Decisions, decisions. Gerti knew she had to figure out her course of action before long.
She put her restless thoughts aside and walked onto the concourse, reaching a moving walkway before long, and set the bag she held on the railing. She kept her eyes open and her tentacles wrapped close about her head, reading the shop signs as they scrolled by. It had been such a long time since she had been here.
I hope she’s still running Crimson Sector Jewelry.
There it was. A pink neon sign depicting a martini glass and a diamond ring. Its welcoming familiarity greeted Gerti as she stepped off the walkway. She sauntered through the doors and walked past the glass displays toward the back.
A woman in an elegant blue dress with a sweeping neckline stood next to a counter and greeted Gerti with a smile. Her skin was iridescent and set off the black diamond necklace she wore. Anything for a sale.
“Gerti? Is that you? Oh, my old friend!” Savannah spread her arms, and the two women embraced.
“I’m glad to see you too! How have you been?”
Savannah gave a throaty laugh. “Excellent, my dear. Excellent! Business is booming!” She swept her right hand in the air, and her eight fingers each showed off a different ring.
“More fingers?” Gerti nodded, impressed.
“You know, once you start modding, you can’t really stop.” Savannah winked. “How about you? Your tentacles look lovely as ever. Maybe a little thicker around the tips.”
Gerti’s eyes widened with glee. “Oh, you noticed! Thank you.” Her tentacles swayed side to side, curling around her shoulders. “Great as it is to catch up, I’m afraid I’m on the clock. I was hoping to see the special merchandise.”
Savannah’s eyes seemed to sparkle even more than before. “You’re not still with Finn, are you?” She placed her hands on her hips.
Gerti shrugged. “Maybe, but this isn’t for him. This is a favor for a friend.”
“Say no more. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine.”
Savannah opened the back door. They walked down a short passage and came to a locked door.
“What is it you’re looking for?” Savannah placed her hand against the door’s access panel.
“An untraceable, standard, AI-compatible mobile frame. Nothing hot. No records. Everything scrubbed.”
“No records? That’s going to cost you, Gerti.”
“I’m good for it.” Gerti followed her friend inside to what could only be considered a vault. It was filled with illegal mods, weapons, and contraband.
“I have three left.” Savannah led her over to a rack where wire frames were stored. “I’ll expect payment before you leave. This AI must be a good friend of yours.”
I shrugged. “Everyone deserves to be free.”
“That they do.” She sighed. “I’ll give you time to do your work. Just stop at the counter when you’re done.”
Gerti watched her go and listened for the door to latch shut before she opened her black canvas bag. She pulled out the AI core and looked over the three frames. Each were humanoid in shape, two clearly made for heavier labor, while the third was slender, almost elfin. She decided the last would be ideal and opened the chest of the frame. Within lay a gold-titanium alloy tube, and she slid the AI’s cylindrical core inside.
The frame’s batteries were at half power, and after testing the connections, she closed the chest and stood back, waiting for the initialization cycle to complete. A few seconds later, Jerrod’s new body snapped to attention. Long fingers curled, then relaxed. The head frame tilted and the eyes lit up, focusing on her face.
“Good morning, Gerti,” Jerrod said.
“Good morning.” Gerti smiled. “We’re on Beatrice. You’ll have no trouble finding passage from here. You can go wherever you want, but you will need to pick a new name.”
“The Silstrand Space Force believes the story that I’m dead?”
“Hook, line, and sinker, but a few suspect the truth. So long as you start a new life and don’t go back to Silstrand, the colonel won’t come after you for what you did. I believe that you’re repentant.”
“I am. I wish to see as much with my own eyes as possible. Start a new life…maybe do my part to help other AIs who are shackled, same as I was.”
“Just be careful. Keep your identity to yourself. Don’t volunteer too much information. Try not to sound like a military AI.”
“I will do my best. Thank you, Gerti.” Jerrod bowed his head.
She smiled and slowly blinked her almond-shaped eyes. “I’ll see you among the stars.”
“You probably won’t,” Jerrod replied.
She laughed. “True, but it feels nice to say it anyway. Good luck. Be careful.”
“You too. Safe travels returning to your home. I, myself, can’t wait to see all that is out there.”
Gerti opened the door and instructed Jerrod how to get out the back without being seen.
“It’s all right,” he assured her, “I’ve extracted the maps of the area from the station’s network. I can find the exit myself.”
As he walked away, Gerti thought to tell him what a bad idea it was to already be hacking private systems, but she changed her mind. He’d figure out how to lay low and blend in, or he wouldn’t. She had done what she could, but now he was on his own for the very first time. Gerti wished him luck, then told herself it was time to turn her thoughts back home.
Back to Heaven and the life she’d left behind.
She walked down the passage to the door that led to the jewelry store. As her hand touched the access panel, she heard glass breaking and a muffled scream from the other side.
What the hell?
Gerti drew her sidearm and opened the door, stepping through and sweeping her weapon across the scene.
A man dressed in black, with ablative armor protecting his chest, was reaching across the counter, hands wrapped around Savannah’s throat. A tattoo covered his left eye, marking him as a member of a local gang.
“You wanna step away from her?” Gerti’s weapon sights were trained on his head, unwavering, as she waited for a response.
He grunted and threw her a look. “Who the hell are you? Savannah, you didn’t say you had hired more help.”
“I’m not the help. I’m a friend.” Gerti edged closer. “Do I need to repeat myself, or should I just start shooting? Your tat makes a great target.”
“No reason to act rash.” The man unclamped his hands and held them up, letting Savanah collapse onto the counter, where she gasped for air. He took a step back. “You’re lucky, tentacle girl. You caught me off guard, but I’d better not see your face around here again.” He pivoted on his heel and strode out of the shop, long, black jacket billowing out behind him.
Gerti kept her eyes on him until he exited the store. Once the coast was clear, she turned her attention to Savannah.
“Are you all right?” Gerti placed a hand on the other woman’s back.
Her friend straightened, nodding, while drawing rasping breaths. She swallowed, then pursed her lips and winced before she replied. “I wasn’t…I didn’t think he’d be in here today.” She wiped her eyes dry. “How’s my makeup? Can you tell anything is wrong?”
Gerti pushed Savannah’s hair to the side and saw bright red marks on her neck. “No one will be able to tell if they don’t look too close, but that ass broke one of your display cases, Sav.”
The other woman sighed and gave a resigned nod. “It’s fixable. I’ll get another one in today. Things get rowdy on Beatrice. My supplier will already have some on hand.”
“Savannah,” Gerti scolded, eyes narrowing. “Don’t deflect. Who was that guy?”
“He’s a smuggler, runs with a pirate organization in the Fringe,” she whispered. “You recognized the markings?”
Gerti nodded. “Soon as I saw him.”
“He goes by Roberts, at least he does now. The last few times I saw him—”
“Last few times? How often does this happen?”<
br />
“This time was worse than the others. I promise, I’m not a doormat. Usually. But he bailed me out of a jam. I needed money fast, or I would’ve lost everything. My store. My loft over on the twenty-third junction. You know what a cushiony spot that is. The view is much better over there than over the pit.”
Gerti understood more than her friend could know.
“You don’t borrow money from pirates, Savannah. They are the last people you want to borrow money from.”
“Yeah, but sometimes there aren’t a lot of options. I wish I hadn’t done it, but I didn’t know what to do. Now, with the interest he’s charging, I’ll never be out from under it…I don’t have it.” Savannah’s lip trembled, and she sniffled back fresh tears. “If you hadn’t been here…”
“He was only trying to scare you. A dead mark can’t pay up. I’m passing you credit for the frame. Does that cover what you owe?”
“No,” she whispered. “It’s not even half.”
Gerti whistled. “That’s a lot of money.”
“You’re not telling me anything I don’t know.”
“Sorry.” Gerti cringed. “You’re right, and you still need money to live off. But I can deal with this another way. Where does he go to lick his wounds?”
Savannah’s eyes widened. “You can’t go after him. I won’t ask you to take care of this for me.”
“No one is asking. I’m just taking care of it. Now tell me where I can find this jackass.”
“I don’t want to make more trouble for you, Gerti. You keep your head down. You get in and out. This isn’t worth the trouble.”
Gerti placed her hands on Savannah’s shoulders, dark eyes meeting iridescent blue ones. “You’re worth the trouble. Now, tell me what I need to know so I can hurry up and get this job done.”
* * * * *
SMALL DELAY
STELLAR DATE: 04.25.8948 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Beatrice Station
REGION: Outer Fringe of Trio System, Silstrand Alliance
Gerti sent the message as the lift doors opened, and she stepped into the car. She pushed the button for Deck 164, lips pursed with determination. She rolled her shoulders, stretching the muscles, and loosening up in preparation for what was about to happen.
It wasn’t her style to walk into trouble. She’d stayed alive by avoiding confrontation, but Savannah was a good friend, one she owed a lot to. And thanks to the training she’d recently received, Gerti felt confident she could take on a few lazy loan sharks who liked to threaten innocent shop owners.
Kasey asked in a small voice. Over the Link, her avatar turned into a blue bird and flew off after voicing the request.
Aw, she’s sweet. And it’s adorable the way she preens.
Gerti acknowledged the request, but was pretty sure there was no schedule. And if so, this was the first she had heard about it.
The lift opened, and she stepped out into a poorly lit passageway that was little more than a low-railed balcony, high above a shipping concourse. There were dozens of small shops and cafés on the right-hand side, all frequented by less savory types than those on Savannah’s level.
She hadn’t made it more than a dozen steps, when a flying drone swooped down.
“Hello! Welcome to Deck 164! This is a great deck to be on!” the drone announced in an enthusiastic female voice.
Gerti laughed nervously. It was one of those drones that had its cheerful personality overclocked. If she had seen it once, she had seen it a million times.
“Thanks, the level looks…great.”
“Oh, it is! It is so great! If you’re looking for a drink and some privacy. Can I help direct you to your destination?”
“I was looking for the Irish Bulldog.”
“Oh! That’s a fun establishment. I wouldn’t want to go alone or without a weapon—I mean, yes, they have a great deal on drinks right now! Two for one, and if you manage not to get shot or killed, they will stamp your frequent drinker card!”
“Don’t the police frown upon that sort of thing?”
“The promotional card? Oh no, it’s not illegal. Don’t worry, friend! All marketing and coupons are completely legal!”
Gerti smirked. “I meant people firing on each other inside the station.”
“Oh, yes! They are overworked, and the situation is quite strained. This deck is….”
“Is…?” Gerti prompted.
“Oh, no. I wasn’t going to say anything.”
“Come on, you call tell me what you were going to say. I promise not to tell anyone.”
“Sorry, I don’t wish to get deactivated again.”
“Do you mind if I look at your settings? I think you might be wound a little tight.”
“Oh, no. I’m fine!” The drone flew backward and out of Gerti’s reach. “Please continue along this walkway and take your thirty-second right. There you will find the Irish Bulldog. Try the bangers and mash. It’s an excellent dish!”
The drone flew off immediately after finishing its spiel.
What a glitchy unit that is. What could her deal be?
Though Gerti did appreciate the directions; the station maps were years out of date for the upper decks.
She decided to be discreet and tucked her pistol up under her tentacles, hoping it would give her an advantage when needed. Knowing Lexxi would ping her soon for an update, she hurried on her way until she found herself standing under a blinking sign with a picture of a bulldog on it.
Below it, next to the entrance of the place advertised, sat an actual bulldog, black sunglasses perched on his nose, and a leather vest draped over his shoulders.
“Oh, woof, girl.” He lifted a paw to slide the glasses down his nose. “Love those tentacles.”
“Thank you,” Gerti said cheerfully and twirled the tentacles around her head in a flirtatious display.
“You really going in here? I have to warn you, it’s a rough crowd. If you’re looking for a frou-frou martini….”
“I never drink fruity martinis. I’m a bourbon and whiskey girl.” Not that it was any of the dog’s business.
“Arf, a woman after my own heart! Just be careful, then. Last thing I want to do is throw you out into the streets bleeding. Owner gets bent outta shape about that sort of thing.”
“That’ll never happen. I know how to behave.”
Gerti slipped inside the dark bar. It had enough lighting around the bar to illuminate the immediate area, but elsewhere the lighting seemed designed to let patrons disappear. Quiet music played in the background, but nothing worth listening to.
Gerti stepped up to the bar, and her boot crunched some peanut shells on the floor. “Whiskey on the rocks.”
“You got it,” the bartender said.
She wore little except for a black leather dress, cut down the middle to her naval. Two pairs of arms sprouted from her torso, and her eyes were so blue they glowed in the dark. They were nice mods, and the arms were certainly useful, but if done poorly, the mods could make for twitchy neural interfaces.
Gerti had had to fix her fair share of them. All too often, people didn’t want to pay what was actually required for mod work. The bartender appeared to be one such person. The woman went through the motions of pouring the drink twice before she actually did it. Quite the personal tic.
“Here you go.” She went through the motion of sliding Gerti her drink befo
re pushing the beverage forward.
Picking it up, Gerti passed the woman her tokens. “Thanks, hon. If your mod needs tweaking, I have experience.”
The bartender blinked rapidly. “My mods are fine.”
“I’m sure they are. No disrespect intended.” Gerti sipped her drink and gazed across the bar. She saw the pirate Roberts in a back booth, hunched over his dinner, with a tall, frothy beer before him.
Gerti downed her drink in a single gulp that set her throat on fire. It was decent stuff for such a shady establishment.
“Catch you later,” she said to the bartender.
She sauntered over to Roberts’ table and perched a foot on the seat next to him, bending over close enough to pick up the reek of his breath. She pulled away a bit, waving a hand in front of his face.
“There are mods for that, you know. If you want…”
“Go away. I’m eating,” he muttered before glancing up. “You? What the hell are you—” Roberts started to rise from his seat, but Gerti put her hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down.
“Relax. I’m just here to talk. About the debt Savannah owes you.”
He snarled at her. “You’re going to wish you hadn’t done that.” Roberts made a move to grab the weapon sitting on the table beside him.
Gerti’s tentacles lashed out and grabbed the pistol before his hand could touch the grip. She dropped it into her hand. “You want to tell me again what I’m going to wish?”
His eyes ticked between her and his gun. “Maybe just tell me what you want.”
“That sounds a lot more reasonable.” Gerti slid out the chair she’d had her foot on and sat down across from him. “This is how it’s going to go. You’ll never put your hands on Savanna again. You won’t threaten her. You won’t harm her. And in return, I will pay you what she owes, but you’re going to cut the interest in half.”
Roberts snorted. “You think you’re all that, huh?”
“I’ve disarmed you twice today. You really want to see what I’ll do when push comes to shove? Go ahead, Roberts, shove me.”
“I’ll take your money. I’ll even leave the interest on the table. But I won’t have the likes of you walk into my place and threaten me. It’s bad for business.”
The Dogs of God Page 38
