Chaz sat in the quiet of the computer room slowly going over
the files Sylia had managed to coerce his subsidiary AI into giving up.
He was dressed, as usual, in blue kevlar jeans and a black, dragon print
T-shirt. There had been noises from Linna and Nene about forcing him
to go shopping for 'More suitable' clothes. So far he'd managed to
charm his way out of it when the subject came up. Mostly that meant
he'd stayed out of sight when they looked like they wanted to go.
Rubbing his eyes, he stared at the screen. From what little he
understood of the files, he could see why Sylia had been so convinced
that someone was going to be upset when they found out their 'project'
had walked off. It was bad enough that he had several, never before
seen, prototype systems lodged under his skin. He also had much of
the research that had produced them lodged in his AI. He had to have
it of course. Without the design specs his directed nanite repair system
couldn't function. All in all it would probably be a good idea if he
changed his 'default' face permanently. There were people that knew
that face and he couldn't afford to be seen with it. Mason, for one,
would recognize it instantly.
He leaned back in the chair and started to rub his temples.
Halfway up, the hand stopped. Why was he doing that? His head and
eyes didn't hurt or even ache. After puzzling it over he decided it had
to be habit. Amazing the kinds of activities your body falls into when
you aren't watching it. Grinning at the continuing evidence of
humanity, he finished reaching up to rub his head.
"There you are!" yelled a strident female voice behind him.
Chaz flinched. He'd been ducking that voice since the Knight Sabers
had destroyed USSD's "Black Box" two days ago. He had known it
was just a matter of time, of course. He'd fought against it just the
same. But his past was about to catch up with him. Deciding to brazen
it out Chaz turned around and smiled. "Priss! Hi! I didn't realize you
were looking for me." The second the words had passed his lips he
regretted them. Despite evidence to the contrary, Priss wasn't stupid.
Her face said, in no uncertain terms, that she didn't believe him for a
second.
Priss, dressed in her usual riding outfit, just stared at him.
Who did he think he was fooling? He couldn't have been more obvious
about avoiding her if he'd tried. Exerting a little bit of discipline, she
put her personal ire on a back burner to simmer. "You were supposed
to talk to Irene this afternoon remember?" If she hadn't actually needed
to find him, she doubted Sylia would have told her where he was.
Chaz groaned. Yup. She was right. He was late. "Sorry, must
have lost track of the time."
The young singer frowned expressively. "I thought you
couldn't lose track of time?" Her voice implied this was a flimsy
excuse at best.
A vague shrug swept over Chaz's shoulders. "I can lose track
of time just like everyone else. I just always know what time it is. It's
like having a watch and never looking at it." He paused thoughtfully.
"If I had thought about it I would have set up a reminder." Reaching
over he started the sequence that would log him out of the mainframe
and put its AI back on standby. If he had wanted, he could have used
the interface set. However, there was something a little too personal
about that. He'd given up after the first try. "OK," he said as the
computer gave him a final log-off warning. "Let's go."
Matter Over Mind Productions
Presents
MegaTokyo 2032
The Knight Sabers
"A Certain Point of View 2"
Consequences
Copyright (c) 1995 Charles S. Stitman
Closing the door behind her, Priss herded Chaz towards the
lounge where the rest of the Knight Sabers waited. "I thought you
wanted me to teach you how to ride a bike?"
He debated about using his best 'who me?' face. Nah. Why
waste it? Besides it probably wouldn't work. Chaz opened the door for
her as they walked through the testing area. He looked down at her leg
meaningfully. "And you were supposed to take another three days to
make sure that the bone had sealed together before you walked without
your support."
Priss grimaced. She never had been a good patient. If she'd
lived back when Chaz was born she would have had to put up with a
cast for weeks. "I'm fine as long as I don't put too much stress on it,"
she said testily. Recovering her train of thought, she returned to her
original topic. "Why HAVE you been avoiding me anyway?" She
thought she knew the answer, but she wanted him to say it.
Chaz's shoulders came up in another of his expressive shrugs.
"Mostly to give you a chance to come to grips with what I am. There's
no reason for me to force my presence on you." To tell the truth, he'd
been worried about how she was handling it. He knew she'd been
looking for him and had assumed it was for some kind of
confrontation.
Priss nodded to herself. About what she had thought. "You
know.." she started, "you really are an idiot. If you really want me to
see beyond that, the worst thing you could do would be to hide out
from me."
Chaz stopped, stunned for a moment. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," Priss said, continuing to walk to the lounge, "that if
you want me to see the person inside and not the body, you should
make the effort to let me see the person. Otherwise all I'm left with is a
superficial image of who you are." She turned to face the still standing
Chaz. "I liked you well enough when I thought you were human. I
could probably learn to like you as a boomer if you gave me the
chance."
Chaz shook his head dismally. "That was just the 33-S
components," he said morosely.
Priss stepped closer. "Maybe at first. But you are a genuinely
nice guy when you try to be." She thought about it for a moment.
"You aren't using those now are you?" she asked almost nervously.
Chaz grinned and stepped by her. "That's one of the things
that's completely controlled by the AI. If it's on I wouldn't know it."
Let her chew on that for a while. Sylia had told him that the more he
interacted with someone the less part his 'enhancements' would play.
After a while people just got used to them. "Besides," he said as his
grin widened, "tell me YOU'VE never used your looks to influence
people."
Priss tried her best not to look abashed. She had to admit she'd
beat people over the head with her looks before. Chaz's 'enhancements'
were just another way of doing the same thing. They didn't force
anything. They just did their best to convince. And they really couldn't
cover a bad personality for long. Still, she wished that he could shut
them off. They made her feel nervous. Picking up the pace to catch up
with him, a grimace came to her face as her leg gave her a twinge.
Better wipe it off, she chided herself, or Sylia will put you back in the
brace.
Irene, dressed in one of Sylia's outfits, sat next to Linna,
waiting in silence for the man who had rescued her to come to the
meeting. She really didn't feel comfortable with him or these other
strangers yet. But Linna had assured her that they were the best friends
she could have. Linna! Irene still wasn't sure she could believe it.
Linna was a Knight Saber! If there was a more dangerous profession
Irene would have been hard pressed to think of it. They were
considered 'Targets Of Opportunity' by almost every multinational that
had ties to Genom. Which meant that almost every multinational in the
world wanted them dead. She wondered what they would do with her.
If they had wanted her dead they wouldn't have saved her in the first
place. She hoped her family wasn't too worried. She'd been supposed
to call them the night she was attacked. Her grandfather would be
upset when he found out her fiancee had been killed, and he would be
livid when he found out that she'd been attacked. Genom had been a
thorn in his side for years, and this might be the last straw. Knowing
the relative strengths of the rival multi-nationals, she wasn't sure that
was such a good thing.
Chaz walked in to the room and sat down on the couch next to
Nene. Priss walked in behind him and dropped on the other side of
him.
"About time." Sylia said, exasperated. She turned to Priss.
"Where did you find him?" she sighed.
Priss looked up at Sylia. "He was right where you said he'd
be." Is there anything Sylia didn't know about them?
Sylia nodded. Looking around, she gained everyone's
attention with eyes. "The question before us is what to do about Irene.
She obviously can't return to her home. That will be the first place
Genom will look. They missed their first attack on her and lost their
boomer doing it. They won't make a mistake like that again."
"What about a safe-house?" Nene said. "It's what the police
would do if they wanted to hide someone."
Sylia nodded. She'd thought about it and agreed. It was most
likely what they would have to do with her. Not a great life, but a life
nonetheless.
Linna, dressed in casual clothes and her usual headband,
decided that the question needed to be asked. "What about having her
stay here?"
"Linna, you know that's not possible." Sylia said gently.
Having one additional member of the Knight Sabers would be difficult
enough. Besides Irene really didn't have any skills that would allow
her to fit in as part of the team. Chaz, at least, had the advantage of his
boomer body to keep him out of danger until his skills improved.
"What about blowing away the guy that sent them after her?"
Priss put in, leaning back into the sofa. It seemed the most direct way
to deal with the problem. She liked direct solutions.
Sylia allowed a slight frown to spread. "Quite apart from the
fact that the Knight Sabers don't do casual assassination, who,
precisely, do you recommend we kill? Even if we knew who he was
and 'blew him away', as you put it, Genom would still keep trying to
kill her." Irene gasped as Sylia said it. "I think Nene has the best
answer. I have a couple places in and out of Japan where she should be
safe."
"I don't think so Sylia." Chaz interrupted quietly. "I think
Irene knows someplace she'll be much safer." He paused and looked
Irene in the eye. "If she's willing to ask for help."
Irene choked back on her emotions. He couldn't be implying
what she thought. Grandfather had said her records were flawless. He
couldn't know! "I don't..."
"Chaz, you better explain what you mean by that." Sylia
wasn't used to having her decisions challenged. If he wanted to put
Irene's life back in danger he had better have a damn good explanation
ready.
"Give me a minute Sylia." Chaz replied calmly. "It's not my
secret to tell." He looked Irene in the eyes again. "If she chooses not to
go back, I won't try to change her mind."
Tears began to form in Irene's eyes. He knew. Somehow, he
knew. He wouldn't force her to go back. He suggested it. But he
wouldn't force her. When her fiancee had been killed she'd considered
and rejected the idea. Going back would mean returning to the world
she'd left behind. It was likely to be a one way trip. Slowly she
nodded. If nothing else the Hou Bang had the power to help her get
revenge for her fiancee. She couldn't return to a normal life now
anyway. "I'll call him." she said in a quiet voice.
Sylia looked at Chaz puzzled. "Who?" The question also
implied 'How?' and 'Why?' None of Irene's records indicated ties to
anyone with enough power to deal with this.
Chaz waited until Irene gave a small nod of acquiescence.
"Her grandfather is the leader of the Chang Conglomerate, also known
as the 'Hou Bang'. They should be more than able to protect her from
Genom."
"The crime cartel?" Priss asked incredulously. She watched
Irene's small nod. "They'd sell us out to Genom in a second!" she said
vehemently.
Irene's head snapped up like she'd been slapped. "NEVER!
Gulf & Bradley used a Genom boomer to kill my father and my
mother, my grandfather's only child. Grandfather would sooner kill
himself than cooperate with Genom in any way." She started to cry. "I
left the family with grandfather's consent because I didn't want to
become caught up in the family politics." With tears streaming down
her cheeks she looked into Priss's face. "My sister Reika and I are next
in line to inherit the Hou Bang. Genom killed my fiancee and tried to
kill me! Do you really think I'd allow them to....." She broke down and
started sobbing.
Linna shot Priss a dirty look and reached over to comfort
Irene. Sylia stood up and motioned Chaz to join her by the window.
When she judged they were out of earshot, Sylia turned to
face Chaz. "Well?" she asked in a voice that implied, 'This had
BETTER be good.'
Chaz looked briefly back at Linna comforting a sobbing Irene.
"In the original sequence of events, Irene's death was the final blow for
her sister Reika. She would have dropped out of her singing career and
gone back to the Hou Bang. At some point in the future she would
have come back to take revenge. During the infighting she finds out
about the Knight Sabers. Linna talks her out of a life based on revenge
and Reika returns to her 'normal' life. She still retained her control of
the Hou Bang. In that universe, Reika became, if not exactly an ally,
than a friend. He paused and looked past the leader of the Knight
Sabers to where Irene was slowly regaining control of herself. "There's
no reason to suspect Irene would be any different. The Hou Bang is
very honorable for a cartel and her grandfather knows a debt of honor
when he sees one."
A frown creased the face of the leader of the Knight Sabers.
"So what you're recommending is that we return Irene to her
grandfather?" Sylia summed up. "What about her life on the outside?"
She already knew the answer, she just wanted to see if he'd thought it
out that far.
Chaz felt the gentle prod of a test and thought for a moment
before answering. "Sylia, her old life is gone and any knowledge of the
future I had is gone with it." He lowered his voice. "You know it and I
know it. But if she truly wants to start over, it's going to take more
resources than I think even you have to do it. Either way, it's best if
she goes back to her family."
"Probably," Sylia sighed. She wasn't sure that it wouldn't have
been easier to let Irene die. She stopped and mentally slapped herself
for the thought. That's how Quincy thinks. "After she makes
arrangements to go home, you'll have to protect her until she gets
back. You have the best chance of evading any security and fixing any
'problems' that show up."
Chaz nodded. He hadn't thought about it, but she was right. If
Genom was going to try for the young Chang they would have to do
so before she got home. As for getting her home secretly. . . In any
large organization like the Hou Bang there were bound to be at least
some small security leaks. Even if everyone was loyal that couldn't be
avoided. "Okay. How am I going to get her home?"
"You'll have to take her in the KnightWing, a commercial
flight is too big a target."
Chaz's jaw dropped. "Uhh... Sylia. I can't fly that you know."
A sudden thought struck him. "What about Mackie? He could fly it."
Sylia was a little uncertain about her brother going. "I don't
think it's a bad idea but.."
Chaz smiled his best 'trust me' grin. "Relax, I just want him
so that I can deal with larger menaces. It'll be good experience for
him." Chaz interjected. "Besides we aren't really expecting trouble are
we?"
Madigan rode in the elevator leading up to the Chairman's
office. Her calm exterior belied the excitement inside. This was her
chance. It was the first time since her debacle that she had been
summoned to His office. For Madigan there was only one Him,
Quincy, the Chairman. She was under no illusions. Quincy was no
god, not even a messiah. To her, Quincy represented something even
greater, the perfect businessman. He never seemed to let emotions
intrude into his thinking. His plans seemed to take into account almost
every contingency. Within certain guidelines he seemed to be
completely ruthless. All these things, Madigan aspired to. If she had
to, she would kill Mason with her bare hands to get back into His good
graces. She smiled. This might be even better. According to her
sources Mason had botched his last couple of assignments. If true, his
position was in definite jeopardy. That would leave Madigan free to
step in. All she needed was one triumph, one assignment to go
perfectly and she could put Mason in her shadow. Working to hide her
smile once more, she checked herself one more time before the doors
opened into His office.
Quincy sat at his desk watching in his desktop monitor as the
elevator begin its final approach to his office. 'Ah Madigan, you really
do have your ambitions don't you?' he thought as he saw her small
smile. Always so perfect in dress. The corporate world expected a
certain style of dress. Quincy could care less what his assistants wore
provided they didn't disgrace the company and they got results. In the
end, even a small disgrace to the company could be forgiven if the
results were good enough. Mason was turning into a disappointment.
He had one more chance to recover his place before he would be
replaced. The board met in two weeks. Quincy intended to hand them
the Integrated Technology Area plan as a fait accompli. After that,
Mason had better be able to deliver the property. If he could, he would
remain. If he couldn't, Madigan would take his place. There would be
no reprieve.
The elevator door opened and Madigan walked out into the
office. It had been redecorated again. Somewhere there was
undoubtedly a interior decorator scrambling feverishly to meet the
time table for the next change. The Chairman liked to put the people
he talked to at a disadvantage. One of the many methods he used was
to continually change the environment they met in. She had to admit,
it worked. The great crystalline columns extending from the floor
almost to the ceiling were incredible against the matte-black marble
surrounding it. The Chairman's desk, the only constant in the office,
sat atop a huge slab of marble facing into the room. Behind it the
Chairman sat, seemingly absorbed in the view from his window.
Madigan absently wondered if he ever actually noticed the view or if it
just provided a place to rest his eyes. Her attention snapped on to him
as he began to speak without turning around.
"Madigan, there is a situation within the company that has
come to my attention." His voice, even when echoed from the window,
seemed controlled and even. "Mason took it upon himself to rid
Genom of a petty nuisance. He failed." The word hit the desk like a
solid entity leaving a hole in the air she could practically feel. "During
the attempt the instrument, and the nuisance disappeared." He paused
to let that sink in.
Madigan stood and silently translated. Mason had tried to
have someone minor assassinated. Not only had the attempt failed but
he'd lost track of the boomer assigned and his target. Which left her to
clean up after him. Perfect. Madigan suppressed a smile.
Quincy turned his chair away from the window, still not
facing her. "Mason also failed to thoroughly research his target. As a
result he may have opened Genom to a much larger problem than the
one he sought to fix."
Oh Shit! Madigan carefully controlled her expression. The
Chairman NEVER referred to individuals as problems. A problem in
His opinion was at least a small organization. A large problem was
likely to be another multi-national.
"The nuisance was connected to an old friend of Genom's.
Through other sources we've learned that the rescue was performed by
another adversary of ours." His voice took on a slight growl. "The
Knight Sabers."
It was as much emotion as she'd ever heard in His voice. If he
was this upset why wasn't Mason out already?
Quincy closed his eyes and continued. "It may already be too
late to stop the two from joining forces. Your task is to create as much
disruption between the two as you can." Without looking he shoved a
folder from his desk to the floor in front of Madigan. She bent over
and picked it up. "That, is the extent of the information Genom has on
all three participants." He turned to face her his gray eyes burning into
hers.. "It's important that the hand of Genom NOT be seen in this."
Despite the warning a thrill went through Madigan. He'd
turned to look at her! Even if only to give a warning, it was sign she
was being given a chance to get back into his good graces! The Knight
Sabers! That had been Mason's pet project! Despite the odds Madigan
was determined to salvage something from this mess. The Chairman
turned back to the window. Madigan turned to leave, already thumbing
through the material. Many of the documents had the Chairman's own
hand written notes in the margins. He'd done some of the research
himself? This was more serious than she had thought!
Quincy listened as the office swallowed the last echoes of
Madigan's heels as she left. He hadn't exaggerated. This promised to
actually be an interesting problem. At this point he had done
everything he could. If Madigan's plans failed he could always hope
his own would work. Quincy scowled. If only he had more time.
Mason hadn't told anyone of his failure. A routine check for boomer
transponders had spotted the problem. Quincy smiled. If his plan
worked things might be stopped yet. If not, he might have to start
getting involved personally. Even together, the Hou Bang and the
Knight Sabers were not a match for the might of Genom. It should at
least be interesting. Satisfied, Quincy turned his attention to details of
importance.
It was really just as well that Mackie was coming along, Chaz
reflected as he helped Irene up the stairs. He really didn't have any
idea how to fly the KnightWing. Sylia had said it was fairly easy to get
a pilot's license today and most people in the military were trained for
it at some point. Chaz shrugged and finished climbing aboard.
According to Irene's grandfather, the Chang Conglomerate
had a private airfield somewhere in Hawaii. They would meet there.
Something about the meeting place had struck him as being a little
fishy, but Irene seemed to trust her grandfather implicitly. If Irene's
family weren't there they would have a problem. The KnightWing
wouldn't have the fuel needed to allow it to return. Sylia had
mentioned something about fixing that in the next generation. For
now, however, they were stuck with it. Chaz made sure that Irene was
comfortable and joined Mackie in the cockpit. Looking over his
shoulder Chaz read some of the controls and whistled. Not bad at all.
"What kind of armament are we carrying?"
Mackie looked back and frowned. "Not much. The missile
racks are empty to save weight." He pointed at a gauge. "That is just
enough fuel to get us there with a small amount in reserve." He
shrugged. "The KnightWing wasn't designed for extended trips like
this and you can't fit drop tanks next to the V-tol system." He smiled.
"We aren't completely defenseless though." He nodded back to the
cargo area. "We're carrying a full suite of ECM equipment and if
things get real tough there's a 25mm APSSDU (Armor Piercing
Superconductor-Sheathed Depleted Uranium) railgun setup in the tail
and another under the nose."
Chaz whistled again. They 'aren't completely defenseless' he
said. Those railguns had a kill range measured in kilometers. If you
managed to get a solid hit on something you could pretty much write it
off. A thought flickered through his mind. "What about armor?"
"Pretty much like the hardsuits." Mackie explained. "The idea
is that you don't get hit. The KnightWing can take a pounding but it's
not a juggernaut and it's a big target." He laughed. "On the flip side
you have to FIND it first!" He waved at a large bank of switches to his
right. "When all of those are on the only way to track the KnightWing
is visually. Sis says that when she can get a holocloak that can handle
the punishment she'll install it." Sylia's voice came into Mackie's
headset. "OK." He turned back to Chaz. "Better go strap in. Sis said
that the sun's gone down. We'll be leaving in less than a minute."
Chaz nodded and walked back into the cargo area. Irene sat in
her jump seat a look of sadness on her face. "Hey Irene. You all
right?" Chaz asked as he strapped in next to her.
Irene shook her head. "I'm going back to a life I thought I'd
left." The engine noise picked up a little. "All the reasons I left are still
valid. I don't WANT to go back." She wondered if he could
understand how she felt. According to Linna he wasn't quite human
himself. Irene dropped her head to her chest feeling a little lost and
alone.
Chaz put his arm around Irene's shoulder and tried to avoid
noticing the slight flinch. "Whether or not you want to go back you
know you have to," he said gently. Irene nodded. "When I mentioned
it you could have still chosen to go to Sylia's safehouse. Why didn't
you?"
Irene felt funny about having his arm around her. It felt nice.
But he's just a machine right? Briefly she debated about mentioning it.
In the end curiosity go the better of her. "Why did you put your arm
around me?" she asked quietly.
Chaz squirmed uncomfortably in his seat and looked down at
Irene. "You looked like you needed someone to hold you," he replied
more calmly than he felt. "Besides, I have the only shoulder available
for you to cry on."
Irene's eye looked up into his own. "But how would a
machine know how I feel?" The second she said it she felt his body
stiffen.
He had better get used to it. Of the six people who knew, two
had reacted badly. "I am or rather I was completely human for more
than twenty-five years you know. I've had my share of emotional
situations. Being turned into what I am didn't remove my ability to feel
hurt." Despite overrides to the contrary his own eyes were filling
slightly. "It could have been worse I suppose. I could have just died."
Irene felt a wetness on her cheek. Tears? Irene didn't know
how to react. He'd been human? Than when... "I'm sorry. When Linna
said to be careful about mentioning you weren't human I though she
meant you were a boomer."
"Boomers feel emotion too you know." He watched Irene's
eyes widen. "Oh yes. Not just me. From what I understand, most feel
emotion. The one's Genom uses for combat are twisted. They only feel
anger and other dark emotions. But there are others...." His voice
drifted off.
"I'm sorry." Irene mumbled. "I didn't know." Her own
problem seemed almost trivial in comparison. He'd lost his body but
not his humanity.
"No problem," Chaz reassured her. "I have to get used to it
someday." He remembered. "You didn't answer my question."
Irene snuggled closer. He really did feel nice. "I just decided
that you were right. Grandfather really can protect me best. Besides,"
she sighed sleepily. "Genom destroyed my main reason for straying
from the family." Closing her eyes she settled into the crook of his
arm. "Plus, if I go back I can help you and Linna and the Knight
Sabers rather than.." She yawned. "..being a burden." Relaxing she felt
herself falling asleep. She hadn't felt this safe since. . .since Can died.
Chaz waited. After a couple of minutes Irene's breathing
evened out and he knew she was asleep. He smiled. He was adjusting
slowly but surely. He didn't even question it when he KNEW things
anymore. He just accepted the information. The smile died a little.
That could be trouble if he started letting the AI decide all the time
what he needed to know. Slowly he arranged Irene's jump seat into a
sleeping position. Checking quickly to make sure she was still asleep
he went back up front to check on Mackie.
Mackie was relaxing. The KnightWing pretty much ran itself.
If any of the sensors registered anything they'd sound an alarm.
Leaning back he checked on Chaz and Irene. They seemed to be
relaxed and talking quietly. He shrugged. He still wasn't sure that Chaz
wasn't a threat, but he was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt
for now. It looked like they'd be occupied for a while. With a grin
Mackie reached over and queued up a video on his side monitor. If any
of the Knight Sabers ever found out about his collection. . .He
shuddered. He didn't THINK they'd kill him. However, It WASN'T a
sure bet. He'd loaded a few videos into the KnightWing's data storage
before they'd left. It was going to be a long trip and he had to stay
awake somehow. Watching the videos, a small smile spread across his
face. Nene might not have the body that Priss did but... Heh heh. Not
that he had anything against..."You got anything on Priss in there?"
Chaz said from behind him, nearly scaring Mackie out of half a years
growth.
Chaz grinned. He'd been watching the show for a good ten
minutes now. He knew that Mackie had managed to gather video
footage on the Knight Sabers. But Whew! Where WERE some of
those cameras placed!?
Mackie slowly turned around and confronted one of his worst
nightmares. Chaz stood there openly ogling the screen. How was he
going to explain this? Then the question hit him. "What do you mean
'Do I have anything on Priss in here?'" he asked carefully.
"What part of the question didn't you understand?" Chaz
replied, not taking his eyes from the screen.
Mackie thought about it for a moment. Maybe he had looked
at this the wrong way. Chaz was a normal guy. Well, kind of. He
decided to switch tactics. "Sure, I've got some on Priss and on the
others too." He pulled up a keyboard and typed a quick command. The
computer obligingly put Priss's videos on the screen.
Chaz thought he'd blush. If he hadn't ordered the AI not to
allow it he would have. "You know what would happen if they found
out don't you?"
Mackie felt a brief chill run down his spine. "You won't tell
them will you?" he asked in a panicked voice. He hadn't even taken a
woman on a date yet. He didn't want to die before that.
Chaz watched the Mackie's face pale. "Nope. Just checking to
see whether or not you knew the consequences." He smiled. "I see you
do." He nodded towards the monitor. "You said the others too.
Everybody?" he leered.
Mackie panicked. If he told the truth Sylia might find out. If
he didn't tell the truth Chaz might turn him in. He'd try to brazen it out
first. "What, do I look like the kind of guy who spy on his own
SISTER!?" he said in an outraged voice.
Chaz nodded. "Yes as a matter of fact you do." Mackie's face
was priceless. But it was time to let him off the hook. "I said I wasn't
going to turn you in Mackie. Relax." He added casually, "Besides, I
wouldn't think Sylia would be caught too easily on camera."
"What are you kidding!? I have almost as much on her as I do
on the rest." The teen smacked himself on the forehead. He'd just told
him. What kind of pervert did Chaz think he was now?
Chaz shrugged expressively. "I really thought Nene would be
more your speed. She's closer to your age after all." Besides, I think
that Sylia probably knows. He couldn't tell Mackie that of course.
"I do like Nene. A lot. It's just that I have a hard time talking
to her." Mackie sighed. It wasn't like he hadn't tried before. "As for the
others." He shrugged. "I'm only human." Being surrounded by young,
nubile, not to mention gorgeous, women would have stressed any
male's hormonal levels.
Chaz reached over and turned the monitor to get a better look.
"No problem. If you do get caught though. I'll deny all knowledge."
He smiled. "You know...I just might be able to help you with Nene."
"Let me gather my thoughts on that first OK?" Chaz nodded
absently, still engrossed by the action on the screen. Mackie thought
about it for almost a full second. "I've gathered my thoughts. What do
you have in mind?" he asked hopefully.
Chaz waved airily. "Dinner, dancing. Nothing fancy. Just a
pleasant night out. I'll break the ice as a go-between in private. Then,
all you have to do is make sure you don't talk about anything technical
during the date."
"What if she says 'no'." Mackie asked unhappily. That had
always been what held him back. Fear of rejection.
Chaz smiled knowingly. "I know how you feel. Honest. But I
don't think she'll say no." His smile became a broad grin as his face
and hair changed to match Nene's. "Besides I think she likes you," he
said in perfect mimicry.
Mackie looked at what had been a man's face with trepidation.
"I wish you wouldn't do that." Part of his mind wondered how far
down the changes went. The rest of his mind immediately pounced on
that part and proceeded to bludgeon it to death.
Chaz's face snapped back to normal. "Sorry. I tend to get
carried away sometimes," he apologized. "The face and voice are easy.
I'm never going to fool anyone about the rest." He gestured. "The rest
of the body is packed too full to allow me to change its shape very
much."
Well, that answered that question. Mackie looked back at the
monitor where Priss was changing into her stage costume. He'd had to
do some real work to get a camera into her guitar case. "So all I have
to do is not talk about technical things?" Mackie asked as Chaz turned
to leave.
"Nope. Not unless she bring them up. Talk about how you
feel, the weather, just about anything will do." He ducked back into
the cockpit. "Oh. And you might want to avoid mentioning that you've
already seen her naked."
Mackie flinched.
Privately sympathizing with Mackie, Chaz walked back to the
cargo area. He'd been that age once too. Entering the cargo bay, he
looked down at the sleeping figure of a young woman, not all that
much older than Mackie. She looked almost childlike as she slept; all
of the worry and stress were wiped from her face.
She shivered. Chaz checked the temperature quickly. Yep, a
bit cold. Stepping to the medical center, he got out a thermal blanket.
He didn't really feel the cold anymore. He knew what temperature it
was and his body could make the appropriate reactions but the actual
feeling. . .Nope. Shaking the blanket out to it's full size, he gently
covered her. As he brushed her hair out of her face she smiled in her
sleep.
A frown momentarily crossed his face. He wondered if he
should get Sylia to cut the power to that neural stimulator. It made him
feel uncomfortable. People liked his touch. They couldn't help it. He'd
liked the reaction at first. But as time wore on, he began to wonder if it
was cheating. Deal with it later, he finally decided. He looked around
the KnightWing's interior.
Sylia had been determined to make the most of the space
available. There was the medical center, a large computer and even a
small suit repair facility had been built in back here. The armory was
especially impressive. It looked equipped to completely re-outfit every
motoroid and hardsuit. Carefully labeled lockers and cabinets, mostly
empty for the trip, had been installed in every space not allotted to
machinery or supplies. Farther back he found storage areas for
motoroids, also empty, and a smaller open area that he guessed she'd
left open for an emergency. A tarp caught his eye. Everything else
was bolted in place or strapped down. This wasn't. He walked over to
the intercom. "Mackie. I'm in the rear cargo area. What's under the
tarp?"
There was a brief silence before the teen hesitatingly
answered. "That's mine. Sis won't let me build a hard suit for myself.
I've been kind of using the suit repair facility in the KnightWing to
make one."
Chaz winced theatrically. Ouch. If Sylia found out about this
there would be hell to pay. "Mind if I take a look?" he asked.
"Go ahead. There's not much to see right now." Came
Mackie's voice.
Chaz flipped back the tarp. OK. It WAS strapped down.
Mackie just hadn't tied down the tarp. It looked like a giant set of
medieval armor had been spit in half and spread out. Half finished
pieces of myomer joints lay open and access panels hadn't even had
the doors attached yet. Even when assembled it would still be at least
twice the size of a normal hardsuit. "What are you planning on arming
it with?" He could almost hear the shrug across the intercom.
"I'm working on the ammo feed for a Gauss Minigun. But I'd
like to put in a Gatling X-Laser if sis ever figures out how they made
yours."
Chaz thought about it. "Going for the bigger hammer theory
huh?" Made sense really. The suit was too large for the sort of dodging
the rest of the Knight Sabers did. It would make a nice big target.
Mackie confirmed his opinion.
"My hardsuit isn't designed with a close fight in mind. It's a
support version. With the cannon and a couple of other things I should
be able to hold my own."
Chaz nodded absently to himself. Sounded like Mackie was
getting tired of sitting around worrying while the rest of the Knight
Sabers got shot at. He could understand that. "OK. But you're going to
have to tell her sooner or later you know."
Mackie sounded resigned. "Yeah. I kno... Holy Shit! Get up
here quick!" The whole plane dipped into a dive, forcing Chaz to grab
a rail to stay upright. Whatever had scared the teen couldn't be good.
Mackie's screen was alight. Someone down there had just
fired at them! He'd dropped into a dive and started evasive actions, but
they really didn't have the fuel to spare for that sort of thing. The
KnightWing traded speed and range for cargo capacity. Even stripped
they were cutting it close.
Chaz poked his head into the cockpit. "OK. What's with the
dying swan act?"
Mackie tried to grin. "Someone down there thought we were a
different kind of waterfowl. A high energy laser missed us by inches.
If it had hit us it would have torn a hole through the armor." Another
beam speared up from the darkness ahead of them missing even more
narrowly. "I don't even know how they're aiming at us." His
instruments finally managed to track the beam. "There they are. Must
be six of them. Looks like some kind of big water craft." He checked
his other sensors. "Yep, and heavily armed to boot. A lot of laser
cannon and what looks like a particle beam weapon." He gulped. "A
big one. There's no laser lock." Another beam passed just in front of
the nose blinding him for a second. "I have no idea how they're
tracking us." He designated a series of targets for the railguns and let
the heavy electromagnets pound away at the shooters for a while.
Chaz looked out the windscreen. Another near miss struck
through the darkness and energy estimates crawled across the HUD.
Looking past the rather large numbers, he scanned the night sky. A
clear beautiful night. Hmm. Clear night huh? "I have an idea. Drop
closer to the deck. I think they're using occluded stars to pick out our
silhouette."
Mackie nodded and dropped the nose sharply. With a roar the
engines added their power to the dive. Behind them a strike from the
laser seared the air. "Damn!" Mackie swore. "If we had some cloud
cover we could duck into that." Chaz muttered something behind him
about wishes and fishes. The plane dropped to fifty meters above the
deck and leveled off. Behind them a plume of water was pulled up in
their wake. The lasers stopped. Mackie sighed. "Do you think they
gave up?" he asked Chaz.
"I've no idea. I wouldn't have expected them to attack at all."
Chaz frowned. "But the implication is that they knew where we would
be going. They had to have blasted the clouds away in advance to
ensure a clear field of vision." Which meant someone was probably
ahead of them! "Mackie get us back into the sky quick! Someone else
is down here waiting for us!"
Mackie pulled back on the stick. "We can't do this again you
know," he said worriedly. "We're pushing the fuel margin as it is." The
plane lurched to the side as a particle beam nicked the wing leaving an
after image and a roar like thunder. "That thing strikes home and
whoosh! Sayonara." He checked his navigation. "We're almost there. If
we can make it another 200 kilometers without being hit we should be
fine. After that we can shut down the engines to some extent and coast
down." Another small hit rocked the plane. "Provided we live that
long." From somewhere in back came a wail of fright.
Chaz spun towards the sound. Shit! Irene. He ducked back out
of the cockpit in time to see Irene attempt to sit up against the bucking
of the aircraft. "Irene stay there!" Irene was either unable to hear him
over the noise or she had panicked and wasn't paying attention to
anything. Damn! Grabbing the straps that bound her, he pulled them
tight and moved the buckles out of reach. When she seemed to stop
panicking, Chaz went back up to the cockpit.
"What's the news?" he asked Mackie.
Mackie sat concentrating on his instruments. "The bad news is
we're outgunned in a severe way. We're also running low on fuel and
ammunition. The good news is the ECM system is giving them fits. Of
the five ships left ahead of us three didn't have their generators
shielded well enough. We put a hole through them wide enough to
pass a C-55. The other two have shut down their heavy energy
weapons for fear of giving their position away." He grinned. "Might
have worked too with any other plane. This one has more sensors than
you can shake a stick at." The grin dropped. "The trouble is we don't
exactly have a lot of ammo left. So there isn't much we can do to them
until we pass them and can use the tailgun."
"What about moving the ammo from the back to the front?"
Chaz jerked his thumb to the rear of the plane.
Mackie shook his head. "Even if we could, by the time you
finished we'd need the ammo where it is." He paused thoughtfully.
"What's the range on your lasers anyway?"
Chaz shrugged. "According to the computer they're fully
effective for about 600 meters, after that you might as well be
throwing rocks." High powered rocks but rocks nonetheless.
Mackie looked up. "That's not much. Probably sacrificed
range for more close in power. Would have been useful if it had been
longer." He opened the engines to full throttle. "I've been keeping the
engines as low as possible to try to shake anything they might have on
us," he explained. "But if we're going to make a run for it now would
be the best time."
Chaz shrugged. "What I know about flight tactics you could
fit on to the head of a monofilament pin with room left over." Chaz
watched as Mackie played with the engines to keep them just under
Mach One. "What is the KnightWing's top speed anyway?"
"You're looking at it. The flight characteristics go to hell after
Mach. The engines have more thrust but the KnightWing was also
designed to carry more." He waved at the screen. "That lost them. We
probably left an infra-red plume that a boyscout couldn't miss but they
thought we were going to try to maintain stealth." He looked at his
instruments. "Well, one smart boy did manage to get a missile off but
the ECM took care of it." He throttled back. "You should go strap in
and make sure Irene's OK. We'll be coming up on the airstrip in a
couple of minutes."
Chaz nodded and walked back. Irene lay on her jump seat
glaring at him. Chaz walked over and strapped in next to her.
Reaching over he loosened the strap to let her move her arms.
Irene's eyes bored into him. "About time! Was that truly
necessary for a little turbulence? I would have been fine if I hadn't
been having a nightmare. What if we'd crashed?" The tone with which
she asked implied that any answer he gave would be the wrong one.
Chaz shrugged. "I didn't have the time to do anything else.
Someone took a couple potshots at the plane."
Irene's expression changed to one of horror. "Not Genom!?"
"I don't think so. Maybe hired thugs. I really don't know."
Frustrating as that may be at times. "Anyway, we got away. Mackie
said we should be landing soon."
Irene turned the glare back on. "You Jerk! You could have
told me you know. I'm not a child."
"I know. I'm sorry," Chaz said contritely. "I didn't have a lot
of time to think about it."
Irene flashed an imps grin. "You know I could just sit here
and make you suffer, but I'm not going to. Instead, I'm going to
forgive you, like the good soul I am." This time.
The plane shuddered as the landing gear extended. Mackie
called over the intercom. "The whole area except for the landing field
is hidden from most of my sensors. From what I can detect beyond
that I'd say that there are at least fifty heavily armed men out there."
His voice took on a concerned note. "We really don't have the fuel to
take off again. So when you talk to them make it good."
The KnightWing pulled up and dropped into a perfect V-tol
landing. Chaz unstrapped and Irene followed. "Mackie's going to stay
inside and blank the windsceen. If anyone asks, I was the pilot. If
anyone mentions it, I'm completely human." Irene nodded. Chaz
pushed the button that opened the loading ramp and led the way out.
The airfield was dark, the only light coming from the landing
lights on the helicopter pad. Chaz motioned Irene to stay inside and
walked out on to the field. Mackie was right. There were at least fifty
people out there, most holding some kind of machine-gun and one
with a heavily shielded railgun. He smiled. Someone had forgotten to
cover the power cell. Mackie's voice came over his radio. "I know
you've spotted the first one by now. But did you spot the one pointing
at your chest from the other side of the pad? There are also two missile
arrays out there quite capable of blowing the KnightWing into scrap.
I've leveled the nose gun at one of them and the tail gun at the other."
Chaz couldn't make a response without giving the game away. Telling
his AI to stick to passive scans he continued to survey the area.. A few
people out there had military lasers. Not good. The railguns he could
conceivably dodge if he heard them building up a charge before they
fired. The machine guns he could largely ignore. Well, maybe not the
chaingun he heard spinning. The hand-held automatic lasers were a
problem. One or two hits wouldn't be bad but there were at least fifteen
out there. He couldn't pick up any serious sensors. So they didn't know
what he was yet. He wondered why the reception was so big. "Don't
move we have you surrounded." Came an amplified voice from back
by the first railgun. Chaz stifled a snort. No kidding.
An asian man in a gray business suit stepped out of the
shadows, his laser carbine leveled on Chaz's chest. "Where is Miss
Chang?"
"Kou!" Irene ran down the ramp and put her body between
Chaz and Kou. "What the hell are you doing?" Kou's arm twitched up
to move the point of aim to Chaz's head. "Come over here Miss Irene."
Chaz noticed that Kou's gun never wavered. Well, at least he would be
killed by a professional.
Irene didn't budge. "Kou, put that gun down. What's going on
here? This is the man who rescued me!" She seemed near tears but the
anger in her voice was unmistakable. "Is this how we treat someone to
whom we owe a debt?"
Chaz watched as a plume of infra-red sprang up around Kou.
Jeez! That pissed him off! He wondered why... Oh, of course. Stepping
back from Irene, Chaz lay face first on the ground. Mackie's panicked
voice came over the radio. "Chaz what the hell are you doing?" Chaz
cursed and subvocalized back. "We've been set up. Genom planted a
rumor of some kind. Kou is mostly afraid for Irene's safety. Everybody
here is willing to lay down their life to protect her." Which means that
he would only shoot if he thought she was in danger. "What they will
probably do is make sure it's her while I am kept in 'protective
custody'. If you or I do anything that puts Irene in danger they will do
their level best to kill us and keep Irene alive." Chaz spoke out loud.
"Irene walk very slowly towards Kou. It's all right, they're just
concerned."
Irene hesitated, then, with a steady stride, she walked over to
Kou and slapped him! "Once you find out the truth. You WILL
apologize to him!" She was led out of Chaz's sight.
Ouch! Chaz could see the imprint from her hand without
magnification. He had to give Kou credit. He hadn't flinched and the
gun hadn't moved more than an inch.
Kou gestured. "Get up slowly. Hands in the air, palms
forward."
Chaz complied. Kou, if I wanted to I could blow a hole
through you without moving my hands from this position. He had to
direct his AI not to draw a laser bead on Kou for that very purpose. X-
ray or not they MIGHT detect it.
Kou waved four men forward. The first two put a set of
handcuffs on him carefully. While he was being cuffed the second two
ran hand scanners over him. "Nothing sir." The second team called
back. "He's clean."
Kou walked forward. The field lights came on. Kou stood
before Chaz appraising him for a moment. "We received word from
our agents today that Miss Irene was set up in that incident you 'saved'
her from. Word was that the Knight Sabers had taken a contract from
the Gulf & Bradley Corporation to kill the head of the Chang family."
He paused. "It COULD be a trick to make us distrust you. We took
that possibility into account." A group of men headed for the
KnightWing.
"Don't let them go in there." Chaz said in as rough a voice as
he could. The warning also served as a message of their intent to
Mackie. His ears could just make out the subsonics his voice system
added to make the message more effective.
Kou shivered slightly but rallied. "Why not?" he asked.
Chaz looked him in the eye using the hypno at its lowest
setting. "Would you like people walking around in one of your planes
while you weren't present?"
'Sounds reasonable.' Kou found himself thinking. He shook
himself. What did he mean 'sounds reasonable?' That's the one of the
weakest excuses he'd ever heard! He looked hard at the man in front of
him. Something was not right here. His thinking was interrupted by a
voice from behind. "It's Miss Chang all right sir. She seems to be in
her right mind. She says this man flew the plane alone and dodged
some incoming fire on the way in. She's also saying she wants to
speak to her grandfather." The man looked sheepish. "More of a
demand really." Kou winced. This is where things were going to get
tricky. He half-turned to give orders. "Recall the inspection team.
Leave the plane alone for now. Put our guest somewhere comfortable.
I'll contact Mr. Chang for Miss Irene myself." Incoming fire huh? That
would explain the beams of light his men had spotted off the coast a
little while ago.
Mackie was uncomfortable. The men searching the craft had
been called off after a couple of seconds. But it had still been pretty
close. If they had thought to check the hardsuit lockers in that time
they would have found him. He could probably assume that they had
left someone at the door and a couple of people around the
KnightWing to guard it. Mackie quietly walked back to the cockpit.
The passive sensors didn't require much power and could run off the
batteries indefinitely. To use the railguns would use up the little bit of
power left in their capacitors, maybe two shots apiece. Determined to
use them if he had to, Mackie decided to settled in with his sensors to
keep watch over the watchers. Distracted by his thoughts, Mackie
walked by the armory and didn't notice an empty bin where a gun
module should have been.
Chaz was taken to a brightly lit tent stocked with refreshments
and released from his handcuffs. The guard withdrew leaving the flap
of the tent open. So they don't trust me not to try something. NOT very
reassuring. Probably Kou's standing orders. Chaz looked out the flap.
Two guards holding machine-guns sat some distance apart and were
looking into the tent from different angles. Very efficient. Even if I had
a weapon I couldn't use it without one sounding the alarm. The way
they sit makes it impossible to get both quickly. At the same time their
field of vision covers most of the tent. He smiled. Wouldn't stop me
though. I can draw a bead on both of them and fire while they watch
me. Neither one would know a thing until it was too late. Then he
spotted his mistake. Shit! They have watchers for the watchers!
Besides the two guards he could see, he could detect that there were
two more guards. He could see the signature of the power cells in their
laser rifles. And from their positions they could see the sides and back
of the tent. Anyone in the tent would have assumed that the two guards
out front were all that was there. They were certainly enough against
most people. That thought gave him a chill. They had either assumed
he was a premiere assassin or they thought he was a boomer.
Kou leaned back in his chair. This whole mess was giving
him a headache. First Miss Irene almost gets killed by a assassin
boomer. She's rescued by a man from out of nowhere. The man turns
out to be a member of the Knight Sabers. After hiding Miss Irene for
two days the Knight Sabers contact Mr. Chang and offer to return Miss
Irene. They agreed to the location of the pickup without argument.
Meanwhile an agent in Gulf & Bradley dies while transmitting the
news that all of the above is false. That in fact the Knight Sabers had
taken a contract to kill Mr. Chang. The craft lands where it was
supposed to. With, Kou admitted, sufficient caution the supposed
captors returned Miss Irene. Kou didn't believe for a second that 'Chaz'
was the only person besides Miss Irene that was on that strange jet.
However, he didn't let that worry him too much. The missile launchers
had been manually aimed at the spot where it sat. No ECM in the
world would stop them. 'Chaz' was what worried him most. Despite
the information the Hou Bang had gathered, 'Chaz' remained a
complete blank. Kou closed his eyes. Even Miss Irene hadn't been
erased as thoroughly. The Knight Sabers had never been seen to have
any male members. He wasn't a boomer. They had checked THAT
very carefully. The Hou Bang had learned the hard way to be careful
of boomers. He'd passed on all the information that he'd had to Mr.
Chang it was up to him now. He stood up. Miss Irene should be
finished by now.
Irene walked out of the communication tent. It had taken a
while but she thought she had convinced him. God! He could be so
stubborn at times. She admitted that she might have been duped at
first. But not over the course of several days. If they were actors of that
quality. . . She shrugged. At least she would be killed by the best. She
smiled. It didn't seem very likely. Humming she went to find Kou.
Behind Irene a shadow broke away from the wall and followed her.
The man in the shadow was regretting everything. If what he
was doing could be called thinking. He hated to do it. There just wasn't
really any choice. It was his family or Miss Irene. The Knight Sabers
had chosen the wrong enemy this time. His family lived in Japan.
They said they would kill them! He couldn't watch his daughter. . . He
didn't have a choice! He slowly pulled the small laser module he'd
stolen from the Knight Saber's aircraft and aimed it at Irene's back. She
was all alone. It should be easy. He wished it wasn't.
Kou rounded the corner. His mind had barely realized what
was happening before his body was in full motion. "Nooo!" he
screamed.
The shadow was startled by the noise. Without thinking his
hand clenched on the trigger. When Kou's body slammed into him it
had been too late for half a second.
Irene heard the cry and had half turned when the pain hit.
Screaming she dropped to the ground. The pain wouldn't stop! She
could feel it burning in her abdomen. Still screaming, her hands flailed
trying to put out flames she could feel burning her.
Chaz heard the cry and was moving at full speed before his
conscious mind had recognized the voice. "Irene!" Plowing furrows in
the semi-hard ground, he went through the wall of the tent, the tough
knife proof material barely slowing him. The guards on that side of the
tent barely managed to bring their guns up before he ran past them.
Kou was desperately calling for help. The man he had tackled
was fighting like he was possessed He couldn't get away to help Miss
Irene! Using every skill he possessed he tried to pull away. To no
avail.
Chaz had run over two guards and through two more tents
before the alarm began to sound. Irene was just ahead. He knew she
was. Her voice had gone hoarse in seconds but he could still make out
her moaning. Breaking into the open, he saw Irene lying on the ground
writhing in pain and Kou wrestling with someone directly on top of
him. Without breaking stride, Chaz kicked out and knocked the man
off Kou. He heard ribs snap briefly as he ran by. Then he was beside
her.
Kou didn't even see the kick. One second he was fighting, the
next his opponent lay on his side holding crushed ribs. Kou hardly
noticed him. Miss Irene needed him! Scrambling to his feet he started
running.
The pain seemed to be getting farther away. Irene looked up.
"Chaz?" She could barely feel his arms around her. "What happened?"
Her voice was soft and frightened. "It hurts."
Kou's men were running towards them with their guns drawn.
Kou yelled for a doctor and dropped to his knees beside Irene's
prostrate body. "Irene?" The question a hope and a prayer.
Chaz knew she wasn't likely to make it. The laser had blown a
hole through her lower spine, lung and liver. There was very little
bleeding but the shock alone was likely to kill her. "Irene? Irene hon
can you hear me?" Chaz felt his eyes begin to fill and quickly overrode
the impulse.
Irene was having trouble focusing. Everything was beginning
to feel cold. "Kou? Chaz? I'm scared. Hold me tighter." He still felt
good. Even through the pain she could feel his soothing touch. But
why was he holding her so lightly? "Don't stop holding me. You feel
so nice," she said sleepily. Somewhere in the back of her head she
knew she was probably dying. Odd. It didn't hurt as much as she had
thought it would.
Chaz looked up at Kou's numbed face. "Kou, I can't hold her
any tighter without hurting her. She's going into shock," he said his
voice thick and sad.
Kou just stared at the sad, tearless face across from him. How
could he have made such a mistake? Irene was dying and it was his
fault! He looked into the face of a man he hardly knew. How could I
have been so wrong?
The doctor arrived at a dead run. They had been preparing to
leave! All the equipment was packed! What was he supposed to do!?
He shoved Kou aside and was nearly punched before Kou realized
who it was. "What happened?" he said as he started pulling things
from his trauma bag.
Irene couldn't feel her legs. What was wrong? It was so hard
to think. "Kou? Where are you? Grandfather? Reika? Somebody?"
Kou took Irene's hand and held it tightly. "I'm here Irene." He
turned to the doctor and waved at the moaning man being strapped to a
stretcher. "He fired a laser at Miss Irene. It caught her in the back and
passed through to the front...."
Chaz waved his hand for Kou to be quiet. "She was shot in
the fifth lumbar vertebrae. The bone was cleanly broken. The spinal
cord is definitely severed. The beam continued through the left lung
and liver. There's no major blood loss and both the lung and the liver
have been cauterized. The lung is partially collapsed."
The doctor didn't ask. He didn't need to know. "OK roll her
gently onto the back board. We need to get her to a hospital right
away. Keep her warm. Don't let her fall asleep." He lifted a syringe. "I
can't give her anything for the pain it might make her fall asleep. This
will help keep her awake."
Kou came around. "What can we do?"
The doctor looked to Kou. "Miss Chang has to go to a
hospital immediately. If he's right the wounds won't kill her
immediately but the shock might."
Kou nodded. "I'll get a chopper we'll take her to..."
"The KnightWing has an level three med-center. Will that
do?" Chaz asked.
The doctor nodded. "Perhaps. If not, it should be faster than a
helicopter." A level three med-center was equipped for most trauma
situations. If he couldn't stabilize Miss Chang there she likely
wouldn't make it to the hospital no matter how fast they went.
Kou waved an attendant over. "Start fueling it. If we have to
leave we'll only need enough fuel to make it to Tripler Medical
Hospital." If we don't leave soon it won't matter anyway.
To his credit the attendant didn't waste time talking, he just
took off at a dead run.
Chaz called Mackie over the com-link. "Mackie prep the med-
center. Irene's been shot with a laser. We need everything ready to go
when we get her there."
Irene looked up her eyes wide with fright and growing pain.
"Chaz? Kou? Don't leave me." Her voice sounded tired. "I can't feel
my legs." Her hands gripped theirs tighter. "I don't want to die."
"That's the drug working." The doctor noted as they carried
her into the KnightWing. "It's helping her stay awake."
Kou and Chaz placed Irene on the operating table and were
brushed aside by the doctor and his team. Mackie remained to help
them with the equipment.
Kou walked off to deal with their would be assassin. Chaz
remained sat outside the KnightWing and waited. After a couple of
hours Kou came back. "What's the story on our friend?" Chaz asked
Kou quietly.
Kou looked sick. He'd been betrayed by one of his own
people. "He was in near hysterics. He kept saying he was a Knight
Saber and that he had to kill Irene." Kou took a deep breath. "His name
is Nakayama. He's been with us for years. I don't know what someone
did to him but he's been broken. He'll never be a whole man again."
He shrugged. "I don't think he ever knew who had his family."
Chaz didn't even pause to think. "Genom."
Kou didn't argue. "Probably. We'll never know for certain.
The laser he used isn't one of ours. He probably got it when he
searched your plane. He was supposed to kill her and frame you. That
much I managed to get out of him." Kou swallowed. "I'm sorry. I
misjudged you."
Chaz waved it off. "You were doing your job."
Kou looked towards the med center. "Not well enough." His
head dropped. "If your plane hadn't had a medical facility she wouldn't
have made it."
Together they sat in silence until the doctor came out.
"Miss Chang is stable. We took care of most of the damage."
He shook his head. "I don't know if I can make the nerves regenerate
or not yet. She could be crippled for life." The doctor started to cry. "I
did the best I could." He'd served the Hou Bang for years. In all that
time he'd never had a patient this important.
Kou moved to comfort the man. "It's all right we all know you
did. At least she's alive."
Chaz watched while Kou comforted the doctor like a brother.
So this was the way their organization kept loyalty. A better basis than
most, he admitted.
The doctor gathered himself returned Kou's hug quickly and
stood. "She's awake and asking for both of you." His expression turned
stern. "You've got two minutes. That's it."
Irene looked up from her bed. Kou and Chaz stood side by
side. "Did you apologize to him yet?" she asked quietly.
Kou nodded. "Yes, Miss Irene." He looked at Chaz. "I
misjudged him."
Irene sighed. "Good." She smiled a little. "That makes me
glad to hear." Her smile faded a little. "The doctor says that I need to
go to a real hospital where they can watch me."
Kou reached down and took her hand. "All the arrangements
are being made. Mr. Chang and Miss Reika will be there to meet you
when you arrive."
Irene looked up at Chaz. "Aren't you coming?" She didn't
want him to go.
"I can't stay," he said shaking his head. "For better or worse
my life isn't in the US anymore." He smiled. "But I'll call you when I
get the chance."
Irene's eyes filled with tears but she understood. She lifted her
hand and took off her ring. "My fiancee gave this to me when he
proposed. I'd like you to have it." She placed it in his palm and
wrapped his fingers around it. "Will you hold me one more time
before you leave?"
Chaz wrapped his arms around Irene and for the first time
turned up the stimulator. For half an hour he held her until she fell
asleep.
Kou and Chaz walked outside in the compound. Around them
Kou's men finished breaking down the airfield and camp. Mackie was
busy keeping unnecessary people away from the KnightWing while
they refueled it. They walked to the edge of camp away from everyone
else. They found a fallen tree and sat down to watch.
Kou finally broke the silence. "Does she know?" he asked
tentatively.
Chaz didn't feel like playing guessing games. "Yes."
"You know she loves you?" Kou asked.
Chaz shook his head. "That's just shock and loss. She needs
more right now. I can't give it to her." He raised his hand to forestall
Kou. "I care for her. But not like that. I only met her for the first time
less than a week ago. I don't really know her yet."
Kou thought about it. "I think it may be more than just that.
You came to rescue a woman you didn't know at the risk of your own
life. That shows a strength of character that many don't have."
"Wait for her to stop grieving for her fiancee," Chaz said
"then we'll talk about it."
Kou nodded gently. That was as close to a request to drop it
as he was likely to get. "On another subject Mr. Chang told me to give
you this." Kou pulled off his ring. "After Irene's gift this seems shoddy
in comparison. Still, I beg you to accept."
Reaching out Chaz accepted the ring. He looked at it. A black
signet with a gold stylized tiger on it, was held by a solid silver band.
The ring of the Hou Bang. "Why?"
"Mr. Chang told me to tell you that the Hou Bang owes you
the greatest debt it has ever been under." Kou paused to let that sink in.
"That ring is the second oldest in the family. Mr. Chang wanted me to
give you his ring. I told him I would prefer to give you mine. You are
part of the family now. And your family is also."
Chaz just looked at the ring in shock. The Knight Sabers he
meant the Knight Sabers. "I'm honored. But I can't accept for the
others."
Kou waved it aside. "Whether they accept or not the debt is
still extended to them." He smiled. "Mr. Chang would also like to
request that his new son visit him when his grand-daughter is better.
He wishes to meet the man that can so erase himself from the world."
Mackie opened the throttle and started the race against the sun
that would end with the KnightWing back in its garage before the end
of the night. He wasn't quite sure what he was going to tell sis about
this trip. The truth wasn't especially pretty. He looked in the back.
Chaz was still playing with the ring. Ah well. He'd get over it. Turning
his attention towards more interesting thoughts Mackie keyed up his
Linna videos. God! Sometimes he wondered if she was that flexible in
bed too. Probably. Not that you're ever likely to find out, his mind
pointed out. "I thought you were interested in Nene," Chaz spoke up
from behind him. Mackie nearly jumped out of his skin! "Don't do
that!" Chaz's laughter echoed through the plane all the way home.