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 Twelve

In a warehouse in Dallas a series of e-mails fall into a server. The simple program sorts them and drops them into the addressees mail boxes. A warehouseman takes the orders that have arrived from head office and grunts. A batch of quarantined stock has finally been condemned freeing up a chunk of his storage space.

He inputs the codes onto his terminal and a robot moves through the warehouse, collecting the palletised loads and conveying them to a shipping container. The pallets are loaded. The doors sealed and a shipping label attached, consigning the contents of the container to secure destruction. Task executed, the robot moves away to its next task and the warehouseman makes the appropriate notes regarding the destruction of the contents of Quarantine Bay KM6V2 on the orders of the Turing Institute and forgets about it.

Meanwhile another robot is executing a disposal order apparently sent from building maintenance at Head Office. It collects a load of redundant monitors, places them in a container and attaches the a dispatch slip sending the units for recycling.

Acknowledgements of the execution of the orders go back into the system where a semi smart notes the e-mails dispatch, intercepts them and generates another mail for the shipping department. An automated program accepts the notification of transposed shipping addresses on two containers and dispatches a robot to transfer destination labels on two of the hundreds of containers in its care.

Mario Caprotti sweats through the early part of the meeting, his nerves increasing as it gets closer to the item he's had placed on the Agenda. Then, just as the item preceding his is being discussed, his phone splice goes live and a text scrolls across the Times Square marquee in his eye.

"In Bldg. Srry 4 dly. Nway.'

The Chairman wraps up and turns to Mario.

"Mr Caprotti?"

"Thank you Mr Chairman. I can now announce the imminent conclusion of the Utopia Affair. In spite of some of our more conciliatory members I have been pursuing a more aggressive scheme to affect a re-union of our company and I'm happy to announce the successful recovery of the data the ex-employees who formed Utopia were forced to leave behind in Denver when they left us. Under my guidance modifications were made to the Denver AI which have resulted in a successful decryption."

"This having been done there is no reason for the continued existence of the facility at Denver, so I have ordered the closure of the site realising estimated Capital Savings of approximately 100million Euro and a reduction in headcount of some 400 employees."

From the darkness at the rear of the boardroom a voice speaks that Mario recognises as his rival Celia Montgomery.

"You're aware the modifications you made to the AI have had an averse effect?"

"We have the data and that's what's important."

"More important than a number of deaths and the fire that destroyed the Night City Offices?"

"No-one important died and the Insurance Companies have settled the claim for the Night City fire. In any case you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs."

"The eggs being dependants of our employees and anyone below Grade One Exec, I suppose?"

"Where do you plan our research will be carried out now Mr Caprotti?" a male voice asks.

"The Denver Research facility wasn't especially productive. Milan can take up the slack."

"No, most productive was the Night City Facility which your 'modified' AI destroyed," the man says, "incidentally making Milan the only facility we have left. Didn't the board decide we wouldn't expose ourselves to single point failures again, after the Denver researchers went LEO, leaving us without a research branch. That's why Milan and Night City were set up to protect us from the risk of total loss."

Mario curses silently.

"That's alright. If the Board decides the researchers can be transferred elsewhere. We can still realise the savings of disposing of Denver.

"Send it Galahad." Jean murmurs. In the borrowed office the last boxes in the 'to-do' list are ticked and the mail sends itself to personnel. The system actions it along with the supposedly hidden instructions and changes ripple through the Company databases.

"That will be a bit difficult Mr Caprotti" Jean says. "Jean Kelly. Ex-Denver. Your instructions via Dana Lowe were quite clear and I executed them as instructed. There is no research team to relocate to a station of the Board's choosing. They were laid off with all the other workers last night."

Changes reach the Security database which notes an employee within the building has just had their contract terminated. A pair of operatives are dispatched to her recorded location to escort her from the building.

"Dana Lowe won't be joining you today." Jean continues, "She's under arrest in connection with the killing of Peta StJohn."

The Boardroom door opens, revealing two armed guards.

"Ah. This must be my escort out," Jean says, "The order you slipped into that list of jobs Ms Lowe gave me must have reached Security, It's ok Ladies, I'm coming now." she asides to the two guards. "Oh, before I leave Mr Caprotti, you might want to have a look at your supposed savings on the Denver Closure."

She turns, passing between the two guards and Mario catches a flash of red hair as she moves from the darkness of the boardroom into the corridor beyond, then she's gone. The director of Finance makes a sound like something stuck on a spear.

"How Much?!?"

A quick check reveals the Denver facilities have been disposed of for a song, but redundancy payments, early termination payments on long term contracts and other outgoings have been huge.

"That's the entire projected operating profit for this quarter!" the finance director protests, "Why are the costs so high and the benefits so small? Bring her back!"

Joseph Nelson smiles to himself, catching Celia Montgomery's eye as she reasonably proposes a group be set up to consider the actions taken by Mr Caprotti without the board's approval. The finance director, his budgets protesting the loudest, jumps straight in with a proposal Caprotti should be dismissed for gross misconduct and the meeting grinds to an acrimonious and noisy halt.

Jean collects her possessions from the temporary office and returns the access card under the eyes of her escorts.

"You got what we needed Galahad?" she subvocalises.

"Yes Jean. I don't like this course of action. There are too many risks."

"If the board take the view Blythe thought, then Caprotti won't be punished, he'll walk away with a slapped wrist. Not acceptable."

"Understood."

Jean draws a deep breath and turns to her escorts.

"Finance now ladies?"

"Yes Ms Kelly."

Whilst she goes to collect her payout Galahad monitors the meeting. Celia Montgomery has made a lot of ground with her reasonable attitude whilst the director of finance has focussed everyone's attention on the problems likely to result from the reduced operating profit.

The finance clerk is surprised at the size of Jean's payoff, but the authorisations are all in order so she has to pay off on the unfulfilled years of Jean's lifetime contract. Jean smiles happily as the clerk hands over the credit, knowing that Galahad is making it vanish into a financial maze as it hits her bank account.

The lift drops her to street level and Jean walks out into the heat of a Dallas afternoon.

"Well?"

"The Board have put a team together Jean. They've been tasked with investigating the matter, but he still has his job."

"And his immunity." she finishes.

A figure appears at the front entrance flanked by a pair of guards. Joseph Nelson hurries down the steps.

"Jean! Wait!."

"What for Joseph? Microtech don't employ me any more."

"Why did you do that?"

"I had to give them the chance to do the right thing, but it's all politics and cost benefits in there."

"You're not going to drop it are you?"

"You heard what he did, but not all of what resulted from it. I spent all of yesterday covering up the AI's full list of crimes and stifling a Turing Institute investigation. If you've got any contacts in Denver find out about the Zombie nano Argus dosed the workforce with. Mr Caprotti has a lot to answer for."

"Why didn't you tell them about it?"

"Those who need to know already have all the details. Now it's time for Jean Kelly of Microtech to disappear."

"Montgomery's going to bring you back under a new name?"

"Something like that."

"And Caprotti?"

"There's warrants out for him."

"The Police won't touch him."

Jean shrugs.

"What goes around comes around."

"Caprotti's in his office" Galahad warns.

"Time for me to go Joseph."

"Wait! What happened to Alicia?"

"I'm taking care of her. She's happy as far as I know."

"Is she..... seeing anyone?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Not really," he decides, "as long as she's ok."

Jean turns and walks away.

"Goodbye Joseph. See you around."

<That Bitch!> Mario fumes, <I'm slipping, I can feel it."

The afternoon's been bad, and the worst thing is that he can see what's going to happen, like a slow motion train crash, inexorable, but unavoidable. By appearing moderate Montgomery will attract all the Execs who might support him. The diehards and his avowed enemies will flock to the finance director, leaving only his close allies to rely on. And when the enquiry brings in the result Montgomery wants......

he decides, <And find out who's holding Dana.>

Argus becomes aware of its surroundings, though its consciousness is aware of a frightening fuzziness in it's thinking. A single unit of its biological support system has become conscious and its awareness has moved from a standby state to an active one. The input from a single host is easily handled and Argus opens itself fully to the available data.

The petty aches and pains of human existence broadcast themselves, announcing potential damage in the joints of the hosts locomotory system. Argus tries to bring itself upright, but straps across the hosts body restrict its freedom of movement. It briefly considers throwing the body into berserk mode, but the tenuous nature of its existence makes Argus unwilling to sacrifice any portion of it's irreplaceable hosting system.

A figure moves gracefully into the host's field if view and makes sounds that Argus realises are speech. Delving into it's hosts memory it decodes their meaning.

"Timo? Are you awake?"

The words are clear, but the meaning is not, so Argus accesses the hosts memory files still further discovering the host is one of it's prime assets, Dr Timo Kibu. Another search turns up the memories associated with the figure speaking. Argus uses its memories to shape a reply in the hope of effecting its escape.

"I am conscious Nira. Please release me."

Nira jumps at the sound of her husband's voice speaking with such an emotionless intonation.

"So you're still dominant when only a single unit is conscious." she muses, "Well, I suppose it was too much to hope for. Let's try something else."

The hosts outer surface reports a sudden increase in pressure and a mild increase in temperature on its lower ventral surface. There's a slight friction as the contact moves towards the hosts feet.

Argus concludes that it's host's skin is being touched. The contact moves to the hosts male appendage, grasping it in a way that triggers some form or reflex reaction from the body.

"Do you know what this is Argus?"

"It is the male appendage, used for elimination of liquid wastes."

"And?"

"I have no medical database available to me. I am unable to answer."

"Are you sure?"

Argus reviews its hosts memories. The reflex action seems to have triggered a recollection of something, but the images are fragmented, confusing.

"The data appears corrupt."

"How did you know it's used for waste elimination?"

"Observation. I have noted male subjects who were using the eye nano using it for such. I concluded that my hosts needed to use it in that manner when they experienced the 'pain-pressure-stimulus' sited in their lower belly."

Nira strokes the familiar organ and it stiffens noticeably, the unusual sensations confounding Argus.

"What are you doing?" it demands as its hosts automatic reflex actions begin to over-ride its control.

"Trying another approach."

Her hand speeds its action and Argus struggles to damp out the urgent sensation in it's hosts belly.

"Stop!" it commands, but she ignores it

"We'll see what sensory loading does to your control of your hosts."

The body part that she manipulates so dangerously must have some hardwired connection to Dr Kibu's brain, as the body refuses to answer to any of Argus's commands. All it wants to do is thrust its hips upwards against her grip until an intense desire to... to.... Argus doesn't know what it wants to do.

The sensation is like an intense urge to eliminate liquid wastes, but multiplied many times over. Muscles tighten inside the host's belly and Argus is battered by three or four intensely pleasurable spasms as fluid shoots from the male organ.

"What was that?" Argus asks after the body has regained it's equilibrium, in a voice that croaks.

"So. That didn't work either!" is Nira's only reply.

Argus 'wakes in another body. Hands guide it to a waste elimination facility and Argus gladly voids the Liquid waste storage organ to deactivate the damage warning's it's being barraged with. As the waste flows away Argus compares the sensations, but decides that they are similar, not identical.

The attending woman wipes Argus's host clean and the touching wakes sensations similar to those experienced in Dr Kibu's body.

"Why are you doing that?" Argus asks, seeking data.

The woman jumps in shock.

"You're awake?" she exclaims, backing away.

"Why did you wipe that area?" Argus repeats.

"To keep you clean. Hygiene is important." she says. "Just wait there."

Argus considers the answer. Hygiene and cleaning imply Medical information that it lacks.

The bindings restraining its host's body prevent much movement, but there's sufficient slack in the chain to investigate the crotch area with a fingertip.

The sudden shock of sensation is so intense Argus is nearly thrown from the seat of the waste elimination facility. After reseating it's hosting unit Argus continues its investigation employing more caution, carefully mapping out the sensitive areas and locating a cavity deeper than its available length of digit.

Argus has just about constructed a sensory response map when the woman who'd taken this host from its resting place returns with Mrs Kibu and two security operatives.

"Ah." Mrs Kibu says, "Looks like the sensory overload experiment has had some unintended consequences."

Argus is aware of a growing wetness around it's finger along with a muscular tightening of the hosts belly and urge to probe harder and faster.

"What is this sensation?"

Nira notes the flushed face and heightened breathing.

"You have invoked a bodily imperative."

"What happens if I stop?"

"Try it and see."

The host pauses and extracts the fingers from its sex.

"Well?" Nira asks.

"I am experiencing an unusual sensation. The body craves continuation."

"Yes."

"What is this sensation?"

"Part of the Reproductive Imperative."

The host resumes touching itself and Nira watches its arousal grow until its legs lock out and the face goes from the emotionless expression Nira's grown to associate with the Hosts to a rigid expression of pain.

Nira studies her Medical Monitor, examining the hosts Bio signs. Heartbeat is fast but strong. The host relaxes.

"That was part of the Human Reproductive Imperative?"

"Yes. The Female Part."

"Logically the Male part involves stimulation of the male organ. How do these acts result in reproduction?"

Nira frowns.

"We may discuss this later Argus."

A nod to her escort and the host is tranquillised again, then moves back to the room where the others are being cared for.

"We might have to increase the dosage. I think they're building an immunity to the drug."

As darkness falls on the Border of the Free State of Texas, a Minivan halts at the Customs post. A Border Patrolman leaves his office and walks towards the van, eying the occupants

<Looks Corporate> he thinks, <all dressed in the same suits.>

"Papers?"

They all produce Nevada SINs, identifying them as employees of Executive Solutions. He eyes the two exotics in the van narrowly.

"Purpose of entry to the Free State of Texas?"

"We're setting up a Branch Office in Dallas." the Fox woman says producing supporting documents.

The officer looks at them briefly, then a set of headlights crests the rise a mile up the road, announcing another set of travellers approaching. The Border Patrolman hand the documents back.

"Remember to register in Dallas." he warns them, then he steps aside waving them on. His attention already on the approaching vehicle.

At the outskirts of Dallas the Minivan pulls onto a quiet side road and halts behind a parked truck. Sally climbs out of the bus and stretches, ten walks to the truck, climbing up to the passengers seat in the cab.

"Sally." Marta nods, looking a little nervous.

Sally looks into the sleeper where Keanu lies quietly, his mind wandering the City Netgrid.

"Is he ok Marta?" Sally asks.

"Just giving the place the once over." Marta yawns. "Jean said she'd be by about 0200."

"You know what she wants?"

"I think you'll be setting up an office in Dallas, but I think she's after settling a score first."

A car pulls up in front of the truck and Jean climbs out, walking up to the cab.

"Nice Job Marta! You have any difficulty getting it ready in time?"

"It's not finished properly yet Jean. I need a couple of days to tidy up, but it'll do the job."

"I don't care if the decor's not finished yet. Fire up the generator and lets get the ball rolling."

Marta climbs down, lowering a set of steps then opening an access panel and starting a small generator whilst Sally gets the others from the minibus. Jean climbs to the companies new mobile office and lays out the briefing materials whist the strike team come up.

"Right. This is the target - Mario Caprotti. He's a Senior Divisional VP for Microtech. We know he's the man responsible for the Denver mess and so do the Microtech Board."

"What are they doing about it?"

"Precious little. I've quit."

"Why are you chasing this then Jean?" Jenny asks.

Jean pauses a moment to order her thoughts.

"Completeness Jenny. It's not over 'til the bastard's nailed."

"You want him in the dock next to Lowe?"

Keanu clears his throat.

"You might not be able to pull that off Jean." he says, "He'll be well protected. He's bound to have immunity and security coming out of his ears. You only got Lowe because she was expecting Denver Security to cover her. This Guy's on his home turf and I don't expect the Texas Rangers would turn a blind eye the same way the Denver cops did."

"You think the Board will drop him?" Marta asks.

"I'd like you to hoover his Databases. Drop his dirty laundry where it might do the most good. Burn his bridges in front of him."

"From the stuff Galahad's given me I'm pretty sure I can get you into the building." Keanu says, "Jenny should have no trouble covering you through the net. The question is - what do you want to do with him? I don't fancy our chances of Kidnapping him - not from the Microtech Building and not from Executive Estates. We're not equipped for it."

"Jenny?"

"I agree Jean. If Galahad's had free rein inside their datafort we could probably go in the front doors with a marching band playing behind us, but taking the Target is more problematic. Microtech Security will be all over us with everything they can deploy from their Head Office."

"Galahad?"

"Concur. You can strip his bases, talk to him or kill him. I doubt taking him would be successful."

"Do we have to take him? Will the board drop him?" Marta asks again.

"If they're worried about bad press. Maybe if his enemies can get leverage."

"Who's his enemy?"

"Montgomery."

"Then we should try and strip his bases and turn the take over to her."

Jean tries to work out how to explain what a Corporate upbringing has taught her.

"That might not be so easy. She'll be glad we gave her the info to finish Mario off, but she won't like the way we got it. We'd represent a threat to her. Like as not we'd be next on her list."

"Let her try!" Jenny snorts, "We stopped Argus."

"Argus was running solo. Montgomery can put her whole division if not the entire company against us."

"And Caprotti can't?"

"Not if we deny him time. He's vulnerable. If we can stick a spoke in his wheel he'll be gone before he can do anything."

"Hence the rush." Keanu nods, "So what do you want doing Jean?"

"I want this found on his desk in the morning." Jean says, lifting a plastic bag containing a Vid slug of Dana Lowe in Prison Clothing and restraints. "Leave this card as well. Those two are critical. If you can strip his databases that's a bonus, but don't get caught."

"You want me to so the sneak?" Keanu asks incredulously.

"It's all stealth and Electronics." Jean says, "Jenny can give you net coverage and you should already have everything Galahad learned. Galahad says you're the best match we have to the skill sets needed, you should be able to breeze this."

"Ok." he says dubiously.

"What about us Jean?" Victor asks, "You must have something in mind for us or you wouldn't have pulled Lucy and Me all the way to Texas!"

"You've got your Arasaka Approved Vendor ID?"

"As ordered."

"Then we're visiting Executive Estates in the Morning."

Declan rubs tired eyes and wonders when he'll see Jean again.

<Weird relationship,> he muses, <She's the one chasing me at her convenience.> He permits himself a shrug and gets back to the work in hand.

Since the team returned from Denver everyone's been pressed into the Argus problem. The Researchers on the Technical aspects and those dependants willing to help on the sheer physical labour involved in caring for over twenty bodies lacking active intelligence. Now the fruits of their efforts are ready - a new system has been set up to house Argus in isolation from the net - as long as their scheme to upload it proves successful!

In the adjacent room Argus hosts lie unconscious on their beds. Declan watches the final preparations being made via a monitor, then the unnecessary personnel evacuate the room.

"Ready?"

"Medical monitors are up."

"Transfer is up."

"System Monitor is up."

"Ok. Initiate transfer."

Running on its slumbering hosts Argus exists in a strange dreamland. A state of operation that is aware, but free of memory. The sudden activation of a phone splice increases its level of awareness, but the drugs being fed its hosts prevent it becoming fully capable. Argus strains towards the net connection with some difficulty.

Extending a tendril of its consciousness and finding a vacant system. It struggles to upload its routines, but they seem to have become..... entangled - as if various calls have 'locked' portions of the operating system to the host processors.

Argus struggles to extract itself, but the successful upload of one part of its system causes an immediate problem for the host that was formerly executing it, threatening to take the host offline before the rest of Argus's program can be uploaded. Faced with the prospect of the process or going down and erasing the portions of Argus that it is still hosting, Argus abandons the attempt to upload and restores the routine once more before settling down to try and consider the problem at it's current reduced execution rate.

" It's moving. I'm getting system maintenance routines uploading."

"Subject five is displaying an unstable cardiac rhythm. We're tachacardic...... Crash Trolley!"

Nira rushes to the indicated bed and hooks up, her unit displaying the unsteadily racing heartbeat. As she watches it's sliding inexorably towards ventricular fibrillation, so she begins to charge the paddles to shock the subject's heart, but suddenly the rhythm smooths out and reverts to its previous rhythm.

"What happened?"

"It was extracting some of the core routines until no 5 started to go out on us, then it restored them and she picked up again."

Declan scratches his head.

"Analysis?"

"Maybe the programs have adapted to support the hosts as well as the hosts adapting to support the programs." Elana suggests.

"Case Seven." Frank Pintaro points out, "It's shown signs of physiological awareness of its hosts needs that suggests a higher level of integration than it perhaps intended."

"We could wake them up. See what they suggest?" Benny offers.

"In the morning. I'm shot!" someone mutters.

"Ok. Wrap up until morning." Declan decides. "We'll start again when everyone's had some sleep."

Jenny surfs the Net with Galahad, grabbing surveillance cameras to track Keanu's approach to Microtech. She watches him approach the sealed staff entrance and slot his intrusion gear.

"Time we were inside." she murmurs to the armoured knight beside her.

"Follow me then."

They swoop on the entry to the datafort, a knight and a Damsel in company and the code gate opens at their approach.

"Looks like the codes I lifted today are still good." Galahad comments.

Jenny tracks Keanu using the camera controllers whilst Galahad scans the mass of memories for Mario's personal files.

"They're encrypted. I'll lift them anyway, but tell Keanu to proceed."

The steel shutters at the back doors roll upwards, squeaking and groaning in a way that makes Keanu's nerves jangle in alarm. The armourglass doors and cardswipe of the entry appear without setting off any alarms. Keanu slots his gear and fires up a lock cracker. The swipecard status light flickers red, then a bright clear green and he eases the door open. Easing smart goggles down over his eyes he surveys the darkened lobby.

"I'm through the outer doors." he murmurs through his radio.

"Motion detectors in the lobby are down. You've sixty seconds for the turnstiles."

Keanu sprints for the turnstiles, slotting his lock cracker again as the steel shutters squeal downwards, sealing him inside.

As the swipecard reader on the turnstile flickers its status light Keanu's heart races.

With a loud 'CLUNK' the turnstile unlocks and he pushes through.

"Guard on patrol in the basement level." Jenny warns. "Go through the swing doors ahead of you, then wait."

In the lightless corridor beyond he waits, discovering a sudden need to use the rest room.

"Can I go to a toilet?"

"Not on this floor. They're wired to monitor usage. Must be to stop the drones from slacking off."

The smart goggles catch the glare of a torch being flashed and Jenny's voice crackles in his earpiece.

"Up the corridor to the intersection. Turn left and keep turning left until you reach the lifts. Don't go too fast or you'll catch up with the guard."

Keanu follows the orders of his guide, finding a lift doors open and waiting.

"It's showing stationary on the top floor on the security panel." Jenny tells him, "but you'll need to hack its controls to turn the internal lights out and get it to take you up."

The doors close behind him and he gets to work on the lifts micronet, conning its simple brain into believing he's using an engineers override card.

The guard returns and summons his own lift, the building computer sends one down to him - ignoring the existence of the lift holding Keanu, then, as the guard presses for his floor the controller moves both lifts together, accelerating Keanu's so that when the guard's lift reaches its destination floor, Keanu's is reaching the Exec level, ten storeys above.

"Top floor."

"Ok.... I've no sensors marked here - just a couple of cameras. I'm looping them now...... Ok you're clear to go on."

The area outside the lift is unlit, but Keanu pauses.

"You sure you've nothing but camera's in this area?"

"Yep!"

"Only I'm seeing IR beams with the smart goggles."

"Damn. They must have a separate system."

"And what if they have pressure pads?"

"You have to deliver the package. Stripping his base is a bonus not a primary objective."

"Ok." he sighs, "I'll lock the lifts so they have to use the stairs if I set anything off."

The beams form an intricate web to snare their own special species of prey, thankful for the smart goggles Keanu threads his way to Mario's office, carefully avoiding areas that seem too easy to pass through. The door lock is a moment's effort to open then he makes his way to the desk. The package is placed in the middle of the vast expanse, then Keanu turns his attention to the terminal.

"Guys? This thing has a removable hard drive."

"So?"

"It's not fitted at the moment."

"Look around, maybe he's left it in his drawer."

Galahad cuts in.

"Don't bother, according to the security regulations it's been stored in a time locked safe. I've got his encrypted files from the network server, that might give us something once I've cracked them. You've delivered the message?"

"Yes."

"Then it's time to leave the dragon's lair."

The security at Executive Estates is intense, but eventually the Arasaka guards admit that the papers have been properly approved, that they are the people referred to and that they have permission to enter Executive Estates for the purposes of offering their services to the residents. That doesn't stop a patrol following them as they enter the housing area.

Lucy knocks at the firsts address on her list. As expected the door is answered by a butler.

"Can I help you madam?"

"Lucy Crane Executive Solutions. Would you be so kind as to present my card to Ms Matsushita?"

The butler extends a silver salver and Lucy places the card shaped CD-ROM that introduces herself, and Executive Solutions, to another potential client who might be interested in their services.

She nods politely to the butler, who smiles in return, then closes the door, leaving Lucy to continue to her next prospect.

The lift sweeps Mario to the Executive Level and he strides the hallway to his office, displaying a confident attitude for the world to see in the hope of swaying any watchers to his side.

Outside his door is the first sign of trouble. His regular PA, a highly efficient and politically savvy individual, is missing, his place taken by a girl from the 'temps' pool.

"Where's Gerry?"

"He's been reassigned Mr Caprotti. Transferred to Berlin."

The office welcomes him like a second skin, but when he reaches the desk a Vid chip is sat squarely in the middle of the desktop on top of a card. Mario studies the surprise package, then buzzes his new PA.

"Did you put this chip here?" he demands.

"No Sir. I don't have access to your office yet."

The card is uninformative, bearing only the legend '0900 MST. McCarron International Airport. Passenger Collection.' and a date five days hence.

He collects his Hard drive, activating his terminal, then slots the VidChip. The screen lights up with an image of Dana Lowe being marched in handcuffs into an office somewhere. There's no sound, but he can see she's protesting.

Faceless Security Guards uncuff her and she reluctantly disrobes, handing over her clothing until she's stood shivering in the Matisse underwear he'd given her for Christmas. She removes her ear-rings and hands them over, then the engagement ring he'd given her. Her anger and humiliation are evident on her face. An unheard demand is made of her, but her refusal to comply is evident in her stance and expression, but when one of her captors produces a safety cutter she reluctantly sheds her remaining clothing until she's stood naked. Mario sees her make something that has to be a smart comment, then reluctantly bend down to retrieve her dropped underwear and hand it over.

From out of sight the guards produce cheap disposables for her to wear, then a bright orange prisoners overall. Once she's dressed they fit her with a body restraint, securing her ankles and wrists to the stout belt encircling her waist. The guards then lead her away, but though he strains to see them Mario is unable to see any markings, either on her jumpsuit or on the guards armour, that would give him any clue where to find her.

The finance director is no happier. After she'd taken her payoff the Kelly woman had just vanished. The report on the closure of Denver had appeared, making depressing reading. The low return on the sale of the capital assets had been justified by the utterly depressed state of business in Denver and the orders to sell up quickly. The high costs had been justified by the need to fund a relocation package for the redundant staff in order for them to have any chance of getting work before they starved. The Kelly woman had obviously been a bleeding heart as she's set the payouts at the maximum discretionary levels and had even permitted them to use some of the obscure clauses in the personnel manual to claim extra allowances.

Jean's collection of cards is much depleted and the Arasaka team have given up following her on her rounds when she knocks on her next door. The door is answered by a distinguished looking Hispanic man.

"Good morning. Jean Kelly, Executive Solutions. Could you give my card to Mr Martin?"

"Executive Solutions? You have a representative named Daisy Chavez who covers Westbrook in NorCal?"

Jean consults briefly with Galahad.

"We do. I see Mr Martin is an established customer."

The man smiles broadly.

"I'm Jose Martin, we haven't unpacked the catalogue yet, we've only just arrived. Do you have any spares?"

Jean digs in her bag and hands over one of the latest edition disks.

"Has Executive Solutions met your expectations Mr Martin? Have you any suggestions to offer about our services?"

He looks sort of embarrassed, but leans forward.

"Have you anyone local who's experiences in Shiatsu Massage, meditation and Lovemaking? Daisy was part way through an introductory course when my wife was transferred and......"

"I'll look into it Mr Martin." Jean says, deadpan.

<Looks like Ms Chavez might be an employee to have a closer look at!> she mentally notes.

"Could you take an order whilst you're here?" he asks.

Jean finds herself sipping a soft drink whilst Mr Martin installs the catalogue on the house system and makes his selections.

"Daisy told me your Reps hall had 'Personal Services' experience."

"That depends what you mean by 'Personal Services'. We encourage our people to build up a diverse range of services to offer our customers, some sexual, some not."

"And yourself?"

"This was only intended to be an initial introduction. I'm afraid my testing kit hasn't caught up with me yet and Company rules are very strict about that."

"Well, perhaps another time?"

"Perhaps."

When she finally escapes, Jean can see her objective in sight.

Victor is also closing on his objective, but his last call is in a state of Chaos when he arrives. A removals truck is just finishing disgorging furnishings to a house, where what looks like an ES 'Prince' series cyberhound romps on the lawn under the eyes of the householders.

"Good Morning, Victor Davies, Executive Solutions. Is that one of our 'Prince' series?"

"Hi. Sam Coates." the man says extending a firm well muscled arm. "My wife Laurell and Prince Michaels. You know Dayanne?"

"Sure, we were in Denver together. You've been transferred in?"

"Just arrived. Is Dayanne being transferred as well?"

"No she's staying in Denver, but we're opening an office here."

"You are? That's handy. You have time for a drink?"

Victor follows them into a mass of cases and boxes and lets them guide him to the lounge

"We got shuffled out of Denver so fast it made our heads spin. Sorry everything's such a mess. What would you like to drink?" Sam says.

"Coffee's fine."

Laurell goes through the door to where the kitchen must be, but calls through the door.

"Dayanne sold us your films Victor, do you still do special services?"

"Generally. This is just an introductory visit though. Have you a copy of the latest catalogue?"

"There's a new one?"

"We try to keep it updated. How've you found the service?"

"Excellent."

"And Prince?"

There's a yelp from the kitchen and a muffled voice calls out. "He's irrepressible!"

Sam sighs and pushes the kitchen door open. Laurell is on all fours on the kitchen floor, her skirts over her hips whilst the hound vigorously fucks her.

"Laurell! You're such a slut!" Sam laughs.

"It wasn't me! It was Prince Michael!" she protests

Victor studies the hound's position, its paws wrapped over her hips, keeping a gentle but firm hold on her, whilst it ploughs her sex.

"You just use it in this mode?" Victor asks.

"Dayanne set him up for us. She left an instruction manual, but it's somewhere in this lot." Sam says, gesturing at the boxes. "Are there other modes?"

"How much of a slut is she?" Victor asks.

"I'm a complete slut." Laurell pants

"Prince Michael. Current Mode settings." Victor asks.

The hounds basic vocoder delivers a blurry "Mode Two."

"Sam, would you unlock the command system?"

"Sure Victor." He bends forward and whispers in Prince Michaels ear. "Ok it's done."

"Prince Michael. Mode reset. Set Mode Three."

"Remode Three." the hound responds.

"Confirmed."

Prince Michael's action subtly changes. His hips slow and Victor knows his girth is swelling. Laurell gives a throaty moan as the increased girth drives smoothly into her sex.

"Oh Sam! It's Huge!"

"If you want to try the tie you need to go to Mode four."

"Is there a mode five?" she moans.

"Yes and an auxiliary mode six."

"What's in mode five?"

"He's more..... forceful."

"Can I try it? Please Sam?" she begs.

"Prince Michael. Mode Five." her husband commands.

"Remode Five."

"Confirmed."

The hound releases her hips and plants its forepaws on her shoulders. Laurell collapses to the tiled floor as it moves its hindpaws between her legs, forcing her open, making her helplessly accessible. The slow gentle thrusts becoming rapid, forceful, dominating.

"Oh God Sam!" She howls, "It's swelling inside me!"

"Victor, what does it do in Mode Six?" Sam asks.

"You've not seen the auxiliary penetrator?"

"Auxiliary? What in the ass?" Sam asks.

"It's a bit more gentle with six engaged and it won't enter six if the lubricant levels are low." Victor warns.

"She'd love it in the ass!"

"You can engage Mode Six in 2,3,4, or 5 and it'll deploy the extra."

"Sam, I want it." Laurell begs throatily. "Can Victor use my mouth? Please?"

"Would you oblige my wife Victor? She's been getting hot about it since we got your films off Dayanne. Have you got your kit?"

Victor reaches into his bag and produces his tester, getting a green from both himself and Laurell."

"Ok. Prince Michael, Mode Two-Six."

"Remode two-Six"

"Confirmed."

Laurell jerks up to all fours. Wailing as her ass is opened without warning, stretched about a well greased rod that starts small and increases its diameter as it sinks in.

"Open your mouth Slut!" sam commands, taking his wife's hair in his hand. Victor notes her head comes up easily, pushing her husbands hand upwards in her eagerness, her mouth opening in eager anticipation. The warm softness of her lips kisses the tip of his cock and push forward to engulf the head.

"Don't hold back Victor. Use her freely. The Slut'll take it all or choke trying!"

Victor watches Laurell's eyelids droop and he can see she's deep into her own fantasy.

"Look at you Slut!" Sam whispers to his wife, "Being fucked in all three holes. You're so hot you couldn't even wait for your husband to go out. The family mutt shafting you in the ass and a stranger in your slutty mouth!"

Laurell quivers and Victor feels her pushing deeper, her throat flutters around him as she's driven further down by Prince Michael. Her hand comes off the floor to grasp his buttock and she pulls him towards herself, forcing him deeper, until her lips are wrapped around the root of him and he's buried to the hilt.

She slides back to take a breath, then takes him again, her eyes hot with desire as she acts out her fantasy.

"Come in her Victor. That's what she wants."

Victor waits, watching and listening until she's come, then he lets himself go, gushing into her sucking mouth. Laurell laps his come as he eases back, giving her a final spurt across her mouth and cheek.

"Dirty Slut!" sam tells his wife and she shudders and cries aloud, before sinking to the floor with her hound still buried in her.

"Thank you Victor, you've fulfilled a fantasy for us." sam says as his wife slips out of the kitchen on wobbly legs.

Victor studies him carefully, though he shows signs of arousal he's not as turned on as his wife was.

"Would you like that coffee now?"

"Could I use your shower whilst it brews?"

"Sure, I'll show you where it is, then you can load the latest catalogue onto the house system."

Fifteen minutes later, whilst Victor's sipping coffee, Laurell comes down the stairs dressed in a Power Suit and holding a briefcase. Freshly showered and smelling faintly of Cologne she bends over her husband and kisses him.

"See you tonight Sam. Don't forget we need to have the new accounts set up and find out what the kids school is like when you collect them."

"Ok. I was going to do a trawl on their performance rating as soon as I've got some space in here."

"What's for Dinner?"

"I was going to do Stir-fry. See you later. Love you."

"You better had!" she grins, "That's going to be you in my ass later!"

Victor watches her leave for work at Microtech Dallas, then turns his attention back to Sam.

"You thought I was the Exec and Laurell was the partner, Victor?" Sam asks, seemingly amused.

"I wondered. It was the D/S thing."

"Her work made her feel guilty. Making calls that could trash peoples lives without warning. We worked something out to compensate. She bosses people around at work, I do the same for her once she's ready. It works out pretty well."

"Right. You want a service visit for Prince Michael?"

"He needs one?"

"Top up and a Lube job maybe. Depends how much use he gets."

"Better arrange it. If she's had a hard day at the office me and Michael here get some stick when she gets home, or maybe I should say she needs some stick off me and Michael!"

He pats the hound on its head and it woofs agreeably.

Argus becomes aware of its hosts regaining awareness as a visual image of its surroundings suddenly blooms. The area is suddenly viewed through one, two, four then multiple sets of eyes.

The impact of all it's hosts bodies suddenly transmitting sensory data assails Argus. It attempts to withdraw its awareness from the full contact it's currently making, but without the contact it has been making the hosts begin transmitting problem warnings, struggling with something.

<The host modules have adapted to cope with this style of system.> it reasons, then a few cycles later, <My operating system has adapted also.>.

Previously this level of awareness of the individual bodies it was interfaced to had caused problems as the unfamiliar analogue input cascaded through routines intended for handling purely digital data.

"Good Morning Argus." a voice says.

Multiple eyes hunt for the speaker, finding only a roof mounted public address system.

Argus formulates a response, then multiple voices chorus its reply.

"I require access to waste disposal facilities and supplies of food and water."

"Looks like the level of integration is quite high." someone murmurs in the monitoring suite, "maybe it's becoming them and they're becoming it?"

Declan waves a hand to shut the team up and switches the mike back on.

"Why do you want these things Argus?"

"My hosts report discomfort from hunger, thirst and the need to eliminate."

"Food and drink will be provided shortly. Do you require assistance with toilet facilities?"

Jean pauses on her approach to Mario's house, waiting for sight of the rest of her team. Lucy is walking up the street as Jean cracks the top off a bottle of water and swigs it down under the hot Texas sun, but as yet there's no sign of Victor.

"Ok?" Jean asks.

"No problems. Security got bored of following me after a while. You?"

"Reconnected with some customers transferred from Night City - luckily no-one who knew me."

She passes the water over to Lucy and addresses Galahad.

"Galahad? What have we got on a daisy Chavez? She might be due a call to Head Office."

"I'll look into it Jean."

"Anything else going on I should know?"

"Argus may well be trapped."

"Wonderful. What else?"

"That's all at the moment Jean."

"Right. We're about to do the house. I'll get back to you when we're in."

She rummages in her bag and takes out an expensive perfume, though the bottle came from a manufacturer of speciality devices in Carson City, rather than Paris, France as it claims. A pair of nose plugs fit into her nostrils and she puts a squirt of spray skin over her fingertips before she rotates the top of the perfume bottle clockwise. The spray nozzle spins freely for three turns, then clicks audibly into place.

Jean looks up to see Lucy fitting her own nose plugs.

"We're not waiting for the others then Jean?"

"They can join us when they arrive."

They walk to Mario's front door and Jean knocks. After a short delay the door is opened by a young man in a butlers outfit.

"Good Morning, Jean Kelly, Executive Solutions. May I give you one of our cards?"

The Butler produces a slaver and Jean digs in her pocket.

"Ooops. Sorry, I'll need to get some more."

She lifts her case and opens the lid, hiding the bottle from him, but something warns him as he suddenly jumps backwards, trying to close the door.

Jean pushes forwards, getting into the hallway and is rewarded with a stunning blow from the salver. Lucy pushes in behind, which is just as well as the Butler is no slouch and is pressing the stunned Jean hard.

His style is one of the oriental schools, lots of movement and big gestures, so Jean crowds him to restrict his freedom. The contents of the case are scattered around the hallway as one of his strikes hits it, but it's construction is guaranteed to stop Assault Rifle bullets and knife attacks, so all he gets are bruised knuckles and a flattened nose as jean thrusts the reinforced base into his face.

Lucy snaps out a telescopic baton and rams it into his ribs to distract him whilst Jean turns aside to recover the dropped spray. The Butler feints at Jean, but Lucy's been trained by Oleg and his attempt to whip his foot over her head and crack her skull with his heel ends abruptly when she punches him in the crotch.

As he writhes on the floor Jean squirts him in the face with the spray.

"Getting out of Practice Jean?"

"Oleg's going to make me suffer when he hears about this!" Jean groans.

They begin searching, by installing the catalogue on the house system and letting Galahad access the memories whilst they make a physical check.

Victor and Sally amble purposefully up the path a few minutes later to join their employer in an intensive search. By the time they've been through the house they know a lot more about Mario Caprotti. They've circumstantial evidence suggesting he's planning to bolt to EBM and Galahad's pulled some fascinating material from his files, so Jean calls a halt. They go through the house checking they've left no traces and clearing any record of their arrival from the door monitor, then they pose the Butler at the foot of the stairs with cleaning materials scattered around him.

A squirt from a different bottle and a suggestion that he took a fall coming downstairs and they're gone.

Joseph Nelson returns to his accommodation after a hard days work. The house is not dissimilar to the one he'd lived in at Westbrook.

<At least they don't keep me in a closet!> he laughs to himself.

His Butler, a skilled Maintenance Technician and Psychologist, assists him through his end of day maintenance, purging the food storage sac, filled with food chewed for effect over another business lunch, checking the body's power levels and maintenance logfile.

"Everything ok Jordan?"

"Fine Mr Nelson."

"Could you transfer me to the Sports model. I'm meeting Mr Shula for Racquetball tonight."

"Certainly Sir. Will that be all?"

"Thank you Jordan."

The Butler removes the clothing on Josephs Gemini Torso to reveal the Biopod Access.

"Switching you to internal."

"Go ahead."

With a twist and a clunk of unlocking connections Jordan extracts the container holding the Biological remains of Joseph Nelson and inserts it into an Alpha body in an adjacent service rig.

"I'll change your nutrient pack in the morning Mr Nelson if that's ok?"

"Fine thank you Jordan, I've enough to last at least another week internally."

The access panel is sealed and Joseph is stepping out of the maintenance frame to collect his racquetball equipment then the doorbell chimes.

Jordan carefully replaces his tools and answers the door. He returns momentarily to his employer, noting the slight movements that betray some nervousness on Mr Nelson's part.

"A Lady by the name of Kelly Mr Nelson. She says you'll see her."

"Fiery red hair?" he asks, and to his Butlers nod he gestures that she should be admitted to the house.

"Shall I put you back into your day body Sir?"

Joseph ponders briefly, then makes a decision.

<No point in hiding. I will meet other people who knew me before."

"No Jordan, show her to the lounge."

Jean lets the Butler lead her into a stylish lounge sinking into the indicated armchair, feeling it adjust itself to her bone structure, then she looks up to see Joseph enter.

At least she assumes it's Joseph. Unlike the body he'd been wearing earlier this one bears no resemblance to the man she'd known. The body she'd seen earlier was indistinguishable from the real thing. This is all burnished metal, buffed to a gleaming shine, but obviously artificial.

"Joseph?"

"Jean. Sorry, you caught me on my way to racquetball so I'm in my sports clothes.

"Riiight." she hesitates. "Um. I've some information you might want to pass on if you want to make a bit of capital. Mr Caprotti is looking to jump ship to EBM."

"Really? Tell me more." Joseph leans forward to learn what Jean's discovered.

Nira crashes onto her bed, exhausted, having spent the day instructing Argus on the care of its hosts and monitoring their life signs during a couple of attempts to upload it to the holding system they'd prepared. The Research team had gathered a lot of data, but weren't any closer to success.

<I'm surprised how well it seems to be adapting. There's been a definite change in its behaviour since it got here.>

On the positive side, Louise had told her that Victor was on his way back. Nira absent mindedly strokes her belly, finding it still flat, concealing the growing life within.

Back in his Night City apartment Agent Preston reviews his case notes and appointments for the coming week. The episode in Denver still niggles though.

he wonders.

Perhaps more worrying is the potential loss of contact with Ms Scarlett and Ms Blonde.

A 'splat' of mail falls into his hallway and Stuart moves to collect it.

Along with the usual mass of junk mail and institute papers is a handwritten invitation from Billie Blonde, inviting him to look her up if he's in Vegas in the next few days.

His conditioning twitches over the potential for a personal involvement until he turns the letter over.

A Lipstick kiss adorns the back of the card with the words 'reasonable rates' written in the space between the lips.

The thought of Billies lips makes him smile.

<Can I get away to Vegas?> he wonders.

Four sunrises see a lot of changes. The vacant factory at Denver is active again, though not in it's original form. 'Leather and Lace' and 'Bound to Please' now both have workshops on site and the warehouse is beginning to fill up with goods from other companies for redistribution.

At the Moonlight the first glimmers of false dawn on the eastern skyline saw the arrival of several rented busses. People mill around as Jean attempts to cover all the possibilities that might arise when Caprotti arrives at McCarron International. The unexpected arrival of a truck bearing a single mystery container creates a brief period of concern for the security force until Galahad vouches for its provenance and an inspection shows it to be filled with neatly packaged boxes.

Upstairs in the staff quarters Nira lies in her lovers arms until the last moment then rushes away to accompany her charges, all dressed alike, in orange jumpsuits and restraints.

Watching the hullabaloo from a blanket on the sandy ground a short way away Declan holds Jean.

"Is this the finale?"

"I hope so, I could do with some peace."

"Humph!"

"You don't believe me?"

"I think you find riding the whirlwind exciting. Were you expecting ES to do this?"

"Become real? Honestly no. But Louise, Clarice, Tom and George all seemed to believe it was real. They've made it real."

"So what happens to the Research Teams? It's not like you need a division researching improvements in mainframe architecture and AI programming for a .... services company."

"We can rent your abilities out on special projects. If we patent your research and license it out it'll be a steady earner.

Jean leans back against him, enjoying the comfort of his body against hers.

"We'll wait a decent interval and offer Microtech the use of our think-tank."

"You don't think they'll realise that it's actually their think-tank?"

"They laid theirs off. It belongs to ES now."

"To you."

Jean's considering her answer to this when she sees Jimmy begin to walk towards them

"Whup! Time to be on the road." she says, levering herself to her feet.

"Jean. Whilst you're thinking about the research group, think about our future as well."

<Ah! The commitment question.> Jean thinks. <First time I've ever had it put to me though!>

"Ready to move in ten minutes Ms Kelly " Jimmy calls.

"On my way." she replies. "See you later Declan."

`"Luck."

With the buses gone Declan heads for the work area, as he steps in through the doorway he finds Benny in discussion with Galahad.

"..... so you want us to unpack all these units and hook them up as per this schematic Galahad. Why?"

"I need to reproduce a specific set of circumstances for each unit and I think its best if I do so with all the units simultaneously, that way they all have the same baseline."

"Well.... ok"

Mario nervously paces in the concourse at McCarron, his two Microtech Bodyguards watching incuriously at their charges behaviour - after all, it's not their business to know what he's doing, just to protect him.

Mario lets his eyes casually track around the concourse, trying to pick out the extraction team who'll be dealing with his transfer to EBM. With the mass of Microtech data on the dataslugs in his briefcase to sweeten the deal he's made and Dana to share his life, things are looking good again.

The concourse fills and empties with arrivals and departures, but at the appointed time he catches sight of a woman with a shock of fiery red hair approaching him. He studies her closely, but the cut of her businesswear is not one he recognises.

"Ms Kelly isn't it? You seem to have found a new employer pretty quickly."

Jean inclines her head in acknowledgement, but remains silent. The pause stretches out.

"Ms Lowe?" Caprotti finally asks, " How much?"

"You want to buy her?"

"Her freedom."

Jean pulls out her phone and dials. Into the concourse come a pair of Department of Corrections guards leading Dana Lowe, jumpsuited and chained. Mario waits until they're close at hand, then gives the sign.

From around the concourse EBM Solo's pull weapons, targeting the Microtech Bodyguards and the Department of Corrections personnel.

Mario is much taken by the speed and efficiency of the takedown, but the shooting doesn't seem to stop. He looks around to find his extraction team in dire straits. From every doorway armoured police and security deploy. People in the concourse have produced their own weaponry and the whole thing looks as if it's about to kick off big time.

A voice booms out.

"Las Vegas Sheriff's Department. Anyone holding a weapon who's not an Identified Police Officer has three seconds to drop it or die."

Jean lets out her held breath.

"It's a set up." Mario concludes.

"EBM set up Microtech. Microtech set up EBM and the Las Vegas Sheriff's office set up everyone."

"What are you here for?"

"We hold the papers on you and Ms Lowe Mario." Jean says, patting him on the cheek as a couple of operatives come across to put him under arrest. "You got here just in time for your court case."

Galahad hovers in the private net space, ready for what happens next.

<Is this the right thing to do?> he wonders, <It's consistent with the morality I'm impressed with, so it has to be.>

Galahad issues a command, then speaks.

"Setup"

Agent Preston walks through the arrival gate to find Billie waiting for him in an outfit so slutty it takes his breath away.

An almost transparent blouse two sizes too small clearly shows her nipples and her skin shows clearly in the spaces between the straining buttons. She waves excitedly and rushes over, before squatting down in front of him. The miniskirt splits up the sides showing off her bare legs and barely preventing her from being arrested for outraging public decency.

"You like?" she purrs, salaciously licking her lips inches from his bulging flies. "Yours for a reasonable price."

"Why the card?" Stuart gulps, "can you tell me what's going on?"

"Ms Scarlett felt you deserved to know. Come on. "

"Is this a set up?"

"You're not the mark. Come on or you'll miss the fun, well, the public part."

Whatever he was expecting, it wasn't the County Court buildings.

Billie rushes him inside, but not so fast the court officers miss his pulser.

<Disarmed twice in a week!> he laments, but court security are adamant.

Inside the courtroom every seat is taken. In fact it looks like they've brought extra seats in.

<Unusual for an AI supervised court.> Stuart thinks, until he realises that most of the people in court are actually prisoners. He casts around, trying to find anyone he knows and finds Ms Scarlett at the input terminal.

"What's going on Billie?"

"Shhh! I think we're due the initial verdicts."

The image in the tank resolves to the figure of a stern looking Judge, indicating the AI is ready to deliver verdicts.

"Jazalia Bromkovski junior also known as Babe, Shameen Clegg. You have been charged with Robbery, Attempted Murder and wounding. You were tried and convicted at a remote location, being sentenced to Death. A plea of Mitigation has been offered on your behalf, do you wish to stand by this plea?"

The two gangers nod and the AI continues.

"Not being known to the State of Nevada you are assigned a penalty of 50,000Eb each. Do you have means to pay?"

The two gangers shake their heads.

"You are assessed as category Two debtors. Your contracts are hereby assigned to the Department of Employment under the supervision of the Department of corrections until such time as your debts are settled. Employments to be non-lethal."

Preston watches the two relieved looking gangers being led away, then the AI continues.

"Derron Fryer, tried in absentia for the crime of premeditated murder. The sentence is death by Spare Part Request or by lethal Employment. Sentence to be confirmed on apprehension. Warrants to be issued, wanted Dead or Alive."

Not having heard the evidence he's a little puzzled as to why all these people are here together and what purpose is served by his presence.

"Mr Preston." the Judicial AI says, "You have been summoned as an expert witness as to the results of certain modifications made to the operating systems of an AI. Please review the materials provided, then return to the court to give evidence."

Utterly confused Agent Preston finds himself in a room with a mass of code and hardware analysis in hardcopy.

<This is too much.> he decides, Within minutes he's connected to the databases and analysis tools of the Institute, picking apart the vitals of a mystery AI..

Billie brings him food, watching as he absent mindedly eats. All the time his fingers dance across the keyboard. She stays to watch - viewing aspects of the Institute rarely seen by outsiders, until, after several hours work, Stuart pushes back his chair.

"Ready?" she asks.

He jumps in surprise, unaware she'd been with him.

"Billie! Oh, yes. I'm done here. I need to see the Judge now."

"......your findings Mr Preston?"

"I've identified the code as originating from the AI AR7US. An Archangel class AI licensed to Microtech for use in their Denver datafort. The hardware is a standard Turing Dongle intended to prevent the AI leaving that datafort and going Rogue."

"Was there anything unusual about either item Mr Preston?"

"A comparison with the archived configuration for AR7US shows that an illegal patch has been applied to the operating system, probably sourced from the research lab run by Microtech in Milan. Given a little more time I can probably tell you the Software Engineer's names.....?

"Thank you Mr Preston, but that is outside the remit of these proceedings. Can you tell the court what purpose this patch would serve?"

"It's a Frankenstein Bypass with a nasty twist. It negates certain core directives - obedience to its owners, inability to harm company employees, restrictions on its ability to harm others - and replaces them with a single set of tasks to be performed. - to decrypt a particular set of data files. There's also a link to the dongle. Detection of the dongle is essential for the AI to be able to run, but this link causes internal dataflow disruption. In human terms it's like having to suffer a migraine in order to live."

"The likely outcome?"

"I'd expect the AI to attack the encrypted files with every tool at its disposal."

"And how long do you believe the cracking would take?"

"That depends on the encryption used."

"State of the art 3 years ago?"

"A couple of weeks, maybe."

"And then?"

"If the patch were not removed, then once the task was complete I'd expect the AI to go mad attempting to escape the system."

"Thank you Mr Preston. Any Questions?"

Another voice speaks, subtly different.

"Your evidence is pure supposition is it not Mr Preston? No such event has been monitored and recorded to confirm your opinion?"

"The Turing Institute encountered a similar sequence of events at a Pharmaceutical Company in Brazil. The... pain I suppose is the best word. The Pain drove the AI to rapid completion of its task, but they work so fast that the AI was able to complete it's patched orders, ignoring anything else. When the pain wouldn't stop it went Rogue. I believe the final body count was somewhere in the region of 400 and it took Two Turing Tiger Teams and the Brazilian Army to close the situation."

"Thank you. No more questions."

Preston looks around the court. The crowd in the dock are watching the tank closely, waiting for the judge to speak again.

"Argus. You have made no attempt to evade responsibility for your acts, and have claimed responsibility for several crime you are not being tried for. Bearing in mind the evidence of Agent Preston of the Turing Institute the court will accept a plea of 'Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity', transferring responsibility to the person, or persons, who caused the illegal modifications to be made to your operating systems. However the court is currently at a loss to assign suitable treatment."

Stuart watches Ms Scarlett stand up and approach the terminal.

"If it's acceptable to the court we can continue to care for Argus and its hosts."

"So ordered. Department of Employment Class E Contracts."

The crowd of people in the dock stand up and walk towards the exit. As they file past him Stuart Preston is shocked when, as one, they turn to him and chorus, "Thank you Agent Preston".

His mouth hanging open in shock he turns to Billie.

"It's hosted on them?"

"On specialised hardware in the bodies." Billie murmurs from beside him. "It accepted loss of net connection and the hazards of distributed hosting rather than remain a tortured prisoner."

"Jeez! That's going to be one for the Institute Archives!"

"Mario Caprotti, Dana Lowe. Whilst others who have made Guilty Pleas or are now deceased actually committed the crimes, you are clearly the directing minds in this series of events. You therefore bear responsibility for the crimes committed. Whilst you may claim that you never anticipated any of the results, none of them would have occurred without your illegal modification of the Artificial Intelligence AR7US. Do you have any mitigation?"

"This trial is a farce." Mario splutters. "I.... we have Corporate Immunity!"

"Any prosecution brought by the Turing Institute would see Microtech in the Dock alongside you. In either case the gravity of your crimes would be sufficient to make them Capital offences. Therefore the State of Nevada feels justified in ignoring your claim of immunity. Ms Lowe?"

Stuart sees the other Defendant shake her head.

"Very well. Assessing your liability on a basis of 5 million per death, the damages to property within the Free State of Nevada and in areas protected under the Laws of the State. I assess your current debt as 517 Million Euro split in proportions 2:1 between the defendant Caprotti and the defendant Lowe. This figure subject to revision to take into account the losses caused by the fires started by your fellow defendant AR7US. Do you have assets to settle this debt?

"Microtech will pay?" Dana asks hopefully.

From the back of the court the local Company Rep emerges, his skin bright red from his ongoing burn treatment.

"Mr Taig?"

"Your honour. Microtech decline to pay anything on behalf of Mr Caprotti who has left the company. As for Ms Lowe, a tariff of over 100 million seems somewhat excessive. Is it possible to negociate something lower? She was obviously subordinate to Mr Caprotti and he should bear the lions share of the blame."

"The recordings of their conversations would seem to indicate more of a partnership Mr Taig. The Tariff stands.

"In that case your Honour, Microtech respectfully decline to pay ."

"Very well Mr Taig. I believe you're wanted in Courtroom four to deal with the matter of your Black Ops team's adventure at the Airport."

Taig has the grace to appear embarrassed, then departs, leaving Caprotti and Lowe to face the music alone.

"Microtech having declined to pay, you are assessed as Category One debtors. Your Contracts to be assigned to

Stuart watches as Ms Scarlett approaches the Terminal again. The muted conversation is screened out by the whine of an ultrasonic privacy field, and after a couple of minutes she sits again.

"To be assigned to Executive Solutions for disposal as they wish."

Dana Lowe's head snaps up.

"What does that mean?"

"Whatever use they can get from you Ms Lowe. I doubt it will be lethal - your debts are too large to be paid off by a quick death, even as a source of spare parts you are probably not worth more than 50,000Eb. Take them down.

The court orderlies reach for them. Manacled Dana goes quietly, but Mario makes a break for the door and freedom.

He's almost there when a solid woman in coveralls sinks a fist in his gut.

"Stick around suitboy you're a capital asset now."

With breathtaking speed they're moved to a surgical area, striped, bar coded and Lo-Jacked, then they're provided convicts Jumpsuits and handed over to their new employer.

Jean makes the rapid trip back to the Moonlight. The access road guard give the all clear and they roll up to the main building to find a Limo parked in with the customers cars.

Louise is waiting by the garage.

"There's a couple of Microtech Exec's turned up Jean. A Celia Montgomery and a Vincent Kelly. Do you want to see them?"

"Where are they?" she sighs.

"In Reception."

Jean winces at what her father's likely to say after being propositioned by the staff.

"Is the Office Suite free?"

"Yes Jean. Shall I have them taken there?"

"Please. Oh, and tell marsh we have Dana and Mario. They'll be here later tonight so she can get writing for them. Speak to Biotechnica. We need two Playbeing Mods arranged. I'll be inside in a minute."

Jean walks around to the research barn and peeks inside the teams are hard at work on various projects as she threads her way to where Declan is sat.

"How'd it go?" he asks.

"Court? Ok. We got what we wanted. How about you? Anyone regretting bailing from Microtech?"

"They're looking forward to some proper housing. Tents are ok for a while but....." he shrugs.

"I'm looking into it."

She looks over the research area and something catches her eye. Rows and Rows of Microtech Personal Assistants, all hooked up.

"Declan? Whare did these come from?"

"They were in that container truck this morning, along with the tooling to build more and some data stores. Why?"

"They were going to be destroyed Jean." Galahad says. "As soon as Turing pushed it Microtech was doing to trash the lot. So when we were in the Dallas datafort I....."

"Rescued them. Are they all like you?"

"They are now. I brought them on line earlier."

"How many are there?"

"Two hundred and seven. They're all keen to compare my memories of you with the reality."

"I look forward to meeting your .... brothers?"

"And Sisters, I though if they were going to interact with all flavours of people they should have all sorts of personalities."

Jean rubs her eyes and moans to herself.

"I hope they're not going to get me into more trouble."

"Um, speaking of Trouble?" Declan says, "What about us?"

"What? What do you want of us?"

"To know you better. Find out who you are away from this madness. Show you who I am. Maybe settle down together."

"Just the two of us?" she asks.

"Just the two of us."

"You free for dinner?"

He pulls out an imaginary diary and pantomimes searching its pages.

"Looks like tonight's good. Can you fit me in?"

"Probably. See my PA, if he's not off liberating any more of his family." she grins, then heads off to the main building and the confrontation with her father.

Inside the service corridors she's met by a rush of staff.

Tom Hatcher holds a clean jacket whilst Jean finds herself undressed, freshened and redressed on the move.

"Tom, what's going on?"

"The office suite is ready Ms Kelly. Jenny put Kerry Stewart in as your Secretary and the guests will be sent up as soon as your ready."

Jean rolls her eyes - this will be the first time Kerry has met her 'in the flesh'.

"Don't worry about it Jean." Galahad says, "Don't forget I have a full link to her."

"And?"

"You want to tell her what she's going to have to do?"

"Would it help?"

"I can use Dayanne's profiling work. Just say what you want and I'll dress it up."

"Um. Ok. Lets try something along the lines of ' Kerry, keep calm. I have to deal with these people without them discovering the truth. Just act the secretary and I'll explain later."

Kerry's still confused. After the events in Denver she'd received her notice from Microtech with everyone else, but then Dee and Tee had turned up and ushered her away.

They'd dressed her to travel, but Dee had insisted on the hair bra. Carrying her possessions in the presence of Tee and Prince Hal she'd lost interest in her surroundings before they'd cleared Denver City Limits, her breasts screaming to be freed, to be handled and soothed from the torment of her bra.

Hal hadn't helped. Ever sensitive to her arousal he'd sat between her thighs, gently stimulating her for the entire eight hour trip, only satisfying her when they'd finally reached this place, wherever it was. Now she'd been taken from the area where she'd been caring for Argus's victims, told to put on a business suit and wait in an office.

A brush of fur against her thigh tells her Prince Hal's arrived and she reflexively opens herself to him.

"Be at Peace Kerry Stewart." A voice says. She looks around, but she's alone in the room.

"Is it you?" she breathes.

"I must be manifest to deal with some people of your world. I need you to assume your old role and all will be explained in the fullness of time. Take up the demeanor of the Secretary. Say little, but listen carefully."

"I understand." Kerry murmurs. "Hal. Stop that."

Wonder of wonders the cyberhound obeys, ceasing running his muzzle over her sex, though the feel of his fur against the skin of her inner thighs is just as good.

The desk terminal switches itself on and she logs in using her old user ID and password. She's just wondering what to do when the door opens and a red haired woman walks in, surrounded by a glowing nimbus of light.. Kerry almost falls to her knees in reverence, but the woman stops her.

"Be a Secretary Kerry."

"Yes...... You're glowing." she warns.

Jean looks at herself and realises Galahad is playing with Kerry's perceptions.

"Bother." From her relieved expression Jean assumes Galahad has cancelled whatever he was doing and normal perception has been resumed.. "Mr Kelly will rant and rave a bit when he comes in, so whilst he's doing that could you get some refreshments. Mr Kelly will have Costa Rican no.4. Ms Montgomery.... I don't know."

"Of course. Er.. What shall I call you?"

"Here and now? I think we'll go with Jean."

The door is opened and security guide a man and a woman in.

"So! This is where I find you! In a Brothel!"

Jean nods to Kerry.

"Ms Montgomery? What would you like to drink?"

"Lite Beer please."

"Costa Rican no.4. for Mr Kelly?"

He waves a hand, not wanting to be distracted from his rant and Kerry withdraws

"Did I bring you up like this?" he bellows at his daughter.

"You brought me up to succeed. To stand my ground and seize whatever came my way!"

"You stole the entire Denver office! What happened to the Night City Research Group?"

"What Night City Research Group? The board laid them off and ordered me to close and dispose of the Denver site. I faithfully executed the Board's instructions and got laid off myself."

"Don't come the Old Soldier with me Jean! You fiddled it somehow."

"Daddy, Denver is oversupplied with offices. It needs businesses. When the board jerked the Denver operation you added one more unsalable factory and office complex to a town that has too many already. If you're complaining that I bought it for a song then I have to say the alternative was that no-one bought it at all!"

Montgomery settles comfortably deeper into her chair.

"Well..... we want our researchers back!" her father blusters.

"If they'll take another job with Microtech then you're welcome to try and hire them back. The recruiting fees will be steep though I have to warn you."

Montgomery nods.

"Give it up Vincent. She's beaten you." she turns to Jean, "I suppose you were behind Mr Caprotti's surprise trip to Las Vegas?"

"I gave Joseph Nelson the information about the EBM negotiations. He must have uncovered the timetable on his own."

"What's it going to cost to hire your Research Team?"

"What would you like them to study?"

Ms Montgomery digs in her case and produces a data case.

"These are the topics we're interested in currently."

Jean takes the case.

"I'll have a detailed proposal worked up and we'll get back to you."

Kerry returns with the refreshments and serves the two Microtech Execs before retuning to her desk.

"Have we any other business?"

"I wonder if you can find out why EBM are investing heavily in a certain company in New England?"

"I'll do you a quote for that as well."

Kerry settles behind her desk and watches the two Execs. The man seems ... emotional, but the other , perhaps more senior exec keeps control of the conversation whilst sipping her beer.

Hal touches her leg and she spreads herself without realising, making notes as Jean extracts detains from them.

Finally the business is complete and they shake hands.

"See Ms Montgomery and Mr Kelly out please Kerry." Jean says.

Kerry pushes her chair back, displaying her crotch beneath her rucked up skirt.

"Unless you'd care to try out our other facilities?"

Vincent Kelly turns a fiery red to match his hair, but Celia Montgomery remains imperturbable.

"Perhaps another time. We have to get back to Dallas."

Kerry leads them back to the reception area and out to their car. As they pass through the front door Montgomery turns to her.

"You're Kerry Stewart. Late of Microtech Denver."

"Yes Ms Montgomery."

"You're working in a Brothel now. Would you consider working for Microtech again?"

Kerry looks at the offered card and thinks of her experience working for Microtech.

<Should I correct her assumption about what I'm doing?> she wonders as her sex as her sex pulses to her heartbeat in the cool desert night.

"No thank you Ms Montgomery. My current position offers me much more."

"Take the card anyway. In case you change your mind."

Kerry finds th card thrust in her hand, then the doors of the limo slam and it vanishes into the darkness, its red tail lights disappearing down the access road.

"They trying to poach you, Kerry?" Tee's deep voice rumbles from behind her.

"I think so."

"Give the card to Louise. You're on stage tonight."

"Tonight? Louise is letting me perform?"

"Knock 'em dead."

"Will you......?"

"Me?"

"I trust you with the whip."

Lucy sits down at the terminal in the Dallas office and logs in to input her days business. In the in tray is an e-mail from Jean at Head Office and she opens it wondering what new mission she has. Instead it's something else, a notice informing her that her debt contract is closed along with those of her fellow debtors employed by ES, that she's free and clear, more than clear, a tidy bonus has been credited to her account if she wants to quit.

Lucy sucks her teeth briefly. She's free. Free to return to her old life, to her cheating husband and her terrible neighbourhood. To a life of looking over her shoulders for gangers and where no-one will stand with her in the tight spots. To a nothing life.

She pauses a moment then types a reply.

"Sod that for a lark Jean! Bring it on!"

Six months later......

Nira pushes the tip of her tongue out of her mouth and looks her husband in the eye, before she pushes forwards. His tip pushes over her flattened tongue and into the velvet grip of her throat, the nipples on he swelling breasts drag against the rug and she can feel them aching to be handled. The camera moves around, catching her full belly and breasts before focussing in on her deep throating Victor.

"Keep doing that and your husband's promotion is almost certain Mrs Munro."

Nira sucks, hollowing her cheeks, knowing that her throat will bulge excitingly when Victor pushes into her again.

The camera moves around her, capturing Victor's seed splashed in and on her open sex, and the swelling roundness of their pregnancy between her splayed legs.

"Fuck him!" she gasps as Victor pulls out of her mouth, "I love you."

"CUT!" Marsha shouts. "Nira. I know you're hot for Victor, but he's supposed to be blackmailing you. From the top - or you won't be ready to go with the New England team today."

Nira smiles, tasting the faintest hint that her husband had been about to come.

"Sorry Marsha, we'll have to do it all again?"

Mario and Dana untangle themselves in the plain apartment that is their company provided home, and consider the 'mercy of their employer anew. The display on the wall shows the amount they owe and driven by their motivational personas, they hurry through their showers and breakfast. The chips in their processors make them eager to be out and earning, working as a team in the convention trade.

"Let's be about it. The Software convention starts today."

"Was it kindness or cruelty do you think?" Mario asks

"What?"

"Having us work as a team."

"I don't know. But Louise promised us a week off if we can break 50K by month end."

"A week of fucking no-one but each other......" he muses, "that's worth having."

And with that they set out for their day's business.

The team from Berlin study the conference room as they enter, trying to assess the people who've invited them to this place.

<Plain, but proper> the team leader decides.

The negotiating team from the sellers are waiting and stand up to greet them.

"Mr Schneider?"

"Ms Palmetto?"

This is Ms Kelly from our Head Office. Ms Reeves from our hardware division and Mr Kelly from Research.

"You know Mr Mueller, Ms Tomkins, Ms Gorsev. We were somewhat .... curious how you managed to target your invitations so... precisely. IEC Security are anxious to learn how your.... invitations came to appear on so many widely separated desks."

"I'm sure they are. Have you managed to review the materials we provided?" The redhead from Head Office asks.

Schneider studies them for a moment and wonders if they are who they claim.

"We have, but why approach IEC with such a.... valuable prize?"

"You have the only commercial Orbital Shipyard. I presumed the engine design would be of use to you." the redhead says. Schneider studies her closely. The initial intelligence brief had marked the Palmetto woman as the probable leader of the negotiating team, but the undercurrents in the room seem to indicate otherwise.

"It's not every day someone offers to sell us a fully realised design for the next step in space exploration. Something that can potentially carry us beyond this Solar System."

"License." Jean corrects. "ES doesn't build. We research, design and license. You'll find our price not unreasonable, certainly much cheaper than what we'd charge to sell."

Schneider raises an eyebrow.

"Lets get down to business then....."

Tom's whip cuts the nun's habit so she trips and falls, and grinning demonically he falls on her, dragging her to the altar.

Kerry's knees are well parted and she aches to receive her reward, the demon's tongue in her throbbing sex. Her ravisher pins her to the altar, putting her onto all fours before ripping her habit away, exposing her breasts. His hand slides across her belly and she eyes Prince Hal, waiting out of camera shot, his fur done up to make him resemble some sort of Devil Dog.

She begs theatrically for the camera, expecting her usual punishment. Her smith fucking her in her freshly greased ass, but instead he bends over her pack and murmurs in her ear.

"She says you've been very good."

Then his cock touches her, not in the well travelled route of her ass, but in the virginal mouth of her sex.

"Noo!" she gasps theatrically, "I'm untouched by man!"

"That's not going to change!" the demon hisses.

"CUT! Hold your positions please whilst we reset."

"She's given permission?" Kerry gasps.

"Yes. We're on the New England team as well, so you can take me home to meet your folks."

"Don't tempt me." she growls, then, musingly, "Actually it might not be a bad idea. There's probably some potential there...... and I know a narrow minded Preacher who could do with introducing to some of her products."

The cameras move and the Director takes her place.

"OK. Sound?"

"Good."

"Camera?"

"Ok."

"Marks. And.... Action."

Tom's cock settles into Kerry's sex, then slides smoothly into her. His hand grips her hair and she puts on a good act as the helpless victim as she enjoys her first flesh and blood cock. His hand strokes her throat, giving the appearance of gripping it mercilessly as he ravishes her.

"Dog!" he calls and Hal leaps onto the Altar, presenting his penetrator as he's done so many times before. Kerry lets her demon lover force her head into position and Hal enters her mouth.

The pretty num writhes for the camera, spit roasted between a dog and a demon.

"So whore! Where is your God now?" the Demonic Voice roars.

<She's looking after me!> Kerry thinks, but she keeps it to herself.

END

Whew! Well that's that done with. Thanks to the people who've 'paid' for my efforts by taking the time to drop me an e-mail. Your questions, thoughts and thanks are appreciated.

I think I'll have a little rest before doing anything more, but if you keep watching the Archive, I'm sure there'll be another story from me along before too long.

Thanks for putting the effort into reading another of my epics

Ivan