At my words, the arm raised in to a friendlier pose, like a wave or a salute, and the chassis popped open. Inside the armour was a beautiful young woman with blond hair and blue eyes. "Hi!" She cheerfully greeted. "Did I pass?"
"What...?" I asked. Then: "What!? Who are you and how did you get here?"
The woman opened up the suit and jumped out. She was tall, thin and graceful in her movements. Her eyes sparkled as she spoke. "They call me Plan B. I'm here because you heard you were looking for a Glasswalker to guide you through the Cyber Realm. I like trouble. Your security system was a snap for me. I think I'm hired. What do you think?" When she smiled, her light pink lips formed a soft heart.
"Er, do you have any experience in the Cyber Realm?" I asked.
"Lots. What do you need?"
"I want to get a cyber fetish."
"Oh, sure, I know a crew that can do that for you!"
"How did you get in here?" Zach asked.
"A lady never tells," Plan B replied coyly.
"Hmmm..." Zach was smiling, but I felt like it was a smile he used when he thought I should know better. Whatever. Zach was smarter than me but he didn't have more fun than me. I listened to his advice when I felt like it.
"It doesn't hurt for your team to have a Plan B," I reflected.
I had recruited Zach to dedicate the Supersuit so that I could take it with me in to the Cyber Realm. Zach did not like my plan. "Kate... are you sure you want to go through with this?"
"Don't call me that," I snapped. I was not Kate. Kate was a Gumagan Mokole. This abhorrent, blasphemous existence was not going to be labelled the same way as that. "I don't care if I die," I asserted. "When I was first cursed I had no motivation to go on except to re-assign my assets. Now my wealth is re-distributed, my friends are looked after, and I have a Mokole wife who, with our child, is set to inherit everything. I've done all the good I can do. I can't even be gloomy and nostalgic about being Mokole – memories without mnesis is like the difference between a film and a film review."
"What are you going to do?" Zach pressed.
"I am going to get a self-destruct installed," I replied. "I will keep a detonator for myself, and give one to Daisy. Max tried to control me once. If he ever tries again, he will die. Daisy can use it for defence."
"So why do you need the suit dedicated for that?"
"I am going to use it as payment. I figure it will go over well in the Cyber Realm. If I am successful, I will then go over to the Flux Realm-"
"Oh Gaia-"
"-and see if I can modify my shape. I miss being a dinosaur. Badly. I hate being a wolf. I am going to try and dinosaurify what I now am. I am sure I can turn my lupus in to a velociraptor and my crinos in to something else appropriate."
"That's..." Zach searched for words. "...I can't even begin to tell you how stupid that is."
"So what? I die? Oh well. I fail miserably? Oh well. I end up a freak of nature?" I laughed bitterly. "Oh well. Good news for Daisy."
Zach sighed. "What should we do about Kitten? Any requests?"
I felt my world darken just thinking about Kitten. "In my mind, Kitten is a traitor who deserves no mercy," I glowered. "But her crime has been paid for. I would not trust her, but I would burden her. She wished, she became a Mokole, Mokole have a job to do. It's time for her to get to work. Just..don't give her any opportunities to destroy what we built." With considerable effort I shrugged off the feelings of loathing and gave a sigh. "It's been nice knowing you, Zach." I held out my hand and smiled weakly as my friend gave it a firm shake.
"You too, Jiba."
"Take good care of Reliquary..."
"You know I'd defend it with my life."
"Yeah, I know. Goodbye, Zach."
