“Time’s up, Cort. Forever.”
Jacked out. Disorientated. Pale blue fading before him. Headache. A glance at the clock: 12:02:23.
“We were generous and gave you an extra minute, seeing as we like you. But for the other time...” She raised a smooth palm, veins prominent. Bald dome, covered with circuit patches, wireless cubes of antiquated silicon and the newer synthetic diamond chips jutting from her skull. Wired to the max. Eyes large and dark in their sockets. He shrugged off the fatigue and reached inside his oversized sweater riddled with hidden pockets. Yanked a roll of new Yen, peeled off a dozen bills, leaving himself awfully short, greased her palm.
“Can I come back, sister?” Already knowing the answer. A shake of her head, followed by a smile, revealing rows of implanted teeth, no doubt sharp and deadly.
“If you wish,” her grin widened. Cort walked, suddenly bone weary, accepted a hard diskette of the data he’d required. The software he’d brought stayed, part of the price of doing business with the Sisters. Even so it was a bargain.