Page 25 of Light Leech

“What is it?” Akna asked.

Boyband smiled like a child waiting to open a gift. “If it’s what I think, you’ll hate it.”

She looked back at everyone for any sign of understanding, her eyes meeting mine when I was the only one not focused on the hall for Denji’s return. “Do you know what he’s talking about?”

It clicked for me. “I really hope not.”

Denji returned, confirming the worst of my fears.

“I die please.“ A trembling, high-pitched voice spoke. Each word sounded wet.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Abbas said.

“Life hurt. I die please.”

Ralia retched. Having seen her enjoy some truly distasteful things, it surprised me how much this bothered her. Still, I couldn’t blame her. It was horrific.

It eyed Boyband, the only one looking at it with a smile besides Denji. It waddled towards him on what looked like the mechanical replacement for limbless infants. Rolls of fat instead of muscles with stubby fingers and a synthetic skin like the one on Ralia’s arms. Blue lines of lights raced up the four arms into a central ring around the center of the meat pillar that looked like a log on its side. It sweated with a single bloodshot eye. As it spoke, I saw what looked like thin lips transplanted onto its side.

“I die now. You help me?”

Boyband crouched at its side and ran a hand across its slick top. He looked up at Denji with a wide grin. “You gave one of my parents’ beef2s sentience?”

“As much as I could,” Denji said.

“I die please.”

“Kill it already!” Ralia exclaimed. “Can’t you hear how miserable it is?”

“It doesn’t know any better,” Denji said. “I’m still teaching it how to live. So, what do you think?”

Boyband laughed. “Du, I love it!”

“I think it should die, too,” Kuni said.

Boyband glared but continued to stroke it. “Shut up, kid. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Neither do you,” said Abbas.

“Does it have a name?” Boyband asked. “And does it have a gender?”

“I don’t think it technically can have a gender, but I’m still trying to figure it out. I’ve been calling it David.”

“Why?” Ralia. “Did some David wrong you?”

Denji shook his head, then sniffed. “I… had a friend of mine get too involved in modding himself. He lost his mind in the neuronet then lost his body to techbone. His mind might still be on the net somehow, but–”

“And this is how you pay tribute? With this horrific slab of living meat?”

“I die now?” David asked.

“I’m proud of him,” Denji said. “And I’ve been installing the data scraps from the Eclaine’s research into him. Might be worth looking into when you are all back. I think we should have most of the data ready by then.”

“Bad feeling,” David screeched, then opened his mouth to emit a bubbling sound. A second later he shot a steady stream of pale viscous fluid into Boyband’s face.

“I’m out.” Ralia stood to leave. “I don’t care what data he has. I’m not looking at that thing anymore.”

Boybad laughed and continued to stroke David.