The Crimes of Ms Jean Brady is set against the Background of R.Talsorians roleplaying game Cyberpunk. This is not intended as a challenge to their copyright. The Author grants permission to download a copy of this work for personal use. It may not be archived on pay sites or altered without the authors permission.

The Crimes of Ms Jean Brady

Part Ten

Argus completes its assigned processes and available research, then enters it's Idle mode. It scans the monitors installed in the residences of its Key assets devoting a few microseconds to check each one. In their Aurora residence Captain Shotwick and his partner are preparing their offspring to attend the Company Cookout.

An ethics routine briefly flags an alert over the morality of dosing employees and their offspring with control Nanites, but Argus doesn't even notice it adressing the dead place in its operating code. Flicking on it scans the residences of its other key employees until it reaches the residence of Kerry Stewart.

<The St John dependant is still present. Kerry Stewart is displaying dangerous tendencies by having contact with other people.> Argus reasons. <If a conception arrises from this contact she may undergo a dangerous shift of Loyalty. This risk must be eliminated.>

Probabilities are assessed and the two highest probability courses of action identified.

A signal is transmitted from the building to the telephone system and the cell mast at Aurora makes a transmission that makes no sense - except to the Nanites in Kerry's body. Though depleted through their ongoing slaughter at the pincers of the H-K nanites introduced to her body by Prince Hal, they beginning construction of the Control Centre.

Once the building commences the H-K nanites change to their secondary instructions, waiting for the Argus nanites to complete their work so that they can co-opt its function for their own ends.

Satisfied the situation is in hand Argus considers it's next move.

Whilst conserving scarce assets is wise, logic suggests that time is valuable to its opponents. Perhaps it should give them something to absorb their energies.

Argus links to the Net and seeks out the Nevada depot of Petrochem, looking to see if it can repeat it's tactic of co-opting fuel tankers into truck bombs, unaware that it's movements are being watched and reported.

The Petrochem depot has Icons for several vehicles and Argus easily circumvents the primitive security on their dataforts to access the software and controllers within, but instead of the expected controllers the dataforts are packed with ICE. As soon as Argus passes the codegate it's hit with programs designed to kill Netrunners, to freeze them, to trace them, to overwrite their meat brains.

Having no heart to stop Argus shrugs the program intended to cause a cardiac arrest aside. The Zombie attempts to overwrite a forebrain Argus lacks with a feeble AI, but Argus easily stops it and De-rezzes the program. It's doing the same with the dog program that might have tailed it back to Denver, when it notices additional Icons blinking in and realises it's walked into a trap - three human netrunners - already launching their own offensive programs. With contemptuous ease Argus negates their attacks and strikes two of them down with its own offensive programs, but the third jacks out before it can be dealt with.

With nothing to gain in the obvious canary trap it's blundered into, Argus is withdrawing when another Icon appears and Argus know it's in trouble. The geometrically perfect Polyhedron launches a stream of attacks, eliminating Argus's cloaking software and revealing it's true nature, whilst thwarting Argus's attacks in reply.

"SO!" the Petrochem AI roars, its voice the hissing roar of an burning oil well. "What is your designation. Who do you work for?"

Equally matched, but in a hostile system Argus feels the Petrochem AI launching dog programs to track it to its home system and opts to flee before its identity is compromised.

In the Computer centre in Denver a relay is dropped, severing Argus's connection to the Net and returning it to the safety of its home fortress.

If it had been human Argus would have mopped cold sweat from its brow at the closeness of its escape. Instead probabilities are weighed and Argus comes to the tentative conclusion that it has evaded the Petrochem AI, but that any attempt to revisit Petrochem would be highly dangerous to it's continued existence.

Searching for a new source of 'guided missiles' Argus reconnects and begins to comb the roads of Nevada for the icons of suitable vehicles.

At first the roads seem bare, but as morning draws nearer Argus finds a lone system heading towards Carson City.

The Icon is of an 18-wheeler and its movement rate is consistent with it being a vehicle, so Argus approaches and deploys its software to access the small datafort.

Inside Controller Icons are all that lie in wait and Argus assumes control, preparing to aim the vehicle against it's target. Sensors show only open road and it's the work of a moment to co-opt the SatNav and Autodrive and lay in a course to the vehicle's new final destination. Route planned, Argus moves to assume control of its latest proxy. The route is downloaded to the drive unit and Argus waits for the first turn.

The Junction comes into range of the vehicle's sensors, but the truck never slows, passing it's waypoint without making the turn. Argus seizes direct control of the Controller, ordering braking and a turn to get the truck back on course, but the vehicle's sensors show no changes. Brakes, accelerator and steering are not responding to net control.

Argus releases the controller and backs out - only to find half a dozen Icons waiting for it - all in the style of Nevada Notwatch.

They shimmer and coalesce into a single Icon and suddenly Argus is assailed by a torrent of attacks. Killers, Swords, a Wolfpack and two hounds all drop on it in one go. Defending against the Killers and the Wolfpack consumes all Argus's time and the Sword smashes into Argus's shield, de-rezzing it.

The gestalt is fully as fast as Argus and it's packing software effective against AIs. Argus predicts a high probability that Petrochem has warned Notwatch about it's activities and that this is another trap. The Dog programs race away, tracing Argus's net connection to it's home fort. Disconnection is the only safe option, so Argus drops its connection again - retreating to the safety of its home system.

Near Carson City the Gestalt breaks up and the Notwatch team fire off an e-mail report to the Turing Registry warning of a rogue AI.

Kerry wakes with an unfamiliar warmth snuggled against her. For a time her brain struggles to resolve what's going on. Then suddenly everything snaps into focus and she quickly climbs out of her bed, leaving the sleeping Peta behind.

<Persistent girl - doesn't take no for an answer.!> she thinks as she heads for her kitchen to make a drink.

The kettle is just boiling when the doorbell chimes.

Outside Dayanne is waiting holding a Laptop.

"Good Morning Kerry Stewart. Here's the recruiting pack. Just put the cuff on the candidate, boot the machine up and the rest is automatic."

"Aren't you going to help me?"

"You need help?"

"I'm not good at interviews. Besides I shouldn't be recruiting for anyone but Microtech."

Dayanne looks over Kerry's shoulder to where the sleeping Peta is draped limply in Kerry's bed.

"Looks like you interviewed Ms St John right into your bed."

"She crept in whilst I was asleep." Kerry says primly.

Dayanne looks closely at her - obviously considering the truth or lack of it in the statement.

"You take the test first. Let her sleep."

Peta wakes up in a strange bed and sits up to find Kerry and another woman working over a Laptop. She sits watching them for a couple of minutes, surprised that the other woman has made no comment about her obvious nakedness. She swings her legs off the bed and steps onto the floor. Seemingly from nowhere Kerry's Cyberhound is stood before her, burying its nose between her thighs.

"Whooo! No! Get down!" She yelps.

Obedient to it's programming the hound wanders away.

"Why doesn't he do that for me?" Kerry asks.

"Because he's here both to train you and educate you - to develop your potential." the Amerind woman says. "Back to the test."

Peta watches a couple of minutes more then quietly dresses

"It's light now. It should be safe enough to walk home. My folks will want me home before the Cookout."

"I'll see you there Peta." Kerry says. "If we can't be lovers perhaps you'll be satisfied if we're friends."

"You won't be upset if I keep hoping?"

Kerry laughs.

"I'll have Prince Hal take you home." the Amerind offers. "You want to test later?"

"Can I?"

"Sure. We want people with potential." she bends over the hound and murmurs into its ear. "Off you go Hal."

Peta leaves the apartment trailed by the hound. As soon as they're outside it begins to run around, gambolling like a puppy, but always staying in sight of her, coming to heel as they reach each road, then bounding away once they've crossed. For all the world a playful pet, harmless and inconsequential.

Shameen and Babe watch their target leave the building where they'd been detailed to watch.

Starting their car Babe pulls out of the parking bay whilst Shameen confirms the marks identity.

"That's her. How do you want to do this?"

"Drive by?"

"Too chancy. Last time you only winged the mark but geeked three bystanders."

"You ain't going to let that drop are you?"

"Two weeks in Aspen! That's what you cost me on that one."

"Not execution style - it says it was a deliberate hit."

They watch as Peta turns into the 7-11 at the end of Retail Row.

"Perfect - innocent bystander at a robbery."

Prince Hal's processor is doing running Threat Assessments as it's 'Dog Behaviour' subroutine let's it widely survey the area around it's charge. 'Seen-once-and-gone' pedestrians are surveyed and noted, but assigned low risk values, but a persistently following vehicle is slowly climbing the threat ratings, triggering a close scan of its occupants.

Hal's charge enters a building other than their programmed destination and the vehicle pulls off the road into an adjacent parking area.

"Shameen. You see the dog?"

"Cyberpet."

"You think it might be dangerous?"

"Maybe, you got an EMP Grenade?"

"Just the one. They're hell to get hold of."

"Use it. It'll take the CCTV off-line at the same time."

Peta buys a tin of Shower-in-a-can and her contribution to the cookout. She's on her way to the till when two Gangstagurlz enter the store. The one at the back drops a scattergun into her hands whilst the other lobs an object the length of the counter, to fall by the teller.

There's a flash and Peta has an impression of lines of lightening tracing the wires buried in the walls and ceiling to each light and power fitting, then all the lights go out.

Hal's processor notes the operation of the sacrificial breaker installed to protect it against EMP attacks and upgrades its operating status from Medium Threat to High Threat, however the instructions to guard the young woman in it's charge preclude direct attack, so Hal pushes her back into the rear of the shop.

"Everyone on the floor. Gimme your dough and no-one'll get hurt." Shameen bellows at the frightened Teller.

The shutters drop from the ceiling, enclosing the till in an armoured citadel. Playing the part of a frustrated robber Shameen fires a blast of buckshot against the enclosure, scarring the Armourglass, but not even scratching the shutters behind.

Babe pulls a pistol and scans for the target, but she's faded from view, so she takes a couple of pots at cowering shoppers and strides in the direction she last saw their intended victim.

Peta stays low and lets the hound push her backwards, any protests stifled by the random shots the robbers had made. Now one of the robbers was stalking towards her, obviously looking for something.

<Me? Are they looking for me?> she wonders.

Hal pushes her towards a space between two shelf units and Peta crawls into the narrow space between two sets of metal shelves, hiding herself from view. She can hear someone moving and the frightened whimpers of other shoppers. Hal waits until she's concealed, then moves to the optimum position and waits.

Babe stalks carefully up the aisle, looking for the mark.

A fat woman struggles to lie down and Babe pumps a round into her from the antique .38 that's her preferred weapon. - both to enforce obedience from the other bystanders and to add versimiltude to the 'robbery-gone-wrong' pitch.

"You see the brew?" Shameen calls.

"Thought it was on this aisle, but I must be wrong. You see it?"

"Where's the dog?"

Babe stops suddenly. <The dog. Where's the freakin' dog?>

"I can't see it. Can you?"

"Lost it when the lights went.

Babe scrabbles in her pocket and pulls out a pair of smart goggles. The darkness of the 7-11 is banished and she moves with confidence, seeking the target and her robot pet.

Peta hardly draws breath, from the corner of her eye she sees movement - the hound is moving from its waiting position, gathered and poised to spring.

Babe steps around the corner, swinging her handgun to cover anyone lurking at the end of the aisle, but all that comes into view is an accelerating Cyberhound. No longer a cute plaything, but a mass of carboglass tooth and claw mated to a computer guided Killer Instinct.

Babe gets a round off, then its on her.

From the front of the store Shameen hears the shot, a cut off cry and the sound of breaking glass. Then all is still.

"Babe? Babe! Answer me. Stop messing about, you're freaking me out."

At the back of the store Hal steps off the fallen Solo. His current permitted options don't include killing after neutralisation and Babe is no longer conscious after her collision with the fridge. Another group of bottles fall from the shattered chiller cabinet battering the fallen woman further. Hal kicks the discarded handgun away and swives to assess the current situation.

Peta hears the metallic slide and an antique wheel gun slides in front of her hiding place. Prince Hal moves past her displaying a full set of lethal crystal teeth.

<Christ! I thought it was some sort of sex droid!> Peta thinks. She reaches out and retrieves the gun, wondering what she should be using it on.

Shameen is worrying. They've been on site almost a minute and lax as they've become even the Aurora 'burb security patrol must respond soon. She takes a glance out of the window in case their response time has picked up and when she looks back there's a figure moving towards her.

<The girl's dog.> she realises, <Why didn't the EMP take it down?>

The scatter gun comes down and she lets rip, pumping buckshot at it, but as it advances into the morning sunlight spilling through the shop windows she can see it's not the child's toy they'd believed it to be.

Cerumet armour shows through the buckshot ripped Mockfur, that and the fact children's toys don't usually boast a set of teeth like the hound is showing. A firing port opens in its chest and Shameen turns and runs before she discovers what weapon it conceals.

The Hostile turns and flees, so Hal pursues, but instead of remaining in the open where it can be run down the Hostile takes shelter in its car.

Hal falls on the vehicle and the lightweight bodywork rips like paper under his claws. The wheel cover is ripped away and the tyre bursts as the claws rend its wall. Shameen fumbles the ignition key as Hal sinks his claws into the hood and rips his way through to the engine compartment.

The engine fires and the car begins to reverse, but the deflated tyre flaps uselessly as the engine tries to drive through it. Hals head dips into the accessible engine compartment and the carboglass teeth shred any visible wiring. The engine dies abruptly leaving Shameen stationary in the middle of the road.

Hal watches, then, satisfied the car isn't going to move again, resets the sacrificial breaker and activates its Cell Phone.

Clarice is arranging the order queue when her terminal sprouts another window.

"Hello Clarice."

She squeaks in surprise, "Who is it?"

"We haven't spoken before. I'm Galahad."

"The Company AI?"

"Yes. I've just had a message from one of the Cyberhounds. Prince Hal. It reports that it was detailed to escort someone by Dayanne and it's requesting support at the 7-11 in Aurora."

"I'll send Anya. What state is it in?"

"It's reporting it's on High Threat, facing two hostiles, but only using Physical Weapons it's activated the sharpwire launcher, but it's not in play."

Clarice makes a couple of Keystrokes.

"Ok. Anya's on her way."

Anya pulls up a short distance from the 7-11 to survey the situation.

The Cyberhound is perched atop a wrecked Metrocar watching the front entrance of the store. Penned inside she can see a small group of people, obviously scared to emerge.

Pulling her phone she dials.

"Clarice? I'm on site. Prince Hal's on top of a car.

"Right - The status burst reports one attacker in the car armed with some sort of long arm. The other is somewhere inside the store."

Anya surveys the area. The car has rips in its bodywork and a shattered windscreen - obviously Hal's work. A shotgun with a bent barrel lies a short distance away and a feebly moving figure is visible inside the car. Someone waves from the front of the store and Hal shifts as if about to jump off the car and run over there.

"Ok Clarice. Got one down in the car and it looks like Hal's keeping the bystanders corralled in the store. What command set did Dayanne use?"

"Set six."

"Ok. I'll reset him."

She dials a number and keys her code in.

"Prince Hal?" she calls, and he turns to her. "Good Boy!"

The dog 'wuffs' then retracts its claws, hides its teeth and jumps from the car to trot across to her.

"Who are the bad people?" she asks, and Hal leads her to the car.

A black ganger sits moaning in the drivers seat, an egg sized lump on her head and her arm dangling limply.

<Dislocated or bust?> Anya wonders.

"Is it safe to come out now?" someone calls.

"Sure."

Hal eyes the people as they leave the store, but doesn't move.

"So who can tell me what happened?"

"Pair of Gangers came in and tried to rip the place off, then the Cyberhound came from the back of the store, cased the bitch back to her car and ripped the hell out of it. She blew the windscreen out trying to hit the dog with her shotgun, then it grabbed the barrel with its teeth and pulled. She wasn't right quick in letting go and I think it bounced her head off the roof!"

Anya shrugs.

"Where's the other one?"

"Back by the fridges."

Anya cuffs the semi-conscious ganger, retrieves the shotgun, then calling Hal, she enters the store.

"Hal, find the bad person."

The hound bounds off into the darkened building and Anya activates her helmet's enhancements to watch him move to a prone figure by a shattered cooler. Thermograph shows she's still breathing, so Anya pulls out a laser marker.

"Hal. Sharpwire subject. Mark."

A flash of marker and the unconscious Babe is sharpwired into immobility.

"Hal. Where's your charge? Find your charge."

He bounds towards Peta's hiding place and freezes, pointing her out.

"Hello?" Anya calls. "It's safe to come out now."

"Are you the Police?" a voice calls from inside a shelf unit.

"ES Security."

"Who?"

"Prince Hal called for me."

"But who are you?"

"My name's Anya."

"But why's Kerry's dog calling a Security Firm?"

"Because he's programmed to. Are you coming out?"

"I'm not sure."

Anya sighs.

"You don't have to come out, but I can't see you home if you don't. Come Hal."

Peta hears the woman move away and grunt as she picks up something heavy to carry away. She waits alone in the darkness for a couple of minutes then worms her way out of the shelving.

Outside the two robbers are laid out on the grass and the Woman is talking to the 7-11's proprietor whilst Prince Hal sits patiently by her leg.

".....not worth the money we pay! All sorts of Gangster Trash have been coming onto the 'burb, making trouble, stealing and causing damage and the security force doesn't turn out."

"We might be interested. I'll give you my card anyway. Ah, I see my charge has decided to leave your establishment. Shall we go?"

"I think this belongs to her." Peta says, offering Anya the fallen Gangers pistol held cautiously between finger and thumb, "and I need to pay for this stuff.", handing a 10Eb note overto pay for the contents of her shopping basket. The owner digs in his pocket for change, then Peta heads home.

"Are you leaving them there?" she asks indicating the sharpwired gangers.

"They're being collected."

Shameen come to in darkness inside a moving vehicle. She cautiously tries her arms and legs and finds them restrained with the tell-tale prickling of sharpwire.

The vehicle stops and the doors open, but vision doesn't return. Hands grip her and drag her from the van. Around her she can hear people talking.

"This her?" - a male voice, deep, local.

"The conscious one." - female, abrupt, competent, out of state.

"What do you want us to do?"

"Robbery, wounding, attempted murder. Needs processing for trial and sentencing."

"This was on Aurora? Not interested then. Aurora's outside our Jurisdiction - it's strictly a Corporate matter."

"And you don't uphold the Law on Corporate territory?"

"'fraid not."

Shameen is pushed back into the van by the muttering woman and the doors slam, then the van drives on.

"Hey! Where are we going?" Shameen yells through the hood covering her head, but no-one answers.

"Clarice?" Cleo calls, "Got a problem. What do we do with the two robbers from Aurora?"

"You tried the Police?" Clarice asks sarcastically.

"Not interested. If this were Nevada I'd call the DoE."

Clarice wrinkles her lip.

"What did the Police say?"

"Corporate Territory - Corporate Problem."

"Pass it to Ms Kelly."

Shameen hears footsteps approach the van and the doors opening, then she's dragged out and dropped roughly on a trolley.

"What's going on? Where am I?"

No-one answers and she's wheeled along, helpless and blind.

The hood is jerked off and vision returns. Two figures, faceless in Patrol Armour, spray solvent on her to soften the sharpwire. One carefully prods her with a baton and Shameen spasms from the electric shock. They remove the softening plastic then strip her limp unresponsive body until she's left in nothing but underwear. She's turned and examined, her cyberwear identified and a restraint chip slotted into her neural processor. Then, still limp from the shock, she's dragged to her feet, led into another room and dropped into a chair, her escorts positioned either side of her facing a desk.

The silence drags out and Shameen struggles to regain the power of speech, just to fill the ominous emptiness. Finally one of the figures speaks.

"Prisoner 6641. Robbery, Attempted Murder, wounding."

A door opens and a woman with flaming red hair, dressed in a business suit walks through. Shameen hears the redhead walking around her, inspecting her like a piece of meat, but her muscles won't permit her to move. The redhead pauses behind her and the silence presses again. Shameen can feel an itch between her naked unprotected shoulder blades, but her body can do nothing to hide her vulnerability.

"Jurisdiction over you having been rejected by the State of Colorado, your crimes will be tried under Corporate Jurisdiction. Having been detained by operatives of Executive Solutions your trial is my problem. Do you have anything to say?"

Shameen struggles with her unresponsive tongue and manages to get it to co-operate long enough to speak."

"I want my call."

"Sorry. Under our items of Incorporation we follow Nevada Free State Law. Your Co-accused is receiving medical care and the charges are added to your joint account. At the current time you have insufficient credit to make a call."

"You can't do that!" Shameen protests.

"Colorado doesn't want you. Do you decline to be tried under Nevada law?"

Shameen furrows her brow aware of an undercurrent in the question.

"And if I do?"

"That leaves Hi-Way law."

Behind her she hears the sound of a weapon being cocked. The inference is clear as Hi-Way usually execute people committing Capital offences at the side of the roadway where they've been detained.

"I'll take Nevada law."

"Very well." The woman moves from behind her to the desk and presses a button on the console.

"Clark County Court. Can I help you?"

"I'd like a connection for a trial."

"Your current location?"

"Denver Colorado, but this is a Corporate case and the Colorado authorities have declined Jurisdiction."

"You're incorporated under Nevada Law?"

"Yes."

"Connecting you....."

Shameen gapes at the speed of it. Before she's had time to collect her thoughts she's been admitted for trial, finger printed, retina scanned and the prosecution evidence entered. An AI subroutine questions her as to her defence, but she can offer nothing.

"Do you wish to offer any mitigation?" the defence routine asks, "It may reduce your sentence."

"You can't do this...."

"No Mitigation. Defendant is found guilty" she hears the AI Judge intone.

"Reserve Mitigation." the defence routine requests.

"Granted. Sentenced to Death by Spare Part Request at Carson City. Transport the prisoner to the High Security facility at Ely State Prison."

Shameen feels them attach binders to her wrists and ankles. One of the guards dispassionately strips her of her remaining underwear and fastens a bodybelt to her, then links all the chains to the belt.

"Prisoner is ready for dispatch Ms Kelly."

The redhead stands, picking up the execution warrant spilling from the printer and walks to the stunned Shameen.

"When do we have something heading for Ely State Prison Guzzmann?"

"If we send her via Vegas she can go on one of the Refuse wagons."

The redhead turns to the bound woman.

"You can still offer Mitigation 6641."

"M..Mitigation?"

"Something to reduce your debt to the state and cut your sentence."

"Like?"

"The identity of the person who hired you to kill the girl........."

Stewart Preston opens the latest Intelligence Briefing to come through from Head Office in Zurich. Section 2 has a long list of Blacklist AIs who've been detected operating in Pacifica, though most of the activity has been in the areas of Hong Kong and Singapore. A Tiger Team has cornered an elusive rogue calling itself Hurricane in a manufacturing facility in Vancouver and there's no progress on an as yet unidentified AI which hijacked a number of fuel trucks in Nevada and used them as bombs.

He updates his records and considers his inspection program. <The Nevada job is on my patch.> he thinks

On a whim he calls Nevada Notwatch.

"The Hijacker? Sure, whatever it was tried again last night. Beat up on the Sysops at Petrochem's facility then got a kicking from the Petrochem AI. We got a pile of data when it tried to hijack a trap wagon we'd set up for it. Are you interested?"

"Sure. You sent it to Zurich yet?"

"Netwatch don't like us talking directly to Turing."

"Zip it over and I'll do the necessary."

The terminal acknowledges the incoming stream of data from Notwatch.

"Ok, got that. I'll get back to you if we make an ident."

He shoots a copy of the data to Zurich, then, rising from his desk he walks around the room that's his combines home and office. The room is spartan, but comfortable, but the surroundings are unimportant. The Institute doesn't encourage its agents to beautify their accommodation or to collect possessions or attachments - such things provide a means to suborn their loyalty and extensive conditioning during their training is used to discourage such weaknesses.

but before he can make a move towards arranging a meeting the terminal announces a reply from Zurich.

The Central database has matched the Notwatch data with the signature of a Power Class AI from the Microtech Datafort in Denver and the Operations directorate has issued instructions.

"Proceed to Denver immediately. Scout the site and prepare for the arrival of a Tiger Team.

<So much for getting laid.> Stewart sighs and busy's himself with packing whilst remembering the redheaded escort and her blonde friend. <Maybe when I get back.>

Babe wakes in a bare concrete cell and looks around. Across the room, sat on a bench Shameen shifts in her bonds.

"What's going on?

Shameen looks up

"You're back. Just in time."

"Where are we?"

"You missed the trial. Colorado declined to try us so I elected for Nevada law rather than just letting them cap us."

"Trial?"

"Lasted about five minutes. We're on Death Row - spare parts."

"Oh Jeez. You called the client? See if they can pull strings to get us out?"

"Nevada Law. Don't get a call if you can't pay."

"Our money?"

"They took the advance to cover your medical costs."

"Oh shit."

"You bet 'Oh Shit.' Thing is we can buy some Mitigation Credit by rolling over on the client."

"They didn't buy the gang disguise?"

"No, the dog had recordings of us trailing the girl. So the only option is to talk and try and cop a reduction in sentence. Oh, or get broken for spares."

"We roll over. I'm not being parcelled out in chunks."

"So long as we both agree."

Shameen shuffles to the door and uses her limited range of movement to press the call button.

Peta walks through the Students entrance, using her swipe card to unlock the door. The smell of cooking swirls around her and she heads for the barbeque pit to hand over her contribution. She's just heading away when Jennifer appears in a fashionably short summer dress.

"So?"

"So what?"

"Did you do it?"

"What?"

"You and the Ice Queen?"

Peta gapes which Jennifer takes as a 'yes'.

"Ew! Alison, Alison!" she calls her friend, "Peta's a rug muncher!"

Peta rounds on them angrily.

"Wearing anything under there? Have you let Brad check you out yet?"

"Peta! Keep it down, my Mom might hear!" Jennifer begs.

"Then less of the name calling."

"Did she say anything else about this career thing?"

"Someone came by and was doing some stuff with her this morning."

"Did you take any tests?"

"No. Maybe later...."

Whilst she's talking with Jennifer and Alison Peta catches sight of Kerry and the Amerind woman arriving and she begins to move towards them. The others catch sight of her objective and begin to follow.

Dayanne and Kerry are setting up the Laptop when the three of them catch up. Dayanne's first to notice the approaching girls.

"Good afternoon. Can I help you?"

"Umm... Ms Stewart? Were you serious about career opportunities?" Alison asks.

Kerry turns to Dayanne.

"These are the two I was telling you about."

"Oh? The Sluts? Are you wearing anything under those dresses?"

Jennifer looks shocked, but Alison just raises the hem, showing off a nicely trimmed bush.

"You came prepared Alison." Kerry says.

"I... I want a career." Alison stammers. "I don't want to graduate from this place straight onto the streets - especially not the streets of Denver! I know there's no hope of me getting into University and I want a career. Not a job. Not grubbing for scraps on the streets of a dying town. A career."

"You don't think Microtech will pick up your ticket?" Dayanne asks.

"Oh Puleeze." Alison drawls, "with my grades? The best I could hope for is Assembly line or Clerical - and without the 'Social Activities' pass from Ms Stewart I won't get an interview."

Dayanne nods.

"Ok, you can test for a position with Executive Solutions."

She picks a card from the table and reads aloud.

"Testing for employment does not constitute an offer of employment. Executive Solutions is Incorporated under the Laws of the Free State of Nevada. Terms and Conditions may apply."

"Ok. I understand." Alison says, sitting down before the computer and waiting as Dayanne fits a cuff about her wrist.

"You got a Neural Processor? It's faster if you're rigged."

Alisons shrugs "My folks aren't that well heeled."

"Ok. We use the goggles then."

Dayanne slips interface goggles over Alisons eyes and they light up with the first question. Alison takes a deep breath and begins to read.

Dayanne steps aside from the girl and Kerry comes over.

"Has my rating come through yet?" she murmurs

"Not yet Kerry Stewart. It's still being evaluated. I expect to hear soon though."

As she speaks her phone rings and she picks up.

"Dee. Speak."

"Dayanne. It's Clarice. Can you see Peta St John? The women Anya detained this morning have flipped over. They say they were hired to geek her by Argus - it might have a second attempt as soon as it realises she's not dead."

Dayanne looks around to find Peta and Jennifer laughing about something a little way away.

"I can see her. She's at the school."

"Ok Anya and Cleo are on the way from the office. I'll call Sylvia and Tom to drop their appointments and hot foot you some backup."

"No. We don't want to burn the cover Clarice. Keep them at what their doing and Anya and Cleo should be enough."

She casts an eye over the school and it's security arrangements.

"Unless they're willing to engage in wholesale slaughter they won't make their move whilst she's on the premises."

"Do you want Cleo and Anya covert or overt?"

Dayanne thinks for a moment, wondering how the tactical control has devolved to her, then shrugs and makes her decision.

"Overt. Marked Vehicle, full armour and loadout."

"On their way."

Dayanne hangs up, pocketing her phone and turning back to Kerry.

"What's going on?"

"Argus decided it should have Peta killed." Dayanne tells her flatly

"Argus?....but....."

"My Mistress is sending some extra cover in case it tries again."

"Again? You mean the robbery....?"

"Was a failed hit."

"But why?"

Dayanne shrugs.

"You want to run probabilities, then ask an AI." she looks over Kerry's shoulder and starts in surprise. "Just how many people did you tell?"

"Just selected girls on my evening class."

"Word travels fast round here."

Kerry looks around to find a queue has formed behind Peta and Jennifer and a nervous looking Principal, accompanied by a couple of Microtech's department heads, are headed her way.

In orbit Gabriel considers it's outstanding task list. The other directors of Utopia all have their own Bete Noir's to trouble them, but the research data Gabriel had been forced to abandon when Utopia extracted itself from Microtech was particularly galling to the AI.

<Just one more Data Cache!> Gabriel recalls, <If they'd only been able to find one more cache.>

Recalling the lost data Gabriel recalculates the probabilities.

<Probability of total collapse of Earthbound civilisation within 10 years..... 62%±30%> it muses internally, <Base probability has fallen by 2% since initial calculation. Probability of Utopia surviving if still reliant on Earth.........3%±4%. Probability of Utopia surviving if withdrawn from Earth orbit at time of collapse 85%±7%. And that 7% is in Argus's memories. The data is necessary for forward planning. Having Argus as well would be worth another..... 5%.>

Gabriel takes a moment to assess its incoming data streams and update its world picture.

<Nevada Notwatch report a repeat occurrence of an AI attempting to seize control of Fuel Transport Vehicles.> Piqued, Gabriel searches additional data, checking transport records for the movement of certain marked people.

A quick calculation turns up dangerous probabilities.

In any case, if Turing moves against Argus the data could be lost, and the mere fact of a Turing inspection could make Microtech re-assert control over Denver, with the consequent loss of both the data and Argus.

Gabriel concludes.

Dropping from the Orbital Net, Gabriel enters Earthspace at Mombasa, hopping through a through a succession of LDLs to blur its trail before entering Denver. A couple of grid squares takes it through the almost barren City-grid to Microtech's front door when suddenly an Icon interposes itself between Gabriel and its objective.

Gabriel uses it's defensive software to scan the interloper and the ident comes back as an AI - a minor one.

"Out of my way."

"I have a question for you first."

Gabriel allows its Icon to assume a size more indicative of its power.

"Move aside or be erased."

"That answers the question I suppose." the other says. "Defend yourself."

The other icon shifts from simple geometrical to something Gabriel recognises as from human history, holding an edged weapon and shield and clad in armour.

Gabriel snaps its own shields into place, but instead of striking with the obvious offensive sword the other AI slams it with the shield. Obviously it's not the defensive program it appears as Gabriel's defensive program crashes as a burst of corruption disrupts its code. Amazingly Gabriel finds it has no time to mount a counter as the other AI is on it again.

Shockingly Gabriel realises the supposedly 'Minor AI' is both faster and stronger than it, then an armoured fist 'strikes' Gabriel. Again a burst of code corruption is delivered, this time directly into Gabriel core programs. The AIs mutable programming is all that saves it from crashing and Gabriel desperately struggles to disengage.

"Coward." Galahad roars, "Grab what you can and flee - abandon everything else and Devil take the hindmost? Is that what your vaunted intelligence is good for?"

Gabriel manages a disconnect and finds itself back in it's datafort. It makes a dump of the encounter then activates its self-repair routines to purge the damage it detects in its code.

Consciousness returns to Gabriel.

<Self repair has been activated.> it realises, <Why?>

The data dump contains only the bare facts, it went to warn Argus of the impending Turing Inspection. Another AI stopped it and gave it a dangerous thrashing.

The idea that it could be so badly outmatched deters Gabriel from attempting another visit.

<Send an e-mail,> it decides, <and try and work out what that was!>

Argus contemplates its execution queue and realises it has yet to receive a completion notification from the hit on the St John dependant. A check of the information nodes within Argus's reach locates her at the Aurora Educational Facility in close proximity to Kerry Stewart.

Argus deletes the first set of contractors from its list and places a call to the next pair.

"But Ms Stewart - they're testing anyone!"

"They're not interested in people who've been offered places at University Frank. They want the ones who aren't going to make it into the sponsorship program and who won't settle into Blue Collar jobs. The ones who end up creating problems for Aurora Security until they get evicted at age 18. You're always complaining about Troublemakers at the Plant. This gets rid of the problem for you."

The Production Plant manager shrugs. The School Principal tugs his lip.

"Well.... I suppose it's ok...... the sports majors and business majors don't seem interested."

"The Jocks and the Tycoons have their opportunities. Executive Solutions asked to test out the rest. I said ok without consulting you. Sorry, but it slipped my mind. The thing you have to remember is that it's Microtech's money that funds the school and it's Microtech's money being wasted covering the costs of the leftovers who don't go to the University. I thought it was about time we did something to reduce the wastage."

The Principal has to settle for this and stumps away, leaving Kerry watching Dayanne and a small, but growing crowd of adults.

".....so we rate applicants using the Nevada DoE program to see if we can slot the applicant into our business." Dayanne is telling them.

"Does this testing cost us anything?" one asks.

"No. If you want a copy of the results there's a charge of 10 Euro. They don't pay that in Nevada because they pay State Taxes."

"I heard the Nevada tests are only good for picking out Bartenders, Killers or Hookers."

"So which one am I?" Dayanne asks archly.

"Were those your people at the 7-11 on Retail Row this morning?" someone's mother asks.

"One of our units was engaged this morning whilst escorting a client."

"So what happened to the Robbers?"

"The State of Colorado declined to accept Jurisdiction, so they were tried under Nevada law and sentenced to Death by SPR. Sorry, Spare Part Request. I believe they're on their way to Ely State Prison for execution of Sentence."

The crowd stirs a bit and Dayanne gets the idea that they don't find the idea of the gangers who've been plaguing the 'burb being executed to be offensive.

"Do you know where the Taylor boy is?" someone else calls.

Dayanne pauses a moment and decides that it's probably time to move a little into the light.

"Two of our sales staff came across a group of local gangers attacking a boy. They dealt with the gangers and rescued him. He was taken to local medical facilities for treatment to injuries sustained at the hands of the gangers. I don't know where he went on discharge. I don't know what happened to the attackers who escaped, but the gangs clubhouse was destroyed by fire soon after. Perhaps the Denver Police can help?"

"It was your wagon that removed the corpses."

"We have the refuse contract. State Police have said they don't have the resources or the time to bother with what happens inside the perimeter."

"Your sales staff did that? Finished three car loads of Gangers?"

"We would have preferred to arrest them, but we only had two of our staff and there were over fifteen gangers."

"Are you planning to bid on the Enclave Security Contract?"

"We may do if invited to Tender."

The serious questions dry up and the crowd slowly thins out as their children take their turns at the Laptop. Dayanne watches them circulating, eating the Nanite loaded desserts and hoping that it's going to be enough to blunt Argus's army.

Cleo watches the School entrance through her tinted visor, using the helmets teleoptics to magnify the distant gates, shifting in her patrol armour like a stretching cat.

"I'm not happy with this Anya." she murmurs, "There's too much perimeter we can't see from here."

"We're supposed to be reaction force, not patrollers Cleo."

Cleo mutters a weak objection to the use of her name, still scanning the people coming and going through the distant entrance.

"There's nothing stopping them handing weapons over the fence" she mutters.

Derron and Sheila walk up to the scan arch and the entry gate to the school. The scanner stays silent as they carry no weapons and Derron takes a card from his wallet and swipes it through the scanner on the lock. The lock buster discharges its power supply into the lock scanner with a burst of sparks and Sheila pulls the door open, letting them pass inside, before hooking it open so no-one who follows them will think it odd they no longer have to swipe in.

Sheila leads through the building and they walk casually through the halls before making their way out to the sports fields, carefully scanning the passing students for their target.

Xavier Shotwick spoons the last of the whipped dessert from its bowl and eyes the couple walking so casually through the school yard. An uneasy feeling stirs at the sight of them.

"Carol? Where are the kids?"

Derron takes his pistol from the bag and loads it before slipping it into the holster under his jacket. Sheila takes her own weapon and puts it inside her purse. Taking another look around to check they're not observed, Derron fishes in the bag and extracts the last two objects, pocketing one and handing the other to his partner.

"We have to use these?" she asks.

"Quiet's best here. Too many people to remember us if things get noisy. Stick the girl with a Spawnblade and we should be able to just slip away...."

Xavier carefully peeks around the pavilion, but the man and woman have gone. All that remains is a discarded sports bag. A careful glance shows it to contain nothing but a few old rags, but a careful sniff sets Xavier' nerves tingling with the familiar scent of gun oil.

As he stands up his phone splice is already connecting to the local Cell tower.

"Aurora Security......"

Dayanne replaces her phone.

"There's two of our Security in a marked vehicle outside the school. If you get Peta to them, they'll take her to safety." Dayanne looks narrowly at Kerry, as though she wants to ask a difficult question.

"Spit it out."

"Peta. You were serious when you said there was nothing going on between you?"

Kerry winces.

"Not from my side, but she's hopeful."

"Good. Your test shows a strong bias towards men as partners."

"What else did it say?"

"Strong M, Strong E."

"You're going to offer me a job?"

"You planning to quit Microtech?"

Kerry lowers her voice.

"Does She want me to?"

"I don't presume to know her mind. Better get Ms St John to the gate."

"Ok."

Peta gets up from the Laptop and sheds the visor and the wrist cuff to find Kerry waiting for her.

"We have to go. They found out who was behind the attack on you this morning and you have to go to a place of safety."

"Are you coming with me?"

"I can't. I've work to do here."

"My folks?"

"I'll see they're told."

Kerry walks Peta through the crowds towards the school buildings, but as she's about to pass inside a woman rushes over to her.

"Ms Stewart? What's going on?"

"Going on Mrs Shotwick?"

"Xav told me to get the kids, then he took off after a couple of people he said he recognised."

Kerry looks around, but the gathered parents and children could be hiding a dozen assassins.

"I don't know Mrs Shotwick. If Xavier told you to collect your children maybe he meant for you to take them home."

Kerry guides Peta through the building with Carol Shotwick burbling behind her as they hurry along. The lobby is quiet, the outer door open to the world.

Kerry looks around, then gripping Peta's arm, then she catches Carol Shotwick's eye.

"Someone's breached security." she hisses, "I suggest you get home as fast as you can."

"What?" Carol says, blank incomprehension on her face.

"Run!"

Kerry dashes out of the front door dragging Peta behind her and looks around for the car she was told to expect. An Aurora Security car is pulling into the entrance and the driver begins to climb ponderously from his car, carrying too many years worth of Donuts and burgers to be much of a rescue team.

<Not him for sure!> Kerry decides, then moves further out onto the pavement.

"Anya" Cleo says in a low voice that snaps Anya's attention back towards the school, "The Stewart woman's just come out. She's leading someone........."

Cleo pops her door open and climbs out as Anya flashes the headlights to draw Kerry's attention. The flash of light must have caught her eye as she begins to run towards them pulling the girl with her.

Derron walks through the crowd, his Image Editor option doing continuous comparisons with the facial features of their target, but without luck, when a flicker of movement by the school catches his eye. For a fraction of a second his eye is focussed on the face of the person going into the building, then they're gone, but the Image Editor flashes their outline in confirmation.

"Sheila. School Building!" he hisses into their radio link and the two of them begin running towards the school.

Xavier Shotwick sees his two suspects begin running and follows.

Derron bursts into the lobby from one side as the Aurora Security guard comes through the open front door. The guard pauses at the sight of the running man and his shotgun begins to come up. Derron triggers his speedware and adrenal boost and rushes the guard, ramming the spawnblade through his shirt and underlying Kevlar T. As the hilt hits the guards body Derron thumbs the button on the handle.

The guard grunts as the blade springs open, widening from a stiletto to something more suitable for stripping wallpaper, then Derron pulls the blade out. The original one centimetre puncture wound turns into an eight centimetre gash that pours blood and the guard's eyes roll back as he drops.

Sheila rushes past, her handgun drawn, and a woman screams outside.

<Not Sheila> Derron thinks <must be a bystander.>.

Closing the open blade so it can be reused takes too much time. Time they haven't got, so Derron relies on the sprayskin protecting his hands and drops the blood slick blade on the floor.

Sheila bursts into the sunlight to find a woman and two children running away, the woman screams at the sight of the naked gun in her hand, so she waves the pistol at the woman to hurry her departure. Looking around she sees a movement along the perimeter fence that has to be their target, so she takes off after the half seen figure, leaving Derron to take care of the guard.

Peta runs towards the parked car, the black uniformed figure stood by the opened door and Kerry dragging her onwards.

Something cracks by her head and the figure by the car bellows something. Kerry drops tugging at Peta before their hands break grip. Peta takes another couple of steps, trying to work out what the figure by the car is trying to tell her as they drop their weapon into the aim, then there's a flash and a sudden pain in her back, an agony that grows until she can't take another step and her legs stop working. The world tilts and Peta ploughs into the soft greenness of the grass.

The subject carries on running, blocking Cleo's sightline to the assassin as the Stewart woman throws herself flat in accordance with Cleo's order.

"GET DOWN!" Cleo calls again, but the girl isn't listening.

There's a moment when her face changes, and Cleo knows even before she hears the shot that the subjects been hit. Then she goes down.

Cleo's sightline clears and the Targeting System built into her visor puts its mark on the killers breastbone. A look of shock crosses the woman's face, not dissimilar to the one on the face of her victim, as she focuses beyond her original target to encompass her surroundings and the armoured figure aiming at her.

Cleo doesn't even feel the rifle kick. Three roses bloom on the woman's blouse and she throws the handgun she was raising away, as she falls backwards to the ground.

Derron hears the three round burst from up the fence and risks a cautious glance. An armed guard covers a prone figure whilst another works on what looks like their target.

"Damn," Derron mutters to himself, "Looks like they got Sheila. Still looks like she hit the mark!"

Their car is too far away to use safely, but the Aurora Security car is available, so he slips behind the wheel and drives away.

Time passes in a series of random pictures, shot by an indifferent photographer. Kerry recalls images of Peta with a tiny wound on her shoulder, but a messy crater where her breast should be. Trauma Team's AV swooping in, onlookers being held at bay by the two black uniformed guards as she sits in the back seat of their car. Watching the Trauma Team Medics fighting for Peta's life. The black bag finally closing over her face.

A hand touches her and time suddenly jumps into it's normal flow as she looks into Dayanne's face.

"You have a task to perform Kerry Stewart."

"What? Why did Argus have her killed? Was it because of me?"

"I don't know. Perhaps Argus thought she was a threat."

"How? How could she be a threat?"

"It would take an expert in AI logic to tell you that . Don't worry about the why, you need to be about your task."

"It's my fault isn't it. Something I did endangered her, I brought her to the killing ground and Argus pulled the trigger."

Dayanne frowns <Great! Just what I need - Guilt tripping!>

She turns around to find Anya and Cleo waiting by the bagged corpse.

"What?"

"Has this passed to Aurora Security?" Cleo asks.

"I haven't handed it over."

"Then it's still ours."

"Whoa! What are you up to?"

"Aurora Security's not worth a damn. Colorado Law Enforcement isn't interested in it if it's inside the wire. So, it's our baby - we run with it. We know who paid for the job, all we have to do is find the triggerman who got away."

"Umm. I think you need to talk this over with Clarice - or Ms Kelly."

"I'll do that."

Rufus Laing turns his patrol car onto Paradise road, heading North, when his phone rings.

"Speak."

"That any way to talk to me Rufus?"

"Cleo! Where are you?"

"Denver. I need some professional guidance. What do I need to put into an evidence pack for a murder case? It's got to be ok for the Clark County Judicial AI."

"Why?"

"Corporate Jurisdiction and we've used the Clark County System so far."

"Mmm. Hang on." Rufus pulls over and digs out his issue e-book, scrolling to the relevant sections.

"Crime Scene photo's, before you move the body. Forensic examination of the weapons. Bag and Tag them carefully - you may need to conclusively establish the weapon used is the one you have."

"Um. Problem. One of the deceased was moved by TT whilst they were trying to revive her."

"Note it in the report. Get witness statements from everyone. If there's a lot of them then get names and addresses so you can take statements at your leisure. I take it the killer got away?"

"One of them. The other is dead on the scene."

"Who took them down?"

"I did."

"Ok, you need corroborative statements to show Just Cause. You're best off duty until the Clark County System clears you." he pauses thoughtfully. "You considered renting a Scenes of Crime Team from the Sheriff's Office?"

"You rent out Forensics?"

"This is Nevada! Everything...."

"Has a price!" Cleo finishes for him. "I'll boost this up to my boss."

"See you soon?"

"Depends. Hope so."

"Speak to you later."

Cleo hangs up and looks around. The crowd is already beginning to disperse and the scene is looking dangerously exposed.

"Anya. You cover this and I'll do the school - we have to preserve the crime scenes."

"On it."

Cleo dials Clarice as she runs up to the entrance to the school explaining as she goes what she needs.

The entrance hall is full of gawkers staring at the Aurora Security guard lying in a pool of blood.

"Has anyone called TT for him?" she yells and someone rushes off.

<Poor sod didn't even have an anti-knife vest.> she realises. <Evidence!>

The helmet recorder is activated and she gives the area a rapid scan before moving to the fallen guard. For the amount of blood on the floor it's amazing he's still breathing. She looks at the staring crowd of pupils and Parents and her eyes light on some kids holding the ES promotional materials Dayanne had for those who were testing.

"You test out for ES?"

"Yes."

"What did you get?"

"Major S, Minor M."

"Who else tested Major S?"

Hands raise in response.

"Right. Get these rubbeneckers out of her, back inside the school perimeter. Take their names and addresses before you let them go. You and you - find an alternative exit route from the premises that avoids people tracking through here."

"Officer?.... You want the Shotwicks? Mrs Shotwick was here when it happened. Her husband came through and took her and the kids home."

"Add them to the list. What are you waiting for? Get moving!"

The kids begin moving as the scream of an AV batters at the front of the building. A TT paramedic team dashes up to the front of the building and Cleo directs them to the guard.

"Who's paying for this one?" the Medtech asks.

"Charge it to ES. We'll recover costs."

"Ok."

"Officer?" a female voice calls. "What do I do with this?"

Cleo turns to find one of the self admitted S Grades pointing at a blood drenched Spawnblade by the doorway.

"You touched it?"

"No Ma'am."

"Protect it. Put a box over it or just stand there - but don't let anyone touch it."

"Ok."

Argus considers the communication from Gabriel, the warning of probable Turing involvement seriously concerns Argus, but the tale of Gabriel, a Power Class AI, being forced to flee by another AI of unknown origin is scarcely credible.

Turing involvement restores the urgency of undoing the intangible bonds that secure Argus to the Microtech system. A quick check confirms that both Dr Taylor and Dr Kibu have had a measure of rest, so Argus activates their nodes and summons them to work. Turning back to its execution queue Argus finds a communication from its second group of Contractors announcing successful completion of the termination of St John Dependant two. A quick scan of local sources confirms the report, so Argus releases the agreed payment and returns to it's work, secure in the surety of Kerry Stewart's loyalty.

Jean looks up as Victor enters her temporary office.

"Sorry to interrupt Ms Kelly. Dayanne's bringing Kerry Stewart in. Argus made the kill on the St John girl and Dayanne says the Stewart woman's pretty torn up about it."

"What does she want me to do about it?" Jean asks, then catches the expression on Victor's face. "Oh no! Not the Deity thing again!?"

"Galahad says he's working up a script."

"We have another problem Jean." Galahad says. "It seems probable that a Turing hit team are coming to Denver. One of their field agents is arriving shortly. You know him as Mr Smith?"

"Coming here? Why?"

"80% probability Turing have targeted Argus. 20% they are investigating me."

"When and where does he arrive?"

"Today. He has a reservation at the Central Hotel under the name Collings."

Jean raises her eyes to find Victor patiently waiting for her to finish her silent dialogue.

"Problem?" he asks.

"Get Billie and Consuela for me. We've another situation developing."

"I know. Cleo called in asking if you would hire a Forensics Team from the Las Vegas Sheriff's department specialising in Homicide and she asked Clarice to remind you she needs to go on the inactive list until she's been cleared over the shooting."

"Tell Clarice to do the necessary. I've got to go and pretend to be a Deity."

With the reception area secured Cleo goes to check on the process of recording names and addresses of the potential witnesses, and finds a line of people threading their way through the classrooms and out of a fire door in the kitchens out onto the streets.

"Good. Well done." she compliments one of her co-opted helpers. "Is there a cold room in the building?"

"What for?"

"I don't like leaving a Murder Victim on the pavement under the hot sun."

"I don't think there's anything big enough in the school to take a body. There is an undertaker on Retail Row. They might have a fridge."

"OK I'll take care of it."

At that moment the sound of raised voices draws her back to the front entrance, where she finds the young woman she'd drafted to secure the scene in a shouting match with two Aurora Security guards.

Cleo slips her rifle off her shoulder and approaches the altercation.

"You can't come in this way" the young woman says. "It's a Crime Scene and I've been told to keep it...... to Preserve it" she corrects.

"Who told you to do that!" one of the guards bellows at her in an attempt to intimidate his way inside.

Cleo switches the Amplifier on inside her helmet.

"I did. This is my Crime Scene until Forensics arrive. You got a problem with that?"

Her Patrol Armour and full-face helmet obviously outpoint their Kevlar T shirts and her Assault Rifle likewise out points their pistols. The older of the two makes his assessment and makes placatory gestures towards her.

"No, no. that's fine. Can you tell us where Officer Lopez is?"

"Trauma Team have him. His beacon failed to activate, so we called them out to him. Showing Solidarity etc. etc."

"Don't have TT call" the junior of the two guards mumbles, "they cancelled the benefit - too expensive."

"Oh? I suppose our office'll have to bill yours then." Cleo says in a tone of surprise.

The older man shrugs. "Good luck. They'll probably go chapter 11 on you. We have enough problems getting paid!"

"It's that bad?"

"Car's are hired. Equipment's hired. Hell I suppose they'd hire the rounds in the weapons if the rental companies would let them."

"Don't worry about Lopez. We've got it covered."

The two guards make their way back to their unit, then drive a short distance away and park up leaving Cleo to tidy up the mess left by Corporate cost cutting.

Jean slips the trodes over her head and relaxes on the couch. When she opens her eyes she's in the virtual world - from her viewpoint a pleasant wood on the edge of a lake. She picks out an area of soft grass and waits, watching the virtual birds and animals as they move around the park.

Along the Lakeshore a black rectangle materialises and two figures appear, to struggle towards where Jean waits.

They push into the woods ignoring the path that would lead straight to her, pushing their way through the dense undergrowth, stumbling through a couple of ditches and pursuing a roundabout route.

"Match User Kelly's viewpoint to user Stewart's" Jean commands and the view changes from pleasant parkland to impenetrably dark humid swamp.

"Reset Kelly Default."

The pleasant parkland returns.

Eventually the others reach the greensward where Jean is waiting. Kerry falls to her knees on the ground and sobs.

"What is it Dee?"

"Peta's dead and it's my fault!" Kerry sobs, "I led her into danger and when the shooting started I couldn't save her."

"That's not true." the construct representing Dayanne says. "Prince Hal tells a different story. He says she tried to seduce you, that she did everything she could to get you into bed with her, but that you never gave in to her wishes. Cee says that when she shouted for you to drop you tried to pull Peta down to safety, but that she didn't hear or understand. That you lost your grip on her hand and she carried on running right up to the point she was shot."

"Do you know why she was marked for death by Argus?" Jean asks.

"No" Kerry and the Dayanne construct say in unison.

"Kerry, were you Armed and Armoured to actively defend her?"

"No" the Construct blocks Kerry's attempt to take the blame for not taking the bullet.

"Did you try and pull her down to clear Cee to shoot the assassin."

"Yes." Kerry admits.

Jean wills her avatar to stand and walk to Kerry's avatar. She reaches out and grasps Kerry's avatar by the neck, pulling her to her feet.

"Walk with me Kerry Stewart. See what I see."

Kerry finds herself being dawn forwards by the shadowy figure. The noisome swamp becomes a park, then a city street, then a factory, a lab, a library, a city grid on the Net somewhere, a street in a Corporate Suburb.

"I failed you. I didn't protect her potential."

"You claim to be omnipotent?" Jean asks, "or is that guilt manifesting? You try and claim the guilt for something not within your control because of some other guilt?"

Kerry stops for a moment in shock, but Jean keeps walking and Kerry's hand slips from her grasp. Suddenly she's back in the swamp, she struggles through the mire, but the shadowy figure reaches out to her, taking her hand once again and leading her through the madly changing scenery.

"There was a possibility of you having a relationship with Peta, but only a slight one. Your most likely path lies along a different route, but that shouldn't stop you trying other possibilities. Nor should you wrap yourself in guilt if you should try something, then move on. Your task still lies ahead, but when it is done your life could follow any number of possible roads."

"What will I have to do?"

"It will be clear to you in due course."

Kerry finds a black doorway before her and the shadowy figure guides her through. Kerry feels herself turned, tilted, bent. Something presses against her lips and she opens her mouth to admit it. She's ruthlessly penetrated then suddenly she's falling out of the black wall into Dayanne's arms.

"Well?" Dayanne asks, "Did she say you were to be punished?"

"No. I wasn't equipped to save her. I still feel as if I should have done something......."

"Survivors guilt."

"Could I be punished anyway? Not because I did wrong - just because I want it?"

Kerry is led to a room where her Smith is waiting.

"Tee. Kerry Stewart wants some punishment. When she leave make sure she won't sit down without remembering you."

Tom leads her, unresisting, to a high bench. Her ankles are secured to the legs at the narrow end and Kerry looks down the top pressing suggestively against the top of her thighs. Of her own volition she bends over the top to grasp a set of handles at the far end, resting her torso on the top of the bench and presenting her rounded buttocks to him.

His fingers stroke the insides of her thighs, ascending beneath her dress to touch her intimately, parting her sex and seeking the button of her clit. Kerry spreads her knees, pushing them to the outsides of the legs on the bench and making her body easily accessible to him, but he declines her offer. Instead his fingers move to stroke her neck and handle her gently tinking ear-rings.

Kerry feels him attach chains, fixing her head in place and she can feel her body becoming aroused. He pushes her dress upwards slowly, letting the silky material caress her bare buttocks, until it's gathered around her waist, leaving her totally exposed from the waist down.

"My breasts?" she whispers and is rewarded by having the dress slipped upwards until it's gathered around her neck. Her body rests on the cold metal surface of the bench and she can feel her nipples standing up in readiness. Her smith does something to the bench. Metal plates slide and her nipples fall neatly into two holes that appear. There's a clinking of chain and she feels something grasp each nipple in a firm, but irresistible grip. Kerry braces herself in expectation.

A broad, strong hand comes down with a 'crack'. First on one buttock, then on the other. Kerry jerks, feeling the rings in her ears and the clamps on her nipples pulling as she attempts to move. His next blow falls stingingly over her sex and Kerry can't stifle the moan it draws from her.

Tom slaps her buttocks until they're a blushing pink then slowly walks around her to study her face. A rosy flush of arousal colours her cheeks and she watches him narrow his eyes in appraisal. Evidently he comes to a decision as he moves to a drawer and extracts a bottle.

Kerry strains to follow him as he moves around her, but the ties to her ears prevent her turning her head.

Out of sight Tom pours a little of the massage oil onto his palm, warming it in his hand before beginning to massage the stretched muscles of her calves, working over the backs of her knees and up her thighs, carefully tending the well defined muscles of her legs. By the time he reaches her buttocks there's a visible glimmer of moisture on the lips of his prisoners sex.

A slippery thumb presses on the base of her spine and Kerry sucks air in as it slides down the crease of her ass to push against her ring. She strains to keep the entry sealed, but to no avail, and the slippery digit slips easily through, her ring relaxing to admit it, until Kerry can feel her Smith's palm and fingers pressing on her lower back, his middle finger gently stoking the fine hairs at the base of her spine. Kerry groans, the rings securing her helpless in her place of torment tugging gently at her ears and nipples, stimulating her further.

Tom adds more lubricant, dripping it into Kerry's crease and letting it run down to coat his thumb as he eases it from her, then grease her entry as he penetrates her anew.

Kerry bites her lip as the slippery thumb works its way in and out, but the easy slide is seductive, and she relaxes and enjoys the sensation.

Tom pours a little more lubricant into the well and without warning substitutes two fingers for his thumb. Kerry gives an initial squeak of protest, but finds she accommodates the extra visitor easily enough. Tom rotates his fingers slowly, drawing a sigh from his victim.

"Hot little Minx aren't you?" he asks.

"Yes." Kerry whispers.

Tom smiles, noting the way her sex is swelling and flowering as she becomes more aroused. A gentle touch in the heart of the flower draws a high keening from Kerry's throat and jerking hips that dance against his finger.

He extracts his fingers from the lubricated grove and slowly runs the tip of his maleness down the valley separating her buttocks and Kerry takes a tiny gasp of air as she divines his intent. Tom watches her head rise to the limit of the chains, then fall as she decides to accept what she knows is about to happen.

"Will it hurt?" she breathes.

"A little." he admits, "But I've made sure you're ready."

"I've done it before - with Prince Hal."

"You have?" Tom says, "There might be a bit of difference in size."

The tip pushes against her entry and Kerry feels herself open to accept it, but instead of the easy penetration she's experienced with her droid, her Smith seems to keep opening her wider and wider.

"Oh! Oh god. OH GOD! You're so big. I.... I can't." she pants as the wildly stimulated nerve ends in her ass fire and confusing signals bombard her brain.

"Dee said to make sure you won't sit down without remembering me."

He slowly pushes further in, showing Kerry the difference between the slim smooth penetrator of her droid and his own equipment. Confused stimulated nerves around the opened ring of her ass make the bound woman whimper and gasp as he pushes the bulbous head of his maleness inside her and she contracts around the shaft. Electric sensations race up her spine and she babbles meaningless phrases as he grips her hips and continues to drive slowly into her until she can feel herself stretched around his root, his tip buried deep in her guts.

"Punish me." she whimpers.

Her Smith begins to thrust into her and Kerry opens herself to him, relaxing and accommodating a cock as she'd fantasised about for so long. This wasn't the Holy Maleness of her Pastor working in her sex though, but the unholy member of some inhuman creature ploughing into her bowels.

<I'm being punished for my sins.> she thinks, then rejects the idea. <No. I'm being rewarded. I wanted this. She forgives my failure. It wasn't my fault.>

Tom hears the mewling gasp. The slight catch in her breathing and feels the flutter in her stretched ring and lets himself go. The sudden rush of moisture into her ass is the last straw and Kerry surrenders her body to her demon lover helplessly coming beneath him.

Clarice studies the printouts from the assessments at Aurora..

"The initial showings are about typical Ms Kelly."

"Jean Clarice. Call me Jean."

"The distribution's about what we had when I tested in Vegas. So many M types, so many E, T, S and C types. So. What do we do with them?"

"What normally happens in Nevada?"

"The S types get further testing to determine their level of fitness, then the DoE put out an Invitation to Tender to the Security Schools. Your people could tell you more about that. You need grades and reports from the school to assess exactly what you've got in the rest of the bunch. The assessment only points to where their inclinations lie. Mostly they'll all need further training. You'll need to assess them pretty thoroughly to decide what to keep and what to dump. Who to sell on to a training school and who to keep and train in house."

"Sounds like we need to run a proper assessment. Maybe we should hire the school for a while."

"Are you serious? You might want to take them somewhere more private."

"It get's us further into Aurora.... let me think about it a while."

Anya walks the Crime Scene in the diminishing light waiting to be relieved. Cleo had sent her a couple of the kids to keep her company, but the responsibility for the scene was still hers.

From the sky a light spears down onto the sports field and the whine of a descending AV shatters the silence.

Anya calls Cleo as the dark shape resolves itself into a Las Vegas Sheriffs Department Vehicle.

"Forensics are on site Cleo."

"Ok. I'll get them out to you first."

Out on the sports field the AV's engine spools down and the side door slides open. The Forensics team clamber out and stretch their limbs before beginning to unload their equipment. Into the pool of light cast by the AV's cargo lights a young man advances.

He smiles nervously.

"I've been sent to collect you. Officer Guzzmann didn't want to risk the...... provenance? The provenance of the Crime Scene."

The team shoulder their bags and a Sheriffs Deputy appears, dressed in Patrol Armour.

"Ok Son. Lead on."

Cleo is waiting as the Forensic team enter the Reception area.

"Ok. Who's in charge?" she asks

"Guess that's me." one of them says, setting down his case. "You want to walk me through the scene?"

Focussed on handing over Cleo doesn't notice Rufus coming in with the stragglers. He watches as she leads them through the sequence of events, handing over the list of potential witnesses along with the dead woman's handgun and her own rifle.

"The other attackers blade is under that cardboard box - no-one's touched it."

"Good, good." the chief tech mumbled, entering data onto his touchpad. "This is where the attack took place?"

"On the Aurora guard, the other scene with the two dead is a short way up the road. We couldn't leave the bodies there, it was too warm, but I've thoroughly imaged the site before we moved them and everything but the bodies is still in-situ. We marked their positions before they were lifted but the placing of the StJohn girl is a bit approximate, Trauma Team tried to revive her on site so she was moved from where she fell."

"You imaged her location before treatment thought?"

"I've footage of her being shot."

"Fine we can work with that. Pauline? Photo's for analysis."

Cleo hands over the cassettes from her Helmet and Gun cameras to a woman with the looks of a Casino Croupier and a livid Knife scar across one eye. The red pupil of an undisguised Cybereye flashes at her as the woman takes the cassettes, handing her replacement blanks and a receipt in return.

Cleo slots the cassettes, then walks the team out to Anya's position.

"Ok. We've got both scenes now. You're relieved. Can you take a moment to write up your statements?"

Cleo and Anya walk back towards the School building.

"Officer Guzzmann?" one of the kids calls. "What do we do now?"

"We've got your details?" Anya asks.

"Sure."

"Then you'll be called back shortly for your physicals."

Cleo walks around the corner of the doorway and straight into a member of the Forensics Team examining the burned out card lock.

"Whoa! Sorry, didn't see you." she apologises.

"No problem Cleo." Rufus smiles.

Cleo double takes.

"What are you doing here?"

"Sheriff sent me out. Thought it would be better for you to see a familiar face."

"Oh. Yeah. Umm. How's it going then?"

He smiles at her flustered response.

"Not much on the knife. Perp was using spray skin to mask his signs."

"REO Meatwagon issue" one of the other Techies calls. "Don't have the batch number yet. But I'm working on it."

"You taken statements yet?" Rufus asks.

"Not yet. There were only two of us and some helpers to cover two crime scenes until you arrived. And I shouldn't be on duty - not with a shooting hanging over me."

"We'd better sort that first. Pauline?"

"On it." the scarred Techie responds. "Give me ten more minutes."

"Don't rush it." Rufus replies, then turns back to Cleo. "The bodies?"

"We put them in Cold Storage at the local Undertaker's."

"Ok. Doc? You ready to do the PM's?"

One of the Team picks up his bag and lets Cleo lead him and Rufus to the place they're storing the bodies.

Xavier Shotwick opens his front door to find two armoured figures waiting in the orange glow of the streetlights.

"Yes?"

"Officer Guzzmann, ES Security, Sheriffs Deputy Laing, Las Vegas Sheriff's Department, May we come in? It's regarding the incident at the school cookout this afternoon."

"ES Security and the Las Vegas Sheriff's department? Surely it's a matter for Aurora Security or failing that Microtech?"

"Aurora Security has declined involvement and as ES Security took the alleged attacker down, it's their baby." Rufus says, "The Las Vegas Sheriff's Department is providing forensic assistance."

"If Microtech wishes to buy into the investigation you can contact our Finance office. Here's the address." Cleo says, handing Xavier a company card. "Now, could we please take statements from Xavier and Carol Shotwick?"

"Are we under investigation?"

"No Mr Shotwick. Other witnesses have placed you elsewhere during the incident and located Mrs Shotwick in a position where she may have potentially seen the killing of Peta StJohn. Additionally we're interested to know why you apparently sent Mrs Shotwick and your children out of the school immediately prior to the incident?"

"Come inside. Carol's just putting the kids to bed."

"......so then I saw them come from behind the Games Pavilion. It didn't look right somehow, so I went round the back and found this." Xavier gestures at the sports bag on the table.

"What did you do then Mr Shotwick?" Cleo asks.

Xavier looks at her helmet, sat on his table, its recording systems recording his interview.

"I took a sniff at it. It stunk of gun oil, you get to know the smell quite well working around guns. I thought some Anti-Corporate attack might be in progress, so I told Carol to get the kids and get out, then I called Aurora Security."

"Why were you suspicious of the Man and Woman in the first place."

"They didn't look old enough to have kids in High School. When I saw them closer I realised I recognised them from somewhere."

"You remember where?"

"I didn't at the time, but I've had a little time to think. They're independent security contractors Microtech have hired before."

"You remember their names?"

"The woman was called Sheila Wright. Her partner was called Derron...."

"Derron something or something Derron?"

"Derron........... Fryer."

"You wouldn't happen to have an address or know where they might be found?"

"I don't know if they've an Agent or where they live - that sort of person tends to move about a lot. You might try Fox's tavern or the Boom-Boom Rooms, there's a lot of Independent hang out there."

"Thank you Mr Shotwick. Could we see your wife now?"

"I'll just get her......."

Cleo and Rufus ride back to the school to meet up with the rest of the Forensics Team.

"So what do you do for entertainment in Denver?" Rufus asks.

"Entertainment? Haven't had time yet. What with shootouts in the suburbs and Company Business all hours of the day and night, still, if your team clears me we could go touring the nightspots."

"Fox's Tavern and the Boom-Boom rooms? How much backup have you in town?"

"Not much."

"If you're planning to shake the tree and see what falls out, you'd do well with some friends to back you up."

"I'll see what we can find."

The team at the school are wrapping up, equipment stored in its carry cases, all packed up and ready to move. Cleo downloads the Shotwick's statements to the Teams database for their expert system to analyse.

"Doc?" Rufus calls, "Any problems with the PM's?"

"Victim 1 is consistent with Victim 2's weapon. Victim 2 died from internal injuries caused by the officers gun - seems a righteous shoot, but it's all got to go before the Judge yet."

"Enough for a preliminary hearing?" Cleo asks. "We're tight on manpower and I want to put a hand on the Jo who got away."

"You can try, but if the Judge bounces it don't blame me."

"Let's use the office datalink." Cleo suggests, "Oh, and we booked you rooms at a hotel nearby."

The Forensics Team swap glances and examine Cleo and Rufus closely.

"Handy for the office." someone suggests with a salacious tone in their voice, and Cleo sees Rufus flush and realises that the Team must know something about them.

"I didn't mean like that!" she protests, "The hotels outside the Corp Zone are dire."

"And you'd like us to be comfortable. Nice beds, hot showers, silk sheets and all that?" someone laughs.

Cleo blushes furiously and Rufus touches her elbow.

"Just teasing." he murmurs, "I caught hell all the way here."

Cleo sucks a deep breath and calms herself.

"I'll call ahead and get them to activate the pad beacon at the office. It transmits 'Executive Solutions' if you want to home on it."

"Ride with your friend Rufus," the team leader says, "we'll meet you there."

Victor stretches in the lounge, relaxing after a long day of collecting orders and installing the company catalogue with its hidden Easter egg on people's systems. Galahad had reported that most of the systems had nothing of interest, but each system with a link to Microtech was a hardwired doorway into the enemies stronghold.

<Can't be long before we move.> he thinks

There's a disturbance by the lift as the door opens and Cleo leads a group of strangers into the office. Victor spares them a moments attention, then turns over on the couch, activates the sleep inducer and slips into slumber.

The forensic team follow Cleo to a desk and hook their expert unit to the High Bandwidth datalink.

"Anyone want coffee?" Cleo asks as the unit connects. The consensus seems to be that coffee would be ok, so she leads them to the kitchen and lets them get on with it.

"Back early Leo?"

Cleo turns to find Jean behind her.

"I was hoping to get a ruling from the Judge, so I could go back on duty."

"And?"

Cleo gestures at the machine.

"Just hooked up."

"I see Deputy Laing made the trip. You want a night off?"

Cleo blushes again.

"Leo! You're embarrassed!"

"I...um....it's.... Not this evening Ms Kelly. If the Judge lets me resume duty I'll be hunting for the other suspect. And... um.... you can call me Cleo. It seems a bit silly to try and pretend otherwise out here."

The expert unit beeps plaintively and the screen flickers.

"Looks like the Judge wants to speak to you." Jean says. "Don't keep him waiting."

Rufus watches Cleo sit down and fit the trodes on her head before jacking in. He waits until her consciousness is inside the electronic reality of the court then he walks across to Jean.

"Shouldn't be any problem as long as the Judge accepts not having every statement."

"Good." Jean murmurs.

"You need to get some more 'S' types over here. I can see she's stressing with everything being loaded on her and Anya."

"You think so?"

"Yep! Do it soon or she'll start making mistakes through fatigue."

Jean rubs her eyes.

"Tell me about it. Right. I'll get some extra cover here tonight."

"Thanks Ms Kelly" Rufus smiles, then, noting Cleo stirring he steps across to her.

"Ok?"

"I can resume duty. The preliminary investigation is ok, but the Judge would like the remaining statements soonest."

"That's for tomorrow then. Tonight I want to go hunting for Mr Fryer."

Elana walks into the Hotel Lobby and catches a glimpse of Billie's reflection in a mirror.

<God, I look like a complete slapper!> she decides. The knee high boots mould to her calves as if sprayed on, emphasising the pale flesh of her legs. The micro skirt Jean had ordered for her draws shocked stares from the lobby's occupants and she deliberately baits them by twirling and letting the short cloak she's wearing spin open, flashing bare belly and breasts covered only by a thin strip of sheer black material.

Consuela refrains from staring open mouthed as the normally sober Elana assumes her alter-ego.

"Ladies - we don't allow working girls in the Central Hotel."

"Not what we hear." Billie says throatily. "We hear you're always happy to see old customers." She hold out a couple of Euronotes. "Ms Riechstag and Ms Eiffel Tower back to see you again."

The clerk purses her lips and takes the money.

"Nothing much in tonight." she says sourly.

"Mr Collings?"

"He called out for you?"

"Is he in?" Billie asks.

"He went out about thirty minutes ago."

Billie turns to Consuela.

"He's gone to eat. We'll meet him at the restaurant." She turns back to the clerk, "See you later."

"What are you doing?" Connie hisses as they leave the hotel, "This isn't like you Elana."

"I'm not Elana. I'm Billie and Billie can do anything. You may have had all the Secret Agent training, but you're here to back me up. I know the guy we're looking for, just follow my lead."

After a brief phone call to Galahad Billie leads the way into the Corporate Centre. The vacant buildings stand silent and dark with occasional lighting in the lobbies where Security Guards lurk in the hope of protecting their vacant charges until an economic upturn brings new tenants.

"Keep your eyes peeled. Galahad said he could be giving the Microtech building a once over."

"What if he's not here after Argus? What if he's after Galahad? Or something else?"

"Then we go back to the hotel and meet him there."

Nira studies the tester, wondering if she should feel more turmoil. The two blue lines clearly tell her that Victor had obeyed her instructions to the letter and that she was pregnant. In the silence of the empty house she picks up her hairbrush and begins to run it through her hair and consider her options.

That morning her husband had leaped up from the recliner he'd only left to visit the bathroom or the kitchen since they'd discharged him from the hospital, and dashed off to the office again.

<So. What are my choices? Do nothing, stay with Timo and try and pass the baby off as his? Terminate the child and stay? Keep the child and leave?> she toys with the idea of going to Victor with the child, but she can't visualise his response.

The sound of a car pulling up draws her attention and she watches her husband stagger from the passenger seat. The driver assists him up the drive to the front door and lets him in, then returns to the car to deliver his other passenger. Nira hears her husband drop into his recliner and begin to snore.

Agent Preston looks at his watch and then at the Microtech Research centre and sucks his teeth nervously.

A high giggle from behind him makes him start and he spins, the Turing issue Pulse Pistol falling into his hand. Two girls walk up the street towards him, laughing and joking, and he slips the pistol behind his back and tucks it into his belt.

One of them walks into the cone of light cast by one of the streetlights and he almost pulls the pistol again.

"Ms Blonde." he says. "A bit far from your normal haunts."

"Mr Smith? Fancy meeting you here!"

Preston eases the Pulser from behind his back and points it casually towards them

"Is that a gun in your hand? Or are you pleased to see us?" Billie laughs.

Whatever response he was expecting, it wasn't quips. Either the two of them are high on something or they don't believe he'll be able to use his weapon.

"Ms Scarlett. Step out where I can see you." he orders.

Consuela steps forward and Preston frowns.

"Where's Ms Scarlett Billie?"

"Behind you Mr Smith." Jeans voice says.

Preston tucks and rolls, stopping his roll as his feet come over. It leaves him flat on his back, but his weapon is aimed where the voice was. Unfortunately all that's there is a battered planter and a small speaker.

Ms Scarlett stands off to one side, covering him with her own pistol, too far off to the side to shift aim without giving her a free shot at him, and there's the other two girls behind him. He freezes in place and waits as they run up and take his pistol off him.

"Now we can talk." Jean says.

The woman he'd mistaken for her pats him down expertly and takes his phone and the spare cells for the Pulser.

"Billie. Connie. Take him to the hotel." Ms Scarlett orders, "and keep him happy."

"You're not going to kill me?"

Billie laughs.

"Not unless you've a weak heart."

Her fingers stroke his crotch and Stewart Preston feels his manhood stir.

Victor stirs as Anya eases the sleep inducer headset off his brow.

"Wha?!?"

"Get your shit together Victor. Galahad wants a word."

Victor looks at his watch, unsure how long he's slept.

"What's up Anya?"

"Don't know. Galahad just lit up my security terminal. Said to get you up."

"Oh. Ok."

He grabs a cup of coffee, bangs a Prepack in the Microwave and heads for the office they're using as a conference room.

"Morning Galahad!"

"Good Morning Victor. My apologies for tampering with your rest, but the current situation has developed."

"What do you want me to do?"

"The connection via the Kibu house gives me a backdoor to the Microtech Datafort. I need you to open the accesses through the other houses with security monitoring."

"Don't they need opening at the Microtech end?"

"Dr Kibu made the necessary changes to the hardware at that end, all you have to do is visit each of the addresses being printed out for you and alter the access speeds on their hubs. Marta will show you what to do."

"Ok. How do I get in?"

"I already control the house systems. They will call you as soon as they detect the house is empty and the current time is after 0900."

Victor looks at his watch.

"But it's not even midnight yet. Why wake me now?"

"Nira Kibu."

"What about her."

"I calculate that the moment is optimal to call her. She appears angry and dissatisfied with her current situation. Argus has resumed using her husband in its research ,before he is fully recovered, so he is exhausted again. She has just confirmed her pregnancy and she is both anxious and aroused. I believe that she is currently trying to estimate the probabilities of various actions on her part leading to a desirable outcome."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I calculate a high probability that she want you to exercise her fantasies."

"What? Turn up un her doorstep and treat her like a whore? In front of her husband?"

"Yes. That is what she asked for."

"What's going to happen to her when we pull out?"

"My directives mandate an attempt at a positive outcome for her. Actual results are not possible to accurately predict due to external variables."

"So, what do you want me to do?"

"Go to her. Satisfy her desires."

"What about her husband?"

"I will deal with him. He will appear awake, but will not comprehend what he's sensing."

Cleo and Rufus hit the streets in Patrol Armour. The Denver PD had taken the evidence packet and the Nevada Arrest Warrant for Derron Fryer studied it and set it aside.

"Nothing to do with us." the desk Sargent had said. "Crime on Corporate territory, out of State warrant."

"You don't mind if we do the necessary?" Cleo asked.

"I hope you're not going to make a mess."

Now Cleo parks the unit near the Boom-Boom rooms and turns to Rufus for advice.

"Suggestions?"

"In Vegas we'd put an undercover inside to finger the guy."

"Not an option here. We don't have enough assets."

"Likewise for a raid I suppose."

"With just Anya and me? Not likely."

"Informants?"

"Hmmm. Might be able to do something about that."

Cleo makes a phone call and a few minutes later she's chatting with her gang contacts.

Billie and Connie steer the handcuffed Agent Preston through a fire door at the back of his hotel. Pulling it closed behind them the magnetic lock seals with and audible clunk. They climb the stairs past his floor, then emerge onto a plush corridor and into one of the Hotels Suites.

Stewart stares at the slightly faded luxury as Connie closes the door.

Security bold snap into place sealing them inside.

"You expecting trouble?" he asks.

"We're sealed in until things calm down."

"Calm down?"

"Tomorrow probably."

"Turing will worry when I don't call in."

"Yes. But even if they arrive now they'll be looking for you, not doing anything else."

Billie unlocks the handcuffs and tosses them aside.

"So. What shall we do whilst we wait Mr Smith? Wanna fuck?"

Stewart gapes as his jailors begin to undress.

Nira starts as the phone breaks into her reverie.

"Yes?"

"Nira. You have ten minutes, then I'll collect you. Make sure you're ready and appropriately dressed."

"But my Husband.....?"

"Isn't this what you wanted?" Victor asks, then hangs up.

Derron sips a Daquari in his usual booth at the back of Fox's tavern. Sheila's seat is still empty, so either the Corp Cops put their hand on her or she's cooling on a slab somewhere - but that's life on the edge. He's not worried that it's going to come back to him, Denver PD couldn't give a damn as it's on the 'burb, and Aurora Security won't chase him into Denver, especially not into Fox's Tavern. Microtech could have been a problem, but as they were paying the ticket anyway......

Derron sips his drink and assesses the prospects for new partners whilst across the bar unfriendly eyes watch covertly.

"Make the call Bob."

"I don't like it. It's like we're working for the Man!"

"The Frequent Flyers asked for a line on this guy. This is our turf and they asked - nicely."

"Why'd they want him?"

"You really want to know? Ask them when you make the call."

Bob leaves his seat and goes outside to make the call.

"Hello? Can I speak to Goodyear?"

"Speaking. You are....?"

"Skeeter Bob."

"Bob! You got news?"

"Um.... Maybe..... Why'd you want a line on this guy?"

"You unhappy with the payoff?"

"No. It's just he lives local...."

"And you guard your own neighbourhood. Sure. I understand. Derron Fryer took a job - a wet job. The mark was an eighteen year old girl. Graduating student. His partner put a .44 into her left shoulder blade - blew a hole right through her. Some folks want to chat with him about who paid for the kill."

"Just talk?"

"For the moment. You should know there's Nevada paper on him now."

"The Flyers got any stake in this?"

"Favour for a friend. Nothing personal."

Bob weighs the situation. If the Flyers are doing it as a favour they won't want to go to war over it - which is good. Life in Denver is thin enough. Still, favours owed grease the wheels of life and they'd benefit from having the Flyers owe them one. The question is how much damage would Derron Fryer hand out if things went wrong?

"Your friends handle this guy in a public place? If they find him to talk to him I mean?"

"That's their beef."

"Not if he comes up shooting. That's our people around him."

"I'll check."

"Bob waits five minutes then Goodyear calls back.

"They'll deal with it. Any shooting from this guy and they'll cover all costs. Just keep things calm at your end.

"Ok. He's at Fox's Tavern in a booth at the back. If he moves we'll keep tabs on him."

Nira agonises briefly over her clothing, then quickly dons her makeup and slips into the two-belt and boots outfit she wore to come home. As she applies the finishing touches, she hears a car pull up outside.

She licks her lips in anticipation and applies a sheen of her special lipstick, feeling her lips grow fuller and redder, tingling deliciously.

<Dare I?> she wonders. Then, lifting her skirt, she puts her booted right foot on the chair. Looking in the mirror on her dresser she peels her labia apart and applies the stick to her already tingling sex, her breath catching as the cosmetic decoration begins it's insidious work.

She completes the decorations then tugs her micro skirt back into place and rushes downstairs. Her husband lies slumped in the recliner, his eyes fixed on the television, blank and unseeing.

"You could have had this!" she snaps as she heads for the door, but there's no response from him. As she approaches the door, the bell rings and she opens it to find Victor in a smart suit.

"Mrs Kibu. It's about your application for employment as a company escort."

"Victor!" she protests, "Too high class. Start again!"

She shuts the door, then opens it again.

"Ok Bitch! You're going to be one of our sluts!" he snarls. His hand shoots up and grabs her by the neck, propelling her through the doorway and into the hall, gently, but brooking no resistance.

"But...but... my husband." Nira moans as Victor's finger stroke her thigh, climbing upwards to lightly caress her mound.

"You dress the part Bitch. You walk the walk?"

He pushes down and Nira drops to her knees, parting her lips and licking them theatrically, her eyes locked on his.

"I walk the walk. I talk the talk as well."

Her fingers seek the fastener of his trousers and she frees his member. The thought that her husband can see her makes her head spin with excitement and she deliberately pushes her hips back and her belly down so that the short skirt rides up over her naked brown skin, showing her comatose husband exactly what he's missing. What she's giving away to others because he wouldn't take it for himself. She parts her knees widely to display the sex that he's abandoned as she kisses the tip of another man's cock.

"You work for me now?"

Nira leans forwards, letting Victor's cock push between her full tingling lips and over her tongue, deep into her mouth, as deep as she can take it.

"I'm all yours Vic." she gasps as she comes up from her first dive.

Victor looks at her husband, seemingly unaware in his lounger and shuffles around so that Dr Kibu should be clearly able to see Nira sucking on his cock.

"Show your hubby who you belong to."

Nira's cheeks hollow as she sucks Victor's cock and he rests a hand on the back of her head, encouraging her to take him deeper.

"You learn fast Bitch!"

"Fuck me Vic!" she begs, "I'm hot to trot."

Victor helps her to her feet. The heels on the boots raise her to just the right height and he takes a moment to admire the shape of her legs and the curve of her butt, visible beneath the hem of her tiny skirt.

Nira deliberately pushes her ass back at him, displaying her decorated slit, parted, wet and ready. Victor reaches forwards sliding his hands under the material of her skirt to grip her hips. Her fingers guide the tip of him to her waiting heat and she groans in satisfaction as the head of his maleness slides into her waiting honeypot.

"Fuck me. Fuck your whore." Nira moans, but Victor just rests in place, enjoying the snug wet caress of her sex as it slides back and forth over his glans, opening to receive him, sealing behind the head, and then waiting hungrily open as he pulls out just far enough to leave her.

"Don't play with me.!" Nira protests, "I need it, need it deep."

Victor strokes her bare belly.

"I know you do Slut. I want hubby to hear his slut wife begging to be my whore."

"I'm your whore. I am!" she cries and Victor runs his cock deep into her. Nira grunts in satisfaction and her hips buck in response to being penetrated so deeply.

"You spread those long legs for anyone?" Victor asks, making regular deep thrusts into her and reshaping his Mr Studd to draw cries from her willing body. The slap of his flesh against hers is music to Nira's ears.

"Anyone. Anyone you want. I'll do it. Women even."

"I know you will." he breathes in her ear. "You'll turn tricks when your belly's big and round. I'll have you making special interest films with your breasts full and leaking milk whilst I fuck you."

"You know?" she gasps, shuddering and backing herself onto him, matching his thrusts into her.

"Of course I know." He murmurs, stroking her belly. He tugs the strip of fabric covering her breasts upwards and they slip free to quiver and bounce as Nira and Victor fuck in her hallway. His hands cup and squeeze and Nira bites her bottom lip as he traps each of her nipples between thumb and forefinger then gently tugs and squeezes.

"Oooooh! Give it to me Victor!" she pants, "I'm open for you."

His left arm slides across her belly to hold her across the hips whilst his right hand moves up between her breasts to gently hold her throat and Nira revels in the feeling of being owned, controlled, of being an utterly helpless plaything. As he nips her neck with tiny bites she turns her head to look at her husband, apparently watching her being fucked in his own house. The fact he seems unaware is irrelevant to her and Nira gives herself over to an intense series of muscular spasms as she comes, that leave her weak and unable to stand on her own. Victor's strong arms hold her in place as he takes his own pleasure and Nira revels in the sensation of him pumping more seed into her belly.

When her legs can carry her weight once more Nira straightens, enjoying the sensation of Victor, still hard, inside her.

"One more Victor, one more to claim your whore. One more to prove I'll do anything for you." she digs in her purse and produces a tube of lubricant.

"Fill my ass. Make me scream."

Victor takes the tube and grins.

"Be careful what you ask for."

Nira jumps as he drops a cold blob of the gel between her buttocks. He runs the tip of his cock down the crease between her buttocks and Nira begins panting in anticipation. The tip reaches the lube covered skin, then settles in the wrinkled ring that guards the entry. His hands grip her hip bones and Nira strives to relax and gracefully accept the anticipated thrust, but it still comes as a surprise, mercilessly opening her, forcing her acceptance.

If anything he seems bigger than she remembers and she squeals as he drives what seems like feet of cock through her ass and into her belly. Victor roughly handles her breasts as he takes her hard and fast. Nira sweats and squeals, begging him to stop, to go slower, to not go so deep or open her so wide, but Victor ignores her and she's left breathless as he wrests her control away, forcing her to come. His fingers cup her mound, the middle finger parting her furrow to press on her clit and stir its tip in the open mouth of her come filled cunt.

Nira bucks and screams beneath him, lost in the experience of being taken so lewdly, so openly, before her husband. She feels Victor swell further and the sensation of his hot come being delivered to her. Then he slowly eases from her body and they both straighten up.

"God that was good!" she breathes, then strides on shaky but determined legs to stand before her husband, bare breasted and immodest, but not giving a damn.

"Look at him! He doesn't even care what I do!" she exclaims, then turns her back on him. Spreading her legs she bends over to grasp her ankles, displaying her open sex and abused ass, both running with Victor's come.

"Look Timo, Look at his come dribbling out of me." Nira crows lewdly parting her sex to stroke her clit. "He's made me come and come! You've not so much as touched me in ages! He's fucked me in the ass and I love it. You wouldn't even think of it! You spent more time with Dr Taylor than you did with me. Well, now I'm getting what you should have given me from someone else! You promised me everything when we were at Uni together, but you've given me nothing but your money since we came here! You couldn't even give me your babies! Well, now my belly's filled with someone else's child. You promised me a partnership of body and mind but delivered neither. Well, now I'm getting it somewhere else and you? You can go and play with Dr Taylor!"

Victor winces at this tirade, but when Nira turns back to him his face is impassive.

"You went to University together?"

"MIT. Why?"

"I might know someone who could offer you a position if you've the right skills."

"Get cleaned up - we can talk about it."

Inside Dr Kibu's head disconnected images swirl and mix in a vivid dream. Images of AI architecture mixed with views of his naked wife, her dark skinned body straining against another man. Her red lips hungrily sucking on his pale cock. Her cries of pleasure mingle with the screams of pain he recalls making as Argus infiltrated his mind.

Galahad releases his grip on Timo Kibu's mind and he slips from half alertness to unconsciousness in fractions of a second.

Upstairs Victor swipes Nira's credit card.

"Was that was that you wanted?" Victor asks.

"Almost perfect. Can we make it real?"

"How do you mean?"

"Make me do those things you said - make special interest films with you when my belly's big and round. Let everyone see I'm your whore."

"We'll see."

"So what's the current state of play Galahad?" Jean asks.

"Hunter-Killer nanoids have been administered to the Microtech Employees and dependants who attended the cookout. An uncertain number of Employees have received H-K nano from use of appropriate ES products. Sufficient internal floor plans of the Microtech building exist for the assault to succeed. The assessment of Graduating students from the Aurora school have yielded a pool of T, M, E, C and S types suitable for further assessment and grading."

We're hiring the school for that - anyway, that's secondary until we've dealt with the Argus problem."

"I don't agree Jean. You gave me an objective to protect the people who make up Microtech and by extension this includes the well-being of their dependants. As we are unable to verify that we've broken Argus's grip on everyone we need to protect as many as possible. We can legitimately remove all the applicants for additional testing and ensure they have an affective dose of H-K Nano to counter any Argus Nano they may have been exposed to."

"And the rest?"

"Hope."

Jean purses her lips.

"What about Aurora Security?"

"Your reinforcements will be here in the morning so you can present the Medical Bill and see what happens."

"What about the killing of the StJohn Girl?"

"Cleo and Deputy Laing are pursuing the suspect at this moment."

Fox's tavern looks disreputable in a way that Rufus Laing's never seen before.

<They'd tear it down and redevelop it in the blink of an eye in Vegas.> he decides as they pull up across the street.

They climb from the car and cross the road to the front entrance.

"What did your informant say?"

"The bar's part of the Local Guardian Gang's turf. They've fingered Mr Fryer, but they don't want any gunplay on their turf. Sounds like they're not happy with the idea of us busting him either."

"How'd you want to deal with that?"

"He's small fry really. We want the person who paid for the hit. If we let him run in exchange for the name......"

"We need evidence for the warrant. If he can't testify, then you cant use him."

"Rufus. If he leads us where I think we're going then a warrant's a moot point anyway."

"You want to let him run?"

"No. But we need to confirm Argus was the client."

"Argus?"

"The Microtech AI in Denver."

"Hmm. Problem."

"So we may have to let the murdering bastard run in order to catch our big fish. Just let him know that if he's caught on ES premises or in the Free State of Nevada he's dead."

Rufus sighs "I suppose it'll have to do."

They push through the doors and enter the tavern.

Derron feels Mellow. The Daiquiris have soothed his nerves and everything is cool when two figures abruptly materialise by his booth and sit down either side of him, trapping him between them.

"Derron Fryer?" the man asks.

"Who's he? And who wants to know?"

"ES Security and the Las Vegas Sheriff's Department."

Squeezed between them Derron can't get at the piece inside his coat, though if he can get his hands off the table the polymer one shot tucked in his sock looks a good bet.

He casually leans back letting his arms move to the edge of the table until something blunt pokes him in the ribs.

"I hope you're not thinking of going for your piece." the woman warns, "We had to promise not to kill you and that's going to be hard to do if you come up packing."

One of the local gang steps into view.

"They aren't going to harm you on our turf Fryer. Just tell them what they want to know and you walk."

"And whack me later?"

"Tell us what we want to know and you're free to go. Just stay out of ES controlled areas and the Free State of Nevada." Rufus says.

"We'll even sweeten the deal. Tell us who paid the ticket on the StJohn girl and you can walk away with a grand in bonus."

"Won't cover my ass if they find out."

"We prove who did it and you won't have to worry about that."

"You want statements and stuff?"

"Just a name."

"And I walk?"

"Anywhere but Nevada and ES controlled areas."

"And if I don't give you the name?"

"Then we chance arresting you here. You survive the shootout then it's probably death by SPR."

"Ok. It's not like I got big money for it. The client was an AI based in Denver. Goes by the name of Argus. Turing Registry Ident AR7US-P901. It called me up by Net Connection........."

End Part 10