There was a pause. No new words showed on the screen. Ray double checked the network cable. It was still plugged into the tablet and Piper’s head. New words appeared.
Piper Taylor: Promise me something, Ray.
Her armed opened, granting Ray access to the nanotube and battery. He grabbed them and then typed his reply.
DigiSamurai69: What?
Piper Taylor: The stuff in your head. Make sure people like him don’t get it. Not even a taste of it, or what’s in Arianna’s head too.
He smiled and typed a quick response.
DigiSamurai69: Then you need to stay alive and help me with that.
Piper Taylor: And if I don’t, it will be up to you. Please, keep that data away from them. I don’t want my daughter inheriting the world he wants to make.
Ray grimaced and waited for Piper’s next text words.
Piper Taylor: So, promise me that? Promise me she won’t have to live through that.
He typed his final words to her.
DigiSamurai69: I promise.
Ray unplugged from Piper’s head. He stood with a nanotube in one hand and an RW battery in the other. Nobuo’s capability to move correctly was returning, as was his strength to thrust down and stab a slowly crawling one-armed Estrella, while the other crackled with sparks. Deep breathing banished Ray’s fear. Ray had to become a hero if he were to have Arianna back in his life.
He ran to Estrella while a muscle twitching Nobuo stood over her and struggled to hold his blade still. A psychokinetic force punched Ray in the face. He got to his feet and kept running. Ray wasn’t mind-controlled which meant Nobuo was entering cooldown. He had this. Another psychokinetic punch hit, this time to his gut. Ray felt like vomiting. He got to his feet. A punch to the face, and he tasted blood. He kept going, nothing else mattered.
Ray smothered Estrella with his body. Nobuo would have to stab him first, then her. He quickly injected Estrella with the nanites, tossed the used tube away, then looked up. The katana’s edge was inches away. Ray parted Estrella’s long hair, finding the back of her neck, and battery slot. The spent battery came loose after fighting with the switches for three seconds. He tossed it out of Estrella and saw her body go limp. That was about to change when he inserted the new battery—
Ray’s fingers snapped. The pain made him scream. Nobuo was breaking every bone in Ray’s hand. He dropped the battery, tried to grab it, and felt his arm break in three places. Rolling off Estrella’s body, he went searching for the cell. He found it with his one working hand.
Ray couldn’t move. It felt like a force was holding him down by the neck, choking him. His air supply was fading, and his neck was contracting on its own. He failed the promise he made to Piper. It surprised him his neck didn’t snap like his hand and arm. He must have rolled out of range for the bone-breaking stuff he figured.
It gave him hope. Estrella’s neck and opened battery slot were still within arm’s reach. Ray reached over with the battery in hand, twitching from the pain and air loss. He missed the slot, then tried again, and missed, then again, almost got it, but missed. It clicked into place on the last attempt, and he felt the battery tray retract inside Estrella.
Her glowing emerald eyes sprung open with life.
“You’re a brave man Ray,” Nobuo said. “Not very smart, because if you were, you’d have run away when you had the chance. But, staying behind to help your friends, that’s a very brave thing to do.”
He couldn’t see much but figured if Nobuo could speak so clearly, then his motor functions were about to return. Or, they already had.
Ray waited for his death and grunted his last words at Nobuo. “Fuck you.”
Forty-Five
Estrella
Life came back to Estrella’s vision. She checked her battery charge, the sole reason she collapsed, as it was still tied to the nanites supporting her Defense Matrix. 100%, she grinned and ordered the one nanite swarm within her to use first aid and make repairs to her body. She didn’t wait for them to finish.
Estrella was back on her feet with cyborg speed. She kicked Nobuo’s arm, and his blade fell to the floor. She dove and grabbed it with her one remaining hand. Nobuo tried to grab it back. She rolled across the floor and cables to safety, leaped to her feet, and spun around, making a low horizontal slash in Nobuo’s direction.
“Nobuo,” she snorted. “You’ve overstayed your welcome; I think it’s time you …” She sliced swiftly across his abdomen. “… split.”
Blood poured from Nobuo’s split in half belly like a gushing waterfall. His upper body fell backward, while his lower remained standing until Estrella kicked it over.
Off to the side, she saw and heard Ray grumble as his body returned to normal, save for the broken bones. That would take longer to heal.
Estrella checked the status of the nanites healing her, they weren’t finished, but she was stable for the time being. She could afford to spare some. She divvied what remained of the swarm into thirds. Ray got a third with her spray from her gauntlet and she ordered them to repair his bones. She limped to Piper with her one arm and gave her a spray, also ordering them to perform first aid, the best they could. Two minutes later, life returned to the pixie kiwi’s face. A Mona Lisa smile was Estrella’s reward.
Ray stood up and leaned his body against an active computer console. He typed on it with one hand, while the nanites continued repairing the bones in the other. Estrella grimaced and stayed with him while the sounds of sirens echoed the distance. They needed to escape before Piper and her friends got taken down by RWs.
She grabbed Ray with her remaining hand. “We need to leave.”
“Wait.”
Estrella viewed the screen he was looking at and the dozens of faces flashing on it. Ray held his phone plugging one cable into it and the computer. A download progress bar moved on the phone’s screen.
She gave the screen a second look with narrowed eyes. “I know some of these people. They’re kidnap victims of the Bald Skulls, all of them. Why the hell is Yoshida keeping profiles on them?”
The faces of the family of three Estrella protected on her first day appeared. It was a list of unregistered IWs with telepathic abilities, a list of those to capture, and those that had been. Arianna and her father Norris’ names were on the captured list. It made them both cringe.
“Project Avatar,” he said when that name flashed. “Yoshida is just as dirty as these Federation IWs.”
And so were the Bald Skulls. The gang that was supposed to be dead, Yoshida, and the top-secret stuff stuck in Ray’s head were related. As interesting as the find was, they had to leave, download finished or not.
“We really need to go,” Estrella said.
“Another minute,” Ray replied, his eyes locked on to the 35% download progress.
“In another minute Yoshida PMCs might storm this place and kill everyone who saw things they shouldn’t have.”
He faced her. “You know this for a fact?”
Estrella shrugged. “I’d rather not find out the hard way. But the cops are coming, meaning Yoshida’s PMC got the call.” She pointed at the screen. “And this is some serious classified shit nobody was supposed to see. Let’s keep that image.”
Ray pulled the cable from his phone. She saw the download error screens flash. The two went to check up on Bashiir and Theo. They were alive, just out cold. They dragged their bodies back then checked up on Piper. She slowly got to her feet, a section of her damaged body already repaired by the nanites.
Piper couldn’t walk straight and wobbled about, almost losing her balance. Estrella came running for her, holding her up straight. She heard her giggle. Looking up, she saw that same Mona Lisa smile that warmed her chest.
“I wasn’t kidding, new girl.” Piper ran her fingers across Estrella’s face. “You’re breathtaking.”
Estrella couldn’t stop gawking at her left hand. It looked better than the old one she lost days ago at the Yoshida towers. The arm too. It had sl
ightly more storage space than the last. According to TT, who replaced her arm, it should be stronger as well. She’d have to watch her temper. Smashing her fist on a desk might snap it in half with ease.
She was at the police station, having returned from an eventless patrol of the IW district. The LAPD had fears that there might be violence in the wake of the Federation foiled plans to stir up chaos. A lot of body bags were needed for those IWs, and people might have gotten the wrong idea of Estrella’s actions.
Estrella froze when she saw Piper’s workspace. The pixie kiwi never returned to work. Police staff were clearing out her stuff into a garbage bag. She convinced them to hand Estrella a photo Piper had of her daughter. It was the least she could do for her.
Peters stopped Estrella when she went to the water cooler for a drink. It was hot out, and the long bike ride back to her place was bound to dehydrate her. It was best to hydrate now.
He pointed at her left arm. “How’s the arm?”
She glanced at it for the ninth time that day. “Feels like nothing happened.” She stretched her fingers.
Estrella drank her cup of water as she moved toward the exit. Peters followed. “Still no word on the whereabouts of Partington, Taylor, or those IWs working with her.”
“Yeah,” she said and sipped. “They ditched me just before you guys found me.”
Peters sighed. “Still can’t believe Piper was a Federation spy this whole time.”
“Still can’t believe Ray and his girl were working for them.” That was a lie of course. But she was going to play along with that story. The news following the incidents labeled Arianna, Piper, and Ray as wanted terrorists. Yoshida must have put the government up to it. If those three are prime suspects, the whole nation will be looking for them.
That would be my guess as well, Estrella.
Wasn’t talking to you, Geoffrey.
Oh. I cannot tell the difference between you communicating with me and thinking internally.
You and I are gonna have to work on that more going forward …
The two walked past holographic wanted posters for Piper, Ray, and Arianna. The news blamed them for everything that happened in New York, and recently in Los Angeles. Scapegoats, something to feed the fake news outlets, while Yoshida and the Alliance calmed the growing tensions between them and the Federation. It was the fault of Piper, Ray, and Arianna, not the Federation as Ray tried to tell people. At least there was no war, not yet. Alliance aircraft carriers in the Pacific stood on alert, waiting for the order. The Federation’s navy was likely doing the same.
Estrella idled, facing the exit. “I’m gonna clock out now, if that’s okay.”
Peters crossed his arms. “Can you remain on call? Yoshida hasn’t sent us new RWs. We’re stretched thin.”
“Ah fuck, do I have to?” She tossed her empty cup into the recycling.
“You know how Yoshida would respond if we reported an RW complaining?”
“They’d cut off my battery and nanite supply.”
“Yep.”
“I also saved them from a whole lot of shit.”
“And they don’t care. You’re just a product doing its job.” She grunted loudly and went for the exit. “So that’s a yes, Rodriguez?”
“Whatever.” She didn’t bother to face him.
Once outside, Estrella walked to her motorcycle. The humid air baked her skin as she left the embrace of the AC of the station. The heels of her boots clicked, and then slowly diminished from existence when a black limo pulled up ahead of her. Its rearmost window dissolved.
A woman’s voice called to her from within the darkened limo. “You need a lift back home with us.”
Estrella pointed to her motorcycle. “Finally got my wheels, so no.”
“That wasn’t a question.” Cigarette smoke escaped the opened window.
She stepped away from the limo, but it kept pace with her. The woman inside wasn’t taking no for an answer. Estrella stopped and looked into the limo. She saw a classily dressed woman sit cross-legged, smoking a cigarette attached to a long cigarette holder. There was nobody else inside.
What’s the worst that could happen?
Estrella got in, took a seat, and watched as the opened window returned into existence, darkening the interior of the limo. The AC cooled her skin and the buildup of moisture that was forming. The cigarette smoking woman sat ahead of her. Her lace-gloved hand put the cigarette holder to her lips. She took a puff then exhaled a cloud of white smoke. Estrella couldn’t smell it, oddly enough. She ran a facial scan on the woman and got error messages on all lines.
“Don’t bother with the scans,” the cigarette smoking woman said. “I paid good money to keep my face off the database.”
“Didn’t know that was possible … or legal.”
“When you’re high on the corporate ladder, anything is.”
Estrella arms crossed, leaning back on the chair. It was comfy. “Yoshida?”
“Miss Yoshida,” the woman said. “Or you can call me—”
“Lady M.” Estrella sneered. “I’ve read about you. Was starting to think you were an urban legend.”
“I’m real, and I’m also real fucking pissed to learn Yoshida, my business, my source of income, has gone in the direction it did recently.”
“And what direction is that?”
“You damn well know.” She puffed again and blew the smoke out elegantly. “Your hacker friend Ray is good, but he didn’t wipe out all the surveillance in the Yoshida towers.”
“This about project avatar?”
“Amongst other things, like what’s inside Ray’s head that will change the world.” Lady M reached for a glass of whiskey, putting it to her glossy pink lips. She pulled the glass away, placing it on the holder next to her. “I have new orders for you, RW.”
“Orders? Since when did I take them from you?”
“Did you forget your body is corporate property? You work where we tell you to work since you’re a product we lease out to our customers, whether it’s the LAPD, private mercenaries, or the fucking military.”
“But, I’m special.”
“You are.” Another puff, and another plume of smoke that had no scent. “I want you to investigate the sins Yoshida’s been keeping away from me. I don’t care how you do it, just get it done. If you require a team, build one. Want to work solo? That’s fine too. Need funding? Talk to me. I wasn’t informed of the avatar project, Arianna’s real purpose in the company, the shit in Ray’s head, nothing. Don’t even get me started on how Piper managed to get false paperwork that she was produced by us as well. If Yoshida’s conducting black ops work without my knowledge, then you will be the black ops witch I use without theirs to shut it the fuck down.”
“Straight to the point.” Estrella liked her.
“Thought over in my head a dozen times last night how I would tell it to you.”
“I got one request from you I’ll need before I do anything.”
“Tell me.”
“There’s a funeral for an RW in Buenos Aires I’d like covered. Her name is Lee Yu-Mi, goes by the name Yumi.”
“Email me details, and I’ll make it happen.”
Estrella liked her even more. “What about the LAPD?”
“Fuck them, they don’t own you, we do. I don’t want you policing the streets for rowdy IWs or unregistered ones. I need you digging deeper into this. The Federation IWs, Ray, Arianna, and unsanctioned Yoshida operations. Who’s bad, who’s good, and who needs to go.”
“I hear Ashford’s dirty.”
“So did I, but without proof I can’t do anything. That’s where you come in. Figure it out before war breaks out and we all fucking die because of it.”
“Thought we had the war drums broken?”
“For now, but it’ll be a matter of time before this pops up again. Unless you figure it out.”
“I guess I’m in.” Estrella shrugged. “Not that I had a choice.”
“Good.” T
he neon glow from the outside world shined through the windows, painting Lady M’s face purple. “Now, any idea what became of Ray and Piper? You two were working together from the feeds I saw.”
“They … ditched me afterward.”
“Did you let them?”
“What do you think?”
“Don’t know, because you all left the range of the one working camera after you left that hidden computer lab.” Estrella chucked. “So, can we shake on this and get it over with?” Lady M offered her hand to shake. Estrella reached for it and felt nothing. Estrella’s hand went through her like she was a ghost. Lady M laughed. “Do you really think I was going to appear physically for an RW?”
“So that’s why I can’t smell your cig smoke.”
“To recap, get this done, give me a list of what you need. And do a good enough job and I might just pay for your freedom. I hear Buenos Aires is your favorite city.”
Estrella loved her.
She hated the idea of once again slaving away in life because the corporations said so. But loved the feeling of knowing the chains that bound her had been loosened. Estrella’s freedom drew closer.
Her imagination conjured an image of Yumi sitting beside her. The imaginary Yumi gave her a hug and thanked Estrella. Yumi now had a resting place. She told Estrella to swing by and visit when she got her freedom.
Forty-Six
Ray
“Malakas! This place is too small.”
“We’re leaving tonight, Theo, so don’t worry.”
Ray sat back on a futon within Estrella’s living room, his home since the attack on the Yoshida towers. Same with Piper, and her team, Bashiir, and Theo. They were all fugitives residing in the dark as the random waves of neon from the windows pulsed.
“Thank fuck for that …” Theo kicked his feet up on the kitchen table, reclined, and gestured at Ray. “What do we do with him?”
The front door beeped; someone had unlocked it. Estrella entered wearing a short black skirt and a lace sleeveless top. She shut the door and keyed in its lock via the panel. “What are we chatting about today?” she asked.
Cyber Witch Page 35
