Masaru peered over the boxes.
Two of the armored samurai helped a third back to his feet. Smoke poured from a fist-sized hole in the lower stomach. The man pushed his assistors aside and staggered forward two steps before stopping and emitting a furious growl.
“He is angry because the man who wounded him is already dead,” whispered Masaru.
Noriko looked from the damaged armor to Masaru and back to the damaged armor. “That sounded like the same missile that took down my transport… And he’s…” She stared, pointing.
“Annoyed.” Masaru chuckled. “He is more hurt than he is showing. The armor has a life-support system.”
“That’s amazing.” She approached the terminal, slung her rifle over her shoulder, and attacked the holographic keyboard. “Those are probably expensive.”
“About nine million credits per suit, depending on options.”
She kept typing. “Does it have a coffee maker too?”
“Yes.”
“What!?” Noriko looked surprised for an instant before her eyebrows came together. “You’re teasing me.”
“There is a built in reassembler with an OmniSoy reserve for long missions… so, technically, it could produce coffee.” He chuckled, and kicked a dead foreigner out of the way so he could stand next to her.
Noriko stared at the terminal. “Son of a―”
The armored figures walked back in.
“These files make it look like they’ve been set up here for months, purchasing nanobots while posing as staff from Nichinan Central Hospital. At least five large shipments have already been sent to Europe.” She scowled. “My commanders are going to love this.”
Masaru pondered. The Nippon Shōgyō Kumiai would spontaneously combust if they discovered the ACC traded with Nikkatsu Corporation directly. It would not have taken much effort to verify that the hospital had been receiving them. Even if they had no reason to suspect anything amiss, the NSK will consider them complicit. Kurotai Corporation may find this information useful for future negotiations with Nikkatsu.
Ryozo approached, and bowed. “Kurotai-sama. The Etamura are fleeing.”
Noriko stood and headed deeper into the ruin, stepping over sleeping bags, bodies, and the remnants of long-term camping.
“Himura-san, please ensure that a copy of all the data on this terminal is sent to me.”
“Yes, Kurotai-sama.” He bowed.
ne hour slid into the next as Kenny drove westward, the steady drone of the diesel engine deliberate in its effort to lull him into a nap. A mostly-intact white stucco building on the left, decorated in bullet holes and a museum sign, caught his eye. The place might have a treasure lurking inside, a piece of prewar junk some rich idiot would vomit credits all over him to get their hands on. Temptation went under the wheels of guilt and worry. Alyssa had been shot―by some miracle in her vest―and who only knows what that bastard old man would do next time.
A cracked rib and a bruise could’ve been freak luck, or it could’ve been a warning. A ‘next time she’ll get it in the face’ kind of warning.
Kathy’s blood still coated her arm and shirt from where the dogs had gotten a hold of her. He held her stare for a few seconds via the rearview mirror. Love and admiration burst within his heart; she’d leapt at the dogs to protect Cielo. Another warning? A ‘next time the dog bites Kathy on the throat’ kind of warning.
And Luna… one of the children he’d planned on dropping off at the police checkpoint. Artifact hunters, researchers, and other fools who ran out to the Badlands did it all the time. Ran into Scrags, brought them back. The NewsNet always talked about orphans from gang warfare or simple abandonment. He’d be adding them to an already overburdened system. One guy he’d read about, another artifact seeker who went by the nickname Beard, once brought a whole Scrag tribe in. Something like fifty people… of course, that had been an entirely different situation than finding a couple stray children. None of them needed foster care, merely life adjustment to the slam shift going from spears and ‘clothing if you can find or make any’ to hovercars and advert bots.
Heh. I wonder how much shit Old Wretched threw at Beard… He’s letting us have it pretty bad for four children.
Kenny stared sideways at the museum as he passed it. Funny they didn’t notice it on the way into the Badlands. Funnier that he spotted it on the way out. Nah. That’s got trap written all over it. Probably full of damned nibblers or something.
Nasir slept on and off, once again seeming bored. Hayley kept quiet, but huddled against Kathy’s side, her limbs stiff, her eyes shifting in constant vigilance. Alyssa had her earbuds in once more, attention focused on her NetMini. Kathy and the four Scrag children carried on a conversation about the city. Every few minutes, one of them would ask something, and she’d answer, prompting another question before another minutes-long silence settled in.
Soon after the sun slipped out of sight in the west, a lonely old ghost town came into view ahead. A gas station stood next to a square building that had the general shape of a store, but no trace of any signs. The decaying structure across the street appeared to have been a bar/restaurant named ‘Earl’s Place.’ Beyond that, four tiny houses and a dozen trailers made up the rest of the ‘town.’
The gas station office struck him as the sturdiest of the lot, so he slowed to a halt by the old pumps, under a roof supported by rusting poles.
“It’ll be dark soon. This looks like a decent place to stop.” Kenny squinted into the sunset at the buildings up ahead. Nothing moved except the loose walls of several trailers. “I think we’re the only ones here.”
Eldon opened his door. “Gonna do better than think.”
Three orb bots levitated out of the truck bed.
Nasir patted his console. “I got your six, El.”
“All right. Yell if you see anything iffy,” said Kenny.
The Scrags rushed out of the truck, went only a few steps away, and relieved themselves in a cluster. Blushing at their casualness, Alyssa dragged Hayley around behind the building out of sight. Kathy got out, stretched, and stiff-legged it after them.
Kenny kept an eye on the area, one hand on his pistol. Once Kathy and the girls came back, he went around to the rear of the building and watered the wall. When he returned, Halcón and Gato disappeared into the building with the group’s sleeping bags. He climbed into the truck bed and took out enough ration packs for everyone.
“Looks like you’re right,” said Nasir. “There’s nothing out there but junk.”
“Good.” Kenny jumped down from the tailgate. I don’t trust it.
Metal clattered in the distance, making him grab his sidearm, but he relaxed at the sight of Eldon pushing a slab of corrugated metal out of his way from a collapsed trailer a short distance down the street. He gave it a shove that wound up knocking the rest of the flapping walls to the ground.
Alyssa screamed.
I knew it. He dropped the rations on the concrete slab by the pumps and sprinted past the left side of the office. Alyssa stood about thirty yards past the building amid a field of scrub grass. Hayley clung to her, and they both seemed to be trying not to look at something on the ground in front of them. Since their body language radiated ‘eww’ and not terror, he relaxed a little.
Kenny sprinted up behind them, stopping with a hand on each of their shoulders. “Girls, what―”
Before them lay an open grave holding the remains of someone who’d been there quite some time. Tiny scraps of flesh clung here and there, but for the most part, the poor bastard consisted of bones and a dark stain on the earth. A second filled-in grave sat beside it; between them, someone had stuck a shovel into the ground from which a thin scrap wood sign dangled on a wire.
“I’m okay,” said Alyssa, sniffling. “Just wasn’t expecting a dead guy.”
Hayley, her expression neutral, stared at the gas station office, refusing to look at the dead.
“You good?” yelled Eldon, behind him.
> “Yeah. Girls found an open grave.” Kenny patted them on the back before stepping around them to the shovel and lifting the small sign. “Whoever finds this, please cover my ass up. I’m layin’ m’self down one year to the day my beloved Theresa took her last breath. If you fancy reading, check the place next door. Them books sure did my wife a lot of good. Pascal Rittenauer, age 82.”
Eldon walked up beside him. “What’cha got?”
Kenny handed him the sign. “Old man.” He twisted to glance at the store building. “Prob’ly a shitload of books in there. Who knows how long they’ve been sittin’. Likely be mush now.”
“Might as well give him his last request.” Eldon grabbed the shovel.
“Yeah.” Kenny nodded. “Be right back. Got another one in the truck.”
He ushered the girls to the gas station office and left them in Kathy’s care. Considering the shallowness of the grave, it took under an hour―and the last of the daylight―to cover the old man’s remains. Tired and hungry, hands shaking from fatigue and worry, Kenny tossed his shovel back in the truck bed and headed for the building. Eldon propped the old man’s shovel against the wall.
The stubborn smell of pipe smoke clung to the walls inside the office, which the two former occupants had converted into a tiny home, adding a bed, dresser, kitchen table, and four chairs, as well as two bookshelves. In the back right corner, a pair of cushioned chairs flanked a little round table with a doily.
Everyone sat in a circle on the floor munching on rations. Cielo had collected unwanted hot sauce bottles, slurping them like treats. Kenny grunted on his way to the unoccupied space of sleeping bag next to Kathy where a ration pack waited for him. Within a second of his ass touching down, Luna got up and scrambled over to sit at his left. He patted her on the head and reached for his ration pack.
Halcón stood and approached Eldon. “I will take the first watch. I do not trust Nasir’s magic balls.”
“That’s what his ex-girlfriend said,” muttered Eldon.
Nasir grumbled. “You guys know that balls/orb jokes are older than this gas station, right?”
Alyssa and Kathy snickered. Halcón raised an eyebrow.
“No, no…” Eldon grinned. “Kid’s got a good point. We should set up a standard watch. Those bots of yours seem to have gotten a bad case of the fickle.”
Halcón pointed at Hayley, attempting English. “Only when the pale girl makes magic on the glowing tablet. She is only who can make his balls come to life.”
“Eww,” muttered Alyssa. “I know he didn’t mean that the way I just heard it, but eww.”
“Dammit.” Nasir slapped his knee. “Why the hell does she have to be what? Eleven? Twelve? I so could’ve taken that joke all the way.”
Kenny gave him a deadly look.
“Hey.” Nasir raised his hands. “Relax… Just making a joke. He’s the one that started with the balls thing.”
“I agree with Halcón.” Kenny tore open a pack and got hit with a wave of intense fragrance he’d never experienced before, predominantly fishy and spicy. He cringed and tilted the packet to read the label. “Portuguese Fish Stew?”
“Oh shit.” Eldon leaned away. “You got the PFS? Sorry man. Should take that thing out back and bury it next to the old man.”
Kenny sniffed it. “Smells decent.”
“Yeah, doesn’t taste bad either… but it ain’t what it s’posed ta be. Whatever the military did to make it into a ration has channeled the darkest of dark voodoo.” Eldon pointed at him. “You eat that, and four hours from now what come out yo’ ass is gonna kill that old demon you keep talkin’ about.”
Alyssa glared at him. “Ugh. Really?”
Kenny laughed. “In that case, I’ll eat two.”
“I take second watch.” Gato, sitting cross-legged, puffed up his chest. His thick mop of hair almost covered his eyes and hung down to his hips. In his borrowed pink shirt with the white cartoon cat face, he looked quite intimidating.
“Nah, kid.” Eldon pointed a packet of ‘turkey stew’ at him. “You take third. Second watch is darkest, and I got night vision.”
Halcón nocked an arrow in his compound bow and walked outside.
“You’re letting him go out there alone?” whispered Kathy.
“The boy’s fifteen… he’s not helpless. Plus he’s spent his whole life doing this.” Kenny inhaled the contents of the meal packet, not even noticing the spice until his tongue went numb from flavor.
Luna sniffled. She covered her face with her hands and started to cry.
Kenny tucked the empty packet back in the ration pouch before putting an arm around the girl. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“I lost my magic bow. The ancestors will be angry with me.”
He rubbed her back. “I don’t think they will. I think they took the bow as a test, instead of your life. You survived those dogs.”
Luna lowered her hands from her face, sniffled once, and looked up at him. “You saved me, not the ancestors.”
His throat tightened at her expression: terrified of getting ‘in trouble’ yet at the same time pleading. “Well…” He brushed her hair off her face. “I won’t let the ancestors be angry with you.”
She attempted a smile, and clung to him.
The girls removed their boots and reclined on top of their sleeping bags, still wearing everything else―including their armored vests.
“Ugh. It’s so hot in here. Can’t we sleep outside?” asked Alyssa.
Hayley muttered something.
“Oh. Yeah, I guess that makes sense.” Alyssa tried to get comfortable.
Kenny removed his armored coat, opened his shirt, and reclined. Kathy removed her armor and shirt, evidently no longer caring who saw her bra.
Grumbling to himself, Kenny found his thoughts spinning into a heat-delirium. He didn’t even notice sleep sneak up on him.
Kenny snapped awake in the middle of the night. Something rustled nearby. He lifted his head and reached his right hand down to grip his pistol. Cielo, at Kathy’s right, wriggled out of his sleeping bag and peeled off his tee shirt. For a moment, he stood nude, fanning himself and panting like an overheated dog while sweat dripped down his body. After a moment, he curled up on top of the open bag, using his wadded up shirt for a pillow.
Luna had evidently reached the point of overheating earlier and had already pulled her t-shirt dress off. Asleep again, she lay with her arms and legs askew like a passed-out drunk, her head propped against his side, looking miserable and sweaty. Halcón and Gato had moved outside, sitting on the ground on either side of the door with their backs to the building. Watching the boys’ long hair dance on the breeze made him consider going outside as well.
Kenny scowled to himself. Old Wretched had to be making it hotter.
Halcón crept in seconds later, and woke Eldon. As soon as his friend looked over, Kenny gestured at Gato, shook his head to the negative, and pointed at himself. Eldon gave him a thumbs-up.
Nasir’s snoring on top of Kenny’s worry that another ambush approached in the darkness made it difficult to sleep. Eventually, staring at the ceiling became staring at Eldon’s face, in a room full of daylight. Somewhere nearby, Alyssa and Hayley muttered complaints about being hot. Kathy coaxed them out of their armored vests and made them sit outside in the breeze with water bottles.
Kenny squinted. “Bit late for third rotation… Tell me you didn’t leave a twelve-year-old on watch alone?”
“Heh. It’s okay man. Nah. I let him sleep too. Your ass needs to drive, and you looked fried as hell. I’m good. Double-watch ain’t nothin’ new for me.”
Cielo’s tiny chest swelled and deflated, ribs showing with each breath. He clung to Kathy’s empty sleeping bag like a stuffed animal. Luna, at his left, stared at Kenny―fully awake, but she hadn’t moved a millimeter. Beads of sweat crept down her face and a thin crust of gunk had formed on her lips.
“You need water,” mumbled Kenny “C’mon. Time to get dressed.”
He yawned, stood, and made the rounds waking everyone up after fetching water bottles for the kids. Cielo headed for the corner rubbing his eyes and took up a stance in preparation to pee. Kenny hurried over and chased him outside.
“He’s not housebroken yet,” said Alyssa from the doorway, before glugging down an entire one-liter bottle of water.
“I don’t know about everyone else, but I’d like to get home faster.” Kenny yawned again and shook his head. “Why don’t we eat on the road?” He repeated himself in Spanish.
“If you put food on the road, it will get dirty,” said Luna between gulps.
Her sincere expression got him laughing, which got everyone else laughing―except Hayley.
Kenny pulled her into a hug. “Hey. You okay?”
“Yeah.” She squeezed him like she didn’t want to let go… ever. “Still scared.”
“I know, kiddo. I know.” He patted her back. “Come on. Hop in the truck so we can get out of here.”
She took a step back and gave him a long stare that he took as begging him not to hate her. Before Kenny could ask, she lowered her gaze and trudged out. He jogged after her.
“Hale… I’m not upset with you for anything. I don’t think you’re rushing us home. I’m rushing us home.”
She stopped with her hand on the handle of the truck door, but didn’t look at him. “Okay.”
“I’m… sorry?”
Hayley lowered her head. “I’m not mad at you. I’m just scared.”
“You seem kinda pissed. Like I did something wrong.” He rested a hand on her shoulder.
She reached up and put her hand over his fingers. “Can we please go home? I’ll… maybe I’ll be okay once we’re outta here. This place is messed up.”
“That’s the plan.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Sorry for dragging you out here.”
“You didn’t.” She pulled the door open. “The Syndicate threatened us. Not like you had any choice. I wanted to stay with my family. It’s not your fault.”
“All right. Talk later?”
The Harmony Paradox (Virtual Immortality Book 2) Page 65