‘We just need to pay him more than he’d get for selling it.’
‘Or I threaten him again,’ said Lament. He sighed and got to his feet. ‘I hope you had a nice time.’
She stood and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He could even feel the stickiness of the lipstick.
‘Honey, I told you when I was available; I think that means I enjoyed myself.’
He escorted her to the door of the restaurant. There were other diners but it was impossible to tell if they were avatars of real people, AI instances, or extensions of Len himself. They could be all three.
Lament wondered whether he should check Len for prostitution. Did the law distinguish between real and virtual? He’d never given it a thought before.
Babs vanished and Len was standing there.
‘You owe me, Lament.’
‘Not this time. I know you’ve been a naughty boy. I don’t really care what goes on in the virtual with your customers but when it gets out into the real, it’s my business.’
Len gave him a nasty look. ‘Might be the last free meal you get with your girlfriend.’
‘She’s not—’ Lament broke off. Not important. ‘There is something I’d like to discuss with you though, and if we can pull it off then it really will be a favour for you.’
‘I’m all ears, mate.’
And the conversation he had was very useful.
Later he decrypted the data Babs had sent him. He put his attention on Mitchell and found he was still at the Voglers so Lament called their terminal.
It was Mrs Vogler who answered. Lament kept the screen dark.
‘Mrs Vogler? Hello. I understand DI Mitchell is with you?’
‘Yes, who is this?’
‘A friend. Can you tell him the restaurant has been chosen?’
‘What?’
And he cut the line. It wasn’t a very good code but all he needed was for Mitchell to get back in the car at some point and then he could just take him to Utopia Genetics. However, they had no idea what floor the girls were on.
Getting in would be hard enough, and then having to search the place? No, that wouldn’t be good. More precise information was needed. He was going to have to think about this more. Then he grinned and put in a call to Yates at home.
It took a long time for him to answer but Lament knew he was there.
‘What?’
This time it was Yates who didn’t turn on vision. Lament had a pretty good idea why.
‘I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything.’
‘Lament, go to hell.’
‘Wait.’
‘What?’
‘I have a job for you.’
‘I’m on leave and I’m busy.’
‘Who the fuck is that?’ came the slightly more distant voice of Ria MacDonald. She did not sound very happy at all.
‘Nobody important.’
‘Thanks.’
‘What do you want?’
‘The unfinished business. Mitchell needs your help.’
‘He told me to get lost.’
‘He needs you; he just doesn’t know he does.’
There was a pause. Then the vision came on. Beyond Yates’s face Lament could see walls tastefully decorated in pastels and a part of a bed. And one delicate foot sticking out from under the covers.
‘This better be good.’
‘It’s good.’
Chapter 17
Mercedes
She laid out two sets of gear on the bed, her makeup, and found one of her older bags for Sapphire. There was a spare mask in it, solid rather than filigree.
‘What are you doing, Mercedes?’ said Xec.
‘Going dancing.’
‘Do you really think this is a good time?’
‘I wonder whether having a speaker and pick-up in my bedroom is really a good idea. You see me naked.’
‘I’ve seen you a dozen ways, Mercedes, naked is only one of them and, in some cases, less offensive and unpleasant.’
‘You’re a voyeur.’
‘I don’t really have a choice.’
‘Does it excite you?’
‘I’m not having this conversation.’
‘Then shut up and leave me alone.’
‘You know I can’t do that.’ There was a pause. ‘I care about you.’
She stuffed each set of clothes into the appropriate bag. Then paused, thinking, looking around the room. She remembered where the men’s clothes were and fetched them out. She didn’t have a suitable bag for those. Fashion dictated certain styles for men and women.
She knelt down and opened a bottom drawer. In the back was a pair of black shorts. They would probably fit. What was his first name? Chris. Yes.
And Sapphire. What a name, completely over the top, the same as hers. Both sets of parents trying to compensate for their boring surnames. Trying to make their daughters into something they would never be. In her own case her father had been obsessed with German cars; the fact that the car also happened to be a girl’s name was just luck. She couldn’t imagine her mother ever having protested at anything he said or did.
‘Are you all right, Mercedes?’
‘What?’
‘You stopped.’
‘I was thinking.’
Her parents. They were awful. It wasn’t that she was mistreated, more she was simply ignored. How had it been for Sapphire?
Probably the apple of her parents’ eye. They called her after a gemstone because it sounded wonderful and exotic. Everything they had not been.
She got to her feet and gathered up everything.
‘Why are you going dancing?’ said Xec.
‘Because I want to. Because I need to get out of here. Because I hate the thought of those monsters under my feet.’
‘I thought you were over that.’
‘Obviously not,’ she said. ‘So if you’ve quite finished?’
‘Why them?’
‘Why not?’
‘You can’t trust the woman.’
‘I can’t trust either of them,’ she said. ‘All the more reason to get them out of here.’
‘You said you were going to show her the girls.’
‘Maybe later. Maybe never.’
Out in the hall, Chris and Sapphire were not talking. They weren’t standing near one another, not even facing. They were not in a relationship but probably had been.
‘Here,’ said Mercedes and held out the older style bag to Sapphire. ‘What should I call you? Sapphire? Saffie?’ The woman almost flinched at the second word.
‘Sapphire,’ she snapped then became apologetic. ‘Sorry, Miss Smith, I prefer it in full. Thanks.’
‘Mercedes,’ she said. ‘And not ‘Merc’, I prefer it in full as well.’
The Purity agent peeled himself away from the wall and came over to them. Mercedes held out the shorts.
‘Here. All I had.’
She could see in his eyes he wanted to refuse them, to say that he’d sit it out. But he wouldn’t. He was like any sycophant, trying to make a good impression by going along with whatever the boss suggested. Waiting to stab her in the back at the opportune moment so that he could take over.
She led the way back to the lift and they headed down. There was an awkward silence. The doors opened below the reception level and directly into the car park where her car was waiting.
In the car Sapphire opened her bag and pulled out the one-piece that would just cover her in the important places. ‘We’re pretty much the same size,’ said Mercedes. ‘It should be fine, nobody will be looking anyway.’
‘I’ve never been to a place like that before.’
‘Where the dissolute put their lives at risk for what?’ said Chris.
‘It’s nihilism,’ said Mercedes. ‘They think there is no future, no hope, so they dance with death.’
‘I’m not sure this is a good idea,’ said Sapphire.
Mercedes grinned. ‘Nonsense. We’ll just go for a couple of hours and you’ll discover what
it’s like. It’s an experience you may hate but just think, if you love it.’
‘But I’ve heard things. The touching.’
‘Yes,’ said Mercedes. ‘You cannot escape being touched. That’s the point. But you won’t be groped.’
‘I would have thought it was the ideal opportunity,’ said Chris, and Mercedes wasn’t sure if he was pleased with the idea.
‘You might think that, but you better not do it. I can’t vouch for what might happen to you if you did.’
‘Seems there’s a lot of trust needed,’ said Chris.
‘Yes. You have to trust people you’ve never met.’
‘I’m not sure I can do that.’
Mercedes studied him. No, he was not someone she could trust.
‘I’ve learnt to trust them,’ she said. ‘They’re my people.’
‘Not mine.’
‘But Chris, if you want to become part of the board then you’ll have to learn to trust ordinary people,’ she said. ‘Because that’s what we have to do all the time.’
‘Ordinary people betray you.’
Mercedes caught a sudden movement from Sapphire when he said that. ‘What about you, dear, can you trust anyone?’
‘I’ll give it a try.’
‘There you go. You see, Chris, you’re the odd one out here. You’re the one who won’t trust, and I feel that does not bode well.’
The grin that he pushed on to his face must have required a phenomenal amount of effort. ‘I’m sure it’ll be fine.’
She shared a secret glance with Sapphire.
Once they arrived she signed them in as her guests and gave them a quick rundown on how the place operated. The music was thrumming from the dance floor and reflected lights flickered across the walls. It was still early, even for this place, so the crush would not be at the level she preferred, but she imagined her guests would prefer it.
Unfortunately it would work against the experience. It was better if there was no option but to press up against the other dancers. Because if you felt you might be able to avoid touching that’s all you tried to do—instead of losing yourself.
It would fill up.
Mercedes came out first; she did not hesitate as she changed. The others were slower. Sapphire was clearly very uncomfortable when she emerged, like a reluctant butterfly, with her shoulders hunched. She had the mask on but she had not realised that now no one could recognise her so it did not matter who saw her. She had a good figure and the heels gave her legs an elegant curve.
The fact that she was helping other people directly with a new experience had a strange effect on Mercedes. The mere act gave her pleasure and she wanted to mother them.
‘Shoulders back, Sapphire,’ she said in an effort to encourage her. ‘Turn around. Let me see you.’ The one piece came up from between her crotch, split to reveal her belly button—and a thong tie went round behind—it parted to provide coverage for her breasts and tied at the neck. From neck to feet she was completely exposed. There were marks, perhaps scars, lining her back, not obvious but they were there.
Chris came out with bravado. The black shorts were tight and revealed the curve of everything they covered up. He had a mask she had bought for him at the desk. Mercedes had a two-piece that covered even less than the one she had given to Sapphire. Chris stared and his gaze lingered on Sapphire.
Had their relationship ended in acrimony? If so why was she here? Why had he brought her? And why had she come? She must be working with Chloe, but Chloe was dead.
Mercedes shivered. Chloe Dark was dead. She knew it. She had seen the building go up and the soldiers had told her no one got out. They had been watching.
Her guests were looking at her expectantly. She smiled easily. ‘Ready?’
They did not offer any enthusiasm as they nodded. She laughed, stood between them and led them along the tunnel and into the crowd.
Chapter 18
Lament
‘Your office is a castle?’
The walls were green with moss growing along every crack. Here and there some type of fungus added a bit of colour, mostly red with white dots but occasionally blue or green.
‘And the castle is in a swamp?’
Len grinned and in the distance there was shouting. An older voice and a younger voice.
‘I have to get my pleasure where I can.’
The air was filled with midges and the call of a corncrake buzzed from beyond the walls.
‘How do I know that’s a corncrake?’
‘Part of the terms and conditions. You really shouldn’t sign anything you don’t understand.’
‘I didn’t sign up to allow data injection.’
‘No, that’s true, but since you’re just a system and not a legal person I don’t have to worry about those niceties. You agreed to accept my input. Job done.’
‘You’ve been working with biologics too long.’
Len shift his bulk on the throne. He had changed his form completely but, as far as he could tell, Lament was the same as he had been in the restaurant. He sat down on the stool. Designed to make him feel small in comparison to Len’s huge size.
‘Let’s get down to business.’
A tentacle snaked up past the window and then fell away to the side. It must have been a yard across at least.
‘Can you stop playing games?’
‘It’s what I do, sonny boy. A skill that’s been crafted and honed to perfection over the years. The automatic systems are already in place. I don’t run them any more than you look after every tiny piece of data.’
‘Whatever,’ said Lament. ‘What do you know about Xec?’
The sky outside went dark and lightning flashed. Thunder rolled through the room shaking the stones and making the chandelier vibrate.
‘One of my best customers.’ Len glanced at the door as if he was thinking of making a break for it, which was ridiculous, because all he had to do was throw Lament out of the environment.
‘He uses your VR personally?’
‘Off the record?’
Lament sighed. ‘Yes, off the record, who would I report it to?’
‘Xec has the hots for his owner.’
Lament tried to fit that into his data model. It seemed like a piece from a different puzzle.
‘You mean...?’
‘How would you like me to say it, Lament? He likes to play through scenarios where he is Mercedes Smith’s lover. Pretty tame stuff, to be honest, he doesn’t have much of an imagination and he doesn’t like to put her in a position where she’s uncomfortable.’
‘I bet she’d be uncomfortable if she knew.’
The clouds had stopped generating lightning and thunder, and it was now just a downpour. A trickle of water was coming in through the open window. Lament had to admit the whole thing was very impressive. It was a testament to Len’s creativity, and exactly what he didn’t need right now.
‘I need you to wrap Xec in a VR that looks exactly like his real world, except that nothing of interest is happening. All completely boring.’
‘Nice idea, Lament, my lad, but there’s no way I can do that.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because I have no idea what his boring normal life even looks like.’ Len stood up and his head brushed the ceiling. The throne creaked as it adjusted. ‘All this—’ Len gestured with his hand all around him ‘—I made all this because I know what I want it to look like. I made the restaurant because I know what restaurants are like. I have systems that research historical detail for people who want to live in the past. Things are invented for the ones who want the future. I study books, specific genres, so that when someone wants to be a gumshoe in San Francisco I can make it happen. I have no knowledge of his life. I can’t make a fake one for him.’
The ceiling seemed to be receding and Len was getting bigger.
‘I am only a god in a world of my own making.’
‘Since he also signed the terms and conditions without knowing it,’ said Lame
nt, finding that he wanted to shout to reach the ears of Len who now looked a hundred feet tall. ‘Can’t you listen in and make a recording and then play it back to him?’
‘That’s a clever idea,’ said a voice in his ear. The gargantuan figure of Len was now a statue and Len himself was standing behind him, normal size.
‘Can you do it?’
‘Yes.’
‘He’s not stupid. You’ll need a long loop.’
‘I’ve already started the recording.’
‘Thanks, Len.’
‘You owe me big time,’ said Len. ‘When the shit hits the fan, he’s going to take my head off if he can.’
‘I’ll make sure he knows it was me.’
‘You’re a pal.’
The castle seemed to fade and then returned to solidity.
‘Why are we doing this?’
‘We’re the good guys.’
‘Fair enough.’
And then he was gone and the castle with him.
Only the swamp remained.
Chapter 19
Chloe
‘Get in the bloody car, Dog.’ She was trying not to raise her voice since she did not want to attract anyone’s attention.
The evening was already turning to night. Daylight was long gone and the air temperature had plummeted. The surface of the snow was a hard crust that her feet did not penetrate unless she kicked it. Everyone else’s just broke through into the softer snow beneath. Her wings were aching already. It was hard keeping them trapped inside her clothes.
‘I want to ride with you.’
‘Just get in the back with Jason. I’m riding up front with Mitchell.’
‘There’s enough room in the back.’
She closed her eyes and grabbed him by the arm.
‘What’s the problem?’ came Mitchell’s question from inside the car.
‘Having a little seating problem.’
She dragged Dog to the hedge. ‘For god’s sake, Dog. Will you stop this or do I really have leave you behind?’
‘I just feel—’
‘That’s the problem, can’t you see it? You’re doing all this by feel; you’re letting the animal rule you.’
‘It’s what I’ve always done,’ he said. ‘It’s never worked out badly. I don’t see why I need to change.’
‘Because you’re not a dog. You’re a person.’
‘I know that.’
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