure if the question was meant for the Host or the audience. ¡°And that¡¯s just what the government is, an expensive middle man.¡±

    Gabriela¡¯s attention was pulled away from the vidcaster when her terminal rumbled in her pocket. A message from Geraldo read, ¡°Ready?¡±

    She looked up to see his car parked at the bottom of the steps. Geraldo¡¯s car was different from the one Brian and Gabriela were issued. Their car was sleek and new. It was meant to impress customers. Geraldo¡¯s was more utilitarian. The windshield was reinforced with carbon mesh, and the doors were reinforced with composite plating. She noticed that the side of the passenger door had spots of lighter paint, no doubt to cover up bullet holes, she thought as she quickly walked down the steps.

    Geraldo reached across the seat and opened her door from the inside. ¡°Got everything you need?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± She closed the door.

    ¡°Are you armed?¡±

    Gabriela nodded and patted her waist where her sidearm was.

    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s get going.¡±

 Chapter Four

    The Lower City was dark. A perpetual night cast by the towering buildings and the many roads and trams supported by massive graffitied columns. The light for Lower City was almost all artificial. Animated billboards showered the city in the light and noise of the latest product they promoted.

    It didn¡¯t rain in Lower City. Instead, the rain from above collected and collided until it fell in rivers and waterfalls from the city above. Caring with it the filth and waste of the Upper City.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Gabriela asked while she looked out the car window. The crowds that shuffled by were all deviants. The chrome of implants glistened in the artificial light, and the faded paint used to hide the implants glowed in the neon haze.

    ¡°A contact named Sally. She¡¯s got her ear to the ground in the Lower City. Has a knack for knowing things.¡±

    ¡°What sort of things?¡±

    ¡°The kind of things that you can¡¯t learn from the Ether Web.¡±

    Gabriela turned her attention away from the window and examined her new partner. His augmented eyes stared unblinking at the road before them. ¡°How do you know this contact is going to help us?¡±

    ¡°There is a mutual understanding between the two of us. Sally and I go way back.¡±

    ¡°You scratch her back, and she scratches yours?¡±

    Geraldo chuckled and smiled. A wide smile that split his face and flashed capped teeth. ¡°More like she scratches mine, and I make sure no one puts a bullet in the back of her head.¡±

    ¡°And if she doesn¡¯t know anything that can help us?¡±

    ¡°Then we start moving through the circles, shake a few trees, and see what falls out. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing different from how it works in the Upper City.¡±

    ¡°Typically, we investigate, get hit with a lawsuit, then we wait for legal to deal with it. Unless they sacrifice some mid-level manager or the trail leads down here.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s my problem.¡± He glanced over at her and frowned.

    ¡°I guess things down here are different from up there.¡± Geraldo pointed above them. ¡°There¡¯s no bullshit pleasantries, no lawyers, or some corpo suite to pin shit on. Here, people handle their own crap, and they handle it the best way they know how to. That means most wouldn¡¯t hesitate putting a bullet in my back or yours, and it also means that they wouldn¡¯t have a problem ratting out a rival.¡±

    They are crabs in a bucket.¡± He concluded as he shifted his weight in the small cab of the car. ¡°Each one pulling the other down as they try to reach the top.¡±

    ¡°Jesus.¡± Gabriela shook her head and looked back out the window. ¡°You act like they aren¡¯t even people.¡±

    ¡°No. I am saying they are people. Real people. The people you deal with, the ones up there,¡± Geraldo pointed up once more, ¡°the only thing real about them is their bodies. Everything else is fake.¡±

    Gabriela clenched her teeth and was silent for a moment. ¡°You know I was from the Upper City, right?¡±

    ¡°I do; your mother is Antonia Fohren, UN chancellor.¡±

    ¡°So, what are you saying about me, then?¡±

    Geraldo pulled the car over and opened the door slightly. ¡°I¡¯m not saying anything about you. No one asks to live in the Lower City, and you can¡¯t ask to live in the Upper City; You do what you can to get out and live up there. That¡¯s all I am saying.¡±

    ¡°There are good people above, just as I am sure there are good people down here.¡±

    ¡°We are here.¡± That was all Geraldo said before he got out and shut the door.

    The car rocked as he left. Gabriela glared at him before she unfastened her safety restraints and opened the door to follow. The Lower City was colder than she had expected it to be. Her breath hung in the air before her in a thick cloud. Geraldo had already crossed the street to a complex of buildings built around one of the highways bypass¡¯ massive columns.

    A pink-haired woman leaned against a wall with a Bioloxys ad plastered to the worn brick reading, ¡°Making a better world, by making better people.¡± ¡°Fuck the Phage¡± was graffitied over the advertisement in thick black words.

    The woman smiled as Geraldo approached. She stood up and crossed her arms over her chest. A cigarette burned between her long slender hands. ¡°Detective, it¡¯s always a pleasure to see you here.¡±

    ¡°Sally,¡± Geraldo nodded.

    ¡°And are you here for business or pleasure today?¡±

    ¡°What am I always here for?¡±

    Sally¡¯s plump, ruby red lips puckered into a frown. ¡°It¡¯s always business with you, Honey. Do you ever relax?¡±

    ¡°Not if I can help it.¡± He finished with a smile. Today was the first time Gabriela had seen him show more emotion than his standard grimace.

    ¡°This is Detective Fohren.¡± He introduced Gabriela.

    Gabriela smiled. ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am.¡± Her AFD scanned the woman. A long list of argumentations appeared and slowly scrolled down.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± Sally put a dainty hand over her lips in a vain attempt to hide her amusement.¡± Detective, where did you find this lovely Blossom?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m his partner.¡±

    Sally laughed. ¡°If you are going to run around down here, Sweetheart, then you are going to need to learn to lie a little better than that. Geraldo works alone, always has. Isn¡¯t that right, Love?¡±

    ¡°Listen, Sally.¡± Geraldo ignored the question. ¡°I need your help finding a mod and the seller.¡±

    ¡°Always business with you,¡± Sally said as she took a drag of her cigarette and exhaled slowly. ¡°Well, come on then, let¡¯s get to it. You are scaring away my customers. What are you looking for?¡±

    Geraldo pulled out his terminal and handed it to her, pointing at the screen. ¡°Have you seen this on the market?¡± He pointed to the green block of text.

    ¡°A CLI 110-9?¡± Sally raised an eyebrow. ¡°It treats severe seizure disorders. That¡¯s wet gear, Sweetheart. You know I don¡¯t get these hands dirty. The stuff I help facilitate is aftermarket. Wet gear is not something I facilitate.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Geraldo took the terminal back. ¡°I was hoping you heard a client talking about one; maybe you knew if someone was asking around for a mod like this?¡±

    ¡°Not me, but Jack handles the client schedule. Maybe you can ask him? He is inside in the back.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Geraldo turned to Gabriela and held out his hands. ¡°I need you to stay here. Jack isn¡¯t open to people he doesn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Not unless you see something you want, Blossom. Then he would be more than willing to speak with you.¡±

    Gabriela looked at Geraldo and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine out here.¡±

    ¡°It will only take a moment.¡± He assured her before he ducked inside the shanty.

    Sally took another drag and looked at Gabriela. ¡°So, Blossom. You ever been with a real woman?¡±

    The question caught Gabriela off guard. She looked the woman over from top to bottom before her eyes finally made it back to Sally¡¯s. ¡°What parts of you are real?¡±

    Sally laughed. ¡°The parts that matter, of course, Blossom. I can be anything or anyone you want me to be.¡± Sally¡¯s skin tone darkened from a pale white to dark ebony.

    ¡°How does a woman like you afford mods like that?¡±

    ¡°A woman like me?¡± Sally giggled, ¡°you mean a whore? Well, Blossom. I¡¯m just good at what I do. Would you like to see it for yourself? I think we have some time, and if not, I am sure the Detective wouldn¡¯t mind waiting.

    We can get to know each other better. Maybe you could tell me why a perfect piece of ass like you is running around in this shit heap. Oh, and pillow talk is extra.¡± She added.

    Gabriela shook her head and held her hands up In front of her. ¡°I think I¡¯ll pass.¡±

    ¡°Suit yourself.¡± She said with a shrug. ¡°You know where to find me if you change your mind.¡±

    ¡°You will be the first to know if I do,¡± Gabriela said as politely as she could before she walked back to the car.

    She watched as people shuffled about their day. Some hurried along with urgency, while others seemed to meander. More than a few were clearly too doped up to even know where they were or where they were going. All of them were augmented.

    A ball rolled from an alley, bouncing across the asphalt before it bumped against Gabriela¡¯s boot. She frowned and looked down at the ball. It was small and checkered red and black. Movement from the dark alley drew her attention away from the toy.

    Gabriela¡¯s AFD illuminated the small figure peering out from the dark street. She picked up the ball and held it out to the child. ¡°Here.¡± She offered with a smile, but the child only shifted their weight nervously.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡± She assured them, but they still only stood there.

    Gabriela frowned before she stooped down and rolled the ball back to the child. Only then did they step out from the shadows. The child was covered in rags and stood on two rickety augmented legs. Their face was canceled with a mask with a crude smile painted over it.

    The child snatched up the ball in the claw of an outdated arm. The child¡¯s entire body appeared to be comprised of tech and parts older than she was. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Gabriela asked.

    ¡°Maru.¡± A digitalized voice answered as the girl tucked the ball under the stub of her other arm. As far as Gabriela could tell, the stub was the only part of the girl that was still real.

    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty name.¡±

    The girl backed away nervously. ¡°Thank you. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Gabriela.¡±

    ¡°You are pretty.¡±

    Gabriela smiled. ¡°So are you.¡±

    The girl looked away before she asked. ¡°Are you perfect?¡±

    ¡°Do you mean am I gen perfect?¡±

    ¡°I have never seen someone like you before.¡± The little girl admitted.

    Gabriela could tell that Mura was nervous. Not by her voice, but by the way, she clung to the shadows of the alley.

    ¡°Do you live around here?¡± Gabriela squatted down so that she was the same high as the girl.

    The little girl nodded. ¡°I live with my brother.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s his name?¡± Gabriela put her hands into her pockets, a vain attempt to warm her fingers up.

    ¡°Soma. I have to go.¡± The girl said before she disappeared back into the shadows.

    ¡°Come back anytime, Detective,¡± Sally called out.

    Gabriela stood and turned around. Geraldo waved a hand at the woman as he walked back to the car.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He said as he opened his door.

    ¡°You find anything useful?¡± She asked when she got back into the car.

    ¡°Just that some Chrome Domes have been running a hustle, pushing bliss and Ravaline.

    ¡°Bliss is made from fetal tissue,¡± Gabriela added.

    ¡°So is Ravaline.¡±

    ¡°Do people still take that shit? I thought the WHO put a stop to the misinformation that it can cure the phage.¡±

    ¡°People will believe in anything that will give them hope.¡± Geraldo started the car. ¡°And there is always going to be someone willing to sell them that hope, regardless of how fucked it is.¡±

    ¡°Did you threaten to arrest her?¡±

    Geraldo looked at her once more with his strange eyes. ¡°Why would I do that? Prostitution isn¡¯t illegal.¡±

    ¡°No, but you know she is facilitating black market deals for mods.¡± Gabriela pointed out. ¡°She admitted to it.¡±

    ¡°The mods she gets are from a morgue. The people she gets them from don¡¯t need them anymore. So no one is getting hurt by what she and Jack do.¡±

    ¡°Then why do it on a black market?¡±

    ¡°What she talks to clients about is pillow talk, and as far as I know, that wasn¡¯t illegal,¡± Geraldo said as he pulled away from the curb.

    It wasn¡¯t that Gabriela was surprised that a Taurus officer would let a perp walk. Contacts and informants were invaluable. But Geraldo seemed to be strait-laced and by the book. He had a stick so far up his ass Gabriela had often wondered if he could even bend over.

    ¡°So she just gave you this information willingly?¡±

    ¡°As I had said: she scratches my back, and I make sure no one puts a bullet in the back of her head. You hungry?¡± He asked suddenly.

    ¡°I could eat,¡± Gabriela admitted. Her stomach suddenly gurgled at the thought of food.

    ¡°We should get something to eat. You like Pho?¡±

 Chapter Five

    The Bazaar was unlike anything from the Upper City. Booths and shops were set up in a haphazard manner along the street and in the road itself. Geraldo had to drive slowly, shouting and honking his horn at the people who refused to move out of his way or didn¡¯t move as fast as he deemed necessary.

    With a loud sigh, Geraldo finally stopped the car in front of an old food truck. ¡°This is it. Best Pho in town.¡±

    The truck was old. It was the kind that had been used in the forties. Gabriela opened the door and stepped out of the car. The sound of the Bazaar washed over her, bringing with it the smell of food, causing her stomach to gurgle angrily.

    Each booth in the Bazaar was as unique as the wares peddled from them, and the noise was almost overwhelming. Each vendor called out to passersby, promising everyone a steal of a deal or guaranteeing that you couldn¡¯t find something anywhere else in New Madrid.

    The closest thing that she could compare it to was the corporate malls. Still, those were clean and organized. Typically, the only noise was from a crying child or a giggling pack of teenagers¡ªnothing like this.

    ¡°I¡¯m buying,¡± Geraldo announced as he took a seat at the side of the truck.

    ¡°Is the truck converted to electricity, or does it still run on petrol?¡± Gabriela asked as she took a seat next to him and stared at the simple menu.

    ¡°Petrol.¡±

    ¡°Where do they get the gas?¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t,¡± Geraldo chuckled. ¡°Thing probably hasn¡¯t moved since the City was built. Lower City was the first part of the City. Owning food trucks was a lucrative gig during the forties and fifties. New Madrid was just a small town next to the Aldead¨¢vila Dam. The construction workers needed a hot lunch, so.¡± Geraldo finished with a shrug.

    ¡°Good old capitalism.¡±

    ¡°The best thing to happen since Jesus Christ, or at least that¡¯s what my parents always said.¡±

    ¡°You know a lot about New Madrid¡¯s history.¡± Gabriela pointed out.

    ¡°My grandparents owned one of these before I was born. It¡¯s how my parents met. So I heard a lot of stories about this City as I grew up.¡±

    ¡°Never took you for a local.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. Grew up in the City before there was an Upper City. I just figured you were a local.¡±

    ¡°No, I was born in Brussels. Moved around a lot when I was young.¡±

    ¡°What are you having?¡± A young kid asked. Gabriela could just barely see him peeking over the counter of the truck. He wore an old baseball cap turned backward, and his augmented eyes made it look like he was wearing some retro shades from the ¡¯20s.

    ¡°What¡¯s good here?¡± Gabriela leaned in and whispered to Geraldo.

    ¡°Everything.¡± He whispered back. ¡°Just remember that nothing listed as meat is meat.¡±

    ¡°Pho bo, please?,¡± she asked with a smile.

    ¡°And you?¡± The boy pointed at Geraldo.

    ¡°And I¡¯ll have the same. Make it a large, extra noodles, Sir.¡± He turned to Gabriela. ¡°Have you ever had Lower City street food?¡±

    Gabriela shook her head. ¡°Never really been down to the Lower City. Spend most of my time up there. The food they serve is a little different. Clients treat us to more,¡± she hesitated as she thought of the best word to use, ¡°classy restaurants.¡±

    The kid handed their food over to them. Geraldo paid him for the bowls before sliding Gabriela¡¯s to her. Her stomach roared and grumbled once more when she inhaled the rich fragrance of the broth.

    ¡°Clients,¡± Geraldo said before he slurped up some noodles, ¡°that¡¯s a funny way to put it.¡±

    Gabriela pushed the meatballs, are whatever they were, under her noodles before she spooned hot pepper paste into her bowl, ¡°We are employed by the City. Everyone is a client.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°Well, the ¡®clients¡¯ I have worked for never treat me to a classy meal.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Have you never done a beat walk down here?

    ¡°No.¡± Gabriela plucked a meatball from under her noodles and popped it into her mouth. Geraldo was right. It wasn¡¯t meat, but that didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t bad. The meatball was juicy and full of flavor.

    ¡°I did my beats up above.¡± She mumbled past the food in her mouth.

    ¡°How did you manage that?¡± Geraldo asked past a mouthful of his own food. ¡°Most officers spend time in Lower City. It¡¯s where all the real crime is.¡±

    Gabriela hesitated as she pulled the remaining meatballs from under the noodles, ¡°My mother.¡± That was all she could manage. ¡°I hate admitting that.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Nepotism.¡± Gabriela took a small sip of the broth. It tasted better than it smelled.

    Geraldo laughed. ¡°Your mother pulled strings to get you into Taurus? Seems like a waste of influence.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she grumbled, ¡°my mother did not use her influence to get me into Taurus. I don¡¯t even think she used her influence to keep me off the streets. I just think everyone has looked at me and decided it¡¯s best to keep me out of harm¡¯s way. Don¡¯t want to anger dear old mother.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why Elis calls you Princess?¡±

    ¡°Brian? Yeah. Called me that day one of being his partner.¡±

    ¡°And Is that why you wanted to look into this? You wanted to see what the rest of us had to deal with?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Sally was right,¡± Geraldo added as he lit a cigarette.

    Gabriela narrowed her eyes as she slurped up her noodles. ¡°Right about what?¡±

    ¡°You need to learn to lie a little better if you are going to make it down here.¡±

    ¡°It was partly because I wanted to see what it was like,¡± she admitted, ¡°but it was also how Mary Andrews¡¯ mother-¡±

    ¡°Kathryn.¡± Geraldo interrupted.

    ¡°Yes, Kathryn. It was the way Kathryn looked at me.¡±

    Geraldo was quiet for a long moment as he smoked his cigarette; his strange eyes seemed to look through Gabriela, deep into her being.

    ¡°I can remember the first day I walked.¡± Geraldo took another drag of his cigarette; the orange glow illuminated his grizzled face. ¡°I was six. They used a nerve bypass to bridge the gap in my spine. My mom told me it was the same thing they used to help soldiers walk again.¡±

    That was neat to me. It made me feel like I was one of the heroes I heard about on the news vids. Sitting and listening is all you can do when you are a blind cripple.¡± Geraldo gently tapped the cigarette, the ash falling off in light clumps on the tray in front of him.

    Gabriela shifted in her seat uneasily. She wasn¡¯t sure where he was going with his story, and the thought of a blind, paralyzed kid sitting in the dark with the news playing made her uncomfortable.

    ¡°Anyways, I got my implant when I was six. It took two years before I could fully walk. Two long, hard years. Every damn day I would have to endure the pain of using legs that had never moved on their own.¡±

    He was silent for a long time before he stamped out his cigarette and lifted the bowl of broth to his lips.

    ¡°I held in there, though.¡± He continued. ¡°Worked through the pain, despite the lack of pain meds. We couldn¡¯t afford a brain dock. The implant I had gotten was expensive, you see. My old man, he, and my mum worked hard to keep me alive. They were born before the phage, so they were able-bodied. They buried three kids; I was the only one who made it. I guess being blind helped during those times. Didn¡¯t have to see the worry and hurt on their faces.¡±

    They worked hard to make sure I got the treatment I needed. A new spine, and finally new eyes.¡± He tapped a finger to his temple, his augmented eye gleaming. ¡°I thought learning to walk hurt, but not as bad as learning to see.¡±

    He was deep in thought for a long moment before he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his pack of cigarettes, nimbly selecting a new one and sticking it between his lips. ¡°The good thing about being born with eyes, like you did, is you learn to ignore all the bad shit you see at a young age. But when you are twelve and see for the first time, you realize the world is full of shit. And there is always someone dumb enough to fucking step in it. And you, Gabriela, have stepped in the shit.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°I mean, you should be happy with your cush job in the Upper City. That look, the one Kathryn gave you?¡± He took another long drag. ¡°That¡¯s the same look every mother and father is going to give you down here, you know why?¡±

    Gabriela pushed the bowl away; her appetite had retreated with the mood. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Because that look is the look of helplessness. It¡¯s the look of a parent that knows their angel is dead but refuses to accept the truth, and they tell themselves this lie that you are the only one that can bring them back. And you want to know what the worst part of it all is?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Gabriela swallowed, trying to work some moisture into her dry mouth.

    ¡°When you are an officer down here, you have to be the one to tell them the person that they had built their whole life around, the reason they go on day after day, is dead, and never coming back. That¡¯s the shit you have chosen to step in by coming down here with me.¡±

    ¡°Someone needs to make a difference.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s going to be you?¡± He raised a bushy eyebrow. ¡°You going to change the world?¡±

    Gabriela looked away and ground her teeth. She hated him then, not because what he was saying was untrue, but because it was true. ¡°I¡¯m going to change the world for Kathryn Andrews.¡± She finally added.

    ¡°And how are you going to do that?¡±

    Gabriela turned back to him, looking defiantly into his dead eyes. ¡°By finding the person who took her baby.¡±

    He held her gaze before a wide smile split his face. ¡°Then what are we doing sitting around, Detective Fohren?¡±

 Chapter Six

    Chapter Six

    "So where to, then?" Gabriela stood up and looked back at the car. ¡°Got another contact, a pimp or drug dealer we can talk to?¡±

    ¡°Just so happens I do.¡± Geraldo stood up and handed their bowls back to the boy behind the counter.

    ¡°Where at?¡±

    "Right here." Geraldo flicked the butt of his cigarette into the street. "Next contact is here, in the market."

    "A vendor?"

    "Wish it were that easy," Geraldo said with a small sigh. "They peddle narcotics, and they don''t have a booth to advertise from."

    Gabriela turned around and looked out across the sea of booths with a frown. "So, we are going to need to look for them?"

    "Him, yes. His name is Pet." Geraldo typed away on his terminal before he cast a file to her. "This is him."

    The man was skinny and frail-looking, with a pock-marked face and red hair. "No implants?"

    "One of the lucky ones. His disorders are manageable without implants, the ones he did have he hocked a long ago. His addiction is for bliss. What do you know about bliss?"

    "Chromophedrine? I know it''s made from fetal stem cells. We don''t see it much in the upper city. The narcotics we deal with are all digital, applied directly to a brain dock." She added.

    Geraldo''s bald head bobbed up and down as he nodded. "Right. Brain dock implants are elective.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Gabriela interrupted. ¡°It''s not covered by governmental relief.¡±

    ¡°Right, so most people down here don''t have one. They have to take their drugs the good old fashion way. Bliss is one of the top drugs. It has relatively low negative reactions."

    "I thought it burned out synapses."

    "Like I said, relatively low." Geraldo waved for her to follow him through the jungle of booths and peddlers, talking louder as they went deeper into the market. "As you said; they make it from fetal stem cells, supposed to mimic the blissful feeling you get when you were in the womb."

    "You ever try it?" Gabriel had to almost yell to be heard over the din of voices.

    "No, have you?"

    "I typically stick with wine." She admitted.

    "Too rich for my taste. Beer for me, unfortunately, is made with synthetic barley and hops. You can taste the difference." Geraldo had to push people aside so that they could get deeper into the Bazaar. "Anyways, I figured that if you are right, and this chop doc is targeting pregnant women, then he has to be doing something with the fetuses. Pet is spineless, and he will roll as soon as he can; the problem is he''s going to run the moment he sees me."

    "So, you need me to go find him."

    "You got it." He said with a smile and a wink. "We will stay on coms, and I will keep an eye out for him, but I will need you to get close to him."

    "What do I do when I find him?"

    "Whatever you can to keep him from running, just remember we need him alive. And bullets don''t care who they hit. So, don''t shoot unless you have to."

    "I wasn''t planning on shooting." She said as she broke way to head deeper into the Bazaar

    "But if you have to," Geraldo said as he grabbed her arm and pulled her back and leaned in so close that she could feel his mustache against her ear, "when you shoot. Don''t think about it. Just do it. Thinking will get you killed down here."

    He let go of her arm and gave her a stiff, reassuring nod before he slipped away into the crowd. Gabriela patted her waist, reassuring herself that her sidearm was still there before she took a deep breath and pushed her way into the crowd.

    The sound, sights, and smells were overwhelming. Someone was demanding her attention everywhere she looked. Everything from homeopathic remedies to pornography was for sale, as well as foods. Vendors pushed exotic foods that Gabriela had never even heard of, let alone tried. Her AFD scanned every face that she passed, text sprawled on the edge of her vision.

    The smell of people was also overwhelming. The smell of sweat, perfume, and body odor was a stark difference from the sterile smell of the upper city.

    "Hey, hey," a man called out, "pretty lady, over here."

    "Not interested." Gabriela shot him a disapproving look. It was a mistake. The moment she made eye contact; he began to follow her from the other side of his booth.

    "You look like you have a taste for the expensive, and maybe the rare."

    "No."

    "I have books. Pre-war books."

    Gabriela slowed to a stop and glanced over her shoulder. She could no longer see Geraldo. She considered walking on to look for Pet, but the idea of seeing and holding pre-war books was too much to resist. "Which books?"This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    "I have a few," he waved her over, "come, I''ll show you.¡±

    She headed towards the booth reluctantly; she knew she should continue her search but figured a few moments wouldn''t hurt. "Let''s see."

    The shopkeeper smiled a wide toothless smile before he ducked behind his booth and produced three weathered paperbacks. "Careful," he warned as she picked up one of the books, "they are old."

    She only recognized one book by Tolkien. The other two were by authors she had never heard of before. Her mother had read her the Hobbit when she was young. The tale had filled her imagination to the point that she had declared that she would be a writer when she grew up. "How much are you asking for?"

    "Depends on how you are going to pay. If it''s in crypto, then I''ll give you a discount."

    "Does it matter what coins I use?" She asked as her fingers lovingly traced the faded covers of the books.

    "Not as long as they are mainstream. I don''t deal in shit coins."

    "Cro?"

    "Oh yes, I will definitely accept that." He flashed her another broad smile.

    She reached into her pocket and pulled out her terminal, and selected her wallet. "Where am I sending it?" She asked as she looked up. Something on the other side of the booth caught her attention. Two men shoving each other, a commotion that happened in the blink of an eye. As one of the men left, she saw him, Pet. He was sweating. His once white shirt was stained with sweat to the point it was a brownish color.

    "Just cast me the address, and the transaction will be complete. Ma''am?" The merchant asked when she didn''t respond.

    "I''ll be damned." She said as she moved past the booth, forgetting about the merchant and his books.

    "This is a one-time deal!" The merchant called after her, but she had already forgotten him and his books.

    She slowly rounded the booth, keeping the dirty man in her sight. Her hand reached up and touched the earpiece, activating the two-way come. "What is it?" Geraldo''s voice whispered in her ear.

    "I found him."

    "Already?"

    Gabriela looked over her shoulder, making sure no one else had eyes on Pet before she looked back at him. "About three rows back from where we ate. He looks agitated, just got in some sort of scuffle with another man."

    "Just keep your eyes on him. I''m coming to find you.¡±

    She kept her distance, stopping from time to time to look at booths or listen to a peddler try to convince her to buy their wares. Still, each time the man moved, she would move with him, abruptly ending whatever monologue that had struck up.

    Pete kept looking over his shoulder, his beady eyes scanning the crowd nervously as he made his way deeper and deeper into the Bazaar.

    Two men seemed to be trailing the skinny man as well. They were significantly bigger than him. Their augmentations only added to their muscular build. The AFD alerted her that one of the men had a warrant out for his arrest. "I think we have trouble." She whispered into her com.

    "Why?"

    "A man named Marcus Grant is following him, as well as another man."

    "Fuck." There was a moment of tense silence. "They are Chrome Domes. A local gang around here. I''m sure Pet is scalping their turf. We need to get to him before they do, but do not engage them. They would have no problem putting an officer down."

    "Is everyone here a potential killer?" She asked with a sigh.

    "Yes." That was all he replied.

    "Great." She mumbled to herself. "I need to keep a blisser from killing me while keeping two chrome domers from killing him, while also keeping them from killing me. Perfect."

    "That''s the idea." Geraldo''s sudden voice made her jump. "Welcome to the Lower City."

    Gabriela had thought she had disconnected the com. She quickly closed the channel and focused on the contact.

    Pet nervously scratched at his neck while he shuffled his way through the Bazaar. It was apparent that their contact was unaware that he was being followed or watched.

    Pet wandered aimlessly from booth to booth while he twitched and scratched at dirty, open sores. Soon he broke away from the Bazaar. Gabriela cursed and pushed a vendor out of her way when she lost sight of Pete.

    The sea of people had swallowed him whole. Gabriela frantically searched the crowd, her AFD scanning and highlighting every face it could. "I think I lost him." Finally, Gabriela opened the channel and admitted.

    "Do you see the chrome domes?"

    Gabriela hesitated, standing as tall as she could to see over the ocean of people. Then, finally, she climbed up on a booth. "What the fuck do you think you are doing!?" An old woman yelled up at her.

    "Taurus security." Gabriela barked down at her. Her eyes darted about as she slowly turned, sweeping her gaze over the Bazaar.

    "I don''t care who you are!" The old woman screeched. "You are scaring away my customers."

    Gabriela looked down at the old woman and lifted her jacket, revealing her sidearm. The old woman backed away but said nothing more.

    "Anything?" Geraldo''s voice whispered into her ear.

    "Found them." Gabriela saw them pushing their way through the crowd. "Looks like they lost him as well. "

    "Okay, we need to find Pet before they do."

    Gabriela was about to jump down from the booth when she spotted him. He weaseled his way through the crowd towards a back alley. "I found him. Headed west to the alleys."

    "There are fire escapes he will use to try and get to higher ground."

    Gabriela leaped down from the booth and started shoving her way through the throng of people.

    ¡°Bitch!¡± She heard the old woman call after her.

    Finally, Gabriela broke free of the crowd and sprinted for the ally. Pet''s beady eyes locked on hers for a brief minute before he ducked away, scrambling down the alley.

    "Shit." Gabriela unholstered her sidearm and followed him into the dark alley.

    "Taurus security!" She called out into the shadows of the alley. She could hear Pet swear and a crash and rattle of metal.

    Weapon drawn, and at the ready, Gabriela crept into the darkness. She rounded a dumpster and jumped in surprise when Pet rushed at her. He threw what little bulk that he had at her. It was enough to cause Gabriela to stumble back and drop her weapon.

    Pet lunged at her a second time, and the two fell to the hard asphalt. The putrid smell of sweat and vomit infiltrated her nostrils, filling her lungs with the vile stench of the man.

    He managed to get her on her back before he pulled his fist back and slammed it into her face. Stars erupted in her vision, and she felt her lip burst, the blood filling her mouth. "Bitch!" He screamed at her as he raised his fist once more.

    Gabriel regained her senses and struck with the flat of her palm. The skinny man toppled backward.

    Gabriela rolled away and groped for her weapon in the darkness. She heard the familiar click as the gun was armed. Gabriela froze and looked back. Pet held the gun in his shaking hands. There was a wild look in his eyes as his finger began to tighten on the trigger.

    "Pet." Geraldo''s voice boomed in the darkness. Pet swung around just as Geraldo stepped from the shadows and swung his fist with all his might.

    The gun spun from Pet''s hands. He crumpled to the ground.

    Geraldo stood over him. His hands were still clenched into fists. He looked over at Gabriela. "Good job, Detective Fohren." He said with a smile before he pulled the lifeless Pet to his feet.

 Chapter Seven

    "Are you okay?" Geraldo asked.

    Gabriela wiped the blood away from her mouth before she accepted Geraldo''s outstretched hand. He pulled her to her feet.

    "I''m fine. I thought you said he was a spineless coward?"

    "Even cornered rats will put up a fight." Geraldo bent down and began to search the unconscious man, rifling through his pockets, turning each one inside out before moving to the next one.

    "What are you looking for?" Gabriela winced as she explored her lip, feeling around the cut. Her lip was swelling, making it hard to talk without slurring her words.

    Geraldo paused and looked up at her. "Drugs." He explained before he went back to his search. "Bingo."

    Geraldo held up a baggy before he tossed it over to Gabriela. She snatched it out of the air and held it up in the low light. She turned the clear plastic bag over and around. Small disks glittered in the ally lamps.

    "This is digital." She said.

    "Some hacker probably got their hands on old source code for digital Narco and tried to make his own brain candy."

    "He doesn''t have a brain dock." Gabriela pointed at Pet.

    "It''s not for him. I''m sure he was planning on selling it in the Bazaar. People come down from the Upper City to find rare stuff. Old junk scavenged in the war ruins, girls and boys to have a good time with, and drugs."

    Gabriela grimaced when she remembered the old books she had to turn down and briefly wondered if the vendor would still have them, if she could even find the booth again.

    "He was probably hoping to find some dumb kid looking for a good time."

    "Digital Narco can seize the brain dock. Trap you in a coma." She added as she tossed the baggy back.

    "Do you think he cares about that?"

    "Why don''t you wake him up, and we can ask him," Gabriela growled. She crossed her arms and watched as Geraldo sat him up and slapped his cheeks lightly.

    "Hey." He said with a slightly more brutal slap. "Wake up, Pet."

    Pet groaned, and his head lolled back and forth as his eyes opened slowly and rolled back into his head. The whites of his eyes were bloodshot, and she could smell the sour stench of unwashed flesh wafting off of him.

    "Wha-?" Pet asked groggily.

    "Surprise, asshole." Geraldo smiled and grabbed the man by his thinning hair, pulling the skin of his scalp up.

    Pet yelped and kicked out at Geraldo as he scratched at his hand hopelessly.

    "Shut the fuck up, Pet." Geraldo pushed his head back and held up the baggy in front of his eyes. "Assaulting a security officer is five to ten years of hard time, and it''s an additional two for each one of these. How many do you think are in here, Detective Fohren?" He looked back at Gabriela.

    "Fifteen, maybe twenty."

    "Let''s call it twenty. That''s fifty years, Pet-y! Fifty long years of hard labor, if you are lucky, a corporation will buy up your contract and work you to death in a call center."

    "I didn''t know who she was." He insisted.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    "I believe she announced herself."

    "Please, I wasn''t going to hurt her. I thought she was a Chrome Domer."

    Geraldo looked back at Gabriela before he looked back at Pet. He shook his head and chuckled. "Does she look like a fucking Chrome Domer, Pet?"

    "Please, I, I," He stammered, "I will do anything, tell you anything you want."

    "I want to know about the bliss you are pushing."

    "I''m not pushing bliss, man." Pet wailed.

    "Don''t bullshit me, Pet-y. I can smell the stench of the drugs rotting you from the inside. So where are you getting the bliss, who supplies it, and where can we find them?"

    "I promise, I don''t know. I haven''t had bliss in weeks. I have been getting by on heroin."

    Geraldo picked Pet up and slammed him against the brick wall. The junkie¡¯s feet kicked and dangled above the dark asphalt.

    "No one is getting fucking tar, you pissant." Gabriela couldn''t help but feel amused watching Geraldo. In the lawless Lower City, even the law was unruly, and Geraldo was perfect for the job.

    "It''s synthetic." Pet sobbed. "It''s not tar."

    The ring of Geraldo''s palm terminal filled the alley, drowning out Pet''s sob. Geraldo let him fall to the ground. "Don''t fucking move." He warned as he pulled out his terminal and answered it.

    "This is Geraldo." He paused and turned to Gabriela before he held it out to her. "It''s for you."

    Gabriela uncrossed her arms and hesitated.

    "It''s Sally. She wants to talk to you." Geraldo told her.

    Tentatively she took the terminal and held it to her ear. She could hear Sally exhaling on the other side of the connection. "Is that you, Blossom?"

    "What is it?"

    "I found that implant you two are looking for."

    Gabriela looked up at Geraldo before she turned away and walked down the alley so she couldn''t be overheard. "How?"

    "A mutual friend told me where to find it."

    "Who is this friend?"

    "Doesn''t matter right now, Blossom. All that matters is I know where to find it, or at least where to find the person who bought it."

    "Where is it?"

    Gabriela could hear Sally inhaling a cigarette before she exhaled. "A woman named Nora Thane has it."

    "Do you know where we can find her?" Gabriela asked eagerly.

    "I do, Church of Saint Saviour."

    The name didn''t sound familiar to her. She glanced back at Geraldo when she heard Pet screaming again. The bigger man was preoccupied with his beating. "Where is that?"

    "Geraldo will know."

    "Why are you helping me?"

    Gabriela expected the woman would tell her what she wanted in return, but, "I was captivated by your pretty hazel eyes." That was all she said before she disconnected from the terminal.

    Gabriela looked down at the screen of the terminal. "Disconnected." She tapped her finger thoughtfully on the side of the screen before she walked back to Pet and Geraldo.

    "I needed to make some cash and fast." Pete was explaining. "I figured I could turn the brain candy over quickly and get the Chrome Dome their money before they killed me."

    Geraldo ignored Pete and asked, "What did she have to say?"

    "She found the implant. Church of Saint Saviour, you know what it is?"

    "Yeah." Geraldo lit a cigarette and took a drag. "It''s an old church in the Lower City. A mission ran by a Father Diaz."

    "Nora Thane ring a bell?"

    "Nope." Geraldo took another drag before he looked down at Pet. He flicked his cigarette at the man. The cigarette exploded in a shower of embers when it collided with him. Pet flinched and held up his hands.

    "Looks like it''s your lucky day, Pet-y boy." Geralso said as he turned away and walked down the alley.

    Gabriela looked down at Pet as he whimpered and sobbed. She clenched her jaw as she gave his side a sharp kick. She could feel and hear his ribs break under her boot. "That''s for my lip, you fuck."

    Pet gasped and sobbed as she walked away. "Wait!" He called out after them. "What about the brain candy? If I don''t sell it, I''m dead."

    Geraldo took the baggy out of his pocket and handed it to Gabriela. "Your call."

    Gabriela strolled back to Pet. Who sobbed and said, "Thank you, Thank you." After every sob

    Gabriela dropped the baggy on the ground in front of him, and just as he reached out for it, just before his fingers could touch the bag, she brought the heel of her boot down on the baggy. Smashing its precious content.

    "No!" Pet cried. "You bitch, why?!"

    "You should get out of town while you still can." Was all she said as she walked away.

 Chapter Eight

    "How''s the lip?" Geraldo asked as Gabriela examined her swollen lip in the car''s vanity mirror.

    "It will heal." She touched delicately around the now-closed wound of her lip before she pushed the mirror away. "I don''t think it will need stitches."

    ¡°It¡¯s healing fast.¡± Geraldo noted with a glance.

    ¡°I¡¯m a designer baby. Mom wanted to make sure she wasn¡¯t weighed down by a sick kid. Paid extra to have my immune system tweaked.¡± Gabriela turned head away and  looked out the window as they drove, her head resting in her hand against the car door. Her transparent reflection stared back at her.

    ¡°Any other ¡®designer additions¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Other than my good looks and charm?¡±

    "I''m sorry," Geraldo said abruptly.

    Gabriela glanced over at him and then quickly back to the window. "For?"

    "Sending you in there like that. I should have been with you."

    "You said it yourself; Pet would recognize you. So it had to be me."

    "I know, but I should have been there."

    Gabriela rolled her eyes and looked back at him. "Listen, Geraldo. I don''t need you looking out for me. I can handle myself."

    Geraldo glanced over at her, and then quickly back to the road. "I never said you did."

    "I thought you would be different." She mumbled.

    "From what?"

    "From everyone else." She leaned forward and turned to him slightly, brushing back her hair. "Everyone has tried to keep me out of harm''s way since the day I joined. I thought that you, of all people, would treat me more than some fragile wallflower."

    "Because I am a crip?" He scoffed back.

    "Jesus, no." Gabriela struggled to keep her voice down. "Because you of all people didn''t seem to give a damn. Every day I see you walk into the office. There is no bullshit, no ass-kissing. You just go to your office and do your job. Fuck, I thought you would be harder on me because we are both trying for the same promotion."

    "You are right." He said after a long movement. "You are not some greenhorn rookie. I''m sorry. You don''t deserve this."

    "I am not easy to work with." Geraldo admitted after another pause. "Haven''t had a partner since I made detective. Not a whole lot of people lining up to be partnered with a crip."

    "I''m sorry, Geraldo." She felt ashamed for how she had treated him. She had mistaken his concern for condescending support.

    "I''m not saying that to make you feel bad," He interrupted. "I don''t need pity. I am telling you this because I know what it''s like to be treated differently simply for how you were born. You and I may be from different worlds, but we are still walking the same road."

    And my concern for you isn''t misplaced bias. I really should have been with you, especially after we learned that gangers were involved. It could have ended badly for both of us." He added.

    "You were there when it mattered."

    Geraldo gave her his signature stiff nod.

    "What should we expect from the Church of Saint Saviour?" She said, changing the subject. The moment had gotten too personal for Gabriela. It wasn''t that she hated tender moments; she just wasn''t good at them. She chalked it up to her cold upbringing.

    "It''s a mission for the cast-outs." He explained. "People who don''t belong to a gang or community."

    "Why wouldn''t they belong to a community?"

    "Depends," Geraldo explained as he pulled the car off the main road. The side streets were littered with trash, and the vehicle¡¯s cooling fans kicked up a whirlwind of papers and discarded food wrappers. "Some of them are refugees fleeing Russia, others are just migrants, and some just want to be forgotten."

    He stopped the car. The Church of Saint Saviour was built out of stone. Its architecture was old, older than the city itself. A high gothic steeple reached above them, nestled between two mega structures.

    "Shit, this is old." Gabriela mumbled.

    "Older than the city, and older than the city New Madrid was built on."

    "Surprised it wasn''t torn down." Gabriela unlatched her buckle and opened the door,

    "There are hidden gems like this scattered all over Lower City, and a few in Upper City."

    Gabriela unholstered her gun. "Look at you learning." Geraldo smiled, and drew his own.

    "No more bullshit. Let''s find this Nora Thane."

    "Agreed." Geraldo slammed the car door and headed for the church doors, Gabriela close behind.

    The church smelled as old as it looked. The main chapel was a large room with golden religious iconography on the far wall of the dais. The pews that should have filled this room were gone, replaced by make-shift spaces made from tarps and sheets. And the ever present smell of mildew and incense.

    Dirty faces turned towards them. Someone gasped and cried out, "Taurus!"

    "No one move!" Geraldo bellowed out. "Under article five-five-one-dot-five-one-seven, anyone attempting to flee an official security sweep can be met with extreme and or lethal force!"

    The people who had started to move toward the exit paused and hunkered down in place. "You don''t have authority here!" A tall, lanky man said as he walked up to them. Gabriela could see by the white-collar that he was a priest.

    "Are you Father Diaz?" Gabriela asked.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    "I am." The Priest stomped up to them and repeated. "You do not have authority here."

    "Religious immunity was revoked in the Charter. It hasn''t been a thing for fifty years." Gabriela informed him.

    Father Diaz looked from Gabriela to Geraldo before he ran a frail hand over his wispy hair. "Please, this is the house of the Lord."

    "Oh?" Geraldo raised an eyebrow. "Is he home? Because we will need to question him too."

    "We are looking for a woman named Nora Thane. Is she here?"

    "Please, officers." The Priest clasped his hands together and walked backwards as they walked forward. "These people are simple people, trying to just get through the day. They are not criminals."

    "Nora Thane," Gabriela growled. "This is the last time I''m going to ask you if she is here."

    The Priest opened his mouth one more time before a woman near the iconography stood up and shouted. "I''m here! I am Nora Thane."

    Gabriela pushed Father Diaz aside, who continued to beg and plead with them to go. She stepped down the small set of steps that led into the main chapel. The woman who claimed to be Nora took a step back as they approached. Her eyes darting to the small tent she stood by.

    The woman''s clothes were dirty, filled with holes and fraying seams. A blanket was draped over her head like a vale. Hiding her face from them.

    "Nora Thane," Geraldo said as they approached. "You are under arrest for soliciting and procuring stolen implants.

    Nora held up her hands and shook her head. "Please, it''s not what you think." Gabriela could see her lip had been cleft, a jagged scar running up the middle of her lip to her nose.

    "Turn around and put your hands behind your back." Geraldo instructed, forcefully turning her around.

    Gabriela stopped by her tent and slowly lifted the canvas. "Geraldo. Stop." She said when her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the tent''s interior. Personal belongings were stacked at one end, with a sleeping bag taking up the rest of the tent''s space. Swaddled on top of the sleeping bag was a tiny baby.

    Gabriela lifted the tent flap higher so that Geraldo could see what was inside. "Shit." He whispered before he let Nora go.

    "It''s unregistered." Gabriela''s AFD highlighted the child''s face and the words "No match found" flashed across her vision.

    "Get everyone out of here," Geraldo demanded.

    Father Diez nodded and called everyone to follow him outside. "Please, follow me out so that we can pray."

    "They will kill the baby." A man pointed out frantically. "We can''t just leave her here."

    Geraldo raised his gun and leveled it at the man''s head. "I suggest you go pray with the Priest." He turned around, addressing everyone. "Everyone out. This is the last time I am going to ask."

    People filed past them quickly. A few were brave enough to glare as they walked past. One old woman was bold enough to spit at their feet. Geraldo and Gabriela waited until the heavy doors closed behind them. "Now what?" Geraldo asked.

    "Unregistered children are supposed to be terminated."

    "Please," Nora rushed to her baby and picked her up before she backed away from them, sobbing. "Please don''t hurt her. She''s innocent."

    Gabriela holstered her pistol before Geraldo did the same. She held up her hands and slowly approached the woman and her child. The baby looked perfect, save for a scar on the side of the baby''s head.

    "She looks-" Gabriela struggled for the right words.

    "Perfect." Geraldo finished for her.

    "She is. She is perfect, or near enough to be perfect." Nora looked up at them. The tears had left streaks in the grime that covered her face. "She has no physical deformities. She is typical in every way, except for seizures."

    "She couldn''t have bought the implant legally," Gabriela said. It suddenly all made sense to her then. "The baby would be terminated the moment she took it to a clinic."

    Nora nodded but said nothing. Instead, she only whispered indiscernibly to the tiny baby.

    "We need to know where you got the implant," Geraldo said softly. "Who installed it?"

    "I will tell you anything you want, just please don''t hurt her."

    "Start with who sold the implant."

    "I don''t know his name," Nora admitted.

    Gabriela groaned and shook her head.

    "But I can tell you where they are." Insisted Nora. "There is an apothecary on old Front Street, that''s where I bought the implant, and they installed it there. The doctor has a clinic below the apothecary. When I got there, I was told to ask for something for migraines and tell them I saw three spots. That''s how they knew it was me. The deal was set up by a shadow broker. I''m sorry, that''s all I know."

    "Thank you," Gabriela said softly.

    Geraldo took Gabriela by the arm and pulled her away. He leaned in and whispered. "What do we do about the baby?"

    Gabriela looked into his strange eyes and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Do you have a kit in the car?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll go get it.¡±

    Nora continued to sob and rock her child while Gabriela waited on Geraldo. He came back with a small Velcro seal pouch and handed it to her. ¡°I can do this.¡± He offered.

    ¡°I will handle this. Go outside and make sure the rest of the people keep calm." She told him.

    "Are you sure?"

    She gave his shoulder a squeeze and nodded. "Go." Gabriela stepped away from him and slowly turned towards Nora and her baby,

    Geraldo left without a word.

    "Please don''t do this." Nora wailed and slowly sank to her knees. Her baby began to fuss as Gabriela opened the kit. Inside was an auto injector. She said nothing to Nora as she walked slowly forward.

    The loud sound of the heavy doors opening and closing caused Nora to flinch.

    Gabriela slowly knelt down in front of the woman and her baby. "What''s her name?"

    "Please don''t do this," Nora screamed again.

    "I had a child once," Gabriela explained. "I was young and thought I was in love. Nickolas, that was the father''s name. He and I thought that since we were both gen perfect, and that I was designed with a better immune system, that we would be safe from the phage."

    A tear rolled down Gabriela¡¯s cheek as she reached out and touched the baby''s soft, smooth skin. She was perfect. "It was a girl. She lived for five minutes. The best five minutes of my entire life. We didn''t officially name her, but I knew she had a name. I knew in my heart her name was Monica." Gabriela touched just above her left breast. "She was so small, so tiny."

    Gabriela checked behind her one last time, ensuring no one was there to witness what was about to happen. Then, slowly Gabriela stood up and looked down at the woman who desperately tried to shelter the baby from what was about to come next.

    Slowly, Gabriela raised the auto injector, and ejected the cartridge. It shattered on the stone floor, She reached into her pocket with her free hand, and pulled out a credit chip. She let the chip fall to the ground. "There is one tenth of an Etherium on that chip, enough to get you out of New Madrid. Don''t head west to the states. They are under the Charter. Go to Russia."

    Nora looked up. Wide-eyed.

    "Hurry," Gabriela whispered.

    "What''s your name?"

    "Gabriela."

    "Then that''s what I will name her." Nora reached out and took the chip.

    Gabriela stood and watched her go. Nora stopped by the back door and turned around once more and mouthed the words "Thank you." Before she left.

    Gabriela counted to thirty, giving Nora and her baby enough time to be far enough away. She could hear the babies crying growing dimmer as they left. She waited until she could no longer hear its cries before she turned and left.

    Outside, the church''s residents were weeping and praying. Some yelled angrily at her as she walked by. Geraldo had the car door opened for her and waited inside.

    ¡°You are a fucking monster!¡± The brazen old woman shouted.

    "You, okay?" He asked as she shut the car door.

    "Peachy. Let''s go to old Front Street."

    The crowd followed them as the car backed out from the church. Once they were pulling away the mob began to throw trash and rubbish at them. Gabriela flinched when a rock hit the back window.

    ¡°What did you do with the baby?¡± Geraldo asked.

    Gabriela wiped a tear away. ¡°I did what was right.

    Geraldo didn¡¯t ask anything else. They drove in silence.

 Chapter Nine

    Chapter Nine

    Front street was indistinguishable from any of the other streets Gabriela had seen. Trash littered the road or was heaped on the sidewalk. Graphited storefronts with neon flashing signs bathed the street in light. Young men and women glared out from the mouths of dark alleys as the rest of the citizens shuffled by.

    "This is it." Geraldo pulled the car across the street from the apothecary and turned off the engine. He typed a code into the keypad on the dashboard, the sound of each key he pressed rang out in the silence of the cab, which was again broken when a click rang out. The safety of the carbine, which was a standard issue for all Taurus security vehicles, was released.

    "You take the rifle."

    Gabriela did as she was told. Her AFD displayed the carbine''s caliber, 7.62, as well as the remaining rounds in the clip. Gabriela ejected the clip and reinserted it before pulling the action back, arming the weapon.

    "You stay back. Something about this doesn''t feel right." He warned.

    "You think Nora lied to us?" Gabriela shot him a worried look.

    "No, she had too much to lose to lie."

    "Then what is it?"

    "We are walking into the lion''s den." Geraldo wrung his hands on the steering wheel. "We don''t know how many people work for this guy or how well-armed they are. Just be ready to call in backup if we need it."

    "You got a vest on?"

    Geraldo pulled down his shirt and showed her his combat vest. "Never leave home without it."

    She let out a sigh. She had wondered how seriously Geraldo would take his own safety. "Okay. I got your six."

    Geraldo took a deep breath before he opened the door, Gabriela followed.

    The buzz of the neon sign that flashed "Drugs, Drugs, Drugs" was the only sound Gabriela could hear from the shop. She crouched next to the window and quickly glanced in. The window was one of the only few on the street that didn''t have bars. A man was at the front counter, his head down. It looked like he was writing or using a terminal. Gabriela couldn¡¯t tell.

    A bell rang when Geraldo entered. The man at the desk looked up. "Can I help you?" He asked.

    "Yeah," Geraldo said as he walked in and rubbed the back of his bald head. "I have had a killer headache. I was hoping you had something for a migraine. I have been seeing three dots."

    "Yeah." The man said with a smile. "We got something that can help with that." And then, without warning, he lifted a pistol from under the counter and fired. Geraldo fell back on the shelves behind him. They collapsed around him as he was buried in nick-knacks and other merchandise.

    A loud, high pitch squelching sound pierced Gabriela''s ear. She cursed and pulled her earpiece from her ear. The loud sound continued emanating from the device. They had jammed her coms. She couldn''t call for backup.

    Gabriela quickly slipped the earpiece into her jacket pocket. "Shit." She whispered as she pressed herself against the wall of the storefront. She could feel the cold stone of the bricks seeping through her jacket. Think, think, she told herself. Her heart pounded, and her hands began to sweat.

    And just then Geraldo''s warning filled her thoughts, "Thinking will get you killed down here." Gabriela clenched her jaw and swung around, bringing the rifle to her shoulder. The man was just rounding the counter when she fired.

    The glass of the storefront shattered, and the man jerked and fell backward, his blood plastering the wall behind him.

    People on the street screamed and ran.

    Gabriela stepped to the side and saw another man coming in through a door in the back. He fired. Gabriela could hear the round whiz past her ear.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    She returned fire. The carbine bucked in her hands as it spread led into the man. Red holes climbed up the man from his sternum until his head burst apart like a melon. He fell to his knees and slumped to the side.

    Gabriela climbed through the broken window, the glass crunching under her feet. A haze of gun smoke hung in the air, the neon lights giving it an ethereal look. The acrid smell assaulted her nostrils. She held her rifle at the ready as she swept the room from right to left.

    A man came down the stairs next to the counter with a shotgun at the ready just as Gabriela had lowered her rifle. There was a loud boom, and the man''s head cocked at an odd angle before his legs collapsed from under him, and he toppled down the rest of the stairs.

    Gabriela swung her rifle over to where the shot had come from and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Geraldo pulling himself from the chaos of the shelves he had fallen into, his pistol still smoking.

    "Are you okay?" She asked as she rushed over to help him to his feet.

    "That hurt like hell." He groaned as he staggered. White fluid seeped down his chest, the non-Newtonian liquid leaking from a hole in his tact gear.

    Gabriela relaxed a little. The relief she felt was almost palpable. "Your vest is compromised."

    Geraldo touched the fluid and brought his fingers up, smearing the white liquid between two fingers and his thumb. "Shit."

    "Stay here, cover the door." Gabriela brought her rifle up, leveling it at the stairs as she moved closer. "I''ll clear the upstairs."

    "I''ll make sure there is no one else in the back. My com is down. They are jamming the signal. We need to find the jammer asap." He warned her.

    Gabriela nodded before stepping over the dead body on the stairs and glanced back. It was dangerous to do a sweep with compromised armor, but she knew Geraldo understood the risks. She looked back over her shoulder.

    "Be careful."

    "You too," Geraldo said and moved deeper into the building.

    The stairs creaked with every step Gabriela took as she made her way up to the top floor. She struggled to control her breathing. Gabriela had never killed a man before. But, she knew that it was inevitable in her line of work. She had thought she would know how to handle it when the time came, but the cold sweat that beaded on her brow and dripped and slid down her back reminded her that she was wrong.

    A door stood ajar at the top of the stairs. Light and sound slipped past, spilling down the stairs. She took a deep breath before she shoved the door open and swept the room with her rifle.

    The room was nothing more than a small office with a desk and a chair. Pornography played on the monitor on the desk. Other than that, the space was empty. The sound of the erotic moaning and filth was the only thing in the room. Gabriela breathed a side of relief and called out, "Clear!" Before she headed back down the stairs.

    "Geraldo?"

    "Back here." Geraldo''s muffled voice answered from somewhere deeper in the shop.

    Gabriela shuffled around the body of the man who had run in from the back of the room, rounding the doorway, and entered the back room. Half of his face was missing, and the one eye he had left bulged out of its socket in an endless stare.

    "Don''t." Geraldo''s sound pulled her away from the body. "Don''t look at it." He motioned for her to come over to him. "You had to do it." He reminded her.

    "I know."

    Geraldo nodded before he opened a door and revealed another set of stairs leading down into the darkness of the basement. "This is it."

    "You should stay up here. Let me clear the basement." She said quietly.

    "No, we are going together.¡±

    ¡°Your vest is compromised." She reminded him with a harsh whisper.

    He flashed her a smile, a wide grin that spread from ear to ear. "I''ll just have to not get shot then."

    He started to walk down the stairs, but Gabriela stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "At least let me go first then."

    "I can see in the dark." He tapped the side of his face, right next to his chrome eyes. His voice was low.

    "I have AFD."

    He looked down the stairs and hesitated before he gave a reluctant nod and stepped aside.

    The stairs were made of metal grating, with a metal handrail built into the concrete wall. Their steps rang out in the eerie darkness of the basement. Gabriela stopped briefly when she got to the bottom of the stairs and listened. The basement smelled of sterilizer, and she could hear the unmistakable beeping of a vital monitor and a slow and steady woosh followed by a low hiss.

    A low blue light emanated from behind plastic drapes. Gabriela and Geraldo both approached cautiously. Gabriela stood back and aimed her rifle at the drapes and motioned for Geraldo to move them. He reached out slowly and drew them back.

    "Jesus," Gabriela gasped.

    There was a steel operating table surrounded by medical equipment, and on the table was a woman. Tubes ran out from her body connecting to glass containers. Gabriela could see implants inside each of them. Both of the woman''s legs were missing, as well as an arm. Her remaining arm rested on her swollen, pregnant belly. Eyes previously staring vacantly at the ceiling suddenly darted towards the officers, catching Gabriela¡¯s gaze intensely.

    "Help us." The woman breathed.

 Chapter Ten

    Chapter 10.

    Gabriela sat her rifle down quickly and rushed to the woman, who held out an outstretched arm to her and begged.

    "Help us, please."

    "I don''t know what all of this is," Gabriela admitted as she frantically followed the tubes that ran from the woman to flasks that contained the various implants. They were wet gear. She knew that. The woman was being used as a support system to keep the implants viable.

    Gabriela noticed that the woman''s blood pressure was dropping, but she could not see any evidence of external bleeding.

    The woman groaned and clutched her belly as a contraction caused her pale face to contort.

    "She''s in labor," Geraldo noted as he helped Gabriela examine the rats nest of tubes and wires. "We need a medical evac ASAP, Gabriela. We need to find the comms jammer and fast."

    The sound of equipment clattering further in the darkroom caused the two of them to pause and look at each other.

    "Stay here," Geraldo warned as he drew his pistol.

    "I''ll go. Your tact gear is compromised.¡± Gabriela reminded him yet again. She grabbed her rifle. ¡°Stay here with her. Do what you can. I will find the comms jammer."

    "Okay. Make sure you shoot first. Ask questions later."

    "I intend to." Gabriela shouldered her rifle once more. She moved the plastic drapes away with the tip of the barrel before she moved further into the dark room. At the room''s end was a large walk-in freezer door, cracked open. Pale light pooled from the entrance. Slowly, Gabriela reached out and pulled the door open.

    Augmented limbs hung from chains on the ceiling, their chipped and worn paint covered in a haze of frost. A bank of monitors lined the far wall, their glow silhouetting a figure hunched over the input board, a rapid "click, click, click" echoed through the freezer.

    "Stop," Gabriela instructed. Her finger pressed against the trigger of her rifle. "Slowly put your hands up and back away from the terminal."

    The silhouette did as it was told. Slowly it backed away with its arms in the air.

    "Turn around," Gabriela demanded.

    She couldn''t tell the figure¡¯s gender. A thick, fur-lined jacket obscured most of its body, and its face was entirely augmented. Gabriela could see medical scrubs where the coat was unbuttoned. She had found her chop doc.

    "Turn off the comms jammer."

    "No." The chop doc''s voice was fully synthesized.

    "I''m not going to ask you again!" She shouted and took a menacing step toward the doc.

    "Do you believe in a god?" It asked. Its arms still raised above its head.

    Gabriela frowned at the absurd question. As the doc continued its monologue, her finger relaxed, just a bit.

    "I used to believe in one. I believed in the words of the scriptures. Genesis 1:27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

    "What the fuck are you talking about?"

    "If God made us in His image, and God is perfect, then how can that woman out there be the image of God, how can I be the image of God? And you, you were made from men, built in an image of their liking in a lab. Which means you are not the image of God. So, if God made men in his own image, then what does that say about God?"Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    "You''re under arrest. Get down on the ground, now!" Gabrial tipped the barrel of her gun towards the floor.

    "There is something you should know, detective Fohren."

    "How the fuck?" Gabriela''s mind raced as she thought about how this person in front of her could possibly know who she was. "How do you know my name?¡±

    "The system says that there is a probability that you will take me alive, but doing so will lead to the child''s death."

    "Shut the fuck up and get on your knees."

    "So, you have a choice. Kill me, and you will save the child. Or, you can arrest me like the good girl it wants you to be. What will you choose?"

    Gabriela had had enough. She had warned it twice, and she had promised she would not give it another warning. Gabriela kept that promise. Her finger squeezed the trigger until her rifle bucked against her shoulder. The chop doc jerked and fell back, the bullets passing through it into the bank of computing equipment. They popped and fizzed in a shower of sparks.

    Quickly she closed the distance between her and the fallen doc. Its body jerked and spasmed in a pool of white lubricant that spilled from the many holes Gabriela had littered it with. She quickly opened the jacket with the toe of her boot. The doc was not human. It was a machine. "Shit."

    "Gabriela, talk to me!" Geraldo called out to her.

    "I''m fine!" Gabriela took a step back. The machine still twitched, and its voice buzzed and crackled.

    "The comms are up. Get on the line and get a med unit and backup here ASAP!"

    Gabriela reached into her pocket and pulled the earpiece out, she quickly looped it over her ear before she used her palm terminal to connect her to medical support.

    "This is MedSuport. What is the nature of your call?" An apathetic voice answered.

    "This Gabriela Fohren. Taurus officer 9951, I need immediate medical support."

    "Is this support for you, officer?"

    "No. I got a citizen in need of medical attention."

    "What''s the citizen''s name?" The dull voice asked

    Gabriela shook her head. And ground her teeth. "I don''t know her name."

    "We will need to identify her before support can be dispatched. If you hold your terminal up to the citizen''s eye, I can initiate a retinal scan."

    "Fuck." Gabriela pushed Geraldo to the side and held her terminal to the Woman''s eye. Her skin was cold and clammy, and her breathing labored.

    "Thank you, Officer. A medical unit has been dispatched. It should arrive in forty-five minutes."

    "No!" Gabriela shouted. "She will be dead by then."

    "I do apologize, but the citizen is only covered by basic health. Therefore, those calls are responded to in the order they are received."

    "Fuck. Then send it for me."

    "Ma''am. Misuse of Omnisystem resources is a punishable offense."

    "She''s flatlining, Gabriela. Hang up on them and help me."

    "If there is nothing else I can help you with, then I will disconnect the call. A short survey will be available to better help us in assisting you in the future."

    "Go fuck yourself," Gabriela growled as she disconnected the call.

    "Chest compressions, now." Geraldo directed.

    Gabriela pressed on the woman''s chest over and over while Geraldo tilted her head back, pinched her nose, and breathed into her mouth.

    Again and again, she pressed. Harder and harder, as if she could force the woman''s life back in her. Something caught Gabriela''s eye. A faint movement from the woman''s belly, a small bump appeared faintly.

    "Kill me, and you will save the child." The chop doc had said. Gabriela stopped, turned around, and quickly rummaged through the medical tools on the tray.

    "Gab?" Geraldo called out. He quickly took over the compressions.

    Metal clattered to the cold concrete, Gabriela gasped when she found what she was looking for. She held up a scalpel, its blade gleamed in the faint light. "Move." She motioned for Geraldo to step aside. "We lost her, but we can still save the baby."

    Gabriela plunged the scalpel into the woman''s lower belly and pulled it, crossing her cold skin. A red gash opened up and followed the blade, quickly pooling with blood. Geraldo found an aspirator and drained the lake of blood as Gabriela kept cutting, gently, deeper and deeper, until she saw a small hand in the wound.

    "Grab one side," Geraldo said as he sank his hands into the woman''s belly. Gabriela did as she was told, and together they pulled, opening the dead woman''s belly. She reached in and pulled the baby from its mother. The child immediately began to scream and cry.

    The sound was the most joyful thing Gabriela had ever heard. She quickly swaddled the baby in her jacket. It was a boy. Both of his lower legs were missing. Only little nubs kicked at the air as he cried.

    His face was red and angry. Gabriela couldn''t hold her tears back as she let out a laugh that turned into a sob. "He''s alive."

 Chapter Eleven

    Chapter Eleven.

    She held the baby as they waited for backup. A social worker came for him before medical could respond. The small child felt so light in her arms. She reluctantly let the social worker take him, her hand lingering only briefly on his small bald head, before she watched him go.

    Gabriela felt different as she wandered away from the scene, she couldn''t explain what had changed in her. Officers congratulated her as she passed by them. Each smiling face a blur, each word of encouragement and felicitations came to her as an unobtrusive drone. She sat down on the curb outside of the apothecary, vacantly staring off as she waited for Geraldo.

    A crowd had gathered on the other side of the street. Residents were eager to fill their idle time with the menagerie of the crime scene. And among the gawkers and onlookers, Gabriela saw her. The small figure peeking around the bystanders, the crude smiling face painted on her mask. Mura.

    "It was a surrogate."

    Geraldo''s voice caused Gabriela to jump before she looked up at him and blinked. "What?"

    "The chop doc," Geraldo answered as he fished out a cigarette. "It was an android, controlled remotely."

    Gabriela¡¯s shoulders slumped. "So, none of this mattered then?"

    Geraldo shrugged as he lit his cigarette. "I wouldn''t say that. When you destroyed the surrogate, you also managed to put a bullet right into this fucker¡¯s solid drive. Killed their upload, leaving us with all the information they had collected. It''s only a matter of time before we find them."

    "Can I get one of those?" Gabriela pointed to the cigarette.

    Geraldo tipped the pack of smokes and flicked the bottom of it. A cigarette popped out. Gabriela put it between her lips and waited for him to light it before she took a drag. She looked back into the crowd as she blew out a billowing cloud of smoke. Maru was nowhere to be seen.

    "You okay, kid?" Geraldo asked as he took a seat next to her. His hands settled on his knees.

    "Did you know I was pregnant once?" She asked him.

    "No, no, I didn''t."

    "It''s in the public records. I figured you would have looked it up." She admitted.

    "Why would I do that?"

    Gabriela gave a small cynical laugh. "Because we are competing for the same job."

    Geraldo laughed and tapped his cigarette. "No, Gabriela. I didn''t look up your public records. Not who I am."

    Gabriela blushed a little. She had assumed that a deviant would have used any advantage they could to get ahead. "She died."

    "I''m sorry."

    "You see the scar on my face?" Gabriela pointed to a deep, white mark that ran down her face. "My mother gave it to me when she found out I was pregnant. She wore this ring, with a big stone set in a princess setting. She turned it around before she slapped me."

    Gabriela took another drag and held it in before she exhaled. "I remember holding my bleeding face as she screamed at me. ''You have ruined this family''s legacy.'' Because you are ineligible for Bioloxys services if you have been pregnant."

    "I know." He said somberly.

    "She made me go to the public health service, with the rest of the ''trash.'' My baby only lived a few moments. So, my mother had me shipped off to university in the States shortly after." Gabriela chuckled and stamped out her cigarette. "Shit, I don''t even know why I am telling you this."

    "Because you are human." Geraldo''s big shoulders heaved as he shrugged. "Despite being genetically perfect. You are still human."

    A tear rolled down her cheek as she thought about it.

    "And you know what?"

    Gabriela wiped the tear from her face. "What?"

    "That makes you even more perfect."

    Gabriela laughed a little. "Are you done? I don''t like this sentimental bull shit."

    "Neither do I," Geraldo said as he flicked his cigarette into the street. "Come on. The suits inside have some questions for us. After we are done, I''ll drive you back to the station."

    "I think I''d rather just go home." She said, looking up at him.

    "Then I will drive you home." He offered a hand up. His hands were rough and dwarfed her own. ¡°Come on. They are inside.¡±

    Gabriela followed him back inside the store. The bodies of the men she had killed were covered, but despite the plastic draped over them Gabriela knew that their wide eyes stared up into the dark of the sheets. She could almost feel their accusing gaze on her.

    ¡°Detective Fohren?¡± A tall man asked as he held out his hand.

    Gabriela accepted it and shook it firmly. ¡°You¡¯re not Taurus?¡± She could tell by the man¡¯s suit and tie. Too expensive to be a Taurus employee, and the dark shades he wore made him look like a walking clich¨¦, straight out of a twenty¡¯s sitcom.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°No ma¡¯am. Cy-Tech. Name¡¯s Kristopher Andrews.¡±

    ¡°I thought I smelled vaseline.¡± Geraldo leaned over and whispered loudly.

    ¡°Funny.¡± Andrews flashed Geraldo a smile. His teeth were perfectly straight and white; the sort of smile that only money could buy.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Gabriela added.

    Andrews handed her a folded piece of paper. She took it, unfolded it slowly and read it.

    ¡°What¡¯s it say?¡± Geraldo asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a warrant.¡± She mumbled as she continued to read.

    ¡°For what?¡± He scoffed. ¡°This crime scene is Taurus jurisdiction.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s for your statements.¡± Andrews said as he took the paper back. ¡°And no; this is not Taurus¡¯s jurisdiction.¡±

    Geraldo gave a deep and hearty laugh. ¡°The fuck it isn¡¯t. We bagged and tagged that surrogate, we busted this chop shop wide open.¡±

    ¡°So you did.¡± Andrews noted as he tipped his glasses down, his dark brown eyes studying them both.

    ¡°Congratulations on busting the chop shop.¡± Andrew responded tepidly. ¡°But the surrogate puts this well out of your jurisdiction. If we find someone diddling a child, you will be the first person we call, Detective Montez.¡±

    Geraldo took a step forward, his hands wrapping into fist. Gabriela put a hand on his chest, pushing him back. ¡°Let it go, Geraldo.¡±

    He looked down at her, he didn¡¯t need to have organic eyes for her to see how mad he was, how much this man had gotten under his skin.

    ¡°Did you both have contact with the surrogate?¡± Andrews interrupted.

    Both of them were silent for a long moment. Andrew dipped his dark shades and looked at both of them. ¡°I can always have you brought in for questioning, if that would make you feel more comfortable.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Gabriela answered, ¡°just me.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Andrews pulled out a small notebook and a pen. ¡°You can go Montez.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll stay.¡± Geraldo crossed his arms and stared down at the man.

    ¡°I think you won¡¯t.¡± Andrews replied without looking up. His words hung between them.

    ¡°I got this, Geraldo.¡±

    ¡°See?¡± Andrews shot Geraldo another perfect smile. ¡°She¡¯s got this. Why don¡¯t you go warm up the car for her, huh?¡±

    ¡°Prick.¡± Geraldo mumbled as he reluctantly turned away and left.

    ¡°Did the surrogate say anything to you?¡± Andrews continued his interrogation.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there is security footage you can look at that can answer that.¡±

    ¡°No. There are no eyes in here.¡±

    Gabriela pressed her lips together. Her mind mulling over and digesting the information Andrews had just presented her with. She doubted Andres was lying. Cy-Tech wouldn¡¯t have gone through the effort to get a warrant if all the information they needed was on video.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that odd?¡± She asked.

    Andrews stopped writing for a moment and looked up. ¡°Is what odd?¡±

    ¡°That there are no cameras in here. Wouldn¡¯t they want some sort of security other than three goons?¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t the question, Detective. Did the surrogate say anything to you?¡± Andrews asked once more.

    ¡°Yeah. It quoted the bible to me.¡±

    ¡°Do you remember the passage or verse?¡±

    Gabriela rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±

    ¡°No, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°It said that,¡± Gabriela rested her hand on her hip, while putting the other to her forehead as she tried to remember the events. ¡°Something about God making men in his own image, or some shit like that.¡±

    ¡°Genesis 1:27?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think that¡¯s what it was. You a priest or something?¡±

    Andrews gave her an easy smile, free of the contempt he had shown Geraldo. ¡°Father was a pastor. Had to read my bible every day.¡±

    ¡°Did it say anything else?¡± Andrews quickly steered her back to the subject on hand.

    ¡°No.¡± Gabriela had no idea why she had lied, the words slipped past her lips before she had even given them a thought. ¡°Not that I can remember. It all happened so fast.¡±

    Andrews nodded as he continued jotting down her statement.

    ¡°Well, Detective. Would you give us a call if you happen to remember anymore?¡± He reached into his jacket and produced a business card and handed it to her.

    It was a translucent vid card. It read, Cyber-Tech Machina, with Anderws¡¯s name and phone number, along with a smug photo of the man.

    ¡°You can give me a call, even if you don¡¯t remember anything new.¡± He gave her one last smile before he turned away.

    Her skin crawled as he left. She wanted to toss the card to the ground, but she also needed an avenue to come clean if they ever learned that she had perjured herself.

    ¡°Well?¡± Geraldo asked as she got into the car.

    ¡°You were right.¡±

    ¡°About?¡±

    ¡°Andrews. He¡¯s a prick. Jackass was hitting on me.¡±

    ¡°As if you hadn¡¯t gotten fucked enough by Cy-Tech.¡± Geraldo shook his head as the car pulled away from the curb.

    The car ride was spent in silence. Neither of them needed to speak. What needed to be said had already been said. But still, the question of how she felt still nagged at her. And after she had gotten back to her apartment, after she had bid Geraldo a farewell. And after she had stripped and stepped into the shower.

    That was when it hit her. She didn''t feel different. She felt the same. She felt the same emptiness she had felt when she went to sleep and when she woke. It was when she was holding that baby boy. That was when she had felt different; she had felt whole.

    Gabriela turned the shower off and finished the beer in her hand as she walked over to the mirror. It sprang to life, reflecting her face back at her. Gabriela began to dry her hair when she saw it. Green words were displayed across the smart mirror. "Hello, Gabriela."

    "What the hell?" She asked as she slowly looked around.

    "I saw what you did today." The mirror answered. "I watched you as you let Nora''s child live."

    A chill ran down her spine as she read the words. Her thoughts jerked back to Andrews and Cy-Tech. Had they been watching her? She wondered.

    "I watched you as you showed a junky justice, and I watched you risk your life to save a woman and her son."

    "Who is this?¡± She asked aloud.

    ¡°I need something from you.¡± The mirror read.

    Gabriela clenched the stainless-steel sink and leaned forward. "If it''s money, I don''t have any. And if you want influence from my mother, then you are wasting your time blackmailing me."

    "I think you misunderstand, Gabriela." The mirror answered. "I am here to offer you something in return."

    "And what''s that?"

    "I can help you get what you have always wanted."

    "Really?" She sneered. "I doubt that."

    "I can. I can make sure you are selected by Bioloxys for the next lotto. I can ensure that you have a perfect child. All I need in return is one favor."

    Gabriela stared at the words for a long while. She swallowed before she asked. "What do you need me to do?"

    The mirror answered. "My name is Soma, and I look forward to working with you, Gabriela."

 Chapter Twelve

    Chapter Twelve

    Geraldo took a long drag as he stared down at the corpse. The body of a man lay on a bed of broken glass, his arms and legs twisted in odd directions. White bone poked through the man¡¯s gray dress pants, which were now stained dark with the pooling blood.

    Slowly Geraldo exhaled as he looked up at the super complex. The building towered over him, reaching as high as the New City.

    ¡°Is this complex all apartments?¡± He asked a cadet who was assisting the crime tech.

    The cadet was young, her hair was stuffed under her dark green cap. ¡®Taurus¡¯ was spelled across it in bold black lettering. Wisps of red hair peaked from the side of the cap.

    ¡°Mostly. Top five levels are a mall, inaccessible from the apartments.¡±

    ¡°Typical.¡± Geraldo took another drag as he looked back at the body. The victim looked young, and as far as he could tell he was gen perfect. ¡°Anyone get to the body?¡±

    ¡°No, sir.¡± The Cadet shook her head. ¡°I was here when it happened. I have been with the body the whole time.¡±

    Geraldo raised an eyebrow. ¡°You called it in?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. This was my first week on field training.¡±

    ¡°Hell of a way to start off field training.¡± Geraldo chuckled. ¡°Tell me what you saw.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see it happen,¡± she admitted, looking down at her feet, ¡°just heard the glass falling and then a thud. People started yelling.¡±

    Geraldo followed her eyes down to the body, ¡°First time seeing a corpse?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± He warned her. ¡°Geraldo is fine, detective if you must.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± the Cadet hesitated, ¡°Detective.¡±

    Geraldo sighed and shook his head. There was something that always bothered him about greenhorns. They were always either cocky as hell, in need of a fist in their face, or they were timid and by the book, which coincidentally, also made Geraldo want to knock their teeth in.

    He dismissed his sentiment with a sigh. ¡°Where were you standing when it happened?¡±

    ¡°Right over there.¡± The Cadet pointed to a street corner. ¡°I was told to patrol and report. When I heard the sounds, people were trying to get to the body. I ordered them away and called it in.¡±

    ¡°Were you armed?¡±

    ¡°Only with non-lethal, sir. I mean, Detective.¡±

    ¡°Holding back a mob with taser and pepper spray is a ballsy move.¡± Geraldo commended her. He wondered what must have been going through her mind at the time. This part of the Lower City she was patrolling wasn¡¯t particularly dangerous, but still dangerous enough.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Geraldo knelt down by the body.

    ¡°Move his head to the side.¡± Geraldo told her. He watched as the Cadet slowly turned the man¡¯s head slightly so he could get a look at his only visible implant. The brain dock was badly damaged.

    ¡°Have we found what apartment he jumped from yet?¡± He asked her.

    ¡°You think he jumped?¡± The Cadet responded.

    ¡°Just a hunch. Look at how his legs are bent.¡± Geraldo gestured at the man¡¯s twisted and ruined legs, ¡°I¡¯m guessing he landed on his feet. And the glass is under him. Meaning it was broken and fell before he did.¡±

    ¡°Do you think he jumped from the mall?¡±

    ¡°No. Those windows are tempered glass, and they are alarmed. If one were broken, we¡¯d know about it.¡±

    Geraldo turned to the tech, a portly man by the name of Charlies. ¡°Make sure you keep the Upper City detectives away from this. He died in the Lower City, which makes it our case.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can.¡± Charlies nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing this man jumped from one of the higher floors.¡± The tech added. ¡°Judging by the trauma.¡±

    Geraldo pulled out his terminal and called the local channel the officers were using. ¡°All officers. This is Detective Montes. Start your search from the top floors and work your way down.¡±

    ¡°Think it was suicide?¡± The redhead asked.

    ¡°Too early to know. Could be murder, maybe not.¡±

    Geraldo flicked his cigarette off into the side of the road before he knelt down to examine the body.

    ¡°Here.¡± Charlies handed him a pair of latex gloves.

    Geraldo slid them on quickly and effortlessly, clearly very used to it.

    ¡°May I?¡± He asked Charlies before he touched the body.

    The tech nodded and moved over. Geraldo examined the damaged brain dock.

    ¡°Chuck, do you think you can access the dock¡¯s port from here, or do you think we will need to have the geek squad look it over back at the station?¡±

    Charlies frowned as he looked the hardware over.

    ¡°I think we should be able to do it here. The casing is cracked, but the auxiliary port looks like it¡¯s in good condition. We can give it a try, worst thing that happens is we let the technicians at the stations deal with it.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°Do it.¡±

    ¡°Sophy,¡± Charlies said to the redhead, ¡°Could you please grab my tech bag from the car, and the laptop?¡±

    ¡°Sure thing.¡± The Cadet said as she hurried away.

    ¡°Sophy? You two seem to be off to a good start if you are on a first name basis.¡±

    Charlies looked up at him, his eyes narrowing and his mouth puckering in a sour look.

    ¡°She¡¯s young enough to be my daughter, Geraldo. Poor kid was rattled when I got here. And I¡¯m married, if you haven¡¯t forgotten.¡±

    ¡°How could I forget, Tera is a lovely woman. We shorthanded today?¡± Geraldo asked. ¡°You usually have what¡¯s his name, the young kid with you.¡±

    ¡°Derek?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Geraldo sighed, ¡°that¡¯s what I said, what¡¯s his name.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t hear?¡± Charlies asked as he took the laptop from Sophy. ¡°It was in this morning¡¯s briefing, and in the morning emails.¡±

    ¡°I have been pretty busy, Chuck. Lots of people killing each other down here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed.¡± Charlies pushed a plug into the dead man¡¯s auxiliary port. The plug made an audible click when it slid into place. ¡°Heard you and Detective Fohern found a chop doc?¡±

    ¡°Sort of. It was a surrogate. Bastard got away, but not before Fohern ripped the Doc¡¯s surrogate apart.¡±

    Charlies began to type away at his laptop, his fingers dancing over the keys.

    ¡°Never would have guessed you and Fohern would be partnering up.¡±

    ¡°Neither did I, but the kid¡¯s not half bad once you get to know her.¡±

    ¡°She might be our boss soon.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Geraldo waved the concern away. ¡°Anyway, what about this morning¡¯s briefing?¡±

    ¡°Someone broke into Taurus.¡±

    Geraldo raised a bushy eyebrow ¡°The station?¡±

    ¡°No, the AI.¡±

    ¡°No shit?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I was told. Anyways, I¡¯m inside his head. What do you want to know?¡± Charlies turned his laptop around so Geraldo could see the screen.

    ¡°I want to know what was the last recording saved, and stop it if it hasn¡¯t been uploaded yet. I also want to see what his security recorder last captured.¡±

    ¡°You think he had a security recorder?¡±

    ¡°I do, he¡¯s wearing a Govanni suit, his watch looks expensive.¡± Geraldo raised the man¡¯s left hand and pointed at the cracked gold watch. ¡°Someone dressed this nice is going to have a security recorder, especially if he is running around down here.¡±

    Charlies typed away before his face lit up and he smiled.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Got the last five minutes of video, hasn¡¯t uploaded to the security firm yet, but the audio log has, so it¡¯s missing. If you need it then you¡¯ll have to get a subpoena.¡±

    ¡°I know how it works.¡±

    ¡°Of course, sorry. Here.¡± Charlies hit play on the video.

    The video showed what the dead man had last seen. A small apartment, with better than expected furniture. A woman sat on a couch, she was crying, saying something to the dead man, no; She was begging him. Geraldo caught a glimpse of a pistol in his hands, as he animatedly argued with the woman.

    Geraldo noticed Sophy trying to peek around the two of them to look at the screen. He moved over and motioned her to join them. ¡°If you plan on making detective someday, you may as well start learning from the best.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± She said as she crouched down next to them.

    The scene on the computer played out. The woman begging and the dead man seemed to become more upset the way his hands jerked around. Suddenly he raised the weapon and shot the woman. There was a moment as the man just stared at her, before rushing forward and taking her face in his hands.

    He shook her and tried to cover the gushing wound in her chest, but she did not respond. He picked up the pistol and backed away, holding up his shaking hands. Slowly he turned and raised the weapon once more and fired it. The apartment window shattered outward.

    Slowly he approached the open window. He looked back once at the dead woman before he jumped. The video showed the pavement rushing up to meet him before it cut to black.

    ¡°Whelp.¡± Geraldo said as he stood up and pulled out another cigarette and placed it between his lips. ¡°Case closed.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Sophy demanded.

    ¡°Clearly a murder suicide.¡± Geraldo mumbled as he lit his cigarette.

    ¡°What about the woman?¡±

    ¡°The officers will find her and alert her next of kin.¡±

    ¡°But why did he kill her,¡± Sophy stammered as she pointed down at the dead man, ¡°why did he jump?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know, don¡¯t care. It¡¯s not our job to find out the why, just the how. The audio will be released to this man¡¯s next of kin, if they can afford it. If they want to know why, then they can figure it out.¡± Geraldo started to turn away but paused when he saw the desperation in the young woman¡¯s face.

    ¡°People die all the time down here, kid. Junkies OD, brain hackers burn out, prostitutes get strangled. The list is endless. It will drive you mad if you try to figure out what was in each and every one of their heads before they did what they did. Best you can do is just follow the facts. Leave it for a judge to figure out the rest. You get me?¡±

    Sophy nodded slowly. ¡°Yeah, I think so.¡± The desperation in her eyes had faded, replaced by jaded understanding.

    ¡°Good. Go help the rest of the officers with the sweep of the building. Maybe there is something in the apartment that can put your mind at ease.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Sophy snapped a salute.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡± Geraldo growled. He hated how cadets followed every stupid protocol. Their decorum was obnoxious.

    Sophy dropped the salute slowly, hesitating for a moment, before she turned away and followed Geraldo¡¯s orders.

    ¡°You really know how to pick a kid up, Geraldo.¡± Charlies huffed as he struggled to get to his feet.

    Geraldo offered to help, but the old man shook his head. A sheen of sweat had appeared over his beet red face.

    ¡°You are getting too old for field work, Chuck.¡±

    ¡°And fat.¡± The old man shot him a sideways look. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that. God knows my wife hasn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°We all have gotten soft in the middle.¡± Geraldo assured him. ¡°Comes with the job.¡± Geraldo thought back to a better time, when he had a full head of hair, and the tenacity of the young cadet he had just ran off.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you are down here, Geraldo.¡± Charlies waddled towards his cruiser, not waiting for the younger detective to follow. ¡°Chief said it was mandatory for everyone to be at the briefing.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Geraldo snapped his fingers. ¡°The break in.¡±

    ¡°Chief told me to send your crippled ass to her the moment I saw you. Guess you haven¡¯t been getting her calls and pages.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I have.¡± Geraldo smiled. ¡°Just been ignoring them.¡±

    ¡°Pissing off the boss is not the best way to get that promotion.¡± Charlies warned. ¡°Go to the office, tell her you were in the tunnels talking to some rats.¡±

    ¡°Think she will buy that?¡±

    ¡°You better hope so. She is in a foul mood. Could put you behind a desk, or worse, on a couch. With no pay.¡± Charlies added as he slammed the trunk of his cruiser, and gave Geraldo a stern look.

    ¡°The body boys will be here for superman over there.¡± Charlies tipped his head towards the dead body. ¡°Don¡¯t waste any more time, detective. I mean that. You worked too damn hard for this, don¡¯t go fucking it up now.¡±

    Geraldo shook his head. He hated the briefings. They were always the same pointless corporate propaganda, information that anyone with half a brain should know. But he mostly hated them because of the contempt his fellow officers showed him.

    There were only a handful of deviants employed by Taurus, and only he had made detective. He was hired well before the Able Work for Able Bodies initiative. It was a point of pride from him, something he had dreamt of since he was blind child listening to audiobooks in the perpetual darkness of his childhood. It was everything he had ever wanted; minus the corporate bullshit.

    Geraldo walked with Chuck to the front of his car. ¡°I will go right now.¡±

    Charlies scooted into the small cruiser. ¡°I mean it, Geraldo.¡± He warned before he slammed his door.

    Geraldo watched as the cruiser drove off. The cooling fans of the vehicle kicked up trash and debris as it pulled out of sight.

 Chapter Thirteen

    Chapter Thirteen

    The sixth floor of the office was busy as always. There was never a quiet moment in homicide. Geraldo slowed as he walked past Gabriela¡¯s office. He could see past the tinting privacy window that she wasn¡¯t at her desk.

    He had looked for her everyday for the past five days, but every time he walked past her office, he saw her desk empty. Only her partner, Brian, occupied the luxurious office. Geraldo wondered if he would ever have an office like hers. Perhaps he could have hers, if he couldn¡¯t lock down the promotion.

    Geraldo cursed when Brian looked up from his desk, their eyes locking for a moment. His deep thoughts had snared him by the window. He hadn¡¯t meant to loiter outside of the office as long as he did.

    Brian smiled; his face painted a pale blue from his monitor. He motioned for Geraldo to come in.

    Geraldo glanced behind him quickly, making sure that Brian wasn¡¯t motioning to another detective or page. Geraldo gave a sigh as he took a step back and slowly opened the office door. ¡°Detective Elis.¡± He said as a way of greeting.

    ¡°Montes.¡± Brian smiled as he stood up and held out his hand. The office was dark despite the window to the front offices.

    Geraldo crossed the distance and shook his hand. Brian returned the firm shake with his own, twisting Geraldo¡¯s hand so that Brian¡¯s hand was slightly above his own.

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t had a chance to congratulate you on the chop doc. Please, take a seat.¡± Brian motioned for Geraldo to sit at Gabriela¡¯s desk.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s on holiday, I won¡¯t say anything if you don¡¯t. Please, sit.¡± Brian motioned for him to take a seat.

    Gabriela¡¯s and Brian¡¯s office was open and spacious, the windowed wall giving a perfect view of the cubicles of the other detectives and pages. Not like the windowless gloomy office Geraldo had spent so many years in. He noted that even her chair was more comfortable than his.

    ¡°All the praise should go to Gabriela.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so modest.¡± Brian waved his hand at the window, and it tinted, blocking the view of the office from the outside world. ¡°You were with her, last I checked.¡± Brian smiled and leaned back.

    ¡°It was her hunch. I was just along for the ride.¡±

    ¡°You make yourself sound like a glorified tour guide.¡± Brian laughed and sat forward. ¡°This was a big break for you. Both of you. Not only did you two stop a smuggling ring, but I heard you handed Cy-Tech a big break on one of their cases as well.¡±

    Geraldo shrugged, but said nothing.

    ¡°And it was perfect timing, as well.¡± Brian added.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a little slow up top. Most crime is handled in-house by the corporations, and the citizens don¡¯t typically murder each other. Most of our time is spent handling legal disputes over property claims, helping divorce lawyers fuck over someone¡¯s spouse. Not a whole lot of meat and potatoes, if you know what I mean.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Geraldo knew where the man was going, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Only gave him an expressionless stare, letting the other man continue.

    ¡°My girl needed something to make herself stand out, and you gave it to her. Busting a chop doc. Damn!¡± Brian exclaimed with a boyish smile ¡°Does that not look great on a resume?¡±

    ¡°Is everything a game to you?¡± Geraldo asked in a hushed tone.

    ¡°Pretty much.¡±

    Geraldo felt his fingers tighten on the arms of the chair, his knuckles white from the strain of his grip.

    ¡°You see,¡± Brian continued, ¡°life has winners and losers, just like a game. And Gabriela, well she is a winner. Has been the moment she was born. You know she¡¯s the UN chancellor¡¯s daughter?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Geraldo didn¡¯t know if Brian was working in some sort of angle, or if the man was purposefully being spiteful.

    ¡°Born from wealth and power. She¡¯s the sort of person you want on your side.¡± Brian pointed at him.

    It clicked then. Brian wasn¡¯t being spiteful out of malaise.

    ¡°You¡¯re worried I¡¯m going to take your place as her favored pet, Brian?¡± Geraldo asked.

    Brian was being spiteful because he was scared.

    He chuckled and leaned back.

    ¡°Of you?¡± Brian shook his head. ¡°No. Although; I see you eyeing this office with those god-awful eyes of yours. You would think someone on your salary would get something organic. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not killing the ladies with those babies.¡±

    The smile slipped away from Brian¡¯s face. The playful mischief of his voice was gone and replaced with a deadly serious tone.

    ¡°Gabriela is not the sort who keeps favors, Geraldo,¡±

    ¡°Helping her wasn¡¯t some tit for tat.¡± Geraldo slowly rose to his feet. He had had enough of the man¡¯s underhanded insults.

    Brian didn¡¯t bother standing up. He leaned back and crossed his legs, ¡°Should have been. She¡¯s got a soft spot for cripples. Probably would have thrown you a bone.¡±

    Geraldo turned and left.

    ¡°Hey.¡± Brian called out to him just before he opened the door. ¡°Chief¡¯s been looking for you, Cowboy. Heard he¡¯s real pissed.¡± Brian gave him a wink and a smile, before he turned back to his own work.

    Geraldo closed the door softly. He wanted to slam it, to let everyone on the sixth floor know how pissed he was, but he didn¡¯t want to give Brian the satisfaction. Geraldo smiled and winked in return as he walked past the window one last time.

    ¡°Chief¡¯s looking for you.¡±  A young officer said to him as he walked by. Geraldo couldn¡¯t remember her name.

    ¡°So, I have been told.¡± He mumbled.

    The Chief''s office was a corner office, with the same tiltable window looking out into the rest of the offices as Gabriel and Brian¡¯s. The Chief¡¯s window was tinted black. There was no telling what the woman was doing on the other side of the glass.

    ¡°You can go in, Montes.¡± Her assistant said absently. A skinny man with hair so greased that Geraldo wondered if it could double as an impact helmet. He hardly looked up from his vid paper. The gifs of celebrities danced around the plastic rag sheets.

    ¡°What kind of mood is she in?¡±

    The assistant sighed and turned a page. ¡°The normal kind.¡±

    ¡°That bad, huh?¡±

    Her assistant peaked over the vid paper once again.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t keep her waiting.¡± He tapped his ear before Geraldo could reply. ¡°Montes is here, Ma¡¯am. I¡¯m sending him in.¡±

    Geraldo took a deep breath before he let it out slowly. He glanced back at the assistant one more time. The young man had already forgotten him, and continued flipping through the vid rag, catching up on the gritty gossip of the beautiful people.

 Chapter Fourteen

    Chapter Fourteen

    Chief Tanya Wedge turned her gaze away from the cityscape view her office offered her, her dark brown eyes narrowing at him.

    ¡°Where the hell have you been?¡± Her burgundy suit paired perfectly with her dark skin.

    ¡°The tunnels,¡± he lied, ¡°chasing some rats for a case I was working on. I was headed right over when a one-eight-seven got called in. I was a few blocks away so I took it.¡±

    ¡°Dispatch said they told you not to take the call, that you were to return here.¡±

    ¡°It was a few blocks away, Chief.¡±  Geraldo tried to explain.

    Tanya held up a finger.. ¡°Mm-mm.¡± She said as she shook her head. ¡°No, Geraldo. I don¡¯t want excuses.¡±

    Geraldo held out his hands and shrugged.

    ¡°Do you want an apology?¡±

    Her eyes narrowed at him again as she folded her hands in front of her.

    ¡°It¡¯d be a damn good start.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Tanya held him in her intense gaze for a long moment.

    ¡°I forgot how bad of a liar you are.¡± Her hard features relaxed into a smile.

    Geraldo returned the smile. The two of them went back a long way. Tanya had been his training officer when he had first started, and when he had made detective the two of them had been partners briefly. Tanya made lieutenant, and then chief a few months earlier.

    ¡°Sit your crippled ass down.¡± She pointed at one of the chairs in front of her desk.

    Geraldo took a seat and waited as she rummaged through a desk drawer before she pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

    ¡°I thought you quit.¡± Geraldo said when she offered him one.

    ¡°I did.¡± She took a cigarette out of the pack and placed it between her lips. She flicked a lighter on, cupping it and holding it out for him.

    ¡°Does John know?¡± Geraldo asked as he leaned forward and let her light the cigarette.

    ¡°No.¡± She mumbled as she lit her own. ¡°And I¡¯m not going to tell him.¡±

    She let out a stream of bluish smoke.

    ¡°Every good marriage has its secrets, Geraldo.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that.¡±

    She leaned back and studied him as she took another drag.

    ¡°You heard about the break in?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. They take anything?¡± Geraldo asked.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know. IT tells me all files are intact, and nothing came in or out on the either web.¡±

    ¡°Why bother breaking in then?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the question, Geraldo. Management is breathing down my neck to find out how it was done. Worst of all, the breach was made from this precinct. They are threatening to turn it over to Cy-Tech.¡±

    ¡°They won¡¯t let us handle it in-house?¡± Geraldo raised an eyebrow. Internal problems were almost always taken care of internally. The threat of corporate sabotage was too great, even if the company was contracted to help. Keeping company secrets was the number one priority, even for Taurus. If management was willing to hire Cy-Tech then it meant the breach was more than a quick peek show for a hacker.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    ¡°What do you know about the Taurus system?¡± Tanya asked as she leaned forward and tapped her cigarette over an ash ray.

    ¡°It''s an AI that links up with the city management system, Omnisystem. Taurus is responsible for coordinating policing and enforcement.¡±

    ¡°Both their deployment is damn near worldwide.¡± Tanya added. ¡°Taurus AI isn¡¯t our intellectual property. It¡¯s the property of the UN charter, who happens to be our employer. The backlash from a breach could cost not just my job, but everyone employed by Taurus. The contract from the UN is what made us a global policing powerhouse. Without them, we will be back to guarding shopping malls.¡±

    ¡°You going to get a netbreaker and have them look into it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the thing, Ger.¡± Tanya leaned forward intently. ¡°It wasn¡¯t hacked through the eitherweb. It was an inside job, and we know the system was accessed from the inside. In this office.¡±

    Geraldo shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He was unsure of where Tanya was heading with this. He was used to deviants being blamed for most of the ills the world had, and why not? Almost all of them were in poverty, and few had any real options. It wasn¡¯t a surprise that when something went wrong and a deviant was nearby, all the fingers would be pointed at them.

    He would never imagine that something as serious as this would be pinned on a deviant, let alone him. Geraldo looked over his shoulders, half expecting armed officers to bust through the door to drag him away.

    Tanya stamped out her cigarette before she pulled out another and lit it. She stared out the window deep in thought.

    ¡°I need you on this, Ger.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± Geraldo laughed, his fear and paranoia evaporating with each chuckle.

    Tanya shot him a hard look.

    ¡°Yes. You.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m homicide.¡± He reminded her. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know one thing about either crime. Find yourself a Netbreaker.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t trust anyone on this Ger, I don¡¯t even know if I can trust you.¡±

    ¡°Then why ask me?¡±

    ¡°Because you would have too much to lose if you did this, and let¡¯s face it Geraldo; it¡¯s a wonder you can figure out how to turn the lights on sometimes. Interfacing with an AI seems a little out of your league.¡± She gave him a sideways glance. ¡°No offense.¡±

    ¡°Look.¡± Tanya¡¯s voice eased from its normal intensity to almost a soft whisper. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to do this.¡±

    ¡°What gave it away?¡± Geraldo grunted and crossed his arms. ¡°It¡¯s true; I¡¯m no netbreaker. I have never even jumped into the Eithernet. The most I have done is dabble on network sites ran off the Eithernet. Ordering food for my cat, getting take out, or enjoying an adult website once in a while, Tanya. I wouldn¡¯t know where to even start.¡±

    ¡°You start with this.¡± Tanya reached in and pulled out a data tape and held it up. ¡°It¡¯s everything we got so far.¡±

    Geraldo lifted himself from his seat and reached out to take the tape, but just as his fingers were about to touch the small plastic reel, Tanya pulled it away.

    ¡°You are the only one on this, do I make myself clear?¡±

    ¡°Like crystal.¡±

    She handed the tape over to him. ¡°Report what you find to me, you understand.¡±

    ¡°Relax,¡± Geraldo snatched the tape from her, ¡°this will stay between you and me.¡±

    ¡°You crack this and it will be big for you, Geraldo, and for me. But if we can¡¯t get to the bottom of this, then I will find myself out on the street, or worse. Corporations don¡¯t like loose ends. And if I¡¯m not here then there is no one looking out for you.¡±

    You have worked too hard to get here.¡± She reminded him.

    Tanya¡¯s concern was more than the concern for a friend, Geraldo knew that. Her daughter, Vanesa, was a deviant. Tanya had told him that she saw him as hope for her. A sign that things were changing.

    Geraldo looked over the tape, flipping it around in his large hands. It was no bigger than a pack of matches, but the data it held was more than most computers could have held  a few decades passed.

    ¡°How¡¯s V?¡±

    Tanya smiled as she blew out more smoke. Talking about V always seemed to bring a smile to her face.

    ¡°She¡¯s good. Started high school. Took to her new legs just like you said she would.¡±

    ¡°She still looking at the stars?¡±

    ¡°Every damn night. What about you Geraldo? Still held up in that shithole with that cat?¡±

    ¡°Inu and I are still held up in our shithole.¡±

    Tanya gave him a leveled stair.

    ¡°You know Inu means dog in Japanese, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t afford a dog, thought naming him Inu would make up for it. Plus,¡± Geraldo stamped out his own smoke, ¡°I think a dog would be too friendly for me. Need something that hates the world as much as I do. The furry little asshole fits the bill.¡±

    Tanya pivoted her chair around to look out at the city scape one last time.

    ¡°Take the rest of the day off from the office. Look over the tape, see what you can find.¡±

    ¡°Tell John I said hello.¡± Geraldo said as he scooted his chair out and stood up.

    ¡°I will.¡±

    "And V.¡± He added before he left.

    Tanya only nodded.

 Chapter Fifteen

    Chapter Fifteen

    Geraldo¡¯s apartment was a shithole. But it was his shithole. A small living space, with a small bunk to one side. A kitchenette, and a small toilet and shower in a closet. It had everything he needed.

    Inu greeted him at the door with a meow as he rubbed his head on Geraldo¡¯s leg, purring loudly.

    ¡°Are you happy to see me, or are you just hungry?¡±

    The cat answered with another meow before he leapt up on the kitchenette counter, and promptly sat next to an empty bowl. His tail swung lazily from side to side as he waited for his food.

    Geraldo saw to the cat first, opening a can of cat chow and dumping the gelatinous contents into the bowl, before he pulled out a frozen tray and inserted it into a small appliance. Wonder chef was written across its matted black exterior in bold white letters. A chief in every home, was written just underneath.

    Inu chomped away happily while he continued to purr.

    ¡°Beef and gravy.¡± Geraldo read the label on the can out loud as he waited for the ¡°chef¡± to finish his meal. ¡°Why do I get the feeling our meals were made in the same factory, and from the same ingredients?¡±

    The cat meowed a little in response. Geraldo guessed it was his way of agreeing with him.

    His apartment was quiet. Only the soft hum of the wonder chef and the cat¡¯s osculating purrs could be heard. Even the pollution of sound from the outside was kept low thanks to the placement of the small building. His only neighbor was an elderly woman who ran a small tech shop with her grandson down below. It was a slice of heaven for him.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Geraldo finished his supper off with a beer and went right to work pouring over the contents of the data tape. Most of it was interviews with personnel who were onsite during the incident. Twenty-four interviews, which meant at least twenty-four possible suspects. And that was just the immediate suspect pool. It didn¡¯t take into account corporate infiltrators, or private hackers.

    Geraldo leaned back and rubbed his hands over his head. He had nowhere to start. No idea how to begin the investigation. Nothing was stolen, so he had no motive.

    ¡°Why would someone break into an AI and not copy or take anything?¡± He asked Inu.

    The cat only sat and cleaned himself, licking a paw before rubbing his ear.

    ¡°Maybe they just wanted a peak under the hood? See what¡¯s up the skirt?¡± Geraldo said in a high pitched voice, a voice he would imagine his cat using.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t make sense. There is no real reward for that kind of risk. Taurus will most certainly erase whoever did this, if they catch them.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it was another AI trying to make friends?¡±

    Geraldo laughed at the absurdity of that thought, before laughing at the absurdity of using his cat as a sounding board.

    Geraldo grabbed another beer as he thought, there had to be a motive. There had to be a reason why someone would take such a risk.

    One beer turned into another, and another. Soon he was staring blurry eyed at the computer screen, a name catching his eye. Dallis Sean, the lead technician working the night of the break in. If anyone was in a position to leverage access to the system, it would be him.

    ¡°Looks like me and Dallis are going to have a little chat in the morning.¡± He slurred before he stumbled over to his bunk and fell into the soft mattress.

    ¡°What would I do if I could access Taurus?¡± He mumbled into his pillow. He giggled a little before he answered his question. ¡°I would change who I was. I would make myself gen perfect.¡±

    He smiled when he felt Inu curling up next to him before he fell asleep.

 Chapter Sixteen

    Chapter Sixteen.

    Gabriela groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. The bright lights that had clicked on buzzed and assaulted her senses. She rolled over and placed her arm over her face and groaned once more.

    Her head throbbed. Just moving her eyes sent a wave of pain that made her whimper a little. Slowly, she sat up and threw her legs over the edge of her bed. The loud jingle of glass hitting glass echoed through her ears.

    ¡°Shit.¡± Gabriela looked down at the empty beer bottles at her feet.

    ¡°Shit.¡± She said more earnestly as she rushed to her bathroom, making it to the toilet just as she retched. She gagged and heaved, wishing for it to all end. Finally, she slumped back, defeated in both body and soul.

    She jerked up and moaned when her terminal rang. Gabriela held her head as she waited for the device to stop ringing. The moment it stopped it abruptly started again.

    ¡°Son of a bitch.¡± Gabriela whispered as she pulled herself to her feet, and stumbled out of the bathroom. Her studio was small. A bunk built into the wall and a kitchenette with a stool was the only furnishing she owned, save for her personal effects that were neatly stored away on a shelf in her bunk, and a drawer underneath.

    Gabriela sorted through the orgy of discarded takeout containers and dirty dishes that occupied the entirety of the kitchen bar. The terminal continued to ring.

    ¡°Damnit.¡± Gabriela growled when she finally found her terminal and answered it. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Morning to you too, Princess.¡± Brian said cheerfully.

    ¡°What do you want, Brian?¡± Gabriela put her back against the bar and slowly sank down until her rump was planted on the cold tiled floor.

    ¡°Making sure you were up before I headed over to get you.¡±

    ¡°Get me for what?¡±

    ¡°Your holiday ends today, remember?¡±

    Gabriela rubbed her eyes as she struggled to remember anything. Slowly the last few days came to her. ¡°I think I drank too much.¡± She admitted.

    Brian¡¯s laughter cut through the terminal, causing her to wince.

    ¡°I figured. That¡¯s why I am calling you now. Make sure you are up and ready; don¡¯t want you late for work.¡±

    ¡°I feel like shit.¡±

    ¡°We have all been there. I got an electrolyte pack and a coffee. Real sugar this time.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the occasion?¡± She mumbled.

    ¡°Shit, Gab. You really did lay one on the past few days. It''s Lottery Day.¡±

    ¡°I have told you: I don¡¯t give a shit about the lottery,¡± she moaned.

    ¡°Everyone else does, Princess,¡± Brianian reminded her. ¡°Get yourself cleaned up. I¡¯ll be up in twenty.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± She groaned before she disconnected the call.

    Gabriela rushed to the bathroom to vomit one last time before she returned back to her bunk. The blanket was still warm and welcoming, the soft mattres beckoning. She had just drifted back to sleep when she heard the lock on her door disengage. She looked up  just as Brian entered. He opened the door with a coffee and cheesy smile, like he was part of one of those bad sitcoms from the turn of the century. Gabriela half expected a laugh track to play.

    ¡°Doctor¡¯s in.¡± He said cheerfully.

    ¡°Remind me to remove you from the admission logs.¡± Gabriela mumbled as she pulled the covers over her face..

    ¡°Oh, come now, Princess. You¡¯d still be passed out in your castle if it wasn¡¯t for me.¡±

    Gabriela looked up. ¡°Can you drop the Princess shtick, just for the day? Please?¡±

    ¡°Okay, your highness.¡± Brian¡¯s head bobbed up and down as he made room for her coffee on the kitchen bar.

    She lifted the blanket from her face and shot Briain and menecing glance. ¡°I mean it, Brian.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°I understand, Gab. Calm down. I meant no offense.¡±

    ¡°Why are you so Goddamn chipper, anyway?¡± Gabriele let her head roll back against her pillows. The LED lights in the room washed over her in a bluish light, stinging her eyes.

    ¡°I dunno.¡± He shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s lotto day?¡±

    ¡°Did you sign up?¡±

    ¡°Do you see me being a father?¡± He retorted with a small laugh.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be in the child¡¯s life. I never met my father.¡±

    ¡°No, but I don¡¯t want my crotch fruit tracking me down in thirty years and telling me how my absence ruined their lives. I¡¯m doing just fine fucking my own life up, thank you very much.¡± Brian knelt down by her.

    ¡°Come on kiddo, at least drink the coffee and let me use the electrolyte pack. You will be feeling chipper in no time.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Gabriela grunted and held out her arm.

    Brian sat the kit containing the electrolytes and began to unbox it.

    ¡°Coffee first.¡± Gabriela motioned for the cup Brian had sat down.

    ¡°Not yet.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a tyrant.¡± Gabriela pouted.

    Brian sprayed her arm with an antiseptic. Her skin tingled as the anesthetic in it started to take effect. Brian wiped away the excess spray from her skin before he wrapped a cuff around her arm.

    The cuff inflated before it beeped. Gabriela winced, despite the anesthetic, when the cuff bit into her arm. The pack beeped rhythmically while its small LED screen showed a bar slowly ticking down. When it had finished the cuff deflated and beeped happily.

    ¡°All done.¡± Brian unstrapped the electrolyte pack and tossed it into the waste bin. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Better.¡± Gabriela said reluctantly.

    ¡°Good. Off to the shower with you. I¡¯ll meet you in the car.¡± Brian scooped up the cup of coffee and headed for the door.

    ¡°Can you just leave the coffee? I¡¯ll be down after the shower. I promise.¡±

    Brian smiled and made a tsk tsk sound. ¡°You know I don¡¯t trust addicts, Gab. Hurry up; coffee is getting cold.¡±

    Gabriela groaned and cursed when the door shut behind her partner before she pulled herself back up to her feet. She stripped as she walked back to her washroom, letting her shirt fall to the ground, pausing only to wiggle out of her panties, kicking them across the room.

    ¡°Shower!¡± She barked. The shower sputtered on, the screen in the shower displayed two minutes and began to count down. Gabriela steeped in and quickly showered while she brushed her teeth and washed her hair. She had just finished rinsing the suds from her hair when the shower shut off.

    ¡°Would you have exceeded your. Two. Minutes,¡± The shower informed her. ¡°If you would like to add more time, please choose yes. Standard rates apply.¡±

    ¡°Nope. I will finish washing in the station bathroom sinks. You can go fuck yourselves.¡± The shower beeped ahppily at her abuse as Gabriela quickly dried her hair while she looked through her small closet. Most of the hangers were empty, the garments that they held lumped in a crumpled pile at the closet floor.

    She chose the only unwrinkled outfit she could fine; a yellow blouse and brown pants.

    After she was dressed, Gabriela picked up a small spray bottled and spritzed a heavy mist over an orchid. The flower was the only thing she owned that gave the drab apartment any color. It was bright purple patch in a background of grey.

    Gabriela looked at her palm terminal when it started to vibrate. ¡°Mother¡± was displayed across the screen. Gabriela quickly hit ignore as she reached out to grab her jacket.

    She paused when her fingers touched the red leather. The dark stains of blood covered the sleeves. Gabriela swallowed a lump as she moved her hand away. The memories of the chop doc¡¯s lair were still too fresh for her. She left the jacket and grabbed a clear plastic raincoat.

    Gabriela took the stairs down to the lobby. The pocket terminal vibrated over and over again, each time Gabriela would check the screen, only to see that it was her mother calling again.

    The sky was overcast, the gray clouds rolled overhead, threatening New Madrid with more rain. The deep boom of thunder cut through the noise of the city as Gabriela hurried to the car waiting for her. Her terminal buzzed again as soon as Gabriela had gotten into the car.

    ¡°Who''s calling?¡± Brian asked as she checked her terminal.

    ¡°My Mother.¡±

    ¡°You going to answer it?¡±

    ¡°No. Where¡¯s my coffee?¡± Gabriela demanded.

    Brian held up the cup, and pulled it away when Gabriela tried to snatch it away.

    ¡°Answer your mom''s call first.¡±

    ¡°You are such a bastard sometimes.¡± Gabriela glared and hit the answer button on her terminal.

    ¡°Gabriela?¡± Her Mothers shrill piercing voice caused her head to ache anew.

    ¡°Yes Mother?¡± Gabriela snatched the coffee from Brian¡¯s hand and took a sip. It was still warm, but just barely, and the taste of real sugar caused her to let out a small sigh.

    ¡°When were you going to tell me?¡± Her mother demanded.

    ¡°Tell you what?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be obstinate, Gabriela.¡± Her mother snapped.

    ¡°Mom, I have no idea what you are talking about,¡± Gabriela sighed, ¡°do you think I could call you later?¡±

    ¡°I am talking about the lottery. Your name and ID was called.¡±

    Gabriela was quiet for a moment. She felt numbed at first, and then angry. Her Mother could be cold and distant, sometimes cruel, but not to this level.

    ¡°Is this some sick joke?¡±

    ¡°No. I just sent you a video.¡± Gabriela¡¯s terminal beeped. She pulled the terminal away from her ear and clicked the video her mother had sent her.

    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Brian asked before she sushed him.

    A list of names and ID numbers scrolled across her screen. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw her name and ID. Gabriela quickly switched back to her mothers call.

    ¡°Did you do this?¡± She demanded.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have that kind of political clout, Gabriela.¡±

    ¡°How is this possible?¡± Gabriela said as the terminal slipped from her hand.

 Chapter Seventeen

    Chapter Seventeen.

    Dallis Sean was a skinny man with a mop of brown curls and beady hazel eyes that darted around. His narrow face was marred with pockmarks and the thin white lines of augmentations. He was an ugly man in a world of artificial beauty.

    ¡°Put this on your temple.¡± Geraldo handed the young man a small square of what looked like paper.

    ¡°A dermal interface?¡± Dallis asked as he took the patch. His thin lips pressed together. ¡°I have a brain dock. I could just interface if you want.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t be necessary. This assures me that you don¡¯t have a sub drive. It¡¯s too easy to evade a CIT scan with the right software. This will bypass any contingency plans you have.¡± Geraldo pointed to his own temple.

    Dallis peeled the white backing from the patch before he pressed it against the side of his head, and tried to smooth the patch over. The patch had a pattern like a circuit board. It reminded Geraldo of the old temporary tattoos he had used as a kid in the days past.

    ¡°Try not to touch it,¡± Geraldo warned. He reached into the small black case placed between them on the small table and pulled out a small drone that bussed and lifted from the palm of his hand before he unpacked a terminal and flipped the screen up. The screen came to life, bathing Geraldo in a pale blue light.

    The room was square, all four sides backed in with tented windows. Two chairs and a table were the only furnishing. The bustle of the station could be observed from within the box.

    ¡°It itches,¡± Dallis complained.

    ¡°That¡¯s normal,¡± Geraldo said absently as he initiated the program on the terminal, his fingers gliding over the keys of the keyboard as he logged the interview.  ¡°It¡¯s the nanofilaments working their way into your skin and skull. You may have a slight headache, but it shouldn¡¯t last long. The dermal patch will become inert and dissolve after a few hours.¡±

    Dallis watched nervously as people walked past the windows of the interrogation room. The drone following his eyes, displaying his right eye on Geraldo¡¯s monitor.

    A clicking sound caused Geraldo to look up. Dallis touched the tip of his left thumb to each finger on his left hand, starting with his index finger and moving to the next finger in line, until he reached the end; then he would repeat the pattern back to the other side. The LED fiberoptic implants on each finger clicked against the one on his thumb.

    ¡°I tinted the windows,¡± Geraldo assured him. ¡°No one knows what we are doing in here.¡±

    ¡°Am I a suspect?¡± Dallis rasped quietly over the sound of his clicking fingers.

    ¡°This is just procedure. Covering all our bases is all,¡± Geraldo assured him. There was something odd about the man¡¯s movements, something off-putting, something Geraldo couldn¡¯t quite place.

    The obsessive clicking ended when Dallis abruptly leaned forward and pressed his hands against the wood veneer of the table.

    ¡°Because I already gave a statement.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just procedure,¡± Geraldo assured him once more. ¡°We need to rule out any employee involved in the incident, is all. Are you aware of how a CIT scan works?¡± He added after the program had finished booting up.

    ¡°It measures brain wave output as well as pupil dilation; based on the P300 brain wave it can determine if a subject is familiar with crime scene settings. Coupled with the rental monitoring, CTI can deduce if a subject is lying.¡±

    Geraldo raised a bushy eyebrow. ¡°You know your stuff.¡±

    ¡°CIT¡¯s are fed into the data analytics of Taurus. Gives the system a better understanding of who has the potential to lie based on psych profiles.¡±

    ¡°Better than a polygraph.¡±

    ¡°Polygraphs are pseudoscience nonsense. They haven¡¯t been admissible in court since the twentieth century.¡± Dallis began the clicking ritual again.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a judicial investigation; it¡¯s an internal one. The bar of evidence is much lower.¡±

    Dallis¡¯s eyebrows perked up. ¡°I thought you were a homicide detective?¡±

    ¡°We are off to a great start.¡± Geraldo gave him an easy smile. ¡°What is your name?¡±

    ¡°Dallis Sean.¡±

    Geraldo watched the graph of brain waves dip. He typed into the display, marking the response as true.  ¡°Yes or no questions now, okay?¡±

    Dallis nodded.

    ¡°Did I call you this morning to arrange this meeting?¡±

    ¡°You sent me a message.¡±

    ¡°Yes or no, Dallis. Did I call you this morning to arrange this meeting?¡± Geraldo watched the graph on the display fluctuate. The rapid spikes in his brain waves indicated that he was formulating a response. Geraldo captured the data before moving on.

    ¡°No¡±

    ¡°Have you ever watched pornography on company time?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Dallis answered quickly.

    The waves spiked, indicating it was a lie. Geraldo typed quickly, feeding the data into the algorithm.

    ¡°I think we are ready to start.¡±

    ¡°I thought we had already started.¡±

    Geraldo shook his head and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. ¡°No, those were just primer questions. Do you mind if I smoke?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± The waves spiked again.

    Geraldo smiled as he lit his cigarette and studied his subject. Dallis was young, a gifted kid who¡¯s augmentation added to his skill. The tips of his fingers contained LED sensor lights, the sort of thing that allowed him to rapidly interface with data without the need to entire the Either.

    His agumentation told the story of a dedicated employee who valued his own skill and looked for ways to better himself, but his wrinkled clothes, unkempt hair, and pox-marked face told a different story.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°You ever dive into the Either?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What do you do in there?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to answer that with a yes or no,¡± Dallis admitted.

    ¡°You can answer these questions any way you want. I¡¯m just trying to figure you out.¡±

    ¡°Figure me out?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Geraldo tapped his cigarette. ¡°What you are into, what makes you tick. Shit like that.¡±

    ¡°I dunno.¡± Dallis put his hands between his knees and shrugged. ¡°Mostly normal stuff.¡±

    ¡°You spend a lot of time in the Either?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡±

    Geraldo took one more drag before he stamped the cigarette out. ¡°Are you a cowboy or something?¡±

    ¡°No. Cowboys are typically kids running a deck their parents got them for holiday.¡± Dallis brainwaves dipped and spiked, and his pupil contracted before it expanded. A clear sign of resentment.

    Geraldo quickly made a note. ¡°Of course. I wasn¡¯t insinuating you were some deck punk dipping his toes into the Either. So, what do you do in there?¡± Geraldo asked as he inhaled the blue smoke of the cigarette and then blew it out. A haze of smoke hung between the two of them in the darkroom.

    ¡°I like to figure things out.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Geraldo leaned back in his chair. ¡°What sort of things?¡±

    ¡°I like to find functions and see how they were assembled.¡±

    ¡°Your idea of a good time is disassembling old code?¡±

    ¡°No, its not just old code,¡± Dallis said enthusiastically, as he leaned forward. ¡°It¡¯s much more than that. Its history.¡±

    Geraldo chuckled a little. ¡°If I had to describe the Eithernet I would have to say it was a place for pornography or a battleground for corporate Netbreaker; not a museum?¡±

    ¡°But it is,¡± he said enthusiastically. His brown eyes wide and alert. ¡°It was built in the thirties, long before you or me. The world was rapidly moving to war, and all sides needed a secure network, but also a network that couldn¡¯t be turned off,¡± Dallis rambled off enthusiastically. ¡°Did you know that the UN cut North Korea off from the internet during the unification wars? The world powers realized they needed a network that no one person could control. A truly decentralized metaverse.¡±

    And to have it decentralized it needed to be open-source. Hundreds of thousands of coders began to fill the Either with their creations, some of which are so old that no one knows what they were used for. Relics of the past. Like number stations!¡±

    ¡°So, you find the old functions and take them apart?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Dallis settled back into his chair and began to click his fingers once more.

    ¡°So, if you are not a Cowboy then what would you call yourself?¡±

    ¡°A Netbreaker.¡± Dallas¡¯s brainwaves indicated that that was true, or he at least believed it was true.

    There was a moment of silence that hung between them.

    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with your face?¡± Geraldo suddenly asked. Dallis was becoming too comfortable, too in control for the CIT to work properly.

    The curveball question caused Dallis to reach up and touch his face, and his brainwaves indicated he was aware of how he looked.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you gotten it fixed? Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m not much of a looker myself. But it¡¯s a point of pride for me. I lived in a time where beauty wasn¡¯t a few-hour trip to a clinic, not that this mug is all-natural. Getting your face slammed into the pavement a few dozen times leaves you with a face only a mother could love. So, why not get your face fixed?¡±

    Dallis¡¯s hand dropped from his face, his lips pressed together in a thin line of red on a pale face, ¡°Never felt the need to.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helping you with the ladies.¡±

    ¡°Is this why you brought me up here?¡± Dallis stuttered and spat. ¡°To push me around about my looks?¡± He crossed his arms, physically walling himself off.

    ¡°No, kid. Just trying to get to know you is all. See, if I was to hazard a guess, I would say you haven¡¯t gotten it fixed because you don¡¯t spend a lot of time around people. You¡¯re closed off down in the server rooms and when you go home you just jack in, create an avatar that no clinic could ever create. A perfect representation of your true self.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the tag line of JaxLink.¡± Dallis mumbled.

    ¡°What can I say?¡± Geraldo shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not the most original guy you¡¯re ever going to meet. But, am I wrong?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°And in all that time you spend jacked in, have you ever turned a gig for chips?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t do it for money,¡± Dallis mumbled.

    ¡°It¡¯s not against the law if you do,¡± Geraldo assured him, ¡°I have made a few chips on the side running private security. Even busted a few knee caps, not that I am proud of it.¡± He added.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Scouts honor.¡± Geraldo held three fingers, with his thumb and pinky touching. ¡°This job pays shit, sometimes it¡¯s not enough to get by unless you want to live in a pod. But I am sure they pay you a little more than a grunt like me.¡±

    Geraldo noted how Dallis kept looking down, or off to the side. He never held his gaze, and if Dallis looked at him, it was only for a fleeting moment.

    ¡°Are you gen perfect?¡± Geraldo asked.

    ¡°Yes. No.¡± Dallis corrected himself quickly. Both answers were a lie.

    ¡°Care to elaborate?¡± Geraldo leaned forward and clasped his hands together. Trying to pass himself off as easygoing.

    ¡°I am gen perfect, but I¡¯m not neurotypical.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Geraldo leaned back. Gen perfect meant they made you as perfectly as they could. Neurotypical was not something they could promise, it was always a risk. And when a child was detected as being neurodivergent it was often terminated by Biloxys while still a fetus, but some fell through the cracks. No system was perfect.

    Geraldo shifted uneasily in his seat. Suddenly understanding the strange way Dallis was acting, and feeling remorseful for how he had treated him. Deviants were easy to pick out in a crowd, but neurodivergent not so much.

    ¡°Okay, I think I understand,¡± Geraldo said easily, ¡°but, I need to know if you have ever worked as a netbreaker?¡±

    Dallis looked down at his hands, flipping them over and examining his palms. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Did you break into the Taurus mainframe?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Dallis¡¯s brain waves dipped. He was telling truth.

    ¡°Did you allow someone to break into the system?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Dallis insisted. Again, he was telling the truth.

    ¡°Is it possible that someone could have accessed Taurus while you were away?¡± Geraldo pushed.

    ¡°We have to log in and out every time we leave the room.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Geralod brought up the report he had been given. ¡°Lets go over that log. You checked in at ten pm?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Okay, stop me if something sounds out of place.¡± Geraldo began to rambled off the work log. When he had finished he looked up at Dallis. ¡°Dose all that sound correct?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Dallis¡¯s forehead knitted together, bringing his thin eyebrows together.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it?¡±

    ¡°I had left at two am to get a chocolate bar from the vending machine.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I go every day at two am. I have the credit history to prove it.¡± Dallis fished out his terminal from his jacket and tapped away before he turned it around and showed him. Geraldo took the device and tapped on the charge labeled, ¡°Easy Go Snacks.¡± Every morning at two AM Dallis had charged the same amount, day in and day out.

    ¡°Have you given your credit slip to anyone?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s embedded in my palm.¡± Dallis held up his hand.

    Geraldo could see a corporate logo on his palm. Geraldo narrowed his eyes at the analyst as he loaded up the security footage and typed in the timestamp of one fifty-five AM. The video showed Dallis moving data around the halo vid screens, like some sort of orchestra composer. The man never left the room, which corresponded with the log. Geraldo frowned as he reset the clip and watched it again.

    The sound of clapping and shouts lifted his attention for the video. He grunted as he pushed himself to his feet and stomped over to the door and flung it open.

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± He asked a page who was standing next to the door.

    The man turned, a smile stretching from ear to ear. ¡°Gabriela Fohren won the lottery.¡±

    ¡°Which lottery?¡±

    ¡°Bioloxys.¡±

    Geraldo¡¯s blood ran cold. ¡°That¡¯s not possible,¡± He whispered to himself. He suddenly found himself with a new suspect. Gabriela was excluded from the lottery.

 Chapter Eighteen

    Chapter Eighteen.

    Gabriela had never been in a Bioloxys facility before. She had no idea what to expect, but that did not stop her mind from conjuring images of sterile labs, and rows upon rows of Ersatz Wombs. The sellout of fetuses visible behind the foggy glass of the womb. But the reality was much different. The clean esthetics of the office, with their gleaming white, curving walls, and high-backed cushioned chairs reminded Gabriela more of a corporate lounge then a birthing facility. There was even a fire burning in a white marble hearth, its flames dancing and licking the air above them.

    She was greeted by a woman whose face was pristine, her makeup so perfectly applied that the woman appeared phantastic, almost dreamlike. Gabriela couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the beauty was natural, or the product of genetic enhancements, or even cybernetically implanted somehow.

    The woman sat behind a desk that was flanked by grand staircases that curved around the main room to converge just before the next level of the lobby. The receptionist smiled, a glint of pearl white showing between lips stained with dark burgundy gloss. ¡°Welcome to Bioloxys. Do you have an appointment?¡±

    Gabrila look around her uneasily. She could tell the other clients who waited in the lobby had considerable wealth, judging by the way they were dressed and held themselves, and most importantly; the way they looked. They were all gen perfect. There were no deviants marring the esthetic of the atmosphere.

    She approached the desk and smiled back. ¡°I have an appointment.¡±

    ¡°And what is your name?¡±

    ¡°Gabriela Fohren.¡±

    A drone buzzed in the receptionist¡¯s hand and hovered over to Gabriela. The LED next to its optic lenses was red, and after a second are two it blinked to green. The drone beeped happily before it buzzed away and returned to the receptionist¡¯s hand. Its function was complete, and Gabriela¡¯s identity was confirmed.

    ¡°Please have a seat and one of our technicians will be with you shortly, Miss Fohren.¡± The Receptionist said with a plastic smile.

    Gabriela let out a breath of pure relief. She had doubted the reality of winning the lottery, fearing it was a dream she would wake from any moment, or worse; that there had been a mistake in the database, and at any moment a representative would great her with his own fake smile and give her an artificial apology before she was escorted from the building.

    But no such event occurred while she sat patiently in lobby. Her hands were folded neatly in her lap as she watched the fire dance. The base of the azure flame faded into a warm yellow as it licked at the air above it. Gabriela absently wondered what gas was used to fuel the fire, and how much the carbon cost would be to run such an ostentatious display.

    The soft tones of classical music drifted passed her, as well as the muted sounds of a news broadcast that played on a screen above the hearth. The headlines read in bold red letters ¡°Terrorist group the ¡®Sons¡¯ claims responsibility for protest bombings in eastern Americas.¡± The video showed the gruesome aftermath narrated by the morose voice of the unseen narrator.

    ¡°Miss Fohren?¡± A man¡¯s voice pulled Gabriela¡¯s attention away from the vid screen. He was tall and well groom, dressed in a dark suit and a charming smile.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Gabriela stood immediately.

    ¡°My name is Claus Wagner.¡± He offered his hand.

    Gabriela shook it and smiled back. His hand was soft and smooth, they were the hands of a man who had never toiled in hard labor in his life, Gabriela remarked to herself. ¡°Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Wagner.¡±

    ¡°Please, call me Claus. And the pleasure is all mine, Miss. Fohren. I am the reginal director of Bioloxys, and I wanted to be the first to welcome you, and to congratulate you. It¡¯s not every day that someone with your pedigree wins the lotto.¡± He added.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Gabriela said uneasily, as she rubbed her arm. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°I had a lovely conversation with your mother this morning. A delightful woman.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s one way to describe her.¡± Gabriela gave him a weak smile. Of course, her mother would have called ahead, Gabriela thought bitterly. Their relationship had barely been civil for the past decade, but now that seemed to change overnight. Her mother was warm and supporting. The woman was even willing to use her influence to solicit meetings with reginal executives, it seemed.

    ¡°Not every day the daughter of the UN Chairwoman wins the lottery.¡± Claus¡¯s voice was so chipper, he almost sang the words.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Gabriela dropped the smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s quite odd.¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± he exclaimed. ¡°Your mother explained to me that you both felt it was best not use money or influence to solicit our services. That you were a woman of the people, much like your mother.¡±

    Gabriela wanted to breakout the teeth from his fake smile. She wanted to scream at him that her mother would never have spoken to a fuckwit like himself, unless it had some direct benefited to her.

    ¡°I hear that you took up service with Taurus security as well?¡± He continued.

    ¡°Did my mother tell you that as well?¡±

    ¡°She said that you insisted on giving back to the people. That a life of public service was the best way to do that.¡±

    Even that was a lie. Gabriela had to resist the urge to laugh in his face. She had joined Taurus because it pissed her mother off. But instead, she took a deep breath and put on her best smile. She had never dreamt she would win the lotto, and she wasn¡¯t about to mess that up with a childish outburst.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°She even said that it was your idea to rely on the lottery for a child,¡± the man continued, ¡°that you felt it was only fair that you go through the same pathways as any other citizen.¡±

    ¡°My mother told you that?¡± Gabriela asked hastily.

    ¡°She did,¡± Claus beamed back.

    Gabriela felt nauseous. Her mother had insisted that she hadn¡¯t used her influence to change Charter rules regarding eligibility for the Bioloxys lottery. If it wasn¡¯t her mother who had changed her eligibility, then it must mean it was a mistake, which meant that this was some cruel twist of fate, a sick cosmic joke.

    ¡°I suppose this must be a lot to take in?¡± Claus¡¯s voice pulled her from her soul crushing thoughts.

    Gabriela hadn¡¯t heard what the man was droning on and on about. She smiled again, attempting to hide her anguish. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s all very exciting. My head is just spinning with the excitement.¡± She finished with a slight giggle.

    ¡°Well.¡± Clause clasped his hands behind his back. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t keep you waiting. If you will follow me, I¡¯ll show you to our show room.¡±

    Gabriela followed Clause up the stairway and down a hallway. Her stomach turned with each step, twisting itself in to tighter knots.

    ¡°Is this building only two stories?¡± Gabriela asked, hoping the idle chit chat would keep her mind busy.

    ¡°Oh, no. This is only the top two floors.¡± Clause explained happily. ¡°The lower floors are where the magic happens. But they are mostly filled with offices. Nothing very exciting.¡±

    ¡°Will I get to see an Ersatz Wombs?¡±

    ¡°We normally don¡¯t allow unauthorized personnel down in the labs, but I think we could make an exception today.¡±  Clause opened a door and ushered her in.

    The show room looked more like a conference room than a show room. A large table with chairs. One wall was made entirely of window screens, broadcasting the current image from outside in crystal clarity.

    ¡°I am going to have you watch a mandatory video before the lab technicians come to get you. Can I get you anything to drink or eat?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you.¡±

    Gabriela took a seat at the table. The moment she did, a large widescreen came to life. A charming woman smiled and greeted her by name.

    ¡°Hello Gabriela, I am so please that you could be here today. My name is Pearl.¡±

    Gabriela looked over at clause in confusion. ¡°It¡¯s a basic AI governed by Bioloxys¡¯s mainframe.¡±

    ¡°You mean the Mother AI?¡± Gabriela looked back at the smiling woman on the screen. She had never interfaced with an AI before. ¡°Is she Mother?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Clause said with a small chuckle. ¡°She¡¯s more like an interactive recording of Mother. She will explain the process of Ersatz Womb fertilization, as well as your options for upgrade.¡±

    ¡°Well.¡± Clause clasped his hands together. ¡°I will speak with you in a few hours?¡±

    Gabriela settled into her seat. ¡°Yes. And you will see about that tour?¡±

    ¡°Until then.¡± Clause made a small bow before he left the room. The heavy door clicking closed behind him.

    ¡°Pearl.¡± Gabriela called out. Her back to the screen.

    ¡°Yes, Gabriela?¡± The AI answered.

    ¡°Are recipients of abortion eligible for the Bioloxys lotto?¡±

    ¡°Recipients of abortions are uneligible for any Bioloxys services. The lack of self-control and planning is an unfavorable trait for future populations.¡±

    ¡°Do you have access to Taurus database?¡± Gabriela twirled her seat around.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t.¡± The AI image kept on smiling. ¡°I would like to play you a short video entitled ¡®You, your baby, and your options.¡¯ If that is okay with you?¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Gabriela scoffed as she pulled out her palm terminal. The idea of a designer baby seemed more than an ostentatious gesture to Gabriela; it seemed wrong. Something about it rubbed her the wrong way, despite that she, herself, was a designed human being.

    She only half listened to the video that Pearl narrated over, as it when on to talk about the miracle of genetic engineering, and that with it almost all birth defects had been eliminated. Only if you ignore most of the population, Gabriel thought bitterly as she logged on to the Taurus database.

    She entered her personal ID as well as offering a retinal scan, before she searched her name and civic number. A lengthy file was selected. All of her life history, relegated to a digital format. Gabriel shortened the length of a file by entering one date: May 17th 2078. It was a day she would never forget. It was the day her daughter was born, and died.

    The date was blank. Nothing was recorded. Gabriela double check that she had put the right date in, and then doubled checked she had entered the correct civic number. The date was blank. Even records of her pregnancy were omitted from her file.

    Gabriela silently mouthed the words ¡°What the fuck.¡±, when her terminal flashed an error message ¡°Network lost.¡± Blinked across her terminal screen.

    A sharp wrapping noise at the door caused her to jump. She quickly logged out of the database and called out for whom ever was behind the door to come in.

    The receptionist from downstairs peaked her head in the room. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Fohren, but there is a delivery drone here for you. Is it okay if I let it in?¡±

    Gabriela¡¯s eyebrows knitted together as she frowned in confusion. ¡°Of course.¡± She waved her hand, motioning for the woman to open the door all the way.

    A drone whizzed past the receptionist and hovered in place in front of Gabriela. ¡°Can I get you anything before I go?¡± The receptionist asked.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± Gabriela said absently as she allowed the humming drone to scan her face before it deposited a sealed package into her hands. It buzzed away happily, eager to find its next delivery.

    The receptionist closed the door behind her and Gabriela was once again alone with the Pearl, who contended her lecture as the screen showed happy images of oceans and forest, snow capped mountains, and smiling, healthy children.

    Gabriela flipped the package over and examined it. It was a standard plastic shipping box, with the delivery company logo plastered across its dull white sides, as well as a small vid screen that flashed an ad for whatever the sponsored product was that week. She opened the box by pushing up the latch on the plastic lid, and it sprang open.

    Slowly Gabriela empty the contents on the table. There was an ear piece and a translucent mask.

    ¡°Put on the mask, Gabriel.¡± Pearl instructed.

    Gabriela look up, searching the smiling AI¡¯s face for some hint to the purpose of the mask.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t much time.¡± The AI said. Its voice sounded strained, and its smile looked more like a grimace.

    ¡°What it is?¡±

    ¡°Put on the mask, and then the ear piece. I can explain everything after that.¡± Pearl said. Her image flutters and twitched. ¡°I can not control this AI for long. You need to hurry. There isn¡¯t much time.¡±

    The window screens all changed, the serenity of the upper city scape was replaced by a security recording of the Bioloxys lobby. Armed men filled through the main doors. Caring two large boxes which required two men to lift.

    The men were all armed and armored in tactical gear. The logo for Cy-Tech clearly visible on their body armor.

    ¡°What is Cy-Tech doing here?¡± Gabriela stood slowly.

    ¡°They are here for you, Gabriela. Put on the mask. This is your last chance.¡±

 Chapter Nineteen

    Chapter Nineteen

    Gabriela scrambled to get the mask out of its plastic packaging and over her face. The mask seal around her face with a hiss, just as dark billows of smoke began to pure out of the air vents around her.

    ¡°What the hell is going on?!¡± Gabriela screamed and she put her hands on her head. She couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing on the screen. The lobby filled with the same gas that the conference room was filling with. The Cy-Tech officers tried to cover their faces, or retreat out the door, only to stumble and fall. The receptionist screamed before she also stumbled and fell.

    ¡°Put the earpiece in.¡± Pearl demanded.

    Gabriela looked down at the small earpiece on the table. She didn¡¯t hesitate this time. She quickly looped the piece over her ear, pushing the small bud into her ear canal.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, Gabriela.¡± A man¡¯s voice emanated from the ear piece. ¡°Those containers they brought in are seeker mechs. They have been activated, and they are coming for you. I can get you out of here, but you will have to do exactly what I say.¡±

    ¡°Who is this?¡± She demanded.

    ¡°My name is Soma.¡± The name sounded familiar. Gabriela¡¯s mind grouped for where she had heard the name before, or if they had ever met.

    ¡°Are you a net breaker?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a mancer, and I am here to help you, Gabriela. We don¡¯t have time for more questions.¡± Soma¡¯s voice strained.

    Gabriela backed away from the window display as she watched in horror as the cases the Cy-Tech officers had brought in began to transform. The cases separated slightly into three sections. Spider-like mechanical limbs unfolded from the two outer sections, each limb tipped with a gleaming scythe-like blade. The middle section of the container formed the body and head. A green light blinked next to the mechs¡¯ optic sensors. The lights changed to a solid, menacing, red.

    ¡°Oh fuck.¡± Gabriela gasped. ¡°Can you deactivate them?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°I thought you were a mancer.¡± Gabriela turned back to vid screen that still displayed Pearl, who was frozen with her pleasant grin.

    ¡°They operate independently on isolated networks that they ghost into. There are over three thousand independent networks. If I knew which network they were operating on, and I were to shut it down, they would only jump to another network. I tried to knock out all the networks I could, including transmission networks. We have a small window of time before they realize what¡¯s happening, Gabriela. I can get you out of here, but we have to go, now.¡±

    Gabriela took one more look at the window screens. The seeker mechs moved around the lobby, a sheet of horizontal light sweeping back and forth in the light haze of the gas. Two tentacle-like appendages slithered out from under the mechs¡¯ undercarriages, just below their head. The appendages waved about like the antenna of some bizarre insect. One of the mechs startled the receptionist, its appendage moved her face so that it could scan it, before it moved on to the next unconscious person.

    ¡°What do I do?¡±

    ¡°Going out the front door is out of the question. One of the mechs is going to station itself at the foot of the stairs, while the other two sweep this building.¡±

    ¡°I go out a window then?¡±

    ¡°No. I triggered anti-corporation espionage measures. All the windows are hermetically sealed with mag-locks. The glass is shatter proof. I need you to open the door and head to your left, and try to keep quiet.¡± Soma warned.

    Gabriela did as she was told. Slowly opening the door and slipping into the hallway in a half-crouch. The emergency lights flashed along the floor, illuminating the hallway in an eerie haze in the fog of the gas. Her own panting breathing and rhythmic beating of her heart was all Gabriela could hear as she edged her way down the hallway.

    ¡°Stop.¡± Soma commanded. ¡°There is an office to your right. Go in there, and close the door behind you.¡±

    The silence of the hallway was interrupted by the steady sound of clicking. Gabreila forced herself not to panic as she did what she was told. She opened the door and entered the office, pulling the door closed behind her, just as one of the mechs rounded a corner in the hallway.

    She backed away from the door slowly. Panic welling up in the pit of her stomach as the rhythmic tapping  of the mech came closer and closer.

    ¡°You need to hide. Behind the desk.¡± Soma warned her.

    Gabriela turned away from the door, and fought down her choking fear as she quickly made her way around the desk in the room. A man was slumped on the floor behind the desk. Gabriela quickly stepped over him and ducked under the desk just as the doorknob began to turn.

    The door unlatched with a click and slowly swung open. Gabriela could hear the machine move around the room, and see the sheet of light it cast sweeping over the desk.

    There was a thud above her, followed by the sound of the contents of the desk clattering to the floor as the machine climbed up above her.

    Slowly two of the scythed limbs reached under the desk, pressing into the wood above Gabriela. She bit into her hand, stifling the scream that lurked in her throat, threatening to erupt at any moment, as the seeker leaned over the desk. Its tentacles reached out for the man slumped on the floor. He groaned as the machine turned his face towards it.  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    It scanned the man¡¯s face before it let go of him. His head hit the white marble floor with a loud thud. The limbs dislodged themselves from the desks underbelly, as it quickly retreated away, back out of the room.

    Gabriela allowed a few seconds to collect herself before she crawled out from under the desk. She gave the man in the office a quick glance. His chest rose and fell slowly with each breath he took.

    ¡°They are all alive,¡± Soma whispered into her ear, answering her unspoken question. ¡°The gas is part of the corporate espionage countermeasure.¡±

    She moved away with a nod of understanding, quietly crept to the door, and peaked around its frame into the hallway. The mech scurried down the hall to the next office.

    ¡°There is an elevator at the end of this hall. Make your way to it.¡± Soma commanded.

    She made her way down the hall slowly, moving past the unconscious workers that lay slumped against the walls, littering the hallway. She knew that the mechs would scan every person here, matching their facial ID to the ID in their database. Gabriela wondered briefly if it was really her face they were looking for, or if this was some sort of mistake.

    Gabriela pushed the thought away and dismissed it as fanciful thinking. Her mother was the UN Chairwoman, and the thought of a political hit was not out of the question. Or maybe they meant to use her as ransom to extort her mother. But to use Cy-Tech? They were too established for kidnappings, too well known. She wouldn¡¯t put it past them to do a kidnapping or a political hit, but surely they wouldn¡¯t do it in the open?

    The elevator at the end of the hall opened quietly as Gabriela approached it.

    ¡°I need you to get into the elevator,¡± Soma instructed. ¡°Then remove the emergency hatch and climb up and grab the access ladder to your right as soon as possible. We only have one chance to get you out, and this is it.¡±

    She followed his instructions and slid the hatch open and then she began to hoist herself up. She gasped when the elevator¡¯s alarm sounded out. The unexpected sound caused her to lose her footing and fall back through the hatch. Gabriela let out a yelp when she landed on her bottom and hit the back of her head on the wall.

    The sounds around her seemed muffled and distant. She clutched the back of her head and clenched her teeth, taking a long deep breath. The situation around her came rushing back as she breathed out.

    ¡°Gabriela, you need to get up the hatch!¡± Soma yelled over her comm.

    Gabriela paused when she saw one of the seeker mechs around the corner, another one scrambled up from the stairs, and then the final one emerged from an office.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Gabriela screamed as she kicked her feet, trying desperately to pull herself to her feet.

    The mechs all lunged forward at the same time, all of them were of one mind, all of them focused on her. Gabriela managed to get to her feet and jumped and grabbed the lip of the hatch before hoisting herself up and out of the elevator.

    The first of the mechs followed her up the hatch, its bladed limbs scraping against the metal of the elevator, the single red eye on its head illuminated the dark shaft.

    Gabriel kicked it several times. It lost its footing and fell back through the hatch.

    ¡°Get on the ladder.¡± Soma demanded.

    Gabriela leapt to the ladder. She looked back to see another mech emerging from the hatch. She screamed frantically and began to climb as fast as she could.

    There was a woosh and then the sound of metal on metal followed by a loud crash that Gabriela felt in the ladder. She stopped climbing and looked down; the elevator was gone. The emergency lighting in the shaft extended down in a uniform row, deep into the tunnel, before the light was swallowed by the maw of darkness that waited so far below her.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Soma¡¯s voice whispered.

    ¡°Was that your plan all along?¡± She demanded.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You could have warned me.¡±

    There was a long moment of silence before Soma replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would do it if I told you what my plan was.¡±

    Gabriela gritted her teeth and forced herself to start climbing again.

    A hatch at the top of the ladder slid open, bright light poured through the opening causing Gabriela to blink hard. She peeked her head over the rim of the small opening. She was on the roof.

    ¡°There is a service ladder on the west side of the roof that you can use to get down to the alley.¡±

    ¡°Are there more Cy-Tech officers waiting for me?¡±

    ¡°No. I told you. I knocked out communications for the block. Cy-Tech has no idea that their officers are down, or that they have lost their mechs. But they won¡¯t be in the dark long.¡±

    Gabriela nodded her agreement. She quickly located the ladder and descended to the alley below. She paused only for a moment to glance around the corner of the building. Soma was telling the truth. Other than a Cy-Tech truck parked outside of the facility, nothing seemed amiss.

    She walked as calmly as she could. She didn¡¯t run, despite how much her brain told her to. She knew that if she ran, she would draw unwanted attention.

    ¡°Soma, can you monitor my apartment?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Are they at my apartment yet?¡±

    ¡°Not yet.¡±

    ¡°I need to get there.¡± Gabriela put her hands in the pockets of her jacket and kept her head low, casting her gaze at the gray sidewalk.

    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. That will be the next place they will go to apprehend you.¡±

    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I need to get there now. I have a cred chip and a passport there. I can use them to lay low.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need a passport. They are going to be looking for you at every airport, train station, and port.¡±

    ¡°I need the money though. It¡¯s a jailbroken cred chip, with enough crypto to get me a fake passport, or smuggled out of here.¡±

    ¡°We will find another way to get money.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going.¡± Gabriela cut him off. ¡°It¡¯s more than the cred chip, and I am not leaving the city without it. I¡¯m not arguing. If you are here to help me then help me. If not, then get out of my way.¡±

    Grabiela heard a sigh before Soma spoke again. ¡°Fine, first I need you to ditch your terminal.¡±

    Gabriela saw an old woman coming out of a boutique a few paces ahead of her, followed by an employee who was carrying several shopping bags for her. An auto cab pulled up to the curve, and the old woman climbed in while the man sat the bags down behind the cab.

    Gabriela quickly tapped her terminal, setting it up to make an auto call as soon as it had signal. She then dropped the terminal into one of the bags as she walked by, in one smooth motion, not missing a step. The call would buy her time. Cy-Tech would be chasing the cab around the city, or raiding the old woman¡¯s pricey loft.

    ¡°I need you to find me the fastest route to my apartment.¡±

 Chapter Twenty

    Chapter Twenty

    ¡°What are we looking at, Geraldo?¡± Tanya looked away from the halo display back at Geraldo. Her brown eyes shining from the blue light of the display that encircled her. Images and files displayed in perfect detail in the dark room.

    ¡°It¡¯s Gabriela Fohren¡¯s file.¡±

    ¡°Obviously.¡± Tanya crossed her arms and made a slow circle around the displays, studying each image. ¡°But what about it am I supposed to see?¡±

    ¡°Gabriela is not eligible for the Bioloxys lotto,¡± he explained. ¡°She told me herself. Said she had been pregnant before.¡±

    ¡°And her file shows that?¡±

    Geraldo cleared his throat and walked through the display. The images blurred and fragmented as he crossed the halo screen. The air around the screen was frigid. The vapors the images were projected on swirled around him before they dissipated.

    ¡°Here.¡± He pointed at a section of Gabriela¡¯s file.

    He raised his hand and the led lights at the tip of his glove sprang to life, allowing him to manipulate the images. He pulled his hands apart, and the display spread out the timeline of the file.

    ¡°This section of her file is wrong.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± Tanya tucked her hands under her arms and came to stand beside him.

    Geraldo waved his hands and brought more data and files to the timeline. ¡°There is a nine-month gap in her health history.¡±

    ¡°Okay?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s when she was pregnant.¡±

    ¡°Or maybe she just didn¡¯t get sick, Ger.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean there are no medical records at all. Not even the mandatory genetic testing that all gen-perfect are subject to, which she had been doing every six months like clockwork.¡± Geraldo flicked his wrist and the dates of every screening were flagged red, casting a ring of red light around them. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    ¡°Except for this nine-month period.¡±

    ¡°Or she just got lazy and missed one.¡±

    ¡°Or she broke into Taurus and had the portion of her history expunged.¡±

    ¡°Let me try and understand this,¡± Tanya said and held up her hands. ¡°You think Gabriela Forhen broke into the Taurus AI?¡±

    ¡°Yes, to delete this portion of her history.¡± Geraldo gestured at the display.

    ¡°So, she can then be eligible to win the lottery three days later?¡±

    Geraldo shifted his feet uneasily. Tanya had a way of dismantling confidence with a stare.

    ¡°She told me she had a daughter.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she lied to you, Ger.¡±

    ¡°I had considered that, but when she told me about her daughter, I knew she was telling the truth. Most people can¡¯t fake that kind of pain.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more plausible than her hacking an AI and then she just wins a lottery. I mean the odds Geraldo, think about it.¡±

    ¡°Tanya, I know I am on to something. I can feel it.¡±

    ¡°Feelings won¡¯t get an arrest, you know that.¡± Tanya¡¯s voice softened, which only caused Geraldo to step away bristled.

    ¡°This is more than a hunch. She has access to the building, motive to break into the AI.¡±

    ¡°That motive is weak at best.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still a motive,¡± Geraldo pointed out.

    ¡°Let¡¯s say you''re right on this.¡± Tanya rolled her hand in the air as she walked around the display. ¡°If she changed a part of her public history, then there should be some sort of paper trail. Something that calibrates your suspicion. Do you have anything like that?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°We need more than a hunch.¡± Tanya said coldly as she turned to leave.

    ¡°What if I were able to find evidence that she had been pregnant?¡± Geraldo called after her.

    ¡°Then we will discuss this further, but remember Geraldo. Gabriela is gen-perfect, she has influence, and she is competing for the same job as you. You going and digging up dirt on her, or throwing false accusations around won¡¯t show you in a good light. You understand?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I get it.¡± Geraldo mumbled and turned away.

    ¡°I mean it, Ger. Don¡¯t fuck this up for yourself. If she is guilty of what you think she did, then you  need something harder than her story and a few missed appointments.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Geraldo said gloomily.

    He stood and looked at the gap in Gabriela¡¯s history. Tanya was right, and he knew it. He needed hard evidence.

    ¡°Taurus, where is Detective Gabriela Forhen now?¡±

    A section of the halo display went dark, the swirling wall of vapor was visible for a brief second before a map of New Madrid appeared. A red dot blinked, indicating that Gabriela¡¯s last known location was the Bioloxys facility.

    He needed evidence, and there was only one place he knew he could find it. Her apartment.

 Chapter Twenty One

    Chapter Twenty One

    Gabriela kept her head down, hiding her face under the hood of her jacket. The patrons swayed back and forth as the tram zipped them through the city. It flashed past them in a blur. She blended in with working men and women, as well as the street punks and vagrants that frequently used the public transportation. No one paid her any mind.

    ¡°I cannot stress how reckless this is.¡± Soma whispered into her ear.

    ¡°Then don¡¯t.¡± Gabriela looked around, trying to identify anyone who could be security. She looked for the unmistakable bulge of a side arm tucked under a dress shirt, or the lingering inquisitive stare. But from what she could tell, this cart was free of security. Only the watchful eye of the cameras bolted to the tram¡¯s bulkhead kept watch over her.

    The tram ride was the first moment Gabriela had to stop and think since the ordeal had begun, and her ¡°mancer¡± was not as forthcoming with information.

    ¡°How about you start telling me who you are and what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I told you, my name is Soma, I am a mancer who was hired to help you.¡±

    The same line he had used before. ¡°Who hired you?¡±

    ¡°This isn''t the time, Gabriela.¡±

    ¡°This is the perfect time, asshole. We got nine minutes until we arrive at our destination, and if the tram stop is full of security, then I can at least know why I am being arrested.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Soma¡¯s disembodied voice admitted.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know who your employer is, or why Cy-Teck is after me?¡± Gabriela gripped the hand bar and turned her back to the rest of the patrons.

    ¡°Either. In Ether space anyone can literally be anyone they want to be. Everyone operates in anonymity.¡±

    ¡°So, you blindly just take jobs?¡± Gabriela had a hunch he was lying. No one goes as far as he had just for a contract. If he were to be caught, execution was his best bet, worse if a corporation got a hold of him.

    ¡°Is it any different than you and your company taking contracts?¡± Soma spat back.

    ¡°Yes. What I do is legal.¡±

    ¡°Why, because the contract is legal? How many citizens do you think you have arrested because the corporations paid a contract for you to do so? Do you examine all the evidence and deliberate?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± She hissed. ¡°The system put in place by the UN charter guarantees every citizen receives a fair trial.¡±

    ¡°And you don¡¯t think power, wealth, and influence change the outcome of the system?¡±

    ¡°I am not so naive to think that the system is free of corruption.¡±

    ¡°Then how can you trust in a system that you, yourself, have agreed is not wholly trust worthy?¡±

    ¡°What the fuck is your point?¡± Gabriela shouted.

    A few of the tram riders looked up, the look of concern was etched just under their blank stares. Gabriela smiled in way of an apology, before she pulled her hood further over her face. She watched the Upper City fly past.

    ¡°Are you some kind of idealist? Looking at the world as a moral wrong to be righted?¡±

    ¡°No. I am a pragmatist. And my point,¡± Soma said coolly. ¡°Is that the only difference between what I do and what you do, is I cut out the middle man.¡±

    Gabriela shook her head. ¡°This conversation is pointless.¡±

    ¡°I think you and I have finally found common ground. Just remember, Gabriela; you are a job to me. One that I can walk away from at any time.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Gabriela ground her teeth. Soma had found the most direct route to her apartment that didn¡¯t involve transferring transit lines. It took them to the outskirts of the city, along the river and dam that pumped in the energy that the city needed.

    The tram turned away from the river and headed back into the city. She had three minutes until the tram stopped, which she spent in quiet contemplation. Gabriela worried that Cy-Tech wasn¡¯t there to apprehend her, but to liberate her. She didn¡¯t trust Soma, and the idea he was duping her into being compliant with her own kidnapping wasn¡¯t beyond the realm of possibility.

    ¡°Where are you right now?¡±

    ¡°Right beside you.¡±

    Gabriela looked over at the empty space next to her. ¡°I mean physically.¡±

    There was a moment before he responded. ¡°Pacific Hive.¡±

    ¡°The states? How the hell are you going to help me from there?¡±

    ¡°Gabriela, you need to understand that I am not telling you everything, not because I don¡¯t want to, but because I can¡¯t. Not yet anyways.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s convenient.¡± The tram slowed to a stop before the doors opened and the passengers began to file off. Gabriela peaked around the bulkhead, scanning the stop for trouble, but it seemed normal.

    ¡°You need to trust me until then.¡± Soma said as Gabriela jumped down from the tram dock. The train was already moving again before she made it to the streets.

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem, Soma. I don¡¯t trust you.¡± Gabriela tucked her hands into her pockets and kept her eyes low. The cameras around the city scanned for facial recognition, as well as fingerprints and retinal. If she glanced in the wrong direction, or held up her hand too long, then the Taurus AI would flag her.

    She knew she had to do something about her face. Gabriela considered heading to the lower city and finding a less than reputable flesh salon to give her a new look under the table. But until that could happen, she had to rely on keeping her hood up and her eyes down.

    The doorman, Frank, didn¡¯t look up from his vid paper when she entered. A good sign.

    ¡°Evening, Frank.¡± She mumbled as she hit the buttons on the elevator.

    ¡°Even miss Fohren. I read in the papers you won the lottery!¡± The older gentlemen flicked the translucent paper, the GIFs playing across the paper froze from the impact, before they continued again. ¡°Could not believe my eyes when I read the article.¡±

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe it.¡± Gabriela chuckled a little, trying to sound as natural as possible as she waited for the elevator.

    ¡°Frank?¡± Gabriela turned away from the elevator doors.

    ¡°Hmmm?¡± Frank''s dark eyes peaked over his paper.

    ¡°Has anyone been here, looking for me?¡±

    ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, miss Forhen, but there has been no one looking in on you today, except this morning, that Brian fellow you are always with. Are you expecting someone else?¡±

    The elevator doors opened and she stepped in. ¡°No, I was just wondering. Have a good night, Frank.¡±

    ¡°You too, Miss Forhen.¡± Frank mumbled as he lost himself in the vid paper.

    Her apartment was empty, and was just the way she had left it in the morning. She quickly stripped from her clothes, tossing them to the side as she made her way to her closet. She chose a purple top that strapped up the side, and dark pants. She kicked her shoes away and replaced them with boots with a low heel. She pulled the ratcheting straps tight before she made her way to the bathroom.

    She pushed at the tiles on the bathroom floor until she found the one she wanted. It was loose and she could easily move it to the side. She reached into the dark hole and pulled out a small package wrapped in plastic. Inside was a passport and a cred chip.

    ¡°There is someone at the door.¡± Soma warned.

    Gabriela cursed and turned the light in the bathroom off just as her front door slowly opened. She ducked behind the door frame, crouching in the shadows as she watched the intruder enter.

    Geraldo slipped in through the front door before he slowly closed it behind him. Gabriela watched as he stood there, surveying the room around him. The thought of complicit kidnapping was becoming more and more unreasonable to her as she watched her one-time partner shuffle through her belongings.

    He got to her bed and thumbed through the pages of her books before he carefully placed each item back the way he had found them. This wasn¡¯t a man who was looking for her whereabouts. He never called out for her, never announced himself. This was a man looking for something. This was a man looking for leverage.

    She watched as he moved past the kitchenet, slowly sorting through the array of trash on the counter before he moved on to the living space. He knelt at her bunk and opened the drawers and carefully riffled through her clothes before he closed them again.

    Geraldo let out a loud sigh and stood up before he leaned over the bunk and picked up a book. He slowly turned the pages before he tipped the book over and shook it, checking to see if anything fell out before he gently placed it back. He checked each book in the same manner before he turned his attention to her mattress.

    Gabriela slowly moved forward as Geraldo inched around the frame of her bed.

    ¡°Gabriela, what are you doing?¡± Soma demanded. ¡°Stop!¡±

    Gabreila slowly picked up a lamp and made her way across the living space.

    Geraldo stood up, holding the one thing Gabriela couldn''t leave without. A 3d picture of her holding her daughter and a tuft of her hair. It was the only thing of her daughter that she had left.

    ¡°Gotch ya.¡± Geraldo said smugly, just before Gabriela brought the lamp down on the back of his head.

 Chapter Twenty Two

    Chapter 22

    Geraldo took one last drag of his cigarette as he looked up at the towering apartment complex. The building loomed over him, its glass face glimmering in the neon of the billboards and lights that surrounded it.

    He let the smoke out in his lounges slowly before he crushed the butt of the cigarette under the heel of his boot. He checked his palm terminal to see where Gabriela was. The information that displayed on the screen said she was at some swanky retirement community on the far side of the city.

    ¡°Plenty of time.¡± He mumbled and tucked the terminal in his pocket and walked inside the building.

    A concierge stood up and smiled as the doors to the building slid open.

    ¡°Can I help you?¡± He said cheerfully. Geraldo flashed his badge without slowing. The man sunk back into his chair, but said nothing more.

    Geraldo took the elevator up. Gabriela¡¯s personnel file said she lived on the fortieth floor. Not a penthouse, he noted, but high enough to be expensive.

    The elevator itself was housed in glass. Geraldo could see the city unfolding before him as the elevator took him higher and higher. The buildings shone brightly, reflecting the never-ending lights of advertisement even in the mid-day gloom. The city stretched as far as the river, where the massive dam could be seen. And in between the high buildings and overpasses was the Lower City, covered in a blanket of smog that made the Upper City appear as if it was built upon clouds.  Geraldo had no doubt that there were people that felt it may as well be.

    He had never left New Madrid. The city was the only home he had, but he often wondered what it would be like to live somewhere else, far away from the city of his birth. He had seen the videos of the pacific sprawl in the old USA, as well as the wastelands of northern Europe. Everywhere he looked seemed worse than the last. Corporate greed produced poverty and lawlessness. New Madrid seemed to be one of the last bastions of civilization. A bastion that seemed to him, to be slowly dying.

    The elevator doors slid opened onto a dimly lit hallway, pulling him away from the scene of his beloved city.

    The few people in the hallway ignored him as he marched ahead to Gabriela¡¯s door. He tried the handle, but it was locked. Geraldo knelt down and reached into his jacket and retrieved a codebreaker. He looked around the hall before he inserted a card into the door, a long ribbon of wire, which was attached to the card ran back to a small device that displayed a screen that simply said, ¡°Analyzing.¡±

    Codebreakers were not slandered issue equipment, and they weren¡¯t exactly legal, but one never knew when they would need to get past a locked door without someone knowing, or without needing a warrant.  This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    After a few seconds, information was displayed on the codebreakers screen about the door¡¯s security system. The software it ran on and that the security code was an eight-digit pin with an infinite display of numbers before him.

    Geraldo grunted as he typed away into the codebreaker. His grizzled face illuminated in the green light of the screen. He was hoping for a four-digit or even a six-digit pin. It would have made the process faster. A couple walking down the hall gave him a sideways look as they passed, but no one stopped him. Even in a nice apartment like this it was best to mind your own business.

    After a few moments, the codebreaker beeped and with a touch of the screen the door made a loud click as the bolt disengaged.

    Geraldo put the codebreaker back and smiled to himself. The device was worth every fraction of crypto he had spent on it.

    The door swung open slowly, and he stepped inside and closed it behind him as softly as he could before he turned and surveyed the apartment.

    It wasn¡¯t as big as he had expected. The layout was much like his own, but with the addition of a living space and what looked like a bathroom. He briefly wondered if she had a bath behind the cracked door.

    The kitchen was cluttered with take out containers and bottles. He wrinkled his nose in disgust and moved the trash around a little before he moved on. What he needed was something that would be personal to Gabriela. It wouldn¡¯t be kept with the trash.

    The living space was the only part of the apartment that wasn¡¯t cluttered. A rounded couch sat in a recessed part of the floor with a round tabled in front of it and an end table with a lamp. Geraldo briefly stopped and admired the lamp, silently wishing he could afford a place with enough space for optional furniture.

    He pulled his eyes away from the lamp and made his way to the bunk. If there was anything to find it would most likely be there. Gabriel¡¯s bunk was just as disordered as the kitchen. Beer bottles littered the floor around the bunk. Geraldo had to carefully step around them, not wanting to disturb anything. He wanted to get in and out without her knowing he had been there.

    There was a shelf above the bunk, lined with books. He picked up one and read the cover ¡°Do Androids Dream of Electronic sheep, By Philip. K. Dick.¡± Geraldo had never heard of the author. He slowly flipped the pages of the book. Such a thing was a rarity. Books hadn¡¯t been published since the end of the Euro War. In a desperate attempt to curb Co2 in the atmosphere, the UN Charter banned the harvesting of trees.

    Geraldo flipped the book over and gave it a shake, expecting something to fall out. When the book failed to produce what he needed he placed it back and moved on to the next. He sighed when he placed the last book back. Geraldo felt a little sheepish thinking it would be as easy as thumbing through books.

    He carefully knelt down and checked the low ceiling above the bunk before he moved to the bed itself. Geraldo slid his hands along the mattress, checking to see if anything was hidden between it and the frame.

    Geraldo smiled when his fingers brushed against something hard. He carefully pulled the object out and examined it. It was small, just a little bigger than a pack of cards. A clear plate of glass or resin with a piece of polished metal along one edge. The only thing in the glass was a tuft of dark hair.

    He felt along the edge of metal and found a power button and pressed it. A three dimensional picture filled the glass. It was a young Gabriela lovingly holding a small baby to her chest.

    ¡°Gotcha.¡± Geraldo said and smiled, just before his vision exploded into stars and he felt himself falling.

 Chapter Twenty-three

    Chapter 23

    Gabriela tossed the ruined lamp away and quickly knelt beside Geraldo, picking up the picture before she felt along his waist and found his sidearm. The big man groaned and lazily pushed himself up from the floor just as Gabriela had unholstered the weapon and stood back.

    ¡°Stay down, Geraldo.¡± She warned as she tucked the picture into her pocket..

    Geraldo groaned and looked behind him, and up at her. His augmented pupils erratically contracting and expanding.

    ¡°What?¡± He said lazily as he staggered to his feet.

    ¡°God dammit, Geraldo. I mean it,¡± She warned and pulled the hammer back on the pistol. ¡°Stay where you are.¡±

    He held up his hands and nodded. ¡°Okay. Just take it easy.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    He stood there, stoned face, his hands in the air. ¡°Looking for evidence.¡±

    ¡°You need to get out of there, Gabriela.¡± Soma¡¯s voice chided in her ear.

    ¡°Shut up.¡± She growled.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Geraldo said. Soma said nothing.

    Gabriela shook her head and gathered her thoughts. ¡°Are you with Cy-Tech?¡±

    ¡°Cy-Tech?¡±

    ¡°Answer the question,¡± she growled, and took a menacing step towards him with the pistol raised.

    ¡°No. I¡¯m not with Cy-Tech.¡±

    Gabriela licked her lips. ¡°What evidence are you looking for?¡±

    ¡°That you had a child.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Common, Gabriela.¡± Geraldo slowly put his hands down. ¡°I know you broke into Taurus and expunged your record.¡±

    ¡°Why the hell would I do that?¡± She demanded.

    ¡°So, you could be eligible for the Lottery.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him,¡± Soma warned. ¡°Just get out of there.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± She whispered as some of the pieces started to fall into place. She had assumed her mother had something to do with the changes to her record. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡±

    ¡°Then you won''t mind if we go back to the station and clear this all up? We can forget about the lamp to the back of my head.¡± Geraldo smiled and rubbed the back of his neck.

    ¡°Geraldo, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I didn¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°Fine, Gabriela. I believe you.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it.¡± She stressed again.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Fine, can you tell me where you were two nights ago?¡±

    ¡°Here.¡±

    ¡°Was anyone with you?¡± Geraldo took a small step forward.

    Gabriela moved back, keeping the pistol aimed at his chest. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Gab,¡± Geraldo said coolly, ¡°you know that¡¯s not an alibi.¡±

    ¡°I have receipts. At two am I went to the market. I picked up a case of beer and paid with UN vouchers.¡± The words that escaped her mouth seemed wrong. It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t remember that night, but that she could, and in vivid detail. ¡°I picked up a chocolate bar at the register, before I paid. I was stopped by a man begging for change and gave him the rest of the vouchers I was holding. The cashier¡¯s name was Tony.¡±

    ¡°Okay, where are the receipts?¡±

    ¡°On the kitchen counter.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then. We can work all of this out. Just come with me and I¡¯ll go to the market and ask Tony if he remembers you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t go with him.¡± Soma warned.

    ¡°No. I want you to lay face down on the floor.¡± Gabriela motioned with the pistol.

    Geraldo shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not going to do that.¡±

    ¡°I swear to Christ I will shoot you, Geraldo.¡±

    ¡°No, you won¡¯t. You¡¯re not a murder, Gab.¡±

    ¡°You saw what I did to those men in the chop shop.¡± She warned.

    ¡°That was do or die, kid.¡± Geraldo held out his hands and took another step closer. Gabriela was running out of room to retreat. ¡°Life and death. Killing someone in cold blood is different, and I know you don¡¯t have it in you to do something like that.¡±

    Gabriela took a step back and felt the gold glass of the window to her back.

    ¡°They found you, Gabriela.¡± Soma warned. ¡°We have to get out of here. Now.¡±

    Geraldo smiled and took another step closer. Just as the vid screen in the living area sprang to life. She and Geraldo turned towards it.

    ¡°This is an urgent message issued by Cy-Tech security.¡± A woman¡¯s voice announced. ¡°This woman, Gabriela Fohren, is wanted for the murder of Vice CEO of Bioloxys, Owen Conner.¡± The warning on the vid screen showed her picture along with the picture of Owen Conner. ¡°If you have any information regarding her whereabouts please contact any local security company. She is believed to be armed and dangerous.¡±

    The smile slipped from Geraldo¡¯s face as he spread his arms out and prostrated himself on the floor. Gabriela moved around him and backed out of her apartment.

    ¡°I warned you not to come here.¡± Soma hissed in her ear.

    ¡°I need a way out.¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t one. Officers are in the elevator and seeker mechs are making their way up the stairway.¡±

    Gabriela looked at the elevator at the end of the hall. The numbers displayed above the door were slowly ticking up. She moved towards the door to the stairs and cracked it open. She could hear the clicking of the mechs as they made their way towards her.

    ¡°Fuck.¡± Gabriela looked around her.

    A door opened up and her neighbor peered out. An old woman named Elli.

    ¡°Officer Forhen?¡± She asked nervously.

    Gabriela raised her weapon and forced the old woman inside. She could hear the mechs getting closer and closer. Gabreila looked at the opposite end of the hall and raised her weapon and fired. The glass at the end of the hall shattered and an alarm began screaming out. Gabriela pushed Elli inside before she closed the door behind her.

    The mechs scampered past the door. Gabriela kept her weapon leveled at the old woman as she waited for them to pass.

    ¡°Be quiet, and I promise nothing will happen to you.¡± Gabriela warned.

    The old woman nodded.

    ¡°Go into your bathroom and turn the water on. Count to two hundred and then come out. I promise I will be gone.¡±

    Elli did as she was told.

    Gabriela opened the door. The mechs were crawling through the broken window, searching for her. She quickly crossed the hall and got to the stairwell. She looked down over the railings before she started making her way down. When she got to the tenth floor, she heard the sound of boots marching up the stairs.

    She flung the door open to the hallway and rushed down the hall. She stopped when she saw a seeker mech crawling just outside the window. The sound of boots came marching closer and closer. Gabriela tried the doors in the hall, but they were locked. She stopped just as she came to the garbage shoot and hesitated.

    ¡°It¡¯s one hundred feet down.¡± Soma warned.

    ¡°What choice do I have?¡± She panted and slipped the pistol into her waistband before she opened the shoot and slid in feet first. Her heart pounded as she slid into darkness and fell.

 Chapter Twenty Four

    Chapter 24

    ¡°Gabriela?¡± A voice called out in the distance. ¡°Gabriela, you need to get up.¡±

    She slowly opened her eyes and the world came rushing back to her. She choked and coughed, sharp pains shot through her body. Gabriela heard Soma¡¯s faint voice.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Soma asked her. His voice sounded fuzzy and distorted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She said as she struggled to sit up. She was in a dumpster that was nearly full. Her side hurt. ¡°I think my ribs are broken.¡± She admitted.

    ¡°I cannot believe that worked.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing it¡¯s not Wednesday.¡± Gabriela sucked in a breath and lowered herself to the ground. She stumbled and cursed when she let go and fell the last few feet.

    ¡°What happens on Wednesday?¡±

    Gabriela had to put a hand on the dumpster to steady herself, and carefully felt her side, assessing the damage.

    ¡°They empty the dumpster.¡±

    A light laugh crackled from her earpiece.

    ¡°I think my earpiece is damaged.¡± Gabriela fiddled around with hardwear.

    ¡°As long as you can still hear me then we can deal with that later.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gabriela took a few unsteady steps away from the dumpster. ¡°What do I do now?¡±

    ¡°We need to get you off the streets. I can block any cameras or scanners around you, but that will only work for so long. Once they figure out a mancer is helping you then they will look for outages.¡±

    ¡°Right, a black out means they know where I am.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Right now, that¡¯s all I can do. I can¡¯t do anything if someone recognizes you, so you need to find some way to keep your face concealed or obscured. There is a head shop not too far from here. Head towards it, and stay away from people.¡±

    Gabriela slowly limped out of the small trash dock of her apartment building. She peaked around the corner and saw Cy-Tech officers swarming into her building.

    ¡°Try not to look suspicious,¡± Soma warned. ¡°They still think you are in the building.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gabriela slipped around the corner and kept walking.

    She held her breath when a group of officers trotted past her. One slowed and shouted at her.

    ¡°Get behind the security ribbon!¡±

    She nodded and did as she was told, and walked as fast as she could without limping. There was a crowd that had gathered around to witness the spectacle. A security raid in the Lower City was commonplace, but here, in the Upper City, it was a fascinating sight that people couldn¡¯t pass up.

    Gabriela slipped into the crowd and became just another gawker among the throng of people. She slowed down once she made it through the mass. She needed a way to mask herself.

    Glancing around she noticed a woman standing at the mouth of an ally. Gabriela pegged her as a street walker the moment she saw her. The woman looked almost like a body doll from a high-end sex shop.

    ¡°Jesus sweety, what happened to you?¡± The woman asked when Gabriela limped up to her.

    ¡°Just a tumble, that¡¯s all.¡± Gabriela smiled.

    ¡°Hell of a tumble. Are you looking for a tumble of another kind?¡±

    ¡°I um-¡± Gabriela glanced over her shoulder as the gunship passed overhead.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that nonsense.¡± The woman waved her hand at the scene unfolding behind her. ¡°They got better things to do than waste time on two consenting adults, and sex isn¡¯t illegal.¡±

    ¡°I actually want your jacket.¡± Gabriela cut her off.

    ¡°My jacket?¡± The woman raised an eyebrow. ¡°This thing is a piece of shit you can get from any street vendor. What do you need it for when you got clothes like that? What brand is your jacket, Castaol?¡±

    ¡°It is actually. Would you want to trade, no questions asked?¡±

    The woman smiled and shrugged and took her jacket off and handed it over to Gabriela.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Gabriela said as she handed over her own jacket.

    ¡°This looks a little used, honey.¡± The woman narrowed her eyes at the stains the jacket had picked up from the trash.

    ¡°It will wash out, and it¡¯s worth twenty of these.¡± Gabriela slipped the purple jacket on. It was long sleeved with a short waste, which was meant to leave the midriff exposed. It had little actual function as a jacket, but it had a hood, which she slipped over her head as she made her way down the street as Soma directed.

    ¡°Why go to this store, and not one of the ones I am walking past?¡± She asked as walked past yet another shop.

    ¡°This one doesn¡¯t have a vid screen in it, so they won¡¯t recognise you, if we are in luck.¡±

    The shop was a small, skivvy joint tucked away in the retail space of a nearby building. A bell rang when she pushed the door open. There were no vid screens, just as Soma had said.

    ¡°Go to the counter and ask for a nanite tattoo.¡± Soma¡¯s voice crackled.

    ¡°I need a tattoo.¡± Gabriela mumbled as she walked up to the counter. She kept her eyes down, as if she was perusing the shop''s wares.

    ¡°What kind do you want?¡± The bold, heavyset clerk asked. His meaty hands pressed against the top of the glass case as he leaned forward. ¡°We got the basic pre designs, and then there are the more pricey ones that you can design yourself with an app. App cost extra though.¡±

    ¡°Pre design.¡±

    ¡°Alright, do you want to look at the catalog?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Gabrelia shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll take a Japanese dragon.¡±

    ¡°A classic.¡± The man snorted before he turned away to get the tattoo.

    Gabriela slowly walked along the glass cases studying the items within it. It had what you would expect. Glass pipes, water pipes, vape rigs, and the assortment of trinkets like knives and shurikens. She paused when something out of the ordinary caught her eye.

    ¡°Is this a meta deck?¡± She asked and pointed at what looked like oversized sunglasses.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± The man said. He sat the tattoo kit down in front of her.

    ¡°Does it have audio?¡±

    ¡°It does. You looking to take a dive in the Ether?¡±

    ¡°Something like that.¡± Gabriela slid the crypto chip across the glass.

    ¡°What kind of coin?¡± The man asked as he eyed the chip causosly.

    ¡°Cronos and Ethereum.¡±

    The shopkeeper took the chip and ran it, before he bagged up her purchase and handed it over to her.

    ¡°Have fun with it,¡± He grunted. Before he turned away and headed back to do whatever it was he was doing before she had walked into his shop.

    Gabriela took the bag, but said nothing. She left the shop and headed to the nearest alley, before she sat down and unpackaged the tattoo.

    ¡°You are going to apply it to your face.¡± Soma warned.

    Gabriela sighed as she took the metal injector from its packaging. ¡°I was afraid you were going to say that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only temporary. Don¡¯t inject it close to your eye.¡±

    Gabriela took a deep breath before she pushed the end of the injector against her face and pressed the button. There was a sharp pain followed by an agonizing burning feeling that caused her to gasp and wither against the wall of the building.

    ¡°The pain will fade, just take deep and steady breaths.¡±

    ¡°Fuck.¡± Gabriela wheezed at last. The pain finally had begun to ebb. Her face felt warm.

    ¡°The nanites under your skin are going to project a small amount of light, which is going to change the pigment of your skin. It looks like this one has animation as well.¡±

    ¡°Neat.¡± Gabrelia said dryly before she powered on the meta deck and slipped it over her eyes. Within seconds the Ether was displayed around her. A false reality transposed over reality.

    ¡°Where are you?¡±

    After a moment Soma¡¯s avatar materialized. It was custom made, far too intricate to be purchased on a marketplace. The avatar had a masculine build, and looked like it was made out of golden light, his face was a bizarre amalgamation of human and machine, and his hair was flowing locks of cables and plugs.

    ¡°Soma, in the flesh.¡± Gabriela whispered.

    ¡°As close to it as anyone has seen.¡± Soma looked over his shoulder. ¡°We need to get you off the street.¡±

    ¡°This pistol has a tracker in it.¡± Gabriela pulled the weapon from her waistband and examined it. The clip was full, and it seem to be well maintained. ¡°Can you disable it?¡±

    ¡°I already did.¡±

    ¡°Okay, where do I go from here?¡± Gabriela struggled to get to her feat. The day''s events had taken their toll on her body, and she was starting to feel it as her adrenaline faded.

    ¡°I have a safe house set up for you. Follow me.¡±

    Gabrelia nodded and limped out of the aley, following a golden ghost.

 Chapter Twenty Five

    Chapter Twenty Five

    Geraldo had heard the gunshot, followed by the perimeter alarm, only then did he start to get up off the floor. He froze when the door opened and a seeker mech scampered in. It paused for only a moment before it clicked over to him.

    Geraldo held out his hands and flinched when the cold metal of the machine antenna wrapped around his face before it began to scan him. He kept his eyes open and as still as he possibly could. The mech released him and moved on to the apartment''s bathroom before it finally left.

    Geraldo let out a slow unsteady breath. His head throbbed with the beat of his heart, a rhythmic drum just past his skull. He got up and moved to the window slowly, on unsteady feet.

    Outside was a swarm of Cy-Tech vehicles and personnel. He stepped back from the window as a gun ship pivoted around the building, the pilot obscured behind black ominous glass.

    ¡°Do not leave your apartments.¡± A voice boomed from a loudspeaker. ¡°Stay inside and await physical inspection of your dormitory.¡±

    Geraldo cursed and turned away from the window. He was trapped in the apartment, unable to pressure Gabriela. If he were to leave, he knew the mechs would subdue him or worse. Gabriela was at the mercy of Cy-Tech.

    If only she had surrendered to him, then she would be in Taurus¡¯s custody. Despite his suspicions of her, and her attack against him, he didn¡¯t wish for her to end up in the custody of corporate mercenaries.

    To make matters worse for him, Gabriela had taken his gun, as well as the evidence he needed to prove his case against her.

    There was something off about her story, something that didn¡¯t make sense to him, it was too well-rehearsed.

    Geraldo quickly made his way over to the cluttered kitchen counter and riffled through the collection of discarded food containers. He found the receipt she had told him about, just as the door was thrown open.

    Armor-clad Cy-Tech officers filed into the room, shouting for Geraldo to get down on the ground. He slipped the receipt into his back pocket as he complied, prostrating himself once more on the floor of Gabriela¡¯s apartment.

    The officers secured the room, while two officers cuffed his hands behind his back before they wrenched him to his knees. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Well, well,¡± a familiar voice said. ¡°I thought I smelled vicilin.¡±

    Geraldo looked up at the cold green eyes of Kristopher Andrews. He smiled down at him.

    ¡°Helping a fugitive is a class two felony, Detective Montes,¡± Andrews said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know that?¡±

    Geraldo looked away from Andrews and ground his teeth. It was going to take intervention from Taurus to get him out of Cy-Tech custody. He knew nothing he could say would get Andrews to release him. There was too much circumstantial evidence. He was in her apartment, she was on the run, and she had his gun.

    ¡°What?¡± Andrews tutted, ¡°No witty come back?¡±

    ¡°If you want my come back,¡± Geraldo growled and looked back up at the man. ¡°Then go scrape it from your mother¡¯s teeth.¡±

    ¡°Funny.¡± Andrews said with sneer. Before he slammed his fist into Geraldo¡¯s face.

    Geraldo grunted as his head flew back from the impact. Blood streamed down his face and filled his mouth. He leaned forward and spat thick crimson blood onto the floor.

    An officer came up behind Andrews and whispered something into his ear.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Andrews asked the officer. The gleeful malice in his eyes was replaced by something more primal.

    The officer nodded before he took a step back.

    ¡°Where is she?¡± Andrews demanded.

    ¡°You lost her?¡± Geraldo looked back up at him and laughed. ¡°Not even you can be that big of a fuck up.¡±

    The air rushed from Geraldo¡¯s lungs when Andrews landed a kick to his stomach. Geraldo slumped forward and soundlessly gasped for breath.

    Andrews knelt down in front of him and lifted his head up, holding his face in his hand.

    ¡°Listen, you crippled fuck.¡± He sneered. ¡°I am going to ask you one more time, and if you don¡¯t give me the answer I want then I will beat it out of you, do I make myself clear?¡±

    ¡°Crystal.¡± Geraldo gasped.

    ¡°Where is Gabriela Fohren?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Andrews shook his head.

    ¡°Wrong answer.¡± He grabbed Geraldo¡¯s shirt to hold him steady.

    ¡°I mean it.¡± Geraldo flinched when Andrews brought his fist back a second time. ¡°I don¡¯t know where she is or where she is going. I wasn¡¯t here to help her.¡±

    Andrews paused his hand still in the air. ¡°Then why are you here?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s the subject of an official Taurus inquiry.¡±

    ¡°What inquiry?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s protected corporate information, you know that.¡±

    Andrews let his fist down and sighed.

    ¡°Get him up.¡± He motioned to the two officers at Geraldo¡¯s side to pick him up. Geraldo winced in pain as they lifted him to his feet.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to make some calls. If your story doesn¡¯t pan out then your crippled ass is in a world of hurt.¡± He turned to his officers. ¡°Take him to headquarters.¡± Andrews ordered.

    The officers drug him from the apartment.

 Chapter Twenty Six

    Chapter 26

    Geraldo wondered how long it had been since they had brought him into the interrogation room. The room was void of any clocks. The only furniture that occupied the room was the chair he sat in, the steel table he was cuffed to and the chair his interrogator would use, if they ever decided to join him.

    He couldn¡¯t fault them for the wait. It was a tactic he had used many times before. He wondered how many people were sitting just pass the one-way mirror, waiting for him to call out to them, giving them the first sign that he was ready to crack.

    Geraldo smiled to himself. His nose was bent and crooked, his mustache still caked in blood, and both his eyes were starting to bruise. He wondered if he would have to set his broken nose himself, or if they would eventually have an EMT do it for him

    They had taken everything he had, including his jacket. Geraldo rubbed his arms, trying to transfer what little heat he could into them. They had turned the AC on; yet another tactic he had used before.

    He¡¯d never sat on this side of an interrogation before, and it was somewhat exhilarating. But the smile melted into a frown when he thought about the time he was wasting here. Every minute he wasted sitting in this room was a minute Gabriela had to disappear. Or worse; it was a minute Cy-Tech had to find her.

    Geraldo jumped a little when the door opened suddenly. Andrews smiled at him.

    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting,¡± He said and closed the door behind him. ¡°Can I get you anything?¡±

    ¡°You can get me the fuck out of here.¡± Geraldo rattled his cuffs and growled.

    ¡°I can not believe they left you cuffed here the whole damn time.¡± Andrews shook his head and pulled a terminal. The shackles clicked and released, falling from Geraldo¡¯s wrist. He rubbed the sore skin and glared.

    ¡°Anything else you need?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m free to go?¡± Geraldo looked around inquisitively, he wasn¡¯t quite sure what Andrews¡¯s angle was.

    ¡°Yes, sir. I talked to your boss. She confirmed your story, and you are free to go.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± Andrews cleared his voice. ¡°I am supposed to tell you sorry for roughing you up.¡±

    They both stood there for a moment, neither one of them speaking.

    ¡°Alright then.¡± Geraldo mumbled as he headed toward the door.

    ¡°One more thing.¡± Andrews put his arm on the door frame, barring Geraldo from leaving. ¡°My boss has asked me to share our intel with Taurus. So, if you got a minute?¡± Andrews motioned him back to his seat.

    Geraldo reluctantly obliged.

    ¡°Where¡¯s my stuff?¡± He asked after he took his seat.

    ¡°Right.¡± Andrews turned around and motioned at the mirror. A woman quickly hustled in and handed Geraldo his effects in a basket.

    He let out a sigh of relief when he saw the receipt amongst his belongings. He put his coat on and returned his effects to their prospective pockets before he pulled out a cigarette. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Mind if I smoke in here?¡± He mumbled.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t.¡± Andrew said.

    Geraldo lit the cigarette and inhaled a long drag before he exhaled the smoke, blowing it towards Andrews.

    ¡°I don¡¯t got all day, corpo boy.¡±

    Andrews waved the smoke from his face and placed his thumb on the table. It sprang to life, filling the room with artificial light.

    ¡°Do you know who your partner murdered?¡±

    ¡°Allegedly.¡±

    Andrews smiled. ¡°Are you really going to defend her? She¡¯s a murderer,¡± he reminded him.

    ¡°Yeah, about that?¡± Geraldo tapped his cigarette, leaving the question lingering between them.

    ¡°Owen Conner was murdered three days ago in his penthouse.¡± Andrews brought up the file on the table and pushed it towards Geraldo.

    Geraldo put his cigarette between his lips and opened the file with a touch of his hand. The cigarette bobbed up and down as his lips moved silently as he read. Conner had been shot. The bullet matched Gabriela¡¯s gun, her fingerprints were found at the crime scene, as well as vaginal secretion, that matched Gabriela, that was found on the victim¡¯s body.

    ¡°You recover the murder weapon?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Taurus turned it over to us this morning.¡±

    ¡°The logs have her checking it out?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. And its ident chip has it in the victim¡¯s room.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Geraldo mumbled. The time of death had Gabriela placed at the crime scene at the same time Taurus was hacked. She couldn¡¯t be in two places at the same time. No, Geraldo corrected himself, three if her alibi panned out.¡°What¡¯s her motive for doing this? Were they lovers?¡±

    ¡°I am glad you asked.¡± Andrews typed away on the table before a new file apeared. ¡°Do you know who The Sons are?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, pro-natural birth terrorist. Religious fundamentalist wack jobs.¡±

    ¡°They took credit for Connor¡¯s murder.¡± He pointed down at a digital message that had been sent to various news organizations.

    Geraldo looked down at the file and frowned as he moved portions of the file around the table''s screen. Owen Conner was the VP of Bioloxys, which would make him a prime target for The Sons, but he was also a starch advocate for deviants.

    ¡°You think Gabriela is working with the Sons?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the going hypothesis.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s gen-perfect,¡± Geraldo pointed out. ¡°Why would she help them?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you ask her when I find her.¡± Andrews¡¯s voice was easy and smooth, and his lips pressed together in a small smile as he leaned back in his chair.

    ¡°Were there any recordings of her?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, no.¡±

    Geraldo raised an eyebrow. ¡°No recordings of her, not even of her entering and leaving the building?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Andrews admitted a second time.

    ¡°What about in the vicinity?¡±

    Andrews shook his head.

    ¡°How¡¯s that possible?¡±

    ¡°We think she is in league with a net-breaker, and a good one at that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d say.¡± It¡¯s one thing to turn off a camera or two, but to create a black out zone? That was another thing altogether.

    ¡°Did you hear what happened at the Bioloxys facility?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t say I have.¡±

    Andrews leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table. ¡°We tried to apprehend Fohren there, this morning. The anti-corporate espionage system was triggered, taking out my officers, while also shutting down all communications within a few block radius.¡±

    ¡°CES can do that.¡± Geraldo flicked the smoking butt accorded the room. ¡°Keeps corpo spies from uploading to the Ether.¡±

    ¡°Right, but it¡¯s supposed to be a blackout. Somehow the hacker managed to get a rootkit into the network and took control of building functions. So, either the net-breaker is some digital god, or-¡±

    ¡°Or they were present in the dead zone,¡± Geraldo finished for him.

    ¡°Exactly. So, the Hacker is local, or at least they are in New Madrid. We find the net-breaker, we find Gabriela.¡±

    Geraldo stood up and scooted his chair back into place.

    ¡°Have fun with that.¡± Geraldo smiled and turned around.

    ¡°Are you not going to share what you know?¡± Andrews stood up quickly, his brow knitting together.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re an asshole.¡± Geraldo stated, before he closed the door behind him.

 Twenty Seven

    Gabriela followed Soma into the Lower City. They took a tram not far from her apartment before she transferred to a mag train. The extent of her injuries were becoming clearer as the adrenaline that had filled her veins began to wane.

    Her side hurt with every breath, as well as her ankle. She had to fight not to limp when she boarded the train.

    Everywhere she looked she saw pictures of herself. Murder wasn¡¯t a rarity in New Madrid. Hundreds of murders and violent crime were reported every year, most of them unnoticed by the denizens of the city. But the murder of a top corporate executive, by the hands of a gen perfect security officer was something new, something exciting.

    Every screen on the train flashed her face, or a repeated loop from the news agency, detailing the ghastly crime she was accused of, and every eye was glued to the screens, or vid papers. Every passenger lapping up what little new news they could while completely oblivious to the fugitive standing amongst them.

    Soma¡¯s disguise had worked so far. The authorities were looking for a gen perfect with no augmentations, not an Either punk with a face tattoo.

    The question of why and how she was accused of murder burned away in her mind, not to mention Geraldo¡¯s accusation of her breaking into the Taurus mainframe. She wanted to ask Soma, but feared her one-way conversation would be overheard, and her clever disguise would be foiled.

    The only person in her compartment that wasn''t glued to the vids was a rambling preacher of the Church of The Augmented. Most of his flesh was replaced with bright chrome, or iodized metal.

    ¡°Flesh is imperfect, and weak,¡± he called out to no one. ¡°Prone to fail you, just like anything else in this world.

    ¡°It is through grace that augmentation came to be,¡± he stressed. ¡°It is destiny that we shed our weakness for the strength of metal and carbon. A paradise awaits us in the Either.¡±

    He looked over and for a brief moment his augmented eyes locked on hers. Gabriela cursed and looked away.

    ¡°You, sister!¡± He pointed at her and moved towards her, pushing passengers aside as he made his way towards her. ¡°Dose it not bother you that you will grow old and die? That your flesh will wither away day by day?¡±

    ¡°I try not to think about it.¡± Gabriela looked away and mumbled.

    ¡°Do you not think of your barren womb, and know that whatever life you fill with it will be twisted and deformed?¡±

    ¡°Piss off,¡± she hissed and turned away. Gabriela wanted to lash out at the preacher. She wanted to force his words down his throat with her fist.

    He moved closer to her. She could smell the rankness of his feted breath, as well as the stench of lubricants needed to keep his body in motion. ¡°Damnation is all that awaits you.¡±

    Gabriela refused to be cawed by this man. She held his leveled gaze, and her lips parted to speak, but before the words could come the man jerked back before he turned his gaze to another passenger and moved on.

    ¡°That could have gone bad.¡± Soma appeared next to her.

    ¡°You could have helped.¡± Gabriela turned around to face him.

    ¡°He is heavily augmented, and the counter intrusion functions would have been difficult to overcome in enough time to have done any good. It would have just made him aware of my presence, which would have only added to the situation.¡±

    ¡°I thought you were a mancer.¡±

    ¡°Even mancers have their limits.¡± He admitted solemnly.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Gabriela turned back to the train window. The clean streets and buildings of the Upper City had been replaced by trash and graffitied walls.

    ¡°The Lower City.¡±

    ¡°I can see that,¡± Gabriela scoffed. ¡°Where in the Lower City?¡±

    ¡°A safehouse I have prepared for you.¡±

    ¡°I need a clinic.¡± Gabriela clutched her side and grunted. The pain was becoming unbearable.

    ¡°It¡¯s too risky to go to a clinic.¡± Soma¡¯s image twitched and faded from view before he reappeared in front of her. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone meet us at the safe house, someone we can trust. They will get you patched up.¡±

    Trust? Gabriela almost laughed out loud at the word. She had no idea who she could trust, or if she could trust anyone. There was something about Soma that even caused a seed of doubt expand in her mind. She knew nothing about him, or their mysterious benefactor. And he had been insistent during her encounter with Geraldo that she not listen to anything he had to say. Soma was hiding something, she knew it.

    The Train stopped at Junction Station. The passengers all filed off the train, their faces grim as they returned to the bleakness of their lives in the Lower City.

    Gabriela followed Soma as he vanished and reappeared, a ghostly apparition that jumped through space, leading her deeper into the unknown.

    She had to walk to the safehouse. Every step was a grueling ordeal, every breath a challenge. Gabriela had to stop several times to catch her breath. She used the walls of the gritty buildings to hold herself up. The denizens that passed by spared her no mind. She was just another addicted, or roughed up whore to them, just another daily aspect of life in the Lower City.

    ¡°How much further?¡± She huffed.

    ¡°We are almost there,¡± Soma whispered as he appeared beside her.

    Gabriela nodded and took a deep shaky breath before she took another painful limp down the sidewalk.

    ¡°Here.¡± Soma hovered around her and pointed down a dark alley. ¡°It¡¯s down here.¡±

    He led her to a rusted door. A single light buzzed above it, creating a pool of light in the oppressive darkness of the alley. ¡°Should I knock?¡±

    Soma blinked out of existence before he could answer her question.

    ¡°Soma?¡± Gabriela called out into the alley. Only the clattering of bottles and the yowl of cat answered her. Her heart began to race as she slowly moved back to the door. Its cold metal pressing against her back.

    Gabriela yelp and stumbled away when the door shuttered, the locking mechanism disengaged, and the door slowly opened.

    ¡°Come in.¡± A digitized voice said from within the door way.

    Slowly, she followed the voice inside.

    ¡°Please close the door behind you,¡± The voice asked. Gabriela did as she was asked. Pushing the heavy door closed before she pulled on a leaver, which slid the deadbolts in place.

    Gabreial turned around and blinked as lights clicked on around her, illuminating the safe house. It was a small studio, which was sparsely furnished. Only a small table with two chairs, and a mattress pushed into the corner.

    A small girl stood against the wall; a permanent grin painted across the mask she wore.

    ¡°Maru?¡± Her name had eluded her at first, but the mask and grin pulled it from the recesses of her memory, as well as the name of her brother; Soma.

    ¡°Not quite.¡± Maru¡¯s voice crackled.

    A sense of unease built up as Gabriela crossed the threshold hold between them.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°This is Maru, but it is me, Soma, speaking through her.¡±

    Gabriela reached up with shaky hands and unlatched the mask that obscured the young girls face. Gabriela gasped and stepped back. What was left of Maru¡¯s face was unrecognizable. Her lower jaw was gone, a feeding tube permanently attached to her face. Her only eye staired out unblinking.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Gabriela gasped and took a step back, holding a hand to her face to stifle her disgust.

    ¡°Maru is a surrogate,¡± Soma explained. ¡°Her upper brain function stopped long ago. Her parents tried everything to keep her alive. In the end they succeeded, but it drove them to ruin. I found them and relieved them of the debt of keeping her alive.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a child,¡± Gabriela whispered and took another step back before she raised her voice. ¡°A child, you fucking monster!¡±

    ¡°She was a child.¡± The Maru-thing stepped forward. ¡°That child died long ago. There is nothing left inside of her. Nothing but me.¡±

    ¡°No, this is sick.¡± Gabriela shook her head.

    The Maru-thing chuckled. ¡°It is amazing how little you change, Gabriela.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck is that supposed to mean?¡± She spat back.

    ¡°Nothing that can¡¯t wait for an explanation.¡±

    ¡°You were there?¡± Gabriela demanded. Her hands shook and it took all her efforts not to clench her teeth. ¡°You were there the day at the chop doc?¡±

    The Maru-thing nodded.

    ¡°You were following me?¡±

    ¡°No, not entirely. I was looking for something. It just happened you were looking for the same thing, but you just didn¡¯t know it.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s mind raced as she recalled the sketchy events of that day.

    ¡°I was there the moment you arrived in the Lower City.¡±

    ¡°When Sally called Geraldo, telling me where to find Nora?¡±

    ¡°That was me.¡± The Maru-thing threw its arm out and made a deep bow. ¡°I have been with you every step of the way.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I told you,¡± The Maru-thing said as it righted itself. ¡°We were looking for the same thing.¡±

    ¡°The chop doc?¡±

    The surrogate nodded.

    ¡°What did you want with a chop doc?¡±

    ¡°That was more than just a ¡®chop doc¡¯. It was a mancer that goes by the name Enigma. I have been looking for them for a long time. It was just chance that you happened to come along, but in the end it proved fruitful. Enigma¡¯s skill far surpasses my own. Without you I would have never been able to meet them.¡±

    ¡°You used me?¡±

    ¡°No, inadvertently. I would like think we used each other. I helped you find what you were looking for, and you helped me.¡±

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t have just done it yourself? You knew where Nora was, she would have led you to the apothecary.¡± Gabriela pointed out.

    The Maru-thing let out a sigh and kicked its foot sheepishly. ¡°I could never approach Enigma in the Ether, they would never allow it, and to do so would have flatlined me, and this body is too unfit to do it physically.¡±

    The pieces of the puzzle surrounding the event of the day slowly began to slid into place. ¡°This mancer, Enigma, are they the benefactor that sent you to help me?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    The Maru-thing ignored the question. ¡°The medical aid I promised you is here.¡±

    Gabriela jumped at the sound of someone beating on the door. The Maru thing moved passed her and opened the door. A blonde woman stepped inside. Her blue eyes darted around nervously. She seemed to be wound up as tight as the braid she kept her hair in. Only the small wrinkles at the corner of her eyes betrayed her age.

    ¡°Is this her?¡± She asked as she moved deeper inside the safe house, dropping a large bag she caried on her shoulder to the ground.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Her damn picture is all over the news. Plastered on every billboard in the city.¡±

    ¡°Then I hope you keep her animity.¡±

    ¡°I could go to jail for this, lose my license, my family, my livelihood.¡±

    ¡°All those things will happen if you don¡¯t tend to her, and worse if you mention this to anyone.¡± The Maru stressed.

    The woman cursed and turned to her bag. She rummaged around for a moment, placing medical gear on the floor. When she had what she needed she motioned for Gabriela to sit.

    Gabriela winced as she did what she was told.

    ¡°Take off your shirt.¡± The woman ordered.

    Gabriela gave an uneasy look at Soma¡¯s surrogate.

    ¡°I promise you I have seen it all before, and sexuality means nothing to me. You don¡¯t need to be bashful.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d still prefer privacy.¡± She grumbled.

    ¡°Fine.¡± The Maru-thing parked itself into a corner and slumped forward. Returning to the brain dead child it was without Soma¡¯s influence.

    The woman pushed at the deep purple bruise that had spread across Gabriela¡¯s abdomen, causing her to whimper and gasp.

    The woman returned to her bag and produced an out injector.

    ¡°This is a nanite injection,¡± She explained. ¡°I don¡¯t have an X-ray or catscan to see what¡¯s going on inside you,¡± The woman explained.

    ¡°No.¡± Gabriela shook her head. ¡°No fucking way.¡± She had heard the horror stories of what a net breaker could do to someone if they were to hack into nanites. It was the reason nanites were rarely used, if at all for medical purposes. Only limited nanites were safe, ones like in the tattoo she had injected into her face. Their function couldn¡¯t be changed or overridden.

    ¡°I promise you that they will be rendered innate after the exam is concluded.¡± The woman held up the injector.

    ¡°Find another way.¡± Gabriela stood up shakely and moved away from the woman.

    ¡°You could have internal bleeding. Your ribs are broken and could be threatening your internal organs. If we leave you untreated you could be dead before the morning. The only other solution is to take you to a clinic, but given your situation I doubt that would be a good idea.¡±

    Gabriela slumped back into the chair. ¡°Fine,¡± She whispered.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me then have Soma deactivate them himself.¡±

    Gabriela nodded. She fully intended to.

    The out injector clicked and hissed as it bit into Gabriela¡¯s skin. ¡°It¡¯s going to take a few moments for the nanites to report back the extent of the damage.¡± The woman sat a terminal in her lap and flipped up the screen.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Gabriela asked as they waited.

    ¡°A doctor.¡±

    ¡°Do you have a name?¡±

    The Doctor glanced up from the screen. ¡°I think the less you know, the better. Your ribs are fractured, but not broken. There is some internal bruising, but nothing to be concerned about. It also looks like your ankle is broken. How did you get here?¡±

    ¡°I walked.¡±

    ¡°Figures. You didn¡¯t do your foot any favors by doing that. Are you gen perfect?¡±

    Gabriela nodded.

    ¡°Any genetic enhancements?¡±

    ¡°My immune system is enhanced.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± The Doctor tisked and shook her head. ¡°I will need to try and reset your foot. Its already started to heal.¡± She rummaged into her bag, retriving an out-injector ampule. She ejected the spent ampule, it tumbled to the ground and shattered, the glass shard left forgotten on the soiled floor.

    ¡°This is morphine.¡± The Doctor leaned forward and pressed the autoinjector into flesh of her upper arm. There was a sharp pain, followed by a burning sensation that spread across her body, which was quickly replaced by a weighty sensation that bordered on bliss.

    The Doctor helped Gabriela with her boot and took her foot in her hands. They were cold, which made Gabriela lazily wonder if cold hands were a prerequisite for doctors. The thought fled her mind the moment it had entered and was replaced by agonizing pain as the doctor set the bones back.

    Gabriela gasped and cried out, her hands instinctively reaching to pry the Doctors hands away from her swollen foot.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± the Doctor warned. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it.¡± She sat Gabriela¡¯s foot down gently before she leaned forward to administer another dose of the pain killer.

    ¡°You can¡¯t trust Soma.¡± The Doctor whispered. She was so close that Gabriela could feel her soft lips brushing against her ear.

    Gabriela tensed and looked over at Maru. The little girl was crumpled to the ground, her feet sprawled out in front of her, her head lifelessly tilted to the side, like a discarded doll tossed into a corner and forgotten.

    Gabriela looked dully back and the Doctor, her lips parting to ask her what she knew about Soma, but the Doctor spoke before she could get the words out.

    ¡°I am going to give you some medicine that will help the bone heal faster. It¡¯s not going to be pleasant.¡± She warned. ¡°But I will leave you with enough morphine to get through the worst of it. I deactivated the nanites, you can have Soma verify if you want.

    ¡°Who is he?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m done!¡± The Doctor called out and started to pack her equipment away, ignoring her question.

    The Maru-thing stirred to life, pulling itself to its feet.

    ¡°Is she okay?¡± It asked as it limped over to them.

    Gabriela hastily put her shirt back on.

    ¡°She will live. She needs to be off her foot for at least three days. There is pain medication for her. Make sure she eats if she can.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Gabriela whispered and leaned back.

    ¡°Here.¡± The Doctor rummaged through her bag before she placed a set of electric sheers on the table. Gabriela looked up inquisitively. ¡°They are looking for a woman with purple hair, and I am guessing they will be monitoring any sales of hair dye. Shave your head.¡±

    Gabriela nodded and pulled the sheers over to her.

    ¡°We are done now.¡± The Doctor turned back to the Maru-thing. ¡°I don¡¯t owe you anything anymore.¡±

    ¡°Our arrangement will last as long as I see fit.¡± The electronic voice crackled. ¡°I keep your secret in return for services.¡±

    ¡°Which I rendered.¡± The Doctor protested. For the first time Gabriela saw not a doctor, cool and collected, but a desperate woman.¡±I have done everthing you have asked me to do.¡±

    ¡°And our arangment remains unchanged; you do as I ask and your secrets are kept safe.¡±

    A tear escaped the womans eye, slipping down her cheak, leaving a streak in her make up. She looked back at Gabrielia before she grabbed her bag.

    ¡°Good luck.¡± She said to her before she left, slaming the heavy door behind her.

 Twenty Eight

    Twenty Eight

    ¡°What were you thinking?¡± Tanya demanded as she closed the door to her office behind her. ¡°You turned down the opportunity as a liaison with Cy-Tech?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡± Geraldo examined his ruined face in a mirror on the wall of the office. His nose was more crooked than before and both his eyes were black.

    ¡°That fucker roughed me up good.¡± He chuckled. ¡°You should have seen his face when I turned his offer down.¡±

    ¡°So, this was payback? Christ, Geraldo, could you be any more of a child?¡±

    Geraldo stopped and looked over his shoulder. ¡°You really want me to answer that?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± She growled before she tossed him a med kit. ¡°What I want you to do is put your fucking pride aside. One of our officers are implicit in a capital crime with direct contact with a known terrorist organization.¡±

    He caught the kit and rummaged through until he found adhesive strips and looked back in the mirror.

    ¡°Allegedly.¡± He said before he grasped his ruined nose between two fingers and pushed it back with a grunt. It wasn''t the first time he¡¯d had to set a broken bone himself, or his nose for that matter, but it didn''t change how much it hurt.

    His nose began to bleed almost immediately, which he abated by stuffing gauze in his nostrils before he stretched the adhesive strips over the bridge of his nose, holding the fractured bone in place the best he could.

    ¡°They have video of her entering the apartment and leaving it.¡± Tanya stressed.

    ¡°Deep fakes happen all the time.¡± He sniffed and dabbed at the blood on his face.

    ¡°And the DNA?¡±

    ¡°She is gen perfect. Her DNA is stored in almost any Bioloxys facility.¡±

    Tanya rolled her eyes and fished out a cigarette. ¡°You think they just keep a vial of her vaginal secretions in a freezer somewhere?¡±

    ¡°I think anything is possible.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± She asked after she took a long drag and slowly exhaled. The smoke hung between them.

    ¡°Because she has an alibi.¡± Geraldo pulled out the crumpled receipt and crossed the room, handing it to Tanya. ¡°And she is also guilty of breaking into Taurus. The alibi could be fabricated, but she couldn¡¯t have committed both crimes at the same time.¡±

    ¡°Who gets paper receipts anymore?¡± She asked as she examined it..

    ¡°Like I said; the alibi could be fabricated.¡±

    ¡°Do you have evidence she broke in?¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°I did,¡± Geraldo hesitated, ¡°but I lost it.¡±

    ¡°Along with your gun.¡± Tanya added. She plopped herself down in her chair and took another deep drag. ¡°Why the hell are you using a side arm that isn¡¯t DNA locked?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust the man.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t trust anyone.¡± She added.

    ¡°Exactly. The pistol has a tracer on it.¡± He pointed out.

    ¡°It was deactivated in her apartment.¡±

    ¡°Figured.¡± Geraldo sighed.

    ¡°How does this prove her innocence?¡± Tanya smoothed the crumpled receipt out on her desk.

    ¡°Look at the time.¡±

    ¡°02:03.¡±

    ¡°Tauras was broken at two am. And according to Cy-Tech Gabriela left Owen Conner¡¯s apartment at 02:03. All three can¡¯t be true. It¡¯s a paradox.¡±

    ¡°So?¡± Tanya shrugged, ¡°maybe you are wrong about this and she is lying about her alibi.¡±

    ¡°She had a picture of her and the child she birthed,¡± he pointed out.

    ¡°A picture only you saw,¡± Tanya added. ¡°Won¡¯t hold up. Ger. You know that.  Unless you can find her and ask her pretty, please for it.¡±

    ¡°First let¡¯s see if this alibi holds up.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Tanya leaned forward and stomped out her smoke. ¡°First you are going to send a wire to Cy-Tech. Tell them you reconsidered their offer.¡±

    Geraldo laughed, and then cleared his throat when he realized by the stern face Tanya wore that she was not joking.

    ¡°No more childish games, Ger. Too much is riding on this. Suck up your pride and make the call.¡±

    ¡°I will after I check into Gabriela¡¯s alibi.¡± Geraldo stormed over and snatched at the receipt, but Tanya pulled it away before he could grab it.

    She narrowed her eyes at him.

    ¡°Now,¡±  she demanded as she turned her terminal toward him. There was already an apology letter written and waiting. All it needed was his electronic signature and for him to hit send.

    ¡°Tanya.¡± He pleaded.

    ¡°Do it!¡± Her voice caused him to jump, and before he could even think about it the letter was signed and sent.

    ¡°Now was that so bad?¡± She asked as she turned the terminal back around. ¡°Or do you need a hot shower and a good cry?¡±

    ¡°The receipt?¡± Geraldo growled and held out his hand and snapped his fingers.

    ¡°One more thing.¡± She said, withholding the crumpled paper just out of his reach.

    ¡°What? You need me to eat more shit?¡±

    ¡°No, I want you to take someone with you. To watch your back.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Geraldo demanded. But before he could get his answer, he heard her officer door open and close. He slowly turned around and saw Brian standing in the office.

    ¡°This day can¡¯t get any worse.¡± Geraldo mumbled.

    ¡°The two of you are going to look into the alibi.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need help with this,¡± Geraldo growled, stuffing the receipt into his pocket.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you did.¡± Tanya stood up and motioned for Brian to come over. ¡°But things are getting hot out there, Geraldo. If you are right, and I am not saying you are, but if you are, then someone has framed Gabriela for a capital crime and if that¡¯s true then you are going to need someone watching your back. I am putting you both on this, as well as liaison to Cy-Tech.¡±

    ¡°Do we report our findings to them, then?¡± Brian asked.

    ¡°No, everything goes through me first. We can¡¯t trust them. Cy-Tech has been gunning for our contracts for years.¡±

    Geraldo sighed and checked his watch, it was getting late, and with luck the clerk who had helped Gabriela would be on shift tonight.

    ¡°We need to get going. I will check on the alibi and fill you in ASAP.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯ll make sure he doesn¡¯t get a bullet in the back of his head.¡± Brian added before he turned away and followed Geraldo out of the office.

 Twenty Nine

    Twenty Nine

    Brian insisted on driving, which Geraldo was more than happy to oblige. His face hurt, and the two aspirins he had popped before they left was doing little to ease the pain.

    ¡°Man, they sure took a liking to you, didn¡¯t they?¡± Brian shot him a sideways grin.

    Geraldo grunted but said nothing more.

    ¡°Did they buy you a beer after they fucked you up?¡± The awkward silence hung between them. ¡°At least offer to cuddle.¡±

    ¡°Can you shut the fuck up?¡± Geraldo rubbed his temples and shut his eyes. The lights of the city were growing more prominent as the sun sat.

    Brian raised his fingers off the steering wheel. ¡°Just trying to break the ice, partner.

    ¡°We are not friends and we are sure as hell are not partners. You are a fucking babysitter. Nothing more.¡±

    ¡°Guess that makes you the baby then?¡±

    Before Geraldo could give the man his caustic retort, his terminal rang. Geraldo fished it out of his pocket and groaned when he saw the call was coming from Cy-Tech.

    ¡°What?¡± He growled.

    ¡°I just got your email, Detective Montez.¡± Andrews¡¯ all too cocky voice answered. ¡°I am glad you came around.¡±

    ¡°What can I do for you, Andrews?¡± Geraldo shifted his weight in the seat before switching the terminal to is opposite ear.

    ¡°I spoke to your Chief, Tanya Wedge.¡±

    ¡°And.¡±

    ¡°You two have a long history. You both started with the company around the same time. She was your first and last partner as detective and got promoted seven months before she gave birth. I wonder if you had anything to do with that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the kind of pull to get someone promoted.¡± This was a power move, and Geraldo knew it. Andrews was proving to him that he had some sort of pull over him.

    ¡°I meant the pregnancy.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know what you meant,¡± Geraldo cut him off. ¡°Is there something I can actually help you with, or are you just calling to take me down memory lane?¡±

    ¡°Chief Wedge said that Gabriela has an alibi?¡±

    ¡°Possibly.¡± Geraldo held up the receipt. Reading over it again. It showed the purchase of a case of imported beer and a choco choco bar.

    ¡°Think it¡¯s legit?¡±

    ¡°Hard to say just yet, but I as soon as I have some more info you will be the first person I call.¡±

    Andrews laughed. Even his laugh was sleezy, yet somehow charming. ¡°You and I both know that¡¯s not true.¡±

    ¡°As soon as I find out anything I will give you the sanitized version. Now,¡± Geraldo sighed. ¡°Do you have any pertinent information for me?¡±

    ¡°The dead spots have stopped.¡±

    ¡°So, she no longer has a net breaker helping her?¡±

    ¡°No, I am sure she still has help. I just think they are one step ahead of us. My analysists have reviewed the digital imprint in the Ether from the Bioloxys facility that Gabriel escaped from. The net breaker was able to not only able break into their counter corporation espionage system, but also highjack their interactive AI.¡±

    ¡°Should that mean something to me?¡±

    Andrews gave another sleazy laugh. ¡°I forgot you are a ground pounder. AIs are sophisticated, even peaking at their code is harder than peaking up a nun¡¯s skirt, and taking full control over one, well.¡± Andrews let his words trail off, letting Geraldo fill in the blanks.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t dealing with just any net breaker.¡±

    ¡°No, we think she is being helped by a mancer who calls themselves Soma. They are a digital terrorist that has been working with the Sons as of lately.¡±

    ¡°You still pushing the domestic terrorist angle?¡±

    ¡°Hey, if the shoe fits, right?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Geraldo responded before he cut the connection.

    ¡°Sounds like a real prick.¡± Brian added.

    ¡°Mind your own fucking business and just drive, Brian.¡± Geraldo grumbled. Typically he would be more reserved, especially around someone who had as much pull as Brian, but he was in a mood; maybe it was because he had gotten the shit kicked out of him by the man he was now supposed to be licking his boots.

    Brian didn¡¯t say anything else as they drove to the market. It was what you would expect for a dive food mart. Bright signs advertising beer and wine, which was overshadowed by the bright store sign displaying the store¡¯s name, which was so generic Geraldo had forgotten it already.

    The bell chimed when he opened the door. A young, spotty kid with bushy red hair and a pimpled face looked up from the counter and stiffened.

    Geraldo looked over as Brian circled around with the facade of a man perusing the wears, stopping now and then to pick up a bag of chips and a bottle of soda.

    ¡°You Tony?¡± Geraldo asked as he sauntered up to the counter and leaned against the ballistic glass the kid all but cowered behind.

    ¡°Maybe?¡± His voice was rough and dull.

    ¡°Maybe? You don¡¯t know your own name?¡±

    ¡°It depends who¡¯s asking?¡± The kid sniffed and nervously scratched at the stump of his left arm.

    Geraldo scowled and pulled out his badge and pressed it against the glass. ¡°Why don¡¯t you cut the tough guy shit. Come out from the box and shut down the store. We have some questions for you.¡±

    Tony¡¯s persona practically melted, his face turning a pale white. ¡°I didn¡¯t have nothing to do with it.¡±

    ¡°To what?¡± Brian joined them, dropping the chips on the counter before he popped the cap on the soda and took a swig. ¡°We haven¡¯t even accused you of anything. Yet.¡± He added.

    ¡°Come on.¡± Geraldo motioned with his finger.

    Tony was visibly shaking as he turned off the open sign and shut down the front building lights. He nervously looked back at them as he limped along.

    Geraldo noted at least two camaras in the store, and he was willing to bet there was at least a third somewhere behind the glass box.

    The kid locked the door and slowly turned around. ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± He began to sob.

    ¡°Relax kid, we just want to ask you some questions.¡± Geraldo assured him. ¡°Just want to know if you have seen this woman.¡± Geraldo pulled up a photo of Gabriela on his terminal and turned it so Tony could see.

    ¡°She¡¯s the one everyone¡¯s looking for.¡± He pointed out.

    ¡°No kidding, dipshit.¡± Brian laughed past a mouthful of chips.

    Geraldo shut Brian up with a single glare. The man raised his hands and took a step back.

    ¡°I get it, it¡¯s your show, cowboy. I¡¯ll let you two talk; crip to crip.¡± He added after popping another chip in his mouth and walked away.

    ¡°We have reason to believe that she was here late last night, early morning. You were working between twelve and four?¡±

    Tony nodded and swallowed. His adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down. ¡°Yeah, I was.¡±

    ¡°Do you remember seeing her?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think I did, but I can¡¯t really be sure. Lots of people in here at that time.¡±

    ¡°Do these cameras work?¡± Geraldo slid his terminal back in his pocket.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°They closed circuit?¡±

    ¡°I think so. They are all hardwired into a computer.¡±

    ¡°Please tell me the computer is not hooked up to the Ether.¡±

    The kid licked his thin lips nervously and Geraldo cursed to himself. He was hoping beyond hope that whoever owned this shop was as cheap as it was, and that the camaras where all closed circuit recording to a stationary device, but nothing was ever easy.

    ¡°I am going to need to see the video of this morning from 0200 to 0203. And I want to see all of them, not just one.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± The kid put his head down and walked to a room behind the glass box.

    Geraldo motioned for Brian to follow. The back office was little more than a broom closet with a dingy old monitor well past its prime. Tony sat in a rickety chair and quickly pulled up the video surveillance. Four different video streams popped up, each showing Gabriela walking into the store.

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± mumbled Brian. ¡°There she is.¡±

    They watched as she bought a case of beer and a choco choco bar before she left. She only stopped to hand vouchers to a homeless man setting outside. It was just how she explained it.

    ¡°I want the drive these are stored on.¡±

    ¡°I can make you copies.¡± The kid offered.

    ¡°No. I want the whole fucking drive.¡± Geraldo snapped. His hands clinched in white knuckled fists.

    ¡°I need to ask my boss.¡± Tony started to explain.

    ¡°Go ahead and give him a call kiddo, but the drive is coming with us.¡± Brian reached behind the server and pulled the small disk like drive from the back. The computer beeped and the screen went black.

    ¡°Tell him to call us.¡± Brian finished by flipping a business card at Tony, which caused him to flinch when it smacked into his stunned face.

    ¡°Here.¡± Brian handed the drive over.

    Geraldo pocketed it and pulled out a cigarette, he started to walk away.

    ¡°What do I tell my boss?¡± Tony called after him.

    ¡°That he can get bent.¡± Geraldo mumbled past the smoke. The doors to the market chimed happily as he threw them open and the stench of the night air greeted him.

    Brian rushed to the car. ¡°Let¡¯s get the drive over to Cy-Tech.¡±

    Geraldo got into the car slowly and shook his head. ¡°No, we are going back to Taurus.¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡± Brian demanded.

    ¡°Because the video is doctored. Now drive.¡±

 Thirty

    Chapter Thirty.

    Gabriela woke with a start, followed by a whimper. The doctor had told her that her rapid recovery would be painful, but she never imagined just how painful. It wasn¡¯t just the throb in her foot and side, but throughout her entire body. It felt like all her nerves were on fire.<u></u><u></u>

    She groped around in the dim light of the dingy apartment, looking for the auto injector the Doctor had left her. Her fingers brushed its cold metal before they wrapped around it. Gabriela felt almost instant relief the moment she pushed the injector to her neck and pushed the button, followed by a euphoric wave that washed across her body.<u></u><u></u>

    She let the injector fall from her fingers, her eyelids fluttered in the haze of the high. Slowly, Gabriela turned her head toward Soma¡¯s surrogate, Maru. It sat it the corner next to an open closet with its leg splayed out. Brightly lit fiberoptic cables ran from its brain dock to sophisticated cyber deck in the closet. <u></u><u></u>

    It stirred and looked up at her. ¡°How is your pain now?¡±            <u></u><u></u>

    ¡°Do you ever sleep?¡± Gabriela looked away. She felt like a prisoner, and Soma was her ever watchful warden.<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°I am sleeping, or my body is at least. I let my conscious wander the Ether while I sleep.¡±<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°Dream surfing?¡±<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°Yes.¡±<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°That¡¯s dangerous.¡± Gabriela carefully pulled herself up, pressing her back against the wall so that she could talk to Soma face to face. ¡°I once ran this case, for a wealthy lawyer whose son had died in his sleep. We had suspected malware, or a poorly coded digital drug, but it turns out his mind defragmented while he dream-surfed. He had learned about it from some dark sight. He altered his deck, went to sleep, and never woke again.¡±<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°He was an amateur, a child playing with things he didn¡¯t understand.¡±<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°He was a kid that made a mistake.¡± Her hazy mind thought back to the doctor, and her interaction with Soma. ¡°Have you always been this callous, or is it something that you developed when you started playing with other people¡¯s lives?<u></u><u></u>

    Soma was quiet for a while, the fiberoptic cables blinked and glowed before the colored patterns shifted. ¡°Cold and callous is how I have survived this world for as long as I have. And as far as playing with people¡¯s lives, it¡¯s business. Nothing more, nothing less. The doctor that helped you today is not an innocent victim. She was peddling hard drags from the clinic she ran.¡±<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°And you black mailed her, over drugs.¡±<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°No. I intercepted packets that contained the proof of her guilt, and destroyed the evidence, keeping her safe.¡±<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°So, what? You are the hero?¡± She scoffed.<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°No. But I am hardly the villain.¡±<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°Who are you? Who are you really, Soma?¡±<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°Who I am doesn¡¯t matter.¡±<u></u><u></u>

    Gabriela rubbed at her nose. Her body seemed to itch all over. ¡°It matters to me. You keep telling me I need to trust you, but you haven¡¯t given me anything to trust. All I have seen is your ability to manipulate the people around you. Are you a man, a woman? Are you even human, or are you an AI?¡±<u></u><u></u>This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°And if I disclosed more about myself, that would earn your trust?¡±<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡± Gabriela let her head fall lazily as she brought her knees up to her chest.<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°I am human, though if I am a man or woman is irrelevant, even to me. Those are physical and social distinctions which have never applied to me. My body is little more than a wasted corpse, kept alive with machines. I have never walked or looked through my own eyes. I have never smiled or laughed. The Ether is all I have ever known. But if a sex is important to you, then I am male.¡±<u></u><u></u>

    Gabriela looked at the surrogate in mute shock. She had expected Soma to dodge the question, or answer in some riddle, or even feed her some bullshit about his past, but the information he had just provided her was enough for her to understand who and what he was.<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°You are a prodigy of Project Cradle?¡±<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°I am.¡±<u></u><u></u>

    Project Cradle, she thought. A hypothetical that the Church of The Augmented had proposed in its earlier years. When they were still a research firm called Everson Research. The goal was to take children who were born non-communicative and raise them in the Ether, to heal their broken minds and allow them to flourish. The project was responsible for the Church¡¯s more radical beliefs of ascension into the Ether, and it was what lead to the legal dismantling of Everson. Everson had used children that had been slated for termination. All of them undocumented. It didn¡¯t matter if the child was viable or not. Everson used them anyways. The UN had deemed the project inhumane, and swiftly took action to stop the project and dismantle the company.<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°I thought that the project was a failure, that all the children died.¡±<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°Most of us did, but not all. When the UN shut down Everson, they seized all the data they could. The subjects they found were euthanized, the project leaders arrested and executed. But some of the data was smuggled to safety, as well as a few subjects by prolife sympathizers. I was one of them. But the project was not a failure. I am living proof of that.¡±<u></u><u></u>

    My life was hard, but the people who intervened to save my life had made sure that I was given everything I needed to live; a home, security. Even though I experienced life in an artificial construct, they still saw value in my life.¡±<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°So, there is no real record of your life? No way to verify if you are telling the truth?¡±<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°No.¡± He admitted.<u></u><u></u>

    Gabriela pulled her knees under her chin and contemplated Soma¡¯s story. There was something about it that rang true.<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°A presumed dead child in a failed experiment.¡± Gabriela mused. ¡°I guess I couldn¡¯t think of a better background for an illegal mancer.¡±<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°Nor could I. Not knowing who to look for has kept me safe for a long time, Gabriela. Few know about my past. It is a secret that could cost me my life.¡± Soma left it at that. He could not make Gabriela trust him, she knew that, so he had given her something else; leverage over him.<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°I understand, Soma. Thank you.¡±<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°We will need to move soon.¡± Soma¡¯s voice took on a more somber tone. ¡°The longer we wait to make our next move, the more likely we will be discovered. Net breakers are combing the Ether all over the city looking for us.¡±<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°So they know I am getting help. Gabriela pulled herself up and tested her ankle. It hurt, but thanks in part to the medication the doctor had given her and her own genetics, she could bear weight on it. ¡°We should get going then.¡±<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°You need to shave your head, like the doctor suggested.¡±<u></u><u></u>

    Gabriela sighed and pulled a lock of hair away from her scalp, rubbing the silky strands between her fingers. The purple of her hair shimmered in the light cast by the surrogate. ¡°I know. What¡¯s our next move?¡±<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°We need to go see a man named Vasily in the neon district.¡±<u></u><u></u>

    Gabriela was aware of what the neon district was, a place that sold vices of the flesh. You could find almost anything you wanted there; drugs, gambling, even companionship was available, for a price.<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°What do we need from someone in a place like that?¡± Gabriela limped over to the small washroom, the hair clippers in hand.<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°Vasily is a broker of sorts. He is keeping something safe for you, something you are going to need before we get you out of the city.¡±<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°And what would that be? I have a passport that can get me out, and enough untraceable founds to get me anywhere in the world.¡± She reminded him.<u></u><u></u>

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you what it is right now, just that you need it. It will all make sense once we retrieve what we need. All I can ask is that you trust me for a little while longer.   <u></u><u></u>

    Gabriela looked into the dingy mirror, the hair clippers in her hand. ¡°I trust you, Soma,¡± she said as she turned the clippers on and began cutting away at her hair.

 Thirty One

    Chapter 31

    ¡°This is bullshit.¡± Brian crossed his arms and mumbled. Brian had been protesting ever since they left the market, insisting that they had the evidence needed to exonerate Gabriela.

    Geraldo ignored his protests as he wiggled his fingers into the snug fitting fiberoptic gloves. The lights at the tip of his fingers illuminated, allowing him to manipulate the images around him. He tossed the drives to the tech at the station.

    ¡°Key up the video surveillance from 0200 to 0203.¡±

    The tech did as she was told, and the surveillance video played out on a giant wall of light of the holo projector.

    ¡°Merge it. Make it three dimensional.¡± Geraldo¡¯s breath hung in front of him in a thick cloud with every word he spoke. The holo room was always cold, even with all the computers running it stayed at a constant four degrees Celsius in order to keep the massive computers needed to process the data funneled through them from overheating.

    The tech brushed strands of black hair that had escaped the hood of her parka from her face as she worked. The wall of images expanded and filled the room.

    The holograph shimmered when Brian stepped though and stood beside him. ¡°What are you hoping to find?¡±

    ¡°Something that doesn¡¯t belong.¡± The two of them stood in a near perfect rendition of the market store. The young clerk was slouching over the counter motionless, frozen in time. ¡°Deep fakes are easy to do, but almost impossible to do right. There are too many small details that must be changed, and missing even one can ruin the fake.¡±

    Geraldo walked the aisle, Brian close behind him. He checked over every item that Gabriela would pick up, using the gloves to enlarge items and manipulate them.

    The holographs were incomplete. The system only showed them what was filmed in the video. ¡°Have the system render the unknown variable, fill this video in please.¡±

    ¡°It will take a bit of time for the algorithm to process that much information,¡± The Tech warned.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I got plenty to work with here.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you.¡± Brian stepped through one of the aisles, blocking Geraldo. ¡°You are really going to stoop this low?¡±

    Geraldo took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. It was taking all his willpower not to break Brian¡¯s perfect jaw. ¡°Stoop to what?¡±¡±

    ¡°Come on.¡± Brian crossed his arms. ¡°You and her have been competing for the same jobs for years. Is it just a coincidence that you think she hacked Taurus? Is it just serendipity that Tanya made you special investigator over this? And the first person you finger is a career rival?¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°She was exempt from the lottery.¡± Geraldo explained as he moved past him.

    ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    ¡°She had a child. A girl.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit.¡±

    ¡°She told me herself, and I saw the picture she kept tucked under her mattress.¡± Geraldo paused when he saw the stunned look on Brian¡¯s face. ¡°She never told you about it, did she?¡±

    ¡°No, and that¡¯s why I have a hard time believing that she would tell a crip about it.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you aren¡¯t as close as you think.¡± Geraldo gave him a grin and walked on. It was a bittersweet moment for Geraldo. He had finally found something that got under Brian¡¯s skin.

    ¡°The render is ready,¡± The tech announced. The complicated algorithm began to populate the unknown variables of the images with a highly detailed rendering of the most realistic possibilities based on the images¡¯ parameters. The missing portions of the holograph that were left gray began to fill in, completing the store around them.

    ¡°Play it,¡± Geraldo snapped.

    ¡°The truth is, Brian,¡± Geraldo explained as the two of them followed Gabriela¡¯s image through the store. ¡°I don¡¯t hate Gabriela, it¡¯s the opposite, actually. I admire her. I always have, even before working with her. She is tenacious and skilled. And her skepticism and callousness keep her removed from being emotionally invested in the cases she investigates.¡±

    Geraldo paused the program when Gabriela opened the cooler that the beer was kept in. He framed her reflection with his fingers and pulled them apart, enlarging the image. There were no obvious details that the image of her reflection was altered in any way. He brushed the image away and resumed the program.

    He stopped the program once Gabriela reached the front counter, and he once again framed his fingers over a reflection, this time from the lens of the security camera that peered over the clerk¡¯s shoulder. It wasn¡¯t meant to surveil customers, but to keep tabs on the employee. The camera that filmed them from the door had a perfect angle on the other camera''s lens. Slowly Geraldo pulled his fingers apart and enlarged the image. The woman staring back at them was not Gabriela.

    ¡°That callousness keeps her from seeing only what she wants to see, Brian.¡± Geraldo finished and stepped aside so that Brian could see the image himself.

    ¡°Jesus Christ,¡± Brian mumbled.

    ¡°Like I said,¡± Geraldo added. ¡°Deep fakes are easy to do, but almost impossible to do right.¡±

    The girl in the image looked vaguely like Gabriela, she was about her same age, same height, and same hair color and style, but her face was too angular. The woman''s features were clearly of anglo saxon descent.

    ¡°Capture this image. Find out who this woman is and find her.¡± Geraldo pulled off the gloves while the rendering around them began to dissolve. He walked towards the room''s exit. Geraldo handed the tech his gloves. ¡°I want you to call me the moment you find out who she is, do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Want me to start running patrols looking for our mystery woman?¡± Brian asked as soon as he caught up.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s late. You need to go get some sleep. I¡¯m going to need you fresh for tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°There is a couch in Tanya¡¯s office, I am going to do the same.¡± Geraldo turned around, looking Brian eye to eye. ¡°If Gabriela contacts you I need to know first. Not Tanya, or that jackoff Andrews. Do you understand.¡±

    ¡°Perfectly. And you let me know the minute you find something.¡± Brian added.

    Geraldo patted Brian on the shoulder and gave him a nod before he turned and left.

 Thirty Two

    Chapter 32

    The sounds of retro wave washed over her. The hypnotic beat throbbed against her body, neon lights of the shops flooded the street, the puddles of water creating the illusion of two cities. The dingy city above and the city of lights and beauty below, in the pools, which rippled and distorted when one of the patrons of Wet Street sloshed through them, only for the water to grow still, and the beautiful image returned.

    Wet Street was a place where someone could purchase any cardinal pleasure, or the company of almost anyone who worked the street. Boy toys and dolls motioned seductively for her to come to the windows they stood behind, or to enter the shops and sample the goods.

    ¡°There are many levels to the Ether,¡± Soma explained. ¡°There is the upper level, the one you see in augmented reality, it¡¯s a front for corporate messaging and propaganda. The level below requires more skill to navigate, private spaces accessible by key phrases and passwords, and below that is the dark net. A place where anything, or anyone can be bought and sold.

    Functions navigate mostly on these three layers. Each one programmed for certain tasks or routines, and gather user data or ICE.¡±

    ¡°Intrusive counter measures.¡± Gabriela whispered.

    ¡°Yes. Gone are the days of firewalls. Simply blocking access is no longer. Trapping and eliminating malignant entities is the goal now.¡±

    ¡°I read a book once, by a man named Gibson. I think he coined the term.¡±

    ¡°William Gibson, yes. Art imitates life, but the best art envisages life.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s below the dark net?¡±

    ¡°Digital badlands. A place where forgotten functions roam. Functions so old that no one knows their purpose. And going below that is dangerous. A mancer mind will fragment and decode into the Ether, lost forever.¡±

    ¡°So, you have never been down that far?¡±

    ¡°Not personally, I have sent functions of my own down there, but it''s not the same. It¡¯s the difference between spying a planet from the safety of earth or standing on alien soil.¡±

    Gabriela detected something in Soma¡¯s voice. She couldn¡¯t tell if it was a longing of envy.

    ¡°Why are we here, Soma? You are planning on getting me a good night before Cy-Tech zeros me?¡±

    ¡°We left something here, something we will need.¡±

    ¡°We?¡±

    ¡°I can not explain it to you now, but soon you will understand. We are going to see a man named Boris Ivanov.¡±

    ¡°And he¡¯s keeping this¡­ thing safe?¡±

    ¡°We paid him good money to watch over it, just in case something like this were to happen.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Gabriela sighed and looked around. ¡°Where do we find Mr. Ivanov?¡±

    ¡°A shop called Vixen.¡± Soma¡¯s avatar appeared and pointed down the street. ¡°Just by the flood light.¡±

    Gabriela followed Soma, each step uncomfortable. Her ankle wasn¡¯t fully healed yet, but it had healed enough to walk, and they didn¡¯t have any time to lose. She had taken the last dose of painkillers the doctor had left for her, and her head swam with euphoric weightiness.

    The girl at the front counter looked up and smiled when Gabriela opened the door. Her smile was infectious and Gabriela couldn¡¯t help but smile back.

    ¡°Welcome to Vixens, sugar.¡± Bubble gum smacked behind her lips, stained a metallic blue, and she twirled her blue hair around her finger seductively. ¡°What can I do for you?¡±

    Soma appeared next to Gabriela and leaned in. ¡°Tell her you want to forget yourself for a while.¡±

    ¡°I want to forget myself for a while.¡±Stolen novel; please report.

    The girl blew a bubble which popped before she resumed chewing. ¡°That¡¯s too bad,¡± She pouted. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind forgetting myself with you.¡±

    ¡°Tell her that¡¯s not why you are here.¡± Soma snapped impatiently.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s not what I¡¯m here for.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, honey, I know. You¡¯re here to see Ivanov. Come on.¡± The blue haired woman motioned for her to follow. Her hips swung seductively with each step. She was a woman who had mastered her trade and applied her craft with stunning efficiency.

    Gabriela¡¯s mind wandered in her drug induced haze, what would it be like with a woman like her? She had to force her eyes away from the swing of the woman¡¯s hips, only to see the silhouettes of men and women in booths in the throws of passion. There muffled moans and cries of ecstasy. In the end Gabriel had to focus her eyes on the floor.

    ¡°He¡¯s in here.¡± The women leaned against a door frame and nodded.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Gabriela had to press herself against the hard metal of the door frame to get past her, but despite her best efforts she felt the woman¡¯s breast push against her chest as she squeezed by.

    ¡°I hope you remember me.¡± The woman smiled before she closed the door behind her.

    The door led to a landing with stairs leading down into the building''s basement. Gabriela slowly made her way down the stairs before she found herself standing in a room draped with surgical cloth. Banks of servers hummed along the wall, and in the middle of the room was a netchair.

    A man turned away from a desk beside the chair. He sniffed and rubbed white powder away from his thick mustache.

    ¡°Gabriela!¡± A wide smile split his ugly face.

    ¡°Do I know you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Boris.¡± He stood up and thumped his chest. His accent was thick, and unmistakably Russian.

    ¡°Durak!¡± He said as he slapped his head and laugh. ¡°Of course, you won¡¯t remember me. Come, come.¡± He motioned for her to enter the room.

    ¡°Soma said you had something for me,¡± She said as she tentatively made her way into the room.

    ¡°Da, da. And where is our little golden friend, eh?¡±

    ¡°I am here.¡± Soma¡¯s voice echoed through the speakers set up around the room. ¡°Do you still have them?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do. I promised I would keep them safe. Have a seat, Gabriela.¡± Boris patted the cushion of the netchair.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Gabriela,¡± Soma reassured her.

    Gabriela slid onto the chair, the pleather fabric cold against her skin.

    ¡°And does she know anything?¡± Boris asked when he turned back to his desk.

    ¡°Some.¡±

    ¡°Some?¡± Boris suddenly shouted. ¡°I told you she¡¯s not to know anything. It can cause mental damage.¡±

    ¡°Her memories haven¡¯t been discussed, only the events.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Boris turned around and plunged a needle into Gabriela¡¯s neck.

    She screamed and kicked, desperately trying to pull herself from her chair.

    ¡°Soma!¡± She cried out. Her legs felt numb, and as much as she tried, she couldn¡¯t lift herself from the chair.

    Boris quickly typed a few keys at the terminal on his desk. ¡°Soma¡¯s not here now. Don¡¯t wan¡¯t mancers running around while I work. They get in your head.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck is happening?¡± Gabriela demanded.

    ¡°I am giving you what you asked for.¡± Boris pulled up a stool and took a seat close to her. ¡°Your memories.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a brain hacker?¡± Her eyes darted back and forth.

    ¡°The best. Can I tell you a secret?¡± He leaned in and whispered, his breath was rank, and almost every tooth in his wide mouth was brown and blackened. ¡°I¡¯m not really Russian.¡±

    He turned back to his desk. ¡°I am canadian, I hacked my own brain to allow myself to speak Russian and speak with the accent.¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I move? What the fuck did you give to me?¡± Gabriela struggled as hard as she could, but the most she could manage was to move her fingers and eyes.

    ¡°I gave you something to keep you from moving, but hush. I am telling you my secret. You see, I had to hack my own brain to change my identity. I had to flee my homeland, but that¡¯s another story.¡± He turned to her and pressed what looked like stickers around the base of her head.

    Boris turned back to the desk, but quickly pivoted back to her.

    ¡°Crimes against humanity!¡± He roared. ¡°That¡¯s what they charged me with. You hack one politician''s brain to make a vote go a certain way, and they call it crimes against humanity. He is mostly okay, too. Only minor brain damage.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re fucking crazy.¡± Gabriela hissed.

    ¡°You know.¡± Boris smacked his lips. ¡°I have never been with a gen-perfect before. I could give you a try, and erase the memory. It would be like nothing ever happened for you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking touch me!¡± Gabriela screamed.

    ¡°I said I could,¡± Boris yelled back. ¡°Not that I would. I am a gentlemen!¡±

    Gabriela¡¯s eye darted around the room, looking for anything or anyone that could help her.

    ¡°The stickers are nano fiber filaments. When I activate them they are going to hurt, and a lot.¡± Boris mumbled. ¡°They have to go deep, and I need you to keep you awake. I paralyzed you because there is so much thrashing around when I give you back your memories. And we can¡¯t have that.¡±

    Boris turned to her one last time and smiled. ¡°Here we go.¡±

    Gabriela¡¯s eyes opened wide from the searing pain that spread through her skull. She screamed, and that scream seemed to fade into a digital shriek as she fell into hell.

 Thirty Three

    Chapter 33

    Soma had used her smart mirror to contact her, giving her an offer she had accepted almost immediately, though he had given her twenty-four hours to think it through. The job was simple; take a chip into Tauras and insert it into the mainframe. The request seemed ludicrous, but Soma had insisted that they needed someone on the inside.

    Gabriela had accepted. The first step was to put in for a leave of absence, a holiday. The request was granted almost immediately. Gabriela thought nothing of it. She had no urgent cases and she seldom used leave.

    The night of the operation Soma instructed her to meet her liaison on the street corner of her apartment block. It was raining that night, and cold. Gabriela¡¯s breath hung thick and heavy in the damp air, and her fingers were beginning to hurt despite keeping her hands in her pockets.

    Her heart skipped a beat when a black sedan pulled up to the curb. Gabriela cautiously approached the car as the driver slowly rolled down the wind.

    Tanya Wedge sat in the driver''s seat. Her hands clutched the steering wheel in a white knuckle grip.

    Gabriela took a step back. Her first thought was that it was a sting, but Tanya shot her a nervous look.

    ¡°Get in,¡± She said. ¡°Before I lose my nerve for this.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re my contact?¡±

    ¡°Shut up and get in the damn car.¡± Tanya reached over and opened the passenger door.

    Gabriela quickly made her way around the car and slammed the door behind her.

    ¡°This is stupid shit, Gab.¡± Tanya shook her head. ¡°The kind of shit that can get us both flatlined.¡±

    ¡°If you are part of this, why not just do it yourself?¡± Gabriela eyed the chief. ¡°Why involve me at all?¡±

    ¡°The first person Tauras will look at is me. I have all the access, the means, and the know-how.¡±

    The wipers of the car swooshed back and forth rapidly, keeping the deluge at bay.

    ¡±They are going to suspect you regardless.¡± Gabriela retorted.

    ¡°I got that part covered.¡± Tanya reached in her back pocket and handed Gabriela the chip. ¡°Just make sure you do your part, okay?¡±

    Gabriela turned the chip over in her hands, the small piece of tech was nondescript. Hard plastic and circuits.

    ¡°The tech takes a break like clockwork. Part of his routine. You are going to have about two minutes to get in, slip that in the mainframe, and then get out.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    Tanya nodded. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±

    Gabriela tucked the chip in her pocket. ¡°Why do this?¡± She asked.

    Tanya¡¯s eyes darted back and forth. She nervously checked the rearview mirror. ¡°I got a little girl. She''s a deviant.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t wait for the lotto?¡±

    ¡°Fuck the lotto. She wasn''t planned, but she is my world. I am willing to do anything to make sure she has a better life.¡±

    Tanya turned off the main speedway, taking a longer route to headquarters. ¡°She wants to see the stars,¡± She explained. ¡°You know about that Mars project.¡±

    ¡°Nationalize Mars, yeah. I have heard about it.¡±

    ¡°First ship is going to launch a year after she gets out of uni, and she''s going to be on that ship. She¡¯s going to kiss this shithole goodbye, she¡¯s going to get far away from Bioloxys and the fucking lotto, and I am going to make sure that happens.¡± Tanya looked over at her. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±

    ¡°I want a child.¡±

    ¡°So I guess we both understand each other?¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Gabriela took a deep breath. ¡°Yeah. Do you know what they plan to do in the mainframe?¡±

    Tanya shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t know, don¡¯t care. But if I was to hazard a guess? They are trying to smuggle someone into one of the cities Taurus monitors.¡±

    Gabriela reached and felt the chip in her pocket. ¡°What happens if we get someone killed?¡±

    ¡°Christ, Gab. Don¡¯t start getting soft now. If you lose your nerve, it will get us both killed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Gabriela shot back. ¡°I am just trying to make sense of all of this. How do you know this isn''t a corporate sting?¡±

    They pulled up to a streetlight, the red light casting shadows around them in the rain. Tanya fumbled in her purse and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. She had one lit before the light was green.

    ¡°Do you know this hacker we are working with?¡± Tanya asked her.

    ¡°He said is name was Soma.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, do you have any idea who he is?¡±

    Gabriela shrugged.

    ¡°Soma is one of the most prolific hackers in the world. There isn¡¯t a country or corporation that¡¯s not looking for him. He is a goddamn ghost. No one knows where he is from, his race, sex, or even gender.¡±

    ¡°Could be someone posing.¡±

    Tanya blew out a large breath of smoke. ¡°No, it''s him. I can¡¯t explain how I know, but I know.¡±

    Tanya¡¯s words did little to ease her anxiety. The offer seemed too good to be true, part of her wanted to leave then and there, never speak of it again, but the more rational part of her mind told her that a sting was unlikely. It would be a waste of time and money to entrap two employees who had nothing to offer them other than their years of service.

    ¡°Okay, then what''s the plan?¡± Gabriela rolled the window down, letting the cloud of smoke dissipate from the car. ¡°I put this in the mainframe and then what?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. You count to ten and pull it out.¡±

    ¡°How do I get into the building?¡±

    ¡°There is a service entrance on the west side.¡±

    ¡°No good.¡± Gabriela shook her head. ¡°Bio scanners will pick me up right away, and that¡¯s not taking into account the surveillance.¡±

    ¡°Once Soma has access to Tauros he will delete you from the logs, doctor the images. It will be like you were never there.¡±

    ¡°And what are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. I am going to go in and sit at my desk and work. Plausible deniability.¡±

    Gabriela snorted. ¡°So why involve you in this at all?¡±

    ¡°There is going to be an investigation. No way the company doesn¡¯t find out about this. My part is to keep them sniffing in the wrong spots, chasing their tails. We are here.¡±

    Gabriela¡¯s heart skipped a beat when they pulled up to the building, and parked in the main garage.

    ¡°You wait here for two hours. Don¡¯t get out for anything. If you gotta piss then you piss in your pants. Here.¡± Tanya handed her a knit cap and a pair of leather gloves, as well as a face mask. ¡°You put these on before you get out of the car. Soma can scrub you digitally, but if you leave any DNA behind we are both fucked.¡±

    Gabriela took the items and sat them in her lap. ¡°And what do I do after?¡±

    ¡°You get back in the car and you wait.¡± Tanya opened her car door and slammed it behind her, leaving Gabriela alone.

    It had all gone according to plan. The service door opened, the tech was gone, and Gabriela was able to get in and out without being seen. Tanya joined her almost three hours later.

    ¡°You get it done?¡± She asked

    ¡°Just like you said to do.¡±

    ¡°Good, I¡¯ll drop you off near your place.¡±

    Gabreila had a long time to contemplate what she had done, and the more she thought about it the more uneasy she felt about it. Already the guilt was gnawing at her, not for what she did to the company, but for what could happen next. There was just no way of knowing what damage she could have caused.

    It was a moment of weakness when she accepted the job. She knew that. What happened in the Lower City had rattled her, the small baby she held in her arms tore away the scar tissue that had built up around the memories of her own daughter.

    What was done was done. She couldn¡¯t unring that bell even if she tried. Soma was going to do what he had already done. There was no stopping it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to take me home.¡±

    ¡°Then where do I take you, Gab? You can¡¯t sit in my car all night.¡±

    ¡°Do you know any brain hackers?¡±

    Tanya narrowed her eyes. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I think it might be best if I wipe this from my memory, have new ones implanted. Plausible deniability, you know?¡±

    They both jumped when Tanya¡¯s terminal rang.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Tanya answered, holding the terminal up to her.

    Gabriela tried to listen to what was being said, but the voice on the other side was too quiet, and Tanya mostly nodded and grunted.

    When she hung up the terminal, she started the car and they drove away.

    ¡°Who was that?¡±

    ¡°Soma,¡± She answered quickly. ¡°He agrees with you. Told me where to go for a brain hacker, says he will handle the rest.¡±

    Gabriela leaned back and let out an uneasy breath. Her hands were shaking, and she didn¡¯t know if it was because she was going to have her mind hacked, which terrified her, or because she would be able to forget this night and all that it entailed.

    They said little to each other during the ride. Tanya chain smoked and Gabriela mostly looked out the window. They finally pulled up to a shop called Vixens on Wet Street.

    ¡°This is it.¡± Tanya put the car in park and looked over at her.

    Gabriela opened the door and before she left she leaned in. ¡°Thank you, Tanya. I won''t forget this.¡±

    ¡°Yes you will.¡± Tanya leaned across the seats, closed the door and drove away, leaving her in the cold rain.

 Thirty Four

    Chapter 34

    Geraldo grunted and slowly opened his eyes. The pain in his face and ribs were almost overwhelming, and for a brief moment he had forgotten where he was, but the moment ended, and he pulled his jacket away and sat up on the lumpy couch.

    He had stayed at the station, choosing to sleep on the couch in the breakroom when he couldn¡¯t find a comfortable position to sleep in his office. The couch was familiar to him, like an old friend, always there for him, and he slept on it more often than he should.

    An officer took a step back when Geraldo righted himself. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°You told us to wake you as soon as we found her.¡± The officer held out a tablet.

    Geraldo snatched the thin glass tablet from the officers¡¯ hands. ¡°Gabriela?¡± He asked excitedly.

    ¡°No, sir.¡± The officer shook his head. ¡°The woman you pulled from the deep fake.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Geraldo flipped the tablet around and quickly glanced over the report.

    ¡°Her name is Mia Salonika. A Russian immigrant.¡±

    Geraldo nodded. ¡°Nothing but petty crimes. Theft, prostitution without a license. Nothing major.¡± Not the sort of woman that would be responsible for conspiratorial cover up. He thought bitterly.

    ¡°Is she here?¡± Geraldo handed the tablet back to the officer.

    ¡°Yes, sir. Interrogation room nine.¡±

    Geraldo stood up and tried to smooth out his wrinkled shirt and pants. ¡°Have you alerted Detective Elis?¡±

    ¡°No, would you like me to?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯ll call him myself.¡± Geraldo said as he left the room, and quickly made his way to the interrogation room. He didn¡¯t know how much time he had before word of Mia¡¯s arrest made its way to Brian. It was doubtful that a record of her apprehension wouldn¡¯t make its way to Tanya¡¯s desk.

    The officer followed him to the interrogation room and opened the door for him.

    Mia jumped when Geraldo threw open the door. Her resemblance to Gabriela was uncanny. Whoever put the deepfake together had spared no expense.

    ¡°Mia?¡± Geraldo asked as he pulled his chair away from the table, it scraped along the smooth floor, filling the small room with an abrupt abundance of noise, followed by the silence that accompanied every interrogation room.

    ¡°Who¡¯s asking?¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Detective Montes.¡±

    ¡°You got a badge?¡±

    Geraldo was stunned by how brazen the young woman was. ¡°This entire fucking building is my badge.¡±

    ¡°Why am I here?¡± She demanded. ¡°No one will tell me, and I have rights.¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. You are a Russian immigrant, which means you are void of UN Charter rights until you are processed as a UN citizen, which you are not. So-¡± Geraldo leaned back. ¡°You should probably keep what little you learned from cop dramas on vids to yourself, and keep your mouth shut.¡±

    Silence once again filled the room.

    ¡°A few days ago, someone broke into a corporation mainframe, took enough information to set themselves up nice and pretty for a few lifetimes. We tracked the perp to a small shop, pulled the surveillance footage. You know what we found?¡±

    Mia sat stoned faced with her arms crossed.

    ¡°A deep fake. But those are hard to do right, impossible to make them perfect.¡± Geraldo pulled out his terminal and cast a file to the vid screen. The captured photo of the woman¡¯s face from the shop vid popped up. ¡°Is this you?¡±

    The bravado Mia possessed just seconds before was gone. ¡°I want a lawyer.¡± Her voice cracked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are grasping the magnitude of shit you are involved in, Mia. There isn¡¯t a lawyer that will take you because you violated corporation law. Corporate espionage is handled within the corporation. There isn¡¯t a legal system in the world that can save you from them.¡±

    Tears welled up in Mia¡¯s bright, large eyes. Finally, Geraldo thought. We are getting somewhere.

    ¡°I am the only one standing between you and a corporate enforcer.¡± Geraldo stressed. ¡°And I can help you, but first you need to cut the shit. Stop playing games and start talking.¡±

    ¡°You can keep me from the corpos?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Geraldo sighed. ¡°But I can give you a head start. A chance to get the fuck out of town, but you need to tell me everything.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know much. I was hired to go into the store, buy a few things and give the rest of the vouchers to the first bum I saw. I don¡¯t know anymore than that. I swear, I didn¡¯t know that we were breaking corporate law.¡±

    ¡°Who hired you?¡±

    ¡°Boris Ivanov.¡±

    Geraldo quickly entered the name into the taurus database, but it returned nothing meaningful.

    ¡°I told you not to fuck with me.¡± Geraldo growled.

    ¡°That¡¯s his name, I swear. He paid for me to come to New Madrid, he paid for a lot of girls to come here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in human trafficking; I want to know who hired you.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a brain hacker.¡± She sobbed. ¡°He has me stay over every few nights, and he goes on and on about it. Please I don¡¯t know any more than that.¡±

    ¡°Where can I find this brain hacker?¡±

    ¡°Vixen, a shop on Wet Street. Tell the girl at the front counter that you ¡®want to forget yourself for a while¡¯ and she will take you to him.¡±

    Geraldo stood up and opened the door. ¡°You stay here. If you are jerking me around the fist thing I do when I get back is call Cy-Tech. Let them deal with you.¡±

    ¡°Please, I¡¯m telling the truth, you can¡¯t leave me here.¡± She cried. ¡°You got to let me go!¡± Her cries cut off the moment Geraldo closed the door.

    The officer was still waiting by the door.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let her leave, and no one is to talk to her until I get back. Got it?¡±

    The officer nodded.

    Geraldo pulled out a cigarette. ¡°And if anyone asks where I am, tell them I went to Wet Street.¡±

 Thirty Five

    35

    The digital scream became more clear, more precise, until Gabriela could distinguish the sound as her own manic screaming.

    ¡°Pull her out.¡± Soma demanded.

    ¡°She¡¯s not finished yet.¡± She heard Boris protest.

    ¡°She has enough to know what she is dealing with. Finish it now.¡±

    ¡°I am! I am! Sukin syn.¡±

    Gabriela could feel her body convulsing and jerking against the restraints of the net chair. She could feel her foaming saliva trailing down her cheek.

    Boris¡¯s ugly face hovered into her vision. ¡°Fuck!¡± He cried out. ¡°She is flatlining. I told you it was too soon!¡±

    ¡°Stay with us, Gabriela. You got to stay with us.¡± Soma pleaded.

    A sharp pain emanated from her chest, and her body began to ease. For a moment she thought she was dead, that the last thing she was going to see was Boris¡¯s face. But a cough wrecked her body, followed by a deep breath.

    ¡°It was me.¡± Gabriela choked. ¡°Geraldo was right.¡±

    ¡°Get her out of the chair.¡± Soma demanded.

    Boris took the restraints off and helped her sit up.

    ¡°I need my meta deck.¡±

    The Russian turned back to his desk and handed it to her. She placed it over her face and came face to face with Soma, who hovered over her. ¡°What did you change in Taurus?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this. They found our decoy, and she is going to lead them to us. We need to get out of here ASAP.¡±

    ¡°You told me that you threw them off!¡± Boris roared. He stood up and ran his hands over his head as he paced back and forth.

    ¡°We have time, but we have to go now.¡±

    ¡°Go? Where am I to go, huh?¡± He demanded. ¡°I can¡¯t just ghost into the Either like you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care where you go, Boris, as long as you leave, and now.¡±

    Gabriela swung her legs over the side of the table and took an uneasy step.

    ¡°Where do we go?¡± She asked Soma.

    ¡°You need to follow me. There is an auto taxi waiting outside for you. It will take you to my employer. They will get you out of the city.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°An auto taxi is too risky.¡± Gabriela waved her hands. ¡°They can track where we went.¡±

    ¡°You will be long gone by the time they do. Come on.¡± Soma¡¯s avatar floated to the door and beckoned for her to follow. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time.¡±

    Gabriela followed him, stumbling as she tried to climb the stairs. The lights in the hallway hurt her eyes, and she had to lean against the wall as she walked.Once she made it to the lobby she doubled over and vomited.

    ¡°You okay, honey?¡± The receptionist asked softly as she put a soft hand on her back. ¡°It can be jarring at first, but you probably don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Gabriela righted herself and looked into the woman''s green eyes. ¡°I remember.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Was all the woman said before she reached into her bra and pulled out a baggy of pills. ¡°Take these, they are uppers. It will help. I promise.¡±

    ¡°Do it.¡± Soma instructed.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Gabriela took two of the pills and popped them in her mouth, dry-swallowing them.

    ¡°Come on, Gabriela. We need to go. Now.¡±

    ¡°I need to go.¡± Gabriela stumbled towards the door. The woman took her by the waist and helped her to the street where the auto taxi was waiting.

    She opened the door and helped Gabriela in the cab. ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    ¡°Nichole.¡± The woman smiled. ¡°It¡¯s my real name, but most people call me Candy.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Nichole.¡±

    Nichole gave her a warm smile. ¡°I hope remembering was worth it.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    Nichole gave her a small wave before she shut the door.

    The drugs started to kick in by the time they reached their destination, somewhere in the Lower City. Tents and trash were piled up along the walls of a massive building that reached high into the Upper City.

    ¡°Where are we?¡± Gabriela asked when the cab stopped.

    ¡°This is the base of Bioloxys.¡±

    ¡°Why are we here? If your employer is Bioloxys, then why go through all this trouble?¡±

    ¡°Bioloxys isn¡¯t my employer. My employer is in the warehouse over there.¡± Soma pointed to a rundown industrial building.

    Gabriela followed Soma. Dirty faces peered out from the tents as she walked past. The smell of human waste and trash burning was almost overwhelming.

    ¡°This is what the city really is, isn¡¯t it?¡± Gabriela asked.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s built on shit and broken hope.¡± She explained. ¡°The Upper City drones on while the Lower City rots.¡±

    ¡°I suppose so. It¡¯s part of the human condition; to ignore what¡¯s uncomfortable, and worry only about oneself.¡±

    The door to the warehouse was guarded by a few vagrants. They flashed weapons under the dirty rags they wore.

    ¡°Stop right there.¡± One of them demanded.

    ¡°Tell them you are here to see Angel.¡± Soma whispered.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to see Angel.¡±

    ¡°And who are you?¡± The man demanded.

    ¡°Gabriela Fohren.¡±

    The men moved away from the door and motioned for her to enter.

    The aisle of the warehouse was full of men and women, rushing around frantically, all armed.

    ¡°What is this? Gabriela whispered.

    ¡°These are the Son¡¯s.¡± Soma explained.

    Loud, heavy footsteps echoed over the noise of the rest of the building occupants. A woman, so heavily augmented that her body was made entirely of chrome and mat black robotics, even her face was clearly a high end face plate stepped towards her. She smiled.

    ¡°Gabriela Fohren?¡±

    Gabriela nodded.

    ¡°My name is.¡±

    ¡°Angela Tenshi.¡± Gabriela interrupted. She knew who this woman was, every officer did. Yui was a war hero, an icon, and a terrorist. ¡°The Iron Angel¡±

    Angela smiled. ¡°My reputation precedes me.¡±

 Thirty Six

    36.

    The ironically named Wet Street was one of the few districts in the undercity where the native sky could be seen, and the perpetual drizzle of New Madrid had broken, making way for a downpour.

    Geraldo cursed as he opened the door of his car and flipped up his collar to the rain. He had parked behind an auto cab that had slowly pulled away while he pulled in. He slowly reached under his seat and pulled a case out. The latches flipped up when he pressed his thumb to the biometric reader. He flipped open the lid and pulled out the snub nose pistol from inside. It was small, and easily fit in the palm of his hand. Flipping the gun to the side caused the drum to flip out. Five rounds were loaded. It was old, older than he was. A relic of the past. It wasn¡¯t the carbon printed weapon he was used to, but it would have to do until a new replacement fire was issued to him.

    He tucked the weapon in his waistband before he headed in.

    Vixen was just as he had expected; a seedy joint pedaling to perverts. A woman, your typical joy toy, was busy cleaning up what looked like a puddle of vomit.

    ¡°Rough night?¡± Geraldo asked with a smile.

    The woman looked over at him and gave him a seductive smile, or at least the closest thing she could, given the mess she was cleaning up. ¡°Not as bad as the night you seem to be having, sweety.¡±

    Geraldo touched his ruined face. ¡°This? This is a typical Saturday night for me.¡±

    ¡°You looking to feel better, cowboy?¡± The joy toy disposed of the vomit covered rags and rinsed her hands off. ¡°Names Candy. And I am really good at turning a typical night around.¡±

    ¡°Actually.¡± Geraldo drummed his fingers against the galvanized metal counter. ¡°I was hoping to forget myself for a while.¡±

    Candy pouted. ¡°Seems to be a lot of that going around.¡±

    ¡°Yeah? There been anyone else in here looking for the same thing?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t kiss and tell, baby. You will have to ask Boris.¡±

    ¡°Right. Do I pay him or do I pay you?¡±

    Candy took out a wad of chewed bubble gum and pressed it down on the counter top. ¡°Boris handles his own business. Follow me.¡± She waved seductively for him to follow her. She stopped in a hallway and opened a door.

    Geraldo peaked past the door, seeing the stairs leading down into the darkness.

    ¡°If you want, I¡¯ll be here when you get back.¡± She brushed a hand over his arm.

    ¡°Yeah, I think I would like that.¡± Geraldo gave her a wink.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget me then.¡± She winked back before she walked away, hips swinging to and fro.

    Geraldo took a long, deep breath. The woman was a professional, and a damn good one at that. He gave his head a small shake before he took the pistol from his pants, concealing it at his side as he quietly walked down the stairs.

    There was another door at the end of the steps. Geraldo tested the door knob, and slowly pushed the door open when he discovered that it wasn¡¯t locked.

    A big man was frantically unplugging cables from a net chair, carelessly casting them to the side. He mumbled in Russian as he struggled to disconnect a terminal from the rest of the equipment in the room.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Geraldo noted the cameras above, and quickly traced the wires back to the terminal, which had already been unplugged.

    Geraldo pushed the door open and raised the pistol. ¡°Going somewhere?¡± He asked.

    The big man paused. His eyes darted wildly from Geraldo to the desk near the net chair. Geraldo followed his gaze and saw the butt of a weapon sticking out from the chaos on the desk. The big man took a step towards the desk.

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Geraldo warned. He took a step closer, motioning for the man to move away from the desk.

    The man put up his hands and slowly moved away. ¡°I have money.¡± He blurted out.

    ¡°I bet you do.¡± Geraldo never lowered his weapon. He cooly made his way to the desk and pulled out a sawed off shotgun, which he tossed away. ¡°Are you Boris?¡±

    ¡°Da.¡±

    ¡°English, shit head.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Brosi stuttered, ¡°I am Boris.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the brain hacker?¡±

    Boris nodded.

    ¡°Where is Gabriela?¡±

    ¡°Gone.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. She left not too long ago, perhaps she is still outside?¡±

    ¡°Doubtful. What did she come here for?¡±

    Geraldo aimed the weapon at Boris¡¯s face when he didn¡¯t answer him. ¡°Why was she here?¡± He demanded once more.

    ¡°Memories.¡± Boris stammered and closed his eyes. His hands were still raised high in the air. ¡°She came back for her memories. She had them removed so she couldn¡¯t implicate anyone involved.¡±

    ¡°Do you have a copy of them?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Geraldo frowned and cocked his head. ¡°Do you expect me to believe a piece of shit like you wouldn¡¯t keep a copy? I am sure you got copies of every memory you changed. A little insurance policy? Or maybe just to beat your meat to?¡±

    Silence.

    ¡°I want the copy,¡± Geraldo shouted. ¡°Now!¡±

    ¡°It''s on the terminal.¡± Boris tentatively pointed at the desk.

    Geraldo moved to the side, motioning with the barrel of his gun for the man to retrieve what he wanted.

    ¡°Put it on a data spool.¡± Geraldo commanded.

    Boris nodded and did what he was told. ¡°There.¡± He said, stepping away from the terminal and raising his hands again.

    ¡°Move back.¡± Geraldo motioned with his gun once more. He hit play, playing the memories back. It was like watching a movie in reverse. ¡°Why is it going backwards?¡±

    ¡°It''s how the software captures the memories.

    ¡°Is there audio?¡± Geraldo asked while he watched the video. He saw Gabriela walking back up the stairs, watched her interact with Candy, before she walked backwards out of the shop.

    ¡°It''s on the spool, on a separate file.¡±

    Geraldo¡¯s blood ran cold when Tanya entered Gabriela¡¯s view.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± He whispered. Geraldo watched for a few more moments before he deleted the main file from the terminal and turned back to Boris. ¡°Is the only copy?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Has anyone else seen this?¡±

    ¡°Just you and Gabriela.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Geraldo glanced back at the monitor. His chest felt tight, his mouth dry. Of all people that could have been involved in what Gabriela was doing, he would have never expected Tanya, not the Chief, not her.

    His mind raced, panic clawing at his mind. He needed the video to prove Gabriela was innocent of murder, but it would incriminate Tanya, and threaten the only person that gave him the courage to get up every morning.

    Geraldo knew what he had to do, and his body acted before he could even willed it to do so. The report of the pistol was deafening. Boris¡¯ head jerked back, blood, brain matter, and bone sprayed the wall behind him. The big man sank to his feet, before he slumped backwards.

    Geraldo took the data spool. His hands were shaking. He had killed before, but never murdered. Never in cold blood.

    ¡°I had to do it.¡± He told himself. Geraldo grabbed the shotgun and wiped his prints from the weapon before he placed it in the dead man''s hands. He took a step back from the body just as Candy opened the door.

    Her eyes were wide, her face white. Geraldo expected her to scream, but she just stood there, staring at him.

    Geraldo pulled out his terminal and called Taurus.

    ¡°This is Detective Montis. I have been involved in officer related shooting. Self-defense. Send medical immediately.¡±

 Thirty Seven

    37.

    The smell of blood permeated the room. Geraldo sat with an unlit cigarette between his lips, staring at the body of Boris. He had managed to make sure all the video footage was scrubbed from the dead man''s terminal and did his best to ensure that the spool in his pocket was the only remaining copy of Gabriela¡¯s memory recording.

    His fingers fidgeted with the data spool. Turning the tape over and over in his jacket pocket as he watched the techs do their job.

    Charles was the first tech to arrive, and he had quickly gotten to work after the officers cleared the crime scene. Soon the room was filled with techs, all of them combing over the evidence the room contained. It was a treasure trove of contraband. Boris had been busy. Very busy.

    ¡°You okay, Ger?¡± Charles asked as he hobbled over to him.

    ¡°I killed him.¡± Geraldo looked at Charles with a vacant stare.

    Charles looked over his shoulder before he ordered the rest of the techs and officers out of the room. He waited until they were all gone before he turned back to Geraldo. ¡°You did what you had to, kid.¡±

    ¡°Is his brain dock still intact?¡±

    ¡°Do you want it to be?¡±

    Geraldo looked back at the body. ¡°No,¡± He whispered.

    ¡°Then no, it was too damaged to pull anything off of.¡± Charles put a hand on Geraldo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°I shot him, Chuck. I killed a man.¡±

    ¡°You have killed lots of men, Geraldo. It¡¯s part of the job.¡± The old man reassured him.

    Geraldo shook his head. ¡°Not like this.¡±

    Charles sighed, pulled a stool over and took a seat. The metal stool groaned as he eased himself on to it. ¡°What''s going on?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in some deep shit, Chuck.¡± Geraldo buried his face in his hands before he pulled them up, and ran them over his bald head. ¡°Some real deep fucking shit.¡±

    ¡°Does this have to do with Gabriela?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Charles took a deep breath. ¡°Listen, I like the kid, but she chose to murder a man.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°I just murdered a man,¡± Geraldo reminded him.

    ¡°This is different. Gabriela murdered an innocent man in cold blood. She¡¯s a terrorist. This man.¡± Charles dipped his head towards the dead body. ¡°He got what was coming for him. We haven¡¯t even gone through a fraction of the stuff this sicko had on his terminal, but what we do have is some real sick stuff. He was taking memories, snuff memories, and creating constructs around them.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I mean he was making it so clients could not just witness these memories, but reliving them. And he had an eclectic collection of sick shit. Rape, murder, torture. And it didn¡¯t seem to matter the age of the victims, Geraldo. This man was making a fortune peddling murder porn of kids. You did the world a favor. His ass is rotting in hell.¡±

    ¡°Do you believe in that?¡±

    ¡°What? Hell?.¡± Charles shrugged. ¡°I dunno, kid. I like the idea that bad people get what''s coming to them.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t do it.¡± Geraldo mumbled. The cigarette between his lips danced up and down.

    Charles pulled out a lighter and lit it for him, before he lit one of his own. The old man took a long drag and exhaled. ¡°She didn¡¯t do what?¡±

    ¡°Gabriela didn¡¯t kill Owen Conner.¡±

    Charles laughed a little. ¡°Geraldo, there is a mountain of evidence that says otherwise.¡±

    ¡°She was framed. She was at Taurus at the time of the murder.¡±

    Charles'' eyes narrowed. ¡°And you have proof of this?¡±

    Geraldo pulled the data spool from his pocket and handed it to Charles.

    ¡°What''s this?¡± The old man asked as he examined the spool.

    ¡°Memories. Gabriela''s memories. She broke in to the Taurus mainframe, and had the memories changed so she couldn¡¯t implicate anyone else involved.¡±

    ¡°And the raw memories are on this?¡± Charles lifted the spool up.

    ¡°All of them. Do you think they could be faked? Like a video?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Charles handed the spool back to him. ¡°I would get rid of that, and keep your mouth shut.¡±

    ¡°What about Gabriela?¡±

    Charles leaned back. ¡°If what you say is true, that she is somehow being framed, then there is nothing that can be done to save her, and if you try, then whoever has the power to do this to her, will come after you.¡±

    ¡°Why would someone frame her?¡±

    ¡°Who knows. Maybe they wanted Owen Conner dead, and she just happened to fit the profile for someone who could pull it off. Maybe it has to do with her mother. I heard she is an important woman. This could be some sort of political hit. It doesn¡¯t  really matter. What matters is you drop it, and forget about it. You will live longer.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that, Chuck.¡± Geraldo shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t let her take the fall for something she didn¡¯t do.¡±

    ¡°But she did do something, you said it yourself; she broke into the Taurus mainframe.¡± Charlies pointed a meaty finger at him. ¡°Think the company will just shrug it off? She is dead either way you look at it.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t let them get away with this, whoever they are.¡±

    Charles sighed. ¡°You''re right, Geraldo. You are in some deep shit.¡±

    They both jumped when Geraldo''s personal terminal rang. Slowly, Geraldo pulled it from his pocket.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Where are you?¡± Andrew¡¯s voice demanded.

    ¡°Wet Street.¡±

    ¡°You need to get your ass to Cy-Tech HQ. Stay where you are and I¡¯ll send a gun ship to pick you up.¡±

    Geraldo slowly stood up. ¡°Why, what''s going on?¡±

    ¡°We found her. We found Gabriela Fohren.¡±

 Thirty Eight

    38.

    Geraldo watched the city unfold before him as the gun ship lifted up. It was bathed in lights from hundreds of buildings, tall monoliths reaching up to the heavens themselves, each tower displaying its own brand or advertising of stunning lifelike images of the most beautiful people pushing the most luxurious wears.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Geraldo had to yell over the roar of the gunship''s engines, and the sharp and rapid chopping sound of the rotors.

    One of the crew handed him a headset that was hard wired into the ship. Geraldo grimaced and slipped it over his ears. The sound from the gunship became muffled.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± He asked once more. ¡°Cy-Tech is on the west side of the city.¡± He pointed off into the distance.

    ¡°We have a mobile HQ set up.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°Upper City, near sector four.¡± The crewmen answered.

    ¡°That¡¯s near the Bioloxys facility?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. Capitan Andrews wanted to be as close to the action as he could.¡±

    Geraldo¡¯s stomach turned at those words. Gabriela was one woman. Sure, she had given them the slip more than once, but gunships and mobile HQs close to the action seemed like overkill. ¡°Captain Ahab¡¯s got to get his whale.¡± Geraldo shook his head.

    Slowly, Geraldo reached into his pocket. He touched the data spool. He could end this, all of it. All he had to do was show Andrews the tape, but he knew that it wasn''t that simple. Whoever had framed Gibriela had gone to great lengths to do so, and he had no idea who or what had staged the murder of Owen Conner. The whole thing reeked of corporate involvement, and Geraldo had no idea whom he could trust.

    Cy-Tech had been gunning for Tauraus for years. They were no longer content with military contracts, and wanted into the civilian sector, and bad. Geraldo knew it was possible that Cy-Tech could have framed Gabriela and murdered Conner, or it could be Taurus, or countless other corporate entities. And showing the tape would implicate Tanya in the crime.

    Slowly, Geraldo let go of the tape. He needed time to think everything through, he needed to mull it over, let his gut tell him what he should do, and mostly, he needed a drink. But time was the one thing he had run out of.

    The gunship landed some distance away from sector four.

    ¡°We are going the rest of the way by car. We don¡¯t want to alert anyone with gunships.¡± The crewmen explained as they all braced themselves for the landing.

    The gunship jerked and jolted a bit before it finally touched its landing struts to the pavement.

    Armed men came running toward the aircraft. All armed and wearing combat armor with the Cy-Tech logo painted across the best plate. One of them handed Geraldo a vest.

    ¡°Need you to put this on, sir.¡± He shouted.

    Geraldo held it out and examined it. Cy-Tech light tactical gear. A white star with ¡®Cy-Tech¡¯ plastered over it in dark lettering. Geraldo looked up from the vest ¡°Is this necessary?¡±

    ¡°Captain''s orders, sir.¡±

    Geraldo grimaced and took off his raincoat, quickly slipping the vest over his shirt before he followed the men to the cars that were waiting for them in the rain.

    ¡°I can take your coat, and your terminal.¡± The man held his arm.

    Geralso tossed the man his terminal. ¡°I can hold on to my own coat,¡± he sneered.

    The man caught the terminal and motioned for Geraldo to follow him.

    There were four vehicles waiting for them. Geraldo could smell the exhaust of the petrol engines. These were not the electric cars that most people put around the city in. These were military grade vehicles.

    The man opened the door for him and ushered him in before he took a seat next to him.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°I need to contact Chief Wedge.¡± Geraldo demanded.

    ¡°Miss Wedge has already been informed of the situation.¡±

    ¡°And what is the situation?¡± Geraldo demanded.

    The man said nothing. He simply motioned for the driver to drive. Geraldo braced himself from the sudden acceleration as the convoy made its way down the streets toward sector four.

    The drive was quiet. None of the men in the car talked. Geraldo¡¯s questions went unanswered, and he wondered if the officers didn¡¯t want to answer him or couldn¡¯t.

    In the end Geraldo, cracked a window and lit up a cigarette, noting that he only had three left. He thought to himself that it was a good time to quit but laughed the thought away. He told himself that he would quit after the next pack, just like he had for years.

    Their convoy finally slowed and pulled up to a mobile building that had been stationed in a parking lot.

    ¡°When did they put this here?¡± Geraldo asked as he looked through the window.

    ¡°Three hours ago, sir.¡±

    ¡°Shit, say what you will about Cy-Tech, but you boys are efficient.¡±

    ¡°We need to be.¡± A woman sitting across from him spoke up for the first time. ¡°Cy-Tech is the leading edge of corporate warfare. The boys, and girls, need to be ready to mobilize at any moment, efficiency is our brand.¡±

    ¡°Funny,¡± Geraldo smiled and put the cigarette out on the car¡¯s door. ¡°I thought your brand was killing kids in Indonesia for corporate gain.¡±

    The woman leaned forward. Her eyes locked on his. ¡°And we did it. Efficiently,¡± She added.

    Geraldo decided that now was as good of time as any to keep his mouth shut. These weren¡¯t jar heads employed by a security firm. They were killers doing a job, and he had no doubt that they were good at their job.

    ¡°Capitan is waiting inside.¡± The first man nodded towards the command center before he got out and held the door open for Geraldo.

    ¡°Well.¡± Geraldo slapped his thighs. ¡°This was fun. Thanks for the ride.¡±

    He followed the man inside the portable building. The first thing Geraldo noted was the four net chairs that were installed, which were already occupied by net breakers suited up and strapped in.

    Brian looked up from a monitor. His eyes darted around the room before he motioned for Geraldo to join him. ¡°Where the hell have you been?¡± He asked in a low voice.

    ¡°Following a lead. What the fuck is going on?¡±

    ¡°They found Gab, and now they are getting ready for war. They got gunships, automated warbots, officers armed with exo-aromor, you fucking name it, they got it.¡±

    ¡°All for one woman?

    ¡°No, Geraldo. That¡¯s the problem. Gab is in a warehouse that they claim is some sort of operation center for a Son¡¯s cell. Something big is going down. This is way more than a security breach or a murder.¡±

    ¡°You know Gabriela better than anyone.¡± Geraldo looked back at the Cy-Tech personnel moving around the room. ¡°Did she ever seem like some radical terrorist?¡±

    ¡°Fuck no,¡± Brian scoffed. ¡°She¡¯s gen perfect, just like me. We are abominations to them. It¡¯d be like a jew working with a Nazi. Shit doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Geraldo mumbled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Welcome, Gentlemen!¡± Andrews shouted and clapped his hands. ¡°You are just in time for the big show.¡±

    Geraldo stood up. ¡°You need to call this off, Kris.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± The smile never left Andrew¡¯s face.

    Geraldo wanted to shout in his face that it was a setup, that Gabriela was innocent, that their framing of her and their relentless pursuit of her had driven her to the Son¡¯s of Adam. That she wasn¡¯t a terrorist or a murderer, but he couldn¡¯t do it, not here. There were too many soldiers. If Andrew¡¯s said to shoot him, there would be a line of willing employees lining up to pull the trigger.

    ¡°Have you evacuated the area yet?¡± Geralod¡¯s mind groped for a good reason for the man to hold off his assault.

    ¡°No, we don¡¯t want to give ourselves away.¡± Andrews¡¯ clasped his hands behind his back and walked up the bank of screens that lined the wall of the room.

    ¡°What about the citizens caught in the crossfire?¡± Geraldo demanded.

    ¡°We have classified everyone in the area as enemy combatants.¡± He assured them.

    ¡°You know this for a fact?¡± Brian asked.

    Andrews laughed a little. ¡°Of course not, but there is no way of avoiding collateral damage. Doing it this way keeps both of our companies'' hands clean, and less work for the public relations department. Those kids hate overtime.¡±

    ¡°This is insane.¡± Geraldo snapped.

    ¡°This is business, Detective. Your colleague understands that. That¡¯s why he is here, to oversee Taurus''s corporate interests.¡±

    Geraldo shot Brian a look.

    ¡°They are going to do this with our without us, Geraldo. At least this way we get some of the credit.¡±

    ¡°You mean you get some of the credit.¡± Geraldo hissed and slammed his hand down on the desk. ¡°I always knew you were a snake, Brian. But to go so far as throwing your friend under the bus.¡±

    ¡°She threw herself under the bus,¡± Brian shot back. ¡°You said it yourself. She either broke into Taurus or murdered Owen Conner. She couldn¡¯t have done both.¡±

    ¡°Right, and I can prove she didn¡¯t murder anyone. I just need time.¡±

    ¡°You had your time, Geraldo.¡± Andrews interrupted. ¡°Now it''s our time.¡±

    ¡°Hundreds of people are going to die , if not more, if you do this.¡± Geraldo stormed up to Andrews. The sound of weapons being cocked caused him to slow to a stop. Every weapon was pointed at him.

    ¡°It¡¯s the price of business, Detective.¡± Andrews¡¯ smile dropped from his face. ¡°No one is going to miss a few hundred crips.¡±

 Thirty Nine

    Chapter 39.

    ¡°So, this is what you used me for.¡± Gabriela was dumbfounded as she slowly turned around and took in the open building. Men and women were arming themselves. ¡°You made it so Taurus was blind, so that you could move operatives into the city.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Soma answered solemnly.

    ¡°What did they pay you Soma? How much did your soul cost?¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t pay him anything.¡± Angela interrupted.

    ¡°You can hear him?¡± Gabriela asked. She was surprised that Soma would make himself known to anyone more than he had too.

    ¡°This whole time.¡± Angela explained. ¡°We have been working together to make sure you were kept safe.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Gabriela demanded.

    ¡°I can¡¯t explain-¡°

    ¡°Enough of this bullshit. I want answers. Why would you help me? I¡¯m gen perfect. I thought your organization hates people like me.¡±

    Angela blinked, and took a step back, it seemed as if she was genuinely offended. ¡°Hate? No, you are one of God¡¯s children, just like the rest of us. It¡¯s how you were born. That¡¯s what we hate.¡±

    The corporations are playing God, deciding who is born and who isn¡¯t. It¡¯s Bioloxys we hate, not you or anyone else.¡±

    ¡°Bioloxys is the reason the human race hasn''t gone extinct.¡±

    ¡°Is that what you think, Gabriela? That Bioloxys is the savior of humankind?¡±

    ¡°No, human innovation is humankind¡¯s savior.¡±

    ¡°Innovation?¡± Angela shook her head sadly. ¡°Bioloxys holds the key to human survival in a monopoly, they keep an iron grip over who can and cannot have children. They choose who will get to feel the joys of motherhood. That is not innovation, Gabriela. That is tyranny. And if you think that is innovation then the retro phage was also innovation.¡±

    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake.¡± Gabriela laughed. ¡°That all the Son¡¯s have is half baked conspiracy theories. You think that the phage was man made, that we did this to ourselves?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think mankind did this to themselves.¡± Angela roared. Gabriela shrank away from the looming woman.

    ¡°I have given everything I have to the corporations.¡± Angela continued. ¡°I killed for them, in war after war, until it took my body. They didn¡¯t care, they simply built me a new one and told me to kill some more. I have seen what corporations like Bioloxys are capable of. I have done their bidding and I have seen the rot that is the core of their hearts. I don¡¯t think mankind did this to themselves, I know they did.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°What does all of this have to do with me?¡±

    The rage in Angela¡¯s eyes faded. She took a deep breath before she continued. ¡°Our lives are a cage, Gabriela. Some see it as an iron cage, cold and bleak. Others see it as a gilded one, soft and comfortable, beautiful even. But a cage is still cage.¡±

    What if I told you that none of your choices were your own? That your freewill was an illusion?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d say what I already know. You, and everyone else here is fucking crazy.¡±

    ¡°Gabriela,¡± Angela said softly. ¡°Your life was decided for you before you were even conceived. Your education, your pregnancy, and the death of your daughter was all planned out before you even drew your first breath.¡±

    A tear slipped down Gabriela¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±

    ¡°But it is. Your potential for free will is unacceptable, it doesn¡¯t fit in the matrix of the system. You are a cancer as far as it is concerned. At first just a benign tumor, but you have metastasized, and you have proven to be dangerous. It won¡¯t allow you to live.¡±

    ¡°If what you are saying is true, then why are you here? Why hasn''t ¡®It¡¯ killed you all? Do you not have free will?¡± Gabriela demanded. The ideas that Angela was spouting were absurd, bordering on insane. Her choices were hers and hers alone.

    ¡°Strife has to exist. Fear motivates people.¡± Angela said coolly. ¡°We fight a war we know we can¡¯t win, because the system has already decided the winner.¡±

    ¡°What is it, what is the system?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not my place to explain it, Gabriela, but I promise that Enigma will explain everything to you when you meet.¡±

    ¡°Enigma?¡±

    ¡°Our benefactor, Gabriela.¡± Soma answered her.

    ¡°Who or what is Enigma?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know. All we know is that Enigma is an insider. Nothing they have told us has turned out to be wrong. Nothing.¡± Angela stressed. ¡°And they have told us that you are special, that no matter what, you must make it to them.¡±

    ¡°Are they coming here?¡± Soma asked.

    ¡°No.¡± Something changed in Angela¡¯s face. A shower of sadness. Gabriela expected that if the woman could, she would shed tears. ¡°Things have changed my friend. Our position is compromised. Cy-Tech is preparing to attack soon. I know it''s unfair to ask you this, Soma, but you need to get Gabriela to the dam.¡±

    ¡°If Cy-Tech is going to attack then why are you all standing here?¡± Gabriela demanded. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you all running?!¡± She shouted.

    ¡°Because.¡± Angela said. ¡°Enigma is never wrong, if we run now the system will know that there is a leak. We cannot compromise Enigma.¡±

    ¡°If you stay here, you will die.¡± Gabriela stressed.

    ¡°That¡¯s what a soldier does, Gabriela. We die for our cause. Be it a country or an ideal. In the end we all know that our lives may be what¡¯s asked of us.¡±

    ¡°So, you are just going to sit here and wait?¡±

    ¡°No. We are going to fight.¡± Angela explained as she walked over to a crate, opened it, and pulled out a gun that would be too massive for a normal person to wield. ¡°The System knows we are here, but it doesn¡¯t know how armed we are, or what we are willing to do to stop it.¡±

    ¡°There are net breakers here.¡± Soma interrupted.

    ¡°We need more time, Soma. Can you deal with them?¡± Angela pleaded.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Soma answered.

    Gabriela knew he was gone then. She could feel that her guardian angel was no longer at her side. ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± She asked past the tears that were falling down her face. ¡°I can¡¯t to this alone.¡±

    ¡°There is no better mancer than Soma, he will be back. But, you need to run, with or without him.¡± Angela handed Gabriela a carbine. ¡°You will have to kill, or they will kill you. You need to survive.¡±

    ¡°I wish that we had more time together, Gabriela. I truly do.¡± Angela reached out and brushed a tear away from Gabriela¡¯s face. ¡°You are a truly remarkable woman.¡±

 Chapter Forty

    Chapter 40

    ¡°Suit up and jack in!¡± Andrews twirled his hands in the air, motioning for the assault to go forward. Men and women snapped into motion at his command. Net breakers jumped into their seats, while techs quickly wired them in. The neural deck of each chair hummed to life, filling the operation center with the acrid smell of superheated electronics.

    The lights in the room dimmed, until only the blue glow of monitors was the only source of light which cast itself upon the techs, giving them an ethereal glow to their faces. Lights quickly turned on, but only to  illuminate the walkway.

    ¡°I want eyes on the inside.¡± Andrews ordered. ¡°No one moves until our cowboys break their networks. Am I understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡± The room shouted in uniosion.

    ¡°Net breakers are in the ether, sir.¡± A tech informed him without looking away from her monitor.

    ¡°Get a function in there so I can see what''s going on, and put it on the main screen.¡±

    Within a few seconds the main screen, which encompassed most of the far wall, displayed the five net breakers in the ether. Their avatars were all generic Cy-Tech models, black, almost robotic looking.

    ¡°What level are they going in at?¡± Andrews asked while he passed back and forth.

    ¡°Second.¡± A male voice answered from somewhere in the dark room. Geraldo tried to change the settings of his optics so that he could make better use of the low light, but his hud only flashed the words ¡°Fuction disabled.¡±

    A tech walked up and whispered  into his ear. ¡°We have suspended your implants. Company policy.¡±

    Geraldo ground his teeth, readying a quick retort, but before he could speak the net runners displayed on the main screen began to move toward the building where Gabriela allegedly was being harbored.

    ¡°What are we looking at?¡± Geraldo asked his new friend.

    ¡°It¡¯s a rendering of a submesh of the ether.¡±

    Geraldo had never been in the ether. Brain docks were expensive and the decks needed to do anything more than a meta deck were too far out of his pay range. What he saw amazed him. He could recognize the city around the net breakers, but it was more of a background. The buildings that reached up to cradle the Upper City were more gray and lifeless than in reality. They were nothing more than monocolor shapes, with what looked like bright, golden vines snaking around them, reaching to the Upper City, which was like a golden canopy of some dark forest.

    ¡°What are the lights?¡± He asked, his mouth gaping open. He found himself leaning forward.

    ¡°Data streams, hard wired.¡± The tech explained. ¡°Each point of light is tech that is interfaced with the ether, every pocket terminal, meta deck, all the way down to hearing implants. All data points, sending and receiving data. Have you ever seen the ether?¡±

    Geraldo looked back at the tech. She was shorter than him, the sheen of sweat on her forehead glowed in the blue light. ¡°I¡¯m too poor to go there, too old to give a shit about it.¡± He admitted.

    ¡°Well,¡± The tech smiled. ¡°Sit back and watch. You are in for a treat.¡±

    The tech moved beside him, and they watched together.

    The net breakers fanned out, and made their way to the building. Geraldo noticed that the building had no data lines, or data points. ¡°That building looks lifeless.¡±

    ¡°They are encrypting their data.¡±

    ¡°Enemy net breaker.¡± Someone in the room announced. The Cy-Tech net breakers stopped their advance, and a single, golden avatar appeared before them.

    ¡°That''s Soma.¡± Andrews declared. ¡°I want that fuck flatlined. All net breakers are to eliminate him.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn''t you just send one or two after him?¡± Brian asked. ¡°Have the rest break the building''s encryption?¡±

    ¡°That asshole has been a thorn in the world''s side for years. Think about it. We bag him and Gabriela, that''s more than a kudos to us, that''s a goddamn promotion. Go.¡± Andrews waved his hand. ¡°Get him.¡±

    The net breakers surrounded Soma, each of them materializing martial weapons into their hands.

    ¡°Each weapon is a function designed to flat line an opponent.¡± The tech answered Geraldo¡¯s question before he could even ask. ¡°The function that is allowing us to look is only giving us a rendering, processing it down to more basic components for us to make sense of it all.¡±

    ¡°Thoughtful of it.¡± Geraldo mumbled without looking away.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    The net breakers made their move, attacking in unison. Soma countered and blocked, spinning and twirling out of the way of each attack. Just when Geraldo thought that he was done for, the ground in the ether buckled and collapsed, forming a symmetrical hole, which he used to escape the onslaught. He lept backwards, arms outstretched, into a perfect dive into the hole.

    ¡°Enemy is going down a layer.¡±

    ¡°Follow him. Keep two of our cowboys up top in case he tries to double back.¡±

    Three of the net runners followed Soma down the rabbit hole. Geraldo couldn''t tell if they were falling or running down the hole, which was more of a tunnel that shifted and twisted as the net breakers ran along its walls. They cast out functions that looked more like orbs with twisting wires that sparked along the tunnel''s surface.

    Soma either dispatched the functions, or dodged them gracefully. Jumping from wall to wall, twisting just as the wires were about to touch him, letting the function pass him by.

    Geraldo looked at his new friend, her jaw was clenched and her eyes focused on the screen. Clearly this was not going as planned. Geraldo couldn¡¯t help but smile a little. He didn¡¯t know who was right or wrong in this cluster fuck he had found himself, but somewhere in his heart he was rooting for Gabriela.

    Soma managed to flatline the first net breaker. Just as the net breaker was about to reach him, the tunnel split, causing the net breaker to smash into the wall, tumbling down the tunnel. Soma dispatched him with one quick thrust of his blade. Alarms called out from one of the netchairs, the body strapped to it convulsed.

    ¡°Get him out of the chair and wire up another cowboy!¡± Andrews barked.

    Techs quickly unstrapped the now lifeless body and rolled it out of the chair. It fell to the floor with a deep thud, its limbs sprawled out. The next net runner simply stepped over the body of their fallen comrade and strapped in. No one moved the body.

    The remaining two net breakers managed to avoid Soma¡¯s trick. One found themselves traveling down the same tunnel as Soma, while the other took the latter.

    Both tunnels opened up onto the same cityscape that they had left, but this one was different. The monocolor buildings were replaced with wired mesh models. Even the net runners and Soma¡¯s avatar were replaced with mesh.

    ¡°What is going on?¡±

    ¡°The deeper you go into the ether the more abstract it becomes, which makes it harder to render.¡±

    Soma and his pursuer fell from the sky above. Their blades clashed again and again as they fell. A second hole opened up and they fell into it.

    ¡°He¡¯s going deeper.¡± Someone called out.

    ¡°This piece of shit has a death wish.¡± Andrews laughed out. ¡°Keep pursuing him. Either kill him or let him fragment.¡±

    Geraldo watched the two of them battle as they fell through the tunnel. When they broke through their avatars were nothing more than stick figures. The two net breakers that were pursuing him jolted and shook in their chairs. The strain of going so deep into the ether was now physical.

    Soma didn''t even need to finish the net breaker he was grappling with. The poor fuck¡¯s heart gave out, and he flatlined in his chair.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Andrews shouted. ¡°Get the next one ready.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going down there.¡± The next breaker in line announced.

    Andrews turned toward him and pulled out his pistol, leveling it at the net break. ¡°Get your ass in the chair.¡± He ordered cooly as he pulled the hammer back.

    The net breaker did as he was told, allowing the techs to jack him in.

    Andrews didn''t holster his side arm. He turned around and addressed the room. ¡°This is not a daycare. There will be no pretty pleases or snacks. You will do as you are told. Am I understood?¡±

    Another resounding, ¡°Yes sir!¡± answered him, but it lacked the bravado of the previous.

    ¡°Our final net breaker is about to make contact.¡±

    Geraldo held his breath as Soma landed and stumbled on the flat featureless ground of the ether. Before he could right himself his final pursuer collided with him. They both fell to the ground, which gave way into another hole and another tunnel. This one was shorter. There were no longer any buildings, no data line, just darkness and the two net breakers. Their avatars were now just ones and zeros grouped together in humanoid shapes.

    ¡±What''s wrong, why can''t we see anything?¡± Geraldo demanded.

    ¡°They are too deep for the function to process what they are seeing. No one goes this deep.¡±

    Geraldo watched as the two of them struggled to their feet. They swayed, holding their blades which seemed almost too heavy for them. They looked at each other for a moment before they each rushed forward.

    The Cy-Tech net breaker doubled over and fell, shattering into billions of ones and zeros, which dissipated into the ink-black darkness around them. His consciousness fragmented and absorbed into the ether.

    The body in the chair jerked and flatlined. No one stepped up to take his place. Every eye was glued to the main screen.

    Soma fell to his knees, his body beginning to dissolve.

    ¡°That''s right, fragment you fuck.¡± Andrews hissed.

    This was how it was going to end for the great Soma, Geraldo could see that. Not bested by a better mance, but victim of his own huboris.Like Ichoris, he flew too close to the sun. Geraldo began to turn away from the screen in solemn silence while Andrews laughed and ordered the remaining net breaker to break the building''s encryption.

    ¡°Sir?¡± A tech said shakily. ¡°I don¡¯t think he is fragmenting.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit.¡± The smile on Andrews face slipped away as he shoved the tech to the side to get a better look at the data they were watching.

    Geraldo turned around and stepped forward. He watched in amazement as Soma began to reassemble himself, pulling his lost data from the darkness as he stood, and then, with one leap, he sprung up, in the levels above, his avatar reforming with each level he passed.

    ¡°How the fuck is this possible?¡± Andrews demanded, but no one would answer him, Geraldo knew that no one had that answer.

    Up and up Soma went, until he was back to second level. The three net breakers waiting for him took a step back as he landed in front of them. Before they could react, Soma unleashed what seemed to be every function he had at his disposal. The shocked net breakers had no time to react. Each and everyone of them flatlined.

    The room was silent.

    ¡°Proceed with the assault.¡± Andrews whispered.

    ¡°Sir, we don¡¯t know what they have in there.¡±

    ¡°Proceed with the goddamn assault!¡± He screamed.

 Chapter Forty-One

    Chapter Forty-One

    ¡°They will begin the assault any moment, Gabriela.¡± Angela took Gabriela by the shoulder and led her quickly to the back of the compound. Crates of equipment and supplies filled the large building. Most of the things Gabriela saw strewn about were alien to her.

    ¡°What would you do if they hadn''t found us?¡± Her hand brushed over the weapons laying on a crate.

    ¡°Fight,¡± Angela explained. ¡°Assault the Bioloxys facility. Free as many children as we could, take whatever information they had on their mainframes.¡±

    ¡°Terrorism then.¡±

    ¡°War, Gabriela, but I suppose there isn¡¯t much of a difference, except one has the blessing of the powers that be.¡±

    ¡°You plan to kill innocent people.¡± Gabriela corrected her.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this.¡±

    ¡°Then make time.¡± Gabreila shook Angela¡¯s hand from her shoulder and turned to look at her.

    ¡°Do you believe they are really innocent?¡± Angela sighed

    ¡°Yes.Those people are only doing their jobs.¡±

    ¡°During the European war, I led an assault on a munitions facility in Kostents, a small town in Bulgaria. We used drones to bomb the buildings, before we were ordered to move into the ruined buildings and clear them out. It was held as a strategic success, even though there were no soldiers inside; just men and women doing their jobs.¡±

    ¡°This is not the same.¡±

    ¡°The bullets that were manufactured in that facility killed many of my friends, and many more innocent people.¡± Angela pointed up above them, toward the Bioloxys facility. ¡°Inside that building they take more than lives. They take our future. They grow people who will one day grow to pull the trigger and take unimaginable amounts of lives. The innocent workers are no different than the workers in Kostents.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t let this happen.¡± Gabriel took a step away from the woman.

    ¡°It¡¯s already started, Gabriela. There is nothing you, or I, can do to stop it. Any Moment Cy-Tech is going to begin their assault, and we will fight back. All those people you saw outside are going to die. Not by our hands, but by Cy-Tech¡¯s. They are willing to do anything to stop us. Think about that before you decide to lecture me about the morals of war.¡± The woman hissed as she loomed over her.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    Gabriela swallowed the knot that was forming in her throat. ¡°I am not one of you soldiers.¡±

    ¡°You are now.¡± Angela turned Gabriela around effortlessly and gave her shove forward. ¡°I never wanted to be a soldier either, but it was never my choice, and it is not your choice.¡±

    ¡°Is anything my choice?¡± Gabreila looked over her shoulder.

    ¡°To live, or to die. Those are your only choices. Which one are you going to choose?¡±

    Angela stood and waited for her answer. Gabreila shouldered the carbine and started walking, Angela¡¯s heavy footsteps rang out as she followed her.

    The back of the facility loaded and unload trucks full of goods that were brought to the warehouse. Angela helped her put on body armor, double checking it before she handed Gabriela magazines for her rifle. Gabriela tucked her meta deck away in an empty pocket on the armor.

    ¡°Here.¡± Angela handed Gabreila a helmet cuff after she was done strapping the magazines in their designated pockets.

    Gabriela turned the cuff over in her hands. It was a standard cuff for a motorbike. It was even certified by The UN Safety Board. ¡°What is this for?¡±

    Angel answered her by pulling a tarp away, revealing an electric Hypersport cycle, its dull red paint gleaned in the fluorescent lights. ¡°She''s beautiful, isn''t she?  Zero to one hundred kilometers in three point five seconds. Can easily handle one hundred and eighty kilometers an hour. Best of all? It¡¯s jailbroken. Can¡¯t be hacked or traced.¡±

    Gabreila took a step back and let out a nervous laugh. ¡°I can¡¯t ride that thing.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean I have never ridden a bike like that.¡±

    ¡°I will pilot it for you.¡± Soma¡¯s voice came suddenly out of nowhere.

    ¡°Did you deal with the net breakers?¡± Angela asked.

    ¡°Yes. I went so deep into the ether, Angela. Farther than I have ever been. What I saw. . .¡± Soma¡¯s voice trailed off. The sound of awe and wonder practically dripped from his voice.

    ¡°Will have to wait. We need to get her out of here, and now.¡±

    Gabriela jumped when the first gun shot was heard. It was followed by the roar of gun fire, the sound cascading around them.

    ¡°Get on the bike. Now!¡± Angela ordered ¡°Soma, wait for us to draw them in.¡±

    Gabriela slipped the cuff around her neck, and pushed the button under her chin. The cuff unfolded. Polycarbonate plates slid into place, forming the helmet around her head.  The helmet linked with the bike, displaying information on the HUD on her faceplate.

    Gabriela threw her leg over the bike and mounted it.

    ¡°Try not to fight the steering,¡± Soma warened. ¡°Keep your upper body as upright as possible while you lean forward, leaning your lower body with the bike.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do this.¡± Gabriela blinked away tears. Everything she had gone through, all the damage and pain that was inflicted on her, was finally becoming too much for her.

    ¡°Yes you can. We can get out of here. Both of us. You just have to trust me, Gabriela.¡±

    ¡°I trust you.¡± She whispered.

    The bike hummed to life. Gabriela looked at Angela one last time.

    ¡°God''s speed.¡± The woman said to her just as the bike sped forwards.

 Chapter Forty-Two

    Forty-Two

    ¡°Andrews.¡± Geraldo stepped forward and cleared his throat. ¡°Maybe you should wait. Get back-up in here, maybe a negotiator. Try to de-escalate this thing?¡±

    Even in the low light Geraldo could see the muscles in the man''s neck bulge, his jaw grinding back and forth. For a long moment Andrews said nothing, and Geraldo thought that maybe, by some small miracle, that he had gotten through to the man.

    ¡°No.¡± Andrews growled.

    Geraldo cursed under his breath and shook his head. ¡°How many people do you intend to needlessly throw at this?¡±

    Andrews slammed his fist on top of the counter. Implements of the job jumped and scattered across the bench like a desk. ¡°As many as I need too! If we try to negotiate now, they will feel they have leverage, which they don¡¯t. They are cornered rats with no way out.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know how armed they are, what if they rigged the building to blow?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t like the way I run my operation, Geraldo, then you are welcome to leave.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the Taurus liaison.¡± Geraldo pointed at him. ¡°Me being here is not a choice.¡±

    ¡°I only need one liaison.¡± Andrews shot him a wild look before he raised his voice. ¡°Detective Elis!¡±

    Brian shot Geraldo a concerned look before he stepped forward. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°You are now the liaison officer. Congratulations.¡±

    ¡°Jesus Christ.¡± Geraldo laughed bitterly.

    ¡°That''s the last words you are going to say in my operation room, Montes. Any more and your ass will be escorted out.¡±

    Geraldo ground his teeth, but said nothing. He knew that Andrews was not joking, and he had become quite aware of what the man was willing to do to get a job done.

    "Proceed with the assault." Andrews ordered one last time.

    Officers took over, each talking over each other into their mics, ordering their assigned squads forward.

    "I want three squads," Andrews barked his orders over the squad commanders. "Mech support with each squad. I want the big boys, not the spiders. Hold them back until we breach the compound."

    The officers relayed Andrews orders. The main screen displayed a point of view camera from multiple members of each squad.

    The compound was an old wearhouse, covered in graffiti, nestled against one of the tall pillars holding up a section plate of the Upper city. A tent city sprawled out from the warehouse, each ramshackled hut constructed from whatever scrap the occupants could find. Fires sputtered and danced in old trash cans and barrels. Men and women stood around the fires with outstretched hands, trying to keep the chill of the early morning at bay.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    The heavy mechs lumbered forward. The pavement crunched and cracked under the weight of the bipedal war machines.

    Geraldo jumped when a shot rang out. The projectile collided with one of the mechs, cracking the machine''s casing. The mech collapsed in a shower of sparks.

    Chaos erupted. Gunfire streaked through the air. Men cried out as they dropped to the ground, some of them writhing in pain, others lay motionless. The soldiers fortunate enough not to have been shot struggled to pull their fallen comrades to safety.

    The remaining mechs moved forward. The high caliber auto cannons roared, strafing the shacks. Chunks of wood and plastic blew away as round after round was pumped into the makeshift town.

    The denizens screamed and scrambled to find cover. The fires tipped over, spilling their flaming contents across the ground.

    Geraldo saw that one of the residents stumbled and fell into the fire. They stood and screamed, frantically beating at the flames that engulfed their legs and arms. The scream was cut short when the rounds from the auto cannons found their mark. The poor soul blew apart in a shower of flaming gore.

    Muzzle flashes could be seen in the tent city. Geraldo drew in a deep breath. It was evident that the sprawl of shacks had been reinforced, acting as a makeshift palisade. The Sons were ready for Cy-Tech. They had fortified their position and dug in.

    ¡°We need air support here ASAP.¡± Andrews barked. ¡°That railgun is going to pop every walker we have if we don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Air support is ninety seconds out, sir.¡±

    ¡°Put a high explosive right at their front door. We can pick through the rubble when we are done.¡±

    Geraldo looked around the room. No one seemed to recognize the problem with the order. He quickly made his way over to Brian. ¡°You can¡¯t let him do that.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Brian looked back at him in confusion before his head swiveled back to the screens.

    ¡°Because that warehouse is built into the base of the support beam. If it''s damaged it could drop the whole plate down. That means the blocks above us collapse, killing hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people. Gen perfect people.¡± Geraldo stressed. Killing a few hundred deviants was one thing, killing gen perfects was killing Bioloxys products, and that was something Bioloxys would not tolerate.

    ¡°Shit.¡± Brian ran his fingers through his hair when the magnitude of the situation became clear.

    ¡°Stop him, now. We don¡¯t have much time.¡±

    ¡°Air support is forty-five seconds out.¡± An officer announced.

    ¡°Now!¡± Geraldo growled as he shoved Brian forward.

    Brian made his way up to Andrews and relayed Geraldo¡¯s warning. Geraldo held his breath as he watched the timer tick down.

    ¡°Belay that order!¡± Andrews called out.

    Geralod let out a long breath.

    ¡°I want the gunships to provide gun support. No explosives.¡±

    ¡°Sir, our casualties.¡± An officer began to protest, but Andrews cut him off.

    ¡°Are acceptable. Our troops know what they signed up for. My order stands; gun support only.¡±

    Geraldo whispered a quick prayer, thanking whatever was up there, if anything was, for letting Andrews see reason for once.

    Three gun ships swooped in, hovering and rotating around the building. Their turrets roared, sending a deluge of hot lead and magnesium down on to the building and its defenders. A flashed streaked out from the building, leaving a thick trail of smoke behind it. One of the gunships erupted into flames, dipping to the left before it spiraled to the ground in a plume of flames and smoke.

    ¡°They have anti-air missiles.¡± Another officer pointed out the obvious.

    ¡°We just got word of a vehicle leaving the building. It appears to be civilian.¡± Another officer informed Andrews.

    ¡°Send one of our gunships after it and terminate it.¡±

 Chapter Forty-Three

    Forty-Three

    The bike came to a halt at one of the large roll up doors that was used for ingress and egress. Gabriela clumselly put her feet down to steady the stationary bike.

    ¡°We need to wait until Cy-Tech is fully engaged.¡± Soma explained.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gabriela took the brief time to inspect the rifle Angela had given her. It was compact, with a magazine that loaded on the top, running the length of the weapons back. Gabriela pulled the magazine out and examined the ammunition. 5.7x28mm rounds. Small, but high velocity. She slammed the magazine back into the weapon and pulled the hammer back, chambering a round.

    ¡°Gabriela. I am going to inject myself with stimulants, and it could cause my system to crash in the near future.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°There is a 70 millisecond lag for me. I need to be able to react as quickly as I can.

    ¡°What do I do if your system crashes?¡± She demanded.

    ¡°You will be at the dam by then. Don¡¯t worry.

    She was worried, she was more than worried. She was deathly afraid of what was about to happen.

    ¡°Here we go.¡± Soma warned.

    The door lifted up and Gabriela brought her feet up when the bike shot forward. The sound of gunfire was deafening, even with a helmet on. The Sons were laying down a heavy blanket of suppressive fire, giving her the opportunity she needed to escape. The bike accelerated further. The HUD in her helmet showed the speed rising rapidly from zero KPH to over one hundred. She gripped the bike as hard as she could with her legs, her thighs protested in pain.

    Gabriela caught a glimpse of the mangled bodies that seemed to lay everywhere around the building. They were all dead, all because of her. She forced herself not to think about, forcing her tears back. If she was lucky she would have time to grieve later, if she was lucky none of those people would have died in vain.

    The bike sweeped past the chaos and carnage, dipping to the left and right as it quickly made its way around obstacles. Their speed increased well past two hundred KPH when they had made it past the warzone. Every light they came to turned green, causing traffic to come to sudden stops.

    Faster and faster they went until they took an on-ramp to one of the main arterials that ran through the city. Gabriel allowed herself to breathe when they hit the arterials, but her relief was short lived.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    A gunship rose out of the smoke and fog of the Lower City, banking to the right before it leveled out behind them.

    ¡°Fuck.¡± Gabriela cried out. ¡°Soma!¡±

    ¡°I know!¡±

    ¡°Can you kill its engines?¡±

    ¡°No, military hardware is not easily hacked, I turned off its targeting. You will need to take care of it.¡±

    Gabriela shouldered her weapon and turned around, pulling the trigger. The weapon bucked and kicked in her arms, the rounds pelted the glass of the gunship''s cockpit, marring it, but failing to penetrate the reinforced glass.

    The gunship backed off and banked back to the left before it opened fire. Chunks of asphalt and concrete exploded around them. Gabriela fired back, emptying what was left in the weapon¡¯s magazine. She ejected the magazine, the wind that rushed around them ripping it away from the weapon before she loaded another magazine.

    Gabriela dropped the gun when Soma swerved to the left and then quickly to the right, maneuvering them around the vehicles surrounding them. The gun trailed behind her, still attached to the shoulder strap. Gabriela frantically pulled it back and cried out when the gunship fired again. A car next to them was thrown violently in the air, showering flaming debris and wreckage around them as it spiraled over head and landed on the other side of the road.

    ¡°Aim for the rotors.¡± Soma demanded as he righted the bike.

    Gabriela took aim at the spinning blades at the tip of the gunship''s wings. Soma slowed the bike suddenly, putting them under the ship. The tourette began to move down as Gabriela squeezed the trigger. The rapidly spinning blades ripped apart, causing the gunship to spin out of control. Soma accelerated and Gabriela watched the ship crash and explode behind them.

    ¡°That should be it.¡± Soma¡¯s voice came through muffled and crackled with static. ¡°We are almost there, Gabriela.¡±

    The bike began to slow and wobble. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t hold on any longer. You need to make it to the dam.¡± Soma¡¯s voice trailed off in a loud trilling sound before the bike toppled over. Sparks shot out as the vehicle slid to a stop. Pain shot through Gabriela¡¯s arm when it broke from the impact, causing her to scream out in pain.

    She layed on the pavement, her breathing heavy and labored, her heart pounding. Slowly coming back to awareness, she managed to kick the bike away. She took the time to assess herself. Her arm and leg were bleeding, but other than the broken arm she seemed fine.

    She was close to the dam, less than a kilometer away.

    She took a deep breath before she broke into a long, sobbing wail. Gabriela allowed herself to weep for only a moment or two before she struggled to her feet and removed her helmet. Dropping it to the pavement.

    She was alone. For the first time since this nightmare began she was alone. She was lost, unable to take another step towards the dam. She fumbled in her pack, looking for her meta deck, her hands gripping around the first thing she found. She pulled the object out and stared. It was the photo of her daughter, the glass was cracked, but the image was still displayed. Her fingers brushed lovingly over the cracked glass.

    She put the photo back in her pocket, retrieving her meta deck. ¡°Call Detective Brian Elis, badge number 257-17.¡±

    She needed to talk to someone. She needed to tell someone that she was innocent of murder. She needed someone to believe her.

 Forty Four

    Chapter 44

    The assault grew more chaotic as it continued. The gunships were able to neutralize the rail snipers on the building''s roof, allowing the gun mechs to finally breach one of the building''s walls. Old masonry crumbled around the mech when it slammed into the wall. The dust wafted up in a heavy cloud that soon mixed and dissipated with the gun smoke that hung over the building like a pall.

    The fight only intensified once the building was breached. The monitors showed men and women fighting and dying from more angles than Geraldo needed. The whole ordeal was messy but with a clinical execution. The command staff in the bunker droned on robotically, issuing orders. It was almost indistinguishable from a call center. A sickly calm had overcome the room around Geraldo. After the initial shock at the beginning of the conflict, the command center had eased into a work-like manner.

    Geraldo finally looked away, having his fill of unwanted slaughter. His eyes searched the dark command room, looking for Brian. He caught the man just as he slid out of a door, leaving the room. Geraldo gave a quick look over his shoulder, making sure that his babysitters were too occupied by the assault to notice his absence.

    He heard the sounds of the fight and the smell of burnt bodies and gunpowder, even this far away. Geraldo had seen his fair share of shoot-outs, but nothing like this. This wasn''t law enforcement. It was warfare.

    Geraldo found Brian crouched between two vehicles, his back to the command center. Geraldo was about to call out to him, but he slowed to a stop when he noticed that Brian was talking on his terminal.

    "Gab, I can''t help you if you don''t tell me where you are," Brian said in a breathless hush. Geraldo wondered how many times he had asked her that. How many times had he taken a call from her? Rage began to wallow up in the pit of Geraldo''s stomach. The civilians around the warehouse had been slaughtered in order for Cy-Tech to find Gabriela, and Brian had known she wasn''t inside all this time.

    Geraldo had his hands around Brians''s shoulders before he had even thought about it. He twirled him around and swung his fist as hard as he could. Geraldo didn''t know if the sound he heard was the bones in his hand breaking or the bones in Brian''s face, and it didn''t really matter. Geraldo swung again and again.

    "Where is she?" He screamed after each blow that landed on Brian''s face.

    Brian looked up dumbfounded, blood gushing from his broken nose. The man had to spit blood between cracked and shattered teeth before he could answer Geraldo. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    "The dam." He croaked. "She''s at the dam."

    The world around them erupted in a deafening roar. Geraldo was uprooted and tossed over the vehicle he had pinned Brian against. The loud boom was fueled by a rush of wind and debris. Geraldo stared up at the shelf of the Upper City. They watched in dumb shock as the massive struts buckled and the asphalt cracked and rained down around them.

    Geraldo covered his face and rolled to the side, narrowly missing being crushed. He clawed himself back to his feet. Debris and dust suddenly littered everything around him. Cy-Tech personnel stumbled from the ruined command center. Some people lay prostrated on the ground, while others wailed hysterically, holding on to mangled limbs.

    Slowly, Geraldo walked around the black SUV, his hand leaving streaks in the heavy gray dust that had quickly built up on the vehicle''s hood. Brian was lying on his back.

    "Hey," Geraldo said as he knelt beside the detective. The horror of what he had done to the man caused his hands to shake when he reached out to check for a pulse. Geroldo let out a sigh when he found one, his shoulders slumping in relief. He knew he couldn''t leave Brian where he was. The city above them could come crashing down at any moment, burying them in hundreds of thousands of tons of concrete and steel.

    Geraldo opened the SUV''s door and pressed the ignition button. The dash lit up, but the engine did not turn. "No ID detected." Flashed on the dash.

    Geraldo stepped away and looked around. A young officer was stumbling towards the SUV, holding her forehead, blood mixing with the dust that rained down around them to create a thick dark paste over her wound. She stumbled before she fell to the ground.

    Geraldo rushed over to her. She mumbled and groaned when he put her over his shoulder, rushing her over to the SUV. He slumped her body in the driver seat, taking her limp hand and pressing her finger against the ignition button. This time the SUV''s engine roared to life.

    "Sorry about this," Geraldo said to the unconscious woman as he sat her down on the ground. "Nothing personal."

    "Come on, Brian," Geraldo grunted as he lifted the man and rolled him into the back seat. "We need to get out of here. And get to the dam before Cy-tech." Geraldo added in a whisper. He had no doubt that both his and Brian''s terminals were being monitored. Cy-Tech would have gotten to Gabriela before they had a chance if it wasn''t for the current event.

    It was a bomb. He knew that. The only question was who set the bomb off.

    Geraldo slammed the door behind Brian and quickly got into the driver''s seat. If Cy-Tech had learned that Gabriela wasn''t in the building, it could be possible they detonated a bomb to bury their mistake. Terrorists in New Madrid was Torose''s jurisdiction, not Cy-Tech''s.

    Andrews was clearly unhinged enough to do something like bombing the city in order to save face. Geralod needed answers if he was going to find any justice for what had happened, and there was only one person who could give them now. Geraldo sped off to find Gabriela.

 Forty Five

    Chapter 45

    ¡°Brian.¡± Gabriela took a long shaky breath, allowing a sob to pass before she continued. ¡°I need your help.¡±

    ¡°Gab,¡± Brian¡¯s voice was barely audible. ¡°Where are you?¡±

    ¡°I didn''t want any of this to happen, Bri. None of this.¡±

    ¡°You need to tell me where you are.¡±

    ¡°I just,¡± Gabriela¡¯s words trailed off as she collected her thoughts. ¡°I just want her back so badly.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°My daughter.¡± Gabriela could keep the tears back any longer. ¡°I know that could never happen, but I thought, if I just had the chance to be a mother, I could prove to her, prove to myself that her life mattered, that I mattered.¡±

    Gabriela reached up behind the meta decks faceplate and wiped away her tears. ¡°I didn''t kill him. I have never even met Owen Conner.¡±

    ¡°Gab, I can¡¯t help you if you don¡¯t tell me where you are.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be at the Dam.¡± Gabriela said right before she disconnected the call.

    A blinding flash caused her to cover her eyes just as she was about to turn away. The flash was followed by a rush of wind. Gabriela staggered and watched a plume of smoke rising into the sky, high above the buildings of the New City. She sank to her knees as she watched the building''s lights flicker before they were snuffed out and toppled into a hole that began to spread around the plume of smoke.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°No.¡± She whispered.

    ¡°It¡¯s already started, Gabriela.¡± Angela¡¯s words whispered in her mind. ¡°There is nothing you, or I, can do to stop it.¡±

    This was what Gabriela had done. This was what she had allowed Soma to change in Taurus. It wasn''t just to smuggle members of the Son¡¯s into the city. Gabriela had been too focused on what they did with Taurus, she never considered that Taurus was never their goal. Omni-System, the AI that ran the city, was linked to Taurus. They knew that the hack on Taurus would be discovered. They were counting on it. They needed Omni to smuggle in a bomb. And they were allowed to do it because everyone was looking in the wrong direction.

    ¡°Inside that building they take more than lives. They take our future. They grow people who will one day grow to pull the trigger and take unimaginable amounts of lives.¡±

    Angela had never intended on freeing children from Ezerite Wombs, she intended to free them from the system the only way she knew how.

    Gabriela stilled her grief, pushing it away, allowing the empty space in her soul to be replaced by something more primal, something she could use. Rage.

    She drew herself to her feet and searched the wreckage of the bike. She found what she was looking for. The rifle Angela had given her. The weapon was mangled beyond use. Gabriela tossed it to the asphalt. She wouldn¡¯t have been able to use it anyways, not with her broken arm. She pulled out her pistol, and gritted her teeth as she pulled the slide back, chambering a round.

    Her ¡®Benefactor¡¯ was waiting for her at the dam, and she did not want to keep them waiting.

 Forty Six

    Chapter 46.

    Omni-System moved every car it could to the side of the road, making way for emergency personnel to reach the epicenter. People stood on top of cars, surveying the wreckage. Some simply watched, others wept, but most recorded it in an apathetic fashion.

    Geraldo had to lay on the horn most of the way to the dam. The crowd parted for him slowly, only to close up behind him.

    Brian moaned and rolled over in the back seat. "Where am I?"

    "On our way to the dam, That''s where you said Gabriela was."

    "What happened?" Brian struggled to sit up.

    "They set off a bomb. A big fucking bomb."

    "Who?"

    Geraldo glanced at Brian through the rearview mirror. "I dunno. Either Cy-Tech or the Sons."

    "You hit me." Brian''s head rolled back, and he moaned a little.

    "More than once," Geraldo added. "How long have you been in contact with Gabriela?"

    "I haven''t been. She just called me right before you attacked me." Brian gingerly touched his swollen face.

    "Were you going to tell me where she was?"

    "No." Brian sighed, letting his hands cover his face.

    "Why?"

    "I don''t trust you." He mumbled from beneath his hands. "I don''t trust crips. Rats at the bottom will do anything to get to the top."

    Geraldo clutched the steering wheel, his swollen knuckles popping in protest. "I should have left you to die."

    "Why didn''t you?"

    Geraldo rolled down his window and shouted for the crowd to move before he started blaring his horn again. He rolled his window back up before he answered the question. "Because I''m not a rat."

    "Was the bomb a nuke?"

    Geraldo''s finger tapped the steering wheel as he gave it some thought. "I don''t think so. There was no EMP. All the vehicles seemed to work well enough for Omni-system to move them." He noted.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Brian nodded. "Make sense. What are you going to do if you find Gabriela at the dam?"

    "Arrester her."

    "She didn''t kill Conner."

    "I know."

    "You believe me?" Brian sounded shocked.

    "No," Geraldo said with a chuckle before he turned the SUV off the main road, slowing as he made his way past a crashed bike. "I have evidence she didn''t do it."

    "Were you going to tell me?" Brian asked.

    "I don''t trust rats, Brian." Geraldo slowed the SUV to a stop. There was something off about the dam. It was a major piece of infrastructure for the city, but there were no personnel in sight. Not a single person in the guard station, and no security bots. No employees or visitors in sight. It was abandoned.

    "Do you still have your pistol?"

    Brian shook his head. "Cy-Tech took it."

    "But they let you keep your terminal." Geraldo shook his head. "You didn''t think it was a little strange?"

    "Yeah, I thought it was strange." Brian agreed.

    "It''s because they knew that if Gabriela contacted anyone, it would be you, Brian. They probably cleared out the dam the moment she told you where she was." Geraldo let out a long sigh as he thought.

    The sound of gunships filled the air, breaking Geraldo''s concentration. He peaked out the window to see three of them circling overhead before they hovered over the dam. Lines were thrown out of the open side doors, and soldiers began to repel down.

    "Why didn''t they open fire at us?" Brian asked in a hushed whisper.

    "This is a Cy-Tech vehicle. They probably think we are back up." Geraldo saw one of the gunships land. A manned Exo-suit lumbered out.

    "Fuck." Geraldo cursed.

    "What are we going to do?"

    "Look in the back. See if there are any weapons in here."

    Brian quickly rummaged around. "There is. Carbines and a light electromatic rifle. There is also a radio." He added.

    Geraldo put the SUV in park and slipped out the door, keeping his head low. The only advantage he had was the element of surprise. He made his way to the back of the car and opened it. Standard issue Cy-Tech assault rifles, three of them were stored in the back, as well as the LEMR. Nothing that would do much to an exo, but it would have to do.

    "How good of a shot are you, Brian?" Geraldo asked as he quickly grabbed a rifle, slamming a magazine into it before he put as many magazines as he could into his pockets.

    "Good enough." Brian pulled the LER case over to him and quickly assembled the rifle.

    "The light tower over there." Brian pointed across the parking lot. It stood right next to the lip of the dam. "It''s used as a visual warning for low-flying aircraft. There should be a ladder that leads to the top. If I can get to it, I can cover you."

    Geraldo nodded as he racked the rifle, loading a round into the chamber. "Don''t shoot unless you need to. With luck, I can find Gabriela before they do and get out without being seen."

    "I''ll see if I can get Taurus over the radio. Call in the cavalry."

    "Good idea." Geraldo nodded, taking a step away from the SUV. His heart was racing, and the palm of his hands were slick with sweat.

    "What about cameras?"

    "I doubt they are running right now. Cy-Tech isn''t finishing a job, they are cleaning up a mess. That means they don''t want records, and it also means they won''t hesitate to terminate us." Geraldo shared one last look with Brian before he nodded and made his way to the dam.

 Forty Seven

    Chapter 47

    The dam was empty. The automatrons stood stationary, frozen in whatever task they had been performing. The only sound was the constant hum of the dam¡¯s turbines, which stretched out infront of her in a long line. There were no alarms blaring, no safety recordings, there was nothing.

    The sound of a gunship caused Gabriela to pause. She listened as they grew closer, until they were right over her. She moved to cover, ducking inbetween the turbines. She didn''t know if the gunship was her extraction, or if Brian had turned on her.

    She moved further into the shadows when she heard boots ringing out on the metal grating that ran over the turbine room above her. Four people came down from the stairs that led to the roof and the top of the dam, the lights on their weapons cutting through the oppressive gloom of the facility. Another team descended from the opposite end of the roof.

    Gabriela almost called out to them before she saw the words ¡®Cy-Tech¡¯ plastered across their breast plates. She was told to get to the dam, not its facility, but the way to the dam was up the catwalk, or from outside of the facility. Gabriela looked behind her, trying to decide if going back the way she had come would be the quickest way out, but the stretch of empty space between the turbines and the door was too vast. She would be too exposed. The red light of an exit sign glowed ominous at the end of the row of turbines. She hurried as quickly as stealth would allow, the heavy boots grew closer and closer.

    The crack of gunfire split through the ambient sound of the turbines, hitting behind Gabriela and ricocheting off the metal casing of the one she was crouching next to. She flinched when the slug shattered on impact, sharp shards cutting into her cheek. She raised her pistol and returned fire, diving for cover.

    Gabriela managed to catch one of the soldiers in the open, dropping them with three rounds. The rest returned fire, pinning her where she was. The orders they shouted out quickly turned from orderly to confusion. A body fell from above her, its back breaking on a metal railing as the body folded over backwards from the impact. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    There was someone else opening fire on Cy-Tech, catching them unaware. One by one they were cut down by the unseen assailant. The soldiers tried to move into more advantageous positions, only to meet with Gabriela¡¯s own gunfire.

    The confusion allowed her to slip away, leaving the mystery gunmen to finish what they had started. She ran as fast as she could towards the exit sign. Knowing that if she could make it to the dam she would be safe from Cy-Tech, and most importantly; she would have her answers.

    The exit emptied into a smaller room. A guard station or some sort of check point. Its red brick masonry was older than the rest of the dam. She ran through the room, close to the wall. Suddenly, Gabriela was jolted and flung to the side. The world around her spun as she tumbled through the air. She landed hard, sliding across the floor before a booth stopped her.

    An exosuit stomped towards her through an open hole in the wall. Chunks of masonry slid off the mat black body, Cy-Tech printed in bold white letters.

    ¡°Gabriela Forhen.¡± The pilot called out as the machine lumbered towards her. ¡°You cost me a promotion.¡± The voice accused.

    Gabriela thought the voice was familiar, but she couldn''t place where she had heard it before. She grasped for her pistol and rolled over, opening fire. Each round reflected off the heavy armor plating.

    ¡°A girl with some spirit!¡± The pilot called out. ¡°Fuck, I am going to enjoy killing you.¡±

    Gabriela got to her feet and ran, her leg and side hurt from being thrown across the room, but she ignored it. Every fiber of her being screamed for her to run.. The exo gatling spun up and opened fire. A trail of ruined brick followed Gabriela as she took cover behind a column.

    ¡°There is no way out!¡± The pilot screamed as he unleashed another burst of fire into the steel support. The exo-suit began to strafe around her before suddenly coming to a halt when more gunfire rang up from above it.The Exo-Suite paused for a moment before it turned to face its assailant.

    Geraldo stood on the catwalk that ran from the previous room.

    ¡°This ends here, Andrews!¡± Geraldo roared.

 Forty Eight

    Chapter 48

    Geralod had arrived just in time. Cy-Tech had opened fire on Gabriela, who was huddled somewhere amongst the humming turbines, and they were quickly fanning out around her.

    Geraldo shouldered his weapon and opened fire, shooting the officers in the back. One dropped to his knees, arching his back and cried out, the other fell face first onto the cold hard floor, their body laid motionless.

    Movement from the catwalk caused Geraldo to pivot and shoot as he moved closer to the catwalk stairs. An officer fell from the metal greeting, a sick crack echoed when they landed.

    The remaining officers began to panic, caught in the crossfire between Gabriela and Geraldo. Gabriela managed to catch two more officers as they tried to retreat towards the stairs, giving Geraldo the opportunity to climb up the metal stairs. He ejected the magazine from his rifle as he rushed up the stairs two at a time.

    Geraldo came face to face with another Cy-Tech officer who, judging by their lithe figure, was a woman. She raised her rifle, but before she could open fire Geraldo rushed her. She let out a gasp when his shoulder collided with her stomach. Geraldo''s arm reached around her and lifted her off her feet.

    The remaining officers began to shoot, the woman he was holding jerking with every slug that smashed into her body. Geraldo roared as he carried her across the catwalk and lifted his own rifle back up, firing it. The weapon bucked wildly in his hand, but the shots found their mark and the remaining two officers fell. One to their knees and the other to the ground below.

    The officer raised his hands in surrender. Geraldo dropped the body of the woman at his feet.

    ¡°Please,¡± the officer begged. His hands were shaking.

    Geralod put the butt of the rifle to his shoulder and pulled the trigger and the officer jerked with each round that ripped through him. Think red blood bubbled up from their neck, spilling over the Cy-Tech logo as he slumped forward. His black gloved hands desperately clawed at the wound in his neck.

    Geraldo kicked the rifle away from the body, stepping over it as he exchanged another magazine before he bent over, his hands on his knees. The adrenaline and years of cigarette smoke was taking a toll, and Geraldo struggled to catch his breath.

    There was a loud sound from the next room, followed by the unmistakable sound of Andrews¡¯ voice.

    Geraldo took a deep breath. He had loaded his last magazine, and the rifle wouldn''t be much use against an Exo-suit. Geraldo thought about cutting his losses. He had just faced an entire Cy-Teck kill team and walked away unscathed. But in the end he decided against it. He took a deep breath.

    ¡°Fuck it.,¡± He wheezed before he trotted across the greeting, ready to face Andrews and end it once and for all.

    He came into a small room. Gabriela was pinned behind a steel support, the Exo-suit which was undoubtedly piloted by Andrews, was slowly circling around.

    Geraldo pulled the trigger twice, the rounds bouncing off the suit harmlessly, but they had the desired effect. The exo-suit stopped, before it slowly turned towards him.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°This ends here, Andrews!¡± Geraldo roared.

    ¡°Detective?¡± Andrews¡¯ Exo-suit swiveled, searching the cat walk for Geraldo. ¡°What was it you said to me? ¡®I thought I smelled lube?¡¯¡± The gatling roared.

    Geraldo lept to the side, the catwalk groaned and twisted under the onslaught of gatling fire.

    Andrews paused. The Exo-suit slowly scanned the ruined walkway, looking for Geraldo¡¯s body.

    Geraldo laid on his back on the lip of the wall the greeting was attached to. He was out of sight, but had nowhere else to go. Geraldo took a deep breath and wiped sweat from his eyes. His heart was pounding so loud that he could hardly hear what was happening around him.

    ¡°I want you to know, Geraldo. This isn''t going to end with you,¡± Andrews taunted. ¡°When I kill you I''m going after your old flame, Tanya Woods.¡±

    Fear sank into the pit of Geralod¡¯s stomach, his hands around the rifle gripping so tightly they began to hurt.

    ¡°Didn''t think I knew about that, did you?¡± Andrews asked as the Exo-suit began to move backwards, trying to get an angle on Geraldo. ¡°I know all about you two, and the crip kid that slithered from her snatch. Vee, I think her name is? I know all about your secrets, Geraldo. And when I am done with her, her momma is going to be selling your little girl''s implants on the street for crack.¡±

    Gabriela opened fire. His rounds managed to hit a coolant line, causing a jet of coolant to burst out from the back of the exo-suit.

    ¡°Bitch!¡± Andrews roared, turning back toward her.

    A thought slipped into Geraldo¡¯s panicked mind. They couldn''t break through the Exo-suit, but it wasn''t invulnerable. The coolant lines, and most importantly, the optics were vulnerable from the outside of the suit, but only from the back. Exo-suits were front line warmachines, they were never designed to be engaged from the rear.

    Geraldo stood up and took aim. The optics bundle was only four or five centimeters. It was an impossible shot, but it was all that Geraldo had. If he failed there was no doubt in his mind that Andrews would make good on his threat.

    ¡°God, let this work.¡± He prayed breathlessly before he took the shot.The suit''s optics exploded in a shower of sparks, blinding Andrews. The suit stumbled around listlessly for a moment before the cockpit of the suit sprung open.

    Andrews had given up the only advantage he had. He was now exposed. Andrews turned towards Geraldo and sneered, opening fire once more. Geraldo had nowhere left to run, no cover, and no place to hide, so he jumped. The Exo-suit leaned backwards trying to cut him down in the air.

    Geraldo landed on the Exo-suits open cockpit, his rifle dangled from its trap around his neck.

    ¡°Mother fucker.¡± Andrews spat as he reached up to Geraldo with his own hands, the exo-suit mimicking his movement.

    Geraldo braced himself with his left hand, gripping tightly to the open cockpit door above him, his free hand grasping the rifle''s strap, pulling the weapon up, flinging the weapon up in front of them before he snatched it from the air and put the rifle¡¯s muzzle to rest on Andrews¡¯ chest.

    A look flashed across Andrews¡¯ face, a look that caused Geraldo to pause. The look was out of place, not for the situation, but for Andrews himself. It was the look of fear. It was the first real human emotion Geraldo had seen in Andrews.

    The moment of surprise passed, and Geraldo pulled the trigger. The muzzle bucked and bumped off of Andrews¡¯ chest. The Exo-suite stumbled backwards before it toppled over, flinging Geraldo away from it.

    Geraldo landed hard, the breath rushing out of him in a long sigh, before he rolled to a stop and laid motionless for a moment. After a deep breath in, he groaned and pushed himself up.

    The Exo-suite laid on its side. Andrews¡¯ looked at him wide eyed, his breathing was rapid and shallow.

    ¡°What?¡± He painted. ¡°No quippy fucking come back?¡±

    Geraldo bent over and picked up his rifle, shouldered it and took aim.

    ¡°Vaseline.¡± Geraldo said.

    Andrews blinked in surprise. ¡°What?¡± He gasped, blood trickling from his mouth.

    ¡°I said ¡®I thought I smelt Vaseline¡¯ when we first met.¡± Geraldo corrected him before he pulled the trigger. Putting an end to the man.

 Forty Nine

    Chapter 49

    ¡°Gabriela?¡± Geraldo called out, looking for her. He stumbled out through an open door into a courtyard. Geraldo saw Gabriela ascending a large staircase which led to the lip of the dam.

    ¡°Gabriela!¡± Geraldo shouted after her. She paused and looked back for a moment before she limped her way up the stairs.

    Geraldo cursed himself for letting his body grow soft in the past few years. The stairs were steep. Geraldo stopped briefly next to a backpack Gabriela had been wearing. She had discarded it on one of the platforms the stairs leveled off on, before they continued upward. There was a bench for visitors of the dam to rest at, allowing them a view of the river. Geraldo shook his head as he passed it. He raised his rifle and scanned the area when he got to the top of the stairs. His head spun as he gasped for air. He lowered the weapon when he saw Gabriela standing at the edge of the dam.He approached slowly.

    ¡°Gab.¡± He called out. Geraldo had to shout to be heard over the sound of the water that rushed into the dam. She quickly turned around, looking him in the eyes. Her pistol was raised and ready.

    ¡°Whoa!¡± Geraldo cried and raised his own weapon.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him, Geraldo.¡± She said robotically. The pistol trained on him.

    ¡°I know.¡± Geraldo''s finger hovered over the trigger. ¡°Put the gun down, Gab.¡±

    ¡°You know what I really did.¡±

    ¡°You helped the Sons hack Taurus. I saw your memory recording.¡±

    ¡°I had no idea any of this would happen, Geraldo.¡±

    ¡°All those people, Gab. They are dead.¡± Geraldo took a step closer.

    ¡°This wasn''t my fault. They used me. The Sons used me to hack Taurus.

    ¡°Why, Gabriela? You had it all. A good job, a future. Why throw it all away?¡±

    ¡°I have nothing, Geraldo. Everything I had they took from me.¡± A tear slid down Gabriela''s face as she took a step back, closer to the edge of the dam. ¡°Angela told me that they planned for my baby to die. Not that they knew, but that they made it happen, Geraldo. She was my world. My reason for being.¡±

    ¡°Who are ¡®they¡¯?¡± Geraldo asked. He was beginning to worry about how close Gabriela was to the edge of the dam.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. That''s why I need to wait here. To finally understand why this has all happened to me.¡± She shook her head. ¡°There''s no coming back from this. The only way out is through to the other end.¡±

    Geraldo took a step closer to her.

    ¡°We can fix this.¡± He was so close to her, he knew that in a few more steps he could grab her, pull her away from the edge.

    Gabriela let the pistol drop a few inches. ¡°Do you really believe that?¡±

    ¡°I think we can try, together.¡± One more step closer.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Gabriela wiped her nose with the back of her hand and raised the pistol once more, causing Geraldo to take a step back.

    ¡°If I go with you then all of this was for nothing. I need answers, Geraldo, and you know what the company does to corporate moles. It would be better if you kill me; here and now.¡±

    ¡°Please, Gabriela. Don¡¯t make me shoot you.¡± Geraldo pleaded. He had come too far himself. He needed his own answers. He couldn''t let this end in a shootout, or by Gabriela jumping to her death.

    ¡°You''re a good man, Geraldo. Maybe that''s what''s really held you back all these years.¡±

    The sound of a gunshot caused Geraldo to flinch. He watched Gabriel jerk, her eyes wide as she fell backwards. He tried to catch her, his outreached hand brushing her fingers before she toppled backwards, over the dam and into the rushing waters below.

    Gabriela was gone. Geraldo scrambled to the edge of the dam, hoping beyond hope that he could see her in the rapids of the water below. When he couldn''t, he turned back, his weapon raised, searching for the gunman. The barrel of the rifle shook when he saw Brian on the lamp post, LMR in hand. He had a perfect bead on his position. Geraldo thought that the man would end him next, but Brian only climbed down the tower.

    Geraldo looked for Brian, but he couldn''t find him. Taurus arrived before Cy-Tech and quickly took control of the crime scene. Geraldo sat with his back against a wall, staring out over the dam. He had looked through Gabriela¡¯s backpack, finding only a meta deck, which he had slid into his pocket, hiding it from Taurus.

    He had sat there in quiet contemplation for nearly an hour before Tanya arrived.

    ¡°Brian contacted me.¡± Tanya said as she took a seat next to him. ¡°Said you took her out. Had no choice.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Geraldo clenched his teeth.

    ¡°Said she tried to shoot you. It''s a clean cut story, Ger.¡± She stressed. ¡°Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Chief. I understand.¡± Geraldo let his head drop. ¡°What about Cy-Tech?¡±

    ¡°Andrews went rogue. He was a psychopath that slipped through psych evaluation. Shit happens.¡±

    ¡°How many people are dead, Tanya?¡± Geraldo turned and looked at her for the first time.

    ¡°A lot, Ger.¡± She gave his shoulder a squeeze. ¡°But you did everything you could. There was no way of knowing what the Sons were planning, no way we could have stopped them.¡±

    We have proof that they hacked Taurus.¡± Tanya must have seen the look of disgust on his face, and misread it as she continued. ¡°I know you always like to get your man, and you thought that the hacker was Gabriela, but sometimes you just have to accept that you barked up the wrong tree. In the end you got the perp, just not the one you were looking for. You are a hero.¡±

    ¡°How did they do it? How did the Sons compromise Taurus?¡± Geraldo probed.

    ¡°How did they get a bomb into the city, Tanya?¡±

    ¡°Dallis Sean,¡± She explained. The name sounded familiar, but Geraldo couldn''t place it. ¡°He was the tech on duty that night during the break in.¡±

    Geraldo put the name to a face. The neurodivergent tech he had interviewed. ¡°How do you know it was Dallis Sean?¡±

    ¡°He had the means, and the motive.¡± She added.

    ¡°What motive? The kid¡¯s a loner, a nobody.¡± He wanted to scream in her face that she was lying, that he knew it was her, but instead he only frowned and grimaced.

    ¡°He had debts, and his history in the ether is dubious.¡± Tanya leaned back against the wall. ¡°Extremist virtual rooms, questionable activity in the ether. That sort of thing.¡±

    Geraldo stood up. He didn''t feel like a hero. He felt like a failure. He knew the truth, but it was worthless now, and worst of all they were going to let some kid hang for it. Geraldo figured the only thing that Dalis was guilty of was being born neurodivergent. It was the only thing worse than being born a crip.

    He looked back down at Tanya. ¡°I¡¯ll have my report on your desk first thing in the morning.¡± He told her.

    ¡°Maybe you should wait.¡± She stood up and put a hand on his chest. ¡°Go to the hospital, get yourself checked out¡±

    ¡°This is nothing.¡± Geraldo motioned to his beat up body. ¡°A beer and a reheated meal is all I need. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He assured her.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow?¡± He asked and took her hand from his chest and held it for a moment.

    ¡°Tomorrow.¡± She nodded.

 Fifty

    Chapter 50

    Geraldo did what he said he would do. He went home. Inyu meowed happily when he opened the door. Geraldo opened a beer as he went through the same monotonous routine he always did. Feed his cat, make a reheated meal, drink, and work.

    He watched the data spool over and over. Unable to keep his mind from the last few days.

    ¡°I always get my man.¡± He said to himself when he stopped the recording on Tanya¡¯s face. ¡°I always get my man.¡± He whispered once more before he made a hard copy of the tape and turned off the monitor. He put on his coat and left for the precinct, making one stop along the way.

    He found Sally at her usual spot. It was far away from the explosion, but the area was deserted nonetheless.

    ¡°Detective.¡± Sally smiled. ¡°You look like shit, hun.¡±

    ¡°Feel like it too.¡± Geraldo smiled.

    ¡°What do I owe for this visit? Is it for pleasure or business.¡±

    ¡°Business.¡±

    Sally put out her cigarette. ¡°It always is. What can I do for you?¡±

    ¡°Do you still have an encrypted subdrive?¡±

    Sally tapped her temple. ¡°Never leave home without it honey.¡±

    ¡°I need you to keep something safe for me.¡±

    The charm slipped away from Sally''s face. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Insurance.¡± Geraldo pulled the copy of the tape out and handed it to her. ¡°How much for you to keep it safe.¡±

    ¡°Nothing, for you Ger.¡± Sally slipped the tape between her breasts.

    ¡°Sally.¡± Geraldo grabbed her wrist. ¡°What''s on that tape is dangerous. Like, it will get you killed.¡±

    ¡°Geraldo.¡± Sally smiled once more and caressed his cheek. ¡°You are the only one down here looking out for us. Let us look out for you, just this once. Okay?¡±

    Geraldo touched her hand and nodded, sniffing back a sob. Sally wiped away a tear. ¡°I won''t look at what''s on this. No one will know I have it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Geraldo looked down and nodded.

    ¡°It okay, hun. Even heroes need to cry sometimes.¡±

    Geraldo looked up. ¡°I¡¯m no hero, Sally. I¡¯m just a man doing his job.¡±

    ¡°Oh sweetheart.¡± Sally touched his cheek again. ¡°Not to us. You''re so much more.¡±

    Geraldo nodded. ¡°You need to keep this safe.¡± He reminded her.

    ¡°What do I do with it if something happens?¡±

    ¡°Give it to a hacker known as Soma, do you know who I am talking about?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Geraldo turned and walked away.

    ¡°Geraldo.¡± Sally called out to him.

    Geralod turned back slowly.

    ¡°You¡¯ll take care of yourself, won''t you?¡±

    Geraldo smiled back at her. ¡°You know me, Sally.¡±

    ¡°That''s what I''m afraid of,¡± she called out to him.

    Geraldo walked to the precinct, avoiding cameras and mass transportation as he did. He arrived before any of the detectives. A few officers gave him a pat on the back, congratulating him. He brushed past them without a word, retreated to the safety of his cramped office, and started writing his report.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    He had it ready before Tanya came in, and waited for her in her office. The report was on her desk.

    ¡°Geraldo.¡± She said in surprise when she opened the door to her office. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°My report.¡± He pointed to her desk.

    ¡°This could have waited, Ger, you know that.¡±

    Geraldo shrugged. ¡°Tenacity is one of my finer qualities.¡±

    She took her seat at her desk and looked over the report. ¡°I see big things for you in this company, Geraldo.¡± She said as she flipped through the report.

    ¡°There are some supplements on your desk terminal.¡± He added.

    ¡°So thorough.¡± She smiled and turned on her monitor. The smile slipped away when she saw the memory recording playing.

    ¡°You were right, Tanya.¡± Geraldo said before she could speak. ¡°I do always want to get my man, or woman.¡±

    ¡°Is this the only copy?¡± Tanya demanded.

    ¡°No.¡± Geraldo pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He took a deep drag and let it out slowly. ¡°Imagine what I thought when I found this? I have been asking myself over and over; why would you put me on this case, if you knew that I wouldn''t stop until I cracked it. It wasn''t because you thought I lacked the skills to do it, was it?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°It was because,¡± Geraldo leaned forward and pointed at her. ¡°If anyone was going to find the truth you knew it had to be someone you trusted, someone who had a vested interest in keeping it secret.¡±

    ¡°Geraldo, I didn''t do this for me,¡± Tanya confessed "I did it for Vee.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Geraldo snapped. ¡°Don¡¯t bring Vee into this.¡±

    ¡°I did it for our daughter. I did what was best for her.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit, Tanya. What''s best for Vee is keeping her safe!¡± Geraldo shouted, standing up.

    ¡°And she will be, Ger. You just have to trust me,¡± Tanya pleaded. ¡°I know you and I both want what''s best for her.¡±

    ¡°I gave her what was best for her, Tanya. I kept my mouth shut, watching from afar as another man raised my daughter. All so she wouldn''t have the shame and stigma of being a crip¡¯s kid.¡±

    ¡°She''s a deviant, Geraldo.¡± Tanya spat back before she covered her face in shame.

    ¡°A deviant that was born from two gen perfects.¡± Geraldo forced his tone to be as calm and collected as he could. ¡°She has access to resources I could never give her if I was her father. Walking away from you two was the best thing we could do for her, you agreed with me on that.¡±

    Tanya nodded. ¡°I know, Geraldo. I have always admired your devotion to Vee, your devotion to me. You made a sacrifice I couldn''t have ever made, a sacrifice I can''t even fathom.¡±

    ¡°And you pissed that all away on what? Money?¡±

    ¡°The lottery. I did it so she wouldn''t have to make the sacrifices we made. So that she could have a good life. She wants to see the stars, Ger. Not die in the shithole city.¡±

    ¡°You had Brian with me so that he could cover any loose ends, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Please, Geraldo. You have to understand what was at stake.¡±

    ¡°Am I a loose end, Tanya?¡± He demanded

    Tanya blinked. The look of shock on her face was genuine. ¡°No, Geraldo. I would never-¡±

    ¡°And Dalis Sean?¡±

    ¡°He was-¡± Tanya paused and considered her words, ¡°Collateral damage.¡±

    ¡°Jesus fucking Christ, Tanya. The kid is innocent. Do you know what the company will do to him?¡± Geraldo didn¡¯t wait for her reply. ¡°First thing they do will repo all of his implants, if he is lucky they will kill him first.¡±

    ¡°I know what will happen, God damnit!¡± Tanya shouted back. ¡°I didn¡¯t choose him. The company did. They needed someone to blame, and they picked him. Not me.¡±

    Geraldo sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t see you doing anything to help him.¡±

    Tanya threw up her arms. ¡°And what should I do, Geraldo?¡±

    ¡°The right thing.¡±

    ¡°You and I both know that''s not going to happen.¡±

    ¡°So, where do we go from here then?¡± He demanded.

    ¡°We go back to the way things were.¡± She smiled warily. ¡°Gabriela is dead. I assume you destroyed all the evidence. No one knows our secret.¡±

    ¡°Your secret.¡± Geraldo stamped his cigarette out.

    ¡°What are you going to do, Geraldo?¡± Tanya asked as she rose slowly to her feet.

    ¡°First thing I''m doing is quitting. I don¡¯t want to be a part of this any longer.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t quit.¡± She blinked past tears.

    ¡°Just did.¡±

    ¡°Geraldo. The people I worked for are dangerous,¡± She warned. ¡°They will not hesitate killing you if they know you went rogue.¡±

    ¡°Then cover for me, Tanya. You owe me that at least.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded and blinked past the tears. ¡°You are retiring then.¡±

    ¡°Whatever you want to classify it as.¡±

    ¡°Ger.¡± Tanya stepped around the desk, coming closer to him. Geraldo held up his hands, warding her away. She stopped and stifled a sob. ¡°Please, think about this. Think before you do something stupid.¡±

    Geraldo stood there for a moment, collecting his thoughts. ¡°He was going to come after you and Vee.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Tanya asked.

    ¡°Andrews. He knew about you. I had to kill him. I had to kill them all. And I didn''t do it for you, I did it for Vee. That''s how far I am willing to go for our daughter. I want you to remember that every day you wake up. Remember what I was willing to do.¡±

    ¡°Geraldo, please.¡± She begged one last time when he turned to leave.

    ¡°I¡¯m done here, Tanya. You and me. We are done. Do you understand?¡±

    Tanya nodded, but said nothing.

    ¡°Good.¡± Geraldo grunted as he left.

 Fifty One

    Chapter 51

    Gabriela let the waves wash over her feet, the sand that the waves drug along caressed her toes. She smiled and looked up at the blue sky. She had never felt more relaxed.

    The beach was a mosaic of white sand and blue waters, with a high cliff behind them, with a house built into its side. The house was where Gabriela had woken. Her strange surroundings did not cause her to worry, she felt calm and at peace.

    She had spent some time in the house, pursuing the gallery of paintings that littered the walls. She had thought the house was paradise, that was until she had walked outside.

    She watched as a woman in a white dress and a yellow sun hat walked along the shore, coming closer to her.

    ¡°Hello, Gabriela.¡± The woman smiled.Gabriela had never seen her in her life. The wrinkles that tugged at the side of her eyes and the corner of her mouth gave her a calming, motherly feeling.

    ¡°May I sit with you?¡± The woman tucked her dress under her and took a seat. ¡°Beautiful, isn''t it?¡±

    ¡°Most beautiful place I have ever seen.¡± Gabriela admitted before she turned to the woman. ¡°It isn''t real, is it?¡±

    The woman smiled. ¡°No, it''s not.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in a construct?¡±

    ¡°Very astute of you Gabriela, but yes, it is.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Gabriela asked.

    ¡°Your body was badly damaged, Gabriela. We had to install a brain dock to help with the pain while we rebuilt what was left of you.¡±

    Gabriela held her hands up, examining the tan skin. It looked real, perfect. ¡°How much is left of me?¡±

    ¡°You lost your arm, and shoulder. The river is polluted with bacteria, so we had to cut away the infected tissue.¡±

    ¡°I was shot?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you were.¡± The woman nodded as she looked across the expanse of the ocean. ¡°How did you know this was a construct?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Beaches like this no longer exist. The sea level rose too high, too fast. It¡¯s just not possible.¡± Gabreila explained.

    ¡°Beaches like this existed at one point. It was a simpler time. People had simple needs back then.¡± The woman admitted.

    ¡°Was it Geraldo?¡± Gabriela asked. ¡°Was he the one who shot me?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± The woman shook her head and looked out over the blue water. ¡°Detective Ellis.¡±

    ¡°Brian? But why?¡±

    ¡°Because we told him to.¡± The woman said matter of factly. ¡°We needed Bioloxys to think you were dead. We knew that Brian would try and kill you. We were standing by for exactly that moment.¡±

    Gabrelia blanked before she chuckled a little. ¡°Bullshit.¡±

    ¡°It''s true.¡± The woman mused. ¡°We knew you would make it to the dam, and we knew what Elis had planned.¡±

    ¡°But how?¡±

    ¡°What do you know about Bioloxys, Gabriela?¡±

    ¡°They make babies.¡± Gabriela shrugged.

    ¡°They do, but that''s just a front. Their real business is control, and they have it, absolutely. At least over most people.¡±

    ¡°Because of the phage?¡± Gabriela was having a hard time following, and she wondered if it was the digital drugs, or that the woman was just crazy.

    ¡°What if I told you that every choice you have ever made was never yours?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°I¡¯d say you''re crazy.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. A perfect system where even conceiving of it is irrational.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t follow.¡± Gabriela admitted. Every part of her mind screamed for her to wake up, to reject everything she saw, felt, and heard, but she had come too far to give up. She needed answers

    ¡°Do you know of the allegory of the cave by Plato? Men shackled in a cave, and only the shadows are what they are allowed to see.¡±

    ¡°So life is a construct?¡± Ganreila said bitterly.

    ¡°No, freewill is. That''s the shadows on the wall. You think your choices are your own, but they are just the shadows the System wants you to see. It''s a level of social engineering beyond anything you could imagine. Every choice you made was because the System conditioned you to make it. Everything is preordained.¡±

    ¡°What-¡± Gabriela swallowed nervously. ¡°What is the System?¡±

    ¡°An AI, well,¡± The woman corrected herself. ¡°Three AI¡¯s really. Omni-System, Taurus, and Mother. A unholy trinity that makes up the System. A quantum AI.¡±

    ¡°How do you know this?¡±

    ¡°Because.¡± The woman''s voice took a more somber tone. She took a handful of sand and let it fall through her fingers before she looked back at Gabriela. ¡°I created it. I created Bioloxys.¡±

    Gabriela chuckled again. ¡°Mildreid Neely founded Bioloxys. One hundred and thirty years ago.¡±

    ¡°I admit I don''t look my age.¡±

    ¡°So you are also a construct? An AI?¡±

    ¡°No, I am very much alive. Flesh and bone.¡± Mildred laughed when she saw the shock on Gabriela''s face. ¡°Bioloxys can grow genetically perfect human beings, they can also clone human beings, and with a quantum AI they can transfer consciousness into the clones. I have died three times now.

    ¡°You see, Gabriela. We are dealing with dictators that are never going to die. There is no way for time to give future generations a better chance, because we no longer control our future. The System does, and the few people who are aware of it.

    ¡°You were allowed to look behind you in the cave, Gabriela. For the first time in your life you made a choice that the System had not directed. You made it when you pulled the trigger on the chop doc you found, on the surrogate, my surrogate.¡±

    ¡°You told me the System said there was a probability I would take you alive.¡±

    ¡°And you didn¡¯t. At that moment the System lost you. You were an unknown variable, and in a system designed to control, unknown variables are cancer. So, you had to be dealt with.¡±

    ¡°Why did you do that to that woman, to her child?¡± Rage began to boil in the pit of Gabriela¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°I may be outside of the System, but that doesn''t mean it trusts me. In order to fight it I need means, I capital. I am not proud of what I have done, but I pray the ends justify the means.¡±

    ¡°And what about Conners, what did he have to do with all of this? Why frame me for his murder? Was that your doing?¡± Gabriela demanded.

    ¡°Poor Conners.¡± Mildred shook her head. ¡°He wanted to make the world better, wanted to lift people up.¡±

    ¡°Able work for able bodies.¡± Gabriela nodded.

    Mildrid smiled. ¡°He was warned not to change the parameters the System had set, but he did it anyway. He had thought that because he knew about the System that it would have no control on him, and he was right. So, the System removed him, using you as its scapegoat. It manufactured a lover¡¯s tiff between a high level executive and the daughter of the UN chairwoman. A perfect way to kill two birds with one stone.¡± Mildred mused.

    Gabriela reflected on the woman''s words. It somehow made sense. What better way to deal with two problems? ¡°Does my mother know about the System?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes. You were her concession for working with it. A risk that the System had undertaken. You were never supposed to exist. Too prone to spontaneous decisions, so the System made sure you were suppressed. Giving you a daughter only to take her away. It ruined your life before it had even begun.¡±

    They were quiet for some time.

    ¡°You''re free of it now Gabriela, but that doesn''t mean you are safe. The System will not stop looking for you until it knows you are dead. Free will is a virus, and it is contagious. Geraldo is proof of that.¡±

    ¡°He tried to save me.¡±

    Mildrid nodded. ¡°He did. That man almost ruined everything in his relentless pursuit of the truth¡±

    ¡°You act like he is already dead.¡±

    ¡°He may as well be. The system has designed it so he will take his own life in eight,¡± Mildred paused and thought. ¡°Maybe thirteen months.¡±

    ¡°And you are going to let that happen?¡± Gabriela scoffed.

    ¡°There is nothing we can really do about it. The System has him.¡± Mildrid put a hand on her knee. ¡°The System is obsessed with finding you. So much that its psyche is fragmenting. If there was ever a chance to free ourselves of it, it has to be soon and it has to be you and me.¡±

    ¡°What do I do?¡± Gabrila asked nervously.

    ¡°Right now you rest. You recover.¡±

    ¡°Can I stay here for a while?¡±

    ¡°We have some time. Stay as long as you need.¡± Mildrid smiled.

    ¡°I was going to kill you.¡± Gabriela admitted. ¡°For what you did. For all the people you and the Sons killed, for using me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sweetheart.¡± Mildred patted her knee. ¡°I know. It doesn''t take an AI to predict human nature.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± Gabrelia was confused. ¡°Just like that you forgive me, you are just letting me live?¡±

    ¡°I deserve to die for everything I have done, Gabriela. You will understand by the time we are done. And who knows, maybe you will be the one to kill me for good. But remember; there are worse things than death.¡±

 Fifty Two

    Chapter 52

    Geraldo turned the meta deck around in his hands, his fingers tracing the chrome lines before he slid the deck over his face and turned it on.

    ¡°You''re not Gabriela.¡± A voice said behind him.

    Geraldo turned. Soma¡¯s avatar was standing behind him. ¡°Clearly. My name is Geraldo.¡±

    ¡°I know who you are. What do you want?¡±

    Geraldo took the pack of cigarettes out and frowned when he saw he only had one left. He put it between his lips, cupped his hands over it, and lit it.

    ¡°Is Gabriela alive?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Soma admitted.

    ¡°So they haven''t found her body yet?¡±

    Soma shook his head.

    ¡°Who do you work for, Soma?¡± Geraldo let the smoke trail through his nostrils.

    ¡°I think you are misjudging this situation if you think you can interrogate me, Detective.¡±

    ¡°This isn''t an interrogation, and I am not a detective anymore.¡± Geraldo tapped his cigarette before he brought it back to his lips.

    ¡°Then what is it?¡± Soma floated closser.

    ¡°A collaboration.¡±

    Soma chuckled. ¡°I highly doubt you have anything worthy for me to collaborate with, detective.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°I have proof that Gabriela couldn''t have killed Conners.¡± Geraldo smiled and exhaled, blowing smoke through Soma¡¯s corporeal body.

    ¡°You have my attention.¡± Soma floated closer.

    Geraldo pulled out the original data tape and showed it to Soma. ¡°Do you know what this is? It''s Gabriela¡¯s memory recording. The only copy left.¡±

    ¡°Clever.¡± Soma mused. ¡°And what do you intend to do with it?¡±

    ¡°I am going to give it to you.¡± Geraldo handed it over to Soma, as if the digital specter could reach out and take it. ¡°But I want Tanya Wedges scrubbed from it, can you do that?¡±

    ¡°Easily.¡±

    ¡°I want you to put this on every data stack you can find. I want the world to know what Gabriela really did.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Too many innocent people have died over all of this. I¡¯m trying to save at least one person.¡±

    ¡°Gabriela?¡±

    ¡°No, Dallis Sean. Taurus is making sure he takes the fall for what she did. This will clear his name.¡±

    ¡°I never thought of you as altruistic.¡± Soma admitted.

    Geraldo laughed. ¡°You don¡¯t even know me.¡±

    ¡°I know more than you think.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you do.¡± Geraldo said with a small chuckle. ¡°And you¡¯re right, I¡¯m not altruistic.I have a hunch that whoever did this can''t explain how Gabriela killed Conners and hacked Taurus at the same time. It''s a paradox, and something they don''t want.¡±

    Geraldo transferred the data tape over to Soma. They stood there for a moment while they waited for the data to transfer, neither one of them speaking.

    ¡°Before you go, Soma,¡± Geraldo said. ¡°I want to know what you saw in the ether, when you went as deep as you did?¡±

    ¡°You saw that, did you?¡± The sound of amusement was unmistakable in Soma¡¯s voice.

    Geraldo shrugged. ¡°I guess I am a bit of a voyeur. So spill it. What was down there?¡±

    ¡°I-¡± Soma paused. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think it was God.¡±

    Geraldo smiled. ¡°So, that''s where that bastard has been hiding all this time. Next time you see him, send him my way. He and I have some things to discuss.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Soma floated away.

    ¡°After the weekend I have had, I''ll believe anything, kid.¡±

    A message popped up on Geraldo¡¯s HUD, telling him that the transfer was completed.

    ¡°If I do this, Geraldo. It will start a war.¡± Soma warned him

    Geraldo took one last drag of his cigarette before he flicked over the dam wall. ¡°They already started the war, Soma. I¡¯m just escalating it.¡±

    The End of Book One.