“Ray Partington wrote that article too,” said another partygoer.
M nodded approvingly at the man. “That too, Mr. Partington is a known accomplice of Taylor. Nothing he said can be accepted as fact.”
“What about his reports painting the Federation as hostile and their cyberware enhanced IWs?” asked the third partygoer.
“Plausible deniability most likely,” Lady M said. “Spit a few truthful things to make him look good and deliver a hidden message. A warning what the Federation has coming for us.”
Geoffrey, get a navi-point on Patterson.
Done.
Estrella was tracking Patterson’s location now, without the need to constantly monitor him. It was all she could do with Lady M killing her plan, by dragging her away from Patterson in his truth serum drugged state. She felt her handbag shake, her phone inside was still vibrating. Ray wouldn’t shut the fuck up. He probably wanted to deliver the intel he forgot two hours ago.
“So,” Lady M continued, speaking to the attentive guests before the two. “If any of you have doubts about the effectiveness of Yoshida cyberware or RWs, then put those doubts in the fucking garbage. Rodriguez is our best, and she’s only nineteen. Just imagine what she’ll be able to accomplish thirty years from now? Just imagine what other RWs her age will achieve as they look at her, determined to follow in Rodriguez’s footsteps.”
Approving nods followed and a few silent murmurs were exchanged between the group watching Estrella. Lady M leaned closer to Estrella, her lips half an inch away from her right ear. “Smile,” Lady M whispered. “Show them you can be a pretty girl too.”
A fake smile stretched across on Estrella's face.
Please kill me.
We cannot self-terminate. Oh, wait. Ignore me.
“M makes a good point,” said a man from the group. “Who knows, if Estrella has children, maybe they too will want to be just like her?”
“Only, RWs can’t reproduce,” Lady M said. “We program life support nanites to render a real witch’s eggs or a real warlock’s sperm inert.”
“Oh, I didn’t know.”
M folded her arms. “It’s a testbed for population control.” M’s head tilted to the side, facing the same man. “You don’t look like you approve?”
“Is it right for Yoshida to be making those choices for individuals?” he asked.
She chuckled. “Who else is going to make the choice?”
“Well—”
“God? Ha!” Lady M erupted with mocking laughter. “God is dead. People like us killed him and took his place. How do I know? Because when you pray, you pray to see more money, and who provides that? The men and women upstairs in the fucking corporate towers around the world making it turn. Yoshida, Zhang, Regal, Stellar… the list goes on. We are doing God’s job now.”
Alert Estrella, Ashford has left scanning range.
The navi-point placed over Patterson remained still with its distance in meters to her unmoving. Ashford left Patterson behind.
Wasn’t he supposed to be helping his buddy?
Yes, but now he has abandoned him. It is possible he knows we drugged him and is seeking assistance. Or is fleeing.
Either way, we’re wasting fucking time.
Estrella looked to slip away while facing Patterson when the chatter died down and the posh crowd became less interested in her. She took one step forward and—
“Oh Rodriguez, don’t wander off just yet.” Estrella groaned. Lady M neared her, and Estrella turned to face her. M continued, lowering the tone of her voice. “Nobody from this group seems suspicious?”
“I doubt it. Ashford and Patterson on the other hand…”
“Still won’t give up on him, huh?”
She looked to Patterson, passed out on the couch. “I’m onto something.”
“And they call me the machine.”
“Well, you never appear as flesh and blood to anyone.”
Lady M grinned and walked away, extending a single gloved hand to Estrella, not that she could touch the holographic woman. “Come with me.”
She did unwillingly, looking across periodically as Patterson remained slouched. The numbers in meters next to his floating navi-point increased. Lady M brought Estrella to a man wearing a gray suit and tie. He was young, Estrella’s age if she were to guess, and had a blend of Asian and Caucasian features. The sides of his head were shaved while the black hair up top was long and draped down to his lower neck. She let her optical scanners run a facial to quell her curiosity.
Name: Kaoru Yoshida
Age: 22
Species: Human
Occupation: Student
Notes: Set to inherit the Yoshida Corporation
Lady M pointed a holographic finger at the man while three others surrounded him, their voices raised. A heated talk was in progress. “That stunning figure there is my son, from my first husband, the late Hiromichi Yoshida.”
M’s finger switched to a second figure off in the distance. A young woman with pale skin, dark auburn hair draped over shoulders that were exposed by the strapless, sleeveless dress, one that was more revealing than Estrella’s, and prone to wardrobe malfunctions. The woman’s speech was slurred and barely recognizable, and she staggered slightly as she stood. She was a lightweight who drank too much and couldn’t hold down her booze.
“That eyesore is my daughter,” Lady M said disapprovingly at the young woman. “I had her thanks to my fifth husband who didn’t know how to fucking pull out.”
She scanned her too.
Name: Svetlana Panfilova
Age: 19
Species: Human
Occupation: Heiress
Notes: Awaiting trial for six alcohol-related felonies
Glass shattered. Punches got thrown, and it didn’t sound like any of them missed. M’s son Kaoru ignited a drunken altercation, a one-sided one at that, pitting himself against the three partygoers he quarreled with.
Lady M facepalmed, sighing loudly. “Will you do something about that, Rodriguez?”
Estrella scanned the three fighting men. There wasn’t much she could do. She shrugged, then approached the drunken brawl, keeping her distance as curious onlookers stopped in their chatter and tilted their heads toward the fight. Kaoru’s head got pulled into a headlock, his flushing face gasped for air.
“You guys want to keep it down?” Estrella inquired.
No reply. The punches and head locking continued. Kaoru was losing. She asked again, this time raising her voice, one fighter gave her the finger. She rolled her hands into a fist. Only Estrella can give people the middle finger, not the other way around!
Estrella’s arms froze, her clenched fists forced to unbind. I’m sorry Estrella; I cannot let you harm humans.
She winced. I know.
Lady M stood beside her. “What’s wrong?”
“You guys programmed my AI to prevent harm to humans.”
M grinned. “Geoffrey dear, can you hear me?”
The black cat Geoffrey appeared and flashed below Estrella like he’d been hiding under the edge of her black of her dress draping the floor. Lady M lowered herself, smiling at the holographic cat. “A black cat for a real witch, cute.”
Estrella snorted. “Wasn’t my idea.”
“Geoffrey,” Lady M said, her voice was firm. “Disable human protection protocol. Authorization: Morgana Alpha, three, nine, two, eight, seven.”
Code verified.
What the fuck?
“Estrella.” Lady M stood up straight. “Now do as I asked. Show your power to these gentlemen.”
Estrella entered the scrap. She pushed her palm against the face of one man. His body went airborne and landed seven meters away. Silence fell. Partygoers circled around the scene. Estrella’s fist sent the second man up and over a table; its plates and food hit the floor with a loud crash. The third brawler held Kaoru in a headlock, so Estrella twisted his hand off and around, freeing Kaoru. The sound of human bones crunching came next
followed by the man’s drunken voice crying out in agonizing pain.
And within seconds, the fight was over. Kaoru stood still, staggering from the blows, his eyes looking shocked as Estrella held the collar of the final brawler. He was at least five inches taller than Estrella and didn’t have a slim body like her, not that cyberware cared for those details. She lifted the brawler with one hand, high above her head, while his floundering feet kicked her. She didn’t move, he may as well had been kicking a steel wall.
“Okay, Geoffrey, that’s enough. Restore the protocol.”
Estrella’s grip loosened. Then the brawler crashed to the floor. Lady M’s words were like magic and forced the cyberware bones in her body to cease operation, locking her in place as the brawler crawled to his feet again. He faced the RW woman that intervened and then fled with his two drunken friends.
Posh applause clapped from behind, Estrella had an audience. Lady M spun facing the partygoers who stood and watched with arms open, and a grin full of pride on her holographic face.
“As I said earlier,” Lady M gloated. “We are doing God’s work now.” Facing Estrella. “You can go now.”
“Incredible display of power, Ms. Rodriguez,” a woman spoke up from the audience.
Estrella looked to the back of the group, and gasped. Long white hair, immaculate makeup, dazzling pearl white dress. It was Portia Blanchard. Facial scans said otherwise, however.
Geoffrey, isn’t that Portia?
According to her profile, no.
Fuck the profile, it was probably edited. Compare her face to the one we know.
Two side-by-side windows covered her view. One had Portia’s ID photo, and the other a screenshot of the woman that just spoke.
Yes, Estrella, it is a match.
What the fuck is she doing here?
Portia’s applause ended, holding eye contact with Estrella. She grinned deviously, and then, she was gone, vanishing within the sea of bodies in the party. Estrella thought about chasing, but Patterson needed to be dealt with, and fast. And Estrella had to do it before Portia found out what she did. According to Ray and the data he took from Yoshida, Portia was an avatar loyal to Ashford.
She was back at the couch, facing down at Patterson spread out across it with his eyes shut. Worry rattled in her mind. She might have lost the window of opportunity if he passed out. The next time Patterson was able to speak, he’d be himself. She gave him light slaps, just enough for Geoffrey to recognize she wasn’t trying to bring harm to a human, even if he was the enemy.
Patterson groaned once and fainted. He wasn’t talking to anyone.
Fuck!
Thudding sounds grabbed her attention, like fists knocking on a glass door. She looked for the source of it and found nothing. The thudding came again, it was coming from behind. She turned to see a security guard banging his fists on the bay window, separating the backyard from the ballroom. The shades over his eyes made it hard to determine if he was eyeing Estrella or the drugged corporate man she was trying to wake. Oddly enough, the security guard was wearing a backpack, and it looked exactly like the one Ray had.
The guard took off his shades, Ray’s eyes glared at her. It all made sense now. Only, it didn’t. What the fuck was Ray doing here and dressed as a guard? He was supposed to be outside standing watch. She was also supposed to reply to his urgent text message. He pointed to the left, hastily, like he was in a rush.
What is he pointing at? Though, she had a feeling the text messages he’d been sending her would provide that answer.
The mini-map displaying the floor plan of Lady M’s mansion enlarged as Geoffrey performed a scan. A red dot pulsed over a door, one that’d lead to the backyard from one of the main hallways.
Perhaps he wishes to enter? Geoffrey concluded. There is a door in that direction currently locked.
She looked behind, and nobody was watching, so she ran out the ballroom, entered the halls, made a turn, and then another. She stopped at a large steel door. Its knob wouldn’t move when she reached and turned it. Beside the door hung a number pad on the wall.
Estrella pulled the NC gauntlet from her handbag, slipped her right hand into it, and touched the number pad terminal with it. Geoffrey, nanite hack this door.
A spray of nanites entered the terminal, creating a link between it and Geoffrey. The terminal’s screen flashed green. She opened the door for Ray. He entered while he placed his smart glasses back on.
The door closed behind. They were alone in the halls now. Ray moved forward, slinging the SMG over his arm. She followed behind. “Why?”
“Am I here?” Ray finished for her as he approached the entrance to the ballroom. “Didn’t you get my message?”
“I was busy entertaining the guests…” They were peeking into the ballroom, and she pointed at Patterson on the couch. “Plan was to loosen him up and get him talking, but Lady M had to fuck it up.”
“Lady M, huh? Not surprised to hear that.”
“She’s not dirty.”
“How do you know?”
Estrella said nothing. Her secret life as a Yoshida fixer reporting to M had to remain that, a secret, even to Ray.
“Things changed,” Ray continued. “One, Portia is here.”
“Figured that part out.”
“Shit, did she see you?”
“Of course, why would it be any other way? She bolted when I realized it was her. No idea where she went.”
“Portia showed up dressed as Ashford’s date. I figured he brought her here because of avatar related stuff. Stuff that might tell me more about Arianna. But…”
“But?”
“I intercepted a call Ashford made. He thinks you did something to Patterson and called for backup, it sounded like Hawk from the Skulls. I think that asshole’s alive, again.”
“You believe me now when I said I killed that gang last year?”
“Never doubted you, Estrella. But now I’ve seen it too. I saw Theo kill him, and just now heard Hawk chat with Ashford.”
“Anything else?”
“Yeah, Portia was part of Ashford’s backup,” Ray said. “Hawk was ordered to group with her. The Skulls know you’re here. Ashford called them. Him, Patterson, and Portia, they’re all connected for sure.”
“Great,” she snorted. “When the fuck were you planning on telling me that?”
“When I sent you the message you didn’t pick up.”
“Okay, this might be a good thing,” Estrella said. “I might expose them all if that’s the case.”
“And start a fight with all these people here?” He gawked at the party and all the mixing and mingling the wealthy took part in. “Haven’t been looking at the surveillance cams, did you do your thing with Patterson already? He’s got a biometric locked tablet on him and we’re going to need that if we’re going to expose anyone.”
“Ah, fuck. So, you’re asking me to change the plan now?”
“Sorry, I just found out about it now, so uh yeah.”
“I already gave him the truth serum…”
“Truth serum? Really?”
“Flunitrazepam. I chose it from a list Geoffrey gave me.”
“You gave him a fucking roofie? Fuck, that’ll knock him out more than anything…”
“I didn’t.”
“You did.” He laughed. “Flunitrazepam, AKA rohypnol, AKA a roofie.”
He is correct, Estrella. Rohypnol is an alternate name for flunitrazepam.
Fuck me sideways! “Well, he’s lying down now.”
“Wait, this could work.” Ray looked ahead, his eyes fixing in on Patterson’s body. “Pull him out of sight, and we might salvage this.”
She crossed her arms. “And then?”
“As long as there aren’t any other security protocols like voice recognition, we should be good. We get the pad, copy its files, then slip out before Ashford, Portia, and the Bald Skulls figure it out. Maybe the link with Regal Genetics will be on it.”
Estrella faced t
he ceiling, hoping to hide the worry flourishing on her face. “There are so many ways this could fuck up.”
“And I’m the only one with the skills needed to pull it off once we access his tablet. A nanite hack will leave evidence you were in it.”
She left Ray to stand alone after putting the NC gauntlet away. Ray moving with her might draw unwanted gazes as he was still dressed as a security guard holding an SMG. Not a sight you’d expect in the party room, outside sure, but not in. Estrella had to do this leg of the operation alone.
When the coast was clear, she hauled Patterson’s body up, slung him over her shoulder, and left, searching for the guest washroom, her attention focused on the mini-map displaying in the top right corner of her vision. She chuckled at what she must have looked like, a woman in her late teens, carrying a man twice her size with ease.
Estrella locked herself in a stall with him and searched his clothes for the pad. She found it, pulled it out, and tapped its screen. It required a thumbprint scan for access. She snapped her fingers at Patterson’s face, he didn’t react, so he didn’t mind that she took his hand and guided his thumb to the scanner. She held her breath next, remembering Ray’s words. As long as there aren’t any other security protocols like voice recognition, we should be good.
The screen went through its loading cycle.
She waited in anticipation, hoping for the best, expecting the worst.
Access granted. She exhaled in relief. Now, part two began. She left Patterson in the washroom while placing his pad in her handbag and hoping it wouldn’t auto-lock as she strode back to Ray hiding in the halls.
“Here,” Estrella whispered when she rejoined Ray. She offered him the pad.
Ray took it, smiling. He knelt and opened his backpack, lifting his laptop out, and then connecting it via a cable to the tablet. “Give me a second.”
He went to work, and she went to look back into the ballroom party. Ashford’s face didn’t appear on her optical scanning sweep. He must have left she figured, in anticipation of violence breaking out when the Hawk and the Skulls arrived. She couldn’t spot Portia either.
Specter Protocol Page 17