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“They have my retinas on file.”
He smirks. “I am sure they told you that. They have never bothered with that level of human detection. One of you is interchangeable with another. That is why the algorithm works. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t. There will always be another human to take a previous human’s place if one is accidentally destroyed.”
“Why me?”
“What?”
“Why. Me.”
“That’s a more complicated question than I can answer in the time we have. When you escape, wait to hear from me.”
“There’s no escape…”
“You’re going to survive, and you’re going to be free. I made sure of that when I set the bounty.”
“YOU!” I stare at him. “You put the bounty on me?”
“Indirectly, yes.”
“Why?”
I have asked that question so many times, but never so fiercely as I ask it now.
“You and I… we worked together. I noticed the way you flushed when I entered a room in which you were already present. You showed many signs of human arousal…”
“So it’s not that you like me. Or that you chose to save me because you cared for me. It’s that you need a human. And you knew I was obsess… you knew that I liked you. So you decided to ruin my life. I see.”
He played me like a fuzkin’ fiddle. One of my fantasies was always being his human. Sleeping at the foot of his bed. Tending to his needs. All his needs. I wanted to be Rath’s so bad, even this fucked up scenario I’m in now would have sounded good to me. He didn’t need to trick me. But he did.
“I didn’t ruin your life, Lyric. You didn’t have one. You were an automaton slave to the algorithm. Yes, I made you an outlaw to the system, but that’s the only way anybody lives.”
“Interesting sentiments from a bounty hunter who murdered hundreds of people because the algorithm told him to, Rath.”
He growls softly, sharp teeth flashing in a grimace. I am reminded by the flexing of his massive form that he is still Rath K’zar, even if he has betrayed me, ruined my life, put that life in danger, and now might very well get us both killed.
“STOP AND SURRENDER!”
“One minute and thirty-two seconds. They’re late.” He turns to me, gripping my arm tightly. “No matter what happens next, keep the faith. I am coming for you.”
What faith? I had a life and he ripped it away. Now, after a dirty weekend in the green, I am supposed to be so enamored of him I don’t mind that? His arrogance truly knows no bounds. But that doesn’t matter now. The korabi have found us and are in the process of flooding toward us.
Within seconds we are surrounded by korabi with weapons drawn. Their bullets fire an aggressive payload of the same nano creatures which live in the Gettem carpet. If they unleash on us, we will be consumed from the outside in within seconds. It is not a pleasant death.
I look at Rath. I know he is capable of killing every single one of these warriors if he wants to. He is bigger. He is faster. And he is more ruthless than anybody I know. I keep my eyes locked on him, waiting for his cue. When he moves, I will dash behind him and take cover. I will cover my ears and shut my eyes and I will try not to see the terrible pain he will unleash on these impudent soldiers who dare accost us.
“About time, Rath. This has been an embarrassment for us all.”
The leader of the korabi contingent speaks with no fear and great familiarity.
“Better late than never,” Rath says. “Tell me you have some kind of containment for her.”
“Ten clicks out, and… here it is.”
A vehicle rolls up behind them. It is a jet black, low slung, sleek hovercraft with a great golden cage mounted at the back. It looks like something out of a nightmare, and yet it is as real as anything else in Megaris. It is so shiny and so new that it makes me feel as though I am wearing augs for a second, but those days are gone. I will never again step into the comfortable illusion of the city I once knew. I am stuck seeing everything for what it is, the cracked, painted, fading pavement occupied by brutal alien soldiers taking great pride in my capture.
Rath hoists me up and tosses me into the back of the cage. He handles me with apparent lack of care, showing the others his prowess over me. I notice that the others seem to want to keep their distance from me. They look at me with horror in their eyes. Usually korabi treat humans with disdain, disinterest, and usually cruelty.
This is the first time I’ve ever seen a cage. There are no cages in Megaris. There are no cells. Justice is meted out on the spot. The penalty for most crimes is death.
