Bubblegum Crusade (Ch. 7 of 24)
Jul. 10th, 2009 11:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fanfic_mausoleum_n_grillWELCOME TO BUBBLEGUM CRUSADE!
(Copyright disclaimer goes here.) Here we go.
Chapter Seven
ROCK ME
"Let's dance!" Why not seriously let out
The emotions that you embrace?
"Let's dance!" No one can stop the rockshow
Whose curtain is going up.
"You're a lonely boy,
But you don't know I'm a lonely girl."
With a downcast face, you can't see the freeway
That follows the stars, at all.
"Rock me! Just you!" Rock my heart!
"Rock me! Just you!" Hold me tight!
"Rock me! Just you!" In the only way we can live, now!
"Let's dance!" I want to feel
A hot session with you tonight.
"Let's dance!" No one can stop this rockshow
If we fall in love.
"I can feel you.
But you can't feel me, touch me?"
I'm really a lonely person,
But I believe in happiness.
"Rock me! Just you!" Hit me with your heart!
"Rock me! Just you!" There's nothing to lose!
"Rock me! Just you!" In the only way we can live, now!
Someday you ought to understand
The loneliness of not having someone to love.
"Rock me! Just you!" Rock my heart!
"Rock me! Just you!" Hold me tight!
"Rock me! Just you!" Only you can rock me!
"Rock me!" Rock me tonight!
Priss and the Replicants -- The bootleg tapes.
Mega-Toyko, 12, October, 2034
GENOM Artificial Island, GAI #7 in Tokyo bay, was surrounded
in a perennial thick fog as dawn slowly arose. The thick shroud
over the mass of gray metal and concrete was caused by the
release of steam from the cooling systems for certain heat
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sensitive chemicals used in the manufacture of a sub-assemble
part in the boomer CPU. From here, 59% of the GENOM boomer
juggernaut was supplied with a vital CPU component. Daily
shipments of the component left fog island to be outsourced just-
in-time delivery material for GENOM plants across the world.
Inside, on a level 25 meters below the surface of Tokyo bay,
a C-class boomer moved down a plain metallic grey hallway with a
doorway every three meters on each side. The doors were
identical to each other, a heavy steel that would only open when
a code was punched into the computer lock. The boomer stopped at
doorway #12. It punched the correct code and entered the room.
Leon was still dreaming as the boomer entered. His dreams
were just now starting to grow more chaotic as the effects of the
Black Magic M-42 started to turn nasty in its final phase and rip
his mind apart neuron by neuron.
The boomer punched in a code on a panel set into the side of
the table he lay strapped to. The steel bars that held him down
soundlessly slid into their housing in the table. It picked him
up; Leon continued to dream.
The boomer carried him through the grey silence to the
elevator. They passed no one but boomers in the early morning on
their way to a secondary docking bay that was within the complex.
The boomers paid them no attention and the human workers didn't
notice because they were hard at work.
It dumped Leon into the bottom of a boat and started to
fasten a 50 kilogram weight to Leon's chest with duct tape. It
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bound his hands, feet, and put a section over his mouth. Leon
was oblivious to it all. The boomer opened a false bottom in the
bow of the boat. It put Leon on a fine metal mesh that the water
lapped through. In a minute's time, the boomer piloted the sleek
craft down the waterway to the portal that omitted them into the
fog shrouded waters off of GAI #7. Ten minutes of cruising at a
leisurely 15 knots brought the GENOM craft to a position in the
bay where the ever busy shipping lanes could not observe closely.
Satellite observation would not be a problem since GENOM owned
all 35 satellites in geo-synchronous orbit over the Mega-Tokyo
area. The boomer slowed the craft to a stop. After a minute of
just sitting on the water, it hit a button that slid the wire
mesh apart. The boomer waited another minute before starting the
craft back up and heading back. The mission was completed and it
was ready for a new assignment as the OMS automatically wiped its
memory of everything the boomer did.
When Leon hit the water an energy field sprang into
existence over his nose and mouth. The field expanded as he sank
until it completely covered him. As Leon passed the 20 meter
mark, the field began to shimmer with a green/black glow. Leon
breathed normally in his unconscious state; the energy field
provided oxygen and relief from the growing pressure as he sank.
Leon descended until he serenely floated a meter above the
ocean floor. Slowly the field began to propel him along towards
a patch of green/black fire that expanded as he neared. The
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darkness was pushed back as the fire soared, twisted, danced in
joy around Leon's helpless form. The duct tape on his hands,
feet, and mouth dissolved when he drew near the center of the
swirling power.
A figure sat in the middle of the green/black maelstrom of
energy, ideally watching Leon float towards him. There was no
detail to the Man; he was completly covered by the flames. They
came off of him in waves, steady, strong waves like a heart beat
or the tide. The Man raised his left hand and a wave of
green/black energy poured over Leon. Leon gasped, but remained
unconscious. The Black Magic M-42 started to burn out of his
system. The damage to his nervous system and mind started to
repair itself.
New tendrils of green/black energy snaked out from him after
Leon had been healed and began to encircle, caress, toy with the
unconscious man.
A smile appeared on the Man's face through the green/black
fire. He turned and they leisurely started towards Mega-Tokyo,
unseen in the eternal night of the sea.
* * *
Nene sighed as she tossed another stack of papers onto the
already overflowing garbage can by Leon's desk. "This is futile.
There's nothing here."
Daley leaned back in Leon's chair and slowly ran his fingers
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through his hair before pounding his fist against the arm of the
chair in frustration. The Chief had ordered Daley not to get
heavily involved in the investigation because of personal
emotional ties that developed between partners. He had ordered
Daley to tackle the disaster area Leon called a desk in the slim
hope that there was some clue as to why he was kidnapped, or who
was responsible. When Nene came to work, Daley requested her
help with the mess, having her check through his computer files.
They found nothing.
"Damn it," said Daley. "If only those fools hadn't lost him
by the waterfront. Shit, what kind of police work is that? It's
no wonder the boomer crimes go mostly unsolved."
"Especially with a smarty running a show like that." Nene
plopped down into a chair by Daley and looked at the neatly
ordered piles of papers they organized during the search. "GENOM
car indistinguishable from tens of thousands of other ones in the
city; it was reported stolen to the Police five days ago. Not
much left at the crime scene and no way to even begin to look for
those boomers. There must be at least ten thousand C-class
boomers in Mega-Tokyo, if not more."
"I don't know what to tell the Chief," said Daley. "As far
as I can tell Leon hasn't been working on anything that I don't
know about. And we've handled nothing big since the Knight
Sabers' battle at the power plant. I don't know what someone
would want Leon for. What does he know? What does someone gain
by pulling him off the street? Who are they that can rile up the
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AD Police and not expect to get caught? They would have known
that we'd turn the town upside down looking for him and they just
arrogantly did it."
"Leon's got himself into something big," said Nene. There's
only one other thing I can think of, thought Nene. Priss told us
that he knew she was a Knight Saber. Damn it Sylia, I wish you
were here. I need to talk to you. If this involves us there
could be real trouble, but we haven't done anything in six
months. Then again, if the Yakuza is involved, six months is
hardly enough time for the patient strategy they usually
employed. I don't think we've been involved with the Yakuza,
just GENOM mainly. Sylia, I wish I could talk with you but damn
you, you didn't even leave us your number in Germany. "Come on
Daley, let's go have some lunch. You look like you need a
break."
Daley nodded slowly.
* * *
"What a bod' she's got."
The whisper between two friends filtered through the noise
of the passengers cueing up for customs until it came to Crystal
Magami. She smiled and turned to glance over her shades at those
two guys. Both were startled because they didn't think she could
have overheard them. There were six people separating them in
line, all of whom were engaged in a conversation with someone.
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As she turn back, Crystal felt a wave of familiarity pass
through her, a small wave of calmness. Simply standing in line
was something she had never done before. The stares she got as
she boarded the plane were mostly unconcealed desire. That
helped. Crystal could deal with that, it was her most basic
programming. She wanted to sit with Sylia and Mackie, taking her
ques on how to act from them, but that wasn't possible. She sat
alone, fidgeting as the majority of people got on board until
Mackie came by and slipped her the bubblegum. Crystal was quite
startled when she read the ingredients.
The plane filled up and Crystal began to get used to the ebb
and flow of this human interaction. She sat and talked with a
Germany business man about nothing important for awhile. That
conversation was in German. Crystal conversed with different
people in French, Russian, English, Arabic, and her native
Japanese before the flight even reached the halfway point. Vast
language ability was something her programers naturally built
right into her CPU. Crystal once joked with Mackie about being
able to scream for more in a hundred different languages and
dialects.
Crystal's gum chewing slowed down as she rode the wave of
calm familiarity the comment brought and took a step up in line.
She glanced down at the black and white shadow image of Goofy on
her Euro-Disney shirt as she absently pulled gently on one of the
loose white threads from her cut offs. Crystal glanced around at
how everyone else was dressed. It was beginning to get to cold
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for the majority of humans to be wearing cut offs and a tee shirt
this time of year. A slight error in blending in, she thought.
No one else is wearing a tee shirt, cut offs, and Nikes. Crystal
was designed to take cold and heat extremities, although she
could noticed the temperature difference between wearing a tee
shirt and a sweat shirt but didn't have to do anything because it
didn't bother her.
She moved up in line, blew a small bubble and popped it
quickly before starting to chew her bubblegum a bit faster. I
wish Sylia had let me wear a crop top, thought Crystal. With all
the elective surgery done every day it would've been accepted
without a thought. The line moved again and she stood looking at
the boomer inspector.
"Papers please. Give your suitcase to her."
Sylia briefed her on what to expect so Crystal handed her
athletic bag to the woman and her German passport to the boomer.
They started to look them over. Crystal only had two changes of
cloths in the bag and no purse for the woman inspector to look
through. Crystal slowly turned to glance back to where Sylia and
Mackie were in line behind her, down twelve people. Sylia was
nodding absentmindedly, like she was agreeing with something
Mackie was saying, but Crystal could tell that Sylia was
encouraging her.
"You will take off your glasses for a moment."
"What? Oh." Crystal took off the shades and smiled at the
boomer, blew a bubble and popped it.
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"Business or pleasure?"
"Why divide the two?"
"Anything to declare?"
Ah...party on..no, not that, don't say that. "No, nothing."
"Have a pleasant stay in Japan miss." The boomer handed her
passport back after it stamped it. "Next."
Crystal put her shades back on as she picked up her bag,
bowing as custom demanded. She began to walk leisurely through
MTX towards the main exit; she tried not to gawk at things, or
stumble around overwhelmed by it all. Crystal realized that she
relished the experience of being around this many people. It was
stretching her ability to comprehend and challenged her CPU to
make the correct judgements about what to do without resorting to
movements and actions that weren't human.
Crystal reached a bank of pay-per-view TVs, sat down, and
inserted her brand new, never been used bank card. She split the
screen between four different stations. She was about to go to
nine but caught herself with the thought that humans couldn't
take in that much info' at a time. Crystal punched up a tourist
channel that told about activities in Mega-Tokyo, a news channel
from the area, CNN, and just started fliping the last channel
around. She found a religious program but flipped away from it
because she didn't have the time. Religion was one thing Crystal
didn't understand and when she did watch a religious program it
took most of her mental capacity to be able to comprehend just
the basics. Crystal sat absorbing it all and wondered what in
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the hell she was go'en to do next.
"Act like a tourist, blend in, surround yourself with
ordinary people," said Sylia. She down shifted for a
particularly sharp corner on the road from the Cybernetics Lab to
the main highway.
"A tourist?" Asked Crystal from the back seat.
"We'll hide you in plain sight. It's still the last place
most everybody looks for something, especially when they think
it'll be hidden. I also want you to change your shirt."
"My shirt? Why? I like this crop top."
"Crystal, you have to be smarter than that if you want to
survive. You don't have a navel. It's a sure sign that there's
something different about you and what we need is anonymity,
sameness."
"The chameleon effect," said Crystal as she traced her hand
over her smooth stomach. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'll change." She
reached over for her athletic bag, pulled out her Goofy shirt,
and started to change. "Anything else?"
"You've got that bank card, four addresses and phone numbers
for emergencies, a couple of rendezvous sights, we've talked
about what to watch out for, what to avoid, and your background.
What do you say when someone offers to buy you a meal?"
"I order the most expensive thing the place has got," said
Crystal with a smirk. "Eat spartanly because of my figure, not
mentioning that my system doesn't need nearly as much food as
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yours, fuck the guy, or woman, and then call it a night."
"That would work to," said Sylia sourly. "Or?"
"Or," Crystal began to sniffle; her eyes began to moisten
with tears. "I could explain..about what..happened to me..in New
York. Please forgive me, it's difficult to talk about." Tears
were streaming down her face. "I was thirteen and...I was
attacked by a psychopath. Before they dragged him off of
me..he..he..he gutted me like a fish. I have very little
digestive system left and..I can't handle normal food any more."
Crystal stopped crying and smiled. "When they did the plastic
surgery to get rid of the scars, they covered my navel right up.
I think it's rather sexy, don't you?"
"That's a new one," said Sylia with a smile. "You help her
with that one?" She looked over at Mackie who hadn't said
anything since they'd left the labs.
"No."
"What's wrong?" Asked Sylia.
"Everything. This fuck'en sucks," he exclaimed. "We're
just abandoning her in Mega-Tokyo without any support. Crystal,
you have no idea what life is like outside of the labs. I...if
you got hurt..."
Crystal leaned forward and put her arm on his shoulder. "I
understand, but Sylia..."
"I think this is the wrong move," interrupted Mackie. "We'd
be dropping her into the lion's mouth by taking her to Mega-
Tokyo."
HOUGH/CRUSADE-187
"We can't do very much else at the moment," said Sylia.
"She's a fugitive, a fugitive from something worse and stronger
than any government on the planet. When we get to Mega-Tokyo, we
have to play the charade of normality until I can find a way to
get GENOM off of us. They will be looking for her through us, so
she must go into the city and blend in without overt contact with
us. If you have a better idea I want to hear it."
Mackie continued to stare out the window.
Crystal tossed her crop top into her bag and zipped it back
up. "It'll be ok. I can do it." Oh, she thought suddenly. He
probably hates the idea of being separated from me, from his only
sexual partner. As far as I know he's only been with me and I've
noticed jealousy from him if I mention any of the 62 people I've
been with. I just don't understand his attitude when it comes to
something as natural as sex. It must be some human quirk.
"Mackie, perhaps we can meet secretly."
"I suppose," mumbled Mackie.
"It's the best plan for now." Sylia reached out to pat her
brothers arm. "You'll see, this'll work." Or the Knight Sabers
will take this matter up with the Tai-Pan himself.
["Hi there. You look lost."]
Crystal looked up at the German business man she talked with
on the plane. He was dressed in a light grey suit and was
carrying a darker grey overcoat over his arm. ["Oh Heinrik, hi.
Do I really look lost?"] Crystal responded in German.
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["Well, maybe confused. Were you go'en to meet someone
here? They didn't show?"]
["Yea, I gave'em a ring and their message service said they
couldn't come and pick me up, business. So I just sat down and
was wondering what to do until I could see them tomorrow. Do you
know the town?"]
Heinrik smiled. ["Me and this town get along quite well.
Are you the party type, I know the best places in Mega-Tokyo."]
["Sounds good."] Crystal slipped out of her seat and
stuffed her bank card in a pocket. ["I'd love to see this
town...it's very different from were I grew up."] Oh shit,
mistake, mistake, he'll ask me were I grew up and the lies will
start to get complex. Sylia told me to keep the lies simple.
The more complex they are, the easier it is to mess up, but I
shouldn't need to worry about messing up due to my memory.
["Where did you grow up?"] They started toward the main
exit.
["Well, it was at a lab complex south of Bonn. My mother
was a researcher there and I've spent my entire life there.
There was no one my own age, and we didn't go into Bonn very
often. I've never set foot in a normal classroom."]
["I see,"] said Heinrik. ["Sounds lonely."]
["To a certain extant. This is my first time anywhere
really."]
["Great. You picked a hell of a place to come to. Welcome,
welcome to the biggest and best city on the planet. I promise to
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show you the best time you've ever had."]
Great, thought Crystal. He's taking me to an orgy. Wait,
he probably means that in a nonsexual way. Dealing with humans
away from the labs is more complex than I thought it would be. I
have lead an isolated existence. The literature of the world at
my fingertips and yet I'm at a disadvantage because of my lack of
interrelationship skills. ["I'll hold you to that promise.
Where are we going first?"]
My hotel, he thought. ["Well, we'll go to the G-strip.
It's were the parties and all the action you can handle is at."]
["Lead the way."]
They came out of the airport and stopped in line to grab a
cab. Crystal glanced around and she notice Sylia and Mackie
waiting by the curb for the light to change. Mackie noticed her
and immediately a hurt expression started on his face. Sylia
noticed and casually elbowed him. They started across the street
and Crystal noticed two C-class boomers move through the crowd
behind them.
["Yea, I'll give my friends a call tomorrow, that's when
their message said they would be done with their business."]
Crystal continued to watch the two C-class boomers as she got in
the taxi. They headed into the adjacent parking garage 30
seconds after Sylia and Mackie.
GENOM knows, thought Crystal as Heinrik got in the cab and
the boomer driver pulled slowly away from the curb. Mother was
right, she is being tracked so they could find me, take me away
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from her, make a slave of me. That's all GENOM has ever done
when it comes to my kind. Oh Mother, what are we going to do?
["Are you ok?"]
["I'm fine."] Crystal blew a small bubble and popped it
quickly. ["So, how wild can this G-strip get?"]
["Probably wilder than you can handle."]
["We'll see."] Crystal smiled.
I don't know what's troubling her, thought Heinrik. But
she's sure trying hard to conceal it.
* * *
"Sir, we've determined that this latest breach in company
security was undertaken by a Dr. Stingray with the full knowledge
and help of Dr. Geary. Dr. Geary is our head of cyberdroid
advancement at the Cybernetics Lab #7 outside of Bonn."
The Tai-Pan nodded. Why a sexaroid Sylia?
Bouwer continued as he bowed low. "The responsibility for
this incident must be fully mine Tai-Pan. The loss of over five
months of research is unpardonable. This matter with the missing
35-S sexaroid never reached my attention; my department was not
running right and it has now cost the company. My resignation
will be on your desk by tonight."
"It seems that this Stingray has cost us." Oh Sylia. The
Tai-Pan wanted to laugh but his face remained carved of stone.
"Your resignation might not be necessary. I will allow you to
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keep your post, for now. It depends now on how you will handle
this situation."
"Yes Tai-Pan." Bouwer bowed low. "Thank you Tai-Pan."
"Please continue with the details."
"We now know that three days after the 20 35-S prototype
sexaroids were produced at our Research plant # 4 here in Mega-
Tokyo, one 35-S was transferred to our Production Storage
Facility #2 in Zaire. It was logged in and then Dr. Geary's
position in our organization got it for him. Early afternoon on
the 12th, their time, Dr. Geary wiped and then destroyed the
computer core memory at his institution with a magnetic pulse.
This happened as PSF #2 discovered the sexaroid was missing when
they did their standard inventory review. The matter was
referred to GENOM security in the Bonn Tower when they found the
authorization code that got the sexaroid. A security team
discovered Dr. Geary's actions later that day."
"The sexaroid that was appropriated?"
"Sir, it's present whereabouts are unknown. The early
reports I've received from the Institute report that everyone
knew of her existence and that over half of the people there had
sex with a woman that matches the description of the sexaroid.
The reports indicate that the other researchers are deeply
shocked over this incident. It seems that they were under the
impression that nothing unusual was going on."
The Tai-Pan laughed. "Dr. Geary, Dr. Stingray, and the
sexaroid must be found."
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"Yes Tai-Pan. Dr. Stingray and her brother Mackie were on a
plane to Mega-Tokyo. It landed an hour ago. I have boomers
following her. My teams are scouring Germany and Europe for the
sexaroid and Dr. Geary."
"Bouwer, you will not find the sexaroid in Europe. Stingray
is just the type to try to hide her right under our noses, right
in plane sight here in Mega-Tokyo. Double check everyone on that
flight she was on. Stingray is the one responsible for this;
Geary is a pawn in this game."
"Yes Tai-Pan. It will be done."
"Good, you can go about your business."
Bouwer bowed low and left hurriedly. The Tai-Pan tapped out
a summons for Fazul on his computer and moved over to his window,
to gaze out at the late afternoon over Mega-Tokyo. Why a
sexaroid? He started to watch the ant like actions of humanity
as he thought. A sexaroid. Dr. Geary was doing research into
boomer AI and you entered his project Sylia. The data reports
out of there indicated no progress of any kind. Crafty lies.
The fools bought your lies woman. What you are doing is obvious.
This is connected with the Haynes prototype AI that you
appropriated from Adama before we could reach it? The Knight
Sabers were right there when it went off line at the top of
Geocity. What did Adama contain that you had to try on a
sexaroid? Is little Sylia finially seeing the truth? "What game
do you play with GENOM?"
The Tai-Pan heard his door open and shut; steady footfalls
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approached him and stopped before his desk. He saw her
reflection in the glass. "What is your progress, Fazul?" He
turned back to his desk and sat down.
"I'm still in the preliminary stages of gathering my data
for you Sir."
"What, you don't have four names for me yet?"
Fazul was unruffled by his annoyance. "I have four likely
persons, but no proof, as of yet."
Quincy keyed in an order to his computer. The multivision
came on and held a blue field, awaiting the order to `play'. "Is
Priscilla Asagiri one of those on your list?"
Fazul's control over herself was enough not to show any
surprise. "Yes, Sir. She is the one I'm most certain of from my
sources of information."
"Hmmm." Quincy hit a button and a Knight Saber appeared on
the multivision on his right hand wall. It was the Knight Saber
in a blue hardsuit. She was leaning back against a wall, using
it for support. The main faceplate was shattered and Priss's
face was plainly visible. She was breathing hard.
"Priss," came a woman's voice from off camera. "It can't
be." The Tai-Pan froze the image.
"It seems that your sources of information have lead you to
a Knight Saber. The other names on your list?"
"Sir, they are Nene Romanova, an AD Police Teck'; Linna
Yamazaki, a stockbroker who just made millions on our own stock
in IMBEL; and Sylia Stingray, she is the daughter of Dr.
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Stingray."
Quincy closed his eyes and nodded slowly when Fazul came to
Sylia. "One confirmed and three probable. What is your
estimation?"
"Stingray holds several degrees in applied computer Teck',
programming, and software design. She would make a likely
candidate for a leader. Romanova works for the AD Police, a good
source of information. Yamazaki just made millions of SEC on the
market; being a merc' is expensive. And Asagiri, she's a bike
punk with a record; she's now a singer at a place in the skirt of
buildings surrounding GENOM."
"Muscle, a fighter," said the Tai-Pan.
"If these four are the Knight Sabers, then it's a well
designed group. Diverse in background and skills; covering all
the bases."
"Yes, I agree. I was just informed by Bouwer of the
activities of Sylia Stingray before I summoned you. She has
stolen an odd thing from us. Go to Bouwer for the details."
"Yes, Tai-Pan."
"Watch them Fazul; find out if they are the Knight Sabers.
Confirm our suspicions without resorting to bringing one of them
in for questioning. Do nothing else."
Why does he want it done this way? Thought Fazul. "Sir, if
they're the Knight Sabers, then don't we have to punish them for
their actions against GENOM? They killed one of our top
executives. Do we not owe Mason some measure of vengeance for
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his death?"
The Tai-Pan's face turned cold. "Do as I command and do not
fail me."
Fazul took one step backwards and drew herself up straighter
before trying to swallow with a dry throat. She bowed. "YES
SIR."
"Mason disappointed me, failed me. Do not make his mistake.
Now go."
Fazul quickly turned and strode briskly from the Tai-Pan's
presence. He blanked Priss's image and called up a hologram on
his desk. Mars and her two moons appears, slowly spinning along
as they would in space. Quincy rested his chin on his clasped
hands, intently watching Mars rotate with it's twin satellites.
He touched a button and a X appeared on the Martian surface. It
was the primary landing sight for the Discovery One mission.
Soon Sylia, thought Quincy. Soon you will again prove to be an
invaluable asset to me. And maybe you and I will have to come to
an understanding. Maybe not. If so, Earth and Mars could become
yours. If not, you become the greatest threat to me. Quincy
smiled and chuckled. "Knight Sabers, Go."
* * *
9:43 pm.
"Say Yes!" I just live hotter that yesterday...
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"Say Yes!"...because I've known loneliness
Crystal moved to the pulsating beat. She loved every second
of being in the G-strip area. The music, the people, the
swirling crowds of interacting humans. The rhythms in this area
of town moved in patterns Crystal thought she understood, sex,
pleasure, sensuality, but they moved at a speed she'd never
experienced before. It dazzled her and taxed her CPU to keep up
with it all. She wanted to laugh and just kiss everybody in
sight. Basic programming, she thought as she smirked at her
reflection in a glass and was bathed by lustful looks from all
around her. She sensually walked back to Heinrik, leaving a
gasping crowd of men in her wake. Heinrik had an awed look on
his face.
["Who is this?"]
["What?"] Yelled Heinrik over the music. ["You've never
heard this one by Vision? It was number one on the charts for
months a year ago."]
["Never heard it, but it's great,"] she yelled back as she
grabbed him by the arm and began to pull him towards the
overflowing dance floor at the Tecknocropolis, which was one of
the biggest party machines in the Mega-Tokyo G-Strip. Crystal
laughed as the flow of the crowd, the music, drifted her away
from Heinrik. The human maelstrom pulled her away from just the
one guy and she floated on a dizzying sea of energy to the very
center of the crowd. In moments, she was the one the whole of
the crowd was moving with; a gentle and loving goddess who lead
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the people in their celebration of life.
"Say Yes!" Shouted the crowd in perfect sync' with Vision.
What gorgeous men, thought Crystal. They want me, they all
want me.
"Say Yes!" Shouted the crowd.
What beautiful women, I want you all, all of humanity.
"Say Yes!" Shouted the crowd.
Sylia, Mackie, how I wish you were here with me tonight.
Mother, I would worship you in my arms if you would let me.
"You can be, you can do, you can sing, you can live."
Thank you, Vision. Thank you. I'm the same, the same as
all of you. It doesn't matter, sexaroid or human, we both just
want to live.
"Say Yes!" Shouted the crowd.
I'm not merchandise to be bought and sold on a whim. NEVER.
"Say Yes!" Shouted the crowd.
I'll fight to the death for my freedom. NO sexual
repression, NO political oppression, NO economic aggression, NO
sexist bigotry, NO human racism will stop me.
"Say Yes!" Shouted the crowd.
I CAN BE!
As the song wound down, Crystal felt a hand run quickly over
her ass. She didn't mind or pay any attention to the guy who
moved quickly back into the crowd as they started to mill around
between songs.
Heinrik started to push his way closer to her and decided to
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take the gamble. ["Come on, why don't we go,"] he yelled over
the screaming for more.
["Go where?"] Crystal screamed back.
["How about a hotel?"]
My most basic programming. About time, I was beginning to
wonder if I was going to have to drag him to one before very much
longer. ["Yea, yea, let's go."] They started to slip through
the crowd.
"And now," screamed the DJ. "The Tecknocropolis is proud to
present something you just can't find anywhere else in all of
Mega-Tokyo...Priss and the Replicants. KONYA WA HURRICANE."
The crowd erupted as the beginning strains blasted into them
from all sides.
Crystal put her arm around Heinrik and kissed him while they
went out the door. He stumbled on the steps and she helped him
keep his feet.
"Touch! Give me touch," sang Priss.
["Come on."] Crystal giggled before kissing him again.
They started down the street, arm in arm, headed for the nearest
hotel, but Crystal noticed a C-class boomer standing across the
street. It was looking right at them.
Shit. Crystal gasped and broke into a run, dragging Heinrik
along with her.
["Wait...what's the hurry...what's wrong?"] They rounded
the corner of an alley and she pulled him down behind a recycling
bin. ["You don't want to do it here do you?"]
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She stared at him in incomprehension until she realized what
he was asking and why. She shook her head and then shushed him
when he started to say something. Crystal turned her attention
to the corner they'd just rounded and waited.
["What's this about?"] Heinrik whispered.
["Wait,"] she whispered back.
Three and then five minutes passed without anything
happening. Crystal got up, motioned for him to stay put, and
cautiously looked around the corner. The C-class boomer was
still down the block, right where Crystal first spotted it. It
was standing with it's back against the side of a building
opposite the Tecknocropolis. It was trying to look casual, but
everybody in the endless flow of people by it gave it a wide
birth and a questioning look.
Crystal tried to relax. Shit, she thought. Fear, I've
never known fear like that. Fuck, is this going to happen every
time I see a stupid boomer, er, C-class boomer? Am I always
going to be that fearful? This was a false alarm, I think, but
will I always have to have a paranoid dislike of any boomers.
Any that are the pawns of GENOM, that is. I've got to talk to
Mother about this. This needs to change drastically.
Two more people came out of the Tecknocropolis, a young
woman in her mid-twenties; her straight black hair was held away
from her face with a yellow headband; the guy was in his mid-
twenties too, powerfully built, handsome. They turned and went
the other way.
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["Nice guy,"] murmured Crystal.
["What was that?"] Asked Heinrik. He'd just gotten up and
walked over to her. ["What are you looking at?"] He started to
shake his head in puzzlement.
["Just a minute,"] said Crystal softly. Oh, it's that
couple it's after. The boomer slowly started down the street
after them.
["What is this all about, Crystal?"]
["Oh, nothing that needs concern you."]
["Yea, right. Come one, what is it?"]
Crystal shrugged. ["Nothing. Now, if you don't feel like
going to a hotel, I understand. Goodnight, Heinrik."] She
started down the sidewalk. Crystal grinned and suppressed a
laugh.
I'll drop it, he thought as he started after her. ["Hey,
baby, I never said anything like that."] He slipped his arm
around her waist. ["What is this goodnight stuff, the night is
young."]
Crystal smiled. ["That it is, that it is."]
* * *
Priss's cargo trailer was at the very end of a cul-de-sac in
a crowded slum section adjacent to the Rift. `The Priss'
scrawled across her trailer in red spraypaint was faded so it
could hardly be seen at night. With all the masses that packed
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into the cheap, shoddy, condemnable places around her, the cul-
de-sac was deserted. There was nothing there except for Priss.
The land around her was an industrial section of Mega-Tokyo
before the Second Great Kanto earthquake. The factories,
warehouses, and businesses left, it would've been to expensive to
rebuild, and GENOM's rebuilding operation just ignored the area.
No orders came from the higher ups in the company so the section
chiefs working around the area just dumped the rubbish from the
previous buildings and from the current skyscrapers under
construction in that area. Half of the cul-de-sac Priss lived on
was demolished autos piled over two stories high. Behind her
they dumped boulder sized chunks of concrete on top of the
skeletal remains of a factory which burned down during the quake.
The kids called it "cement mountain." When the wind came from a
certain direction and speed, the more spiritual in the community
of lower working classes, would get nervous and start to talk
about ghosts. The spirits of the people who died that terrible
day were said to walk among the living as strange noises prowled
through the area.
Priss didn't pay any attention to such stories. She liked
this cul-de-sac. It was private in the heart of a teaming slum.
A two minute walk in any direction would bring her into the
multitude if she didn't want to be by herself. She also didn't
have to put up with any obnoxious neighbors. Various versions of
her band practiced at her place because there was no one to
complain and the echoes and backlash they got off the heaps of
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metal was something they all liked to play around with. When
Priss started to crank on her ax, the local kids would scramble
through the metallic maze, pack themselves onto the tops of the
demolished cars, and fill up the cul-de-sac for the free show.
At the Hot Legs or the cul-de-sac, Priss always packed them in.
Nights should've been pitch black because there was no
working street lights, but the surrounding, thriving, prosperous
Mega-Tokyo cast enough light into the area that shadows could be
cast. It was a tough place, filled with tough people. AD Police
did make routine patrols through the area, but they did it in
gear they might normally wear to face rampaging boomers. The
populous of the city in general avoided the Rift zone; the people
of the Rift Zone usually never traveled alone at night. True,
violent things did happen here, but generally, this place where
people lived and raised their children was about as safe as life
itself gets.
When boomer Omega7-K3-T395 first drove the black four door
sedan into the rift area, people noticed. They watched it drive
up to a apartment complex; the children hesitantly followed the
`clanking monster' to the roof were it stood watching a semi
cargo trailer at the end of a deserted cul-de-sac a km. away.
Night came and it reported through its direct link with the GENOM
OMS which controlled it, that nothing had happened; the target
hadn't moved. It watched, using infrared after dark, and waited.
The boomer didn't notice the tendril of green/black fire
soundlessly snake its way across the roof towards itself. When
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the green/black flame flared up and engulfed it, the boomer
didn't even have a chance to active its direct link with the OMS.
The green/black flame left only a few flakes of black soot that
blew away in the wind. Two figures flew silently past over head.
No one noticed.
Priss suddenly realized that the pounding was not in her
dreams but upon her door.
"Priss....Priss..."
She glanced at a clock as she got up, it was just past
midnight. "Who in the hell is it?" She bellowed as she put on
some jeans. "What the fuck is up?" She threw the door open, her
hand on a nasty little surprise above the door. An unconscious
Leon dropped into her arms.
"Shit, Leon." Priss glanced around at the stillness outside
as she held Leon in her arms. There was nothing there but she
felt unnerved somehow. Something bothered her.
"You're all wet, and totally out of it, oh shit." Priss
noticed the note which was stuck partially under a loosened flap
of duct tape strapped around his chest with a weight. She
stuffed the .45 in the back waistband of her jeans, then dragged
Leon just in far enough to get the door closed; she bolted it
shut. It was a moment before Priss could calm herself down
enough to pull the note loose. She scanned the perfectly formed
kanji, set it down on his chest, checked his pulse, took several
deep breaths, and scrambled for the phone. Priss remembered to
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blank the vid' screen a second before the call went through.
"AD Police, Investigations Department, Toshiozo speaking."
"Daley Wong, I need to speak to Daley Wong."
"Inspector Wong is out on a case, I..."
"I don't care where he is," Priss interrupted. "I have
vital info' about Leon's kidnapping." She glanced over at him
lying unconscious on her floor. "I can't give it to anyone other
than Daley."
Inspector Wong returned to the scene of the crime. I need
some of Big Lou's infamous coffee, thought Daley as he walked in.
One cup made Pope John Paul the 3rd see angels dancing on the
head of a pin. Bike punks became invulnerable until they took
that flying leap from the edge of the Rift. Boomers melt in the
stuff. People in wheelchairs get up and run from the place
screaming. Virgins orgasm and old men go home and die happy
after fighting a dozen samurai to the death. Cures all that ails
ya. Pumped up from a mystical Shinto shrine under the store,
guarded by a horrible monster that really never sleeps. Add a
little toxic waste from the GENOM plant down the street and we
have the modern wonder of the world, and I serious need a cup,
thought Daley.
The first three sips were pumping fire through Daley's veins
when he got back to his squad car and a beeping phone.
"Yea, Daley here."
"It's me, Priss. Do you know where I live?"
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"Uh, yea. Priss, what are you doing on this line? It's
restricted."
"Get over here as fast as possible. It's essential that you
don't bring or tell anyone that you're coming here. Leon's
turned up."
"Right, hush hush. Be right there."
"This is incredible. He's got to be one of the most fuck'en
luckies bastards I know." Daley looked over the note again, it
read: I fished this out of Tokyo bay as he was headed down.
GENOM really doesn't like him. His life would only be in
jeopardy if he publicly surfaced now. He was meant to be a
warning to The Knight Sabers.
"Do you think we can believe what's on that note?" Asked
Priss.
"Legit' or not, it really doesn't matter, yet. We don't
have any more to go on now than when he was snatched. Good old
Leon's not going to be telling us anything for awhile yet."
Daley was checking Leon over. "He's been pumped full of
something. I can't tell what."
"Are you going to keep him under wraps?"
"Yea, whatever this is, it's some nasty shit. I won't know
how bad until he comes to. You didn't call anyone else and
you've seen no one since he got here?"
"Yea. Exactly."
"Thanks for just call'en me in on this Priss. It could mean
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his life. That was a real smart move. Now, I'll get him to a
safehouse, and you'll say nothing to nobody about this."
"Yea, ok." Until I see Sylia, that is.
"I mean it Priss. This is important. Don't even tell Nene
about this."
"Daley, who ever dumped him here, knew me, and probably knew
I'd call you first. What ever Leon's been through, I bet he's
unimportant now, or at the very least, just a messenger. It
looks like the Knight Sabers are the ones who should be worrying
if that note is right." Priss suppressed a shudder. If they
pegged me through him, they should've nailed me to the wall by
now.
Daley finished pulling the weight off of Leon. He got out a
thick pair of shades and his gun, opened her door a crack, and
looked out. The infra-red night glasses showed nothing moving,
no heat patterns of waiting boomers. Daley went quickly to his
car, put the weight down by the back seat, and quickly got a
blanket out of the trunk.
"Ok, one, two, three, lift." Between the two of them, they
hauled him out of Priss's place and got him in the back seat of
the squad car. Daley started to cover Leon with the blanket.
"That about does it Priss. I'll get out of here."
"Yea." Priss started to stretch and look at the glowing
skyline of Mega-Tokyo. She noticed a flash of light from the
heart of the city. What was that? She wondered. Very faintly a
low rumble reached them. Priss turned towards Daley and saw a
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light flashing on her bike parked in her darkened semi trailer.
It was her call signal from Sylia, the call to action.
"Aw shit," moaned Daley. Priss turned and the skyline
adjacent to the Rift area was going dark. "That must have been
the central power distribution point for all of the Tinsel city
area. Shit. It's all going, going, gone. Black. Fuck'en
shit."
"Looks like you'll be busy for awhile." Sylia's place is
right in the heart of
Priss started into her place and paused as Daley's phone
beeped.
"Boomers," screamed a panicky voice from his phone. "Eight
combat boomers have destroyed the central power distribution
complex for all of the Tinsel city area. They're wiping a path
right through the city."
Priss didn't hear the rest as Daley slammed his car door and
pealed out; she punched the signal receiver on her bike.
"Priss, I need you over here immediately. This is a bad
one." Sylia's voice was tightly controlled, projecting the clean
blade edge of anger in it.
"Gotcha. Welcome back."