While most things could be handled via the CN-net, others couldn’t. An on-site presence was necessary to show everyone the Consortium could handle its own shit. Assessing the crime scene and identifying the murdered security personnel was one thing. Being available to meet with the MPLE was another. Getting me out of MPLE custody was a third. Then, insisting Lotus and her baby were checked by a medic to ensure the incident hadn’t compromised her pregnancy. At least Lotus hadn’t been forced to make an unscheduled pit stop into MPLE’s waiting arms—unlike me.
I may have been Felipe Vieira’s granddaughter, but that didn’t save me from One Gov’s crippling bureaucratic complexity. Per regulations, all public transport leaving an active crime scene was subject to immediate MPLE AI seizure. The assumption went that anyone leaving the crime scene perimeter in a rush was an accessory to the crime. So my air-hack had been sniped. The AI took control and delivered me to the closest MPLE headquarters regardless of guilt, which would be established later.
So, all things considered, I’d been impressed by Luka on his first solo Consortium outing. Lotus and the baby were fine. I spent minimal time in MPLE lockup, gave a statement to two different detectives, and received on-site medical treatment for my shoulder and knees. I didn’t even have to spend a second behind bars. Mind you, the dingy office with walls set to baby-puke beige wasn’t much better, but at least the windows could open and the doors unlocked when I wanted them to.
By the time I got home, it was late evening. I’d long since checked in with everyone who mattered, letting them know I was okay. Felipe wanted to talk, and I had the feeling my moment of reckoning was at hand. I needed to unload the truth about the reboot, now more than ever, if today was any indication.
Brody wanted to see me in person, to which I replied with a resounding no. He did add that he was no closer to cracking the mystery of who was responsible for the AI drone surge but now knew the job was a cover-up. He’d passed his intel on to Alexei, which was pretty decent of him. Gods knew he and Alexei barely tolerated each other.
And of course there was Alexei. He fought between common sense and his primary instinct that threatened to turn protecting me into locking me in a cage. I wasn’t sure which side was winning. If he could, I’m sure he would have kept the CN-net connection open between us indefinitely so he could monitor my movements. However, my implants couldn’t sustain it. Hell, neither could my sanity. Still he checked in every hour, sometimes sooner, as if assuring both of us I was safe.
I shut down the c-tex bracelet and changed the little part of my brain that received pings from “notify” to “ignore.” Then I prayed to all the gods asking for guidance and forgiveness, burned incense at the makeshift altar I’d made in my home office so my prayers could be lifted to the heavens, and went to bed. When I finally slept out of sheer exhaustion, it was an agitated sleep filled with dreams of chain-breakers dying and so much blood.
Those men had died because of me. Alexei lived like this all the time, but I’d never experienced it myself. It was sobering to realize they’d died so I could live. It was a terrible, awful lesson, and one I hoped not to experience again. I vowed to never mock or complain about another chain-breaker. How could I, knowing my decisions—no matter how willful or silly—could impact their lives? How could I do anything that would put more lives in jeopardy? Easy. I couldn’t.
* * *
“The implant upload should only be a few more minutes,” Karol said from where he stood behind me, his reedy, nasally voice getting on my nerves. “I think you’ll like the new software upgrade we designed. We’ve refined the sensory inputs to address the deprivations you noted. The tactile sensitivity will be vastly improved. Food will have taste, flowers will have scent, and objects will have texture and weight.”
“Good. I’m getting tired of wandering around the CN-net feeling like a ghost.”
We were in one of the many sitting rooms—not the sex room, as I called the front room now—with two chain-breakers on guard by the door, as if I needed protecting in my own home. This room was smaller and more intimate. It was at the back of the house and had a set of glass doors that led to the pool and sprawling property behind the house. My office had the same view, and if you looked far enough, you could see clear to Isidis Bay and the platform at the base of the space elevator.
The fact that I’d allowed Karol to handle my implant software updates spoke to my fractured state of mind. When he’d pinged, he sounded so insistent and sincere as he explained the nature of the updates, I couldn’t say no. It was as if he believed this made up for the debacle in the lab. Give me some fancy updates and maybe Alexei wouldn’t punish him. Flawed logic, but I didn’t question it. Besides, I was going stir-crazy alone in the giant house, just me and my panicked thoughts. Since I didn’t want to traipse around Elysium City, risk another kidnapping or possibly a murder attempt on my life, and jeopardize anyone I cared about, I’d been reduced to this second-string company. Hell, maybe he was even third or fourth.
I sat backward in a kitchen chair one of the chain-breakers had brought into the room, my front pressed to its back. My head was bowed and my hair swept aside to expose my neck. Karol and his assistant stood behind me. He gave the instructions while his assistant pressed an imager the size of a fingernail to the base of my skull, scanning the implant. She would do the same to the one at the base of my spine, making sure they worked in sync. With her brown hair tied back in a severe knot and her face bare of makeup, the assistant, Natalya, looked determined to do a good job—all freshly minted, wide-eyed, and serious. I doubted she’d even started her Renew treatments. I almost sighed; I was only a few years older than her but doubted I’d ever looked so green and unprepared for the world.
“The security patch,” Natalya said in a soft voice, speaking in Russian. I heard her make a concerned noise. “It’s preventing the implants from aligning the way they did in the lab.”
“It’s fine,” Karol assured her. “What worked in beta testing isn’t applicable to real life. I’m pleased with the chips’ harmonics. Plus there’s the luck gene to consider. It warps and alters possibilities.”
Great. Something else to blame on the gene. “Should I be concerned?” I asked.
“We’ll continue monitoring, but I think it will be fine. In the meantime, we’ll look at another software upgrade,” Karol said.
“Yes, sir. I’ll begin on the coding right away.”
I heard awed reverence in Natalya’s tone. It made me swivel in my chair to study the woman. Adoration was stamped on her face. For Karol? Gods, the woman was in love with Karol! And from the look of him, he was into her too. I goggled, feeling like the universe had just pulled a rabbit so impossible out of its hat, I had no idea how the trick had been done. Then again, just because I found him repulsive and unsavory didn’t mean everyone else did.
I cleared my throat to break up the tender moment of science. Gods knew I didn’t need to watch these two mooning after each other. “Will there be any issues with me getting on to the CN-net?”
Both jumped away from each other. Natalya’s cheeks flushed and she began packing equipment—closing cases with an audible snap and zipping up canvas bags on a nearby table with capable efficiency. Karol placed the thumbnail scanner back in its case, arranging it as if he conducted the most delicate procedure in the world.
Ordinarily, I might have made some dig just to get a rise out of Karol. However, since he was there on his apology tour, I kept them to myself. Didn’t seem right to be a bitch when he was my guest. Granny G would have been appalled. And as much as I loathed the pretentious prick, I wanted to see him. Or rather, my gut did. Since luck had saved my ass yesterday, I’d decided to follow it a while longer—even if it meant watching this fumbling love connection play out.
“Did either of you want me to run the Tarot for you?” I asked, mainly just to see what would happen. “Did you have any questions you wanted answered? Maybe something about your love life? Or a big project
you’re working on and you’re wondering how it will turn out? Are you curious about the success of the Ursa 3 launch? Anything?”
“No, Mrs. Petriv. I’m fine,” Natalya said, looking scared I’d spoken to her.
Great. I’d frightened the timid forest creature. And I was back to being Mrs. Petriv—as if I were an extension of Alexei and didn’t exist in my own right.
“It’s okay to call me Felicia,” I said.
“Yes ma’am,” she said, eyes downcast.
And now I was a “ma’am.” Fantastic.
“There is something I’d like to discuss,” Karol said, his voice hesitant. “It ties back to our meeting in the lab at Soyuz Park.”
My gut took the moment to nudge me into alertness, as if I needed the wake-up kick. I went still, watching him. He watched me with the same carefulness. It was almost funny, both of us trying to get a read on each other with a furious stare-down. But this was what Karol and I had always done—he thought I was an ignorant unchipped savage with a shitty flat-file avatar. I thought he was a pompous asshole with a god complex.
“What is it?” I asked. I tried to keep my tone neutral, not sure I succeeded.
“The fertilization. It didn’t go well,” he began, and I cut him off with a level look.
“I think we already covered this ground.”
He stammered and stuttered before he said, “The initial results were not what we’d hoped for. I didn’t say anything at the time as emotions were running high, but there is another avenue we could try. I haven’t mentioned it to Gospodin Petriv, but I thought maybe, perhaps, if you were interested, we could pursue it.”
That brought me up short. “What other alternative? Why doesn’t Alexei know?”
Karol looked nervous, even more so than usual. “He is protective and unwilling to take risks with your well-being—risks that are acceptable, I wish to add. But in these matters, I think you are more open-minded and willing to explore opportunities than Gospodin Petriv might be.”
Holy shit. Could the man dance around it any harder? “Listen, Karol, just say what’s on your mind instead of turning this into a cryptic guessing game. What did you want to try that Alexei would automatically veto?”
“There might be a way to make your biology compatible with Gospodin Petriv’s. We may be able to adjust your physiology so that it’s in line with his. It would make your body more receptive to fertilization.”
I focused on him to the extent that I lost track of everything else in the room. All I could see was the sweating, anxious tech-med in front of me. “How?”
“I’ve been working on a nano supplement that could boost your organic chemistry. It would create changes at the molecular level and alter the DNA. There would be no need for Renew treatments. Skin renewal patches would be a thing of the past. Pain-med reliance reduced. New neural pathways would be opened. It would be rebuilding the human body at its most basic level. One Gov has capped our MH Factor limits, claiming they want to keep the population stable, but it’s stagnating us. The human race has been codified and templated. One Gov claims that’s enough, but there is so much more we could do. The nano supplement would give us the ability to move past predetermined MH Factors. It would be advantageous in your situation, as your reproductive system would be enhanced. I believe the supplement would help you and Gospodin Petriv become more compatible. It’s been successful in testing, although we haven’t begun human trials.”
I’d started frowning as soon as I’d heard “nano.” Nanos and the luck gene didn’t have a cordial relationship.
“We would start slowly at first,” Karol rushed to add when I said nothing. “This would be something we’d introduce gradually, assessing each dosage, and measuring the rate of change.”
“Is this old Consortium tech?” I asked, studying him.
“It was abandoned in favor of the homunculus project, yes,” Karol agreed, swallowing. “Gospodin Belikov didn’t want to wait for the potential advantages to show themselves over time. He wanted results at a more accelerated pace.”
He’d been dying. Of course he wanted a quick turnaround.
I checked with my gut. No flighty, excited feeling. No elated optimism. All I felt was dread—not the most reassuring sentiment. This would be the most decisive and probably most irreversible step I could take to modifying myself. Implants were one thing, but after this, I couldn’t go back. What would Alexei think? He already disapproved and believed I’d changed too much. It would certainly send my family so far over the edge, they’d probably disown me. Could I throw away everything else that meant anything to me just to have a baby? Or had I become so blindly obsessed with wanting the thing I couldn’t have that I would sacrifice anything to achieve it?
“Would this guarantee a baby?” I asked, hearing the hesitation in my own voice.
“The rate of success would increase, but you know there are never guarantees in life.”
True. “Would my body change permanently or could it be reversed after?”
“No, it would be permanent,” Karol said.
“But why would you want to regress back from such advancement?” Natalya sounded genuinely curious, like she couldn’t even believe I’d ask something so ridiculous.
“Because I might not like the person I become.”
“But you would be physically better for it. Right now, you are frail. Would it not be best—”
“Enough, Natalya! It is for her to decide,” Karol snapped before turning expectantly back to me. “If you want to do this, I’ve brought a sample. We could try introducing a tiny specimen now and lay the groundwork for the modifications.” Karol gestured to Natalya. She reached into one of the open cases and pulled out a thin glasslike tube, a waxy stopper sealing it closed. Inside was a clear, viscous-looking liquid. I nearly choked on the irony, being more than a little familiar with suspicious-looking glass tubes. I had a throwback to my first meeting with Mr. Pennyworth, the memory so strong and sharp, I winced.
I nodded to the glass tube. “That’s the first dose?”
“Yes. Natalya would begin monitoring you and we’d know within a few sols as to our level of success. If there were no ill effects, we increase the dosage next time.”
“You said it would change my DNA on a base level,” I repeated slowly, just to make sure I’d gotten that part right. “What would happen to the luck gene? Would I still have it? Would the treatments turn it off?”
Karol looked intrigued by this, as if it wasn’t a wrinkle he’d been concerned with but would be interested in studying. “I don’t know, Ms. Sevigny. Only time would tell us how much you had changed.”
I looked from the tube to Karol, Natalya, the tube, and back to Karol. I checked with my gut, experiencing only a vague tingle of icy dread as if it had no real interest in the ultimate outcome. I was on my own here; the decision to change my whole life was in my hands alone, with nothing to guide me. I didn’t like the sensation. It was so foreign, so confusing; just the idea of not having a gut feeling anymore paralyzed me. Was that why my gut was so quiet now, leaving me free to decide on my own?
My throat went dry, making me wonder how I’d even be able to swallow the liquid without choking. My hand twitched at my side, not sure if it should rise. Take the cylinder. Not take it. I hovered between indecision and fear. Gods, I could have used my cards now. Anything to let me know what I should do next would have been appreciated. Instead, it was just me, torn.
When we heard the commotion at the front door, everything stopped. Karol looked like he might expire from sheer terror. His expression said bolting off-planet might be his next, best, and most logical move.
“Gospodin Petriv is back,” he announced, his nasally voice just this side of shrill. “If he learns of this, he may kill me. I tried to revive an old Consortium program he specifically terminated. Please believe I only wanted to make amends for before. It isn’t my intention to harm you. Tell me you believe that.”
I had to admit, Karol’s viscera
l fear that Alexei would skin him alive was extraordinary. It was like a living, breathing entity all on its own. Watching him melt down was fascinating, and the fact that he’d been willing to try something so drastic with me in spite of his fear both impressed and inspired me. Hell, it even made me respect him a tiny bit.
“Karol, it will be fine. He isn’t going to touch you because I’m not going to tell him. I get where your head’s at and want to thank you for trying to solve this for me, but…I can’t do it. I don’t think I can become whatever your nano supplement wants to create,” I said.
Karol studied me as if to verify how serious I was before he nodded. The cylinder was hidden away, placed back in its case. When he snapped the locks closed, the relief shooting through me left me nearly boneless. Had I made the right decision? Yes. For me, it was the only choice that felt appropriate. I wasn’t meant to be some genetically gifted superhuman. Maybe I’d wanted that for myself once, but now that the option was available, I realized I was okay with my flaws and weaknesses. I may have resented how the luck gene tried to shape my life, but I was also happy just being me.
I heard the sound of Feodor barking and his little nails clicking along the tile flooring as he trotted to the door, excited to see who’d arrived at his house. Following his lead, I left the sitting room, chain-breakers falling in behind.
“Where are you going?” Karol asked in a panic. “What will you say to Gospodin Petriv? He’ll be suspicious. He will wonder why—”
“If I’m going to convince Alexei not to kill you, stop hounding me. I need to be at my best.” A tiny flutter of butterflies started to flap their wings in my stomach. Alexei was back. We had so much shit to deal with, but right then, all I wanted was to see him.
“What are you going to do?” he asked, genuinely curious.
Honestly, the man had zero appreciation for my particular set of skills.
“Karol, if you have to ask how I handle Alexei, you need to pay less attention to tech and more to the pretty tech-med working with you,” I chided, which went a satisfyingly long way to shutting the man up.
The Game of Luck Page 25
