After the End - Chapter 11
"Yes
Master. I'm here."
VonReichter
looks up at the screen as Techno 39 's face comes into focus. He casually leans back in his chair. "Report. Have there been any changes with the
girl?"
"No,
Master. She's still sticking to that fabricated story you fed her."
"Good.
So I can consider the experiment a success. And what of the situation with
Cybersix?"
The
techno tries to hide a wince. "Well, the girl's family is putting
significant pressure on us to find her and question her. The brother has
convinced them all she had something to do with it. They've become a bit
obsessed."
"They
need a scapegoat." VonReichter observes.
Techno
39 bows his head in a respectful manner, then continues. "Formally,
everyone on the force has been told to look for her, but no one's really
expecting anyone to succeed in bringing her in. The technos aren't having any
trouble maintaining that they can't locate her."
"Does
the girl remember seeing Cybersix?"
"Yes,
although vaguely."
"Hmmm.
So the effect doesn't last that long." He pauses before changing the
subject. "I've heard that the press is fixating on Cybersix. What is the
public saying?"
"There's
still very divided. Some people - religious zealots mostly - think she's evil,
others think she's some kind of vigilante heroine. But either way, all of them
are out looking for her."
"That
is not good." VonReichter growls. "I do not want her in the public
eye."
"If
I may say so, sir, this whole thing is Sylvester's fault for letting her see
him."
"No
you may not say so. I will decide that."
Once
again Techno 39 ducks his head. "Of course, Master. I presumed."
VonReichter
mentally takes note of the techno's behavior. 39 is one of his best operatives.
"All right, here are your orders: Recommend that both the girl and the boy
enter therapy. Send them to Techno 26; I will give you her number. She will see
to it that they give up this ridiculous notion of pursuing Cybersix. Spread word to the others that if anyone
asks them about her, they are to play
down all the rumors. Pass her off as nothing more than a pitiful street walker
with delusions of being a super hero. And remind them that you're the police;
you know better than they do. That is all."
"Yes
Master. It will be done right away." Recognizing the dismissal, Techno 39
signs off.
VonReichter
pushes his chair out from the desk and looks under it. "Sylvester."
"Yes?" replies a muffled voice. Sylvester is curled up at his master's feet, his forehead resting on his folded arms and his face pressed into the floor.
"Sit
up."
Slowly
the slave pulls himself up into a sitting position, still keeping his head bowed
and his eyes downcast. "Master I swear to you I didn't see her there."
He begins to sob. "I would have told you right away. I know I should have
heard her approach. I'm inadequate. I don't deserve your forgiveness. But really
I didn't know she was there. I would never keep such a thing from you-"
"It's
all right, Sylvester. I believe you."
He
stops babbling and tentatively looks up.
"You're
forgiven. Now stop crying."
Sylvester stops sobbing instantly. He suddenly grasps VonReichter's legs, wrapping himself around them. "Oh, thank you Master. You're so kind."
"However," VonReichter takes the boy's chin in his hand and raises his face.
"Next time, be more careful. Cybersix can jump to the highest points in the
city, and her sight is keen. Remember that her eyes are everywhere."
"Oh,
yes Master. I will." Sylvester replies emphatically.
VonReichter
lets go of his face, satisfied. His mind turns to the many other problems he has to deal with, not the
least one of which is keeping Cybersix alive until he's ready for her. He begins to
think, unconsciously placing a hand on Sylvester's head. "Cybersix will
need more sustenance soon." He mutters to himself.
Still
sitting on the floor, Sylvester perks up attentively. "Do you want me to
feed her again, Master?"
VonReichter
doesn't reply right away. Sylvester is his most valuable asset right now, and he
doesn't like the idea of letting Cybersix feed off him. There is almost no chance she
would actually kill him, but it's the principle of the thing. On the
other hand, it is worth a little sacrifice to get Cybersix back.
Hmmm... Sacrifice. Yes; he can kill two birds with one stone. He looks back down at Sylvester. "No, that won't be necessary. I have a better idea."
As soon as the door closes behind Lucas, Cybersix walks to her closet and begins reflexively changing into her suit. She thinks back on all the things Yashimotto said: Now there was no doubt Jose was responsible for what happened to that girl. And it wasn't as if this was his first crime either.
She sighs to herself. After VonReichter was killed, she felt as though an incredible weight had been lifted off a shoulders. But now she is beginning to realize that, in his way, Jose could be worse than his father ever was. Whereas VonReichter had operated on logic - well, most of the time anyway - Jose operated on raw emotion. It made him unpredictable. An immature 8 year old with almost limitless power....
Actually, now that she thinks of it, Jose is really like one big walking "id" - all wants and desires, with no sense of responsibility or empathy.
And it's time he was stopped, regardless of how long it took them to plan and to gather together enough resources to do it.
"Them..." It seems she has friends to help her now. She only hopes they don't get hurt, or even killed....
Done changing, Cybersix looks meaningfully at Data 7. Right now, she has more immediate concerns. Sustenance. She can feel it starting; the burning in her arms and legs, the headache, the thirst that water couldn't quench. She needs. She hates this. It always makes her feel like some kind of drug addict, although logically she knows that she can't live without sustenance; it isn't just for pleasure. But of all the things VonReichter ever did to her... Dependence, the ball and chain he makes her carry.
But at least tonight she is guaranteed life, she reminds herself. She still has that one precious vial of sustenance left. But in order to make it last as long as possible, she will still go out and hunt for a while before resorting to drinking it.
Cybersix steps up on to her windowsill and, as she always does before jumping, scans the immediate area. There... in the alley across the street a human figure is crouched in the shadows. She sees the round orange glow of a lit cigarette move up, then down as the user takes a drag. She narrows her eyes, looking closer. The figure begins to look familiar. She looks beside her at Data 7. He nods.
The techno. The same one she met up with when Lori was here the other night. In the exact same spot. Twice is not coincidence.
So it seems she will do even more than just hunt tonight. She jumps out the window, moving away from the techno so he won't know she's seen him. Data 7 stays in the apartment.
Now a few buildings over, she doubles back to where the stupid techno is still watching her. Crouching down, she gathers herself. Something takes her over. Her mind blocks out everything except her prey. She dives off the roof and lands only a little distance from the him.
Caught like a deer in the headlights, he looks at her stunned. Then an expression of horror forms on his face as he sees his own mortality in her eyes. He drops the cigarette and runs.
Entirely too late, of course. Cybersix leaps after him, catching up in only a few quick bounds. Her hand lunges out to grab him by the hair and viciously pull him back. He gives a little cry of dismay as she gets her other arm around his waist, pinning him against her body. He begins to struggle, pinching her wrist until he draws blood in effort to make her let go.
Completely unaware that she does it, Cybersix growls, distantly annoyed at the techno's feeble attempts at escape. She pins his arms to his sides, then puts her other hand over his mouth to prevent him from screaming. Ignoring his frantically kicking legs, she drags him backwards into the nearest alley.
Amongst the comforting shadows, she quickly wrestles the techno to the ground. With the ease of long practice she straddles him, her knees pinning his wrists to his sides and her ankles pushing down on his thighs. One hand lifts his head off the ground, the other again clamps down firmly on his mouth. Briefly his eyes draw hers; abject fear. Most technos are resigned by this point, but this one knows exactly what's coming. He continues to struggle futilely.
She tilts his neck upward, exposing the white skin. She bites, ripping his flesh to get at the vein. She begins to suck as hard and fast as she can.
Gradually the techno stops struggling as strength flows out of him and into her. She can feel the sustenance seeping into her body, giving her health, easing her pain.
When she has taken all she can handle she leans back, resting her hands on the techno's shoulders. She closes her eyes and sighs deeply at the familiar relief - no, pleasure.
Still without conscious thought, she looks at her victim's face. He hasn't opened his eyes. She can feel him holding his breath, waiting. She places her hands on either side of his face and twists.
The sound and feel of his neck snapping wakes her up.
Watching from across the street, Lori takes an involuntary step backward. Her jaw drops and her heart begins to beat fast. This is not TV, her brain reminds her unnecessarily. This is real life, and she just... sucked that man's blood and... killed him? Or did she just imagine the twist of the neck?
Cybersix. Who is Adrian. Just killed somebody. I must be having a nightmare. Her own teacher, the one she'd had a crush on until she found out-
A hand clamps over Lori's mouth and someone grabs her from behind. Already stunned, she's too slow realizing what's happening. Her captor effortlessly drags her back into the alley and pushes her roughly up against the wall. She grunts at the impact. Then her heart begins to pound harder as she recognizes who has her.
"You again," Sylvester whispers.
Lori's skin begins to crawl at the knowledge that this disgusting freak is touching her. She tries to struggle, striking out blindly with a leg and missing.
In the blink of an eye Sylvester has both her wrists pinned above her head with one hand, all without taking his other one off her mouth. She pulls frantically against his grip on her wrists, but it's like being held by an iron shackle. She stops and is still, trying not to breathe hard.
In a sudden lunging movement Sylvester thrusts his face into hers. Her heart skips a beat. "Listen to me, girl." He hisses menacingly. "You did not see Cybersix tonight. If you tell a single soul what you just saw I will kill you. Understand?"
More afraid than she's ever been in her life, Lori nods meekly.
"Good." She catches a glimpse of a black tongue as he licks his lips. Repulsed, her stomach twists alarmingly . "You just remember; this is the second time I've caught you." He continues. "If there is a third time you will not live to tell about it." Suddenly he spins her around to face the back of the alley. "Go that way." He says, giving her a shove.
Her knees feeling dangerously watery, Lori starts to walk away. She checks nervously over her shoulder to see if the freak is following her, but he's standing still, watching her, his pale skin glowing in the moonlight.
She will never go out at night without her guys again.