Gin tilted his head as he thought things through. “It might be the chat, or the sting of betrayal, or even the realization of what kind of weaklings the people in my crew are, but I feel less inclined to kill you.” He looked at his blade. “But more people will die today.”
“If you leave, I have no reason to pursue,” the captain promised. “I still think it’s foolish that you’ll walk away from us to be with those weaklings, though. They get some numbers and fancy guns and think they can take on the Horde? They confuse power with—”
“Strength,” Gin finished as something clicked in his head. “Either you are a mind reader or I’m precognitive, but I think I’ve thought of something that’ll make us both happy.”
“And what would that be?” the captain inquired.
“I’ll take your gift but not your offer,” he stated and turned away. “I also want to ask that you pull your men back.”
“Are you trying to bargain for your crew's lives?”
“Not at all.” Gin shook his head firmly as he walked away. “I want some left for me.”
“Finally, you made it,” a Star Killer grunt barked and closed the hatch behind Gin. “I thought we were gonna leave your sorry ass behind.”
“Vito would never do that. Gin is our best fighter!” another grunt said dismissively.
“You know Vito. His whims change on a dime.” The other man sighed.
“Strangely enough…” He drew two plasma blades, one in either hand, and activated them. “Mine have too.”
Gin made his way to Vito’s quarters and slaughtered anyone in his way. His blue and black armor was soon covered in the blood of his former brothers.
He didn’t have to make the entire trip. Vito met him in the hall outside his room with three guards in front of him who aimed their guns at Gin’s head.
“Have you gone mad?” the leader snarled. “What have you done? We already lost so many, and you come in and kill almost everyone else? What if the Horde follows us? We weren’t in any position to fight even if—”
“I find it amusing that you’re concerned about statistics rather than the fact that I’ve killed nearly the entire crew,” Gin muttered. He stood perfectly erect, and his hands held the plasma blades lazily. “A great show of heart there, Vito. Maybe I should go for the head instead? Ripping out your heart may not produce dividends.”
“You’re… You're going to lecture me about how much I care?” Vito shouted, angry and aghast at the same time. “You’ve killed men you’ve traveled with for over a year. You showed no mercy.”
“None was needed,” he responded flatly. “If they were better, they would have killed me. It’s as simple as that.”
Vito clenched his teeth and pointed at Gin. “Kill him.”
The trio of guards fired, but the new shield blocked the blasts. A shimmering purple glow rippled around his suit until their guns overheated. Instead of venting them, they dropped their weapons in shock.
Gin pointed at Vito. “Kill him, and I might spare you.”
The guards looked at one another, and their leader stared at them anxiously. One drew his pistol and fired into Vito’s head. A sizzling hole appeared as he fell back and dropped without a sound. The other two guards stood in shock until a plasma blade punctured each of their chests. Gin released the blades and shoved their bodies out of his way to approach the soldier who had followed his order.
“And who might you be?” he asked and motioned at the visor. “Let’s have a look.”
The guard nodded and removed his helmet with shaking hands. Gin smiled at the sight. “Rocco! From my first day at Warlock’s Bar,” he said when he remembered the guard he had bought drinks for. He put his arm around the man’s shoulder and leaned against the wall. “Who would have thought this is how things would turn out, huh?”
“C-can’t say I-I did,” Rocco stammered.
“Right? Crazy.” Gin shook his head in disbelief.
“Are y-you g-gonna k-k-kill me?” the man asked, petrified.
“You know, I was,” he admitted, and the guard stiffened beneath his arm. “Of course, I could say something sarcastic like, ‘I said might, no guarantees,’ but I like you. You have good taste in drinks.”
“T-thanks.”
“Well, I’m gonna be on my way.” Gin clapped the man on his shoulder. “I’ll grab what I can and head to the escape pods. Some of them have to be working. A few were able to escape in them, but… Wait a minute.” He paused, then walked over to Vito’s body to rummage around for his tablet. “Let’s see…do…do…do—ah, a list of all crew members and their info.” He placed the tablet in a compartment on his left leg. “That’ll be useful to hunt them down.”
“You’re going after all of them?” Rocco asked, and flinched when Gin looked at him. “I mean… Just don’t. Sorry.”
He walked past the man, stopped for a moment, and tapped his chin. “Wanna do me a favor, Rocco?”
“I won’t tell anyone, I swear to God!” Rocco pleaded.
“I’m not sure how much good that’ll do. I doubt He likes these kinds of things,” Gin said airily. “But actually, I want you to do the opposite.” He looked at the bodies. “Tell everyone you can about everything I’ve done. They might not believe you at first, but trust me…” He chuckled darkly as he stepped over the bodies, leaving the blades jutting out of them. “I’ll give them reasons to believe you soon enough.”
Author Notes - Michael
March 6, 2019
THANK YOU for not only reading this story but these Author Notes as well.
(I think I’ve been good with always opening with “thank you.” If not, I need to edit the other Author Notes!)
RANDOM (sometimes) THOUGHTS?
So, originally I really hated Gin. I mean, I wanted him dead, and I wanted him dead in the last book.
I was talking with Joshua about the villain, and Joshua (who likes complicated villains) was giving me a bit about Gin’s background. So, I asked him to write an epilogue where we got to see a bit more about Gin’s history, and what made him…him.
Thus, you get the story of Gin in this book.
I hate to admit that now I almost…almost…like Gin. Which, is sad cause the fucker has to die.
Right?
I mean…he IS the bad guy here.
Dammit Joshua, you are screwing up my nice black and white worldview here!
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS
One of the interesting (at least to me) aspects of my life is the ability to work from anywhere and at any time. In the future, I hope to re-read my own Author Notes and remember my life as a diary entry.
NEW YORK, JFK AIRPORT
I’m presently hanging in the British Airways lounge in Terminal 7 of New York’s JFK airport. It’s 10:04 PM, and I have to finish these author notes in ten minutes and get them over to Stephen Campbell and Lynne Stiegler to get in the book so it publishes really quickly.
I sure hope I make it everywhere I need to.
While I am flying towards London (for the London Book Fair next week) I’ll be working on two books, hoping that my crap sleeping doesn’t screw me over. I noticed on the flight from Las Vegas to here that I didn’t have the emotional desire to do anything.
So I read.
I’m going to save a couple of minutes and get book 03 of the series I’m reading ‘just in case’ I can’t make myself work.
I suppose I could fire myself for not working, but I doubt that I will.
Joshua has the beats for the next ANIMUS book completed and is writing, so I am hoping the next book will be out in April.
Crossing my fingers, since I love these stories!
FAN PRICING
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HOW TO MARKET FOR BOOKS YOU LOVE
Review them so others have your thoughts, and tell friends and the dogs of your enemies (because who wants to talk to enemies?)… Enough said ;-)
Ad Aeternitatem,
Michael Anderle
Author Notes - Joshua
April 2, 2019
(These author notes were added to version 1.01 of this book with the update on April 2, 2019)
I usually prefer to leave this to my father, but I wanted to apologize for the previous state of the book, and thank those of you who were still kind despite the problems.
Because of my delays in writing it, it caused trouble in the editing. I didn’t send the right pages either, which made for some of the confusing chapters and poor wording, particularly with one that was an amalgamation that I had previously used as a template and left in, sending it for processing before swapping it out.
Thank you again for all the positive feedback and helpful critique. This one was a bit different—more episodic, since I wanted to get Gin a bit more involved. I’m currently working on book 6, and hope you’ll enjoy the wrap up to year two and look forward to going beyond.
Sincerely,
Joshua (D’Artagnan) Anderle
Glitch
Animus Book 6
Chapter One
Seattle’s skyline shimmered as the biodome activated. A small pocket formed to release small droplets of rain while a mist swirled and drifted below. Those who walked on the warming spring night welcomed the cooling vapor, their attention focused on the glow of the lights that adorned the Space Needle. These artfully reflected the droplets to swathe the dark sky of the city in an ethereal glow.
Couples walked through the parks and streets while shops closed for the night. Friends wished one another well as they made their way home, while others waited on their companions to come out so they could begin their night.
On the top of the Azure Jewel Condominium building, an odd space of what seemed to be comprised of nothing seemingly broke through the mists as it descended. Of course, no one was aware of this or, even if they had noticed, they would probably have thought little of it. Perhaps it was because of the way the mist was carried on the wind, or possibly an error on the system that would be repaired in the morning. Enough reasonable explanations could be found when people didn’t consciously consider the more bizarre explanation. The drizzle increased to a downpour and drenched the ground and plants below. Umbrellas opened and hoods came up as people shielded themselves from the rain.
The odd spot on top of the Azure Jewel remained unaccountably dry as if the droplets fell onto something above it, caught, and slid off the unseen barrier.
That particular something moved along the roof and vaulted to the edge to look out over the city. The vaguely outline but otherwise invisible figure had grown too impatient to admire the sights.
His target should have been there by now.
Egon Fallon was an incredibly smart man who began his career at Anima technologies and helped in designing EI code. After a decade of service there, he was transferred to a post at the Nexus Academy at Professor Laurie’s personal request. He was generally well-mannered and even charming on occasion—although those occasions were rare as he was both a homebody and a workaholic, not the most social of combinations.
His status was of great value to him, one that he had worked hard to obtain. It had gained him entry into some exclusive circles and gave him access to many places within the Academy.
The target was, in fact, perfect for what Gin required.
The revenant looked at the skyline once more. Even with the enhanced sight his visor provided, he couldn’t quite make out the dilapidated area he’d called home for a few years while he was on the run and under the guiding hand of his mentor. By now, it was probably another fancy district, catering to the youth or those with creds to part with. Progress had become rather flashy this century.
He should have simply stayed in the condo and waited for the man in relative peace rather than indulge in this sightseeing excursion. But, strangely enough, he felt oddly nostalgic over the place he’d once called home. He wondered, when this was all done, whether he would ever return there. Would he ever come back to Earth, for that matter? He had missed it in the decade-plus he had spent in the great beyond. There were plenty of toys here to amuse him and much variety.
A large holoscreen appeared on the side of a building ahead and caught his attention. News scrolled across it to declare the passing of a beloved celebrity—heart failure, by all accounts. Some things affected the greats as well as the not so greats, apparently.
Gin breathed deeply as he recalled Kilian. In a weird way, to call the man his savior seemed something of an oxymoron considering the profession he’d taught him. He hadn’t really given his mentor much thought in a long time, he realized, which meant he probably shouldn’t stay where he was. There really were too many bad memories, to say nothing of the Academy.
He thought back to a few of the simulations he’d run and all the missions that had built him up to be something that he could now never be. In all honesty, he didn’t have the heart for it.
All those teachers would probably appreciate this—the first mission he had undertaken in a while, even with Zubanz out of the picture. He would head out to accomplish something with a very specific goal in mind.
In a perverse way, he would make history—the first Nexus student to take on a mission that actually attacked them.
A warning appeared in his visor. His quarry was home. Gin smiled and simply stepped off the edge. The magnetic strips on the soles of his boots clung to the side of the building as he walked down the few stories to greet the man he would be for a while.
Egon finished washing his hair a few seconds before the lights cut out. He sighed as he manually unlatched the shower door, pulled it open, and padded to the bathroom closet for a towel. It had been a while since he’d actually had to use one, so he hoped they weren’t musty. A hasty sniff confirmed that this wasn’t an issue. He dried himself, wrapped the towel around his waist, and fumbled for his phone on the vanity to contact the management or maintenance department. Someone needed to resolve the problem with the power so he could finish the work he’d planned for the evening.
Something thin and chill snaked around his neck and hoisted him a few inches above the tiles. His phone fell with a clatter, the number undialed. The noose tightened and his legs flailed as his fingers clawed at the constricting cord, but to no avail. His fingers encountered a cold and metallic substance he didn’t recognize. Frantically, his bulging eyes peered into the darkness but found no discernible trace of his attacker. Even in the dark, he reasoned, there should be a figure or a shape or even simply a deeper shadow, but his searching gaze found nothing.
He gasped, desperate for breath, and the garotte tightened even more. His desperate attempt to loosen the noose increased as his air passages shrunk to virtually nothing.
“I don’t normally do this…” a jovial voice stated. Egon’s eyes fluttered as he went limp. A figure emerged slowly from the empty darkness. Energy crackled as an arm, covered in white armor, took shape along with a piece of helmet and a chest plate. On some ridiculously inconsequential level, Egon realized that his assailant most likely used a cloaking generator.
“But trust me, you’d rather die than wait around for this thing to work,” Gin said and held the wormwood device up. “Plus, I know how you science types get when you’re shown exactly how easily your little inventions can be destroyed—or worse, used for devious purposes.”
The technician’s vision faded a little but the tension around his throat relaxed to allow him to gasp in a much-needed gulp of air. He managed to focus on the intruder, confusion and panic in his eyes. He wanted to ask who he was—it seemed important to know the name of his killer—but couldn’t shape the words. The man hauled him close to his visor. “So consider this my thanks for the DNA.”
In one swift motion, he crushed the technician’s throat and laid hi
s body on the floor. He knelt beside it and placed the device on the man’s chest. It glowed as it activated, and several wires emerged to burrow into the body. A colorless circle appeared and filled gradually with white as the body was drained. While he waited, Gin retrieved Egon’s phone, scrolled through, and located a few saved videos—what seemed to be recording things he’d researched outside of Nexus, possibly for personal reasons. Any one of those would provide a suitable voice sample.
The assassin checked the wormwood device. It had almost completed its work. This was, he mused, far more efficient than its original function. He should pay a visit to Liya to see what she’d been up to. When he snapped his fingers a moment later, the power was restored to the room. No one would be any the wiser.
Well, perhaps one person, but the odds were high that he wouldn’t tell anyone anything.
The wormwood device finished with a soft hum and the wires retracted from the corpse and curled back. He retrieved it and used his HUD to navigate the options. Once he’d found the voice setting, he played the first file. The device recorded it and bleeped confirmation when it finished.
Gin placed it on Egon’s bed, removed his armor, and once he was down to his underlay, stretched out beside his victim. He picked the device up again with a definite grimace. This was where it would get weird—which, for him, meant a level of weird way beyond the average.
He pressed a couple of buttons and placed it cautiously on his chest, then winced as something sharp pierced the skin. A rush of nausea followed, and he steadied himself with a long, deep breath. It certainly felt different to take on the life of someone rather than take their life.
Animus Boxed Set 2 (Books 5-8): Revenant, Glitch, Master, Infiltration Page 24
