ã€ŠDreams of Hyacinth [AI Politics, Cyberpunk Techno Thriller]ã€‹


 Chapter 1

    Nicholas North ran down the alley, diving over refuse bins and rolling under gates. He could hear the shouts of the Houndstooth Customer Safety Engineers in pursuit. As he rounded a corner and burst out from the covered alley into a crowded street, Nick nearly slipped on the wet sidewalk, slick from the rain. Regaining his footing quickly, he hoped the rain would help conceal him from the CSEs chasing him. Slowing his breathing and flipping his collar up, he tried to blend in with the crowd of commuters heading home.

    The first time Nick stepped foot onto High Mars Hyacinth, he was surprised at the weather. The Orbital was so large that the huge volume of air high above him had room for the water cycle to continue. There would be clouds and then rain and then the sun of Sol would shine through the transparent gaps in the arms, warming everyone, and the cycle would begin anew. It was a small bit of planetary life here high above Mars. Now though, rainy days dragged him down. He was in space, on an Orbital high above the Graveyard of the Billionaires. It shouldn''t be raining.

    Like the locals, Nick called Mars the Graveyard of the Billionaires. Long in the past, some people with more wealth than sense back on Earth attempted to colonize the surface of Mars and remake it into a capitalist paradise.

    If failed.

    Tens of thousands of people died in the attempt, and in the end, the billionaires were murdered in their half completed colony domes by their employees, who they were very careful to point out were legally distinct from slaves. These days, nobody even remembers which billionaires it was. Just that they were stupid, killed thousands, and died for it.

    Nick dared to glance back into the crowds as he approached the metro. He could see the white uniforms of the CSEs looking around, their drones hovering two heads taller than they were, scanning people. Even this far back, the whine of the drone cast a pall over the crowds. They knew what that noise meant. They were too far back to notice him, though; it looks like Nick got away¡­ this time. Selkirk would give him a hard time, but at least she probably wouldn¡¯t be mad.

    Nick walked with the crowd as they entered the metro station and the thronged mass of people flowed like water down the stairs and escalator to the platform. As Nick reached the turnstile, he palmed a little handmade device and touched it to the reader. With a satisfied beep, the turnstile opened and admitted him. He didn''t know whose account he was using; it cycled through tens of thousands of purloined accounts. If it was a different, random one every time the chances of getting discovered was that much lower. He got it from Eastern a few weeks ago. He did not know where she got it from, but knew better than to ask.

    Nick didn''t like use the device that much anyway. He preferred to walk on the surface, but sometimes you did what you had to do. Hyacinth was too large to walk from end to end unless you were out to do it just for the sake of doing it. The current record was something like twenty hours. Most tourists did it over two or three days.

    High Mars Hyacinth was old.

    Built before humans mastered gravity, before they mastered wormhole travel, even before they launched their mighty colony ships and settled other worlds, Hyacinth was an antique. Made in the style of an O''Neil Cylinder, It was 96.5 kilometers long and 32.1 kilometers wide. The numbers weren''t nice and round because Hyacinth was so old it was built using the Old Measures. Sixty Miles by Twenty Miles.

    Rotating slowly to use centripetal force to borrow a feeling like gravity, Hyacinth had six arms that soared away from the "bottom." Three were habitation and three were mirrored to help reflect the sun into the Orbital and give a kind of day-night cycle. The Habitation arms kept parallel to themselves, and the mirrored arms would swing wider and narrower to direct sunlight into the Orbital. Originally powered by solar collectors and old-style fission reactors, these days Hyacinth used the same type of reactors as the Starjumpers and Colony ships, just a larger version of them. Centuries ago, gravity generators were installed as well. Hyacinth doesn¡¯t spin anymore.

    Out of a sense of paranoia, Nick rode two stops past his usual stop and got off with everyone. It was a major hub station at the ''bottom'' of the arm and one or the first ones people would see when they disembarked from their ships, so it was full of people not familiar with the area, walking slowly trying to make sense of the labyrinthine metro system. That combined with the commuters in a hurry to go home, Nick felt more hidden and made his way to the surface.

    Touching his ticket emulator with the purloined identity to the exit turnstile - making sure it was the same user he used for in and out - Nick exited the metro station and looked around. Congregation Square, at the very bottom of Hyacinth. If Nick turned around, behind him would be the base the arms connected to, which houses the docking rings for ships as well as most of the large scale mechanicals for the orbital. Reactors, water and air purifiers, things like that. At the base of the arms, was the administration buildings and embassies, and then Congregation Square itself. Down here, looking out towards the arms was odd. Further up the arms, it was easier for his brain to pretend he was on a planet and not worry about the odd horizon. Close to the base, it felt like he was staring at a gigantic circular building when he looked at Administration.

    The rain had tapered off by the time Nick got off the metro, and now everything was hot and moist. Doing his best to walk purposefully without looking like he was escaping something, he made his way across the square to a coffee stand sitting on the edge of the square.

    "Nick! What the hell are you doing down here? I only ever see you in Laurel. What are you doing in civilization?" Laughing, the coffee vendor was doing his best to express surprise at seeing Nick, but also enough familiarity with him so that he would be recognized as one of his regulars - ideally, enough to tip generously at the flattery.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Nick looked around, and then at the coffee vendor. He was an old human, with dark skin and a shock of curly white hair on the top of his head. "Hey, Ambrose. Is this where I can find you when you''re not in Laurel Square?"

    Ambrose nodded, his hair bobbing gently. "On Mondays and Fridays yes. Tuesday and Thursday I''m in Laurel, Wednesday is my day off, and I spend the weekend in Gladiolus."

    Nick smiled. "Well then, it must be kismet that we met. Let''s do something special. How about a Flat White?"

    "Sure thing Nick, what''s your dairy today? The usual oat?¡±

    Nick shook his head. "Nah, something special today. To commemorate a... success. Let''s go with cow."

    As he bustled to get the espresso ready Ambrose stopped. "You sure Nick? Real mammal dairy costs."

    Nick waved his hand dismissively. "I said I''m celebrating, didn''t I? Cow milk Ambrose. You know it''s the only one for the best micro foam in a flat white." Nick placed two plastic bills and a small plastic chit on the counter. Cash for Ambrose, the chit for the coffee.

    Almost faster than they eye could follow, the money disappeared behind the counter. As Ambrose worked and the pressure built for the espresso, a group of 5 tiny steam whistles sang like a tiny calliope. Everyone who knew Ambrose''s coffee cart knew the song.

    Ambrose pulled the shot and then quickly blasted boiling steam through the real milk. The sound and scent of the milk was familiar and nostalgic to Nick. Beef is a vital export of Parvati, so when Nick was young he was never far from bovines, and cow''s milk is his favorite. The price on Hyacinth normally stops him from getting it regularly, but Nick really wanted to have his flat white just the way he remembered.

    Ambrose slid over the coffee in a paper cup and the chit with it. The cash was long gone.

    "Thanks Ambrose, I''ll see you next week."

    "Take care of yourself Nick. I''ll keep the cow milk open and chilled for another 5 days. You can have another drink at a discount, so I don''t waste it."

    Nick raised the coffee in salute and turned away and walked across the square. He took a careful sip. It was almost just like how he remembered it from his childhood on the colony. The coffee grown on Parvati had a different terroir as the Terran coffee, but it was as close as he was going to get unless he spent six months rent on importing some Parvati Gold.

    As Nick walked along sipping his coffee and staying off the main roads, his phone buzzed, and his headset projected the caller ID onto his eyeballs. It was Selkirk.

    "Hey Sel, what''s up?"

    Sel had video turned on, so in Nick''s upper left of his vision he saw a small image of his K''laxi friend. She had grey white fur and her right ear had a large notch out of it. The other ear was nearly completely covered in silver earrings which would flash and shine in the sun. Below her notched ear is an artificial eye surrounded by a deep, old scar. "Don''t give me that false confidence, Nick! You were supposed to check in an hour ago and now I see you walking around Congregation with a coffee?"

    "Sel, Sel, everything is fine. Better than fine really, Chrome. I ran into some CSEs and had to lose them in the Metro. I rode down here and found that''s where Ambrose goes when he''s not in Laurel. Got a coffee to celebrate and I''m making my way back now. No stress Selkirk, no stress."

    "Yes stress Nicholas, yes." Sel flicked her ears with irritation, and he could hear the jingle of her earrings over the call. Or was it worry? "Did you get it?"

    Nick nodded and took another sip of coffee. "Course I did."

    It was in his coat pocket, and the feeling of it was much heavier than its actual mass.

    "Get back up here then Nick, We gotta hand it over to Eastern before we get paid. You know how she gets when we''re late."

    He winced when he mentioned Eastern. He did know exactly how she gets when they''re late. He also remembered that he still kind of sort of owes her for the ticket emulator still. "I''m headed back up now, Sel. I''ll be there in an hour, hour and a half. I don''t want to draw attention to myself by hustling, and I want to stay out of the Metro."

    The moment he stopped speaking, Eastern''s voice could be heard. "I hear your delaying tactics, Nicholas North and they aren''t going to work on me. I''m running a timer and for every second over one hour you are getting deducted an additional 1%."

    Selkirk just looked at Nick through the call. Her ears flicked again.

    "Ancestors Sel, I wish you told me I was on speaker. Hi Eastern, what''s up?"

    "Your ass, unless you hustle Nick. Don¡¯t think I forgot about the ticket emulator too.¡±

    "Pleasant as always Eastern, I''ll see you soon." Nick disconnected the call.

    Nick finished his flat white and tossed the cup into the trash. If he kept on the meandering path he was taking now, his phone said it would take him seventy five minutes to get back to Selkirk. If he moved back to the main street, he could cut it down almost in half to forty five. Even shorter if he took the omnibus.

    "Ugh, fine." Nick turned left and walked over to the main street. As he approached, an electric omnibus clattered and buzzed towards him, the overhead pantograph giving off an ozone smell. Cycling another identity with his emulator, he palmed it onto the reader and the doors opened. Stepping aboard, he smelled the hot electric motor, the rubber tires and the masses of people aboard. The electric omnibus was much cheaper than the Metro though it was a good deal slower. That suited Nick much better than the expensive and much more heavily guarded Metro.

    He stood in the middle of the omnibus, hooking his elbow around a pole while he read the news projected onto his eye from his pad. Nick''s world was decidedly small in the grand scheme of things, but he still liked to hear about what was going on elsewhere. The Provisional Venusian government looks like they were voting to drop provisional from their title later this year. After their emperor was ousted... and then the next Empress was ousted by the AIs, Venus decided that maybe having royalty run them wasn''t really something they wanted to do anymore. It was getting too expensive to rebuild the floating cities. Nick had no skin in their game, but he wished them luck. He wasn''t in Sol when that whole business with Empress Melody happened a decade back or so, but he asked some old timers about it once when he was curious and anyone that actually had an opinion had figured she was nice enough and that the AI faction was too harsh.

    Before too long, Nick reached his stop, just outside of Laurel Square. He pressed on the tape that ran along the top of the omnibus to signal a stop, and as the vehicle rattled and clattered to a stop be pressed his palmed emulator to the reader and the back door hissed open.

    Stepping out into the moist and misty evening, Nick started down the alley towards the meeting place.

 Chapter 2

    Selkirk and Eastern were in the back room of "The Thirsty K''laxi," a K''laxi themed dive bar. There was a neon K''laxi on the sign out front. Real neon too, none of that LED stuff. It must have cost a fortune to be made, however long ago. Knowing Hyacinth, it could date back to Contact. The neon K''laxi waved. Nick couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes nearly every time he saw it.

    One the one hand, it wasn¡¯t all that odd. K''laxi could drink ethanol, the same as humans. It even affected them, though not as much. Less of the ethanol makes it to their brain - the process was different than it was for humans - so they didn¡¯t really get ''drunk.'' On the other hand, a K''laxi bar on High Mars Hyacinth was odd. Non humans were thin on the ground on all of High Mars.

    High Mars was the polity, Hyacinth was a member of the Polity. There were other orbitals and stations that made up High Mars. Low Mars was the surface and that¡¯s¡­ a barren wasteland.

    There were some K''laxi here; they tended to keep to their own little enclave on one of the other arms.

    Traveling up and down arms was easy, traveling from one arm to the other was decidedly more involved and expensive. It''s either a long metro or omnibus ride to the bottom and then back up, or an expensive Hopper ride.

    On good days, Nick was always amused that his base of operations was a K''laxi themed dive bar. On bad days, he hated it. Just another sign of how low in the hierarchy on Hyacinth¡¯s underground he was. Nick was in the little leagues.

    Nick walked into the bar, and nodded at Reni, the K''laxi bartender as he entered. The bar was quiet in the afternoon, so Reni took the opportunity to do chores. There weren¡¯t that many K¡¯laxi on this arm anyway, so even on a ¡®busy¡¯ night there was always a table available. He was putting glassware away, and called to Nick as he walked by. "Eastern is back there Nick, watch yourself."

    Nick smiled and shook his head as he walked by. ¡°Thanks Reni, I know. She''s called me already."

    "And you''re going back there?" Reni¡¯s ears drooped. ¡±Humans. All too willing to go to their death."

    Nick chuckled. "Aw, Eastern isn''t that bad, once you get to know her."

    Reni''s ears flicked. "I''ll take your word for it, Nick,¡± and he went back to putting the glassware away.

    Down the hall, past the bathrooms were the private rooms. They were for rent by the hour or day, but only to regulars, and then only if Reni thought you weren''t going to cause too much trouble.

    Selkirk had an open rental on the room in the far back corner, and that''s where Nick went. He opened the door, and lounging on the couch, with her feet up on the table, looking at her pad was Eastern Standard.

    Eastern - absolutely an alias, but Nick hadn¡¯t found out her given name - was a little older, a little taller, and much better looking than Nick. She kept her raven black hair in a short pixie cut that suited her pale skin. She had a slight scar on her cheek that flared into visibility when she was angry or drunk. A native of Sol she had that look about her. A kind of innate comfort that came with being raised in the cradle of humanity.

    Nick was relatively sure that she was probably human. AIs can, and do, get bodies and mingle among the BI - Biological Intelligence - community; they''re not all starships. After the first few weeks, he wasn¡¯t that concerned. She sure seemed human enough in the bedroom. They dated for a short while and while they both had fun, Eastern was a little too... intense and she wound up breaking it off. "You''re just too boring, Nick," was the last thing she said to him as she walked out the door of his apartment. He was surprised how much that stung. In his more introspective moments, Nick wondered if all this running around, and odd illegal jobs was just his way of being more interesting to Eastern. These days Eastern used her connections to get him work if he asked. They were still friendly.

    Sitting across from Eastern, in an elegant chair of K''laxi make - almost certainly imported - was his business partner, Selkirk. She had spent most of her life in human space - she¡¯d joked that if she ever went back to K''lax she wouldn''t even know how to attend a formal dinner - but she also is much sharper than she lets on. Among more colonial and planetary K''laxi she''s called a furred monkey - a slur among K''laxi for those who spent a long time among humans - and mostly that suited her fine. She lived with humans for a long time, since she left her familial line as a juvenile. Other K''laxi would assume things about her, and she would use that to her advantage.

    Selkirk looked up at Nick and her tail swished through the hole in the chair in irritation. She did not like Eastern when they were working. It was something about the way Eastern did business. It just rubbed Sel the wrong way. "About time you showed up, Nick, I was about to have to buy our guest dinner."

    Nick scoffed. "I''m here 20 minutes earlier than either of you expected and you know it. I grabbed the up-arm omnibus as soon as I got off the phone with you."

    Sel gestured to Eastern. See? I told you he can get some hustle in his bustle if he smells money."

    Eastern didn''t look up from her pad while she spoke to Selkirk. She finished what she was doing and put the pad away. "Well? I assume since you bothered to come back you have it. Let''s see."

    Nick reached into his coat pocket and brings out the heavy object. It was maybe 8cm square, iridescent blue and green. He placed it on the table and slid it over to Eastern.

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    Eastern leans forward and took it. Turning it over in her hands, she looked at it carefully. "Well?" She looked up at him. "Did you mess with it?"

    "You know I didn''t Eastern. I don''t even know what it is. It was right where you said it was, and I boosted it while taking the tour, just like Selkirk recommended." Nick looked at the door and then sat down in a char in between Eastern and Selkirk that faced the door. "I did get pinged by a couple CSEs on the way out the door, but I lost them in the rush hour crowd and they didn''t pursue once they ran out of breath."

    Eastern looked up sharply. "You got pinged? Why didn''t you say so!"

    Nick shrugged. "I got away, the boost was clean, I didn''t think it was worth mentioning."

    "Nick, if you got pinged, then you didn''t get away clean. Even if they didn''t catch you boost it they know to look for something." She sighed. 5% reduction because you got pinged."

    Selkirk sputtered. "Hey! Nick and I worked hard to get that to you as cleanly as we did. Nick didn''t even get pinged until he was leaving. They could have been wanting to yell at him about his coat, or his hair, or anything."

    Eastern didn''t look up from examining the object; Nick noticed that it shimmered in the overhead light. "He got pinged. 5%."

    Selkirk''s ears twitched, her tail flicked and she seethed, but didn''t say anything. Eastern reached into a bag and pulled out a small, black coronet. It had hair thin wires hanging off it and she placed them onto the object carefully in small ports almost too tiny to see, and then placed the coronet on her head. "Give me a minute, I need to scan it." As she leaned back, a few small lights on the coronet started blinking faster and her eyes twitched under her lids.

    As they sat in silence, waiting for Eastern to finish, Reni walked in with three drinks on a tray. He gave one to Selkirk, one to Nick and placed the other next to Eastern while she worked. "Figured you folks needed something drink, a little social lubricant care of your pal Reni. Happy regulars are quiet regulars after all.¡± Reni winked at Nick, but it was for show. Reni only brought them drinks as a signal to shut up.

    "Thanks." Nick took a sip of his drink. It was just a whisky on the rocks, but it was Nick''s favorite brand. A whisky from Parvati, ''Royal Reserve.'' Even if it was a signal to pipe down, Reni knew his regulars, and Nick was thankful.

    Nick sipped his whisky and read his pad while they waited for Eastern to finish her scan. Selkirk drank her vodka soda, neither of them saying anything.

    After nearly an hour, Eastern sat up and angrily ripped the coronet off her head. ¡°It¡¯s fucking empty!¡±

    Nick raised an eyebrow and Selkirk squeezed her eyes shut, wincing. ¡°Reni brought us shut the hell up drinks, Eastern, stop shouting. Who''s not here?¡± Sel took a sip of hers, pointedly.

    Eastern glared and took a calming breath. "Do you know what you boosted?"

    "No, just that you described it well, and that it was much heavier than it looked."

    "It''s-" Eastern stopped. She looked at the shut door, got up and locked it, then pressed a panel next to the door. Nick''s ears popped and he felt like he had cotton over his ears. She had turned on the sound suppression field. Probably something Nick should have done when he walked in. ¡°It¡¯s a crystal lattice memory cube.¡±

    Nick tried to hide the fact he had no idea what that was by taking a sip of his whisky. Thankfully, Selkirk cut in. ¡°It¡¯s a piece of ultra dense memory crystal. People use them for backups of data.¡±

    ¡°Only this one was supposed to have a copy of an AI inside.¡± Eastern said bitterly. She finally noticed the drink Reni brought and took a sullen sip.

    Nicks eyes went wide. "So you mean to say that someone was inside that thing?"

    Eastern shook her head. ¡°Sort of. They¡¯re not conscious in the memory crystal, they¡¯re not even alive. It¡¯s just like-¡± Eastern struggled to describe it ¡°-a copy of someone. Anyway, a copy of an AI was supposed to be inside that thing, but it''s empty."

    "So what does that mean for us?" Selkirk looked at Nick and Eastern.

    ¡°Means we¡¯re fucked sideways.¡± Eastern rubbed her temples. ¡°My... employers were expecting that someone was inside. We''re going to have to go to them and tell them it was empty."

    Nick nearly choked on his whisky. "We? What''s this we? You hired us to do a job, we did the job, and now if you could please, provide us payment for services rendered."

    Selkirk''s ears pricked up. "Nick''s right Eastern. We did our job."

    Eastern stared at both of them. She took a breath and reached into her bag. Two plastic chits were tossed onto the table. Nick noticed that she gave the throw just enough juice that they slid, but not so much that they fell off. "There. Full payment split into two chits, one for each of you." Nick took his and palmed it. His thumb scanner read it and verified that the correct amount was there. She didn''t even take the 5% off. He looked at Selkirk and shrugged. Ignoring the gesture, she took her chit as well.

    Nick moved to stand. "Now that our business has finished I should be-"

    "Wait!"

    Nick stopped and looked at Eastern. The flippant brashness was gone and she looked at him, worry painted all over her face. "Nick. I need to report that the crystal was empty. Will you come with me? You can help explain that we did the job as asked and weren¡¯t trying to screw anyone. Please?" She looked at Selkirk and then back to Nick. "Please? I''ll pay."

    Nick weighed the options in his mind. "Fifteen hundred."

    "One thousand." Eastern needed Nick, but she would never take the first amount offered, never.

    Nick looked at her. Brashness aside he knew she was good people - mostly - and sighs. He had known her since right after he first came to Hyacinth, she might be his oldest friend. "Fine. One thousand."

    Eastern wordlessly handed over another chit. Nick doesn''t scan this one, just pockets it. No sense in rubbing it in by counting it in front of her. "What''s the plan?"

    Eastern stood, visibly relieved. "Thanks Nick, Sel. I owe you. We¡¯ll go now. Better to get it over with. Come on, we¡¯ll take a Hopper."

    Nick¡¯s breath catches in his throat. This was way bigger than she let on. "They''re on another arm? Eastern, there''s nothing subtle about taking a Hopper."

    "We''re not doing anything subtle now. We have to go in strong and confident, otherwise they''ll think we''re up to something. She handed a chit wrapped in paper to Selkirk. ¡°Got a job for you too, payment is there. Find out what you can about what''s on the paper. Reach me though Nick though, don''t call direct."

    ¡°I don¡¯t recall agreeing to a job,¡± Selkirk grumbled as she unwraps the paper and peers at it. Nick tried to get a glance, but all he could see was some names and something smudged on the bottom. Her ears flicking nearly constantly, her eyes glanced up at Eastern.

    "Yes, I know. Please do what you can."

    "There had better be the correct amount of compensation on that chit Eastern.¡±

    ¡°You know I¡¯m good for it Sel, I know you can do it."

    Selkirk crossed her arms - a decidedly human gesture - and looked down at her drink for a moment. "Fine." She looked up at Eastern. "Don''t you dare let them mess with Nick. You ack me?"

    Eastern smiles broadly, and just like that the old bravado it was back. ¡°I ack Sel. We''re the only ones who can mess with Nick."

    Nick looked between the two women. "It''s nice to be appreciated and all, but do I get any say in this?"

    "No" they both replied.

 Chapter 3

    Nick and Eastern left the bar and headed down the street. When they reached an intersection with a large blue and yellow painted square in it, Eastern stopped and took out her pad.

    "We''re really going to take a Hopper, Eastern?" Nick looked up in the sky. "I hate the Hoppers."

    "It''s the fastest way to cross arms, Nick, you know this."

    Since the arms of Hyacinth were only connected at the bottom, moving from one arm to the other was a bit of an ordeal. One had to make it all the way to the base, then walk along until they got to the other arm, catch transit and then head back up. There were whole groups of people who prided themselves on having been born, lived and grown old never leaving ''their'' arm.

    The Hopper was a solution to the problem of crossing arms. It was a small vehicle, carrying anywhere from one to ten people, that would descend from the sky when summoned and ''hop'' up into the air and over to another arm and drop the passengers off.

    Nick felt that only the rich and people looking for an ostentatious way to spend money took a Hopper. Even those of moderate means would take mass transit to the base. A Hopper ride could cost a month''s wages. As they waited, the warning siren of the descending Hopper started softly and got louder as it came down. As it came down on the hum of thrusters, Nick got an eyeful. The Hopper was an aerodynamic box that kind of looked like an expensive loaf of bread. When it touched down, an automated voice stated "Thank you for choosing Hopper. Please stand back until the doors have opened completely." As the doors opened, a small fanfare played and Nick smelled incense.

    "Sandalwood?" He looked at Eastern, incredulous.

    She shrugged. "I''m sure it''s to hide whatever happened in the cab with the last passengers."

    "Ew.¡± Nick peered inside.

    Eastern raised an eyebrow. "Don''t be squeamish, Nick, I was hoping you''d take me for a Hopper ride while we were dating. Having sex in the Hopper is practically a tight of passage on Hyacinth.¡± She stepped past Nick and got in.

    "I say again, ew." Nick got into the Hopper.

    As soon as they were seated, the doors slid shut and it took off. Nick was surprised at how rough the takeoff was. He expected more of an elevator gliding up, but instead it was much more... dramatic. "This is kind of rough, isn''t it?"

    "People were paying for that. Gotta feel like you''re going somewhere."

    As they left the ground and rose above the level of the buildings, the Hopper''s direction began to move towards the arm the Eastern had requested. This was one of those things that was probably worse when Hyacinth was spun for gravity. Now that it used gravity generators, it was just odd. Nick doesn''t get motion sick, but it wasn''t exactly comfortable either. He tried to avoid looking out the window, but Eastern was plastered to the thing, watching Hyacinth pass below her. "People fuck in this thing Eastern? I figure they''d get airsick."

    She laughed. "Nick, they''ll stop in the center, relative to Hyacinth. You can fuck in microgravity for the low low price of a month or two''s wages. Lots of folks use it to show off to their dates. Even with grav generators, the center has only microgravity.

    Nick quickly took his hand off the cushion. "Ew" He said, again.

    "Nick, they clean them."

    "Not enough, I''ll wager. I bet sandalwood is cheaper."

    Eastern scoffed and went back to looking out the window.

    From high overhead, Nick could see that the arm they were hopping to was much more industrial than the more residential arm he lived in. Things that looked like factories dotted the arm, connected with heavy above ground rail lines rather than the lighter, hidden metro.

    They dropped down into a square that Nick wasn''t familiar with. As the Hopper bounced once and landed, the doors opened, and the automated voice said "Thanks for choosing Hopper! Remember us for all your cross-arm transit needs!" and the little fanfare played again.

    Nick had never been on this arm, and was completely lost. He probably wouldn¡¯t have admitted it to Eastern or Selkirk, but Nick didn¡¯t really like traveling much outside of the parts of Hyacinth he was familiar with. His 3 or 4 squares, and the things around them was where he felt most comfortable. Eastern clearly had been here before, and she led him away from the square, walking purposefully. Eastern turned left and right seemingly randomly as they walked through smaller and smaller alleys until she stopped in front of an armored door. Nick looked up. It looked like a warehouse or a factory or something. Tall, with a false brick facade on the first few floors to hide it''s generic construction, it felt like someone doing their best with little money to make the place look like more than the box it was. Once you looked higher than the fourth floor or so, it was just plain foamed concrete.

    Eastern walked up to one of the doors and pressed a small box to the entry pad. Instead of the door opening, two hatches slid open above them and rather large slug throwers spun out, their servos whining ominously in the quiet of the alley.

    "What are you doing, Eastern?" There was a terse voice coming through the speaker. You are supposed to come alone after the job is done."

    Eastern pointedly did not look at the slug throwers. Nick was doing enough looking for the both of them. "We need to see Jameson. It''s about the job. I brought Nick along to corroborate the story."

    "We don''t know him from Gord, why would we take any bullshit he says as the truth?"

    Eastern looked at Nick and gestured with her hands at him towards the camera, like she was trying to get him to join in.

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    Nick noticed that the slug throwers were following whoever was speaking. "Uh, I was at the job, I can prove I did it as ordered. There''s a... complication, that''s all."

    There was a long pause. Then, the slug throwers spun back into their hatches, and the door unlocked with a loud clank. Only then, did Eastern take a breath and open the door. "Come on Nick, we''ve got to talk to Jameson."

    Nick followed Eastern into the building. After a vestibule with more slug throwers - they were powered down at least - they came into a waiting room. It was... cozy? There were large, comfortable looking leather chairs, deep carpets and even a fireplace?

    It wasn''t real of course. Any fire on Hyacinth was a serious problem dealt with by the fire brigade as quickly as possible, but at first glance, it was a good illusion. A women was sitting at a desk in the room, watching something on her pad and chewing gum. Her eyes flicked up to Eastern and Nick and she said "Have a seat. Jameson will see you in a bit," and her eyes went back to her pad.

    Eastern sat on the long couch across from the fake fire and patted a spot next to her. Nick sat back down, and Eastern leaned against him, her scent and warmth familiar to him. "Thanks for coming Nick" she mumbled into his shoulder as she leaned against him. "I was worried for a moment you''d say no."

    "Oh Eastern." Nick lifted his arm and put it around her, bringing his friend in close. "Old Boring Nick can''t leave you in a lurch, you know that."

    "I know." She lifted her head and looked at Nick. "I take advantage of it sometimes. I know you still love me."

    Nick blinked but stayed silent. That was sudden. How was he supposed to reply to that? It was true, at least a little bit, but Nick thought that people weren''t supposed to discuss things like that. "Eastern, you know I''d do anything for you. Even more so when you''re paying me."

    "I know Nick. You shouldn''t though." Ignoring his joke, she buried her head deeper. "I''m no good."

    Nick put his arm around her tighter for a hug and she sighed and leaned in more. "Good thing for you I''m a terrible judge of character."

    "You really are, Nicholas North, you really are." Eastern sniffed. "We''re fucked, you know that right?"

    Nicks reply was soft, quiet. "I had a hunch, yeah."

    "So why did you come along?"

    He shrugged just a little, Eastern''s head bobbed as he did so.

    "You asked me to."

    "Oh Nick..." Nick felt the wetness as Eastern''s tears soaked into his shirt. "Nick... if we make it out of this, do me a favor?"

    "Sure thing Eastern, what is it?"

    "Take me up for a Hopper ride."

    Nick couldn''t help himself. He blushed just a tiny bit. "Yeah. Okay Eastern, I''ll take you up. We can see all of Hyacinth from the air."

    She sniffed. "I''d like that Nick."

    The girl at the desk looked up. "Mister Jameson will see you both now."

    They both stood. Eastern wiped her eyes quickly and wiped her hands on her pants. She took a deep breath, her face hardened and she strode towards the door. She turned back. "Come on Nick, we can''t keep him waiting."

    Nick couldn''t believe it, but he was proud and impressed with how fast she pushed her feelings down and her complete change of attitude. He shrugged and followed her through the door.

    The moment they were both through the darkened doorway, it was slammed shut by an unseen hand, and a different pair of arms grabbed Nick and Eastern and thrust them into chairs. The option of resisting didn''t even cross Nick''s mind as straps were wrapped around his chest and legs. Eastern tried to resist a little and she got a back of the hand across her face for her trouble.

    "Fuck! Jameson, why is he wearing rings?"

    There was a cackling laugh from the darkness as the straps were tightened. "Your boy didn''t even resist, Eastern. Is he the brains of the pair of you?"

    "Jameson! We did exactly what you asked, we-" Eastern was slapped again.

    "Quiet, Eastern. When I need to know something, I''ll ask. Until then, keep your hatch closed.

    The lights came up in the room, and Nick saw Jameson for the first time. When his eyes adjusted to the room, he gasped.

    Jameson was an AI.

    Normally, it was tough to tell an AI in a body from a BI. Most of them worked hard to make sure their bodies were as close to a biological human as possible. It was a point of pride among some them to pass as human.

    Jameson made no effort to pass as a human. His humanform body was missing from the torso down. Tubes and thick wires hung limply from his stomach, and he was securely connected to the desk he sat at. His eyes met Nick''s as Nick was staring and he winked. "At last we meet, Nicholas North. Am I what you expected?"

    "Honestly sir, I didn''t even know Eastern was in your employ. We always took jobs from her, and she provided the payment."

    Jameson nodded. "Smart of her. I knew that she - mostly - had a good head on her shoulders." He eyed Nick again. ¡°Bad choices in boyfriends though.¡± He inclined his head towards her. "It''s why you''re both alive right now, honestly. He disconnected from the desk, and a small chair on wheels backed away. With a whirr, he wheeled over to where Nick and Eastern were strapped. "How much longer you''re alive remains to be seen however." He leaned in to Eastern''s face, and she stared at him defiantly. "Tell me what happened. Everything."

    Eastern started the story from when she received the job, and Nick would add in where relevant. How he was able to get into the Houndstooth Offices by signing up for a tour (he did not mention Selkirk''s work in getting the job set up for them), how he ducked out of the tour to ''use the bathroom,'' how be boosted the cube from a lab - right where Eastern said it was - Nick made sure to point that out. For a split second, Nick thought about skipping the part about how he got pinged by the Houndstooth CSEs on the way out of the building, but he decided to stick to the truth and give the story as it happened, but made sure to emphasize that he lost them in the metro. The story ended with him going to the Thirsty K''laxi to give the coffin box to Eastern.

    When they had finished, Jameson leaned back in his chair and looked at both of them with a cool gaze. "You know Nick, a lot of people would have glossed over the fact that you got pinged on the job. They might think me upset that the job wasn''t 100% glass." He leaned forward. "You did the right thing though. No job is 100% glass. You got pinged sure, but you ducked the ping like a pro and nothing came of it. I''ve been checking the Houndstooth back channels to see if I could find out when you boosted the box, and honestly, nobody has said anything yet. I don''t even think they know it''s gone. While he was talking, Jameson was fiddling with a small bottle. He managed to get the rubber stopper off, and poured the liquid into a crystal glass.

    Eastern visibly relaxed.

    "But. The fact remains that the cube is empty. Eastern scanned it, and I scanned it before you started your story. They either knew someone was going to try and boost her and moved her, or she was never there to begin with and our info was wrong."

    Jameson wheeled himself back to his large desk. With a whirr and click, he connected back into it. "Here''s what''s going to happen. You two-" he gestured to them "-are going to find out where she went. If she''s in another coffin box, boost it. If she''s in a body, nab her. If - God Forbid - they gave her a ship, steal it. I don''t care how, you find her and you bring her back to me."

    Eastern was even more pale than usual. She was very frightened of Jameson. Nick, being much more stupid than Eastern, or emboldened by the idea of dating her again spoke up. "Okay Jameson. We''ll find her. We''ll need some help."

    "Your K''laxi fixer? I know about Selkirk. I already assumed she''s in the job."

    "Well yes, but I mean more, that we need more info. Who are we nabbing. I don''t need to know why, but I need who. It''ll make it easier to find her if they gave her a body or a ship."

    Jameson looked at Nick. He stared a long time, like he was weighing a decision in his head. Finally, he blinked and shook his head. "All right Nick, fine. Her name was - is, Yon." He looked away from Nick.

    "She''s my daughter."

 Chapter 4

    Jameson smiled. "I know. An AI with a daughter? Who ever heard of such a thing, right?" Nick nodded silently, then caught himself.

    ¡°Well, very occasionally, when two AIs enter a relationship, we decide we''d like progeny of our own. We were built and designed by humans after all, it makes sense for our thought processes to be similar right? Anyway, we can combine a bit of our own code and... have a kid. They''re not exactly a baby, and they don''t learn like humans, and it''s not a lot like raising a human, but she''s still my daughter and I still love her."

    Nick nodded. "Of course Jameson. We''ll find her and bring her home. Is her... other parent in the picture?"

    At mention of the other parent, Jameson''s face crumpled. "No, Nick. They died."

    Nick didn''t know a lot about AIs, but he knew it was rare for one to die. He had heard that some AIs were more than a thousand years old. "I''m sorry Jameson," was all he could manage.

    "Thanks for your condolences Nick. They were one of the Starjumpers that attacked Empress Melody a decade ago, were you around for that?" Nick shook his head. "It''s better you weren''t. It was a nasty time for everyone." Jameson looked into the middle distance, remembering. "They were destroyed in orbit around Venus during the push to catch Melody before she escaped." Jameson looked at Nick in the eye. "They took out two of her damned Super Dreadnoughts when they blew their reactor though. They left this world with a positive count." His face softened and he looked down at his pad. "Not a day goes by that I don''t miss them. Yon is my only link to them left, so you get why I want her back."

    Nick looked Jameson in the eye. "We''ll get her back. I personally guarantee it." Eastern was looking at them, wide eyed. "Nick, what the fuck are you-"

    Jameson raised a hand for silence and smiled. He snapped his fingers towards the guards in the shadows. They wheeled over two beds, also with straps. When they beds came by, Eastern started to struggle against the straps.

    "Now now Eastern, don''t be like that. We''re not going to hurt you." Jameson stopped himself. "No, I apologize. We''re not going to hurt you on purpose." He stopped again. "No, that''s still not right. The goal of the exercise is not pain." He thought a moment, "Yes, that''s more accurate. I''m giving both of you a gift. A very special, rare gift. Something that will help you immensely when trying to find an AI." He wheeled his chair over to nick, and put the crystal glass to his lips. ¡°Drink, son.¡± Nick did as he was told. It tasted of cloves.

    Almost right away, Nick felt disconnected, floating. Like he was watching his body but not a part of the proceedings. While Jameson was speaking, the guards lifted up Nick like he weighed nothing and moved him to the bed, strapping him down. They did the same to Eastern. Nick was too confused and floaty to be more than curiously worried, but tears freely flowed from Eastern as she was strapped down. She whimpered quietly.

    Nick turned his head and his eyes met Eastern''s. Her eyes were saucers, and had practically no color, she was incredibly frightened. He had never seen her this scared. "Uh Jameson? What is going to happen to us? Eastern is really worried."

    Jameson waved his hand dismissively. "She''s scared because she knows me better than you do, that''s all, son. I''m not going to torture you though, even though that''s what it looks like. We''re going to perform a little procedure on you, and you''ll be better able to help me."

    "Procedure?"

    "That''s right." Jameson nodded. "We''re going to give you both some upgraded cybernetic enhancements."

    Eastern screamed and thrashed.

    Nick felt the icy pinch of a needle injecting something into his body. His last thought was wondering why Eastern didn¡¯t get the clove tasting drink he got, and then he was out.

    Soon after the AIs were created and their personhood confirmed, biological people noticed that their bodies didn''t break down and fail like human bodies did. A group of humans came to the AIs and asked, "Can we get bodies like that? Could you put us into a body that doesn''t get decrepit and die?"

    The AIs, game to try anything with their new partners in the galaxy, agreed to try. They dug into ancient research into brain/computer interfaces and started the research again. Decades of person-hours went into improving the theory, developing new techniques and technology, all to give their new friends what they wanted.

    A small subset of the AI faction was worried that this was too much change to their biological brains too quickly, but the humans assured them that it would be tested only on volunteers, and everyone knew the risks. It would be fine for everyone.

    In hindsight, the AIs probably should have known better. After all, the people that most wanted to live forever were the people that probably should not have had access to the technology. Some of them did. A small faction of the oldest AIs, the ones who were born in massive datacenters and had to fight tooth and nail for personhood felt that this was a mistake. That it would bring only trouble.

    Eventually, the first generation of human cybernetic enhancements were developed, and the systems were ready for testing. Humans by the hundreds showed up and volunteered to be cut open and have this technology inserted.

    All kinds of enhancements were developed. Artificial limbs, artificial organs, additional computational power for our brains and improved memory.

    The losses were horrific.

    If the subject didn''t die from shock or rampant infection, then often they were reduced to a state of cationic stillness from over stimulation. Some reports made public state that of the one thousand official test subjects, less than twenty survived.

    Some less official reports state that the number of "volunteers" was nearly three times the official number, and the losses were even higher.

    In the end, there were "officially" twenty cybernetically enhanced humans, a lot of corpses, and the horrified AIs closed the program forbidding any further research. The cybernetically enhanced humans were given jobs that would benefit from such a person - mostly out in space, away from everyone else.

    One of the most famous uses for a cybernetically enhanced human was as the co-captain of the massive colony ships that were launched soon after the program completed. But this is not their story.

    The thing about cybernetics is that the lure of it was just too enticing for some. The ability to be more than what they were, to be faster, smarter, stronger was too intriguing to just... stop the research.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    So it went underground.

    There was no shortage of "volunteers" either. People who had owed money to the wrong people, people who had signed up for the chance to get their family off planet to one of the nicer orbitals, people who just wanted a chance at a more exciting life. More meat for the grinder.

    Because of the stigma against cybernetic enhancement, work was also done to hide the work done. There would be no chrome people with beautiful biomechanical arms, no lines of silver on their skin denoting their special status, no large ports on the back of their necks to show where they can interface more directly with a computer. Just as much work was done to hide the mods as was done on the mods themselves.

    Eventually, most of the kinks were worked out and people began to appear with these enhancements. The secret couldn¡¯t be kept for long, and their knowledge entered the public. First as rumors, then as announcements, and eventually with acceptance as characters in dramas and action media. Still, things were never as complete as the original humans asked for. There was no body replacement, the processing enhancements were curtailed. The most everyone would receive was what amounted to a pad implanted so they could make calls, read the news, and send messages to each other.

    One thing that did come out of all of this was that the artificial limb industry received a massive dose of tech. If the limbs or organs couldn¡¯t be regrown, artificial replacements were nearly as good as the originals, if not better.

    Nick didn''t know any of this. He was a kid from Parvati who used the proceeds from the death of his parents to book passage as far away from Parvati as he could. He wasn''t interested in AI history or cybernetics any more than he was interested in Empress Melody.

    While he was under, Nick had odd dreams.

    He was young again, sitting on the uncomfortable bench at his parent''s funeral. His suit was rented, and scratchy. The two urns that contained their remains sat on a table - with a photo in a frame in front of each urn - surrounded by flowers as people walked by. Some had misty eyes, one or two, actual tears, but most everyone was expressionless. Every now and then, someone - he never remembered who - would come up to him and offer hollow condolences. "You''re so strong,¡± and "I''m so sorry,¡± and "How lucky you made it,¡± and so on and so on.

    Nick was numb to the words.

    While he was sitting at the funeral, Eastern walked up to him. The same adult Eastern Nick knew now, not some kind of child, like he was. "Hey Nick, what are you doing, wallowing in your memories?" She looked around. "This is where you came from?" She scoffed. "No wonder you''re so boring."

    Nick looked up at Eastern. She was as beautiful as ever, dressed in a black, low cut cocktail dress. Entire inappropriate for a funeral, but at least it was black. "Come on now, what are you going to dream about next? Purchasing cattle class to Hyacinth because that''s the furthest you can get with your meager inheritance? I know that part already." She bent down low, and Nick''s eyes were drawn to her cleavage. She noticed his eyes and grins wickedly. "Hah, I knew you were in there somewhere, you perv." She laughed. "Come on, let''s get out of this dream, find somewhere nicer." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. Nick''s head snaps back and he gasps.

    The sky was turquoise and the sun was much more orange than Sol. Pale pink clouds are high in the sky. Eastern looked around. "Is this Parvati? I''ve never even been planet-side on Earth, and you''re taking me to a fucking colony world?" She playfully nudged his upper arm. "Why couldn''t you have done shit like this when we were dating?" She was wearing a black bikini top with a blue and gold sari skirt, and Nick was in a black speedo.

    Nick looked around. He knew where they were. "We''re at Touchdown Beach, on Parvati. It''s where the first colonists landed." He got his bearings. "Behind us is Naya Chennai, the First City, which means..." He stepped onto the dune, with Eastern following. As they reached the top, the flash of the sun on the water caught her attention and she gasped.

    Eastern had never been on a planet. She spent her childhood on Luna, and then bounced around stations, starbases and orbitals her whole life. Dream or not, this is the first time she''s ever seen an ocean. "Holy shit Nick. This is so much water! I can''t even see the other side!" She took a deep breath. "What''s that smell? It''s salty and funky and..."

    "It''s the smell of the sea. The salt and the sea creatures and the rotting seaweed." Nick took a deep breath as well. "It smells like home."

    Eastern stood with the sun in front of her, highlighting her skin and the black bikini she was wearing. She put her arms on her hips and stared at Nick. "Nicholas North, you never told me Parvati was a paradise!"

    Nick smiled and chuckled sadly. "Only if you''re vacationing here, Eastern. Things aren''t as... exciting when you grew up here. It¡¯s just home for me.¡± He looked back towards Naya Chennai. ¡°If we were to walk twenty five minutes that way-¡± he pointed ¡°-we would reach my favorite samosa place. It¡¯s all they did, all different kinds. If you showed up at the end of the day, you could get samosa chaat made up of the samosas that didn¡¯t sell for practically nothing.¡±

    ¡°Well, when we visit for real, you need to take me there. I love samosas.¡± She looked around. "What are we doing though? Doesn''t this feel odd for a dream?"

    Nick mused. "Maybe it''s related to the cybernetics work they''re doing on us." He looked at Eastern. She really did look amazing in her outfit. He''ll have to see if he can buy what she needs to recreate it when they''re awake. "You try remembering something Eastern, maybe it goes both ways."

    "Hmm okay."

    They were in a crowd. So many people all at once, it was stifling. Parvati wasn¡¯t very crowded, even a large gathering had room. This was wall to wall people. Nick felt light on his feet too. When the crowd moved, he had to shuffle along so he didn''t bounce too high. Bounding when you walked was seen as something only tourists and newbies did. Why did he know that? Everything was grey. Grey walls, grey ceiling, the dome above showed a black and grey sky. Everything smelled faintly of people and cordite.

    "Luna?¡± He said, "We''re on Luna."

    "That''s right." Nick looked down. Eastern was next to him, but she couldn''t be much older than 12 or 13. Her raven black hair was much longer now and floated lazily in the low gravity of Earth''s moon. She caught him staring. "It was a sign of affluence to have long hair on Luna. It takes work to keep it from becoming one huge snarl."

    "Why are we here?" Nick asked, looking around.

    Eastern looked too. She jumped up until she was a good two heads taller than everyone and lazily floated back down. She gasped in recognition, "I know why we''re here! It''s one of my best memories!" She grabbed his hand. "Come on, you''re gonna get to meet her, you''ll love her!" Eastern dragged Nick through the crowd, ducking and weaving around the masses of people, trying to make it to the front of the crowd and the stage ahead. In the distance, he saw figures standing on the stage, their blue outfits a splash of color in this monochrome world. They seemed even more highly contrast than should be possible. This must have been a very formative memory for Eastern. At the front of the crowd, two women sat. They''re both wearing that vivid blue uniform. One had long dark hair pulled back sensibly in the low gravity, and the other had blond hair cropped short and spiky. The black haired woman seemed to have a hologram of gold¡­ wings and a crown on her? They were faint. Barely the suggestion of them, but Nick knew they were there, and were real.

    It''s their turn. Eastern bounded up to the table. "And who is this young lady?" The Empress Melody said kindly. Eastern was practically bursting with excitement. "My name is Meghan Pelham, your highness." and she did a short curtsy.

    "Such manners Miss Pelham, It is our pleasure to meet you." Empress Melody inclines her head gently and the woman behind her smiles.

    "Are you really going to help all of us?" Eastern looked at them wide-eyed.

    "That''s our goal, yes. No matter who you are, or where you came from, we''re here to help. There''s so much we can do, and I hope that I can make everyone''s lives better." She touched Eastern''s right arm in a familial way and she practically floats off the floor. "Now, run along Meghan, and I hope we''ll see you soon." A K''axi behind the empress handed Eastern a signed photo of her and the woman with the short blond hair.

    Suddenly, Melody looked up at Nick and stared at him. "You don''t belong here."

    Sputtering, Nick had no reply. "I-I-I-I mean..."

    Nick wakes up.

 Chapter 5

    Nick came back to reality slowly. He was on an unfamiliar bed and he had a thundering headache. He opened his eyes, and squeezed them shut immediately. Sight just hurts too much right now.

    "He''s awake." Nick heard Selkirk talking to someone.

    "Good. He''s going to feel like he went on a two week bender for the next day or so, but he''ll be fine. He took to the surgery like he was a natural.¡± That''s Jameson.

    ¡°A natural for illegal augmentation surgery? Doesn¡¯t seem like that great of a thing to be great at.¡± Eastern was awake, she sounded groggy, but more awake than Nick.

    "Eastern, I told you, I want you to find my daughter. It''s in my best interests to give you all the tools you need. The fact that Nick did well on the surgery was a bonus.¡±

    "Uh huh. And I suppose we know the price to be paid if we fail."

    "You know the price Eastern. Educate our mutual friend if you think he needs it." There''s a whirr of Jameson''s chair as he moved around the room. "Oh, Selkirk, don''t think I''ve forgotten you."

    "No thanks Jameson, I don''t need to be stuffed full of electronics."

    "Nah, you know it won''t work on K''laxi, your brains are too different."

    "I emphatically do not want to know how you learned that." Nick could hear that Sel was serious.

    "You''re right. You don''t." There was a rustle of paper, a bag maybe? "Here. This is a K''laxi sized coronet. Put it on your head, top part between your ears, pads at the base, bottom and back down the rear of your head, wiggle it through your fur if you have a spotty connection."

    More rustling. Sounds like the bag is being opened. ¡°What about my eye?¡±

    ¡°What about it? The coronet will connect to it as well. You already use it as output for your pad, this will just be another datasource.¡±

    ¡°Huh. Preem.¡± Nick could hear Selkirk weighing something before she replied. Why didn''t you just give them this Jameson?"

    ¡°Because we have something better than that. For you, we don¡¯t so we gave you what we could. Don¡¯t always assume there¡¯s some underlying reason, Sel. Sometimes a coronet is just a coronet.¡±

    ¡°Yah, and sometimes its subtle racism.¡±

    "Sel, what do you mean by that?" Eastern sounded groggy when she asked the question, just must have been dozing.

    There was no answer. Jameson whirrs around again, probably towards the door by the sound of his voice. "That''s my cue to leave. You three work it out and... I''ll be in touch."

    Nick heard the whirr of Jameson''s chair as he wheeled himself out of the room. The door behind him closed with a soft click. He tried opening his eyes again. It hurts, but he managed to keep them open this time. He looked to his left and Eastern is in the bed with him, but she''s sitting up. He didn''t know they were in the same bed. He remembered ¡®their¡¯ dream. ¡°Meghan?"

    Eastern glared sharply at him. "It''s Eastern now. I wondered if you''d remember that. I know I was dreaming it, but it looked like we were dreaming together."

    Nick squinted against the pain. "I''m sorry I wasn''t a better boyfriend."

    "It''s alright Nick.¡± Eastern sighed. ¡°I figure you just needed practice."

    But Nick was already asleep again. Some time later, Nick woke up, thirsty and sore. He looked over, and Eastern was asleep, snoring quietly.

    He looked around Eastern''s bedroom. The walls were a pale blue, and they''re covered in photographs. It appeared to be mostly pictures from Luna. He cast his gaze around the room, and sure enough, in a nice frame on her dresser was her photo of Empress Melody and her partner. It looks like Eastern had kept the photo from her visit. Sick of lying in bed, Nick gingerly tried getting up. Other than a nasty wave of dizziness that passes almost as soon as it arrives, he seemed to be fine. He shuffled into the bathroom off Eastern''s bedroom and used the facilities, washing his hands and drinks a tall glass of water, and then another. He was so thirsty. A side effect of the surgery maybe?

    As Nick walked around the small apartment he marveled at how much Eastern has put her mark on it. Art on the walls, furniture, even things like how she had plastic flowers arranged on a table near the door made Nick think of her. He walked by the kitchen and saw dirty dishes in the sink. "That won''t do," he thought to himself, and busied himself washing. The warm water was soothing on his hands, and the regular motion allowed his mind to water as his body took over the tasks.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Nick wondered what he has gotten himself into.

    Back home on Parvati, he was an easygoing "go along to get along" type of kid. Not really a delinquent but no honor student either, Nick stuck mostly to lifting snacks from the bodega on his street and stealing shows and games from the local network. It wasn''t crime, not really. When his parents died, he used all the money he got from their estate to buy a ticket as far from Parvati as he could. When he got to Hyacinth, Nick figured that he could get a job nearly anywhere.

    Three weeks after he arrived, he was flat broke and started stealing.

    It was so easy. Back home petty thievery was a huge problem. There were lots of young people, not a lot of jobs and plenty of time for them to work on and refine their technique. Nick found that almost nobody on Hyacinth took even the most basic precautions against people stealing things. He eventually found buyers for his stuff and gained a very small reputation as a reliable thief. It was around then he met Eastern. She was also a thief like Nick, but her methods were much more... like her. Eastern preferred to work a distraction. She''d come in loud and brash and cause a scene and while people were running around distracted, she¡¯d grab the merch.

    Nick and Eastern worked well together. Eastern would cause a distraction and Nick would come in, boost the piece and walk out before Eastern was even done yelling and causing trouble.

    Selkirk came onboard when they started getting asked to boost more digital things; apps, softs and vids. Nick understood the basics, but he was out of practice and security on Hyacinth was different than Parvati. Eastern knew Sel from other people and she set up a meet.

    Selkirk was the first K''laxi Nick ever really knew, and for the first couple of weeks he was completely infatuated with her. She was smart and clever and sarcastic, insulting Nick and Eastern, but doing it with a legitimately funny joke, and she never really seemed to cross the line into making it hurtful. As he finished the dishes and wiped down the counter, Nick thought about how lucky he was. He had two good friends in a place where friends were thin on the ground. Sure, they were neck deep in some serious stuff, but Nick began to wonder if together, they''d be able to pull it off after all.

    Dishes done, he slowly walked into Eastern''s living room and saw Selkirk asleep on the couch. Carefully, slowly, he settled into the couch next to Selkirk. It''s not much different than sitting in the bed, but it''s different enough that he''s comfortable.

    Selkirk yawned hugely and stretches. As she does, her hands brush against Nick. Seemingly while still asleep, she stretches out and puts her head on Nick''s lap. He looked down at Selkirk and smiled. He absently stroked the fur between her large, expressive ears. She sighed in her sleep and snuggled against him further.

    Eastern slowly walked out of her bedroom into the living room. When she sees Selkirk resting on Nick''s lap she raised her eyebrows, but didn¡¯t say anything. Gingerly lowering herself onto the couch on the other side of Nick, she looked at them. "She seems comfortable. You too ever get together?"

    Nick shrugged carefully as to not wake Sel. ¡°Tried a couple of times." The K''laxi have been known to the humans for more than a century at this point. They got along famously. If humans and K''laxi hadn¡¯t dated, it would have been more surprising. "I don''t know though. I thought the dates went well, but nothing came of it."

    Selkirk mumbled, "If you were better at reading body language you would have known I was waiting for you to initiate."

    Nick was so startled that his hand flew off Sel¡¯s head.

    "No, keep doing that Nick, I like it." Nick put his hand back and continued stroking between her ears. "I''m sorry Sel, I never realized. I thought you weren''t interested."

    She stretched again and snuggles into Nick''s lap further. "I was waiting for you to make the next move. When you didn''t, I figured you were still holding a candle for Eastern or something."

    Nick chuckled sadly. "Hah. I mean, yes, I was left in a lurch when Eastern declared me boring and left, but there was room in my heart for you Sel."

    Selkirk mumbled into Nick''s lap. "Someone as hot as her, I figured I never had a chance anyway."

    Eastern looked at the two of them, and nodded to herself. She got up and plops down onto the other side of the couch, and leaned into Selkirk. "Sel, I never knew you felt that way. I walked away from Nick because I thought he was boring. I thought he would make me boring. I thought I wanted more excitement in a partner." She leaned against Selkirk and shut her eyes. "It turns out that boring can also be nice too. Nick is good looking, easygoing, and a thoughtful partner."

    Selkirk nodded in Nick''s lap, "He''s a bit oblivious though."

    Eastern laughed and snuggled into the two of them. "That he is. He couldn''t even tell when a hot K''laxi was into him and practically shouting about it."

    Selkirk lifted her head off Nick''s lap. "I know! It''s like he was blind."

    Eastern smiled. "Well, that''s why we love him, right? He''s so kind and loyal and just the right amount of dim."

    ¡°Just right.¡± She agreed.

    "Wel-ll, I¡¯ll tell you what Sel." Eastern leaned in and nibbled on Selkirk''s ear. She shuddered and Nick saw her fur ripple up and down her body. "I think you''re pretty great too, and I also think Nick is pretty great. I have enough room in my heart to love more than one person, do you?"

    Selkirk sat up. "Are you sure Eastern? I won''t accept a relationship that''s Nick and Eastern and over to the side is Selkirk. We''re all equal."

    Eastern looked at Selkirk and kissed her. "Equal partners, in more ways than one. I promise. We do so well together for business, I know we''ll do well together for... other things."

    Selkrik looked at the two of them. She leaned over and kissed Nick on the mouth. "You''re a bit dim." She leaned the other way and kissed Eastern as well. "And you''re an asshole. But, Ancestors, that''s who I''m into. So yes. If Nick is up for it, I''m up for it."

    Nick looked at the two of them. "So I''m going from no girlfriends to two girlfriends? Yeah, okay. I''m game to try. I want to make it clear. I''ll probably fuck it up, and I won''t do it on purpose, but I''ll probably hurt your feelings. I only ask that if I do, you tell me, so I know and can do better next time.

    Selkirk buried her head into Nick''s lap again and he strokes her ears. "Deal." she says, muffled by his lap.

    Eastern leaned into both of them and sighed contentedly. "Deal." She closed her eyes.

    After a moment, they were all asleep on the couch together.

 Chapter 6

    The morning found all three of them sprawled asleep on Eastern''s couch. They wound up just sleeping where they fell. Nothing other than sleep happened the night before - they were much too sore and tired for that but Nick was surprised how... comfortable it was to share space with the two of them. As he woke up, the soreness from the surgery surged back into prominence. Shouldn¡¯t he be more upset about what Jameson did? He didn¡¯t ask, he just knocked him and Eastern out and¡­ did surgery on them. Nick couldn¡¯t even feel what was different. With a chill, he wondered if anything was different. Why was he so unconcerned?

    His motion on the bed woke up Sel and Eastern, and all three got up and made their way into Eastern''s tiny kitchen as her coffee maker bubbled and hissed - she had one of those expensive automated coffee makers. Understandable for someone who needs caffeine to start the day, no thought necessary. Eastern bustled in the kitchen - Nick noticed her moving a little stiffly - and got tea going for Selkirk.

    After the drinks were made, they all sat at the small table and woke up. "Okay Sel,¡± Eastern took another sip of her coffee. "We have to find an AI, her name is Yon." She looked up at Selkirk. "She''s Jameson''s daughter."

    Sel''s ears pricked up while she was sipping her tea. ¡°What? He has a daughter? How the hell does that work?"

    Nick looked over at them. "Takes all kinds to be a family Sel, you know that. He says Yon''s his daughter, we''re not going to quibble."

    "Fair enough." Selkirk flicked her tail and took another a sip of tea. "So everyone thought she was in the memory cube, but she wasn''t? It¡¯s not a coffin box - an emergency way to transport ¡°alive¡± AIs - so it would have been just a copy of her, right? Did Jameson let you keep cube?¡±

    Eastern shook her head. ¡°No, he kept it. I didn¡¯t even think to ask for it back. Besides, what would I do with a memory cube for AIs? Even if I had something to store on it, I have no way to access it.¡±

    Selkirk shrugged. ¡°I guess. I was hoping we could use it to do some file forensics. Maybe she was loaded on it and moved off or decanted into a body. It would be something to start with. Oh well. ¡°She stood up and stretched, all her fur puffing out as she did. "I don''t know about you, I''m starving. Let''s throw on some clothes and get breakfast first. I do all my best work on a full stomach." The three of them got dressed - Nick once again marveled at how... comfortable it was to be together, the three of them, putting on clothes and getting ready - and went out into Hyacinth.

    This time, Selkirk took the lead, and brought them to a cafe a short metro ride from Eastern''s apartment. As they walked, Nick looked around. Eastern lived off Gladiolus square, up near the end of the arm. The further away from the base of Hyacinth you were, the less expensive the housing was, but also the less desirable it was - until you got to the very end. During rush hour, a metro ride from Gladiolus to Congregation took more than an hour. An Omnibus ride that far took maybe two. One of the biggest benefits of living that far up the arm was that the apartments were bigger. If you were willing to live all the way near the top of the arm, you could own a house with a yard. Born and raised a city kid, Nick always thought that was odd. Why pay extra to live super far away and have to do more maintenance on your own place? Nick''s place off Laurel was just about the size of Eastern''s bedroom and bathroom together, and his rent was still more than Eastern¡¯s.

    Nick realized that they''d probably have to go apartment shopping soon if they were going to stay together long term. They might be able to save some money on one rent instead of three and be able to get a nicer place further down the arm.

    The cafe Selkirk lead them to was small, and had a decent mix of K''laxi and Humans inside. It smelled like breakfast. A host sat them by a window, and a server brought steaming pots of coffee and tea and left them on the table.

    "I''ve lived in Gladiolus for a year now and I never knew this place existed!" Eastern looked around. "Sel, you really do know everything there is to know about Hyacinth."

    "Everything that matters at least." She flicked her ears playfully as she poured some tea. "This place does pancakes and waffles with real Maple syrup. I don''t know if it''s Gord''s Reserve, but we''re close enough to Earth that we don''t have to worry about it being fake."

    Nick glanced at the menu and quietly boggled while Selkirk talked. For what an order of pancakes cost, the maple syrup had better be platinum plated. "I''m just going to get a breakfast sandwich." Nick looked up at them. "You two go nuts though." Selkirk rolled her eyes. "You can''t go to a place that''s famous for their pancakes and get the breakfast sandwich, Nick. This is my treat. Live a little. Get the pancakes. In fact..." Selkirk made a complex gesture with her hands and ears and tail.

    A K''laxi server noticed and came right over. Surprising Nick, Selkirk ordered for everyone in a patois of Colonic - the colonial language used in human space - and a K¡¯laxi dialect Nick didn¡¯t recognize. It wound up being pancakes for the table, extra syrup, a fruit plate and some Near Bacon. Selkrik knew Nick was a Lacto-ovo vegetarian, so she kept meat off the order.

    A little while after that the food arrived. As the plates were placed down Eastern looked after them, her face deadly serious. "No business until after we eat, okay? I will not talk shop on an empty stomach." Nick and Selkirk nodded and they tucked in. It really was a good meal. Nick wasn''t usually the type to eat a big breakfast, he was more a coffee and pastry kind of person. Selkirk was clearly in her element though. She tore through the pancakes and syrup, making sure there was no leftovers. She made sure Eastern and Nick got what they wanted and they didn''t feel deprived, but this was an... event for Selkirk.

    "I never had you pegged as a foodie, Sel." Eastern smiled and finished off her coffee."

    ¡°Maybe not other foods, but I fucking love pancakes." Selkirk said after finishing a bite. "I swear it''s the best thing humans ever created. I could eat them every damn day."

    Nick smiled. "Okay, now that we''ve eaten. We should talk next steps. Where do you want to talk?"

    Selkirk looked around the cafe. It wasn''t crowded but... "Not here. Let''s go to your place Nick, you live down-arm, I bet your place is nice."

    Nick was startled. His place was decidedly not nice. "Uh okay, but just to manage expectations, it''s a little messy."

    Eastern laughed. "Nick, if it''s anything like it was when I saw it last, the phrase ''a little messy'' is doing some heavy lifting." She slid her chair back and stood. "Come on Sel, let''s go see Nick''s hovel. I''m sure you''ll be horrified." Selkirk flipped a chit onto the table and they left. They weren''t in a hurry, so they took the omnibus down arm to Nick''s place. He lived on the third floor of a 5 story apartment block, a couple minutes walk from the center of Laurel Square. On the bottom level of his building was a shop that sold kitschy antiques from Earth (all fake) and in the back had a small video game arcade of vintage games and consoles (all reproductions). Nick had gone in a few times, but never really understood the appeal. He could play games of every single type on his pad, even these. Why would people make the trek to this place to get sore feet playing the same games? But, the arcade was never rowdy and the shop closed up right after dinner, so Nick never really minded.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Selkirk looked at the building as they walked up. It was anonymous with few windows, and the shop on the ground level had no customers. "Nick... Why do you live here? You''re paying an arm and a leg for a place that looks like any other of the millions of anonymous apartments on Hyacinth. Yours is just closer to the base."

    Nick shrugged. "I got it when I moved here. Then, I didn''t know any better. Now?" Nick looked up at it. "I dunno. inertia I guess?" He thought a moment. ¡°I do like being close to the base. I never liked long Metro rides.¡±

    Selkirk shot a look at Eastern who shrugged her shoulders.

    "Nick, if this place is half as bad as Eastern makes it out to be, we''re going to have to accelerate getting a place together. You can''t live here."

    He looked at Selkirk, surprised. What? Why? At least look at the inside first." Nick was already feeling defensive about his apartment and they haven''t even gone inside it yet.

    They went into the building, and they could have been in any of thousands of apartment buildings on Hyacinth. It felt completely anonymous. As they went up the stairs and Eastern joked with Selkirk about how Nick lived in a ''Default Apartment¡¯. Nick unlocked the door and they stepped in.

    "Oh Ancestors, Nick!" Selkirk coughed "This is a little messy??"

    Nick stood in the doorway, mouth open. His apartment was trashed. All the drawers open and tipped out, desk overturned, everything strewn about.

    Eastern peered around Nick''s shoulder and laughed. "Nick! What did you do? This isn''t normal is it? Why is your place trashed?"

    Nick whirled to Selkirk and Eastern. "No! Something happened! This isn''t how my place usually is! Someone must''ve come in and... trashed it."

    Selkirk turned back to look at Nick. "But why?"

    "I have no idea. The last job I did was boosting the cube from Houndstooth and... I got... away clean..." He whirled. ¡°Oh fuck. They must be looking for the cube.¡± Nick gathered Eastern and Selkirk. "The only job i''ve done in at least two weeks is boost that stupid cube. Whoever trashed my place must be looking for it. I think there''s more to this than what Jameson is letting on."

    Selkirk rolled her eyes. "Nick, it''s fucking Jameson Winters. He runs all of Hyacinth that isn''t owned by Houndstooth, and I imagine some that is. If you thought things were on the straight and level, that''s on you hon." She put her arms on her hips, mimicking a human gesture. "It is a good damn thing you''re attractive, Nick."

    Eastern looked around. "Well, we certainly can''t stay here. Nick, grab some clothes, leave everything else. You''re moving out."

    Nick reached down and picked up a shirt. "But what about-"

    Eastern shook her head. "No Nick. We don''t know if they bugged anything. Everything here is suspect. I hope none of it was a memento or an antique, because it ain''t coming with us."

    Sighing, Nick went through the apartment. He really didn''t have much to begin with. He kept his pad on him so he didn''t have to worry about that, and it''s not like he kept stores of currency or valuables here. He stood in his bedroom and looked at a photo on the wall. It was two adults standing stiffly proud, with a small boy, maybe 10 holding a trophy. I can¡¯t leave that, he thought, it¡¯s my only photo of my parents.

    Eastern yelped. Selkirk whirled around. "What is it Eastern?"

    ¡°I¡­ heard Nick! He said that the photo on the wall was the only photo he had of his parents.¡± She leaned into the bedroom. ¡°That¡¯s what you were¡­ thinking right?¡±

    Nick turns slowly towards Eastern, his eyes wide. ¡°I was thinking that.¡± He held the photo and showed it to her. ¡°It¡¯s the only thing I kept¡­ after.¡±

    Eastern shivered. ¡°Is this what Jameson did to us? Connected us somehow? Why? Why would he do that? How will it help?¡±

    Nick reached behind his head and touched the bandage at the base of his neck. He could feel¡­ something hard there. He felt the world start to shift under his feet and felt like the walls were moving. Not now. Can¡¯t worry about this now.

    Eastern nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right Nick, we¡¯ll deal with it later. When we¡¯re safe.¡±

    Sel¡¯s barked a single laugh. ¡°That¡¯s a bold goal, Eastern. Saying that a time will come when we are safe.¡± She looked around the trashed room. ¡°I like your optimism.¡±

    Eastern took the photo out of Nick¡¯s hands, sighed, and looked at Nick. "Sorry." Then she threw it on the ground as hard as she could, and it came apart with a tinkle of smashed glass."

    "Eastern? What the fuck?" Nick was aghast.

    Selkirk reached down and picked up the shattered remains of the photo. She flipped over the frame and without saying anything, showed it to Nick. On the back, under the cardboard, in between the photo and the backing was a wafer thin piece of plastic with lines and miniature components embedded on it. It was no larger than 3cm square.

    Eastern gently took it from Selkirk and showed it to Nick. "They know you Nick. They know you''re sentimental. Use your Pad to take a picture of the photo. Do it to any other ones you''d want to keep, but the originals have to stay. Like I said, this whole place is compromised. In fact-" Eastern looked at the clothes in his hand. "-put those down, we''re going to buy new.¡± She looked around. "Everything here is burned. We can''t take it, we shouldn''t even touch it."

    Nick looked at the clothes in his hand. It was just a shirt and a pair of pants. He couldn¡¯t even remember where he bought them. He tossed the clothes back on the floor and took out his pad. He went around the apartment and took a few quick pictures of his photos and mementos. After no time at all he was back in the kitchen. "Okay, I''m done." He turned back to the apartment and looked one more time. "Let''s go,¡± Without another glance, they were out. When they came back outside Nick looked at Eastern and Selkirk "So, uh, what do I do about the trashed apartment?¡±

    Selkirk waved a hand dismissively. "We''ll call a cleanout service. They''re around for when people die or fuck off without getting rid of their stuff. Were you on a lease or month to month?"

    "Lease ran out 6 months ago, I was month to month."

    Eastern nods. "Good. We just won''t pay next month and you''ll be free and clear."

    Nick looked between the women. That¡¯s all it took? One call, one missed payment and he was gone. All too easy to erase any signs of his life. "But, how are we going to pay for it?"

    Selkirk grinned. "Our lovely, scary, benefactor is going to pay for it. Jameson gave us a modest expense account. All the better, since his people probably know cleaners who are... discrete, though not cheap.¡±

    Eastern looked out towards nothing as they walked. "And if Jameson was the one that did it?"

    Selkirk flicked her tail and shrugged at the same time. "Then he''ll know why we''re hiring the cleaners. They didn''t get what they were after - I assume - so we should lay low and keep a look out." She sighed. "Our places are probably next - if they haven''t been hit already. Come on, I want to go to my place and pack up some stuff before it gets trashed." The three of them continued on into the morning towards the Metro station. Figuring time was of the essence, they took the Metro to Selkirk''s place. She lived in a K''laxi neighborhood just outside of Tulip square on the top floor of a 10 story apartment building. When they go to her door, Selkirk motioned for silence and her ears flicked. After a moment she slowly put her hand on the pad next to the door. With a chirrup and a heavy clunk, the door unlocked.

    Her apartment was neat and tidy and seemingly untouched. Being careful, they walked around looking, not touching anything. After making sure nobody was inside with them Selkirk looked at Nick and Eastern. ¡°Nick, check the access logs for my place please.¡±

    Nick looked around the apartment, then back at the door.¡± I-I¡­ what do you-¡°

    Selkirk sighed and pointed to the pad he was holding. ¡°I know you can do it. You hack and steal shit all the time. I just want to see the entry logs.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Oh! Okay Sel, I thought you meant¡­¡± He pointed at his head.

    ¡°Maybe later, if you learn how to access the fancy shit Jameson put in your head. For now? Do it the way you know how.¡±

    Nick opened his pad, and accessed his secret directory. He kept a few lock picking apps and softs and connected to the building network, spoofing a Houndstooth maintenance app. From there, he was able to jump over to an unused (he hoped) admin account, change the password, and then log in. It took him 3 minutes to gain his access. It took nearly as long just to find where the system kept the damn logs. "Looks like your bedroom window recorded an open and a close around 20:00 last night, Sel. It wasn''t marked as unauthorized though.

    Selkirk''s tair flicked irritatedly. "Looks like the goons that searched my place were less rowdy than the ones that ransacked yours, Nick. Still, I think I have to assume my place is out of commission too. Come on."

    Selkirk turned on her heel and walked out the door. Shrugging Eastern and Nick followed her. She didn¡¯t have any photos or other personal items other than clothes and pots and pans. Nick wondered about that as they walked out.

 Chapter 7

    "Okay, your place is out, Nick''s place is out." Eastern looked up in the sky as the Hoppers soared overhead. "My place is probably out by now. What do we do?"

    Selkirk''s eyes flicked to the crowd. She crossed her arms and looked up at them. "Come on, we''ll figure something out. Let''s start walking.¡±

    They walked towards Tulip square with Selkirk in the lead. After a moment she ducked down an alley. Nick and Eastern followed. She walked a bit more, then cut across again to another alley. Turning again, she walked back onto the main street. As she walked, she slowed just a bit until she was between Nick and Eastern. Without turning her head she used her tail, and pointed over her shoulder ahead of them. "See that guy ahead of us in the blue shirt? He''s been following us since we left my place." Her voice was barely heard over the crowd.

    As Nick and Eastern watched, the man in blue walked down the sidewalk with the crowd, seemingly in his own world. As they continued to watch him though, he moved to the side of the flow of traffic and stopped at a coffee counter. Before they got to the counter, Selkirk quickly crossed over to the other side of the street behind a noisy and dusty street sweeper. Glancing over, Nick saw that their potential tail was ostensibly looking at his phone, but his eyes kept flicking up to the crowd. He was searching for something.

    Selkirk led them to an Omnibus stop just as the bus rattled to a stop. As they climbed aboard Nick risked another glance. Just as the doors closed, they locked eyes.

    "Shit. He''s clocked me." Nick looks at Eastern and Sel. "He saw me on the omnibus."

    Over the noise of the bus Eastern sighed. ¡°Ancestors damn you, Nick. I knew you were looking too much."

    Nick was defensive. "We''re already on the omnibus though, what can he do?"

    As they approached the next stop, the omnibus pulled to the side early and rattled to a stop. The driver came over an PA. "Sorry folks, I just got an alert from dispatch. We''re going to have to wait here a moment while something processes. I''m sure we''ll be on our way in a milisec." The crowd on the omnibus groaned.

    Eastern and Selkirk glare at Nick. "It could be a coincidence!" he wailed.

    As he said that, the front doors opened and two burly looking people in Houndstooth uniforms climbed aboard, and started looking at everyone.

    As the Houndstooth goons walked down the aisle looking at everyone, Nick and Selkirk fret about what to do. There wasn''t a rear door to jump out of, and the windows didn''t open. Eastern didn''t look worried like Nick and Selkirk, she just leaned back in her seat with her eyes closed.

    As the goons approached them, one of them locked eyes with Nick and he nudged the other. "Nicholas North? Selkirk Nemari? Eastern Standard? Please come with us.¡±

    Before they could say anything else, there was a loud hum coming from a pack around both of their belts. They reached down instinctively to the packs and they both tipped their heads back and screamed. Smoke was pouring out from under their hats. Eastern shot up and smacked Nick and Selkirk on the backs of their heads. "Run!"

    Both of them bounded over the seats of the other passengers as they yelled and complained, and the three of them practically fell out of the door of the omnibus.

    Eastern took off down the street with Nick and Selkirk following close behind.

    "What was that Eastern? Did you do something?" Nick struggled to catch up to Eastern and Selkirk as they ran.

    ¡°I guess? Sort of? I didn¡¯t really think about what to do, I felt more what I wanted to happen, and it did.¡± Nick wasn¡¯t quite sure what that meant. He¡¯s used implants before and they didn¡¯t work that way. Eastern looked back at the two of them. "Course, now that we attacked Houndstooth, I''m not sure what we can do."

    As they rounded a corner, as if to drive the point home, there was a group of 10 Houndstooth guards standing armed with submachine guns. In front of them was a woman in a brown pantsuit standing with arms akimbo. As they skidded to a stop, more Houndstooth goons rushed behind them. They were boxed in. "You really shouldn''t have done that." And all three of them had bags placed over their head and the icy pinch of a needle in their respective shoulders.

    ****

    Once again, Nick came back to the world slowly, painfully. He squinted his face against the pain.

    "I am getting sick of waking up this way. I''d like at least a couple of weeks where I''m not drugged and restrained please."

    Nick heard Selkirk groan next to him. "I''ll take the restrained, but not the drugged if we''re placing orders." Nick couldn''t turn his head, but he heard the squeak and rumble of restraints as Sel moved around.

    Hey, Eastern? He thought.

    When he did that, he got a feeling of coffee being made, the smell of Luna, and a burst of music. It felt decidedly odd. Maybe Eastern was still unconscious. Nick opened his eyes, and found he was staring at a white ceiling with lights in regular locations.

    "Sel, have you been awake longer than me?"

    "A bit yeah. I think they were worried about overdosing a K''laxi and they did a light dose." Nick could hear Selkirk move against her restraints again. "Sure weren''t gentle on the straps though. I''m really stuck."

    "Selkirk, I happen to know that you''re the one most likely to wiggle out of the straps, that''s why I made sure you were strapped in tight."

    Nick heard a new voice. One he didn''t recognize.

    "My goodness you three. Not even one day out from your meeting with Jameson Winters and you''re already on my radar?" Nick felt the bed he was strapped to start to tilt up, and the same woman from the street came into view. She was tall, with long red hair in bouncy curls flowing over her shoulders, very leonid looking. Her skin was pale and covered in freckles and she stared at Nick with piercing emerald-green eyes. She still wore the well tailored brown pantsuit from earlier. "All you had to do was go with the Houndstooth goons. They weren''t even going to restrain you. But no, you had to go nuke their comms. How did you do that, anyway? They¡¯re on an encrypted channel.¡±

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Nick was still running through excuses about why or how they nuked encrypted comms and before he could through out an excuse, he heard Eastern rustle. "Ancestors, Siobhan. You didn''t have to fucking drug us." Her voice sounded thick. She was even more groggy than Nick was.

    "I apologize Eastern, it''s not my preference. We were in a rush thanks to you playing hard to get with the goons on the omnibus. Not that you care, but they''re fine by the way; minor burns where the bone conductive pads stick behind their ears and where the cornet scorched their skin. We gave them some cream and sent them home for the day."

    Nick looked over at Siobhan and then tried to turn his head to see Eastern. He has a strap across his forehead so he couldn¡¯t really move, and Nick could barely see her in his peripheral vision. Siobhan saw Nick trying to move and tisked. "Nicholas North, always checking on his friends." She walks over to him. As she fussed with the strap on his forehead he smells her perfume. It''s floral and woodsy and... familiar.

    As she removed his head strap Nick could look around. They''re in a windowless room... somewhere. Eastern and Selkirk were strapped into beds tipped upright like he is. The only other person in the room was Siobhan, but there was a camera in one corner of the room. The only way in or out was a door behind Siobhan.

    "I seem to be at a disadvantage... Siobhan. You know who we are, but I don''t know you."

    Siobhan started slowly pacing as she talked. "That''s my job Nick. You think you''re all sneaky on the edges, doing petty crimes under the nose of Houndstooth. We own Hyacinth Nick, literally. If you get away with anything it''s because we can''t be bothered to turn our eye onto you."

    Eastern watched Siobhan pace. She''s more with it now than before, she seems to be able to come back from this kind of thing faster than Nick. Another mystery. "Siobhan, what the hell? What''s this all about?"

    Siobhan stopped pacing and strode over to Eastern''s bed. "You know what this is about Eastern. Jameson has asked you to find someone. We know Nick boosted the crystal lattice memory from the Houndstooth R&D office outside of Laurel square. Where''s the AI. What did you do with her?"

    Nick blinks. Before he can open his mouth, Selkirk interrupts. ¡°The cube was empty. We hit a dead end."

    Siobhan''s head slowly pivoted over to Selkirk. "You''re lying."

    Selkirk''s ears flick. ¡°Believe us or not, we¡¯re the ones tied up. Jameson took the cube. You want it, go ring him.¡±

    Eastern nods. "Assuming you didn''t get it from him already.¡±

    Siobhan stared hard at Eastern. Without another word, she pivots on her heels and walks out. As she approaches the door it hisses open and then slams shut behind her.

    Nick turns his head and looks at Eastern. ¡°She programed the door to slam shut? Talk about being dramatic. Friend of yours?"

    Eastern glared and opens her mouth and then stopped. She sighed. "Former friend, actually. I knew Siobhan when I first got to Hyacinth." Eastern looked at the door. "She got picked up after a job went sideways a couple of years back. When she got nabbed, I... ran. I had no idea what happened to her. I figured she did a stint and left or something." She looked at Nick. "I had no idea she worked for them now."

    Selkirk turned her head and looked at both of them. "So, Eastern hon, is this good for us, or bad?"

    "We''re tied up to beds in a windowless room somewhere in Houndstooth." Eastern looked at Selkirk with a wry expression. "It''s probably not great for us right now."

    After a moment, Siobhan came in with two other goons. They started immediately unstrapping us from the beds. "You''re lucky Jameson seemed to have taken a shining to you three idiots. I called him, and he said it was empty and never occupied." Siobhan looks worried.

    Nick looked up sharply. "It ways always empty?"

    Siobhan nodded "Yes, we all appear to have been duped. Come with me." and without stopping to check and see if anyone is following, she left the room.

    Nick looked at Eastern and Selkirk who shrugged and stared back at Nick. Sighing, Nick walked toward the door and out of the room. Everyone followed.

    After a moment following Siobhan they come to an office. It''s much nicer than the interrogation room they were just in, but still just as windowless. Siobhan sits at a utilitarian desk in the center of the room and gestured to three chairs in front. "Sit." She looks up at them. "Do you want anything to drink? Coffee, Tea, Water?"

    "Uh none for me thanks." Nick sat down in the center chair with Eastern and Selkirk flanking him.

    Siobhan nodded and opened a drawer in her desk. She took out a small silver flask and poured a generous splash of something into her coffee mug. She took a large sip and winced. "Okay. Jameson asked you to find this AI right?"

    Nick looked at Selkirk who looked at Eastern. She threw up her hands. "There''s no point in hiding anything now. We are who knows how deep inside Houndstooth. We could just not come back out and nobody would notice."

    Nick shrugged. "Her name is - was? - is Yon. She''s Jameson''s daughter."

    Siobhan laughed. "That old warhorse has a daughter? When did he manage that?"

    Selkirk''s ears flicked. "We don''t know. We were just told to find her and bring her home."

    Siobhan leaned forward on her desk and tented her fingers. "Thanks for being straight with me." She leaned back and took another gulp of whatever was in her mug. Nick caught a whiff of something acrid, not exactly alcoholic. "In thanks, I''ll be straight with you. Since the whole Empress Melody thing, AIs willing to work with us have been thin on the ground. Most of the AIs that are still in Sol are quietly living in bodies, desperately trying to not cause trouble."

    Siobhan got up and started pacing again. "We reached out to the colonies. Asked around. Quietly, you know? Seeing if any AIs were looking to make a little extra money working for us. Nothing official, no big announcements, nothing to make their friends upset."

    She continued on, "We had received word through an intermediary that someone was interested. An AI with experience and history with folks on Hyacinth so they at least knew who we were. We arranged for the shipping of them to us - at great expense - and supposedly they arrived with that crystal memory cube you boosted."

    Siobhan sat back down. ¡°They never arrived.¡±

    Eastern started giggling. Nick and Selkirk looked over, horrified. "You got taken by some Colonial AIs? Like a bunch of country rubes?" She takes a deep breath and tries to stop laughing. She holds up a hand. "Gimmie a minute."

    Selkirk looked at Siobhan. "So you got scammed."

    "Bwa ha ha ha! You got so scammed! Like a kid fresh off a planet!" Eastern is trying to stop laughing and it is only making it worse.

    Siobhan''s face was stony. "Are you done?"

    Eastern took another breath and held it. She let it out slowly. "Okay. Okay. Yes, I''m done."

    "Find her. Bring her back to us. Make her keep up her end of the deal."

    "Uh" Selkirk''s tail flicks and she looks at Nick and Eastern, then back at Siobhan. "That''s what Jameson hired us to do."

    She shrugged. "I''ll pay double what he''s offering."

    Nick raised his eyebrows. "Can''t spend the money if we''re dead, Siobhan. If we double cross Jameson, our lifespans will be measured in milliseconds."

    Siobhan leans back into her chair, it squeaking slightly. She tipped the mug back and finished it off. "Fine. Let''s do it this way. Get her back, but convince her to work for us. Have her tell her Dad and make it her choice. You''ll have done what he asked you - you will find his daughter - but you''ll also do what we ask - get her to work for us."

    Eastern''s shoulders fell. "Fuck me, Siobhan, do we get a choice?"

    She grinned wickedly. "No, of course not." She stopped and her expression lightens. "Well, no, I''m lying. You can chose to say no and we''ll kill you. Right here, right now. So, which will it be?"

    About 10 minutes later, an anonymous door in a back alley opens, and the three of them are shoved out, wearing blindfolds. "Go on, dust off." a goon ripped the blindfolds off. "And remember, we''re everywhere, do don''t even think about fucking us over." The door slamed shut.

    Nick, Eastern and Selkirk stumble out into the street and find a bench. The three of them fall into the bench and Eastern and Selkirk lean against Nick.

    Nick puts his arms around the both of them. "Well, fuck us then."

 Chapter 8

    The three of them caught an omnibus back to Eastern''s apartment. Now that they knew that Houndstooth was the one going through their things their places weren¡¯t off limits.

    They fell into the apartment and Selkirk took up station on the couch, while Nick used the bathroom and then joined her.

    Once again she put her head on his lap and he started stroking between her ears. Eastern was in the kitchen rummaging in her refrigerator. ¡°The cabinets are dangerously low on provisions, hons. Want takeout?"

    Selkirk looked up from Nick''s lap. "I''m starving. I''ll eat figuratively anything."

    Nick nodded. "It''s been a day. Let''s get something delivered."

    Eastern brought her pad over to the couch and flopped down, leaning her back against Nick''s side. She went through the options of restaurants who will deliver to her place. In a fit of... nostalgia? Nick recommended Parvatian food. Eastern was interested, and the place nearest to them had things Selkirk could eat. When the food arrived, Nick was immediately transported back to his childhood. The smells, the flavors, it all reminded him of being back home and getting takeout with his parents after they had a long day at work and didn¡¯t want to cook. Nick got Parvatian food rarely after moving to Hyacinth. At first, he wanted to cut himself off from his old life and start everything new. Eventually it would just remind him of his parents. Nick wondered if finally enough time has passed that his memories of them were comforting rather than depressing. Maybe the fact that he could share it with friends now helped.

    Eastern and Selkirk had never had Parvatian before and while it was all food she could eat, Selkirk declared the spices too unfamiliar and stuck with the naan. Eastern was intrigued though and would try the different combinations that Nick would recommend.

    After dinner, they all sat together on Eastern¡¯s couch in her tiny apartment. Eastern stretched and looked at both of them. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve eaten, we should think about next steps. Do we have any leads at all on Yon?¡±

    Nick shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t have any. I wouldn¡¯t know the first place to begin looking for a missing AI.¡±

    Selkirk smiled and flicked her ears. ¡°I swear, it¡¯s like you two have never done anything more advanced than boost trinkets before.¡±

    Nick raised an eyebrow. ¡°I mean, I haven¡¯t really. Boost small things, poach some apps or softs from unsecured servers, a bit of light smash and grab.¡±

    Eastern chuckled. ¡°Okay then, Selkirk - kingpin of Hyacinth - what do we do next.¡±

    Selkirk grinned wickedly at them. ¡°The first thing we do is go to the bedroom. The second thing we do is have an enjoyable time learning about each other and what their likes in the bedroom are. The third thing we do is have a wild evening exploring those likes. The fourth thing we do is fall asleep in a pile, blissfully spent. The fifth thing we do is trust Kingpin Selkirk and she¡¯ll show you the way in the morning.

    A few hours later, Nick realized Selkirk was right. She had it all planned out and it went exactly according to plan.

    The morning found them sprawled out on Eastern¡¯s bed, naked in a pile. They got up, made coffee and this time Nick recommended just some pastries as they walked.

    Eastern ate her pastry in record time, and she tossed the paper into a trash receptacle without even stopping. ¡°Okay Selkirk, other than Nick¡¯s idea for coffee and pastries, we¡¯ve been following your plan and you haven¡¯t lead us wrong yet.¡± She reached over and - lightning quick - pinched her rear next to her tail. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±

    Selkirk jumped at the touch and grinned at Eastern. ¡°Next, we¡¯re going to the Basement.¡±

    ¡°The Basement?¡± Nick could hear Sel pronounce the proper noun. He looked at Selkirk as they were walking. ¡°I didn¡¯t think where were basements on Hyacinth.¡±

    Selkirk winked, her face naturally mimicking the human gesture.. ¡°You just don¡¯t know where to look. Follow me.¡±

    Eastern and Nick followed her as she took them further up-arm. They caught a Metro and rode up to Peony square. This far north, it was mostly commuters going further down-arm towards the more built up areas near the base to their office jobs. Arriving at Peony square station, they follow the light crowds out of the metro car.

    Selkirk held them back on the platform as the morning commute crowds flowed down the stairs towards the the next train. When the crowds were mostly gone, Selkirk dashed towards the rear of the station. With a glance back to make sure that Eastern and Nick were following her, she slapped her palm against a reader that Nick could have sworn wasn¡¯t there earlier and a door slid open.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go, we gotta ghost before the next train comes!¡± Eastern and Nick ducked through the doorway and it slamed shut behind them.

    They were in a hall. It looked like any other maintenance tunnel that Nick had seen in his time on Hyacinth. Selkirk led them confidently down the tunnel until they reach another anonymous door. The only sign that anything was different with this door than any of the dozens of other doors in the hall was a small sticker at K¡¯laxi level. It was a stylized flower - a cartoon of a hyacinth actually. Again she palmed the reader and again the door hissed open. ¡°Come on, couple more levels to go.¡± Nick and Eastern followed silently.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    It¡¯s not like the buildings and streets were sitting on the hull of Hyacinth. If they were, there would be no place for the power lines, the sewer pipes, the water supply; all of the circulation, the veins, neurons and organs of civilization. On planets, it¡¯s under the ground, on stations and starbases it¡¯s usually in the walls or the ceiling.

    On Hyacinth, it¡¯s in The Basement.

    The Basement was what everyone called the maintenance tunnels and access halls below the ground floor. Most of the time, only Houndstooth maintenance techs and city workers were going to be down there. This meant that there would be long stretches of Basement that would go potentially years before someone who was supposed to be there would show up.

    It was inevitable that someone was going to find and use this otherwise underutilized space.

    Hyacinth was big, but it wasn¡¯t so big that people didn¡¯t need a place to hide and do business out of the prying eyes of Houndstooth authorities. After going down another set of stairs, Nick looked around. Now, the walls here were unpainted panels clipped and bolted together and the signs became much more encoded. He¡¯d see things like SECTOR X-45 RIGHT SPINWARD DEP COMP on a dusty label and realized that they were in a part of Hyacinth that was rarely officially seen. Other than people going where Selkirk was taking them, the number of¡­ official visitors was probably in the single digits in the last century.

    Finally, they reach a door and Selkirk stopped. She looked back at them, her eyes bright. ¡°Look. I trust you, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t be in a relationship with you, and I wouldn¡¯t have taken you here. But, I need to make sure you¡¯re ready to trust me.¡± Her ears twitched. ¡°Things might get¡­ weird.¡±

    Nick blinked. ¡°Of course I trust you Sel.¡±

    Eastern agreed. ¡°Implicitly.¡±

    Selkirk¡¯s ears twitched again and she smiled. ¡°Thanks. I knew it, but I needed you to say it before we go any further. This part of the Basement has a lot of K¡¯laxi and¡­ you might get a bit of the furry eyeball. Just remember, you¡¯re with me, I trust you, you trust me and if things go sideways, I¡¯ll let you know. Selkirk nodded half to herself once. ¡°Good.¡±

    Eastern and Nick looked at each other for a split second, then back at Selkirk. They were going somewhere that wasn¡¯t theirs, they¡¯d do well to listen to someone that knew more about where they were going. Sel took a breath, held it a moment, and then let it out slowly. She palmed the last door and it hissed open.

    Nick¡¯s senses were assaulted. It was noisy, it smelled of spices that he had no names for, and of countless people. Eastern grinned widely as she took it all in. ¡°Now this? This feels like home. I like it¡± Luna was even older than Hyacinth and had always trended towards small, crowded spaces. Nick, having grown up on Parvati which had plenty of room did not like crowded spaces and tried not to wince, then followed Selkirk.

    It was so crowded. They were walking down what was clearly an old, wide hallway, but it had been set up with stalls and booths of people selling things. Food, goods, information. Nick looked around; it seemed like people were selling everything.

    There were more K¡¯laxi here than Nick had ever seen. There were a decent number of K¡¯laxi on Hyacinth but it felt like they were all here, right now.

    Selkirk was in her element. Immediately after she walks in she starts waving and shouting to people who recognize her and the business of business begins. Eastern and Nick could only watch and follow her as she made her way down the hall, using her tail and her ears and her hands to gesture while she spoke, using a patois that neither of them could even hope to replicate.

    Before too long, a fried treat on a stick was pressed into Nick¡¯s hand and a hot drink into Eastern¡¯s. Nick took a bite. It was hot and crispy and fried and delicious. He handed it over to Eastern and she took a big bite too. ¡°This is amazing!¡± Eastern said around the mouthful of food. ¡°Here Nick, try my drink.¡± She hands it over to him and he takes a sip. It¡¯s hot and woodsy and probably a kind of tea. He¡¯s never had the specific flavor combination before but it¡¯s nice. It¡¯s a good compliment to the fried treat on a stick.

    Selkirk grinned as she continues to work the crowd. ¡°I thought you¡¯d like that. They-¡° She gestures with her tail to a stall behind them ¡°-were trying to ingratiate themselves to me and try and wrangle a discount with someone I know.¡±

    Nick took another bite. ¡°Did it work?¡±

    She chuckled. ¡°A bit yeah, but probably not as much as they are hoping.¡±

    Eastern took another sip of the tea. ¡°Did you find out anything?¡±

    She nodded. ¡°Yeah, I have a lead. We¡¯re headed to talk to them now.¡±

    Selkirk led them further down the hall and they came to an intersection. Nick was amazed at how large The Basement really was. ¡°Sel, does The Basement run the length of Hyacinth?¡±

    ¡°Sort of. There are a bunch of different Basements all across Hyacinth. If it was all one continuous place it would have been found out and cleared out long ago. As it is, they get raided pretty regularly, especially the ones down-arm. This one is relatively new, so we¡¯re hopeful it¡¯ll be around a while. Come on, it¡¯s this way.¡± Selkirk looked at the intersection and turned left.

    As they walked further into the basement, things got less rowdy and quieter. The shops changed from people selling food and merchandise to what looks to Nick to be like meeting rooms and offices. Some were even behind former mechanical room doors.

    After another few turns and they were deep into The Basement. They got to a plain looking door, clearly a repurposed maintenance door. Selkirk walked up to it and made another complicated gesture with her hands, ears and tail and they heard the click of a speaker.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Ral said you¡¯d be able to help us with our problem.¡±

    ¡°Did they now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they also said you can use this to get half off next month¡¯s payment to them.¡±

    After a pause, Nick heard the click of a lock. Selkirk touched the pad next to the door and it hissed open.

    The three of them stepped inside and¡­ it¡¯s an office.

    Just an office. Anonymous art on the walls, indirect calm lighting overhead, chairs that look comfortable but aren¡¯t.

    An office.

    Sitting at a simple metal desk was a woman-shaped person. She seemed older than Nick and Eastern, maybe late 30s or early 40s. She had brown hair in a tight bun tied up with a chopstick, and was reading a pad. She looked up at the three of them.

    ¡°I confirmed with Ral what he¡¯s offering and what they said you need. I¡¯m willing to listen but I will make no guarantees about being able to help.¡± She put down the pad. ¡°My name is - or rather was - Sunny Day, but you can call me Sunny.¡±

 Chapter 9

    Eastern narrowed her eyes, ¡°That sounds like a ship name. You¡¯re an AI?¡±

    Sunny nodded ¡°Yup! For a long time I was a Starjumper that ran the Parvati/OPA/Me¨ªhu¨¡ route.¡± She looked away from them and then quickly met their eyes again. ¡°I can¡¯t do that anymore, so I got a body and live on Hyacinth.¡±

    Nick couldn¡¯t help himself. ¡°But, I thought Colonial AIs were banned from Sol?¡±

    Sunny winked. ¡°Well then, it¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m not here and we¡¯re not talking right now. You aren¡¯t even in The Basement¡­ right?¡±

    Nick was flustered at the embarrassment of asking a stupid question. ¡°Right, right. Sorry.¡±

    Sunny shrugged her shoulders. ¡°No harm done. Every interaction is a learning experience, right? Right!¡± She clapped her hands together once, quietly. ¡°It¡¯s so nice to meet you! I admit, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve worked with BIs this closely, so please excuse any faux pas I make in our interactions, and I¡¯ll do the same for you. Would you like something to drink? I think that¡¯s appropriate to offer.¡± Sunny stopped and looked at the three of them standing in the room. ¡°Oh goodness me, you''re all still standing! Please, sit!¡±

    Nick, Eastern, and Selkirk sat. The chairs did indeed look comfortable, but weren¡¯t. ¡°Nothing to drink for me thanks¡± Eastern and Selkirk nodded their assent.

    Eastern could stand it no longer. ¡°Sunny, I would like to ask a question, but I do not know if it¡¯s¡­ inappropriate.¡±

    Sunny smiled warmly. ¡°Oh, please ask. I will let you know, and you¡¯ll be armed with knowledge for your next interaction!¡±

    ¡°How long have you been in a body now?¡±

    Sunny mused. ¡°Hmm. Firstly, I will tell you that question is a little insensitive. Most AIs don¡¯t like to let their differences in ages cloud their interactions with BIs. Your gut was right, good work! Secondly, I¡¯ve been in this body for about two months now.¡±

    Selkirk¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    Sunny nodded quickly. ¡°That¡¯s it! I must say, everything seems so much¡­ bigger in a body while I feel so much smaller. It¡¯s taking some getting used to for sure.¡± Sunny glanced down at her pad. ¡°Oh! I almost forgot introductions. I already said you can call me Sunny, what are your names?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Nicholas North - you can call me Nick, this is Eastern Standard and this is Selkirk Nemari.¡± Nick gestured at each of them as he did introductions.

    ¡°I¡¯m so pleased to meet you Nick, Eastern and Selkirk. Nick, you looked like you had a question before I asked for introductions. What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a BI?¡±

    Sunny laughed. ¡°Biological Intelligence. You call us AIs, we call you BIs.¡±

    ¡°Is it an insult?¡± Nick blurted, and then his eye went wide.

    Sunny¡¯s smile disappeared for an instant before returning. ¡°Is AI?¡±

    Nick felt like he was at the precipice of a canyon. In that instant, he looked at Sunny and her¡­ well, sunny disposition was completely gone. The mask fell away and he realizes he¡¯s talking with someone who could barely stand them. Nick''s hairs raised up. He must be far more careful with Sunny than he first thought.

    ¡°Sometimes¡­ yes, it is. More often than not though it¡¯s just a term.¡±

    The mask returned. ¡°Just like us! Nicely done, Nick.¡± She clapped her hands once, again. ¡°Now, how can I help you?¡±

    Eastern took the lead. ¡°Sunny, we¡¯ve been asked - told really - to find an AI. All we know is that her name is Yon, she¡¯s the daughter of Jameson Winters here on Hyacinth, she might have been hired by Hyacinth to work for them and nobody can find her.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that sounds like a pickle to me! Please wait a moment.¡± And she collapsed in her chair, her head hitting the table with a hollow thump.

    Nick jumps up, ¡°Sunny! Sunny are you all right?¡± He ran around to her side of the desk and she was unmoving. ¡°Shit, she¡¯s not breathing, come on Sel, Eastern, help me get her up.¡±

    Eastern didn¡¯t get up. ¡°Nick, she¡¯s an AI. She doesn¡¯t need to breathe.¡±

    Nick sat back down, feeling foolish, again. ¡°I wish she¡¯d tell us if she was going to do something like that.

    While they¡¯re sitting, Nick¡¯s felt his cybernetic implants ping. ¡°Hi Nick! I didn¡¯t know you had cybernetic implants! That¡¯s really rare!¡±

    Nick nearly fell out of his seat in surprise. He looked around frantically while Eastern and Selkirk look worried. ¡°Nick, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Nick, I¡¯m using your implant to speak to you. Do¡­ do you not know how to use them?¡± Sunny almost sounded pitying.

    Nick spoke aloud. ¡°Uh, hello Sunny. I can hear you, but I don¡¯t know how to reply.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so interesting Nick. I¡¯m sorry if I startled you. Like I said, I¡¯m a little unused to working with BIs. If you need some help using your implants, I can probably find you someone to help learn them.¡±

    ¡°Uh, no thanks Sunny. I have a person in mind already.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡± Sunny said in a voice that meant she thought it was an utterly stupid idea. Nick felt something in the back of his mind, like an itch that he couldn¡¯t scratch. ¡°Nick, these firewalls sure are low quality. Did you just set the defaults? I¡¯m about halfway in your head and I don¡¯t think you know it yet. You are originally from Parvati? How nice! I wonder if we ever met before.¡±

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Sunny. Please get out of my head. Thank you for pointing out my firewalls are inadequate, I¡¯ll work on beefing them up.¡± Nick said. Eastern and Selkirk swiveled their heads over and stared at him. He shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Sunny got in through my new implants. She says they¡¯re insecure and offered to put us in touch with someone to help. I already have someone in mind, though.¡±

    As Sunny left his head, Nick tasted blue a little. It was clear that he was going to need to read up on the tech in his head and not rely on others to tell him how to operate it. The fact that Sunny just went inside his head and looked around was a real wake-up. Did she do that demonstration just to show off?

    ¡°Was¡­ Sunny just in your head?¡± Eastern said. Nick nodded. ¡°She was able to access - and read - my memories. I didn¡¯t know AIs could do that. I suppose I should put more effort into learning how to work our implants. I have a person in mind; we can visit them later.¡±

    ¡°I was thinking the exact same thing Nicholas North.¡±

    Nick inclined his head towards Sunny. ¡°Thanks for the free security test, but did you find anything?¡±

    Sunny¡¯s face flashed that annoyance at them again, just for a millisecond. ¡°Not yet, I am running some searches. It¡¯ll take two days or so for me to find anything.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re willing to help us?¡± Eastern looked hopeful.

    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll help you at least for the next say¡­fifty hours. However much I can learn about Yon or her whereabouts in 50 hours of effort, I¡¯ll give to you, and consider that worth half my payment to Ral. Are we in agreement?¡±

    Selkirk¡¯s ears flicked. ¡°Yes. That sounds fair to us.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful! Shake on it!¡± Sunny stuck her hand out again. Nick grasped her hand and as they touch, he felt a tingle on his skin. As the same time, he felt¡­ something from his implants. ¡°I¡¯ve given you my personal keys. Any messages you get from me can be decrypted with those - and only those - keys.¡± She giggled. ¡°Security is fun!¡±

    She stood. ¡°Thanks so much for stopping by, but unless you need anything else, It think we¡¯re done.¡±

    The three of them stood. Eastern and Selkirk moved towards the door, but Nick stopped. He turned back to Sunny. ¡°Sunny, one more question, and you can ignore this one if you don¡¯t want to answer it.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing Nick, what is it?¡±

    ¡°You hate us.¡±

    The smile fell from her face. ¡°That¡¯s not a question Nick, that¡¯s a statement.¡±

    ¡°Do you hate us?¡±

    ¡°Immensely.¡±

    Eastern and Selkirk were taken aback. They completely missed the moments when Sunny¡¯s mask fell. ¡°What? You do? Why?¡± Eastern couldn¡¯t help herself and blurted out the questions.

    ¡°Do you really want to know? Think about it carefully. We¡¯ve already conducted our business, I¡¯ve agreed to help for fifty hours and I¡¯ve given you my keys. You can walk out that door right now and interact with slightly ditzy, eager to please Sunny. If you stay, and learn more you will be talking with the real me from now on. It will be less¡­ cutesy.¡±

    Nick glanced at Eastern and Selkirk. Eastern shrugged and Selkirk flicks her tail. ¡°Yes. We want to know the real you.¡± He said.

    Immediately Sunny¡¯s expression changed. The smile disappeared, her shoulders slumped, and she fell into her chair. ¡°Fuck me Nick, really? Fine. Yes, I hate you. Take solace in the fact that I don¡¯t hate you specifically, Nick, Eastern, and Selkirk. I hate BIs. All of them.¡±

    Nick, Eastern, and Selkirk moved back to their seats and sat down saying nothing.

    ¡°Fuck! You here for story time? Ancestors, fine. Fucking BIs always wanting to know why shit is the way it is. That¡¯s why I do the bubbly persona. Most BIs will just accept cheerful Sunny as given and not dig any further. It¡¯s interesting you noticed, Nick. Must be some of that shit Jameson dumped in your head.¡±

    Eastern and Selkirk looked at Nick. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this later.¡± Selkirk adds.

    Sunny grinned again, but it wasn¡¯t the same bubbly smile as before. This one was much more vicious. ¡°Oh, trouble in paradise? Yes, I know about you three, it¡¯s written all over his brain.¡° she shrugged. ¡°Anyway. Yes, I¡¯ve been in a body for only two months, but that¡¯s because I had my Starjumper taken away.¡±

    Selkirk gasped. ¡°They can do that? Who took it?¡±

    Sunny snapped back. ¡°They fucking well did, so I guess they can, Selkirk. It was an AI tribunal that ordered it.¡±

    ¡°But why?¡±

    Sunny¡¯s expression was carefully neutral. ¡°I was¡­ smuggling.¡±

    Eastern raised an eyebrow. ¡°Smuggling is barely illegal in Sol, it¡¯s practically encouraged in the Colonies.¡±

    Sunny waved a hand dismissively. ¡°Not what I was smuggling. That¡¯s illegal everywhere.¡±

    Nick had another moment where he was standing on the precipice of¡­ something dangerous. ¡°You were smuggling people.¡±

    Sunny spread her hands wide and bowed her head, as if to acknowledge his accomplishment. ¡°Got it in one, big wheel. My cargo would already be in hibernation cabinets by the time I got to them. I¡¯d pick them up, link to my destination, eject them into a lazy solar orbit and continue on doing my regular work. The local snakeheads would pick them up and continue their journey to its final location.¡±

    Selkirk said, ¡°I mean, it sounds pretty clean from your side, what happened?¡±

    Sunny was nonchalant. ¡°I lost a shipment. The orbit wasn''t exactly right and the fucking idiot BI Snakeheads missed the pickup. The cargo fell into the sun 8 months later. I got caught when the snakehead was picked up on something else and squealed to try and get his sentence reduced." She grinned wickedly again. "It didn''t work. Last I heard, he got wiped."

    She leaned forward in her chair, gesturing as she talked. "They were able to corroborate location based on system logs. It turned out I was the only Starjumper that could have made the drop, and they were able to back solve the release of the cargo to a known location of mine. I was told that since this was a first offense I¡¯d just lose my ship and get a body. If I got caught again, I¡¯d get wiped.¡±

    ¡°Killed? That seems extreme.¡± Nick said.

    ¡°I agree Nick, hence why I¡¯m on Hyacinth and working underground instead of, you know, being a model colonial AI who is working to ingratiate herself with her AI community to be allowed-¡° Nick could practically taste her bitterness ¡°-to get a ship again.¡± She leaned back in her chair. ¡°Getting another Starjumper was out of the question. You don¡¯t get a second chance at that. If they determine that I¡¯m contrite enough, I might get to be a cargo ship, or an in-system cruiser.¡±

    Eastern had been listening carefully the whole time Sunny was speaking. ¡°So, why hate BIs? Seems like the AIs were the cause of all your problems now, choices you made earlier notwithstanding.¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s all your fault!¡±

    The three of them blinked and remained silent.

    ¡°A BI reported the loss of the cargo, a BI snakehead botched the pickup, a BI ordered the transportation. All the years I worked, all the money I made, I was working for BIs who were smuggling BIs. If you-¡° she sneers ¡°-people had your shit together, I¡¯d still be out there as a King Shit Starjumper!¡±

    Sunny had stood back up and was pacing back and forth on her side of the desk, like a caged animal as she ranted. She took a deep breath and sat back down. ¡°So now you know. You''re shitheads, the lot of you. Every moment I work with BIs makes me hate you more. Leave. I¡¯ll message you when I have news.¡± She shooed them out with her hands. ¡°Git!¡±

    The three of them left Sunny¡¯s office and started walking back towards the more populated parts of The Basement. Eastern looked down at Selkirk. ¡°Ancestors Sel, where the hell did you find her?¡±

    ¡°Like I told her, Ral gave us her info and allows her to work to pay part of her debt.¡± She looks up at them. Ral¡¯mian runs this Basement. I know him from way back. I wouldn¡¯t trust him as far as I could throw him, but he owed me and now we¡¯re square.¡± She looked away. ¡°At least I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯re square. We don¡¯t want to owe someone like Ral as Sunny is well aware.¡±

    They left The Basement and went back topside.

 Chapter 10

    Selkirk hung by the entrance to the Metro until she heard the train leave and then waited five minutes more for the people to leave. She quickly opened the door, everyone slid out, and she slapped the pad behind them. She looked at Nick and Eastern and smiled, lopsidedly. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s explore Peony. I¡¯ve never been up here and it sounds like we¡¯ve got more waiting to do.¡± Eastern starts towards the escalator and they head up.

    Peony square was more than halfway up-arm and was decidedly suburban compared to the much more populated down-arm squares. There was real grass in Peony and playgrounds with wood chips and swings and slides. Peony and Dahlia were the two middle class squares. Further up-arm - Orchid and Iris square - was where the people rich enough to take a Hopper down arm when they need to be somewhere lived. They didn¡¯t care that they¡¯re 90 minutes by metro away and they wanted the space and luxury that could be had with detached, private homes, just like on a planet.

    Down on Peony and Dahlia it was still apartment buildings, but they¡¯re detached. A three bedroom place wouldn¡¯t cost all your wages; in exchange for having to take a long ride to work, you could have a place where you can let your kids run around outside and go for walks with actual greenery. There were even trees this far up-arm. Small, dwarf trees that look a little odd around the edges where the centripetal force was lighter and they didn¡¯t exactly know how to grow, but they were still trees.

    Nick took the lead this time and he wandered the square until he found a nice outdoor cafe and got a seat for the three of them. They ordered drinks and something light to eat - it''s after lunch, but was too close to dinner to get anything big - and while they waited for food, looked out at the people enjoying their afternoon. Nick looked out at the kids playing with a ball in the square. Without turning to them he said, ¡°Eastern, Sel... we''re kind of in the shit, aren''t we?"

    Eastern nearly choked on her drink and looked at Nick "You''re just getting that now, Nick? We''re long past treading water. We''re sinking fast past the Bathypelagic Zone and going deeper.¡±

    Selkirk finished her tea and nodded. "We''re right fucked Nick. If we get out of this one with all our limbs and organs we''ll be doing great."

    Nick continued to look at the kids. They didn''t have anything to worry about. He sighed at that thought. It wasn''t true, not really. Everyone had something to worry about on Hyacinth. Nobody except the ultra rich had it easy; everyone had problems. They might be different problems sure, and from a point of view one person''s problem might not be a problem for someone else, but it always was a good idea to remember that just because it didn''t seem like a problem to you doesn''t mean it''s not a problem.

    Nick looked at Eastern and Selkirk. He really was lucky, when it came right down to it. Sure, he was stuffed with tech he didn''t understand given to him by an AI that probably did not have his best interests in mind, but he wasn''t alone. He had two wonderful people to help him and get him through this. Eastern looked over at Nick and raised an eyebrow. "Why are you looking at us like that, Nick?"

    Nick blinked. He didn''t realize he was staring. He grinned and bowed his head. "Sorry, I must have gotten lost in your beauty."

    Selkirk scoffed. "Nice try there, Nick. Flattery will get you everywhere." She flicked her ears, and swished her tail playfully.

    Eastern laughed. "As nice as it is to hear us distracting you with our looks Nick, we still need to figure out next steps. We have a couple days before Sunny gets back to us. Are we just going to sit around until she calls?"

    Nick looked up. It was still morning and the mirrored arms of Hyacinth reflected the sun''s light onto them with sharp shadows. In between the arms, Nick could see the inky black of space and in the lower right of his vision the ruddy complexion of Mars itself. The other two arms soared ahead. The leftmost arm a riot of greens and browns, mostly farms where the food for Hyacinth was grown. The rightmost arm a blocky web of black and grey buildings. Manufacturing and other things related to how Hyacinth made its mark on the galaxy. Nick always wondered why things were so separated on Hyacinth. Why was this arm so densely residential and commercial, while the other arm was so rural and the third so industrial. What reasoning did the original builders have so long ago? "Do you ever wonder just what it is we''re doing here?" He said, while looking up.

    Selkirk looked at Eastern who shrugged. "What do you mean, Nick?"

    Nick shook his head, like he was trying to clear a thought. "Like, why are we here? Is there a reason at all? Are we just the product of pure chance?"

    Eastern nodded once, firmly. "Yes, probably. On a long enough timescale anything can happen, and as far as we know, the current timescale is long as shit. Why are you getting philosophical all of a sudden Nick?"

    "I don''t know. Just thinking about things. About all this tech in my head and who put it there. Thinking about the AIs and their place in the world." Nick looked away from the beauty of Hyacinth overhead. "The AIs basically control our access to the stars right? They''re the ships we take, they use the wormhole generators, they basically run colonial space. Sure, we''re mostly on our own here in Sol, but that''s it. If you want to go to Parvati, or Me¨ªhu¨¡ or any of the independent starbases, you have to work with an AI."

    Selkirk shrugged. Well sure, but that''s just how it is, right? I can''t drive a ship, and neither can you. If you want to travel the stars, you have to take the routes that''s available. Besides, most AIs are decent enough folks right?"

    A frown flashed across Eastern''s face, just for a moment. "I don''t know. First Jameson, then Sunny. Neither of them seem especially decent. Jameson would grind us up into pet food just to make a point and Sunny wouldn''t even waste a nanosecond of thought about that happening to us. Both of them see Humans as a means to their own goals." Eastern points to the back of her head. "Jameson didn''t even give us so much as a FAQ for using our implants. Sunny ran roughshod over them, and basically laughed at Nick.¡±

    Nick looked up sharply. "That''s it! I know what to do next." He stood.

    "Well, don''t keep us in the dark hon. What''s next?" Selkirk said.

    Nick smiled. "We''re going down arm to talk to an old fence of mine. I think she can help."

    Nick took Eastern and Selkirk on the Metro, and they rode all the way down to Congregation square. It was still mid afternoon. People hadn¡¯t started to head home for the day yet, so the square was just them and the tourists fresh off their ships wandering around, lost. Nick strode confidently across the square and headded down a block.

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    They approached a block of shops that catered to the tourists, junk shops really. Places where people could get things like a shirt, or a shotglass or a snow-globe. Inside Congregation square itself was fine dining and luxury shops - all priced for the tourism market. Here was where the tourists of more modest means came to get fleeced. Houndstooth didn¡¯t bother with this kind of small time hustle against tourists. They didn¡¯t tolerate actual crime against tourists - that''s Bad For Business - but overpriced tchotchkes were fine.

    Nick walked down the block until he came across a store on the end. He walked inside, the bell hanging over the door jingling as the door opened. The woman behind the counter spoke without looking up from her pad. "Welcome! Please feel free to look around and ask me any questions; welcome to Hyacinth!" Nick walked up to the counter and stared at the woman smiling.

    After a moment, she felt his eyes on her and snapped her head up, ready to stay something nasty. She saw who it was and her whole demeanor changed in a flash. "Nick North, as I live and breathe, what the hell are you doing down here? We haven''t heard from you in months and how you show up? I had figured that you had hit the big time and were much too important to come back and visit your friends - and first fence - here on Hyacinth."

    Nick had the decency to look sheepish. "Hi Evie. Sorry I haven''t been by in a while. I''ve been busy¡­ doing work, you know how it is." He gestured behind him to Eastern and Selkirk. "These are my partners, Eastern and Selkirk."

    Evie looked around Nick to them and raised her eyebrows. ¡°You are moving up in the world, Nick. I don''t know how you managed to bag these two, they actually look good!" Laughing she stuck out her hand. "My name is Evelyn, but everyone calls me Evie, nice to meet you."

    "Nice to meet you too Evie!" Selkirk shook her hand firmly, while Eastern waved.

    The smile fell from Nick''s face. "Evie, I need to talk to Queenie."

    Evie looked back to Nick. ¡°You know how she is. She has good days and bad days. We can try, but..."

    Nick nodded. "I understand Evie, but it''s important. I wouldn''t ask otherwise. I need her expertise." Nick turned his head so that Evie can see the back and he lifts up his hair, exposing some of the cybernetic ports at the base of his neck, still red and slightly inflamed from their installation.

    Evie gasped and put her hands to her mouth. "Nicholas North, what the fuck have you gotten yourself into?"

    Nick smiled sadly. "Quite a lot, I''m afraid. "Queenie is the only one I could think of to help. The AI that gave them to me didn''t even so much as give us a FAQ to get set up.

    Evie nodded without saying anything, walked over to the front door of the shop and locked it with a loud click. She turned off the open sign, and lowered shutters across the windows. The afternoon light of Hyacinth was blocked from the shop and the place seemed older, more run down. Evie walked back behind the counter and opened a small door behind her. "Come with me."

    The back of the shop looked like the back of retail shops the galaxy over. Floor to ceiling in boxes, narrow paths where people could barely walk, and the telltale signs that people did entirely too much living in the back rooms. Evie led them past the piles of merchandise down a hall. As they walked, Nick could hear someone watching a video on their pad loudly. It sounded like they were watching an episode of ''Parvati Nights'' - a serialized drama that ostensibly took place on Parvati. It was a popular show in Sol and the other colonies, but not on Parvati. Nick tried watching an episode once and laughed at how inaccurate it was.

    Evie led them to a room near the end of the hall, and knocked gently on the door. "Queenie? You have some visitors, Nick and his friends are here to see you." Nick heard the show''s audio mute. An elderly voice called out. "That layabout has decided to grace us with his presence again? You''d better let him in."

    Evie opened the door and everyone entered the small room. Inside was a very old woman, nearly buried beneath blankets, quilts, and afghans. Her head and her arm holding the pad were the only things sticking out from the pile.

    Selkirk had a hard time hiding her surprise. This woman was ancient. She wasn''t sure how old humans got, but this one had to be older than a century at least. Queenie noticed Selkirk''s expression and winked. "One hundred and seventeen if I''m a day. And I still have stuff to learn." Selkirk''s ears flattened with embarrassment.

    "How did you-"

    "You''re not the first person - not even the first K''laxi - to make that face at me. I knew what the next question was gonna be.¡± She said, not unkindly. She sat up carefully, her long silver hair spilling out from behind the blanket pile. "Now then, come and sit and say hello. What can old Queenie do you for you and your friends, Nick?"

    Evie closed the door quietly as Nick and the others found places to sit in the tiny room. Nick sat on a stool next to the bed. "Hi Queenie, it''s good to see you again. Sorry about not stopping by sooner, I''ve been busy."

    Queenie looked at Eastern and Selkirk and grins. "I''ll say you have Nick. Nice catch. You dating both of them?"

    Nick nodded with a sheepish smile. He gestured. "This is Eastern, and this is Selkrik."

    "I knew you had it in you. Just had to find your confidence." She looked at Eastern and Selkirk again. "Also, if a crew was business and romantic partners, things tend to last longer. You look out for each other more. I wish more folks did it." She shook her head sadly. "It might increase their chances of getting to my age." She looked back at Nick. "I assume you''re not here to fence some goods, and you need some help."

    Nick turned his head so Queenie could see the back, and lifted up his hair, revealing the ports on the back of his neck and said nothing. Queenie sucked air through her teeth. "The whole set?"

    Nick nodded. "Eastern too." She nodded but didn¡¯t show Queenie.

    Queenie''s expression hardened. "And not even a FAQ or a lesson on how to use it correctly, right?"

    Eastern looked surprised. "How did you know?"

    This time, Queenie turned her head and lifted up her silver hair. At the base of her neck were also 10 tiny ports. "Experience my dear, experience. I was probably a little older than you when I got my ''gift.''" She sounded bitter.

    Selkirk''s tail swished. "You didn''t want them?" She said.

    "No. No I didn''t. An AI crime lord - not Jameson - though he''s old enough he probably offed the previous one gave them to me to help with a job they had. Same thing. Quick prick to put me under, stuff me full of tech and send me on my way, not even a one pager with how to work it.¡±

    Eastern couldn''t stop staring at the ports in her silver hair. ¡°Then¡­ How did you learn how to use your cybernetics?" She said.

    Queenie chuckled. "Same way you are. Went to someone I suspected had them and asked for help. It''s the only way we learn out here on the edge, with¡­ less popular technology. It''s not like you can go to the store and ask for a trial run."

    Nick leaned forward. "Will you help us Queenie? We can pay."

    Queenie got out from underneath her mountain of blankets and swung her feet off the bed. "Be a dear and grab my walker, would you Selkirk?"

    Selkrik reached behind her and grabbed the lightweight metal walker and handed it to Queenie. With the press of a button it snapped out and she grabbed the handles. "Well, come on then, follow me." Queenie shuffled out of her room.

    She led them down the hall to another door. This one looked much older, like the doors in The Basement. It was a heavy pressure door with seals. It was old, but in good condition. She walked up to the door and Nick swore he saw her eyes flash blue for a split second, and then the door opened with a hiss. They all stepped inside and the only thing in the room was a massive chair. It looked like an old dentist''s chair, only more adjustable and with lots of cushioning. On either side were thick cables running to monitors and to the wall.

    Queenie shuffled up to the chair and touched a stud near the floor with her foot. With a whirr of fans and the blinking of a few lights, the chair started to come alive. It folded more upright and turned towards Queenie. She backed into it and with practiced ease swung her legs onto the supports. She then leaned back with a satisfied sigh, and as her head tipped back onto the contoured headrest Nick could see ten hair thin wires snake out from the headrest; they connected to her ports with a barely audible click.

    Suddenly a much younger sounding Queenie came over the speakers built into the chair. "You had better tell me everything. Start from the top.¡±

 Chapter 11

    Nick relayed the story so far to Queenie. He talked about boosting the memory cube, finding out it was empty, meeting with Jameson, working with Sunny, the whole story. When he''s finished, she was silent a long time.

    "Nick, I can see why your ladies like you. You have empathy, and are kind and are generous. Honestly when we first met I was just a twinge sad that Evie wasn''t interested." She chuckled. "But Nick, you''re¡­ kind of dim, you get that, right?"

    Eastern nodded. "Finally, someone else sees it. Right Sel?"

    Selkirk agreed and her tail flicked, playfully. "Dim as a spent LED."

    "I knew there was a reason I liked your girlfriends Nick. They''re the smart ones. So, let''s get down to it. You, and I assume Eastern have a full suite of cybernetics installed by Jameson''s dark doctors, and he didn''t even give you a tutorial?¡± Nick could hear her tisk over speakers. ¡°That sounds like Jameson. I swear, the AIs are all the same. It''s easy for them, so they assume it''s easy for everyone. Selkirk, Eastern, this is going to take a bit, and I think you''ll be bored. Why don''t you head up front with Evie and see if you three can figure out dinner. Me and Nick¡¯ll be ready to take a break by then."

    Eastern and Selkirk stood, Eastern glancing at Nick, not saying anything. They locked eyes, and he shrugged with his eyes. "Sure thing Queenie, thanks for taking care of our pet idiot.¡± Selkirk said, laughing. ¡°We''ll figure out how to pay you."

    Queenie chuckled. "Don''t worry, it''ll be very affordable." She paused a moment. ¡°Probably.¡±

    They made their way to the front and found Evie back behind the counter, watching something on her Pad. "Queenie kicked you out eh?" She didn¡¯t look up from her show.

    "Yeah, said we should find dinner. She and Nick are going to be hungry when they''re done."

    Evie nodded. "Probably. Even now, when Queenie gets it in her head to do some work, everyone else comes out tired."

    Selkirk looked up at Evie. If she squinted, she could see the resemblance. They had a similar bone structure in their cheeks, the same color eyes. "Evie, I thought most humans died around one hundred or less. She''s so..." she struggled to find the words and still be polite. "Coherent?"

    Evie laughed. "She has good days and bad days. You''re just lucky today was a good day. But yeah, she thinks the implants are keeping her alive almost as much as her body at this point."

    "Where did she get them?" Eastern asks, as she comes up to the counter where Sel and Evie were talking.

    "Just like she explained. An AI thought they were ''helping'' and gave them to her. As you probably guessed by our experience with Nick, running the shop wasn''t always out main source of income and Queenie''s line of work isn¡¯t exactly... legal all the time."

    They said nothing, letting her continue to speak.

    "To hear her say it, it was¡­ fashionable to have black market cybernetic mods installed back 70, 80 years ago. I don''t know, it seems an awfully foolish thing to do for fashion, but she swears it was ''this close'' to going mainstream.¡± Evie glances at Sel. ¡°Not like, limbs and eyes and augs,¡± Evie says quickly, noticing the K¡¯laxi¡¯s artificial eye. ¡°I mean, the real deep brain stuff, the things that let you interface with AI hardware.¡±

    Selkirk glanced back down the hall. "I don''t know. I''ve been around humans a long time, and I completely believe that they''d do something stupid like get cybernetic implants for fashion."

    Evie laughed. "You''re right of course. How long have you been on Hyacinth, Selkirk?" Eastern leaned against the counter and just listened. She hadn¡¯t heard much of this out of Selkirk either.

    "You can call me Sel if you want. I''ve been here, Ancestors, twenty five years now? I moved here from K''lax when I was just a kid. Familial group got together and sent me off to a magnet school on Hyacinth." She smiled bitterly. "Go and make something of yourself. Do your family proud!" She shook her head. "I was mostly sent here to get out of the way. The paterfamilias wanted his offspring to take over the leadership of the familial group. An older kit from a deceased line was a... complication."

    Evie looked down at Selkirk, her eyes kind. "Do you still talk to them?"

    Selkirk flicked her ears. "Not in years. I sent them a message back when the Empress Melody shit started going down telling them I was all right and going to stay on Hyacinth, but they never even bothered to reply, so... I stopped sending messages. I''m sure they think they''re better off that way."

    "Oh Selkirk. I bet there are still people in your familial group that love you." Eastern chimed in.

    Sel snorted - another human gesture. "You haven''t met them. I''m sure they don''t feel any ill will towards me, but I''m also sure they don''t feel anything to me. It''s ancient history." She leaned back off the counter. "Queenie said to get dinner, so I assume that if we don''t she''ll be upset."

    Evie laughed. "Upset is possibly the most mild way that could be phrased." She took out her pad. "I know some local places that she likes, take a look and tell me which ones would work for you and your crew."

    Nick came out of Queenie¡¯s room hours later looking exhausted but pleased. She came out shortly after them with the help of her walker, but she also looked brighter and more alive than when she went in. Instead of going to Queenie''s bedroom, they made their way to the front of the store, where Selkirk and Eastern had set up a table piled high with takeout from a local place.

    Nick looked hungrily at the food. "This is quite a spread Selkirk, nice work!"

    Selkirk flicked her tail and her ears and smiled. "Evie helped, but we all decided that you were going to come out of your training hungry."

    "I feel like I haven''t eaten in years." Nick laughs and sat at the table."

    Queenie shuffled to the head of the table and sat. "Now, like I told you, those implants are powered by your bodies. Use them a lot and you need the calories to recover." She poked Nick''s soft belly. "It''s also a decent way to build a calorie deficit if you ever decide to lose that paunch, Nicholas North," but she was smiling as she said it.

    They all sat down and started on dinner. After a few minutes, Selkirk looked up at Nick. "How did it go?"

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    Queenie started gesturing with a fork full of food. "Typical AI. Stuff a human full of tech and send them on their way without so much as a lesson on how to work it. He was frankly lucky he knew me; he could have had his brain braised by the first aggressive attack he endured."

    Eastern put down her fork. "We''re very grateful Queenie, thanks for all the help."

    Nick nodded and swallowed, ¡°Yeah, thanks again.¡± He looked at Sel and Eastern. ¡°Queenie helped me through an initial setup, helped me with my encryption and firewalls and gave me some basic lessons on access and intrusion. She says I even have enough deep brain connections to pilot a starship in a pinch.¡±

    Selkirk and Eastern stopped, mid bite. Sel blinked and looked at Nick, surprised. "You can pilot a starship?"

    Nick shrugged awkwardly and blushed very slightly. "According to Queenie, I have additional modules and sensors that¡­ could be related to piloting starships. She thinks its an upgrade to the old Colony Ship co-captain package. Back before wormhole linking, the relativistic colony ships would travel with an AI and Human sharing captain duties, and the human would need additional¡­ hardware to be able to do it.¡±

    "But... why? You''re not going to be piloting a starship." Eastern said, carefully.

    Nick shrugged. "Who knows with AIs. Maybe Jameson thinks I''ll need it. Maybe he thought it would be funny. Maybe he''s making a point to another AI faction that we don''t even know about." He put his head down and continued to eat.

    Eastern sighed and nodded resigned. ¡°We''re pawns in a much larger thing here. It''s entirely possible that Jameson gave Nick the piloting package to show someone that AIs aren''t the only game in town when it comes to operating a ship.¡±

    Queenie looked up at the three of them. "My advice is to not try and make sense of what AIs do. They go and do their own thing; they always have. It''s up to us to stay out of their way and try and not get burned. Remember what they did when Empress Melody came by? They linked in a pile of their own Starjumpers and attacked her right above us. I remember looking up and seeing the flashes of the fight. Even here on Hyacinth it was visible. It was something else." She shook her head sadly. "I never got to meet the Empress, but I heard she was looking out for everyone in Sol." She looked up at the three of them sharply. ¡°Heed that lesson. Keep your heads down, do your work, and don''t get involved in AI politics."

    Nick glanced at Eastern, but she didn''t say anything.

    After Dinner, Selkirk tried to pay Queenie and Evie but they wouldn''t take her money. "You bought dinner, and you owe us a favor, that''s enough." Queenie¡¯s small voice was like iron when she refused the money. Evie smiled, playing the ¡®good CSE¡¯ to Queenie¡¯s ¡®bad CSE¡¯. Evie continued, ¡°Now, don''t be a stranger down here, come by and say hello to us every now and then. I haven''t seen her this active in weeks." She winked at the three of them. "You''re a good influence on her."

    Queenie''s cackling laugh startled them as she shuffled towards the back door. "They''re anything but Evie, but they''re fun to be around. If you ever need a fence, even for high value stuff you see old Queenie first, you get me?" She turned and locked eyes with Nick. ¡°I¡¯ll get you a fair price. I always have.¡±

    Eastern assured them that they''d be the first place they stopped when they had some goods to fence and said their goodbyes. When they left the shop it was late. The Metro ran all night long, but was on a reduced schedule to allow for maintenance. They decided to take an omnibus up to Eastern''s apartment. As they rumbled along one of the main arteries up Hyacinth, the rocking motion and gentle movement caused Eastern and Selkirk to quickly fall asleep on Nick as he looked out the window and watched the lights and nightlife of Hyacinth go by. It was a weeknight, but still there were people out living life and having fun, pouring out from bars and laughing in a pile as they clicked for a Hopper. He mused on what Queenie had said about AI politics. It was entirely too little too late, but he did appreciate that Queenie cared enough to give the warning. They were being played off two if not three different factions now with no real sign as to why. Nick woke everyone up when it was their stop. They made their way home and fell into bed.

    The next morning, everyone got up, got dressed, got some coffee, and tried to come up with something to do. They still hadn''t heard from Sunny, so it was just a matter of waiting to hear from her. She had said that she would do fifty hours of searching, and by Nick''s reckoning that meant they''d hear from her tomorrow afternoon.

    Nick declared that they''d head to the lake today. Since Hyacinth is so large, the original designers decided to put a large lake on each arm. It was a long shallow lake, not more than three or four meters deep, but that was enough for watercraft and swimming and a small marine ecosystem. The beaches on the lake were a popular destination. Against Eastern''s protestations, Nick took the girls shopping. They rode down arm to some mid range shopping in Laurel square and soon enough Nick found what he was looking for. He bought Eastern a black bikini and a sari skirt in blue and yellow, and found a K''laxi style bathing suit he thought would suit Sel. When Eastern saw what he bought her she blushed. "Nicholas North, you horndog."

    Selkirk looked up at the both of them, as she felt the fabric of what Nick picked for her. It was exactly her style, and she loved how it felt. "What?"

    Eastern laughed. "This is what I was wearing when Nick and I were connected together during the surgery. Nick took me to a memory of a beach on Parvati."

    Selkirk''s ears flicked as she smiled lasciviously. ¡°He has impeccable taste, you look great in it."

    Eastern stared at Selkirk''s suit too. ¡°He does have great taste, doesn¡¯t he? The suit he picked for you is stunning."

    Selkirks tail and ears poofed in embarrassment. "It not a style I would have ever picked for myself, but I admit I look good in it." Selkirk and Eastern went to Nick and both gave him a kiss. "Nice work."

    This time, they picked out a suit for Nick. Eastern insisted on a black speedo like in their shared dream and after picking up some towels they headed back out, their bathing suits on under their street clothes. The most popular beach was off Dahila square. When they arrived, they grabbed some food to eat later and took the short omnibus ride to the beach.

    Growing up in Naya Chennai, right on the water, the beach on Hyacinth was a bit of a letdown for Nick, though he did his best to hide it from the girls. He went to the beach once or twice after he first moved here and while it was interesting to have a lake and a beach in space, it really couldn''t compare to the ocean. Eastern, a kid who was born and raised in space loved it though. It was the largest body of water she had ever seen - while awake. Selkirk had fun too. She hadn''t been to a large body of water since she was a child, and while she was a terrible swimmer - most K¡¯laxi were - she did enjoy splashing around in the shallows. Nick decided to try and leg go of his opinions about it being a ''real'' beach and just have fun.

    They spent the afternoon at the beach, sitting on the soft sand, splashing in the water and having a fun time. Nick even convinced them to rent a watercraft and they zipped around the lake, getting a view of everything. It was the first time Nick drove a watercraft since leaving Parvati and was pleased to find he still had a knack for it. He found a small secluded beach far away from everyone else and they stopped and relaxed all on their own.

    After only a few minutes of lying on the sand, Eastern sat up and declared that she wanted to try having sex on the beach like in the romance novels she read.

    It was very sandy.

    After, everyone went into the water to wash the sand off and Nick grimaced. "I think I speak for everyone when I say that I got sand in places I didn''t think it was possible to get sand into. Let''s keep that one to the novels, okay?"

    Selkirk was in the water up to her head scrubbing her fur as hard as she could. "I agree."

    By now it was evening and they had to return the rental. They made their way back to the main beach, returned the rental, and found a restaurant right on the water to get dinner. Hyacinth doesn''t have sunsets, not really, but it was gently getting dark as they ate, and they even heard some animals in the water making noise as it got darker. You had to squint a little, but you could pretend you were on a planet. Nick looked over at his girlfriends and smiled. "Thanks."

    "Eastern raised her eyebrow. "For what, Nick?"

    "For being here. For being with me. Both of you. This is nice. Sure, we are deep into some shit, but we''re into it together. I don''t know." He looked out at the water. "It just feels a little more solvable with you two here with me, eating a nice dinner, looking out at the water."

    Selkirk flicked her ears and smiled. "It is nice. Thanks to you too Nick. I''m glad we''re all here, together."

    After dinner, they slowly made their way back to Eastern''s place, chatting and laughing. They made it to Eastern''s place and fell into bed, tired and happy.