The Killing Fields
Chapter 1: My Wings
Nene speaks...
You know, it's only been a few years since Galatea died, but it seems like it's been ages. We thought everything was going to be all right after that, that Genom was even right when they said no Boomer would ever go rogue again, and that we were going into retirement. I guess that proves you can never believe what Genom says even when they're telling you that the sky is blue. Their "rogue-proof" Replicant designs were a lot better than fighting standard Boomers even to begin with, but now people are outfitting them with illegal weapons and trying to pass them off as humans. I don't think Sylia ever thought we'd be trying to stop assassinations, when she founded the Knight Sabers. Sure, there are less rogues now, but that's not the only thing we have to worry about.
We started recruiting again after the first report of a rogue Replicant in Tokyo. Sylia has to fight them off with a rail gun now that everyone around the world knows who we are and what we did. It's not all too hard to maintain security, though, since not many can find us on their own. She gets to choose who she wants, and I do the background check, and then we 'conveniently' let them find us the way Linna did. I still wonder if Sylia had Priss sideswipe Linna just to get her to figure out where we were. We've managed to pull a few people from various intelligence agencies, Special Forces, that kind of thing, but even knowing how to build a hardsuit for someone who's not mentally compatible with Sylia doesn't mean it's a cakewalk to choose them.
It's kind of funny, even with our workload and all of the secrecy all of us 'veteran' Knight Sabers managed to find and stay with someone. Priss is actually married to Leon and they keep talking about if they're going to have kids or not have kids; it's crazy! Linna's still talking to that Masaki guy on the phone almost every night and they're practically going out even though he still lives in the country and neither one would ever give up what they have to move and be together. And as for Sylia and Nigel...well, you know what they're like. Him standing around like a statue trying to prove he doesn't give a shit and her always chasing after him. They never change. And Mackie...I love Mackie, but I'm afraid. I have to wonder what it's going to be like when I get old and he still looks like he's eighteen. He can't be ready to deal with something like that. I don't know if there's any way to deal with it.
I don't know. I can't do much more than just keep going. We don't get a lot of time to really think about where our lives are going or what we're going to be doing in ten years. We could all be dead by then anyway, you know? And no one has any idea what we're going through except for Leon, who got his suit right before Mackie got his, and Daley who everyone in the ADP 'knows' is a sure-fire way to get a message to us. He's kept us going sometimes when I thought everyone was going to explode. We all expected Sylia to calm down and be normal after Galatea was dead, but she actually got worse. Stopping Galatea was her purpose in life. Now she's got the team, but her purpose isn't as big as it used to be. Sometimes she's okay, but when she goes spastic it's even worse than before. Everyone knows not to go near her when she's acting like that.
But what's really scary is that Tokyo has been rebuilt twice in our lifetime. If something happens again, Sylia is the one who's going to have to stop it. I really don't like to think about that either. At least we don't get much time to think; even with the new recruits we keep busy around here...
Tokyo: 09 April 2045
"But Nene, I'm worried about you. About the whole team, but especially you and Sis."
Nene down at Mackie and pouted. "Me and Sylia. Gee, there's all of four other girls on the team, and you're especially worried about us. That makes me feel special."
"You know what I--"
"Mackie, they're only going after women with Boomer implants. That's not me or Priss or Linna." She tightened the grip she had around his shoulders, and he rested his head on her chest. "Sylia's too smart to not take care of herself, and she's got you and Leon to take care of her. So don't worry about it! Geez!"
"I just get protective of you, I guess." Mackie still looked as young and sweet as he had five years ago when they met, and he was still pretty much the same person. She was glad the real world hadn't taken that out of him, but she had another of her momentary twinges of doubt. Would he still be able to love her when she was an old woman with grey hair and he was still young and perfect?
She pushed the thought aside as Henderson walked into the room. "There you are, Mistress Nene. We have some guests, if you're interested."
Mackie sat up and she leaned forward, forearms against thighs. "What kind of guests?"
"Mr. Vargas and Mr. Shang have come from Chicago. I believe they have Mistress Anni with them."
"Bell!" Nene jumped up and ran into the sitting room, Mackie close on her heels but bewildered. "All right, Henderson, why didn't you tell me so?"
Who is Mr. Vargas? She didn't remember the name at all. Shang, she knew of; he was that annoying little twit that Genom had tinkered with. Had an OverMind control system in his brain, if not as powerful as the one Galatea once had. And he flirted with everything that didn't point a gun at his head. Or so Belladonna said.
Sylia and Daley sat on one of her plush couches, Leon leaning against the wall nearby. Nene could also see Linna resting in a nearby chair, with Bell perched on the armrest. Across from Sylia and Daley were another of her old acquantances, and an Asian man. "Hey, Bell. Hi, Rai! And, um...Mr. Vargas, I assume?"
The Asian man turned around, leaning on an armrest, and smiled at her winningly. She felt her stomach lurch. No, course not. That has to be Shang. She felt his eyes roam over her. "No, but I wish I was. That would be Rai."
"Oh, wow. So that's your last name."
Rai colored slightly. "I thought it'd been erased from all of my records. Shaine...managed to find it on some old medical stuff back at the base."
Sylia sat up a little straighter and looked at the newcomers sternly. "Nene, Mackie, since you're here why don't you sit down. Miss Melendez has sent them from Chicago to consult on the Replicant Ripper cases." Nene sat down next to Rai and Mackie took up a spot next to his sister. "Unfortunately, the Steel Ravens and all of the other groups they network with are as clueless as we are."
Shang frowned. "I don't know if I'd exactly say that. Shaine and I have been getting...twinges...that've helped us pin down exactly where the attacks are happening as they happen. The problem is getting there fast enough to have more to examine than the bodies. We have some ties within the free Boomer community in the city, but not good enough to ask Eve to send out some of her own kind to die as our stalking horses. Whoever's doing this, at least back home, knows how to spot a Replicant. Even a near-human one."
"Erik Kohl's offered to give us bait," Rai added, his expression sour. "But Aria and I don't like the idea of sending living things out to die just so we can get a lead."
Nene could see the tension in Sylia's face. The older woman seemed to be holding her emotions back. She fidgeted a little, not wanting to say anything; the entire team had changed since Galatea's death. Linna and herself for the better, Nene thought; there was nothing like the world almost ending to change one's perspective on things. Priss was more questionable; she seemed more...settled...but at the same time strange and not quite right. Sylia had been totally at peace for the first few months, but then even more unstable than ever as she realized that her purpose in life was completed. She took an even tighter grip over the Sabers' operations and after equipping the others' suits with cloaking devices like her own, authorized surgical strikes within Genom to destroy their research into the advanced Replicant models. Sylia almost never gave the order to destroy one, unless it went rogue - too human.
Too like her own "little brother."
Nene knew the Ripper cases had hit close to home, possibly Sylia's first new Great Cause and a return to some sort of meaning in life, but Sylia wasn't investigating them. She didn't pay attention to the lurid news articles, didn't even want to hear about it from the other girls - and now she'd invited the Ravens to talk about it. She mistrusted the Melendez family, outright hated Rai's partner...and yet here they were.
"We are not investigating the Ripper cases ourselves," Sylia said smoothly, faking that old coolness for which she was known. "However, I thought that some of our information on Genom's Replicant research might interest you."
"Anything you have, we have five times over," Belladonna said tiredly. "No offense, Sylia, but we've been over that eighty-four times. Chicago and Rochester are way further into this stuff than Tokyo, and thanks to Erik-poo we have almost full access. I think he's flipped his lid in his old age, or maybe it's just the grandkids."
Sylia's eyes narrowed at the reminder of Rai's familial ties to the president of Genom Chicago. "I think there are some things you might find interesting nonetheless."
"Okay, Sylia, we'll deal." Rai said. "But I say what the information is worth, not you."
"Not likely," Sylia shot back. "You had EMP technology long before we did. You had superior cloaking. It's time to even the score a little; I think we deserve it."
"Bullshit. You don't deserve anything. We've offered you an alliance several times, and you turned us down. We've offered to trade technology and information on a one-to-one basis, and you refused. You only want to deal with us when you need something for yourself. Remember that guy you sent us down to Antarctica to recover? Remember when the Brela took over our Site A and kidnapped Crimson? When Shaine got kidnapped?"
"Where were you when Galatea got loose?"
Rai slumped back into his seat. "Okay, we can play that way. You want to trade, you negotiate with Aria. I'm sure you still have her phone number."
"I do."
He stood, and Shang and Belladonna followed suit. "You know how to find me if you need. We're going to stick around a few more days and do some poking around, if that's okay with you."
"Just as long as it's made clear that you are not affiliated with us," Sylia agreed coldly.
"Shouldn't be hard." He bowed clumsily. "Good evening, Sylia."
"Good evening, Rai. Henderson, please show Mr. Vargas out."
"Wait," Nene said. "Hey, Bell, can we get together sometime and talk? It's been so long since I've seen you."
"Sure," Bell said. "Call me at the hotel."
"I'd like to go too," Leon said suddenly.
"Awww, Leon-poo!"
"Don't call me that, Nene! Anyway, I wanted to talk to Rai about the whole family thing. It doesn't seem all that easy to juggle..."
"It isn't," Rai said ruefully. "But one of our hardsuit techs babysits for free. Why don't we go out with whoever else is coming and get some dinner? I miss real Japanese food."
"It's a date!" Nene smiled.
"Okay. But we'd better get going; we're not even unpacked yet. See you tonight." Rai waved and followed Henderson outside.
Linna slid down into Bell's chair after the Ravens were gone, then slumped and looked at the door nervously. "Phew! That was something."
"Yeah, really? Most of the Ravens I knew were dead before you even joined us, Linna. It's going to be interesting getting to know them again."
"I had no idea there were other groups out there that were so advanced. I mean, I know you fund some of them, Sylia, but I thought they were all really small like us."
"Yes, we are small," Sylia said tensely. "But we're just as effective as they are, and we've been around longer."
"The Steel Ravens are usually considered the elite of the elite, along with the Bright Lancers in Seattle," Daley explained. "But then they get a lot of press. Here in Japan, Genom still somewhat controls the media - and we try to keep a lower profile."
"Somehow it's hard to imagine a group of vigilante glory hounds," Linna said.
"They're not," Daley said. "But they make a cause out of it. They go after common criminals and mob bosses too, not just Genom, and their methods aren't always so covert. One time, one of them beheaded a couple of mafiosos and left the heads on the steps of the local ADP building."
Linna's eyes went wide. "You're kidding!"
"Mmwell, that's an extreme example, but they don't worry as much about staying out of the public eye."
"I think I need to think about this alone for a while," Sylia said suddenly. "I'll see you all later, maybe after Nene and Leon get back."
"Sure, Sylia," Linna said, wondering what she'd done wrong.
///
"So who is it you want me to meet?" Melissa asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"You'll see, dear." Sylia's expression was impenetrable. That was the one thing Melissa hated about her: even if she was completely transparent half of the time, the other half she was downright cryptic. "Some of the others are going out tonight; we're just going to crash the party. Are you sure you won't reconsider?"
"Of course not! I told you, I came here to get away from this vigilante shit. You're the only one who didn't immediately want to cram me in a suit. Or shoot me."
"All right, dear. But will you at least take up my offer of a new wardrobe in exchange for your help?"
Melissa glared at her for a moment, then nodded reluctantly.
///
"I'll never understand how you were able to do all that," Linna said around a mouthful of ramen.
Shang nodded in appreciation, saying, "But we all do exactly what we have to. I doubt you would have thought yourself capable of everything you've done as a Knight Saber."
"Well...true. But what was it like?"
"I don't remember a lot," he confessed. "The usual method of operation back then was to infect a subject with the mutagen and liquid metal at the same time. Which means my DNA was essentially being reordered at the same time that the liquid metal burned a hole in my skull and started attacking the brain." She recoiled, turning pale, and he winced. "It hurt, but I couldn't tell what was going on. Fortunately I didn't lose much of my earlier memory before it stabilized and the mutation became able to hold the liquid metal in check."
Rai nodded. "Nowadays they infect with the mutagen first, even though it runs a greater risk of physical defects, like those Evon suffered. Genom's been breeding children with the mutation already established, but none of them are old enough to be of any use yet."
"Oh my God," Nene said quietly. "Sylia told us about Shaine's kids and how everyone has been after you guys, but I didn't know why."
Shang and Rai glanced at each other. "It's a matter of survival," Shang finally said. "Genom is losing power, even if it's outside the public eye. First you have the original Boomers created out of the work of Dr. Stingray. Strong, utilitarian, prone to rogue episodes but generally easy to control. And after Galatea died, or really right around the same time in some parts of the world, the Brela started quietly taking power. You all know what they were like, almost a cross between a Boomer and a Borg. Genom couldn't control them but at the same time it wasn't held responsible for them. The employee responsible for them was cast out before he finished his research. And we managed to get a handle on them - mostly - thanks to Eve's spy network and all of Alex's research. Plus we had the Bright Lancers - third wave Bright Lancers that is - on our side, and they had more experience fighting the Brela than anyone else." That vigilante group was best known for its high turnover rate; they'd lost almost four full teams already. "Then you have the Replicants. Developed at almost the same time as Galatea and Mackie, but less versatile and powerful at first, and Genom kept them under wraps."
"It's not that they kept the research a secret," said a voice from behind him. "It's that Evon Kohl was so reluctant to explain it." Sylia's cool, regal mask was in full force, even though the subject matter made her stomach crawl. Kohl was just a copycat, she reminded herself. He never would have succeeded without my father's work - my sacrifice. He's a weak imitation, just as his brother is one of Mason and Kant's boot-lickers and his daughter, or niece depending on whose lies you believe, is a second-string Raven instead of a Knight Saber. She forced herself to smile.
Shang turned, about to give some smart response, but he stopped as he saw the young woman standing next to her. He stared, but not as he usually stared at women. Rai looked at one, then the other. "You know her, Shang?"
"No. Never seen her before," he growled. Shang turned around and started eating again.
"Really," Melissa said, smiling radiantly. She pulled up the long sleeve of her sweater to reveal a golden Chinese dragon tattooed on her forearm. "Take a look at his back and you'll hear a different story."
Bell gawped. "Don't tell me you're another one of his girlfriends!"
"No," Shang muttered. "She's my sister. Now fuck off before you ruin my life again."
"That wasn't very ni--"
"He was talking to me," Melissa said. "But I'm not about to listen." She pulled up a chair, turned it around, and straddled it. "You ruined my life. After you turned into such a good little OMS for Genom, they decided to see if it ran in the family like the Kohls' freak factor. Guess what. It didn't. I got Boomerized, then spent two months being tortured by Ryan Bourne before he went back to Michigan to get you. Then they disabled my implants and left me to be used as an 'entertainment' Boomer. I really had a lot of fun before I managed to find a way out."
"That's nice," Shang said offhandedly, staring at his food.
"Look at me!" She stood back up.
Sylia put a hand on her shoulder. "That's all right, dear. I thought you would like to see him again...but you won't have to deal with any of the Ravens again. I promise."
"Damn straight I won't!" Melissa had a very loud voice; Linna wondered nervously just how good the soundproofing in her apartment really was.
Shang pushed his chair back and walked out. Melissa watched him, jaw clenched. "I-I'm really sorry," Linna stammered.
"It's all right, dear," Sylia said. "I was the one who made a mistake. I never asked how you felt about your brother, Melissa. I thought after being through so many of the same things it would be a healing experience." Melissa took one last look at Sylia, then left as well.
"Well, there goes the mood," Daley brooded.
"You'll have to forgive me for inviting myself, Linna, but I wanted to apologize to our guests. Melissa is going to be the newest member of the team and I thought I'd introduce her to all of you at the same time."
Rai leaned back in his chair. "That's very nice of you, Sylia, but if I might ask...why the sudden change of heart?"
"Miss Shang is understandably concerned about her safety. I still don't consider the Ripper to be within our sphere but I do consider it useful to protect my girls. She's already got a powered-down Genom mini-hardsuit and a weak cloaking device, and I found her investigating one of the Replicant deaths - by herself."
"Geez." Belladonna rolled her eyes. "Like brother, like sister, huh? Except the brother's got those killer kittens--"
"Kittens?" Linna exclaimed.
"Boomer kittens. They have laser claws."
"That's...nice..." She smiled weakly. Why did I ever agree to bring them here instead of going to a nice, normal restaurant...?
///
Melissa charged across the foyer of the apartment building, her brother just barely within eyesight. Once he was out the door, she started running. The laser knife weighed against her side, nestled inside her jacket. It was getting too warm outside even for that, but she didn't dare shed it. "Steve! Damn you!"
He ducked into an alley; she followed and finally caught up. Pinning him to the wall with one hand, she gasped for breath then howled, "Say something!"
"What do you want me to say? You're the one who's been running away all this time." He stared at her coldly. "You said you didn't want to have anything to do with me after the divorce...went to India with Mom...then after I found out what happened to you, you never answered my calls..." /Can you still talk like this? Or did they burn it out of you? I know Kohl and Bourne were paranoid about it./
/Stop it! You know how much I hate this!/
/But you're still speaking to me.../ His expression turned softer. Before he'd joined the Ravens, the siblings had only known a few others who could communicate telepathically. Melissa probably didn't know about the link between psi abilities and liquid metal: even Sylia and her team had thought it limited to in-suit telepathy before the Ravens - or more accurately Evon Kohl - showed them differently...
/Oh, I know. And I'm still as good at reading your thoughts as I always was./ She watched Shang's face go blank in reflex. /Speech only, now./ "I came here to get away from you. This is my home. I want to know what you're doing here."
"The Ripper. Sylia didn't tell you? She lets you out alone?"
"Do you think I give her a choice?" Melissa grinned. "I'm probably the deadliest thing out there in the night, unless you've got a hardsuit on. And as long as the Sabers are the only ones who do, I'm more than safe."
If only he knew...