Total System Failure

by James Hightower

  “The sellers always hang out of the Metro station entrances.” Domo flashed a winning smile. “I’ll pay.”

  “We should just take the Loop,” Marcia cut in, head still on his shoulder.

  Domo alternated glances between the two women. “The best proxies money can buy wouldn’t get us three steps in a Loop station. Trust me, my father owns a cybersecurity firm. He talks about the job all the time. I hardly ever listen, but sometimes I can’t help but soak some of it in. Don’t worry, Papa D will get the proxies.”

  Alec sighed. “I’ll go with you.” When the two women raised questioning eyebrows in his direction, he added, “To keep you out of trouble.”

  Domo shook his head. “That’s not necessary.”

  “I cannot allow anything to happen to you,” Tara added.

  You’re going to leave me alone with her? This time, a message from Marcia.

  Alec did his best impression of his friend and smiled until his cheeks burned. “Who else better to keep you out of trouble?”

  “I have the gun,” Tara said. “I’ll go.”

  “Yeah, about that.” Domo trailed off, rubbing his hands together. “Tara, that’s your name right? I need backup I can trust. Alec has never pointed a gun at me. I’d feel much more comfortable with him at my back than you.”

  Tara looked capable of chewing nails. Before she could respond, the silver ‘M’ of the Metro station peeked over the horizon.

  “I want you two to wait outside,” Domo said in a sudden business-like manner. “Tara make sure they see the gun. Marcia, hold your hand at your waist like this. Make them think you have a weapon. Alec you do the same if you can see them acting buggy.”

  The shimmering ‘M’ capped the structure. This Metro station, like so many other ones, was opaque and blended in with its surroundings perfectly. A white rectangular cut from the camouflage marked the door. For some reason, it reminded him of the passageway in the golden pyramid. What would’ve happened if he’d continued that journey?

  Domo hopped out without warning. Alec rushed to follow. Up close, he could see the shimmering material of the building even though he could see straight through to the buildings behind. They skirted the station until they came around the side. As soon as they were out of sight of the red Tesla, Domo spun on him.

  “We can’t trust anyone,” his friend said in a fierce whisper. “When I checked—”

  “You got any coin?” a man’s voice drawled.

  Two men sauntered out of the darkness. Both wore the same mean look as though they’d grown up kicking puppies to death. The shorter man cocked his head at them, shining bald head crowning a creased face. The other man, in sharp contrast, had mangy, black hair that hung well past his frayed bomber jacket.

  “We’re hungry,” the bald man said in a thin, reedy voice.

  Domo squared his shoulders like he was preparing to go three rounds. “I’m want four proxies for the Metro.” His hand lowered to his waist. “And they better work.”

  The two criminals hesitated at such boldness. Their glittering gazes plucked and feasted on their every detail.

  “We don’t have any proxies,” the bald man said, revealing several broken teeth. The rest were blackened and bleeding.

  The other man leaned forward and reached out a hand. “Do you have any Coin?”

  Alec mimicked his friend and lowered his hand. This was a goddamn stupid idea. And yet, the man’s hand retreated. He wished Tara, the one with the real gun, was nearby.

  “That’s too bad,” Domo said. “I have a pretty sweet ride, plus five-thousand gold coins for the man who can get me four proxies.”

  “That red Tesla is yours?” the bald man asked, greed filling his features.

  Domo shrugged his shoulders. “It’s my dad’s. He’s on a business trip right now. You have until Sunday to scrap it before it’s reported stolen.”

  The bald man nodded vigorously while his partner rubbed his hands together. They looked ready to sit down at a feast after a week of fasting.

  “You need them right now?” the man who’d spoken first asked, flicking a ringlet of black hair from his face.

  “Of course,” Domo snapped. “Come take a look at the drone.”

  On their way back to Tara and Marcia, Alec could feel the men’s predatory gaze like a knife at his back. He fought the urge to glance over his shoulder. Any sign of weakness would be like a gaping wound to these men. So, Alec walked, back straight, shoulders wide. Wolves respected only strength.

  “We want eight-thousand coins,” the bald one said once they got into the light.

  “You two must’ve worked very hard to gain control of such prime real estate.” Domo laughed. “You don’t want to lose this moneymaking stretch of real estate, do you? Maybe your freedom as well. So, do you want to get paid instead? You easily can make triple the coin if you can find someone to junk the drone.”

  “This isn’t a trick, is it?” the bald man asked, suspicion rippling across his face.

  Tara and Marcia were waiting for them. Both stood in identical poses except the gun peeked from the folds of Tara’s jacket.

  “Put that away,” Domo barked, but Alec could see that the admonishment was for show. His friend wanted the pair to see the weapon. He risked a peek over his shoulder, and judging by the men’s whispering exchange, they’d seen the gun alright.

  The bald man licked his lips and said, “Eight thousand.”

  “Then you can bug off,” Domo said. He made to get in the drone. “We’ll drive there instead.”

  Alec didn’t know what his friend was playing at. They would never be able to drive to DC before their deal expired. The two criminals didn’t know that though. He followed the others as they retreated to the Tesla.

  “Wait,” the man with the oily hair said. “Five thousand is fine.”

  “Hand over the proxies.” Domo slammed the drone door shut. “Half the money now, half when I test them.”

  The bald man glared but produced four plastic squares from his jacket. Alec bit back a protest. These couldn’t be the proxies. Did these two take them for fools? Yet, Domo accepted the four squares without a comment. His friend jerked a nod at him and went back the way they came.

  Alec turned his attention back to the pair. They met his gaze like foxes in a hen house. “Just who is your friend, anyway?” the bald one demanded.

  “Shut up,” Tara replied, bringing the gun in full sight. “These young ones are too nice, but I will shoot you both where you stand.”

  The bald man’s eyes narrowed on his guardian. “You talk like an android.”

  Tara cocked the gun and pointed it at the man’s shiny crone. “Say another word.”

  The man’s mouth snapped shut.

  After five, heart-wrenching minutes, sweat trickling down his spin, he spotted Domo in the distance. At least, he thought it was Domo. A gangly man with an impressive beard loomed over them, face serious.

  “Here’s the rest of the money,” the bearded man said to the two criminals. “The drone is all yours.”

  The two men slapped each other on the backs and disappeared inside the drone. A rumble and the Tesla shot away.

  The bearded man grinned. Only one person he knew smiled like that. “There are thirty-one steps,” Domo said. “Every minute counts now.”

  Chapter 11

  The adrenaline of his deal with Agent Square and the barely adverted disaster getting the proxies had kept his mind preoccupied.

  Now, on the train to DC, thoughts snowballed until they became an avalanche. His mother was murdered on a summer day. The type of day even hardcore gamers looked for an excuse to go outside.

  Alec had stood at the edge of her hospital bed. He had felt his mother’s gaze on him, and despite being tethered hand in hand, he remembered staring at the sun-filled window instead. When he did look back into the room, it was to take in the flowers. A sea of them had covered almost entire room. A thin trail cut through sea carnations and lilies for the nu
rse to pass, but even Alec had known the truth. Their check-ups were superficial and just for show.

  Despite the valiant effort of all the flowers, the room still stank of decay and death.

  When finally returned his mother’s gaze, his stomach twisted itself into knots. His mother’s gaunt, skeletal face gazed up at him, hopeful and pleading simultaneously. Looking at her like that, he could no longer picture the woman who had kissed him good night and sang him to sleep.

  This crone, this imposter, this dead person who’d replaced his mother attempted a smile.

  “I want you to do something for me.” Her hand squeezed his. “I want you to promise me that you’ll always do the right thing.” She sucked in another rattling breath. “No matter what. Promise me, Alejandro.”

  His stomach twisted around an emptiness, a pit of pain. The pain brought him back to the present. The train seats snapped back into focus. He was careful to keep his face composed even as the pain ravaged him. It was like this sometimes when he thought about his mother too much. He let the pain run its course, but her final words haunted him.

  Promise me.

  ***

  Lights danced across his eyelids. The train was slowing down just outside of DC. Only two hours left until the deal with Agent Square expired.

  A set of firm hands shook him. Tara. Only his guardian would shake him so roughly.

  Next to him, Marcia offered a smile and darted an annoyed look at Tara. His guardian didn’t notice. She turned to Domo. “Make sure to get enough supplies for a trip of any duration. We want to be prepared for anything that might happen.”

  Alec sat up with a sigh.

  Domo nodded at Tara’s instructions, but the other boy looked tired. Had Domo even slept? Dark rings shadowed his friend’s eyes. Domo muttered something under his breath, but the words were lost as the train came to a complete stop.

  “I will go with Domo,” Marcia announced.

  His friend’s face drained of color and looked ready to protest. He was cut off again by all the passengers rushing to their feet.

  “Make sure you’re both back in one hour and fifteen minutes,” Tara said, almost having to shout over the clamor. “I will leave you here.”

  “Be safe,” Alec told Marcia.

  She hugged him and whispered, “You too.”

  They broke apart, but not before the girl planted another kiss on his lips.

  Then Tara herded him out of the seat and towards the exit, elbowing and shouldering her way through the teeming crowds. No one noted her aggressiveness. Everyone else was pushing just the same.

  He cast one final glance over his shoulder. Domo wore an extremely worried expression. Marcia offered him a wink and thumbs up.

  “My gun,” Tara grumbled beside him.

  Alec weaved around a lost looking couple. “What?”

  “I wish I still had my gun.”

  “Do you really think you’ll need it here?”

  Just a day ago, the image of his guardian shooting anyone would’ve made him laugh. Now, he found it difficult to imagine that Tara had never shot anyone.

  “Maybe,” she muttered darkly.

  Outside, drones darted across the morning sky like hundreds of small ravens. Surveillance drones, probably. Security was especially tight in the nation’s capital. For the first time, he wondered if the government was after them as well. If so, they’d be apprehended in minutes here.

  Five minutes later, a taxi skid to a stop in front of them. A black orb on the roof scanned their proxies. Then, the door popped open. Alec climbed in first.

  “Address,” the taxi said as soon as his butt touched the seat.

  “I will enter the address manually,” Tara told it.

  The taxi endured this with a faint rumble of its idle engine. “Are you a local resident?”

  “No,” Tara said.

  “There is a surcharge for tourists,” the taxi said. “I need valid identification to determine the additional costs.”

  “We don’t have time for this,” Tara said, snippy as usual. “I’ve entered the address. Triple rate. Now. Go.”

  The taxi jolted forward without further protest.

  Alec relished the long moment of silence. The last time they’d been alone together they’d been arguing about him coming home late. Now, they were in Washington DC on their way to some secret project employee.

  “Someone didn’t get their morning coffee,” Tara said. She studied him. “Did you get any sleep?”

  His eyes itched. “A little.”

  On the train, he’d searched his system files again, but found nothing on Super Strength. The Net offered nothing else on Auresse or the golden pyramid.

  “Your mother tried to do the right thing.”

  His stomach twisted at the topic. “Tara…not right now.”

  His guardian lifted a hand, then froze. She stared at it as though unsure how it got there. She lowered her hand with a sigh. The silence returned, this one considerably more uncomfortable than the last.

  Alec braced himself as the taxi shuddered to a stop.

  To his left, a glittering high-rise blotted out the sunlight. Colorful flowers peeked their heads just over the spiked fence that enclosed the tower. A scan revealed no information on the building. A private tower then. Just like him.

  “The total is—” the car told them the fare.

  “Outrageous,” Tara snarled, but she paid anyway.

  The vehicle peeled away even before the door even slammed shut.

  Two golden lions battled each other on the gilded gates. An unseen camera flashed emerald light directly in his pupils. He flinched at the sudden light.

  The gates remained closed. Alec raised an eyebrow at his guardian. “I assume this guy isn’t expecting you?”

  Tara sighed and started walking around the fence. Just wonderful.

  “What did you say this guy did again?” Alec asked.

  “He’s one of the most respected cybersecurity professionals in the United States,” she said. As they walked, she kept glancing at the fence as though waiting for something. She better do something quick. They didn’t have time for a morning stroll. Every second brought them closer to Agent Square.

  “May I ask your business here?” a deep voice asked.

  A security guard, garbed in all black, materialized next to them. Alec couldn’t tell the model of the guard, but the android looked state-of-the-art. The man’s gaze swiveled from Tara to himself.

  “Good morning, sir,” Tara said brightly. “I’m a resident here, I’ve been locked out.”

  The security guard frowned. “Your bio-signature doesn’t match any resident in this building.”

  Tara waved aside this insignificant detail. “Class Goldfinch. Zero. Five. Two. Exception three, seven, seven, five.” A long list of numbers was capped with a, “Rosemary.”

  The security guard drew his shoulders back, face pinched in confusion. He brightened. “Right this way, miss,” the guard said, motioning for them to follow.

  Alec gaped. Tara would have to teach him that hack later.

  The guard led them through a smaller, simpler gate. The street gave way to an evergreen garden filled with flowers of every variety. He spotted lilacs and honeysuckles, thorny blueberry bushes and exotic flowers he didn’t know names of. The flowers made him think of his mother’s hospital room. He grounded his jaw and focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

  The garden spilled into to a square. At the center of the space was a statue of a giant-sized boy taking a piss. Water spouted from the statue’s penis into the pool. White and black speckled marble everywhere. The garden leapt back around them. The skyscraper cast a cold shadow over them as they neared.

  Next a set of glass doors, another security guard eyed their approach. He was dressed in the same black clothing. When they neared, the other guard stepped forward to block their advance.

  “You do not have clearance to enter,” the security guard informed them.

&nbs
p; “She does,” their hacked guard told him.

  Something exchanged between the guards, and the other lost interest. The glass doors slid apart to reveal a grand lobby. The guard wished them a pleasant day and returned to his post.

  Gold-plated elevators shimmered like a mirage from across the room. First, they passed under a gaudy chandelier that must’ve weight more than five freight drones. They strode across the black and white checkered floor. The marble was smooth and pleasant against his feet.