A "Knights' End" sidestory
by Mark Latus
"From early 2031 to October 30th 2035 four women held sway over the
MegaTokyo underworld. Though their public image was of a mercenary group
who were willing to help the common citizens by destroying malfunctioning
Boomers the truth was far darker. Behind the scenes they controlled a
syndicate running the majority of organized crime in MegaTokyo. The violence
they employed was sufficient to cow even the most hardened of Yakuza bosses.
In addition to this were their links to the Triads, the Mafia and the South
American drug cartels. They also supplied arms and technology to the
deadliest terrorists of our time, even the maniac known only as Largo. They
were the Knight Sabers and this is their story."
From "Armourgeddon : The Short and Bloody History of the Knight Sabers"
by Donald Okada. MegaTokyo : HarperWarners Japan, 2035.
Phoenix Enterprises, Berlin - 10 am Wednesday February 27 2036 AD.
CEO Stingray cursed silently as he scanned the financial news. A
terrorist attack in Vancouver had just wiped out the board of Tsing
Technologies. While police were blaming either West Coast Separatists or one
of the white supremacist militias Mackie knew who was really behind it. GENOM!
It seemed Daniel was stepping up his campaign to liquidate the Hou Bang. He
sighed. It made a lot of sense. After he eliminated Reika Chang, the heir to
the Hou Bang's secret empire, they were bound to seek vengeance. She had gone
to MegaTokyo looking to exact retribution for Linna's death much as she had
gone once before to avenge her sister. But Daniel had struck first.
After the accident the Hou Bang's extralegal wings were decimated by what
appeared to be gang wars between Triads and the Yakuza. GENOM's economic
muscle was driving the conglomerate's companies into bankruptcy. When that
didn't work suddenly company directors suddenly had accidents, or ran into
extremist groups. The Hou Bang were fighting back but they weren't nearly as
effective as GENOM. So much for his claim to Sylia that he'd be eliminating
GENOM's own extralegal divisions. To an extent he was, Daniel didn't need
the massive and inefficient structure Quincy had built up over the years. He
was pruning it back but the way he was doing it made Mackie sick.
You almost had to admire Dumas's inventiveness. He hadn't terminated
all GENOM's underworld links. Which would have been a literal description of
how he'd have handled it. Instead he'd retained the parts and people he could
use. The rest started turning up dead along with evidence linking them to a
syndicate run by the Knight Sabers. To the rest of the world it seemed that
with their leaders gone the Knight Saber's minions were now fighting it out
for control of the syndicate. The N-police stood back and let them slaughter
each other, happy to have the chance to close the files on a lot of criminals.
Besides after Red Tuesday they didn't have the manpower or the morale to mount
a major offensive.
Everyone was ready to believe the Knight Sabers were running a crime
syndicate. After all they were already well known as being the backers of the
terrorist known only as Largo and his worldwide laser satellite strikes.
Though they were mainly reviled as the monsters responsible for the nightmare
known as Red Tuesday. Hell, now every disappearance and unsolved crime in the
past five years was being blamed on the Knight Sabers!
"Mr Stingray?"
Mackie's musings were interrupted by the arrival of his personal
secretary. He looked up from the monitor. "Yes Carol?"
"Mr Hastings is on channel 3. He says it's urgent."
"Probably those patents are being challenged by GENOM England. I gave
him specific instructions on how to handle it. Am I supposed to come over
there and hold his hand?" There was no sign of anger in Mackie's voice but
Carol had been with him long enough to sense the impatience behind the calm
tone. Perhaps he was having problems with that girlfriend of his. Frankly
she felt he was wasting his time with a scientist. Maintaining that lab just
to keep her happy signalled a window of vulnerability in his sharklike
exterior. Vulnerabilities exist to be exploited. All's far in business and
war.
"Is everything all right sir?"
"Absolutely nothing is all right Carol." None of the turmoil he felt
inside echoed on his face. "I've got three dead women living in the BioCyb
lab. Two of whom are having a lot of trouble dealing with that. Plus one
sister of highly dubious sanity who is beginning to piss everybody else off.
Frank and Ilsa are near to giving up on the Knight Shadows and walking and I
can't really say that it's a bad decision. Sonya thinks Nene's after my
body so she's in a foul temper. On top of which I've declared commercial
warfare on the most powerful corporation of all time. A war that I know I
can't possibly win. Of course if Daniel finds out that I brought back the
Knight Sabers then the kid gloves come off and it's warfare for real between
us. Other than that everything is fine." Out loud all he said was, "Minor
headache, maybe I've got a touch of that flu that's going around."
"Would you like me to have Doctor Brownslaw see you sir."
"Not just yet. Beside he might recommend bed rest and there's just too
much to do. Patch Hastings through."
She withdrew and Mackie did his best to compose himself. He had one of
the best minds on the planet. One of the three that his father had enhanced
to create a mental superman. He could deal with anything life could throw at
him. He was totally under control. The dreams didn't bother him in the
slightest.
"Donald, nice to hear from you. How's everything in London?"
"The few survivors among her childhood neighbours all agree on one
thing. Before the quake she was a bright and pleasant child who dreamed of
becoming a dancer. Some might say that it was the loss of both her parents
in the quake that started her on the downward spiral. Yet others suffered
worse losses and emerged bloody but unbowed. How did she become so twisted
that she would forget her childhood dreams of the stage and dance only
over the bodies of her victims?"
From "Kali : The Life of Linna Yamazaki"
by Andrea Carrington. Los Angeles : PacificPress, 2036.
Komrade Kremlin's Burger Barn #15, MegaTokyo - 1 pm Thursday February 28
2036
The restaurant was decorated in that godawful "Happy Hammer & Smiley
Sickle (tm)" motif that was this burger chain's sole claim to originality.
The food was the same plastic patty and cardboard fries you could get at any
other burger joint in the city. Why these places had caught on Leon would
never know. He wasn't sure why he'd even agreed to meet Lisa here. He had a
nasty feeling he knew what she wanted to tell him. In which case she could
get them both killed. If GENOM could murder a superstar and get away with it
a rookie reporter and a cop wouldn't even raise a sweat.
There she was, sitting in one of the corner booths. She was peering over
the top of a copy of "The Knight Saber Beside Me" (written by some guy who'd
dated Yamazaki and decided to cash in on the fact). She kept trying to
unobtrusively scan the room in a very furtive and amateurish fashion. Little
point in being subtle. If there were any pros in here they'd have spotted her
as soon as they walked in.
Leon grabbed a coffee and joined her. She started violently as he sat
down. She'd been so busy looking for watchers that she hadn't noticed him.
As he mopped up coffee before it could run off the table and stain their
clothes Leon jerked a thumb at the discarded book. "Why are you reading that
trash?"
She looked vindicated. "You think it's trash?"
"None of the clowns writing those things know the first thing about the
Knight Sabers."
"I knew you'd feel that way." She glanced left and right again as she
got ready to hit him with her revelation. He could guess what it was going to
be. The last time he'd met Lisa Vannete had been at Nene's funeral in early
November. At the time he hadn't picked up on what she was hiding. Shortly
after that he'd figured out a few things about his favourite hacker and some of
her friends. Problem was the only man with the power to do anything to set
things right had wimped out. Though considering what had happened to those
who hadn't it was hard to say Stingray wasn't right.
"I've been thinking about this for the past few months ... nobody seems
to remember any of the good things the Sabers did. I mean they saved my life
when Miriam took over ADP. But try to mention that and everyone says they
were probably working with him all along then doublecrossed him at the end.
The only Saber whose identity is known has been demonized by the media. They
... I guess I should say we ... are trying to make them out to be a pack of
armoured sociopaths. They weren't like that ..." Lisa's voice dropped to a
low, conspiratorial whisper. As if that would make a difference if anyone
really wanted to listen in. "See there were four Knight Sabers but only one's
identity is known. But I know the name of another one ... I've been trying
to decide if I should reveal it. If I do they'll try to destroy her memory to
cover the truth. But if I don't the Knight Sabers are gonna stay monsters as
far as anyone knows ..."
"You're about to tell me Nene was the Pink Knight Saber?" Lisa's jaw
hit the table. It was almost a minute before she could say anything coherent.
"... All this time you knew! At the funeral you were trying to tell me
..."
Leon shook his head. "I didn't know then. But not long afterwards a
few things fell together and I figured it out." Which I never would have
managed if I hadn't already known Priss was a Knight Saber. He missed Daley,
his late friend had been the intuitive member of the partnership. ADP still
hadn't assigned a replacement, not surprising given the manpower shortage.
He pulled out of the reverie to focus on what Lisa was saying.
"But don't you see what that means?" She didn't wait for an answer.
"Nene died about an hour before the Knight Sabers got killed. More
importantly she died before the Knight Sabers killed Quincy. That proves it
was a setup!"
"No it doesn't"
"What?"
"The only Sabers spotted during the attack on the tower were Yamazaki
and the White Saber. Their aircraft got vaporized so there's no way of saying
how many of them were on board." Except that I know the only one in it when
it blew was Sylia Stingray. Priss and Nene died before the attack and Linna
got killed before the crash. GENOM just let everyone think the other two were
on board.
No, not GENOM. According to the surviving Stingray the only one who
knows everything that happened is Dumas.
"But ..."
"Lisa we can't prove anything. All we can do is attract the attention of
the people who killed the Knight Sabers. And we don't want that." Being a
dead hero was getting less and less attractive.
"They won't try anything against a reporter. It'd blow the whole thing
wide open in the media!" She sounded like she really believed that. It
reminded Leon just how young she was and of the days he'd been that naive.
"Hear what happened to Vision?"
"Huh? Who hasn't heard about that? Terrible! I mean I really liked her
music ... but what's that got to did with anything?"
"It's not well known but Yamazaki was a friend of hers."
Lisa's eyes widened. "What are you saying?!"
"That a lot of people looked into her death and it's still called an
accident. Pilot error."
"But ... but it was an accident ... wasn't it."
"I'm just saying that anyone can have an accident in this city. Also I
have to admit living past 30 is looking a lot more attractive."
"But ... but everybody's being deceived!"
"Welcome to the way things work in MegaTokyo Lisa." She surged to her
feet in righteous indignation and turned to storm out. Leon grabbed her
wrist and she turned back to shout at him. Then fell silent at the look on
his face. "Lisa this isn't a game. They've already got away with it. The
only reason we're still alive is because the guy behind it likes to think he's
a civilized man rather than a thug. But as soon as we start making waves
that's going to change. Waves ... we won't even live beyond making ripples!
I got a cyberpunk by the name of Kei Sato mixed up in this. I warned him to
keep quiet but he didn't listen. He liked to think he was cool, slick and
untraceable in cyberspace. So he dropped a couple of cryptic hints
anonymously on the nets. Meaningless if you didn't already know any of the
behind the scenes events.
They pulled out of Tokyo Bay the following day. Seems he went for a
walk on the docks while drunk, fell off and drowned. Funny thing is he was
agoraphobic. Couldn't stand wide open spaces and only left his apartment when
he really had to. Did everything he could to live entirely in cyberspace.
That didn't seem to matter to the coroner. Just an accident. That's what
you're up against! Be smarter than he was for God's sake!"
He could see tears forming in her eyes. She pulled free and ran for the
door. Leon briefly became the center of attention as people speculated about
a lovers' spat and just how much older he was than her. He shrugged. Let 'em
wonder. Had he got through to her? Perhaps. He really hoped so for Lisa's
sake.
What would the chief do if his niece got pulled out of the bay? What
could he do? It'd be N-Police juristiction, he'd have no input. If
he rocked the boat the chief was just about the right age and weight for a
major heart attack. Nothing suspicious about him suffering one, right?
Leon shook his head. What the hell had happened to him? It used to be
he'd charge right in without worrying about the consequences. Mr. Death or
Glory. He'd never got the glory and barely avoided the other more times than
he could remember.
Probably that was it. When you got right down to it what had he
actually accomplished? He'd been brushed off as a minor annoyance at best so
many times. Now? Now he was older if not particular wiser and tired. Tired
of losing people he cared about fighting against an untouchable monolith.
GENOM kills the Knight Sabers and a few thousand bystanders and everyone
cheers them. There seemed less and less reason to sacrifice himself for this
city. And one very good reason to survive. He took out his pocket phone and
dialed her number.
"She studied her victim across the coffee shop's table but let no hint of
coldness show in her eyes. The little fool had no idea how close she'd come
to learning Linna's secret. Still the hints she'd picked up could start her
thinking. So far no one had connected the destruction of GENOM's lab to the
Knight Sabers. At least no one they'd allowed to live.
It would be for the best if the little bitch joined her fiancee as soon
as possible. Fortunately she thought they were friends. That would make it
easier to get close for a quiet kill. During this, unaware that her time was
fast running out Irene Chang kept chatting to the woman she considered her
friend."
From "Linna : Portrait of a Killer"
by Jack Swanwick. New York : TrueCrime Press, 2035
Phoenix Biological & Cybernetics Research Center underground complex
(Shadowbase), Berlin - 7 pm Friday Feb. 29 2036
Mackie studied his sister's left arm. "It's dislocated all right."
"Tell me something I don't know." She sounded impatient rather than
hurt. She was undoubtably blocking the pain but that didn't help her move the
immobilized limb. Around her the training session had screeched to a halt.
Nene, Priss and Linna had grounded their suits and popped their helmets.
Priss looked almost happy that Sylia had injured herself. Scratch almost.
There was quite a bit of anger between them these days. At least on Priss's
side, as always it was hard to tell what Sylia thought. The only reason Priss
participated in the training was she'd decided she hated GENOM more than she
hated Sylia. Or herself.
Frank and Ilsa were glad of the break. They were outclassed and they
knew it. Not long ago Mackie would have said his Knight Shadows could match
anything the Knight Sabers did. But that was before the Sabers died. Now the
Knight Shadows remained only human while the Sabers had become so much more.
Or, according to Priss, so much less.
"Just slid it back in place and let's get back with to training."
Mackie shook his head, "Sis, if I acted that macho you'd tell me to get
my head examined. It's time to face facts. Your suit needs its' power
reduced."
"I am the leader of Knight Sabers. I need a suit equal to theirs."
"You can't handle it."
"I can handle anything." No emotion in her voice but Mackie could
sense the suppressed fury.
"Mackie's right." Nene's hearing was a lot sharper than a human's.
"Face facts Sylia. You barely made the turn and came within a hair of taking
your arm off. Matter of fact I thought you were going into the wall
headfirst."
Linna nodded. "They're both right. We made the turn easily you just
couldn't react fast enough." It was almost scary how fast they could react
now. They literally interfaced with the suits. It wasn't so much a matter of
wearing the hardsuit as it was of becoming the hardsuit. Thought and action
were almost instantaneous. The sensation of merging was indescribable.
Though Nene had said it was better than sex, almost. Of course she'd been
looking at Mackie at the time and he'd suddenly found something very
fascinating about his own suit's diagnostic readouts. Sonya's knuckles had
gone white around the lightpen she was gripping. There was going to be major
trouble between them soon.
According to Sylia the suits were more powerful versions of her last
design. Powered up as she didn't have compensate for human frailties anymore.
The three of them could now make moves that would have broken bones in ...
the old days. So she was using an upgraded version of the suit she'd ...
(no way to avoid thinking about it) died in. Her memories ended weeks before
Sylia had unveiled the new suits. How had she ... how had the original Linna
liked the new design?
She'd never know. Whether or not she was Linna Yamazaki everything that
had happened between May and October was gone forever. Unrecorded and lost
when her human self died.
"Face facts Sylia. You're the weak link of this team now." Priss never
missed an opportunity to needle Sylia these days. As always Sylia didn't
react but that didn't discourage Priss. "Hell even Little Miss Cyberpunk can
outperform you these days."
"Y'know Priss these days that name'll fit you just as well as me."
Priss glared at Nene. She hated being reminded she wasn't human. They both
turned as they heard the click of Mackie sliding Sylia's arm back into its'
socket. Nene winced a little. "I think you should take it easy until your
suit won't kill you."
Sylia flexed the arm blanking the resulting pains. This would definitely
reduce optimal efficiency. For a moment the logical persona cracked and her
rage boiled up. She centred herself. Control, calm, mastery of self is the
first step to mastery of others. She couldn't deny that the new hardsuit's
capabilities outstripped her ability to use them. But the day might come when
she'd need all its' power and to hell with the consequences.
Still this incident could damage the team further. Things were already
strained by Priss's anger and Linna's uncertainty over their resurrections.
Nene was the only one left she could rely on. Fortunately that no longer felt
like a bad joke. Best not to alienate her.
"Very well." Sylia levered herself out of the hardsuit's lower half with
a little difficulty. "I'll install a program to restrict suit reaction speed
to a level I can handle." A program I can override at a moments notice.
Mackie must have known what she was thinking but dropped his gaze.
Good. As long as he continued to defer to her everything was under control.
"Guess that's a wrap for tonight." The two Knight Shadows cracked their
suits and levered themselves out. They were both going to hit the showers.
Keeping up with the Knight Sabers was hard. Matter of fact it was impossible.
Frank watched as the Sabers emerged from their suits. There were no signs of
sweat stains on their softsuits. According to Mackie MegaALFs had better ways
of dumping excess heat. Though they could sweat if they wanted to pass for
human. Nene's gaze seemed to lock on Mackie as he stood talking to Sylia.
Then she shrugged and headed for the door out of the underground suit bay. If
she was actually after him or just having some fun flirting Frank still didn't
know.
Ilsa's hands settled on the back of his neck and began massaging. "So,
do we talk to Mackie tonight?"
"Better leave it for now. Unless you want to answer to Sylia for
interrupting them."
Ilsa shuddered. "No chance. These days she comes across as if she'd as
soon kill you as look at you." She'd known a few people like that during her
mercenary days. A cold exterior masking barely controlled violence. Nothing
at all like the woman she'd met last year. Sylia had more cause than most but
she still wasn't going to be able to relax in her presence again.
"So let's hit the showers and find out just how tired we are."
"I think you're having impure thoughts."
"Hard not to when surrounded by women in skintight outfits. Hey relax,
I only go for human women!"
"Lucky for you. By the way what do you think you're wearing?"
Frank glanced down at his own sweatsoaked softsuit. "That is the problem
with these tight outfits. I vote we go peel them off and see what happens
next."
"Motion is seconded and carried."
When they emerged from the shower only Mackie remained in the hanger.
Was he really working on the shadowsuits or did he just know they
wanted to talk to him? Knowing Mackie probably both were true.
"Mackie, can we talk?"
He nodded and put down his multitool. Did he already know what they'd
decided? Perhaps. He always seemed to be two or three steps ahead. Just
like Dumas. Still he'd go through the motions.
"So what's up?"
"It's about your offer ... we've talked it over and Frank and I have
decided that ... we don't want our memories recorded."
"I see." No emotion in his tone. Was he disappointed in them? Frank
suddenly felt the need to justify their decision.
"Look Mackie ... it's sort of attractive to be able to come back and
take out whoever killed you. But you don't really come back. There'd be
someone walking around who thought he was me but I'd still be stone cold dead.
Besides unless both of us got killed the other would wind up living with a
copy of the lover they just buried. Neither of us thinks we could handle
that."
Ilsa nodded. "On top of all that I have to say that the Knight Sabers
make a lousy ad for getting recorded. Priss spent weeks as a basketcase and
is still fairly unstable. On top of which she's suffering a major identity
crisis. So's Linna but she's not quite as bad. Nene's the only one who's
successfully adapted but you've mentioned she's showing some major personality
changes."
"Life is change and they've all been through an incalculable trauma."
you can't get anymore serious than death and resurrection. "It was inevitable
that they'd change because of it. Still Nene ... the Prime Nene wasn't the
same woman she was a few years ago. People change. So I'm not going to get
worried by her ... recent exuberance. Anyway you don't need to justify your
decision to me. I respect your choice."
If Sis had offered the Knight Sabers a choice Priss certainly wouldn't
have taken it. Which would mean she'd be gone forever. I can see how she
convinced herself not give them the option to refuse. Sylia told herself it
was all for their own good, so they wouldn't make the wrong choice based on
fear and ignorance. It was also for her own sake. She didn't want to lose
the only friends she had. Yes I can see it. But I don't agree with it.
I will respect Frank and Ilsa's choice. Who is to say they aren't right?
Later. In the common room the TV channels were flicking by on the set.
The digital clock flipped from 10:04 to 10:05 pm. Then the channel surfer
spotted the "Entertainment Now!" logo as channel 39 slid past. She turned on
the sound.
"... And we're on the set of "Knight Saber!" talking to the stars,
Natsumi Watanabe fresh from starring in "Rising Sun 2 : the Washington
Conspiracy" and Carl Dietz, Hollywood's newest and fastest rising action
star."
"Hello Mary."
"Hi."
"Natsumi if I could start with you. Why did you decide to take this
role?"
"I was looking to explore my full potential as an actress. I mean Linna
Yamazaki has to be the most unlikeable character I've ever played. The more
so because she was real. Yet she was a human being so she must have had some
redeeming qualities. I mean even Hitler liked dogs. So it's a chance to make
her a believable person who's evil rather than just a cliche villainess like
that FOX TV movie."
"That sounds difficult."
"Oh it is. Particularly because she was so good at covering her tracks.
We have very little information about her. At least what she was really like.
Everyone still alive who knew her was completely shocked when the truth about
her emerged. Unlike most people with double lives she didn't give them the
slightest hint that anything unusual was going on. In fact several of her
coworkers and old boyfriends are in therapy. They've all realized how close
they came to death every time they annoyed her."
"It sounds like you've really done your research. I'm sure you'll do a
wonderful job on this most difficult role.
"Thank you Mary."
"Carl this role is a definite departure for you."
"Absolutely. This is the first time I've played a villain. But when
this script came through the door I jumped at the chance to play Largo."
"Isn't playing this part a bit of a risk?"
"No I'm sure the audience can separate me from the character I play.
Besides I want to show my fans I can do more than just blow badguys away while
making puns. It's time to remind people that I'm an actor."
"Is it a hard role to get into?"
"Very hard. Natsumi was saying how little we know about the real Linna
Yamazaki. But compared to Largo we know volumes about her. We have no idea
of his real name, his nationality, his real aims. All we know is how ruthless
he was and the terrible things he did. It's a real challenge but I like
that."
"And of course you get to play a love scene with Natsumi."
"I'd be lying if I said that wasn't an attraction."
"Hahahaha. Turning back to you Natsumi, critics have said most of this
movie is pure speculation."
"As I said Mary we don't have a lot of information to go on. But we've
worked it out as best we could given what happened in MegaTokyo and what we
know about Yamazaki. So, for example, we have no actual proof that Yamazaki
and Largo were lovers. But, based on what we know about her, the chances that
she wasn't sleeping with him are fairly minimal ..."
The TV exploded. Nene looked at Linna who stood frozen with her right
arm punched through the screen. She held up a small box. "If you wanted it
off you could have just used the remote."
Linna pulled her arm free. There were cuts in the skin from fragments
of the nearly unbreakable plastex but nothing too serious. Her internal
bioputer was already initiating localized healing. She could have gouged
herself to the bone and not noticed. She was far too angry for that.
"Why the fuck are you watching that crap?"
"Nothing more interesting on. Besides aren't you curious what they're
going to say about you?" Linna snarled. "Look at it this way, everyone's
heard of you. No one's heard of me."
"YOU BRAINDEAD CYBERJOCKEY! They've heard of me as a mass murdering
armour plated psycho! What the fuck do you know about how I feel? You got a
hero's burial as a good cop. They had to scatter my ashes in secret so the
place wouldn't be desecrated. It's not bad enough three of the guys I dated
have written books about me and them, lying through their teeth. Now
they're saying I was screwing Largo!? This is too much!"
"So you're finally accepting that you really are Linna." That threw
Linna off her stride. "After all why get this worked up if it's not you
they're slandering?"
"Uh ... " The anger gave way to confusion. "... look whoever I am
they're spreading lies about me .. her. Outside of this place everyone who
knew me thinks I was some sort of monster."
"They aren't exactly lying. Far as anyone knows they're telling the
truth. The only person outside of our merry little group who knows what
really happened is Dumas."
True enough. Thanks to the evidence that bastard supplied what else
could they think? The day will come that I squeeze the truth out of that
scumbag. Assuming Sylia doesn't kill him before I get the chance.
Then Linna did a double take. For the first time she really looked at
Nene. Her face looked different, narrower than usual. Linna's enhanced sight
automatically swept the spectrum. Nene was obviously using her morphing
capability to adjust her facial features. The big surprise was Nene's
wardrobe. Bright red microskirt with matching PVC bra, thigh length high
heeled boots, handcuffs serving as a bracelet, one cuff around her wrist the
other one empty. It looked like something Priss would have worn onstage.
"What the ... ?"
"Thought I'd go hit a few clubs tonight. There's a new place called,
'The Inferno' that I'm gonna check out."
"What happened to low profile?"
"That means far as anyone knows we're dead so we don't go out in public.
So I'm not. Besides Nene Romanova was a good girl, she stayed out of the
club circuit." Nene rummaged through her purse then tossed a Europass card
to Linna. "However Nadia Stergonovich is a bit more of a free spirit." The
picture was almost a perfect match for Nene's new face. "I was just killing
time until I've got Nadia's face right."
"I don't believe this."
"Hey Mackie set these new identities up so we didn't have to stay down
here the whole time. Might as well use them. Why not break out yours and
join me?"
Linna just stared at her for a moment. "I'm having enough trouble with
who I am already. I don't need another identity."
"Why? It's not that different from the way things were. 'By day a mild
mannered ADP dispatcher. By night ... look in the sky, it's a bird, it's a
stratjet, it's Supersaber!' ... you're not laughing."
"This is totally unlike you. What's happening to you?"
"Death. Getting serious for a minute ... after I woke up it occurred to
me that I'd never done a lot of things I wanted to the first time round. Lots
of reasons, guilt and fear are the main ones. It's like ... didn't you ever
want to do anything wild and crazy?"
"Sure."
"And you did them, right?"
"Uh ... sometimes."
"Right. Well I never did. What if I get caught? What would Mom think?
What if I'm recognised ... and so on. Now I'm dead so I'm not going to shame
my family. And I've got this incredible new body so I can walk into the
roughest place in Berlin and mangle anyone who tries anything I don't want.
I've got a chance for all the fun I missed out on the first time around. Why
not take it?"
"Climbing into a hardsuit and fighting Boomers is fairly crazy."
"I suppose it was. Funny I never thought of it that way. I guess if I
had I couldn't have done it. After all if anyone had found out who was in
the Pink Sabersuit ..." Nene's voice trailed off. Linna was the worst
possible person to joke with about having your Saber identity exposed. Change
the subject. "Well I should get going, Mackie's giving me a lift downtown.
You coming."
"Not right now."
"Ok. Try not to brood too much."
Nene exited and Linna shook her head. What a mess, Sylia seems to have
been swallowed by her icequeen act, Priss alternates between depression and
fury and I still can't decide who I am. Now Nene's turning into some sort of
cyberslut. What next?
Nene was heading for the stairway to the main floor when she picked up a
presence in the MegaALF lab. She entered to find Priss studying the three
remaining units. Two had already been redesigned for their designated
occupants. Within the tank the nude figures of Sylia and Mackie Stingray
floated. Vacant shells. If need be they could be altered again for a new
recipient. Priss's attention seemed to be fixed on the blank. The third
MegaALF wasn't prepared for anyone in particular. It would be shaped as
needed.
Without turning Priss remarked, "That's what we really look like. Before
they shaped us into copies of dead women."
"Back when we were human we started out as a parasite growing inside our
mothers. What's so wonderful about that? Besides ever see any pictures of
embryos? Gross looking things."
Her flippancy seemed to upset Priss. She spun to face Nene. "We were
never human! Can't you get that through your ... what the hell is this?"
Nene sighed and ran through the explanation again. As she did she
wondered why she had to justify her outfit to Priss of all people? As she'd
rather expected Priss wasn't interested in leaving BioCyb. Well at least she
wasn't spending all her time in her room anymore. There had been something
unnerving over the way she had sat brooding over her ashes.
"So any particular reason to be in here other than seeing Mackie naked?"
Priss scowled. "I was looking at her. Wondering who she's going to wake
up thinking she is?" She waved at the blank MegaALF.
"What makes you so sure it'll be a she?", Nene thought. Currently the
ALF was neither gender. It would be shaped as needed. A joke occurred to
her, Priss took this stuff way to seriously. Why not have a little fun?
In retrospect Nene would wonder if her next remarks were what triggered
the chaos that would soon engulf them.
"Have you been updating you memory recordings?"
"No."
"You should. That way in case anything happens to you the next Priss
doesn't have to start out from square one. I've been doing mine weekly."
Priss snorted. Far as she was concerned one resurrection was one too
many. Resurrection?! Hell there was no resurrection. Priss Asagiri was
dead, she was a boomer with a dead woman's memories. Then what Nene was
saying penetrated. "What?"
"I said we could stick my recording in her and power her up. I've always
wanted a sister."
"You can't have two Nene's. It's impossible!"
"Easiest thing in the world. Matter of fact I could stick the recording
in the other two as well and become quadruplets. Think the world's ready for
four Nenes?" Before Priss could reply Nene heard familiar movement in the
corridor. "There's Mackie, I've gotta go. Last chance to come with me."
Priss just stood there with a stupefied expression on her face. "Suit
yourself. I'm outta here." Time to see if her pet project worked.
"Evening Mackie."
"Evening ..." Mackie's face suddenly shifted to a wistful expression.
Just as suddenly it was replaced by a puzzled look. Then that was gone and
he was back to himself. Unlike Sylia he didn't wear emotional masks all the
time.
"... Hi Nene. Nice outfit. Definite new look for you."
"But it looks good doesn't it?"
"It looks very good."
"Care to join me tonight?"
"Sorry. I'm meeting Sonya after I drop you. She's a little ... edgy
around you these days."
"Tell her to relax a little. She's more uptight than I used to be."
As they talked Nene shrugged mentally. She didn't have the pheromone right
yet.
One of Doctor Stingray's more dubious gifts to his children was his
eugenics beliefs. When he created the process that would enhance the human
mind he included a drive to ensure that the Enhanced would mate only with
their own kind. Male and female Enhanced each produce a sex pheromone only
detectable by their Enhanced opposites. The problem was the pheromone wasn't
muted by blood relationship and Sylia was the sole female of her father's
planned new species. Both Stingrays had to override its influence in each
other's presence. Otherwise the bioprogrammed desire would have made things
very messy.
Nene had hacked into her ALF body's bioputer back in December. Not long
ago she had realized that she could artificially create pheromones. So, purely
in the spirit of scientific research, she'd been trying to duplicate Sylia's
pheromone. Obviously she hadn't got it quite right yet. Have to keep trying.
Once she'd got it right ... well she'd worry about that when it happened.
Time to forget that for now and have some fun tonight. Party time.
Back in the lab Priss was staring at the blank MegaALF again. Until
Nene pointed it out she'd never considered that there could be more than one
of them at a time. Somehow she'd just assumed that you could only have one
Priss, one Linna, one Nene. But they weren't people were they? Just copies.
Sylia could create as many of them as she wanted. And she'd make more of them
if she thought it'd help her beat Danny. Stupid goddamn bitch, falls for the
guy who's gonna kill us all and frame us for GENOM's dirty work. I cannot
believe I used to like her ... Priss, I cannot believe Priss used to like her.
I'm not Priss, I have to remember that.
As long as those recordings exist she can mass produce Knight Sabers.
For combat or any other reason. We're not human. We have no rights. All we
are is corporate property.
"New from Phoenix Enterprises it's Priss. The latest addition to our
biomech love doll series. This rebel without a clue makes an endearing
display of defiance but is always ready to serve your needs. In addition to
her physical qualities this model is ready to entertain you in a variety of
ways. From singing to the more intimate. Order yours today and complete the
Knight Saber collection."
Priss shook off the overblown fantasy. It was never going to be quite
that bad. But she'd never be at peace with herself as long she could be
reproduced indefinitely. She felt a burst of rage and swung her arm back
intending to smash the ALF tank.
Then stopped. Bad idea. They'd lock her down again and she'd be reduced
to human levels. Which would mean certain death when they attacked Dumas.
While she wasn't Priss she was someone. Bottom line was while she didn't mind
dying that much she wanted to die accomplishing something. Not getting blown
apart because she was slower than she should have been.
Besides the problem wasn't the bodies. The problem was the memory
recordings. Once those were gone she'd be unique again. The way the real
Priss had thought she was. Then maybe she'd feel whole. As long as the
recordings existed she could be brought back by whoever had them. Even GENOM
if they took Phoenix and retrieved her recordings. What if they created an
edited version? Maybe her recent nightmare could come true.
Finding and wiping the recordings was probably beyond her. But not
beyond Nene. She'd need her help. Little Miss Cyberpunk would be dead
against it if she just she just asked her outright. But if she used a little
subtlety she could talk Nene round over time.
They probably had plenty of time. Mackie and Sylia were still unable to
come up with a way to permanently remove Dumas. She was getting sick of
waiting. The urge to take matters into her own hands was growing. If those
two didn't get moving soon she might well take care of it herself. Once she
knew her recordings were gone so there was no danger of GENOM ever owning her
she would be free to act.
Best if no one else knew this. Priss stared into the ALF's blank eyes.
Unseen by the lab's security cameras the rage inside her continued to build.
It wouldn't be long before storm inside broke loose. Then everything would
change. Nothing in the path of the hurricane remains unscathed.
End.
The story will continue in "Hurricane Season".
Coming soon
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