Page 48 of Tapeworld Induction

Whereas Dylan already knew she’d fucking hate Astrid.

“Elodie is a bit of a character. She’d berate me if I told her what I’m trying to tell you.”

Her insides strained. Isaak seemed to be a sensitive guy who lucked into his ReSports career, then lucked out, and was now being sucked dry by these women latching on and taking advantage of him. A tinge of self-awareness made itself known to her. Was she another one of them?

“Tell me then,” she demanded, only realising her tone after she’d spoken.

“That night, while doing a gig for Astrid, a man – a security guard – walked into the room.” Isaak looked away, his body language a nervous mess, feet tapping, nearly knocking his empty drink sideways. “He pulled a gun on me… and I… dealt with him.”

“What do you mean, you dealt with him?” Dylan sat forward, hunched over the table, inching closer to him.

“I shot him.”

She gasped. “You didn’t!”

“I did. What else was I supposed to do?”

An uneasy quiet settled between them. The tension grew.

She wracked her brain, trying to find an explanation and some absolution. “He must have been a bot, right? Or an AI, like… Well, I was about to say like Kitty, but she swears she’s not an AI.”

“That’s what Astrid said, but… the more I think about it…”

“Don’t! I’ve been there with you, being chased by those monsters. Just… don’t think about it.”

It wasn’t a good plan. It wasn’t even an average plan. Putting to the back of both of their minds that he might have shot someone else that was taped in… It wasn’t going to help in the long run, and she knew it. But the immediate concern was stopping him from doing more jobs for Astrid. Had she only just met him, she would have run out of that coffee shop as fast as she could and never looked back. But she felt like she knew him well enough to want to help him. This was Isaak Powers, ex-star of the London Lazarus. He couldn’t be that bad, could he?

He clearly didn’t take any joy in what he’d done. He had feelings. I wish he wouldn’t sell himself so cheap to this Astrid.

She reached out to him, putting her hand on his. “Have you ever been shot in the Tapeworld?”

He glanced down at their hands. Dylan thought he was about to pull his hand away, but he didn’t. She suppressed a smile.

“No. Shooting that man… It was the first time I might have been.” Isaak’s breathing was speeding up. “Dee, I—”

The crack in his voice, the pain in his eyes. This was still just a boy she was getting to know, and yet he sounded so familiar already. She stared into his eyes, studying his face, the lines of his lips.

Their eyes had been locked on each other for so long she forgot their hands were still enmeshed.

Isaak retreated from the touch, putting his hands into his coat’s pockets.

“Oh, right, yeah. You should have your hands back.” She smiled nervously, apologetic.

Her mind slowly unravelled, processing everything she’d learned from him.

“Thank you for this,” he said, his voice gentle. “It’s nice having someone to share all the shit going through my head with.”

Her heart grew three sizes. “Of course.” She smiled. “I’m here for you.”

There were a few moments of silence before Isaak suddenly said, “I think I need to know what’s inside the box.”

“The box you stole from the house?” Was he considering not handing it over?

He nodded. “It’s not just data this time. I’m certain of that. If I really am putting my life on the line, and accidentally putting yours in danger too…” He looked meaningfully at her. “I want to know why.”

She was conflicted. It sounded dangerous, but if this meant he might stop doing these jobs for Astrid altogether… “Is it safe to open it?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I won’t know, until I know what it is.”