by Isaac Hooke
“Hm, what’s with her?” Lori said, face darkening.
“Dunno,” Jason said.
“Kind of rude for her to go away just when I get here,” Lori pressed. Then she shrugged. “Oh well!” She was all smiles again. “Let’s go skiing!”
“I’m not really in the mood,” Jason said.
Lori pouted. “Aw, why not?”
“I could do without the stress of having to navigate double black diamond trails...” Jason said.
“What’s the matter, can’t keep up with me?” Lori teased.
“Yeah, that’s it,” Jason said. “You’re too fast for me. Look, after what we’ve been through today, I just want to relax.”
“Okay!” Lori said. “Let’s have sex then!”
“Tonight,” Jason said. Though he was sorely tempted to, giving the arousal Xin had stirred. But in truth, he was worried if he made love to Lori now, he’d end up accidentally shouting Xin’s name. Besides, it wasn’t like he was lacking for entertainment in the sexual department, considering that Tara was now also in the queue.
“Runt hurt his little paw during the last fight, you know,” Lori said.
“Really?” He resisted the urge to correct her on the word little, since the paw on a Rex Wolf, no matter how old, was anything but “little.”
“That’s right,” Lori said. “He was limping half the way here, thanks to that pillar falling on him. When we arrived, I wrapped his paw in a brace I made out of bramble-weeds.”
“I didn’t know it was possible to make anything out of bramble-weeds, let alone a brace,” Jason said. “Well, except for camouflage, to make us better blend in with the terrain.”
“Okay, I admit to using some steel rods I retrieved from my Stalker’s storage compartment,” Lori said. “And wrapping the bramble-weeds around that.”
“Ah,” Jason said.
“So what do you want to do?” Lori said. “No sex. No skiing. What else is there in life? Oh, I know, we can go eat! Did I mention I finished working on my M.S.G. recipe? I have a Chinese restaurant simulation loaded up and ready to go!”
“You made a Chinese restaurant?” Jason asked.
“Uh huh!” Lori replied eagerly. “And the food is authentic! Or at least, as authentic as I remember it!”
“It’s too bad we don’t have a Chinese member in the team to confirm that,” Jason said.
“We can get Xin to do it!” Lori said.
“She’s Japanese,” Jason said.
“So?” Lori said. “Most of the people who work at Japanese restaurants are Chinese anyway.”
Jason shook his head. “You know, that has nothing to do with what I just said.”
Lori frowned, seeming at a loss for words.
Tara appeared up ahead as the pair rounded the bend. She was jogging around the lake, or at least, that was what she wanted him to think; that it was all some grand coincidence that she happened upon Jason and Lori while going for her run. He was used to these sorts of games from the two girls by now. It was all part of their playful competition.
Tara was dressed in her usual diaphanous dress, and it was completely translucent so Jason got an eyeful of her bouncing chest as she came his way.
Tara came to a halt in front of them, and panted softly. “Hey guys.” Her panting turned him on slightly, because it reminded him of their recent lovemaking sessions. He still wasn’t sure how comfortable he felt about sleeping with both Tara and Lori, but they didn’t seem to mind terribly, so why not take advantage of their goodwill? The two of them took turns with him: one night would be Tara, the next Lori. Sometimes he did them both on the same night, with anywhere from a few hours to a few minutes apart.
Tara went to the side opposite Lori and wrapped her arm through the crook of his elbow so that Jason continued his walk with a girl on either arm. When he was a geek back in a human body, he would have never imagined two beautiful girls willingly doing something like this.
That was one of the benefits of being a machine, he supposed.
“Talk about a rough battle, huh?” Tara said. “I wasn’t sure we were going to make it.”
“I was!” Lori said.
Tara smiled patiently. “I wish your positivity was infectious, but it’s not. I was seriously worried about dying.”
Jason nodded. “I’m sure most of us were.”
“Even you?” Tara said.
“Even me,” Jason said.
“Noooo,” Lori said. “I can’t believe it.”
“It’s true,” Jason said.
Lori looked away. “I guess... I guess I was, too, if I’m honest with myself. I remember being worried about who was going to take care of Runt if I died. And who was going to take care of you...”
Jason chuckled. “I can take care of myself, don’t worry about me. And Runt, I’m sure he’d be fine without you.”
Lori pulled back and gave him a sour look. “Gee, thanks!”
“Er, I didn’t mean it that way,” Jason said.
“Sure you didn’t,” Lori said. “Try not to broadcast how much you hate my guts or anything.”
“I don’t hate your guts,” Jason said, chuckling at the very thought.
“But you just said you don’t need me,” Lori told him.
Tara leaned forward to look across Jason at her. “He needs you, trust me. We both do.”
Lori smiled again, and leaned her head against Jason’s shoulder. “I knew it.”
Tara did the same, and sighed contentedly.
“I can’t believe you girls are willing to have a shared relationship like this,” Jason said.
“Do we have a choice?” Tara said. “Will you pick one of us, over the other?”
“No, I guess not,” Jason said. “Why would I, when I can have you both?”
“There you go,” Tara said. “I want to go climbing with you next time you invite Aria.”
“Sure, I can arrange that,” Jason said.
When he rounded the bend up ahead, Sophie was there, lying on a chaise lounge next to the lake. More games.
“Well hello,” Sophie said, sitting up. She was wearing her tasseled bikini, and the black threads shook underneath her chest with the movement, drawing his eyes to her ample bust. He swallowed a sudden lump in his throat despite himself.
Sophie’s kohl eye makeup was in full swing today. She had taken to bringing a virtual Persian cat with her everywhere of late, and it squatted on the lounge beside her. She petted it, rubbing a finger underneath its chin; its eyes were nearly closed, and Jason could hear the loud purring even from where he stood.
Tara’s arm tightened against his elbow, pulling it closer to her body. Lori did the same on the opposite side. They were possessive gestures, if perhaps unconscious. Not that Jason minded all that much. He kind of liked having girls fighting over him, if he was honest with himself.
“Nice cat,” Tara commented.
Sophie’s nose wrinkled in disgust. “Better than those dogs of yours.” She continued to pet the Persian, and glanced up at Jason. When he met her eyes, she smiled shyly, and said: “Hi.”
“Hey,” Jason said.
“I was just lounging on the lake, you know, tanning away,” Sophie told him.
“I always thought that was Fake n’ Bake,” Tara commented.
Sophie ignored him. “What are you up to now?”
“Just going for a walk with the girls,” Jason said.
“What’s Fake n’ Bake?” Lori said.
Sophie picked up her cat, and stood. “Mind if I join you?”
“Not with that thing,” Tara said, nodding toward the cat.
“Jeeves goes with me everywhere,” Sophie said. She shoved herself in between Jason and Tara, so that the latter girl was forced to let go of him.
“Hey!” Tara said.
The Persian cat hissed at her.
“How rude,” Tara said.
Sophie slid her hand into the crook of Jason’s elbow, and dragged him forward. She held Jeeves in her other
arm. Lori kept pace on the other side.
Tara stomped forward and cut them off. “You’re going to let her push me around like this? You’re not going to stand up for me?” She shoved Sophie, forcing her backward so that she had to let go of Jason or lose her balance. “I was there, first.”
“And I took your place,” Sophie said, sliding her hand through Jason’s arm again.
For a second Jason thought Tara was going to punch her, but then she smiled snidely. “All right. Go ahead. Let’s all have a walk.” Tara went to Lori’s side and grabbed her free hand.
Jason shook his head and continued what was supposed to be a peaceful walk by the lake, not a tense standoff among the different team members. Maybe he didn’t like them fighting over him all that much after all...
Tara and Lori suddenly began to swing their hands as they walked, like little girls. When Lori giggled, Jason knew that Tara was the instigator.
“Such a beautiful day,” Sophie said.
Tara leaned forward to address her across Jason. “I thought Jeeves was the name of your VR manservant?”
Sophie shrugged. “He was. But I thought he’d make a better cat.”
“Most men probably would!” Lori agreed.
“But not me,” Jason said.
“Oh, you most of all!” Lori said. “Imagine how great it would be? I could pet you whenever I wanted, and bring you to my bed to snuggle at any time of the day. Ah, if only.”
“I can’t believe you’re sleeping with those two,” Sophie said.
Jason didn’t have anything to say to that. He didn’t even wonder how she knew: Lori liked to shoot her mouth off.
“Jealous?” Tara said.
Sophie looked down her nose at Tara. “Not in the least. He can sleep around with whomever he wants. It’s not something I’ll ever do.”
“Oh that’s right, you’re a princess, and not that kind of girl,” Tara said.
“That’s right,” Sophie said, lifting her nose even higher, if that was possible. “I don’t share men. It’s disgusting what the two of you are doing. In fact, I’ve lost interest in him entirely, thanks to the two of you.”
“Well, that’s actually wonderful news,” Tara said.
“Yes!” Lori agreed. “Less competition!”
Sophie snorted. “Of course you two would like that. What are you going to do when he starts sleeping with Xin and Aria?”
Tara shrugged. “At least they’re a whole lot nicer than you. And you claim that you’ve lost interest in him, but I call your bluff.”
“Oh, really?” Sophie said.
“That’s right,” Tara said. “I always see you casting those sidelong glances his way, your eyes smoldering with want.”
“Ha!” Sophie said.
“You always stay close to him in battle,” Tara said. “Ready to act if an enemy gets through his defenses.”
“That’s only because if we lose him, we can’t combine,” Sophie said.
“Yeah but, the same is true for all of us,” Tara said. “We lose any one of us, we can’t combine. But I wasn’t done. What about whenever someone tells a joke? You always look at him, and only laugh if he does, as if seeking his approval.”
Sophie sniffed. “No I don’t.”
Tara shrugged. “If you say so. Why don’t you just admit that you want him, and tell him as much. Who knows, maybe he’ll take you into the fold.”
“I already said, I don’t want to be ‘taken into the fold,’” Sophie told her. “I’m not that kind of girl. If he’s willing to give the two of you up, I might reconsider, but until then, he’s never going to get any of this.”
Jason didn’t bother to look at her. He was getting enough as it was, and if Sophie was really telling the truth, it was kind of a relief. Then again, even if she was, she’d probably continue her advances, trying to convince him to dump Tara and Lori in the process. And no doubt Sophie would continue to fight Tara every step of the way.
Ah well, it’ll be a source of constant entertainment, if anything.
Z materialized in front of him, dressed in her white wet suit.
“You’ve come to torment me, too?” Jason said.
Z appeared puzzled. Then her expression blanked. “You might want to exit your VR.”
Jason stiffened. “Why? What is it?”
“Jerry has returned,” Z said.
12
Jason exited his VR immediately so that he was lying back in the secluded valley. His repair drones had finished fixing his hull some time ago, and had returned to his storage compartment so that when he sat up, he did so in a fully repaired unit.
Standing at the top of the rise was a battered duplicate of his own mech. The entire right hip was nearly blown away, as was a good portion of the right leg—specifically, where his local repair swarms should have been harbored. His weapon turrets were gone, and the antennae on his head had been ripped off. Aria’s Dominator was propping it up, helping keep the mech on its feet.
“Hey Boss,” Jerry said. A familiar avatar appeared on his display. Jerry had added a beard, and glasses, to differentiate himself from Jason.
“Jerry!” Jason stood up. He made his way to the top of the rise, and helped Aria support Jerry. Once they were within the walls of the valley, he released his repair swarm. The units began fixing Jerry’s damage, but they needed more material, so Jason and Aria pulverized some of the rock at base of the valley. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as iron rich as the location outside Brussels, so Jason had to crush a lot more than he would have expected.
When that was done, he sat back to interview Jerry.
“What happened?” he asked.
All of the girls were online then, and listening.
“I was ambushed by Bokerov on the shoulder of the mountains to the southeast, where he’s dug a base,” Jerry said. “I lost. I saw your profiles on the horizon. When I zoomed in, at first I thought you were another of Bokerov’s patrols, and so I hid at first. But as you got closer, I realized who you were. Unfortunately, my antennae were badly damaged, reducing my comm range to less than five hundred meters, so I couldn’t make contact immediately. I headed your way as fast as I could, but because of my leg damage, it was slow going. I tried waving a few times, figuring you had an Explorer drone scouting the area, but it didn’t help.”
“We did have an Explorer drone scouting,” Jason said. “It’s a little troubling that it didn’t see you.”
“Well the drone did, eventually, when I got closer,” Jerry said. “Which is why Aria came to get me.”
Jason glanced at her. “I never authorized that.”
Her mech stared at the ground. “Sorry.”
“Well, I’m grateful that she did,” Jerry said. “Because it would have been a long walk, otherwise. Before you entered the valley, I thought I was going to lose you.”
“The girls with you?” Jason asked.
Jerry’s avatar flinched as if struck, and he began to blink rapidly. “I— the girls— they’re gone.”
His avatar winked out. Jerry was apparently too ashamed to stay on the line.
“I can’t believe I let them die,” Jerry continued. “I fought so hard to save them. So damn hard. But they all gave their lives for me. Sophie blocked a shot that would have killed me, and died in my place. Tara did the same. And Xin, sweet Xin, she shielded me with her body, and threw me from the blast zone before the final bomb hit. I’ll never forget them. What they did for me.”
“We’re still alive…” Xin said.
“Yes, these particular versions of you are,” Jerry said. “But my girls, my lovely girls, are forever gone.”
“Not forever,” Jason said. “We’ll recreate them from fresh backups. As soon as we get back on our feet.”
“I’m not sure I want that,” Jerry said. “Nothing can ever replace them.”
“You’ll come around to our point of view eventually,” Tara said. “Would you like to visit my VR? Maybe I can help out with your healing.” There was a
very slight seductive tone to her voice.
“Uh, no thanks,” Jerry said. “I don’t think Jason would appreciate that.”
Jason glared at Tara. Or at least, as much of a glare as a Vulture mech could give, which wasn’t very much.
Tara seemed to feel that scowl, despite the fact his mech didn’t have the features to express it. Her avatar smiled. “Now now, Jason baby. Jealousy can be a good thing.”
“We have to go back,” Jerry said. “Because while I lost the three girls I mentioned, my versions of Lori and Aria are still alive.”
“Are you sure?” Jason asked.
“Positive,” Jerry said. “One of Bokerov’s Cataphracts grabbed them before the final bombs struck, and carried them away.”
“How do you know the Cataphracts didn’t simply crush them?” Xin asked.
“It’s possible, but why would he?” Jerry said. “Not when there was information to be gleaned from their AI cores.”
“They’d never give up their decryption keys…” Aria said.
“Maybe they wouldn’t have to,” Tara said. “If Bokerov had hacking abilities like Lori here…”
“No one has my hacking abilities!” Lori said.
“I believe her abilities were embedded into her AI core as part of an experimental subroutine,” Aria said. “It’s very likely she’s correct in her assertion: she could be one of a kind in that regard.”
“See!” Lori said.
“Of course, her clones will also have the same subroutines,” Xin said. “So she’s not as unique as she might think.”
“Killjoy,” Lori said.
“Before the surprise attack, I also saw evidence that Bokerov captured the AI cores of some of our other copies,” Jerry continued. “My version of Aria created a few special crawlers… silent, stealthy things, a little bigger than Sophie’s micro machines. They infiltrated Bokerov’s mountain base and discovered a server room containing three AI cores. Aria’s ‘Minerva Solutions’ logo was stamped into the side. My guess is, they’re Jake’s girls. Maybe Jake himself is among them.”
“That won’t do,” Jason said.
“No,” Jerry agreed. “But that’s proof he takes AI cores as prisoners. That means my Lori and Aria are still alive.”
