No subject

though she had spent some time in her company, the more so because she was =

so utterly unlike the archetype of the Genom combat buma with which =

Madeleine otherwise had had to deal, and the young scientist had never =

been sure how to react to her. And now, the DA had killed fifteen people =

in the last few hours, and Madeleine had barely suppressed the shaking as =

she had made her way uncertainly forwards.

"She's quite safe, Madeleine," Domina had assured her.

It was as Madeleine approached the machine that she caught the first scent =

of shampoo, and other smells that spoke of expensive soaps, conditioners, =

and who knew what else.

"She's certainly cleaned herself up," Yoshida observed dryly, as he =

inspected Marina with a clinical eye. "I wonder where she went?"

"To a hotel room, perhaps," said Madigan dismissively. "It's not =

important. How soon can you begin?"

"Immediately," Domina answered. "assuming Camilla can interface with her =

enhanced chip."

"The boot-strap API is backwards-compatible," Camilla assured them. "There =

will be no problems."

Her tone however was tight, and she was staring at the first DA, as though =

suddenly entranced and unable to withdraw her glance. "She's--" she began =

softly.

"I would remind you of your function here," said Madigan in a cold, =

clipped tone of command.

Immediately the look vanished, and Camilla's face set into a mask as cold =

and clinical as her own.

"My apologies," she said simply. "Access can begin on your command."

"Then I'll leave you to continue," said Madigan briskly. "Both myself and =

the chairman will be watching. Do not forget."

With that, she hurried from the laboratory once more.

"Over here," Domina commanded, waving the two machines to two simple =

wooden lab-chairs that had been set side by side by her console.

Immediately, Camilla moved to her place. But Marina remained statue-still.

"What's wrong with her?" Daitokuji demanded.

He had been shooting uneasy glances at the DA prototype from the moment =

Madigan had led her into the room.

"Um...probably she needs specific instructions while in command mode," =

Madeleine suggested. "There's very little of her actually that's doing =

anything right now."

"Marina, come here," Domina tried.

The DA nodded in response, moving with a flashing blur of speed to halt =

before her.

Taken a little aback, Domina commanded her to sit beside Camilla. Again, =

the movement was a blur too quick to be seen, although the chair did not =

so much as quiver as the DA settled.

Quickly, Madeleine reattached the fibre-optics between the machines and =

the system, moving gingerly as she handled the Elite.

"Now what?" Daitokuji said.

"We link them together I suppose," said Madeleine, reaching for yet =

another cable.

"It isn't necessary," Camilla told her. "We can interface via an encrypted =

wireless link. It will be secure."

"Another of our erstwhile colleague's little secrets," said Yoshida with a =

vulpine smile of smug self-satisfaction. "Their own personal, private =

little OMS. How quaint."

Domina restrained herself from commanding Marina to splinter the snide, =

self-satisfied smirk from his podgy face.

"Shall I proceed, Zhukova-Hakase?" Camilla inquired calmly.

"Proceed," Domina responded.

"Accessing," said Camilla.

Then a moment later: "External access granted," said Marina in the same =

clipped tones as the message flashed on to both Domina's and Madeleine's =

screens.

The others had nothing to do, save to monitor: Yoshida, the buma's =

physical reactions; Daitokuji, any anomalies in the machines' sensory or =

weapons systems.

"There's one hell of a lot of data passing between them," Daitokuji =

commented. "Madeleine, what's going on?"

"I'm not sure," she said uneasily. "Camilla?"

"Integrating...net...base," she said slowly. "Please...wait."

"It's taking most of her processor time, whatever it is," Madeleine =

observed. "We should have upgraded her before we started this."

"You're sure it's not a virus or something?" Daitokuji said, seeming to be =

growing increasingly unsettled in his turn. "You're sure it's not going to =

blow us apart?"

"You were the one who claimed her power-plant was locked to two percent =

power," Madeleine snapped back uncharacteristically, her tone betraying =

her own growing concern.

"Completed," said Camilla suddenly as the packets ceased, halting the =

rising argument before it could grow worse. "What do you wish me to =

change?"

"Alter all imperatives and parameters pertaining to Genom corporation and =

its employees, to match your own defaults," Domina instructed her.

"Will that do, Madeleine?" she inquired.

"M'hmm; that should be enough," she answered.

"Searching," said Camilla.

For the next few minutes, data screamed frantically between the two =

machines, while the four sat and waited impatiently. Neither buma had =

moved or spoken since the reprogramming had begun. Camilla, Madeleine =

suggested, had probably assigned close to all of her processor time to the =

task, and Marina was in no state to offer much conversation at the moment.

"Can't you make anything of it?" Domina demanded of her at last.

"The diagnostic suite wasn't designed to handle this," she answered. =

"Perhaps Zhuranovsky-hakase changed that in a later version, but until we =

have Marina up and running again, we can't find out where she's left =

everything she took with her."

"It's a pity we didn't tell Camilla to have her bring Zhuranovsky back =

with her," said Yoshida. "That's what I'd have done."

"I'm fascinated to hear it," Domina commented with a cold smile. "I'm =

certain both Madigan-sama, and Quincy-chachou are equally impressed, =

particularly since it was Madigan-sama who told her to send the key."

Domina had never seen someone turn dead-white with greater speed.

"I think you should shut up, Yoshi," said Daitokuji, grinning at the older =

man's glare. He hated the diminutive. "You're in enough trouble for those =

unauthorised copies as it is."

"Changes completed," said Camilla suddenly, cutting off Yoshida's =

explosion before it could find escape.

"Can we test her without being blown to pieces?" said Daitokuji.

"Marina will answer direct questions, while in command mode," Camilla told =

him.

"Define your prime defaults and allegiance, Marina?" Domina commanded.

"I am the property of Genom corporation," Marina answered simply. "No =

secondary corporation has yet been defined. I serve Genom Corporation =

through the primary commands of its Chairman:" a graphic of Quincy's face =

filled the window of both consoles, "and those authorised in my system =

defaults, as defined currently by two-hundred and fifty-six priority =

designations. These are as follows."

"Abort," said Domina quickly. "define Dr. Alexei Ivanovitch Zhuranovsky's =

authorisation parameters."

"Priority three," she responded. "He may access the following functions."

"Zhuranovsky is a traitor," Yoshida cut in, before Domina could say more. =

"Both you and Camilla will cease to obey him."

"Access denied." said Marina simply.

"I am sorry, Yoshida-hakase," Camilla apologised,"but you do not have the =

necessary authority to alter default parameters. Given data obtained from =

Marina indicating anti-Genom activity, I can, however, disable =

Zhuranovsky-hakase's access temporarily, pending confirmation by the =

Chairman or special assistant Madigan."

"That will suffice," said Domina quietly, giving Yoshida a withering =

glare.

"Done," Camilla responded.

"Then I think we're ready," said Domina. "Camilla?"

"Placing Marina on-line," said Camilla.

A moment later, Marina's expression flashed to an easy smile, her head =

turning towards Domina.

"Zhukova-Hakase," she acknowledged calmly.

"Diagnostic?" Domina inquired of Madeleine.

"Just as it should be," she said. "She's up and running."

A collective sigh of relief washed over them.

At Domina's instruction, Marina and Camilla disconnected the cables, and =

rose to their feet.

"I understand that you're to be presented to the chairman in a few =

minutes," Said Domina. "After that, I'm not certain."

She turned towards the two C-55s that had remained by the door, and which, =

she assumed, had relayed everything both to Madigan, and the chairman.

These now moved forwards towards the DAs.

"You will move ahead of us," said one flatly.

"Oh! your every wish is our joy to obey," Marina responded with a wink and =

a quick flashing smile in Domina's direction, the edge of sarcasm and =

contempt it seemed, utterly lost on the two C-class machines as she moved =

to walk before them.

"Are we to be taken immediately to Chairman Quincy?" she continued, =

plainly intent on bating the two buma, and enjoying every minute of it. =

"My hair really is a mess after that flight. I don't suppose either of you =

paradigms of elegance, not to mention eloquence, happened to have thought =

to bring a hairbrush?"

"You are to be taken to Dr. Fellini's research team for disassembly, =

reconstruction and reprogramming," said the left-most C-55, a malignant =

edge to its words that indicated it had indeed caught the dismissive =

contempt in her tone, and was very far from amused. "This time, =

Zhuranovsky's influence will be removed, permanently."

"Oh dear," said Marina softly, her purring voice suddenly very low and =

calm. "That really is a pity."

The movement was too quick for Domina to comprehend. In one instant, =

Marina and Camilla were walking easily before the two machines. In the =

next, both C-55s were splintered fragments scattered almost from one side =

of the laboratory to the other. Then something blurred passed her, and =

Yoshida screamed.

Turning, her eyes wide, she saw Camilla lift him above her head, and crack =

his spine just below the neck with a single fluid twist of her hands.

"For father!" The snarl was low and full of loathing. "Should you live, =

you will remember what you have lost, and that your treachery brought you =

to this."

Her hand blurred, and Yoshida screamed again as a flash turned first his =

left, then his right eye to a blackened cinder. His ears followed, then =

his tongue.

Dropping the gurgling ruin to the floor, Camilla pivoted away from him, =

and leapt towards a frozen, gagging Daitokuji.

Gasping, fighting desperately to hold her own nausea and leaping horror in =

check, Domina turned to the door. But it was already far too late. Marina =

had welded it shut, literally from floor to ceiling. Domina stared =

stupidly for a moment, then another scream from behind made her whirl.

"No! No, Marina! Please! Please don't hurt me!" Madeleine was sobbing =

desperately. "Oh God! Please no! Please, I'll do anything! Marina, please! =

*please* don't!"

She was kneeling beside her chair, tears streaming from blue eyes suddenly =

huge with terror as she stared in petrified horror at the DA moving =

towards her.

It was as though Marina were playing with her, Domina thought numbly, the =

terrible, nightmare dread the more horrible as she remembered that it had =

been Madeleine who had been entrusted with much of the prototype's early =

social instruction, but who had been forbidden to show any real warmth to =

the girl she had wished could be her friend. As she watched, Marina =

reached down and lifted Madeleine almost gently to her feet.

"Oh God, no!" Domina prayed in sudden desperation. "Yoshida yes. Even =

Daitokuji and myself. But not warm, bubbly Madeleine. She's too young! She =

doesn't deserve to die like this.

"No!" she screamed suddenly, stumbling wildly towards Marina, heedless of =

her own danger. "Marina, please..." She choked off, staring in frozen, =

nightmare fascination.

Marina was cradling Madeleine gently to her, one hand stroking a tear-wet =

cheek with gentle fingers, the other caressing her long black hair. For a =

moment, she remained otherwise unmoving. Then lifting Madeleine in her =

arms, she leaned forwards to touch her cheek with a feather-light kiss.

"Forgive me," she murmured, almost too softly for Domina to hear. "If I =

could let you live, I would. But you know too much Genom can't be allowed =

to retain, and you betrayed him also, although I think because you were =

frightened and couldn't understand.

I'm sorry; we can't take you with us. Yet Domina is right. You don't =

deserve to die in pain."

And with that, her hand moved, and Madeleine lay lifeless in her arms.

"No! No!" Domina choked.

Reeling away, she stumbled blindly for the further end of the room. She =

did not even see Daitokuji die. He did not scream, whether because it was =

too quick, or because he had already fainted with terror, she did not =

know.

It was Marina it seemed, who was to kill her. It made a terrible sense. In =

one moment she was on her feet; in the next, she was snatched from the =

floor, and gazing into the implacable, cold face of the buma.

"You could have helped him." Marina's voice was frigid. "He loved you, and =

he offered you hope, and a chance for fame and escape."

"From Genom!" DOMINA laughed bitterly. "I let him go."

"It was not enough," said Marina.

And with a single twist, she broke Domina's neck, and dropped her lifeless =

body to the floor.

"How do we get out?" Camilla asked, moving quickly to her side.

"You have the cases?" Marina inquired.

"Everything's here," Camilla assured her.

"Then we escape via the suites behind the laboratories," said Marina =

simply.

There was a sudden rending crash from the sealed door, and a moment later =

a clawed hand tore its way through the steel.

Both DAs turned.

"Pathetic," Marina laughed, a wild exultation leaping in her fierce blue =

eyes. "What exactly do they expect will happen; that we might collapse =

with uncontrollable laughter?

Very well; let us see just what these systems can do."

Her mouth opened wide. In the next instant, a white flash leapt at the =

door, the intervening air screaming as it became in a moment a searing ram =

of brilliantly blazing plasma. A heartbeat later, the door, the two C-55s =

that were tearing it down, the ten huge BU-12BS behind them, and the six =

men and two women directing operations from the rear were gone, and the =

passage was a thunderous inferno.

"Come," said Marina, turning quickly away.

Nodding, Camilla followed her as she slammed her way through the wall at =

the room's further end. They burst out into the quarters behind the labs, =

and a moment later the thick blast-resistent glass of one of the huge =

sitting-room windows exploded in a shattering crash as the two thundered =

from the tower, their thrusters already screaming.

=91Where now?=92 Camilla flashed, unable to speak against the screaming of =

wind around them.

"Follow me," Marina commanded, unwilling to transmit the answer with even =

the faintest chance that Quincy might be able to listen.

Father had underestimated him, or perhaps it was his paranoia that had =

saved his life. It would have been so simple had they been taken to his =

office. She considered for a moment turning back to kill him, but the very =

fact that it seemed such a simple solution made her reject it. =

Anticipating father's trump, he must have anticipated also at least the =

possibility of an attempt on his life. Either he had replaced himself for =

the duration with another buma duplicate, or he had some means of =

disabling them, though how that might be possible she could not begin to =

guess.

In either case, she could not take the chance. She would find a safe =

haven, and strip Camilla to the last component. Only when she had =

treble-checked her for any hidden surprise, would she reassemble, upgrade, =

and reactivate her, and have her perform the same checks for her.

They could not risk returning to Sylia as things stood; certainly not yet. =

When they were certain they were safe, then, and only then would she =

contact Katsuhito's daughter with the proposal her father's new data =

suggested she might accept.

"Two helicopters," Camilla observed.

Not bothering even to turn, Marina locked on to the approaching Genom =

craft, and vaporised both with a single searing pulse from the emitter in =

her left heel.

"They won't try that again," she observed.

"Are we out?" Camilla asked.

"Soon, imouto," Marina assured her. "They won't be able to" =8BFlash!=9B =

"follow us once we reach the ground."

The missiles, and the buma that had just been launched towards them, were =

no more than a fireball.

Then they were plunging towards the streets below, and a moment later all =

readings from them vanished as they engaged their ECM.

 				     * * *

"Damn it!" Madigan swore vehemently as she brought her hand down on her =

thigh. "That bastard set us up! With all our planning, he set us up! Now =

we've no chance of finding them."

"Precisely," Quincy observed calmly from the seemingly immovable position =

behind the huge desk.

"But what do we do?" Madigan cried, her own voice shrilling at last with =

rage and frustration. "The damned things are unstoppable! I was so sure we =

had them."

"Never underestimate an obsessive, Madigan," said Quincy calmly. "The =

unfortunate death of Zhuranovsky-hakase's daughter unhinged his mind. His =

obsession with the DA, and its possibilities for avenging her, had him =

achieve what otherwise he could never have managed. Yet that obsession =

makes him a dangerous, although easily predictable adversary. One only has =

to know how to read him."

"Then even this--"

"As I have assured you, things are *exactly* as I intended.

"Call Fellini, and have his team begin. I want Ligeia ready before sunset. =

Oh, and be certain her physical base is altered temporarily before she is =

sent to him, sufficiently to ensure later identification by him and Liana =

is impossible. Have you recovered Daitokuji, little Madeleine, and that =

fool Yoshida?"

"It was difficult, but they were pulled out in time. There may be some =

damage to Yoshida; his death was protracted, and far from pleasant, I =

understand."

"It was to be expected," said Quincy. "He made the cardinal mistake of =

treating Marina with contempt, and I suspect she hated him almost as =

pathologically as Fellini. Not to mention that she was aware he was an =

operative for internal security.

"He will be the last test subject; Fellini believes there will be no =

further failures. He can be terminated when we are certain the transfer =

was successful. Ensure that he is sufficiently damaged before releasing =

him to Fellini. We can't afford to take chances. Have Amura prepared =

immediately. We will keep Daitokuji in reserve, although I don't believe =

he will be needed."

"Hai," said Madigan.

"Have the three delivered to Fellini, then send the twenty prepared =

prototype assassins in pursuit of Marina and Camilla, the assassins to =

become active an hour before nightfall. That should give the DAs time to =

disassemble, check, and reassemble one another; we don't want to begin the =

festivities before they're ready. Have five assassins faultless, and the =

remainder programmed to malfunction to the parameters I've defined, once =

the two DAs have been found and positively identified. See that civilian =

casualties are high."

"Hai," she answered again.

Bowing, she moved quickly to the door, and a moment later it closed behind =

her.

Quincy sat in silence for long after she had gone, a faint smile playing =

about his lips.

"Very soon my dear Sylia," he said quietly. "The game will be played out =

to the end, and you shall dance to my tune, whether you like it or not, =

until I've no longer any need to pull the strings. And then..."

He laughed again, a long low laugh of absolute self-confidence. One need =

only know how to read, and to manipulate, and an opponents every strength =

became a weakness.

With a sigh, Quincy settled himself more comfortably in his chair, and =

reaching to the independent data-pad before him, he pulled up =

Zhuranovsky's data once more on the DAs, and on the Knight Sabres.

 				     * * *

"Priss! Oh God Priss what happened!"

Linna's voice filtered slowly into the nothingness.

With a moan, Priss stirred, trying vainly to open her eyes. The lids =

seemed glued closed, and a numbing blanket of confusion seemed to be =

smothering her every thought in a timeless haze of half-dream. Very =

slowly, she forced her lids to obey her, and stared at last blearily up at =

the anxious face of the dancer.

"Oh hell! Turn off the strobes!" she groaned, lifting a shaking hand to =

cover her face. "Did you get the bastard that did this? Hope you took its =

head off. I wanna keep it. Mmmm!"

Then suddenly she gasped, and forced her eyes fully open against the =

glare.

"Oh *sh*t*!" she exclaimed softly, as memory pieced itself together. "That =

bitch! I knew it! I knew this would happen!"

"Marina?"

Linna's voice sounded like a hammer in her head.

"Turn down the volume will you?" Priss moaned, struggling to sit up. "That =

bitch! What the hell did she do to me? Where's--"

"Nene's still unconscious. We haven't found--"

"Linna, give me a hand!" Mackie shouted as he came crashing into the room. =

"Neesan's down below. I can't wake her."

"Will you be alright for a moment?" Linna asked, concerned.

"I will if that idiot doesn't split my head open with all that damn =

racket!" Priss growled, trying to sit up. "God! It feels like it's going =

to come off; I almost wish it would. It's pounding like the worst =

hang-over in history, and I feel like I've just kissed the road at 200 but =

I'll be alright.

"Go on; get down there."

While they were gone, Priss lay back once more, slowly fighting down the =

numbing stupor of whatever chemicals Marina had pumped into her. Whatever =

it was, she didn't want to have a second try. Her head and body ached as =

though she'd been moonlight dancing with a dozen C-55s whose idea of a =

tango was to kick her a hundred times in every place they could reach, and =

her eyes still weren't able to focus. At least she didn't feel nauseous.

"Be thankful for small mercies," she muttered, at last managing to pull =

herself to her knees.

A groan from Nene made her turn. Slowly she worked her way across the =

suddenly vast expanse of Sylia's sitting-room until she reached her side.

"Oh my head!" Nene gasped, struggling to open her eyes. "What happened?"

"Don't try to move yet," Priss said quietly. "That bitch shot us full of =

something, probably some experimental Genom military drug meant to take =

out half a damn army. Just keep still."

"Where's Sylia?" Nene gasped at last.

"I think Mackie found her down below somewhere," Priss answered. "Linna's =

gone down to help him bring her up."

As though to confirm this, Linna's voice came to them faintly.

"Not so fast damn it Mackie. Sylia if you'd keep still for a minute. =

You're not walking anywhere so shut up, and stop moving."

Moments later the front door closed, and a few seconds after that they =

were entering the room, Sylia carried between them. They settled her into =

a chair, then at her gesture, Linna moved to help Priss up while Mackie =

hesitated beside his sister for a moment before a glare from her made him =

hurry to Nene's side.

"I'm alright damn it," Priss growled fiercely as Linna half helped, half =

carried her to the sofa before moving back to help Mackie carry Nene.

The smallest of the Knight Sabres seemed barely conscious, and gasped with =

pain as they lifted her.

"What the hell did she do to us?" Priss demanded in a shaky voice.

Her pulse should be racing, and sweat should be pouring from her she was =

sure. Instead, her heart beat slowly, and gently, and the numb, blanketing =

blackness was threatening to take her again at any second.

"Some kind of narcotic, laced with a beta blocker, and heaven knows what =

else," Sylia answered.

"A reasonable guess, but not quite correct," came a voice from beyond the =

remains of Sylia's bay windows.

The curtains were pushed aside, and Marina moved with a fluid blur of =

speed to stand before Sylia.

"We have very little time," she said.

Her hand flashed, and Sylia gasped as Marina's index finger touched her =

neck once more. Almost immediately the pain, and numbness began to ease =

with astonishing speed, and strength began quickly to return to her.

"Don'--" Was all Priss could manage before Marina had dealt with her and =

Nene in the same way.

"Oneechan, we should go," Came another voice urgently from beyond the =

curtains.

"In a moment," she answered. "I owe them an apology, and I won't leave =

until I've explained.

"I'm sorry for deceiving you," she said sincerely, bowing formally to each =

of the four in turn. "In my defence, I can assure you only that I had no =

more idea than you as to father's intentions."

"You expect us to believe that?" Priss snarled.

"Believe what you will," Marina answered quickly. "I haven't time now to =

argue.

"The key, at least that which Camilla was given, unlocked everything he =

dared not tell me earlier, together with a great deal of additional data. =

The decision to drug you was my own, but I could think of no other way to =

prevent you either fleeing before I could correct the misconception that =

I'd betrayed you, or attempting to recover or destroy me before I could =

rescue Camilla. I had only two choices, either to assume control of =

Camilla's body remotely, and have her tear her way from the tower, or =

allow them to believe I was theirs. The second seemed by far the better, =

particularly since Father had planned for that scenario, and in light of =

the limitations they'd placed on Camilla's power-plant.

"Also, I had to ensure no more development could take place concerning the =

DA-series buma, at least through Father's half of the project. Fellini is =

another matter, but I've no time now to explain.

"We killed the remaining scientists of Father's team, and destroyed the =

project data Kosuke Yoshida had stolen. Tousan knew he would try; Yoshida =

was a spy for Genom internal security. He erased Camilla's driver kernel, =

and made sure the copy Yoshida had taken was modified to give me override =

access. That made it possible for me to free her without the need to close =

her net, something otherwise I couldn't have done without her trying to =

warn the OMS, or closing down to prevent it.

"There was also the possibility that Quincy might guess at what Father =

intended. He made allowances for that contingency also.

"But the real danger is still out there, and it's growing closer with =

every hour I delay. I have to be quick.

"May I use this?"

Without waiting for an answer, Marina moved to Sylia's console, and =

lifting a data-pad, she fished out a clean disk from the box beside it, =

and slipped it into the slot. A moment later she had connected a cable =

from it to her wrist port, and had begun a dump.

"Oneechan!" cried the voice urgently once more.

"A few moments," she answered.

"This contains alterations, and additions to the data you already =

possess," she continued, pulling out the cable, and dropping the pad back =

to its place. "also everything I haven't time now to tell you, and clues =

as to where to find us, should something go wrong. I'm sorry I can't =

explain, or risk telling you more, even here where all reason tells us =

we're secure. But we've risked already both ourselves and your lives by =

coming back so soon, and we have to go! We may already be too late, and =

every minute is vital!

"Farewell Sylia. Farewell all of you, and forgive me for what was =

unavoidable. Believe what you choose Priss, but look for us when you least =

expect it, and when you most need help. We shall not be far away. =

Farewell."

And with that, she was gone, the curtains whipping aside, and falling back =

once more.

The four women and the stunned youth beside them did not catch so much as =

a glimpse of her companion, before the roar of thrusters and a woosh as =

the curtains moved a little signalled their departure.

"And if you believe that" said Priss darkly, "you'd believe anything."

Sylia did not answer.

 				     * * *

The Demon's Kiss was a place as dark, and depraved as the name suggested. =

Not that such places were unfamiliar to him, although he had never dabbled =

in the trade in illegal drugs, cybernetics, and the ever present human =

flesh, alive, or otherwise, for which such rat-holes were infamous. =

Weapons he had bought for personal use, or for those clients he knew he =

could trust not to misuse, or re-sell them, but nothing more. Appearances =

might be everything but he intended to stay alive, sane, and as discreet =

as he could. He had always valued such virtues, the more so since the =

beginning of his dealings with the Knight Sabres.

Now Fargo sat, the false dawn invisible through the smoke and the grimy =

windows, watching a tiny part of the ruins of MegaTokyo's crawling =

population as they danced, or sprawled in drugged or drunken oblivion, or =

moved about, aimlessly or otherwise as they sought a part of the traffic =

in goods or varying depravities. This was the edge of the Canyons, and =

even the ADP tended to leave it alone, save for the occasional foray in =

strength.

"Tachi?"

The voice startled him. He had let his mind wander, his thoughts straying =

again to the battered nondescript bag he carried, in which already lay =

enough to seal his death should a very particular Genom scientist, Genom =

security, or the figure now approaching him guess at what it contained.

Turning, he regarded the man who had addressed him, his expression =

carefully neutral in contrast to the turmoil in his mind, his left hand on =

the table while his right clutched fiercely about the Earth-shaker he had =

already manoeuvred to punch a heavy round through the dirty trench-coat, =

and into the man who was moving to seat himself on the further side of the =

table, should it prove necessary. The other would be doing the same, he =

was sure, but he was equally sure he would be quicker, particularly given =

his current situation. Desperation made one sharp, or careless.

Hiding the gnawing terror, he forced his attention to the figure before =

him.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, his eyes never leaving the other's face, and =

his voice mercifully steady. "you must be mistaken. There is no Tachi =

here."

"Good," said the other simply, relaxing his guard, and reaching for a =

cigarette. "Join me?" he inquired.

Without a word, Fargo reached for the proffered pack with his left hand, =

his right never relaxing its hold on the pistol.

"Calm," he commanded himself fiercely under his breath. "He isn't the =

danger. ; calm, at least until this meeting is over."

"I assume I will deal only with you?" The other continued, his hand still =

resting on the packet.

He smiled coldly, and blew a slow plume of smoke that temporarily shrouded =

his features.

Fargo nodded wordlessly in response, clamping down viciously on the terror =

that had leapt absurdly high at the other's frigid smile.

"The data is here," The man continued simply, relaxing his hold, and =

sliding the cigarettes easily across the table. "Provide it to them in =

whatever form you wish, but see that you do it quickly. We want everything =

they can obtain concerning Genom's knew prototype, and a very particular =

scientist, and we are prepared to pay handsomely for their services. The =

man they are to find is still alive so far as we can ascertain, but he =

will certainly not live beyond the project's completion, and we know that =

that isn't far away. His name is Dr. Antonio Geovani Fellini, and since =

sunrise he has been the most dangerous man on the planet."

Fargo sat unmoving, listening in numb, shocked silence as the agent =

confirmed a very little of what he had known long before their meeting, =

his face fixed in a barely-contained neutrality, until at last the man =

fell silent, and moved to retrieve his cigarettes. The fixer had already =

slipped the data-chip from the packet with nerveless fingers.

"Hardcopy?" he managed, his tone still not betraying him.

"Everything is contained on that," said the other simply. "Not usual =

perhaps, but safer given the nature of the information we have given you."

And the nature of what we may be dealing with, Fargo thought with a =

horrible lurching of the fear. `Oh God Sylia if this is true--! Yet it is =

impossible. It *can't* be possible! Not even Genom--!'

"Twelve million will be deposited when we are notified that our offer has =

been accepted," The other was saying while he sat, barely listening. =

"Payment beyond that will depend on the nature of the information we =

receive, and how quickly they can act. Our contact inside Genom assures us =

that Fellini has maintained extensive private records concerning every =

aspect of the project."

And more, Fargo thought grimly, with another shudder.

"These are to be found in the laboratory beneath the mansion on his family =

estate. He lives alone save for Liana, his only child, and assistant, and =

both have spent the greater part of the past four months within Genom =

tower. The house has remained unattended for nearly fifteen days."

"And the danger?" said Fargo, his stomach knotting still more. "Obviously =

there is considerable risk, or you would have had the data without outside =

help."

He needed to know, needed this last confirmation that what he had learnt =

already was the truth, and not the insane ramblings of a lunatic.

"We have sent three teams to Fellini's estate, one two days ago, one a =

little after nightfall yesterday, and the last some four hours later. =

Neither the first nor second returned. What little the last found of them =

indicates that Fellini took more than a copy of the records. Given the =

situation, we considered the Knight Sabres the only real chance to =

retrieve Fellini's data."

Then that at least had been the truth.

"I need more; far more," he said, his tone frigid with concealed anxiety, =

"before I contact them."

"The chip contains a *very* detailed report concerning everything we've =

gleaned, and everything our contact was able to obtain," The other =

replied. "You have the facilities for examining it before you release it, =

I assume?"

"It can be arranged," said Fargo carefully. "Very well. I will contact you =

with their decision."

And after I give them a great deal more than you possess, he ended =

silently to himself.

"It's been a pleasure doing business with you, stranger not Tachi," said =

the other with a grim smile.

And without another word, he rose easily, and moved quietly from the =

table, and towards the door.

Once outside, he halted, glancing with apparent carelessness left, then =

right. No one was visible save for two street-whores dressed in little =

more than rags, their faces hidden in shadow as they lounged easily =

against the dirty brickwork of the `Kiss' some twenty yards to his right, =

and another lone girl of even shabbier appearance on the further side of =

the street, slumped in a drugged, or drunken stupor.

Nodding, he turned and moved quickly along the cracked and broken paving =

of what had once been a busy highway, reaching the corner of the building, =

and moving quickly into the alley that would take him to the black =

limousine parked at its further end, and the three men waiting there. He =

did not see the lone figure stir from her apparent stupor, and move =

silently to follow him.

The attack when it came was so quick that he had no time to begin to =

understand what was happening. In one moment he was approaching the =

alley's further end, and the light from the car. In the next something =

pierced his neck, and he was swimming in a warm fuzzy haze of sleepy =

bewilderment. His legs folded, and he crumpled to the ground, already =

unaware of anything save the all-engulfing warmth, and the faintest =

whisper of sound from the real world, now an infinite reality away.

Soundlessly, the hooded figure caught the man as he fell, and lifting him, =

she moved with silent speed towards the limousine. Those inside had =

already been dealt with in the same way. Seconds later, the man had been =

settled with his companions in the back of the car, and the figure had =

slipped in beside another. A moment later, the car pulled away into the =

early afternoon, and the alley was empty once more.

 				     * * *

Quincy stirred at the insistent call of the pager-phone on the desk, =

almost by his hand. Closing the file he was reviewing, he set the data pad =

aside, then lifted the phone without haste, and unfolded it.

"Report," he commanded simply.

"The Chang Black Operations group have just been taken, Quincy-chachou," =

Came the clipped, rumbling tones of the assassin observer.

"As I predicted?" Quincy demanded.

"She was used," The buma answered.

"And the others?"

"The clues were sufficient. They were nearby, and observed as you =

indicated they would. Lee was chosen, and has passed the Chang data to the =

Knight Sabres' contact. He did not tell him to which group he belonged."

"Then they are operating without her permission," said Quincy. "Excellent. =

It would have been a pity to have had to dispose of her."

He smiled. When Reika Chang learned of what had happened, the four would =

be cut loose, and helpless. And then...

"Very well," he continued. "Delete from your memory anything that would =

identify the Sabre contact."

"Done," The machine answered.

"The limousine is proceeding as I predicted?"

"They are being taken directly to the estate. Available data suggests that =

they have already been injected."

"It's of no consequence," Quincy replied. "Conversion takes far too long =

for them to be of any danger.

"The two?"

"Are following. They are aware of me as you wished, but they are taking =

great care to see she remains unaware of their presence."

"See that it remains that way," said the chairman. "Keep feeding data to =

the other assassins, and through the OMS sub-net. See that the primary OMS =

access to them and to yourself remains inactive while you reprogram them. =

And above all, see that all twenty are fully instructed before they are =

released. I don't want even a fractional miscalculation."

"Hai," The buma acknowledged.

"Very well. Send the data to the Chang primary domain server, tagged for =

her immediate attention, then delete everything concerning such a =

transmission. Report again when you reach the estate."

Without waiting for the buma's acknowledgment, he closed the phone, and =

settled back comfortably in his chair.

"Perfect, Zhuranovsky," he said quietly. "Now let us see just what your =

creations truly are capable, and what they will try to save the situation. =

If I'm correct, you will have very little time, once it begins. But I =

think it will be enough. He should move quite soon; certainly before this =

evening."

And with a chuckle, he turned his attention to the files once more.

 				     * * *

Suzuki Kimiko could barely contain her excitement. This day would mark the =

pinnacle of the rising from the ashes that had been a shattered, empty =

nothingness, before Divine Highness Sadako had found her, beaten and left =

for dead in an alley, and had brought her to the great high-priest's =

exulted home, and into the fold of the Dark Mistress. And tonight at last, =

would come their queen's apotheosis after so many days of waiting, and her =

power and glory would rise, to be greater than all could begin to =

comprehend, save for her chosen acolytes, and the great high-priest =

himself.

Kimiko had seemed at first a poor proposition, used as she was to being =

teased, and despised for her tiny delicate figure, and her hopeless =

inability to fight in the brutal, street-brawling fashion which was the =

only fighting the gang of dirty, ill-fed street-urchins of which she had =

been a part for almost as long as she could remember, could understand. =

She had known no other life, not since the day the terrible quake had =

killed her parents, and baby sister, and brought her life of warmth, and =

safety to a crashing, ruinous end. The canyon gang had been all she had =

known of security, of little use to them though she had been, save as a =

thief and pick-pocket.

Then had come the day, nearly six months before, when Genom had decided =

that the shattered remains of the apartment block in which they lived had =

been an obstacle to redevelopment, and the four buma had been instructed =

to go rogue in its vicinity. Kimiko had been the only one of the gang to =

survive.

At fifteen, she had found herself homeless and friendless once more in a =

city she had learned to hate with a grim, raging passion for what it had =

done to her.

When the man from the "Kiss" had offered her what he called a "position", =

she had almost accepted for the hope of money, and the chance to flee the =

hated MegaTokyo. But he had explained just what that "position" would =

entail, and she had refused and fled, knowing already what would happen.

They had found her after nightfall, and begun the beating that had left =

her shattered, and barely alive. They would have done more, but the black =

limousine had drawn to a halt almost at the alley's entrance, and the =

young high-priestess had stepped from it with her entourage. The men had =

fled before they could be identified, and Kimiko had heard the woman order =

the men to bring her, just before she had blacked out with the pain.

She had woken to find herself wrapped snug and warm in a bed in a strange =

place. Then Sadako had come to her, and told her where she was, and =

offered her a place with those who believed themselves destined soon to =

rule the world, and beyond, once the Dark Mistress had attained her =

apotheosis, and taken her rightful place as the ruler of the Earth, and =

everything thereon.

At first Kimiko thought nothing of them, or their mad religion, needing a =

safe place, and intending to stay only until she had recovered. Many of =

the tenets of the cult both sickened, and revolted her, and their =

obsessive, fanatical mania, promiscuity and open depravities did less than =

nothing to win either her friendship, or respect.

But she could wait. She had learned to deal with such things on the =

streets while managing to stay aloof from the worst of the excesses, and =

the high-priestess seemed willing to protect her from participation in the =

rituals of bonding, and submission that so repulsed her, saying that she =

was not yet ready. Just why she was doing so, Kimiko neither knew nor =

cared, but she remained confident that she could continue to avoid notice, =

and manipulate the woman with her own helplessness until she was strong =

enough to leave. Such a skill had been vital in a gang who had always been =

wary of keeping her because of her apparent physical helplessness, and she =

had learnt very early in life that her mind would have to do what her body =

could not.

Then, perhaps a month after her arrival, she had been roused from a sound =

sleep in the middle of a chill rain-swept night by the high-priestess, and =

taken to the great hall of ritual beneath the house, and there she had =

been given something that had brought her aloof self-certainty, and her =

freedom to an end. Just what had happened that night she could never =

afterwards remember with any clarity. But she had woken at sunrise, as =

fanatical and absolute in her servitude as any, and infinitely obedient to =

the high-priestess's every wish.

Her training, both as an acolyte, and a fighter, had begun immediately, =

and within a month she was both a priestess, and personal attendant to =

Sadako, and able to tear apart every one of the captured canyon refuse =

they used to test their skill.

Just how she had grown so fast, and so brutally confident, she did not =

care. All that mattered to her now was that the power of her Divine =

Majesty was with her, and within her, and in her name she would rise to =

her rightful place as an elite amongst the future rulers of the earth, and =

all things thereupon.

Kimiko stretched languidly beneath the light covering of the low bed in =

her own small room. She had remained alone on this last night, and =

morning, something that had not happened since her conversion. But today =

was the culmination of their waiting, and her mistress had commanded that =

all meditate alone during the hours of darkness, and rest through the =

morning and into the early afternoon, before they began their final =

preparations for the return of the high-priest, and the coming of her =

Divine Majesty.

Now it was time to rise, and summon her own acolyte to bathe and dress her =

for the ritual. She would be beside her mistress during the great =

summoning at nightfall, and carry the incense until it was set on the =

altar.

Smiling with a predatory, savage anticipation that would have stunned her =

erstwhile gang, Kimiko reached out in the way she had been taught, and =

felt the mind of the girl, giving it a quick, vicious tug of impatient =

urgency. Moments later the door opened, and the girl, actually nearly four =

years her senior but considered of less potential, hurried into the room, =

and knelt beside the bed.

"There's no time for--" Kimiko began, but the girl cut her short.

"Highness Kimiko. Divine Highness commands your presence."

"Then why--"

But again the other cut in quickly. "She is occupied with the =

interrogation. Four more enemies of her Divine Majesty have been taken, =

and brought to the temple. They are in the great hall."

"I can't go down like this!" cried Kimiko irritably.

"Divine Highness says she will wait," she answered. "but we must hurry."

Only a few minutes later, Kimiko passed the final guards, and stepped =

beyond the concealing hangings of the High Chamber of Ritual. Light glowed =

fitfully from the lamps set in their holders above the great altar at the =

hall's further end. Not that she needed light now. She could pick out the =

auric signatures of everyone in the room with effortless precision. All =

were visible save for the infidels, and even from them there came the =

faint initial flicker that meant that their own conversion had begun. It =

would be twelve days before they would be ready for initiation, but time =

did not matter.

Smiling savagely, Kimiko pushed her way to the front of the gathering, and =

knelt before her mistress, reaching to take and kiss her hand, before she =

rose at her command, and took her place on the low cushions at her side. =

There was, as always, a little muttering from some who considered =

themselves more qualified than the newest priestess to fill this exulted =

position. But as always she ignored them, fixing her attention on the four =

bound figures before her.

They were bound only for effect. She knew enough of the mysteries to know =

that they were of no danger in their present state. But it pleased the =

cult at large to see them helpless, whilst also pleasing her Divine =

Highness.

"Silence." Sadako's tone was low, but her voice seemed to carry throughout =

the hall, and immediately the seventeen men and twenty-two women that made =

up those present of her Divine Majesty's chosen elite fell instantly into =

stillness, their attention focussed fiercely on the high-priestess, Kimiko =

and the two other priestesses, and three priests that made up her =

entourage. Only the high-priest was missing, but he was preparing in the =

very den of iniquity that was the centre of the accursed stronghold of =

their enemies, in preparation for the night to come.

"Let us begin," Sadako continued, fixing her attention upon the four men. =

"You will answer my questions immediately, and as truthfully as you can. =

Any attempt to dissemble, or deceive me, and I shall have you dismembered =

where you lie. Is that understood?"

Kimiko knew, as did the other priests, and priestesses, that the four, her =

Divine Majesty's power already possessing them, would have been instructed =

with great care concerning the facade that was being played out here. The =

men would remain utterly obedient until woken, and there was no need for =

threats of any kind. But again, the cult as a whole needed to see their =

mistress's power.

Shivering in programmed terror, the four nodded. Then abruptly, one lifted =

his head, and snarled at Sadako.

He must be of no use, thought Kimiko, then changed her mind as her =

mistress turned.

"No!" The man obviously had been instructed to gasp. "I understand. Oh God =

please don't. No more."

Kimiko smiled as the cult growled for his blood as an example to the =

others.

"Later perhaps," Purred Sadako. "Let us finish with them first. Then I may =

allow you to play. We shall see."

And with that, the questioning began.

 				     * * *

The first thing of which Lee Hao Seng was completely aware as the dreamy =

oblivion receded was that he was cold. Then he felt the hard stone against =

his face, and hands, and full reality sprang again into being.

Wherever he was, he knew immediately that he was a prisoner. He did not =

need the dank, damp smell, and the bone-numbing, aching chill of the stone =

beneath him to tell him of the basement cell into which he had been =

commanded before the door had crashed to, and the bolts slid into place. =

His memory of the past hours was completely intact, even though he had not =

been in control of his actions.

More than any other emotion, Lee Hao Seng felt fear, fear such as he had =

never imagined he could feel, and mingling with it, so intense that he was =

not certain which was the stronger, a slow building rage and determination =

to pay his captors back a thousand times, and then some for the =

humiliation of his capture, and his interrogation.

Not that he was troubled concerning the information he had given them. Of =

itself, it was all but useless. He had known only what he had told the man =

who had called himself Tachi, and the data was now safely in his hands. =

The cult-woman's questions had been obvious, a mere showing for her =

followers. She had not stumbled even upon the connection between the data =

they sought, and the home of the Genom scientist the Knight Sabres were to =

enter.

No, it was not the pitiful scraps of information they had thus-far =

extracted that so enraged, and terrified him, but the fact that he and the =

others had been caught so easily, and rendered so effortlessly =

cooperative, and what he had seen and overheard while still under their =

influence.

Whether they thought him too drugged to remember, or whether they simply =

did not care, he had no idea. He knew only that he must escape before =

nightfall.

Lee Hao Seng stirred. His body felt as though it belonged to him again, =

and the all-engulfing dream-scape seemed to have vanished without trace. =

Carefully, he rose to his feet, and moved quickly about the tiny cell, =

stretching, and flexing while he searched for any form of surveillance. =

Finding nothing, he was about to settle into a calming kata when he caught =

the first faint sounds of approaching footfalls. Quickly, he moved to =

stand facing the closed door. There was not enough room to conceal himself =

behind it, or time to form any real strategy. He would have only one =

chance to leap at whomever entered, and kill or seriously injure them, =

before they could retaliate or raise the alarm. Once he was out, he had no =

clear purpose, other than to escape and call in enough force to rescue his =

companions while there was time, and before the Knight Sabres appeared to =

execute their mission.

The footsteps drew near, and Lee Hao Seng tensed, crouching low as the =

unknown man, or woman beyond the door halted, and the bolts were slid =

aside. Then the door was opening, and Lee Hao Seng was moving.

Almost before the door had been swung fully aside, he had leapt, sweeping =

the figure's legs from the floor while his right hand slammed into the =

yielding tissue of the throat. Then he was out, and racing wildly along =

the passage. There was no time now to try to find his companions. He must =

get out, and as quickly as he could.

Had he looked back, he would have been stunned to see the prone form get =

quickly to her feet, an almost inhuman mask of blazing, all-engulfing rage =

twisting her features. Chosen, or no, Kimiko swore that she would have Lee =

Hao Seng screaming for forgiveness before she had finished with him. Such =

a humiliation could not go unpunished. In the meantime, she must follow =

her mistress's commands, and see to it that he escaped with only token =

resistance. The fragments of data they had let him overhear must reach the =

man Fargo, and the Knight Sabres.

Burying her rage for the moment, a chill vicious smile filling her face, =

Kimiko turned, and raced along the passage in pursuit of the fleeing man.

 				     * * *

Dr. Antonio Geovani Fellini was very far from pleased. The previous night =

had all but seen the slow, careful revenge upon which he had worked for so =

long, come crashing to broken pieces around him. And now he was trapped =

within the tower, confined, as were the remainder of his team, by the =

actions of a nemesis he hated more than he could once have imagined could =

be possible; confined and impotent until his half of the DA project was =

brought to what that fool chairman considered a successful conclusion.

Fellini had to laugh at the bitter irony. Had that withered, senile fool =

but known... But he would, and very soon. Oh yes, the world would know and =

understand just how wrong Genom had been to dare treat his work with such =

contempt, just how much more perfect a goal his had been, than that of the =

poisonous, filthy traitor who had dared claim the acolades and prestige =

that should have been his. How they would learn, and how they would =

scream, assuming he could escape before nightfall.

Fellini cursed vehemently, and swore that he would have Alexei Ivanovitch =

Zhuranovsky screaming for death when he found him, before his conversion, =

for daring to outmatch him, and for so nearly destroying months of careful =

planning. Of all the nights his nemesis could have chosen to escape, *why* =

did he have to choose the very night before the awakening? Why could he =

not have waited a mere two more?

There could only be one reason. He had learnt of Fellini's plans, and had =

plotted to humiliate him yet again in the eyes of the world: had wanted to =

prove to him that even in his escape, he could still triumph: still take =

from him the power and glory that should have been his.

Cursing again, his mind a seething sea of hatred, Fellini stepped from the =

cramped suite that was the limit of his privacy in the quarters behind the =

extensive complex in which he and his team had been working for the past =

nine months, a complex which, as though in final insult, had been adapted =

quickly over the past month to mirror the final stages of the project of =

his nemesis.

Reaching up a lean, long-fingered hand, he slapped savagely at his tangled =

shock of wiry black hair as he moved along the passage towards the exit to =

the living quarters. It did not seem to matter what he did with it; it =

always infuriated him.

"You should cut it shorter, if it annoys you so much," Came a sudden =

amused female voice from the direction of the large communal sitting-room =

the fifteen scientists, the support staff, and the figure who had spoken =

were expected to share.

A moment later, the girl stepped from the doorway, and moved quickly to =

his side.

She was tall, taller by several inches than Fellini, slim and stunningly =

beautiful, her long flame-red hair tumbling in a wild, unruly cascade a =

little below her waist. Slashing jade eyes flashed with a chill, barely =

suppressed mirth as she studied the tight, anxious expression of the =

scientist.

"I'm not in the mood, Liana," he said simply.

"Oh?" she taunted sweetly, moving to lay a long slender hand on his arm. =

"Is Tousan consumed with a little fit of pique and pathological hatred =

again? Anxious perhaps, concerning what's to happen this evening, or that =

his daughter can't play her little part to perfection?

"You've really nothing to worry about. Those fools simply have no idea, =

and *I* don't intend to make any mistakes."

By the time she had finished, her tone was anything but playful.

"Shh! For Christ's sake!" he hissed urgently, turning to glare =

malevolently at the girl. "What the hell do you think you're doing!"

Liana's eyes went wide in exaggerated horror, her left hand flying to her =

mouth as she clicked her tongue in disapproval.

"Such a temper, and such language!" she exclaimed in mock distaste, her =

playful, condescending tone serving only to further enrage Fellini. "They =

*would* be displeased, father, were they to find out! And to me, into the =

bargain," she giggled softly, seeming unable to contain her mirth. "I =

could have you *executed* in the most inventive of ways, were ever they to =

hear."

She smiled, her look suddenly icily cold, and Fellini had to remind =

himself yet again that she was no danger. Then the amused condescension =

was back, and her slashing green eyes flashed again with mirth, her hand =

straying to his unruly hair.

"You needn't be uneasy," she purred, patting it reassuringly while he =

stood unmoving, and raged in silent frustration with her increasingly =

unpredictable antics. "You will be too useful to destroy." She giggled =

again. "and as for tonight, we can leave at a moment's notice, and I've =

already replenished our supply. The rest can be--"

"Shut...up!" he growled in a low savage snarl. "Do you want the whole of =

Genom to hear?"

"Oh dear, you really are simply too amusing," she said with a toss of her =

head. "Surely you wouldn't expect that I hadn't taken that into account?"

"Damn you to hell Liana," he said, a sudden hard smile flickering on his =

own face. "Shall we go?"

"I came to tell you that the others are already waiting. We're to perform =

one last test on that refuse, Yoshida, then prepare pretty Madeleine. Are =

you going to make changes to her? I should like to keep her undamaged if I =

can. She's *very* far from unappealing, and since your oh-so-generous =

modifications..."

She licked her lips, and Fellini allowed himself a brief relaxing moment =

of vicious self-satisfaction as the enormity of the perversion of what was =

so precious to his nemesis, and the perfection of at least this aspect of =

his revenge, was brought home to him once more.

"Not to Amura," he said coldly, the moment of respite vanishing as quickly =

as it had come. "She's as good as useless. There are a thousand candidates =

with her abilities more suited to what I need.

And as for playthings, you will have more than enough after tonight. Can't =

you wait?"

"Hmph," said Liana, pouting and glaring in return. "It's not the same, and =

you know it. I want her. You'll be keeping what remains of Yoshida for the =

control-net. What concern of yours, should I keep little Madeleine? =

Besides, I need a confidante entirely of my own kind, but malleable enough =

to be safe. With a little instruction, she should prove more than ideal."

"I *will* be keeping Yoshida," he agreed. "He might be insane after what =

happened, but he is inventive, and that quality combined with his animal =

cunning might well prove invaluable as a template.

"But as for Amura: it would be impossible, even were I to agree. Quincy =

has commanded her activation, and we can't afford the time to make a =

backup, or show our hand before we have the means to enforce it,"

Then more quietly, as though to himself: "But why Amura I wonder, and not =

Daitokuji? What is that senile old imbecile trying to do?"

"You're the genius," snapped Liana, the mockery and condescension now =

tempered by an almost palpable infantile petulance, and growing fury. "You =

work it out. But as for Madeleine; she's mine, whatever you, or anyone =

else may say."

We'll see, my viperous little ticket to absolute power, he thought.

"We'd better hurry," he said aloud, seeming to have ignored her little =

tantrum. "I want this over with as quickly as possible. We've wasted more =

than enough time as it is, and we *do* have other things to attend to =

before nightfall, or had you forgotten?"

"*You've* wasted enough time," she amended curtly. "I am *perfectly* aware =

of what *I* have to do. Shall we go?"

And with that, she turned on her heel, and stalked away from him, her head =

up and her back ram-rod straight.

Sighing in exasperation, but with a hungry triumph barely suppressed =

beneath his outward calm, Fellini hurried in her wake, a low, wild laugh =

escaping his lips as he followed her from the apartments.

As soon as the door had closed, an inspection panel slid silently aside, =

and a moment later a tiny human-like figure, little larger than that of a =

new-born child, slipped from concealment, and made its way with silent =

speed towards the rear of the living quarters and the balcony beyond.

A moment later, it leapt skywards, tiny thrusters carrying it within =

seconds to an open window upon the top-most floor of Genom tower, some =

fifty floors above. A moment later it was inside once more, and moving =

swiftly towards the office of the chairman.

 				     * * *

He was in trouble. Fargo had known that the moment the flash and crack had =

sent Lee Hao Seng tumbling from his seat on the further side of the table =

to lie in a quickly growing pool of blood on the floor of the "Kiss."

He had received the call a little over an hour ago, the voice barely =

recognisable as that of the man with whom he had negotiated only nine =

hours earlier.

"Need help. The arranged place, as soon as you can. Vital information. =

I'll be waiting."

Fargo had barely entered the hot, stifling atmosphere of the club, when he =

had caught sight of Lee waving urgently to him from a table not far from =

the door. The man had looked very little like the cold, self-assured =

operative of their first meeting. His face had been dead-white, and tense =

with pain, and his eyes had seemed barely to focus as Fargo had taken his =

place facing him.

"I may not have much time," Lee had begun. "I'd intended to call for =

back-up, but I've been followed ever since I escaped, and whatever they =

did, it's worse than it was."

As though to illustrate, his body had convulsed, and he had clutched =

suddenly desperately at his head.

"What--" Fargo had demanded.

"Shut up, and listen," The other had gasped.

And while Fargo sat stunned, Lee had filled in the last gaps in the =

knowledge he already possessed, and set a slow, sick nausea crawling =

through his stomach.

"I took a car; there were more than a dozen in the garage," Lee had ended. =

"They were ready to go; they must have planned it from the beginning. It =

was only when I reached the outskirts of the city, and the thing died that =

I realised it had been too easy. They were already waiting; knew exactly =

where I was. But I was lucky; another car. I made the driver take me; =

pulled the gun on her that I'd found in the glove-box. This."

He had lifted it to show the fixer. Then the shot had cracked from the =

doorway, and Lee's body was tumbling across the floor.

There had been some screaming, but the panic had been muted until the four =

suited figures had burst in, guns already blazing. Fargo had dived aside, =

grappling for his own heavy pistol while catching up the other that had =

spun from Lee's hand. One of the four had turned towards him, then pitched =

backwards in a spray of blood as someone shot him from a stool at the bar. =

Within another few seconds it had been over, the four men sprawled =

lifeless by the door.

Fargo had not waited to see what happened next. A steady stream of people =

were pushing their way frantically from the Kiss, and Fargo had joined =

them, shoving his way to the centre of the mass until he was out of the =

club, and moving quickly with them along the broken paving towards the =

comparative cover of the narrow alley-ways beyond. Then the particle-beam =

had sizzled from above, and Fargo had begun to run.

"Keep going. Just keep going," he told himself again.

But his lungs screamed in protest, and the blood pounded wildly in his =

ears. From before him came the reflection of yet another searing flash =

from behind, and yet more screaming told that the supposed rampage was =

still going on. Fargo knew better.

Ducking into yet another narrow lane, Fargo staggered, almost falling as =

he struggled vainly to right himself. Then from behind came a sudden =

searing hiss, and light seemed to erupt around him, and the ground left =

his feet as the explosion pitched him into the air like a rag-doll.

Crying out more from shock than pain, Fargo somersaulted twice, both guns =

flying from his hands. Then he was crashing through a pile of some =

nameless alley refuse, and from behind came a roar and crash, as what =

sounded like half what had still been standing of the building he had just =

passed came crashing into the street.

Desperately Fargo staggered up once more, glancing about in the vain hope =

of finding at least one of the pistols.

"Excuse me; did you drop these?" Came a woman's voice from behind him.

Fargo began to turn. Then something touched his neck in a feather-light =

caress, and the world dissolved into the soft, velvet blackness of a =

drugged oblivion.

 				     * * *

"Neesan? Oy; Neesan?"

Mackie's voice filtered slowly into the blissful nothingness, then his =

hand was on her shoulder, shaking her gently awake.

Sylia shifted uneasily in the chair in which she had fallen asleep, then =

stirring, she stretched slowly, and opened her eyes.

"How long have you been here?" Mackie demanded, setting down a tray, and =

reaching for the half-empty coffee-cup his sister had set aside, plainly =

hours before.

"Mm?" she inquired blearily. "Oh, since the others left early this =

morning. I was reviewing and correlating Zhuranovsky's half of the =

additional project data Marina gave us, and the hardsuit data from last =

night. I've not even started on the rest." She yawned copiously, and =

sighed.

"I must have been more tired than I thought," she continued. "I was trying =

to find a counter to the DA; anything we could use. I think it's =

impossible."

She shifted, her head lolling back wearily as she stared at the =

still-active console before her, the schematics seeming to dance in =

senseless, endless cascade before her still-weary eyes. "What time is it?"

"Nearly three," he answered quietly. "You should go to bed and get some =

proper sleep.

"Here," he added, pushing a fresh cup of tea into her hand.

"It had to happen," Sylia continued as though she had not heard him, =

lifting the cup, and sipping with little enthusiasm. "It was only a matter =

of time. I assumed though that we would have years: that such a quantum =

leap so soon was beyond current technology."

"You think the DA was designed with us in mind?" Mackie said quietly.

"There's little doubt that our presence played at least some part," she =

answered. "But no; not entirely. I think simply that we've been very =

unlucky. Zhuranovsky is one of a very rare few. Like father, he was a =

dreamer, and like father, without him the DA could never have come to be, =

or at least not for many years."

Setting the nearly full cup aside, she rose slowly to her feet.

"I'm going to get cleaned up, then call the others," she said simply. "For =

now, the other half of the data will have to wait; first we need to talk. =

Then I'm going to call Marina and Camilla, and see what they have to =

offer."

"You're thinking of including them, aren't you," he said, his tone still =

quiet.

It was a statement rather than a question.

"I don't see we have a choice," she answered, her own tone unnervingly =

calm and measured. "As I've said, they could destroy us at a whim. Our =

only chance is to keep them close where we can observe them, until either =

I can find some inherent weakness in the DA design, or Quincy abandons his =

plans to use the other prototypes.

"in which case the problem becomes less urgent, and we restore the balance =

of power, at least for a while. Not even Genom, I imagine, would be stupid =

enough to have something as devastating as a Bu-33DA go rogue in a =

populated area.

"I hope Quincy might put the escape of two of the machines down to =

experience, and not escalate the conflict further. After all, it wouldn't =

do should too many people learn that two additional Knight Sabres were =

Genom's latest military prototypes. So long as we keep their identities =

quiet, and they remain discreet, I think he might accept the new status =

quo, and things might return to some semblance of what they were before; =

at least for a while."

"Assuming they *can* be trusted," said Mackie.

"The point is moot," said Sylia simply. "If they can't, we're already =

dead. Still, we *have* already gained something. With what Marina has =

given me, I can improve our suits, far beyond what I expected to be able =

to do in the near future. We may never be able to match the DA-series =

buma, but even without her and Camilla, we can become a great deal more =

effective."

"And the balance?" he inquired. "How long will it be before Genom bring =

out another machine, and better?"

"Again, probably they won't risk another similar tactic. This was a trump =

they can't afford to play again. Removing us from the picture would simply =

have been an unlooked-for bonus in a development that will bring them =

profit unimaginably beyond their investment. Should they lose this round, =

or should we manage a draw, I don't think they'll try something like this =

in the near future. Nor do I believe they can.

"The DA heralds a quantum leap in devastating power, but there is a =

theoretical limit both to construction and materials, and I believe we =

won't see another such leap for many years, perhaps not in our lifetime. =

Also, as I said, it takes a very special kind of genius to make such =

leaps, and Zhuranovsky is dead.

"But even if I'm mistaken, Marina and Camilla would make very dangerous =

adversaries -- indeed I believe they could do almost unimaginable damage =

to Genom should they wish, and I doubt even that Quincy will wish to =

escalate the situation by antagonising them. Also, he can't risk the =

chance that they might be able to free the other prototypes if they come =

into contact.

"Still, whatever the future, we've very little alternative but to play the =

game to its end."

She sighed. "Now I'm going to have a shower, and change. You might want to =

take a look at the data I've cross-referenced so far. If they agree to my =

proposal, or us to their's, we'll need several modifications to the =

equipment they'll be using while they stay. I may not be able openly to =

use their full combat capabilities, but their ability to interface =

directly to other systems is another matter. After all, even the 33S could =

manage tighter integration with a conventional hardsuit, and their's won't =

need to be anything other than cosmetic.

"I won't be long."

And taking the tea, and also a cream-cake from the tray, Sylia moved =

quickly to the door, and left the room.

 				     * * *

"You didn't give me much warning," Nene complained miserably, staring =

blearily at the small screen as she lifted a hand to her tangled hair. =

"I'm supposed to be on night-shift this evening."

She was still in bed, having been woken by the phone, and the results of =

all that had happened the night before were still very much in evidence. =

"Can't it wait? I wan'a get more sleep."

She yawned.

"No," said Sylia simply, her own expression nevertheless softening a =

little as she studied the youngest member of her team.

Nene's red hair was a tangled cascade, and her green eyes were bloodshot, =

and seemed to have trouble focusing.

"Oh, all right," she sighed, pulling a face. "I'll be there as soon as I =

can. I don't suppose the others complained?" she added hopefully.

"I called you first," said Sylia with a sudden mock-cruel smile.

"What!" Nene exclaimed. "I could have had another few minutes."

Turning away in disgust, she lay down once more, curled up into a ball, =

and pulled the covers up over her head.

"Nene! Behind you!" Sylia's voice was suddenly almost ear-splittingly loud =

as she put her mouth to the phone.

"AIYAAGH! WHAT!" Nene shrieked, shooting bolt upright and trying to turn =

at the same time.

The bedclothes had other ideas. For a moment she flailed wildly, trying =

desperately to disentangle herself. Then with another shriek and a thud, =

she tumbled to the floor, and lay in a heap. From the phone came the sound =

of Sylia's suddenly almost girlish laughter.

"You wait!" Nene exclaimed, struggling from the tangle, and glaring at her =

image. "Just you wait!"

"Gladly; but not too long," Sylia answered.

And with another smile, and an imperious wave, she broke the connection.

"You'll be sorry. Oo! Just wait! You'll be just so sorry!" Nene fumed, her =

heart still racing as she got at last to her feet.

She glared furiously at the phone for a moment. Then her face broke into a =

grin, and giggling she began to make some sense of the bed before moving =

to shower, and dress.

 				     * * *

"Well?" Quincy's tone was cool and quiet as he regarded the tiny figure.

The buma shifted, her tiny delicate face impassive as she moved closer, =

until it was only inches from his own.

"The game is being played exactly as you predicted, Quincy-chachou," she =

answered quietly.

Her voice was surprisingly mature for a creature of her size, but the tiny =

mouth nevertheless gave it a piping, childlike quality. "Fellini is =

suspicious, but he can't understand why you chose Madeleine."

"And--?"

"Performing exactly to specifications," The machine interrupted easily. =

"Shall I replay the recording?"

"Add it to the data; I'll watch it in a few minutes," he said.

Without a word, the diminutive buma lowered herself with a fluid grace to =

a sitting position, one tiny hand reaching for the unit Quincy had so =

recently set aside. A moment later, she had attached a cable to a port in =

her left wrist, and data was streaming from her to the micro-palm-top =

beside her.

"Done," she said after a second or so, removing the cable, and standing =

once more.

She lifted her wrist, holding it to her delicate mouth for a moment. Then =

dropping her hand once more, she danced a curtsy to the chairman.

"Shall I return to Fellini?" she inquired.

"There's no longer any need," he answered. "I already have two eyes and =

two ears close to Fellini."

"Then I can go to them now?" she said, sudden excitement tingeing her =

small voice.

"Not just yet," he said. "I need to be certain that Fargo reaches the =

Knight Sabres before this evening's proceedings begin, and that will not =

be long. I imagine I can trust the two to deliver him; he has already been =

taken; but I must be certain. The Knight Sabres must already be close to =

the place they've chosen as a refuge before Fellini is allowed to escape. =

See to it, if necessary. Observe if not."

"Hai, Quincy-chachou," she answered.

"Once you are certain Fargo has been delivered unharmed, you may begin to =

track them. However, see that you remain out of sight until the perfect =

moment. Do you understand? I don't want you telling me later that it was =

an accident." Abruptly his voice was a low rumble of warning.

"I understand," she said quietly.

"Very well. You may go."

The diminutive machine curtsied once more. Then with a lithe bound she was =

across the expanse of the office, and a moment later the door had closed =

behind her.

"The final test," said Quincy quietly. "If you match, or outshine my =

expectations Sylia, then..."

And with a smile, he lifted the palm-top, and began to watch the recording =

of the interplay between Fellini and the girl everyone within Genom tower, =

save the scientist and himself, believed to be his daughter.

 				     * * *

"I can't believe it! I *really* can't believe it!" Priss was standing with =

her back to Sylia's repaired bay window, hands on her hips as she glared =

furiously across at her leader. Completely unperturbed, Sylia relaxed in =

an armchair, sipping at her tea while regarding Priss with calm implacable =

eyes. "You want to make those two...those two things temporary Knight =

Sabres! Are you serious!"

"I've never been more so," said Sylia quietly.

"Are you sure that thing didn't give you too much of whatever it was this =

morning!" Priss exclaimed. "You're absolutely crazy. There's no way I'm =

trusting one of those things. I don't give a damn what you, or them, or =

anyone else says. The things are top-line Genom military combat machines! =

Hell; they make C-55s and 33Cs look like kid's toys, and tame as a bloody =

kitten in comparison! And if you think for one moment that I'm gunna trust =

a piece of experimental Genom military combat sh*t with my back in a =

fight...! I won't do it! I *can't*! I--"

"Priss, calm down and listen." Sylia's tone was as reasonable as before, =

but her eyes showed just a hint of kindling anger. "You're already dead. =

You've been dead since Marina identified you. There is absolutely *no =

reason* for the DAs to dissemble with us. They have all they need to kill =

or take us whenever they wish."

"Maybe they're waiting for further instructions," Priss snarled back, =

something almost desperate in her words.

"Why?" Sylia answered simply. "What possible purpose would delaying our =

capture serve? Think! If they are Genom operatives, they might just as =

well take us immediately."

"And suppose they want to observe to see how we interact? Suppose the next =

batch of prototypes have Sylia, Linna, Nene and Priss written on their =

bloody packing crates?" Priss demanded, her voice rising with every word =

until she was almost shouting at Sylia.

"They already have enough data for that," Sylia answered, her own voice =

just as cool and reasonable. "Priss, you don't believe seriously that =

Genom haven't been recording every move we make during combat?

"I'm not guaranteeing anything. The fact that the DAs know our identities =

is not something to take lightly; indeed it could be catastrophic. But =

it's something we're simply going to have to accept, and something that =

was inevitable.

"Yes: the possibility exists that they're playing particular roles until =

it's no longer necessary, something for which they're ideally suited; they =

may even be unaware of that fact. But at least if they're with us, we've a =

hope of keeping them under surveillance while I search for a counter, or a =

design weakness we can exploit, assuming any such weakness exists. A =

forlorn hope perhaps, but it's the only one we have.

"But that isn't all. Don't forget that there are four more prototypes, =

waiting to be activated, and without Marina or Camilla or both, we have no =

way to identify them, and no hope of survival. And then there's the =

additional data: the second aspect to the DA project of which Zhuranovsky =

was so terrified that he died trying to reach us in time.

"It's up to you. I can't force you to agree to this, and certainly I won't =

make the offer unless I have the consent of everybody in this room. But I =

can't see any other way. We *can't* beat them as things stand Priss. There =

is no hope; none. It doesn't matter what I do to the suits. Even if I =

could upgrade them to the point at which they could match the DAs strength =

for strength, and that isn't impossible, the most important limitations =

are in here," she pointed to her head, then to each of theirs in turn. =

"The DAs are simply *vastly* faster than we could ever hope to be, and =

able to learn and adapt beyond anything we can conceive. Quite simply, no =

matter what I do with our equipment, we will *never* match them."

"Then why the *hell* did you finish putting the thing together!" Priss =

demanded almost in a shriek.

"Because it was academic whether we had to deal with Marina as she was, or =

as an Elite, and without the upgrade she could not have dealt with =

Camilla," she answered simply. "I had to work under the assumption that =

Zhuranovsky had removed all Genom influence. If he has, and the two are =

free, then we've doubled our advantage, an advantage that may prove the =

difference between death and our survival. If not, then at the least we've =

the chance to observe, and search for a fault, slim as that chance may be. =

It will give me time Priss, time we desperately need."

Priss sat silent, her red-brown eyes darting between the faces of the only =

people she could truly call a family. Nene was nodding slowly in agreement =

with Sylia's explanation. Linna, who had only seen and heard what Sylia's =

security system had recorded of the DAs' time in the apartment, sat very =

still, her expression sombre as her eyes roved restlessly about the room. =

Yet Priss felt that she too saw no other way.

To her surprise, it was Mackie who seemed most uncertain. He was shaking =

his head slowly, and his face was tight and grim as he watched his sister =

intently.

For a long moment Sylia remained, her gaze fixed intently upon Priss's =

face as she watched the struggle play itself out in the young singer's =

mind.

Slowly, Priss stirred as though to speak. Then in the next moment a faint =

sound from beyond the door to the flat brought all of them to their feet. =

The security system had not indicated any intruder, which left little =

doubt as to their callers.

"I'll answer it," said Sylia quietly.

"Not alone," said Priss, drawing the heavy pistol, and moving with Sylia =

to the door. (I know it's pointless, but it makes me feel better."

Sylia nodded, flashing her a smile as she unlocked the door, and swung it =

aside.

"Come in, Marin--" she started to say.

In the next instant she staggered back as Fargo's limp form tumbled =

against her, and slid to lie in a crumpled heap at her feet.

 				     * * *

He was alive. That was the first thought that penetrated the blackness. =

Then the oblivion was receding at frightening speed, and a moment later =

full awareness came to him, and he gasped and began to stir.

"Welcome back," said a quiet familiar voice.

Fargo started, and opened his eyes.

For one confused moment he expected to find himself in one of the many =

meeting-places he had chosen, or perhaps in some hospital or secret =

sterile room, with banks of monitors, and tubes connected to his arms and =

legs. The reality was so utterly unexpected that it seemed almost absurd.

He was seated in a comfortable armchair in what seemed to be a very =

well-appointed sitting-room, while she sat facing him across a low table, =

a cup held in one hand while the other rested lightly on the battered case =

he had carried, and which now stood on the floor beside her chair. =

Glancing passed her, he saw that they were alone in the room, and that its =

door was closed, and the curtains had been drawn.

"I must admit that of all the things I could have expected, to have you =

dumped almost in my lap wasn't exactly the most likely."

"I don't recall being given a choice," he said quietly. "in fact, I don't =

recall arriving here at all, wherever here is."

"Hardly surprising," Sylia answered with a smile, and a knowing look. He =

wasn't going to find that out, he realised. "You were drugged, and left =

here with a note tucked in a pocket of that appalling coat of your's =

assuring me that you'd be back with us in less than half an hour, the =

reason you're here, and not somewhere a little less conspicuous."

"Meaning that I'm a dangerous commodity?" he answered with a crooked smile =

of his own.

"That remains to be seen," she said. "but if I guess correctly as to why =

you're here," she tapped the case, "I should say a long, if not a =

permanent holiday might well be in order."

Fargo shivered.

"I'm sorry Sylia," he said, his tone suddenly quiet, and intensely =

sincere. "Believe me, I had no idea our connection had been so much as =

hinted at, let alone so completely compromised."

"There's no proof that it has, at least by Genom," she said quietly. "You =

have nothing to apologise for. The DAs are formidable adversaries, if they =

are adversaries."

Fargo started, staring at her in open-mouthed shock.

"You know about the DA project?" he gasped. "I was gathering information; =

I had intended to warn you before, but it was all hearsay and rumour, and =

I had no evidence. Then early this afternoon--"

"I, or rather we found out purely by chance, last night; at least, some of =

it," she said quietly. "The principle scientist, Zhuranovsky, came to us =

for help.

"However, that's not important. You say you intended to contact me about =

the project? Then I assume what you have for me is in this?" She gestured =

again to the case.

"Yes," he answered. And while she listened, he told her of his meeting =

with Lee Hao Seng.

"You think he is, or rather *was* a rebel?" she inquired.

"If my information is correct, yes," he told her. "I don't believe Reikka =

Chang had been informed of the MegaTokyo branch's intentions to hire the =

Knight Sabres."

"Mm," she said quietly. "Probably she'd have approached us directly had =

she known; we've dealt with her before.

"But that's not the reason you're so uneasy, and I'm certain that's not =

the reason Genom, if it was Genom, had Lee terminated. There's something =

more sinister: another side to the DA project of which even Marina dared =

not speak openly."

"It's all in there," he jabbed a finger at the case. "The research, the =

evidence, and a..." he shuddered, "a sample of the weapon; assuming the =

phial hasn't shattered."

Abruptly he laughed, a short hard sound. "But then if it had, I doubt I'd =

be talking to you now."

"Meaning?" she demanded.

"Meaning that quite literally, Zhuranovsky's work was only half the =

project," he said quietly.

And while Sylia listened in stark, leaping horror, Fargo told her what he =

knew.

 				     * * *

"I can't call in sick again, Sylia!" Nene protested urgently. "If things =

blow up tonight..."

Mackie had left a little over half an hour before to drive a willingly =

blindfolded Fargo to the garage, where he could remain hidden until they =

could reach Marina to see whether it was safe to let him return to the =

streets, and the others were gathered again in Sylia's sitting-room after =

having listened several times to the talk between him and Sylia. She had =

tried to contact Marina and Camilla using the encryptian key the DA had =

provided. But there had been no response, and they could not afford to =

wait.

All sat very still, numb and horror-stricken at what Fargo had revealed, =

and what the remaining data Marina had given to Sylia had confirmed. Nene =

was clutching a pad in her lap, staring at the screen as though it might =

reveal some impossible solution on its own. Linna slumped in her chair, an =

untouched drink on the little table at her side. But Priss sat clenched, a =

glass of strong wine in her hand, her face tight and closed as she glared =

out into the late afternoon.

"Nene, I wouldn't ask if we didn't need you," said Sylia quietly. Her own =

tone was, as always, unnervingly calm, but her expression was grim, and it =

was plain that she was maintaining her composure only by fierce =

discipline. "We have to take the estate tonight, while that madman is =

still occupied in the tower. And we've already lost precious time. If we =

don't... If he escapes..."

"Couldn't we warn Genom?" said linna, her voice almost shrilling in =

desperation. "If he releases those things Sylia, and we're anywhere near =

that place...!"

"What?" Priss demanded, snapping out of her apparent stupor, and whirling =

to glare in her direction.

"Perhaps," said Sylia. "but even assuming Quincy isn't aware of what =

Fellini intends, there'd be little they could do. A strike-team of combat =

buma isn't exactly what's needed, and any attempt to attack the estate =

could precipitate the most appalling retaliation. If--"

She was interrupted by the ringing of the phone.

Moving quickly to it, she answered it to see Mackie's face, his expression =

as frantic as she had ever known it.

"Six buma!" he said urgently, "about five blocks away. I'd just started =

back when the rampage began. Whatever the hell they are, they're not =

C-55s, and they're aiming at people rather than property."

"Damn!" Sylia exploded vehemently. "Tonight of all nights; assuming of =

course this isn't some diversion for our benefit!

"When--"

"I'll be there in a few minutes," he assured her.

"WE'LL be waiting."

She broke the connection, and turned to face the others.

"I think it's started," Was all she said.

 				     * * *

Madigan stood once more before the chairman, his steel-hard gaze fixed =

appraisingly on her as she waited for him to speak.

"It has begun?" he said calmly.

"The first six were activated two minutes ago, almost on the edge of the =

canyons," she answered. "They are performing flawlessly. The second four =

are waiting inside the Hot Legs nightclub, and will be activated ten =

minutes from now. That should give the Knight Sabres time to reach the =

sight of the first rampage. The third will begin their attack, starting at =

the Tinsel City bank, seven minutes after the second. The fourth have =

reported that they have found the hotel in which the two prototypes have =

taken refuge. They are ready to track them the moment the Bu-12B rampage =

begins. Do you want the building levelled?"

"Ensure as much destruction as possible," Quincy answered simply. "There =

is still no word concerning Zhuranovsky?"

"He is not with the prototypes, and the assassins have detected nothing so =

far."

"Very well. When will the transport pass the hotel?"

"Exactly eight minutes after the third rampage begins," Madigan answered. =

"The four Bu-12Bs have been instructed to destroy their transport ten =

seconds after it passes the building. They will make for it immediately =

they emerge."

"Excellent," said Quincy. "And our final trump?"

"Is waiting outside. Do you want to see her now?"

"Alone," he answered. "You know what to do regarding Fellini?"

"Perfectly," Madigan assured him, her face suddenly a mask of ice as she =

smiled.

"Very well," said Quincy. "You may go."

Madigan bowed deeply, then turning she moved quickly across the plush =

expanse of the office to the door, pausing for a moment on the threshold =

to beckon forwards the tall figure who stood cloaked in shadow beyond.

"Quincy-chachou is waiting," she said, and hurried quickly away.

A moment later the figure stepped into the room, and glided silently to =

the desk of the chairman. There she stood facing him, still as though =

carven in marble. She was very tall, and exotically beautiful, her long =

raven-black hair tumbling in a wild cascade to her waist, her face grim =

and inscrutable. Only in the fathomless dark eyes could one see into the =

soul, and in those eyes was a hatred more absolute than the chairman had =

ever seen; and it pleased him.

For a long moment neither spoke. Then slowly the tall figure stirred.

"Give me one reason I should not tear out your black heart, and feed it to =

you where you sit," she snarled softly.

Quincy stirred, and a slow cold smile spread across his face.

"The answer to that, Ligeia, is simple," he said calmly. "As with your =

namesake in Poe's tale, you will not own this body until I deem the time =

is right.

"Madeleine, I believe it's time."

And in that moment, shock filled the face and eyes, and Madeleine Amura =

began to scream.

 				     * * *

Fellini was in a pathological rage.

The tests on what was left of Yoshida had been flawless so far as the =

chairman's requirements were concerned, but for his purposes, of no use at =

all. He could not have believed that they could have been so incompetent. =

The idiots had taken too long to preserve him, and he had suffered severe =

brain-damage, with the result that the data Fellini had been able to copy =

was a broken travesty of what he needed.

He had wanted - tried to demand - that he be allowed to perform the =

experiment on Daitokuji, insisting that he could not possibly guarantee =

Amura's safe transfer without a successful test. But the chairman was =

adamant that Madeleine be prepared without delay.

Seething in impotent fury, Fellini had ordered the still inactive DA that =

had been moved early that morning to the hastily converted laboratory, =

removed from her tank, and upgraded, while the last DA-2134 prototype was =

burned with the base driver firmware, only to discover that he was to =

provide only the Amura data and an OMS bootstrap, and that the chairman =

had made other arrangements regarding the DA's initialisation.

Fellini had wanted to storm to Quincy's office, and blow the senile old =

fool's head through the window, but he had forced himself to calm. None of =

this was important. Once he and Liana reached his estate and the others, =

they would learn whom to obey. Oh yes, they would learn.

Fellini had been somewhat amused to see Liana's reaction when he told her =

what was to happen. She had stepped a pace towards him, her face twisting =

in a paroxysm of vicious, puerile rage. She had remained still for a =

moment. Then with a low snarl, she had whirled away from him, and stormed =

to where the technicians were still busy with the buma. There she had =

remained, seething in one of the blackest most dangerous moods in which =

Fellini had ever seen her, watching silently as they completed their work, =

and reassembled the DA while he had watched her, and tried to contain his =

own sadistic laughter. His revenge could not have been more beautiful.

It had taken several minutes for the ragged remains of the disguising skin =

to cover the machine once more, even under the intense radiation to which =

she had been subjected to speed the repair. Through the growth and =

activation, Fellini had remained seemingly impassive, even as his rage at =

the pointless loss of Yoshida had surged and boiled, fighting with his =

twisted contentment as he watched Liana, until it seemed that he could not =

tell which was the more potent emotion.

Even when the tall, fair-haired Ligeia had been linked into the OMS under =

the control of the simple bootstrap driver, and had risen to move to the =

door, Fellini had remained as though frozen at Liana's side, watching =

unmoving as the empty Bu-33DA-Elite left the laboratory, the door hissing =

almost silently closed behind her.

It had been a cold hand on his arm that had brought him back to the =

present at last.

Slowly he stirred, seeming only then to look again with rational sight at =

the men and women who stood now almost silent, gazing uncertainly about =

them as though awaiting some further command. For a long moment he =

remained still. Then at last he stirred.

"You may stand down for the present," he said quietly, his own voice =

seeming to him to come from some great distance.

Then without another word, he turned and stalked from the laboratory, =

Liana gliding silently beside him. Not until they had reached the living =

quarters behind the research centre, and were alone in their tiny =

three-room suite did he turn to her.

"It's time to leave," was all he said.

 				     * * *

"...and if you expect me to stand by while good men and women get blown to =

hell because you haven't the damn guts to stand up to some idiot upstairs =

whose pay comes straight from Quincy's pocket, then you know what the hell =

you can do!"

Leon McNichol whirled away, and stormed from the office.

"McNichol! You arrogant baka! Get your sorry a*se back in here!" Todo =

screamed.

Leon paid no attention.

"Idiot!" he hissed with far more than his usual vehemence as he strode =

back to his desk, and snatched up the cup of lukewarm coffee.

Tossing it back with a grimace of disgust, he dropped wearily behind the =

desk once more.

It had not been a good day. It had started with him arriving to find that =

Nene would not be on shift until that evening, which put two =

investigations of his own that required her particular talents on hold =

until he saw her. Then there had come a report of buma trouble at the =

docks, and he and Daley had gone down there to find that a Genom clean-up =

crew had been there before them, and that no one was willing to talk. Then =

in the early afternoon a call had come in concerning another rampage, this =

one near one of the dives on the edge of the canyons. Again he had gone, =

and this time there was nothing but dead bodies, and a smashed building or =

too, and some of the bodies looked suspiciously as though they had been =

shot with heavy pistols; not exactly buma ammo.

He had returned in a mood even blacker than the one he had been in all =

day, only to find that he would be doing a double shift yet again, and for =

no good reason he could see. Not that there was anything new in that; but =

today he just was not in the mood. Finally, he had learnt less than half =

an hour before that Nene had called in sick again, and there would be no =

hope of relieving the boredom with the work he wanted to do.

"Damn you to hell," he muttered again with feeling as he shot a killing =

look in the direction of Todo's office.

"Thanks; nice to see you too," said Daley with a grin as he dragged up a =

chair, and settled himself by Leon.

"Hmph!" Leon retorted sourly. "Did you ever get the feeling we're just =

wasting our time?"

"Every day," Daley answered cheerfully. "What's up?"

"Ah, the hell with it," said Leon moodily. "What the hell does it matter =

if we get our a*ses blown away? They don't give a damn, anyway."

"Well someone's in a fine mood tonight, I must say," Daily observed, still =

grinning. "What's started this all of a sudden?"

"We've had eight K-12s in maintenance for six days," said Leon. "Eight! =

And when I complain about it, I get some damn, stupid bullsh*t about funds =

available, and management of resources in relation to the current =

situation. What the hell is that supposed to mean!

"Bullsh*t!" he snarled again, bringing his hand down on the desk for =

emphasis. "We're the one's who've got to go out there and clean up Genom's =

trash for them, and I get some bullsh*t about resource management!"

Slamming down the empty cup, he rose to his feet, and stalked away from =

his desk, then back once more.

"Feel better now?" Daley inquired.

"Well, what the hell are we supposed to do?" Leon demanded as though =

really expecting an answer. "It'd serve the bastards right if things *did* =

blow up tonight--"

He stopped short as a sudden flurry of activity caught their attention.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you you should be careful what you wish for?" =

Daley observed dryly as a dispatcher came racing towards them. "I think =

your's has just been granted."

 				     * * *

Things were a disaster, but then Hiroshi Davis never expected anything =

else in this job. He knew what he was; cannon-fodder for any buma that =

decided its next particle-beam had his name on its business end.

"Sh*t, I hate my job!" he muttered without much feeling, as he peered out =

from behind the impromptu barricade he and the others had finished =

erecting a scant minute before. It was a joke like everything else, but =

that didn't matter. Hiroshi was sure it wouldn't be standing for long, =

once the buma reached their end of the street.

The truth was that he didn't much care any more. He had become numb to the =

danger once an incident began, no matter how scared he thought he was. It =

was only when everything was over that he started shaking.

They were getting closer. He could hear the whine of charging weapons, and =

the spit of plasma as the machines fired, and the cracks and screams as =

something, or someone exploded.

"Stupid bastards!" hiroshi swore venomously under his breath. "They just =

won't be told. Wouldn't matter if you beat the bastards senseless and =

dumped them on the other side of the city, they'd find a way to crawl back =

to get themselves killed."

Another scream.

"Well, that one got more of a look than he bargained for."

Hiroshi sniggered bitterly, then sobered. He was on the edge of losing it =

again. It was the adrenalin, and the fear, and the exhilaration of the =

coming fight, and the fact that he wanted to slam through the roof of =

Genom tower, and splash the chairman's brains across the plush carpet of =

his office, for screwing up so many lives.

Taking several breaths to calm himself, Hiroshi moved to climb the =

barricade. To hell with orders; he was going to get a better view. He had =

almost found a suitable perch when there came a sudden hiss from above, =

and a cruiser was turned into a fireball barely ten yards from where =

Hiroshi was climbing.

"Holy Jesus of Nazareth!" he heard his own voice scream as a second =

explosion pitched him from his precarious perch like a rag-doll.

A moment later it was all crashing and firing, and the frantic sounds of =

men and women screaming hopelessly for backup.

"Bastards! Bastards! Bastards!" hiroshi was snarling as he struggled =

desperately to his feet.

Then turning, he fled to the further end of the street. He had lost his =

gun in the explosion: not that the thing was much good, and he would only =

be in the way until they could get him into something a bit less easy to =

blow to pieces. He arrived with several others at the new lines just as =

several cruisers screamed to a halt, and the first of the helicopters =

began dropping K-12s into the fray.

 				     * * *

Leon was already out, and running as Daley pulled to a stop.

"What's the situation?" he demanded, stumbling to a halt beside a =

white-faced sergeant. It was an idiot of a question, he was sure. The =

situation would be as much of a mess as always.

"There're six of them, so far," The man panted. There was blood on his =

face from a cut just below his left eye, and he was shaking so much that =

he could barely talk. "They're not the usual C-class things from what I =

could see: smaller and lighter, and whatever the hell they are, they're =

fast, and slippery as snakes! They seem to be going for people rather than =

property: vicious little bastards; we've already lost Keen and Takahashi. =

But they don't seem to pack the punch of a '55."

"Sh*t!" Leon swore feelingly. "Just what we need! Have you--"

The rest of his sentence was cut off by an explosion, followed by the =

crash of one of the helicopters.

"Whatever they are, these bastards can fly," Came a shout over the comms. =

"Get your damn a**es under cover!"

A moment later people seemed to be running everywhere.

Cursing, Leon moved back to the cruiser, reaching it just as something =

came hurtling almost from above to crash down on the sergeant he had just =

left. Staring, suddenly frozen in place, Leon watched helplessly as the =

machine leapt skywards, the screaming man held between both hands. Then =

there was a sickening tearing sound as it cut and pulled his head almost =

negligently from his body, and sent it spinning into the ranks of the ADP, =

before pitching the body through the plate-glass of a nearby shop front, =

and soaring away.

Gagging, choking back the bile that was desperately trying to escape, Leon =

lifted his arm for a hopeless shot.

"Leon, get the hell down!"

Daley's scream just penetrated in time to save his life as he dived from =

the path of a bolt that blew a crater into the pavement on which he had =

been standing a scant moment before.

Then Daley was dragging him behind the cruiser, and away, and a moment =

later it was nearly cut in two by the flash of another shot from above. =

The resulting explosion sent the two men spinning through the air to land =

in a choking, panting heap almost under the wheels of yet another cruiser =

as it swerved wildly to a stop.

Half stunned, Leon sat up, trying desperately to shake the stars from his =

head. Then suddenly, the familiar: "Knight Sabres; sanjo!" brought him =

staggering to his feet just in time to see the four hardsuited figures =

drop from above.

"Ok you bastards," he heard from one, and smiled as he watched the blue =

hardsuit leap forwards. "let's dance!"

 				     * * *

She was in her element. This was what she needed, and tonight more than =

ever. She was just in the right mood to beat buma into a thin metallic =

paste, and it helped her take her mind off her horror at the appalling =

enormity of their situation, and what they might have soon to do.

And yet, even as she surged into battle, an additional tight unease lurked =

behind the adrenalin and the fury. Priss knew why. It was that damn =

nightmare, haunting her now because it was the first time she had fought =

since the stupid dream had started bothering her. Why the hell did it have =

to come distracting her tonight of all nights? Why couldn't it just leave =

her alone?

There were six of the things, nominally male in design, inasmuch as there =

were no obvious female features, and somewhat smaller and lighter even =

than the average for a 33C. Well, that suited her; two for each of them. =

Nene's role tonight would be even more defensive than usual, since a new =

type of buma meant her staying in the background unless she was needed, =

and gathering as much information as she could.

Grinning savagely, determined to shake herself from the lurking anxiety =

she was certain both the dream and all that had happened had precipitated, =

Priss flipped effortlessly from the grappling lunge of the machine that =

seemed eager to put its arms around her, and nailed it to the head. At =

least, that was what she intended. The trouble was that the head was not =

where it had been a split second before, and in the next instant she leapt =

back with a curse as the thing tried to sink gleaming, buma teeth into her =

armoured hand.

"Sh*t! Vicious little bastard!" she snarled. "All right! Now you've made =

me mad!"

Spinning from another lunge, she fired at almost point-blank range into =

the snarling mouth, and gasped in shock as the little thing slipped like a =

snake from her shot, slithering aside with astounding speed and agility, =

before retaliating with a lightning-fast slash of its gleaming claws that =

she just managed to avoid.

"Hey Sylia, what the hell are these things?" she demanded, pushing down =

the tightening unease with a savage shake of her head. She was damned if =

some idiot dream was going to make her paranoid in the middle of a fight.

"My thoughts exactly," Linna added.

"I'm not sure," Sylia answered, her own voice showing no sign of =

apprehension. "Some kind of covert security model I think, but =

considerably faster than usual for such machines."

"Oh great. Now they've gone and upgraded the troops as well," Priss =

growled darkly as she avoided yet another vicious swipe. "Keep still, damn =

it!" she snarled at the buma that was managing still to keep just out of =

her reach. "I've got a rail-gun spike with your name on it!"

"At least they don't seem to have the armament of '55s." Linna commented.

"Don't underestimate them," Sylia warned, her words sparking a sudden =

irrational thrill of closer and tighter fear tingling down Priss's spine. =

"They're fast, and I'm beginning to suspect that they've been upgraded =

with some of the DA combat routines. These things aren't stupid.

"Nene?"

"I can't seem to upset them at all" she answered, her tone suddenly =

uneasy. "and I'm not reading much from them either. Sylia, I don't like =

this. I think for some reason they may be running on minimal power. Be =

careful."

"I can't nail them damn it," Linna cut in. "They're too fast."

"Yeah; they're not exactly standing still," Priss agreed tightly as she =

tried yet again to take the head from the machine that was duelling with =

her. "Keep the hell still, damn you!" she cursed.

 				     * * *

Leon watched in growing unease as the fight progressed. As vicious as =

these things were, they didn't seem to be able to damage the Sabres' =

suits. He had seen them connect several times, and the machines seemed to =

have far less impact than he had expected. Even the usual beam-weapon in =

the mouth seemed a poor counterpart to the deadly C-55 equivalent. Not =

that that had helped the unprotected ADP. But what was concerning him now =

was the fact that the six machines were matching the Sabres move for move, =

and were managing to keep out of range.

 				     * * *

"Damn this, Sylia!" Priss exploded in growing frustration. The unease =

would not leave her alone, and the vicious little buma was managing still =

to keep just beyond her reach, twisting and slithering this way and that =

as though to taunt her. "Why not treble-team these things? They don't seem =

really to be able to hurt us, and I've had just about enough of the dance =

lesson and this savage little bastard trying to bite my hand off, for one =

night."

She knew it was ridiculous: that it was just the irrational fear of her =

dream scenario, coupled with the far more rational horror precipitated by =

all she had learnt in the last hour. But the fight seemed to have gone on =

for ever in her growing anxiety, and she wanted it over as soon as =

possible.

"It's worth a try," Sylia agreed.

"Which one?" Linna asked.

Sylia pointed, and immediately the three hardsuits converged on one of the =

buma.

"No! *Wait*!" The shriek caught all of them by surprise, and nearly put =

Priss's heart in her mouth.

"What the hell?" she demanded, whirling furiously towards Nene, her fuse =

far shorter even than usual. "Don't do that!"

"The others moved towards the ADP lines as soon as you started ignoring =

them." Nene answered tightly.

"Damn it!" Priss swore, the irrational unease surging suddenly to a tight, =

leaping fear.

Something was horribly wrong with this whole scenario. She could not have =

explained the sudden certainty, nor why or how she was so sure. She knew =

only that they had to finish this; they had to finish it, now.

"Oy!" she shouted, gesturing furiously at the watching ADP. "If you want =

to get yourselves killed, go do it somewhere else."

There were a few glares, but most seemed to appreciate her point, and none =

seemed eager to get too close to the fight after what had happened before =

the Sabres arrived.

"Pull back," Leon ordered, seeing what the four were trying to do.

But the words were barely out before abruptly the six machines shifted =

into close formation, and dived straight at the barricades.

"Sylia!" Nene shrieked again. "Sylia, they knew; they anticipated--"

"I know," Sylia snapped urgently in answer . Nene; stay back, and keep =

scanning. Priss, Linna; with me!"

But the young ADP officer had already leapt to join them as they shot =

forwards on furiously hissing jets.

"Got you you little Genom bastard!" Priss cried in sudden triumph and =

relief, as she caught one of the machines by the arm, and whirled it =

savagely from the ground.

The thing was lighter even than she had expected, and despite the fact =

that it was snarling like a rabid dog, and a vicious upper-cut from its =

other arm which seemed to have as little effect as anything else the buma =

had tried, Priss caught its head in one gloved hand, and squeezed with all =

the force she had. There was a splintering crunch, and a moment later the =

machine went limp in her grasp.

"Not exactly conventional, but it does the job," she shouted, slamming the =

body straight down into the path of another of the homicidal machines.

The buma was unable to avoid the collision, and was sent spinning for a =

moment before its thrusters righted it.

"They're trying to split up again," Sylia warned. "Linna, you're with me."

"No! Sylia!" Priss heard her own voice shout almost before she knew she =

had spoken. "We have to get these things while they're close together."

"What?" Sylia demanded.

"Priss, what--" Linna began in the same moment.

"Trust me on this," Priss almost snarled, with no idea how she knew, but =

suddenly utterly sure she was right. "Just do it."

A moment later she was diving to meet a buma that seemed to have chosen =

stupidly to lunge straight up towards her.

"Priss?" Sylia said again.

"Don't worry," she cried as she reached for the illusive machine. "This =

one's about to join its friend in hell!"

Priss lunged again, catching its arm in the same way as she had the first, =

with the idea of giving it the same treatment. The things seemed less =

agile in the air. Ignoring a sudden irrational heightening of a sense of =

imminent danger, she jerked upright, hauling it towards her. And she knew, =

knew with a sudden leaping certainty what would happen, a moment before =

Nene screamed a warning. Then its other arm whipped up with the speed of a =

bullet. The blow sent her spinning wildly through the air to crash to the =

pavement some fifty feet from where she had been.

Half stunned as much with the confusing horror of the surreal premonition =

as with anything else, Priss staggered to her feet. She had bitten her =

tongue.

"Sylia! Linna! Be careful!" she ground out over the comms against the =

burst of rage and the sudden rising tide of irrational panic. "Nene was =

right. These things have been playing possum."

"What!" Sylia demanded again.

Priss opened her mouth to answer, then lurched as the unreasoning fear =

stabbed her viciously yet again. In the next instant she gaped in shock as =

the machine that had just hit her dropped to a landing before her, and =

began to expand.

Oh sh*t! she thought numbly, fighting savagely to maintain her =

equilibrium. Again, she had known; somehow she had known a split second =

before it had happened. But how! What in all hell was going on?

"Sylia," she managed, forcing herself to ignore everything but the urgent =

immediacy of the fight, "we're in trouble! My sparring partner's just =

decided its growing up time."

"Sylia!" Linna's voice shouted urgently. "This one's--"

"I know," Sylia answered, her own voice at last betraying something of her =

own tension and growing bewilderment. "So are the others. Try to keep them =

on ground. I'm not sure any of this is as it seems."

You're telling me! Priss thought with something suddenly close to =

hysterical amusement.

"They're slower I think," she said, diving from the path of the beam the =

expanded Black Ops assassin, or whatever the hell it was, spat at her, and =

rolling to her feet. "Yes, they're definitely much slower, and clumsier =

too I think.

"What the hell is going on? None of this makes sense!"

The machine backed away from her next lunge, its mouth opening wide in a =

buma snarl of rage.

Priss started forwards. Then in the next instant her growing fear leapt =

wildly to a hot, savage horror, and an overwhelming certainty of terrible, =

imminent peril. In the same instant, something she could not describe =

cracked like a tearing, whip-like gunshot through her head.

Reeling, her stomach clenching suddenly in primal negation, she stumbled, =

nearly losing her balance, sure for one horrified instant that she had =

been shot, as pain and giddiness and a tight, lurching nausea nearly =

overwhelmed her, and she fought desperately to stay on her feet. Then, =

even as the buma snarled again, and lunged straight towards her helmet, =

reality dropped away, and everything was confusion and agony, and a =

screaming, giddy plunge into a vast, endless oblivion.

For a ruinous, nightmare moment Priss did not know who or where she was.

Then a high, shocked scream pierced the horror: "Sylia! Sylia, the suit's =

frozen! I can't move!"

With another shattering whip-crack that half stunned her where she stood, =

Priss slammed back to the world, only the fact that it was suddenly so =

impossibly difficult to move keeping her from pitching headlong and =

grovelling on the ground.

For a space she remained, shaking like a leaf, her heart racing, too dazed =

and stupefied to do anything other than stare in numb incomprehension at =

the sight that met her eyes.

The buma lay sprawled before her, its limbs quivering and twitching =

feebly. But she gave it no more than a cursory glance. only a little =

behind it, Nene stood very still, facing her, her suit quivering and =

shifting in tiny spasms as she tried vainly to move, whilst some five =

paces further off, Linna was poised, her suit half turned as though in the =

midst of a manoeuvre, her monomolecular ribbon hanging limp and lifeless =

behind her as she stood as still and unmoving as Nene's pink-suited form.

Shivering violently with sudden cold, trying vainly to reconcile what she =

had just experienced with what she was seeing, Priss tried to turn her =

head, only to find that the suit would not respond.

"Sylia! Sylia, what's happening!" Linna's call was strangely muted and =

distorted, as though someone had been using Priss's helmet speakers for a =

particularly savage guitar riff and had not bothered to stop at the first =

smell of smoke.

"Neesan!" Came Mackie's voice from the van, his call having the same =

quality. "I've lost almost all power here. What's going on out there!"

"Stay there, Mackie!" Sylia's voice was tight, and it was only now that =

Priss realised how suddenly dark it had become all around them.

Then she became aware of sounds: shouting and calling, and men and women =

cursing furiously. A moment later, the crash and explosion of a =

helicopter, then another, filled the sudden eerie darkness of the night.

Still shivering, Priss tried again to move.

"Sylia, this is impossible!" Priss heard Nene gasp, her voice distorted =

through the suddenly under-powered communications suite. "Everything seems =

to have lost power: us, the ADP, the bu--"

In that instant, light leapt brilliantly into being around them once more. =

Priss's hardsuit surged to life, then in the next moment warnings flared =

in her visor.

"Shut down the suits!" The command cut through her helmet like a knife, =

Sylia's voice as close to panic as Priss had ever heard it.

Priss's reaction was instinctive as she closed down the power-plant, the =

others doing the same.

A moment later, a flash and explosion to her left made her lurch heavily =

in that direction, just in time to see one of the remaining buma burst =

into a brilliant pillar of flame. There was a second explosion, then a =

third, mingled with even more shouting and cursing from the ADP.

Then there came the sudden scream of tyres, and a moment later the van =

pulled wildly to a halt almost beside her.

"In! *Now*!" Sylia's tone brooked no argument. "Use just enough power to =

move; no more."

The others did not have to be told twice.

Turning, lurching a little as the suits strained with the minimal power =

they were being given, the three followed Sylia in a frantic scramble for =

the van. They were inside, and Priss, who had been last, was about to =

close the door, when another explosion followed by sudden wild shouting =

made them turn.

For a moment all four froze, gaping in utter stupefaction at what they =

saw. In the very midst of the blazing ruin of one of the downed ADP =

machines, a swirling vortex of darkness had appeared, its ragged edges =

spitting a lurid dancing corona as it swallowed the orange glow of fire. =

Then within the growing centre of the maelstrom, human-like shapes began =

to coalesce, at first vague and ill-defined, yet solidifying with =

impossible swiftness, until with a sudden blinding flash and explosion, =

they came tumbling into the street, some screaming as they burst into =

flame, others diving wildly from the fire, stumbling and staggering to =

safety.

"What the *hell*!" Priss was barely aware that she had gasped the question =

aloud.

Then men and women were screaming orders, and in the next instant the ADP =

were racing to the still-blazing machine, struggling to pull the figures =

from the fire. For a moment, the strangers seemed too dazed and stupefied =

to react. then suddenly one of them twisted violently from the grip of the =

woman who had just dragged her to safety.

As the Knight Sabres watched, still too stunned to move, her arm seemed =

suddenly to shift and change, the fingers of her hand elongating into =

tendrils that resembled nothing so much as the thick, trailing vines of a =

plant. Then in the next instant the ADP officer screamed as the thing =

lunged at her, the vine-like fingers curling around her arms and throat.

For a moment the creature held her immobile. Then baring her teeth, she =

snarled: "You have but a heart-beat to answer me, before I rip you apart =

where you stand! Where are the honourless cowards who have brought us to =

this place? Where are the destroyers of our future, and our hope? Where =

are the Senshi?"

 				   ** ** **

Notes:

 				   ** ** **

Yep; this was number two!  Although by far my favourite of the first five =

chapters, this very nearly spelt the end of the whole thing, simply =

because it was so damn big, it needed one hell of a lot of revision, and I =

just could never get the motivation to tackle it.  SME and _Thy Will be =

Done_ alone is responsible for my managing finally to attempt it; without =

that, this would never have been fixed.

My only disappointment is that I believe I'll never write the stand-alone =

for this: the events as they would have unfolded without DC, something I'd =

very much have liked to do.  I've always believed the story could be =

superb, and deserves to be told.  I've planned it out, and know what would =

have happened.  But probably it would simply be too vast an undertaking.

 				   ** ** **