Loose Ends

by J M Thomas

  “But there are many things your pair can accomplish that ours cannot. One of the most important is that you hold a certain key Blade will never have.”

  “And that is?”

  Marsha gestured with her hands as she spoke. “You were never meant to become a synth in the first place. You needed no pretense to struggle against the very concept. Your antagonism against becoming synthetic is necessary for SynthCorp’s spy network to trust you are the open book you appear to be. They will expect no subterfuge from you. They will expect no duplicity. They will look at you and Blade and see opposing forces, not fierce allies. Your antagonism and old-fashioned ideals make you a perfect candidate.”

  “Candidate for what?” I asked, indignant. She wasn’t exactly wrong about the opposing forces bit. I still had half a mind to rip Blade a new one the next time I saw him. “Also… thanks. It was nice meeting you, too.”

  “Keep it up. As you can see, we clearly believe this acrid wit to be a symptom of the very traits we hoped for.” Marsha grinned. “Don’t you see, Jet? You are the perfect carrier of this locket. No one will ever suspect that you know a damned thing about what it is or how it works until you have full access.”

  “Well, in that, they’d be right.” I crossed my arms. “I don’t have any idea of what it is or how the hell it works. Nor what to do with it, if I’m going to pile onto the list of things I don’t know.”

  “Blade does.” Marsh said, with a simplicity that stated the bombshell as if it was a matter of fact. “His synthetic body now does not have the interface, but I have already remade it. When he returns from his imprisonment in the morning, we will…”

  “Oh, shit! Lila!” I blurted, suddenly jumping up. “I told her I’d meet up and we’d prank him.”

  “Your receptionist?” Marsha asked, eyes suddenly narrowing. “Proceed with care, Jet.”

  “Well, I’ll have a lot more to explain if I ghost her.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “Or if I show up smelling like I’ve been dredging riverbeds all night.”

  “Perhaps I should give you directions to depart, then?” Marsha supplied, reaching for the airtight bag of my belongings. “Please, do take care to make it appear that tonight was only an awkward dinner meeting, nothing more. Our safety depends upon it; that goes for us all.”

  “I will.” I gave a solemn nod, then went back into the changing room to return to my wet clothes.

  We had so much unfinished business, but this had to take priority. There was more than one mystery burning a hole in my brain, and as much as I wanted to focus on the political intrigue I’d been caught in because of Blade, I also needed to know what Lila knew about the assassination in the lobby foyer.

  I couldn’t let it go. It just wasn’t me. And I needed desperately to keep a tight hold on who I was, refusing to let that slip away from me. I was more than plastics and current.

  I had to be.

  Chapter 16 – Lila

  Exiting the structure proved simple enough once Marsha showed me how. The direct force of me doing a cannonball dive through a shielded flooring section was enough to break its hold and send me through it to the river on the other side.

  It also smarted like a double-cheeked slap when my rear hit the damned thing. After I reached the shore and hailed a levcar, I checked the, um, general area. My tailbones were definitely bruised, and being synthetic, I had no idea what that meant in terms of repair.

  On one hand, how was I to explain how I broke my butt without giving away what I actually did? On the other hand, how exactly does one go about requesting recommendations for a mechanic to fix one’s own ass?

  I’d ask Blade, since according to whichever Ehksmian had said it, he was due to be released in the morning. Until then, I had to keep Lila busy and out of any sense of suspicion that something was amiss. That meant the world’s fastest shower was in order, and I’d have to get my clothes in the wash.

  I considered also washing up the dinner dishes, but of course she’d seen Marsh and Marsha coming and going from her post at the front desk. Nah, the only reason to wash those up was because of the smell.

  But how was I to get back into my apartment without being seen covered in river water, or worse, smelled? I was the very definition of nasty with the dripping river sample puddling at my feet and all over the levcar’s seat. I looked around for climate controls, but the best I could do was point the vent somewhere else and suffer the chills.

  Despite the relative discomfort I was experiencing within the levcar, the view out the window was downright astounding. Skylines were always magnificent to me—all the lights standing out against the night sky. This place was something I’d never even imagined. The entire city was built like a ten-pointed star, the suburbs sprawling off and tapering into lit points around the edges, the buildings growing taller and taller as they reached the center of the city. At the height of it all, the government building towered a good ten stories above the next tier of skyscrapers.

  But what made it the most beautiful of all was the depth of the pitch black around it, how the whole city stood out in a sea of pure darkness. From my angle, it seemed like someone had poured a thick syrup of pure light onto a marshy pancake over an onyx dinner table.

  Yeah, metaphors aren’t really my thing. I’d be glad for Blade to get back and take over that duty as well.

  The levcar slowed to a halt right outside the front door of my building. I stepped up to the doorway, careful to keep to the shadows. The front desk was unoccupied, but I couldn’t see the whole foyer from where I stood.

  I’d have to risk it. Darting through the doorway, I searched in vain for cover on the other side. I’d have to settle for a quick step through the open hallway with my head down. With my eyes on my feet, I quick-marched across the worn carpet, marking every single drip of river water from my clothes to the floor as I left a surefire trail from the doorway all the way to the elevator.

  But no one seemed to notice me, say my name, nor act as if it was at all unusual to traipse through the apartment lobby wearing half the marshland in addition to one’s usual raiment. As soon as that elevator gave me its parting ding, I sprang through the still-opening doors to make a mad dash for my room.

  A neighbor crossing the hall seemed to look like he was about to make pleasantries, but when he scanned me over once, he thought the better of it and kept walking past. Fingers shaking from the cold, I scanned my card and entered.

  As I did, I noticed my door wasn’t opening to the card. It opened to the locket before my card even got to it. This terrified me even more, though a quick glance at my timepiece inset into the wall startled me into hopping straight out of my clothes and getting the shower going. I stashed the locket on the shelf above my dryer, then tossed my clothes into the open washer, shut the lid, and hopped into the shower.

  The hot water cascading from the overhead square beat down upon my head and shoulders, and I finally felt as if I could take a breath. Bracing one arm on the shower wall, I dispensed a squirt of the hair and body wash recommended for synthetic skin onto a cloth. I tried to get as much of the smell off of myself as I could with a few passes of the non-lathering soap as I could, but that stuff was designed for gentleness, and I wanted to scrub.

  Just as I was about to give up, a gentle knock came on the bathroom door. “Jet? I’m here, whenever you’re ready.”

  “Be out in a minute!” I called, mortified that she’d let herself in. She had free reign of my apartment, of my things. I couldn’t let her go wandering around, poking her nose in where it didn’t belong. “Unless you wanna wait in here…”

  I cursed myself for even offering, but to my surprise, the bathroom door opened a bit and a rush of cool air displaced the wisps of humidity from the shower steam. Now what? Her slender form slid through the gap and closed the door behind her again. Pasting a half-smile on my face, I peeked around the curtain. “Nice of you to drop by,” I quipped.

  Lila smiled back, inclining her head as she flashed a co
y look. “Mind if I join you?” she asked.

  By the time I realized she meant ‘in the actual shower,’ I’d already acquiesced with a half-nod of not-quite-understanding. I’d had her pegged for the slow-moving type, but apparently the second she punched in her time clock, she turned into someone else entirely.

  “If you don’t mind if I stare,” I mumbled.

  Her short, slitted skirt was the first thing to fall to my bathroom floor. Her button-down top followed soon after. My heart beat quicker as my eyes devoured that prim little figure, athletic and lithe. She unveiled herself to me and let her soft brown hair fall loose around her bare shoulders.

  I was holding my breath. I needed to breathe. My lungs betrayed my feelings with a hitch as they collected the humid air, drawing in a gasp of appreciation.

  With two quick steps, she was in the tiny shower with me. There wasn’t much room, only about a square meter or a little more. Her body was close, so close to mine. As Lila stepped onto the wet, slick floor, her foot slipped a little and I caught her in both arms. It was instinct, I swear.

  I’d forgotten how warm real, human bodies were. I was warm plenty, but it was from the heat of the shower itself. Every nerve node in my body set itself on end, and a few other things, too, as I held her in my arms and leaned over to plant a kiss on her lips.

  With a grin, Lila grabbed me by the ass and pulled me in closer to her hips.

  It was at this point that I remembered, quite painfully, that I had a malfunctioning hind end. She likely mistook my hiss of sudden agony for the sharp intake of breath that accompanies feelings of a very different nature, so she followed up her grab with a gentle slap. I really misjudged that one, and that’s not like me. Other thoughts crowded out my misgivings as she gave me another teasing swat on the rump.

  “Oh, you wanna play?” I asked through gritted teeth, spinning her around and shoving her just a little roughly against the far wall. I pinned both of her wrists down and went for her soft, sweet-smelling neck, relieved that her slappy hands were away from the danger zone.

  Besides, while I wasn’t at all opposed to the feeling of human skin in my hands, I was still a little bit concerned about the experience of my skin in hers. It was almost like my whole body was covered in a condom—like I’d never be able to truly connect and reach into her, nor her ever really touch me. Yeah, everything worked just as well, if not better than before, mounting evidence that this synthetic body was just as good as the one I had before.

  But I had to hold onto these reminders, these simple moments screaming to me that I could still mourn the old life I’d lost. The one with real skin against real skin. There was time to get used to the feeling of making love in a synthetic body. But, for this moment, the water streaming down my back, I made the love I’d lost, letting myself feel the sting with the pleasure.

  When our half-toweled bodies finally hit my bed, I ran my fingers down Lila’s curves one more time before tucking the blanket around us both. She shivered a little and snuggled in close again.

  “Is that what you wanted?” I asked, meeting her gaze.

  She smiled and nodded. “I was hoping you wouldn’t mind me coming inside uninvited. I figured we’d make some moaning and thumping noises for your friend to wonder about, then pretend tomorrow that nothing happened.”

  A grin spread across my face. “Great idea! I don’t mind a repeat of the experience, if our little ghost needs to make semi-regular visits to keep up appearances.”

  “Maybe!” Lila let out a girlish giggle, sliding one hand up my leg to rest high on my inner thigh. “If we’re lucky, the scary moaning ghost will come out of the sheets one more time before the night is over.”

  Now, why can’t I think of lines like that?

  Chapter 17 – Busted

  The “scary ghost” did indeed make one more appearance that night, raising quite the howling and carrying on. I’m sure Blade’s bones would’ve been right chilled, if he’d actually been on the other side of the paper-thin wall. As it was, there was no one to disturb, so we let loose and had ourselves a fine time.

  My moment of melancholy over and done with, I found a bit of my old playfulness returning, much to Lila’s delight. When we’d gotten in a nice second romp, I found myself drifting off into a satisfied, happy sleep.

  Why is it always when I’m falling asleep that this shit has to go down?

  A gentle onrush of cooler air stirred my senses as Lila scooted out from between my arms and slid her arms into one of my shirts that was lying on the bedroom floor. She picked her way in the dim yellow light streaming from the still-uncovered window, tiptoeing toward the restroom. I folded my fingers behind my head, watching her legs move. She had a feline grace, almost a glide, which she employed to its full effect as she walked.

  But she didn’t seem to be making use of the facilities. No, the only noises coming from within the still-open bathroom door was a clatter and sliding of the drawers and cabinets being opened and rifled through.

  Searched. But why on Ehksmis Prime would Lila be doing a systematic search of my premises? Suddenly, I was wide awake again. Indeed, she kept looking around in the kind of tactical search that would make an instructor at the Academy beam with pride. She was quiet, thorough, and efficient.

  If this kept up, she’d find the locket. Maybe it’s what she was searching for—why she was here in the first place. My hackles stood on end as I slipped out of bed, sliding into my clothes and tucking myself in the gap between my refrigerator and the living room.

  As Lila emerged from the bathroom and rifled around in my mail, I reached out and grabbed her from behind.

  “What’cha looking for, babe? Maybe I can help you find it,” I whispered.

  Her scream left one ear ringing. “Jet, you scared me!”

  “I am a ghost, after…” then I was sinking to my knees, a heaviness overcoming me as a second high-pitched squeal reverberated through my brain.

  Unbidden, my hands rose to cover my ears, my fingers grasping my hair for purchase as the whine rose in pitch and volume. I realized I’d screwed my eyelids shut, and it took a massive amount of effort to wrench them open again.

  Before me stood Lila, a star-shaped locket, about the size of the heart-shaped one I had in my laundry room, dangling from her hand. She held it out toward me like some kind of anti-synth talisman. The closer she got, the louder the ringing in my head. The trembling in her hand made the squeal reverberate, every swing of the tiny gold star setting off shockwaves of pain rolling through my skull.

  “Stop it!” I yelled. “Get it away from me!”

  “Tell me where your notebook is!” Lila screamed, thrusting the locket mere inches in front of my face.

  “My notebook? It’s right over…” As she followed the point of my elbow, I swung my other fist around, knocking her arm away from my face. My foot came out next, the push kick shoving Lila backward several feet.

  “Stay back!” I commanded, snatching one my knives from the bedside drawer.

  Lila shook her head. “You stay back!” She held the trinket aloft, then twisted it against the chain it was attached to. The low squeal in my head turned to a deep exhaustion, weighing my limbs and drooping my eyelids. Taking one long, slow stride toward me, Lila’s confidence seemed to return as my arms dropped uselessly to my side, the knife sliding from my fingertips and burying its tip in the low carpet.

  “Oh, Jet, sweetie.” Lila tsked her tongue as she advanced on me. “You try so hard. But I’d bet you’ve never seen one of these before!” She had an almost angelic smile playing across her soft features. It contrasted her ruthless advance so perfectly, I almost wished I could paint her like this.

  “Mhmm, nope, never sheen anytheeng like it.” My lips weren’t as cooperative as I’d expected. “What ish it?”

  “A trinket.” She shook her head. “Poor thing, you’re caught up in something much bigger than you realized.”

  “Ahm I?”

  “Shhh.” She brought her
index finger to her lips as she slid in a little closer.

  I fell to my knees with a whimper.

  Careful to hold the trinket at the same distance from my actual body, Lila gently set it on the floor.

  I wished, willed, strained, and worried against the inexorable pull of weight on my person from that insane device. If I’d been chained there, it wouldn’t have worked any better than this thing did. Would’ve been sexier, though. As it was, I had to watch helplessly as Lila searched through my things, finally landing her slender fingers on my notebook in a jacket pocket.

  Dashing across the room, she nearly knocked over my dining chair in her haste to activate the overhead lamp. I couldn’t turn my head to follow her movement, but the noise of pages being flipped behind me told me what I needed to know. She wanted my notes. How did she know I had notes?

  “Shit.” Lila hissed.

  “Cahn I hellp you?”

  When she came back into view, her jaw was set in anger and her eyebrows knit together in a cute little huff. I briefly wondered why I still wasn’t taking her seriously, considering the quandary she had me in. Then I realized I’d be smiling right now if I could, because for all her overpowering technology and all her preparations and scheming, I still had the upper hand.

  Lila scrambled for a pencil, taking a crude and a little-too-rough rubbing of the blank page. If she was trying to see an impression of what I’d written…

  The notebook flew through the air and hit the wall behind my head. Lila looked like she could murder a fluffy baby bird right about then. “You… you bastard!” she screeched.

  I wished I could grin or shrug, or even turn my palms upward. I had won this little battle, literally without lifting a finger, all because I’d wadded my notes and thrown them into the sea before coming back, then added a page cussing Blade out for good measure, then threw that out as well.

  Good thing, too. She had no idea what I had hidden in here, and since she’d found what she was looking for… well, I had no idea what she’d do next, and apparently, neither did Lila.