by Viola Grace
After an hour of data manipulation and compression, she was ready to explain what had happened to her friend and how long the plan had been going on.
She got up and straightened her blouse and trousers, flared her lab coat out, and headed for the briefing room on the exterior of the black zone.
The peacekeeper representatives and the team members looked at her, and she turned to the display to activate an image of Susara.
“Program elite candidate Susara, born Susara Kino and handed over to the program when she was eight. She had the tentative designation of Dainty, and her skill was best described as Suit Bait. She was smart, seductive, and the most amazing friend a woman can ask for. Her death was ordered by this man. The Mentor.”
She flicked to a silhouette, and the men and women in the room snorted.
Hron asked, “Where would she have gotten into contact with him in the first place?”
Zera clicked the image of the funeral. “Here. She was fourteen. He came up to her and touched her cheek and shoulder. I saw him. This is my best depiction of his face.”
She forwarded the image, and the group gasped.
Hron asked, “How did you see him? Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“I wasn’t sure until he crossed her path again. He wanted her, wanted all her firsts. Well, the ones that were still available. He started sending her messages. She was scared, so she came to me, and we formulated a plan and a business model.”
She took in a deep breath and clicked. The room dissolved in murmurs. “Since he was going to come for her anyway, she decided to draw him out. She put herself up on Blind Date and waited for him to request her. She didn’t have to wait long.”
Zera played the conversation.
“Ah, little one, I want to see you in that gown with nothing under it. I am sending you the coordinates. Do you travel with a chaperone?”
Susa’s voice was soft and sexy, “I do. One human and one mech, just in case. They are circumspect and will remain within five hundred metres of me during the entire encounter. After the designated hour, they will come in and look for me if I am not outside. They will find me.”
“A charming threat. I will be on my best behaviour.”
“I will have my mask, but what shall I call you, sir?”
“Consider me your mentor and address me as such.”
The call disconnected, and Susa’s voice asked, “Did you get that, Zera?”
“Yes, Dainty.”
“Well, Hopper, suit up. He took the bait. You are my ride.”
They both chuckled, and the call ended.
Zera sighed. “The meetings started through the app, and I came with her to every one. The security bot came with us, and she got more and more information on the Mentor. Then, he started booking her for hours at a time. He started to involve others in their encounters, and that is how she met the man she fell in love with and he with her. Their boss was informed, and she ended up an empty shell. The man who did this was Jinthen Vel, the doll maker.”
The peacekeeper captain asked, “How do you know what she did with her clients?”
“She told me, but more than that, I was along for the ride. She told me about every meeting and took me along on every trip until last night.”
“What was different about last night?” Hron asked.
“Delvis was going to die. Apparently, the Mentor would bring him in for a threesome but was upset when Dainty preferred him.”
One of the researchers looked at her in surprise. “What do you mean, along for the ride, Hopper?”
Hron frowned. “You have an activation, Hopper?”
“I can enter the mind of others, whether they want to or not. I was holding her hand—metaphorically speaking—on every date.”
Hron cleared his throat. “You are bound by the blindness as well?”
“Of these little masks?” she tossed one to the boardroom table. “Of course not. I designed them; I can override them. Don’t worry. My staff can’t.”
The team members relaxed. The peacekeepers were curious, and the captain asked, “What the hell is Blind Date?”
“Escorts for the activated. It is legal. I have all necessary permits.” Zera smiled. “Women and men who disclose their vulnerabilities and are excellent lovers for those who are in stressful private positions.”
The peacekeepers looked at each other in surprise. Hron filled in, “It is a lovely time but hellishly expensive.”
One of the peacekeepers put the mask on. It adhered to his face, and he panicked. Zera walked up to him as the scanners rejected him, and the mask dropped back into her hands. “It isn’t calibrated for you. It won’t stay on.”
“I just saw blurry figures.”
“Yeah, that is all it allows you to see. Even I can only get thermal data.”
Astel blinked. “You do this as well?”
Naima smiled, “Can I get your number?”
Zera smiled. “You have already had it. Most of the teams that come here work their way through the roster. The personnel I have will service either sex, so it works very equitably.”
Naima frowned. “I don’t remember you.”
Zera nodded. “It is on our contract. Your short-term memory will be blurred as to specific details, but you will retain all the bulk memories of your contracted time. Shape, size, sounds, but not voices.”
Astel looked at her in shock. She shrugged.
The captain asked, “Why would they pay for that?”
Hron met her gaze and answered, “Because Zera knows that we have trouble finding lovers who are activated and won’t be injured and who aren’t seeking us out for fame or popularity. It is once and done.” He chuckled. “Until we realize how freeing it is, and then, we do it again.”
Naima sighed, “And again and again.”
Zera gripped her mask. “I would like the record to show that the team members stated that they were clients and not me.”
Hron chuckled, “So noted.”
Astel smiled slightly, and Naima blew her a kiss.
Zera looked to the peacekeepers. “As you are suddenly aware, the activation also works on the hormones, pheromones, and sex drive. You can’t have enjoyable sex if you would tear through your partner like gauze. The teams have to either look for other activated folks or remain celibate.” She sighed. “The activated crime bosses have the same issue.”
The peacekeepers’ eyes widened. “You service them?”
Zera shrugged. “Sure. It would look weird if we only serviced team members and would not be much of a business. As it is, we are very successful.”
She turned back to the briefing and explained, “Right, if that little verbal voyeurism is over, there is a vid going out this evening that is a thank you from Susa. I need to make sure that you all act as if it is a truth.”
Dr. Miliken stood up. “The file is queued up.”
Zera caught the video and saw her sliding into the sitting body of Susa. She grimaced. “I told you not to use internal cameras for this.”
Dr. Miliken blushed. “I will have them disabled.”
Zera gritted her teeth as she puppeted Susa to say what she needed to. The drone footage was next up. It was a repeat with a better angle.
She slowly turned back to the people gathered. She sighed. “So, that is my activation, and now, you know that the name Hopper does not involve me skipping in and out of beds.”
The team members were standing and staring at her. Naima whispered, “You made her talk.”
“No, I was talking. My cells were mingled with her cells. When she sat up, that was me sitting up. I phase in and then can either ride along or take over. Then I hop out.” She sighed. “At the point she recorded that message, she weighed nearly one hundred and twenty-five kilos.”
The team was staring at her. Hron looked at her, down to his com, and then up again with a slight smile.
She felt the haptic pulse through her com and glanced down. If she was amenable, she had a three-ho
ur date for that evening. She scowled and pressed accept. Details of what she should wear would be forwarded to her. There was an online collection to choose from.
She sighed and turned. “So, this is the security camera footage from the surrounding area.” She watched the man blur into the screen, set her down, and kiss her temple with tears tracking down his cheek. “And that is Delvis. He isn’t going to be my way in, but he is an ally once I get there.”
He arranged her carefully into the seated position and disappeared. The next image was Zera rolling up and taking her into her arms, wailing. To Zera’s surprise, the ground shook around her and Susa while she rocked and waited for the peacekeepers.
Astel leaned forward. “You called everyone before you arrived?”
“Before I left the house. When I got up, instead of being ready for a run, I found this in her room.”
Susara’s voice rang out, slurring and giggling. “Zera, today’s the day. Delvis said he was going to tell the boss that we are in love. It has been so long, and I am so tired, but I am sure about Delvis. I know that he wants to take care of me and doesn’t have loyalty to the boss. When he touches me... Hopper, it isn’t like anyone else I have ever touched.” There was another drunken giggle. “So, I know this is going to freak you out, but I will be home soon, and then, you can yell at me for going out without an escort. Love you, Zera.”
Zera inhaled and exhaled slowly. “So, that was the last thing Dainty sent me. I activated all trackers and the isotope reader and sent emergency services. I honestly hoped that she was beaten nearly to death, but that wasn’t the case.”
That shocked the law enforcement in the room, but the researchers nodded. Dr. Miliken sighed. “We can heal physical damage.”
Understanding dawned.
“So, I propose that we find the doll maker, find Mentor, and remove both of their heads for research purposes.” She smiled brightly. “Any questions?”
The men and women looked at each other uneasily. One of the peacekeepers asked, “How can you say that so cheerfully?”
Hron smiled, his eyes glowing icy blue. “Because she is Researcher Zera. She tackles one problem at a time, and now, these men have become a problem, so she is going to solve it.”
Her cheeks got a little pink when she saw Torun’s gaze looking at her through Hron’s eyes. She checked her com when it pulsed and saw that the empress outfit had been requested. Torun was on his way to town.
She looked at Hron and asked, “How long have you been in there, Torun?”
Her friend’s slow smile was wicked. “Long enough.”
The room turned to stare at Hron and the star-bright eyes.
The captain asked, “Torun, what do you think of her plan?”
He smiled. “I think she is going to do it regardless of what we say or do. So, if we want her to come out of this alive—and we do—it is up to us to simply ask the question.” He leaned forward on his elbows. “Zera, what do you need from us?”
Part of her soul melted. He always knew just what to say. “I will need the researchers to continue on their end of the project.”
They nodded.
“I will need the peacekeepers to be willing to work with me for the final investigation, and if I call the team, I would like them to arrive without a barrage of questions.” She straightened. “I will be appearing primarily as Susa over the next week. Mentor always watches the challenges and testing. He considers it recruitment advertising.”
Astel frowned. “You are going to wear her body for the testing?”
“I am. I will request confidential testing, which will also give us a trail when Mentor tries to break into Susa’s file.”
Torun laughed. “You are leading him along.”
“His need to solve puzzles is incredible. He has to be smarter than anyone else in the room, or he has them killed, and he is going to be hunting doll maker the moment that I am seen at the testing grounds. Since Susa will obviously be alive and pass the challenges, everyone will be watching her. I will need the research team to be there on testing day. I am only two candidates behind her, so I will need someone to take her somewhere safe after I step out.”
The research team nodded. “We will be there doing checks on the students. We can simply divert her after the exam.”
“I will retrieve her and walk her out after I am done with my own testing.”
Torun smiled. “You are joining a team?”
“Oh, god, no. I don’t have a socially serving bone in my body. I am trained for research, but I have to maintain my credentials to continue working on team accessories. I need to keep my rating up so that I can experiment with the weapons on myself.”
He blinked, the bright glow of his eyes getting stronger. “You can withstand our weaponry?”
One of the researchers snorted. “Of course, she can take them point-blank. She designed them all.”
Zera looked at him. “Torun, how close are you?”
There was a slight scuff of his boots, and she turned around slowly. He let Hron loose and inclined his head. His purple skin with jagged lightning marks was her favourite colour. The suit that he was wearing was a deep blue that was nearly black. His hair was held off his face with a thick clasp at the base of his neck so that the rest of his locks hung down to mid-back.
He stepped toward her. “I am pretty close.”
She looked up and up again. His eyes held her hypnotized, and it took an effort to look away.
Hron unintentionally came to her rescue. “Torun, how long are you in the city?”
She was easing away and froze when he said, “Overnight. I will be taking meetings in the morning before rejoining my team.”
She took a step away from him. “Right. So, that’s it. I am going to lure some evil people out into the open and then kill them. I just wanted you all to know because I will need witnesses regarding my unhinged state of mind at this particular stage.”
One of the peacekeepers frowned. “Unhinged?”
It appeared that they needed a demonstration. She picked up the boardroom table, scattering the group, and she smashed it down with a scream before going and punching the smart glass.
Torun grabbed her from behind and lifted her off her feet. He murmured softly, “They get the point.”
He carried her into one of the nearby offices, and when the door was locked, he whispered, “I am so sorry about Susara.”
She exhaled, inhaled, and started sobbing, his arms holding her arms down and supporting her around her ribs. This wasn’t the crying of shock, the weeping of grief; this was the acknowledgement that half her soul was gone.
Torun held her while she wailed and didn’t mention that she was shaking the walls.
When she quieted, he set her down in a chair and then left. He returned a moment later with a cold cloth for her eyes. “Easy, Zera. That was a lot to get out.”
She mumbled her thanks and spent the next few minutes cooling her eyes until she could see out of them again. Crying blood when truly upset had only happened once before, when Susa’s parents were murdered.
Torun was crouching in front of her, and when she looked at him, he smiled sadly. “You should have called me.”
“You were busy with work. I told you back then that I would never step between you and duty.”
“You did, but I also told you that I would come when you call.”
She smiled slightly.
“Dirty girl. That too, but you have the right to make demands on me.”
“Um, no, I don’t. We are not exclusive.” She used his phrasing.
“This business of yours was my suggestion. I know that you need more, but I can’t always provide it. The few times that we have gotten together with my team have been... memorable.” His eyes went hot. “However, you and I alone have been the moments I look forward to. I come back here far more than I should, and I don’t regret anything.”
He stroked her cheek, and she leaned her head into the touch. “You are an ex
pensive habit, Zera.”
She swallowed. “That was never my intention.”
“No, but it has highlighted a need to the project. The Blind Dates are actually a budget point for the teams. We are more effective as a team if we can get what we need from a scheduled servicing.” He smiled. “Also, we are far more friendly to those we are assisting.”
Zera looked at him with narrowed eyes. “How friendly?”
“Jealous?”
“Yes. Being greedy is one of my characteristics. You know that.”
He chuckled and exhaled slowly, his eyes warming again. “Yes, I definitely do. It is one of your more endearing characteristics.”
She asked him. “How secure is that lock?”
He smiled. “Pretty secure. Why?”
“I need a little more comforting that won’t get you out of your suit.”
“Pity.” He caught her and got to his feet as she held his face and kissed him as if he was the last man in the world.
She pressed the cold cloth to her lips and sighed. “Sorry for mauling you.”
He was leaning against the desk with her cuddled against him, his hand smoothing over her back.
His eyes crackled with power. “I will pay you back this evening.”
She blushed and checked her com. “Eleven hours?” She blinked. The money was astronomical. “Is the rest of the team coming or something?”
He chuckled. “They wanted to come, but we voted that I would be the one to represent us. If things work out tonight, I will be able to invite them along for their favourite parts.”
She shivered at the thought, and he stroked her cheek. “I think that you are ready to return to the meeting now. For what it’s worth, you have thought it out to a frightening degree. How long will Susa’s body hold up?”
She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “Two weeks at the outside. I can supplement her when I am inside her.”
“Now, serious question. Did you ever go with her to Mentor as a date?”
She nodded. “Twice. It was a party for a new associate and some kind of an anniversary.”
“Did you do any hopping?”