This takes place right after Knight Sabre Down[SS :: 10/03]
Priss was seated leaning on her elbows looking at the floor, face set an impassive mask. Her feelings however, were in turmoil.
Linna had almost been killed right before her eyes, after stupidly trying to save her. She had almost allowed Linna to die after finding her when the girl fell into unconsiousness and thought her already dead. Linna had been covered in her blood. Thankfully Sylia had saved her from that terrible mistake. Before that Linna had again displayed her... affection. She had accepted, afraid that her friend was going to die. But now she wasn't, or at least the large number of doctors and surgeons Sylia had managed to acquire from one of her contracts, were working on keeping Linna alive.
The ride to the secret hospital had been a nightmare. A small van had turned up and Linna had been transferred. Priss and Nigel had already taken the hardsuit off, which had been difficult with a piece of shrapnel stuck in her side. They'd been told how to do it over the phone by a surgeon so she'd be ready to take away immediately.
Taking the shrapnel out had caused a large spurt of blood. Priss remembered then quickly getting her out of the suit, they couldn't do anything to stop the bleeding while she was in it, and pressing down on the bloody tear in Linna's side with gauze and bandage that quickly turned red, "It's not stopping!" she had shouted, her voice almost cracking. "Keep the pressure on it," Nigel had replied. His face was smeared with blood. Her own hands were covered with it as well.
The emergency van arrived soon after that and they loaded Linna. Priss hopped in as well, Nigel remained behind to support Sylia and Nene. The van took off and a pair of medics got to work.
They worked on the side wound first, it was the most critical that they could see. Tore Linna's suit, set up a drip, replaced the bandages. The medics where Chinese and although Priss couldn't understand a word she knew it wasn't good. The medics worked frantically.
The ride was taking forever. "Hurry the fuck up!" she'd screamed to the driver. The driver ignored her. One of the medics sat her down and told her to remain calm, hold her friends hand. With the level of anxiety she was feeling combined with the power of the hardsuit she would have crushed Linna's hand if she had.
The van arrived, driving down into an underground parking lot and Linna had been rushed out. Priss followed but only got as far as a waiting room, Linna taken into an operating room amid a flurry of activity. She tried to go in but was refused entry, politely.
So she had sat down and thought. It was all she could do. It was driving her mad. Someone came over with a mug of tea. She had slapped it away and shouted. The attendant cleaned up the mess and went away leaving her alone.
Priss wanted comfort. She didn't want to be alone through this. Unfortunately the person she wanted was the one lying beneath the scapels and instruments in the operating room.
===+++===
An hour passed when Sylia arrived.
She came in leaning heavily on Nigel. One of the white legs of her hardsuit was red. Her helmet was off. Her face incredibley pale. One arm held to her side.
"Get a doctor here!" Nigel shouted.
Attendants flooded over, one rushed into the operating room: another casualty had arrived.
Priss half got up.
"It's all right Priss. Nothing too bad." Sylia said without breath. She was faint.
"Nene?"
"Sent her back. To Macky."
Two doctors arrived.
"Get her out of the armour. Injuries?"
Nigel spoke, "Broken arm, you'll have to cut the suit off. Gunshots to the leg."
"Ok. Get her on the bed and into OR-Two."
Sylia groaned in pain as she was lain down onto the wheeled bed.
She was wheeled into another operating room.
Activity in the waiting area ceased. Nigel came over to Priss and sat next to her.
"How are you holding up?" his voice was tired.
"Fine." she replied shakily. She wasn't fine. She was flakey. "You?"
"Shaken up." he ran a hand through his hair, "I hope they're going to be Ok."
"We fucked up, didn't we?"
"I don't know why you even tried. You're not soldiers. Sylia wouldn't have gone if you'd tried to stop her."
"Too late for that now."
+++===+++
Priss and Nigel didn't talk after that. Lost in their own brooding and worry they sat unmoving.
More hours passed.
A doctor came out of the operating room that Sylia had been taken into. He approached the pair.
Nigel got up.
The doctor stopped short. "Sir, the woman..."
"Sylia."
"Sylia, is in a stable condition. We removed the armour, reset her arm and stopped major bleeding in her thigh. Luckily she none of her major arteries were damaged."
"Can I see her?"
Priss' eyes widened.
"Not at this moment. We're still doing some repair work and she is also unconcsious. By the time she awakens she'll be ready to see you."
"Thank you, Doctor."
The doctor nodded and returned to the operating room. No doctors were coming out of Linna's room.
Nigel sat back down. A huge weight lifted from him.
"Let's hope the same for Linna."
"You love her don't you?"
Sylia Priss meant. Nigel understood. He didn't reply to the question. That was enough answer for Priss.
Nigel stood, "I'm going to check on Nene. I'll bring you your clothes so you can get out of that suit."
He left, not looking into the back of the van as he drove to the Silky Doll, not wanting to see the red stains.
+++===+++
Priss fell asleep on the chair. Nigel woke her up when he returned and handed over some clothes.
She found a room to change into and unlocked the hardsuit, stepped out. Would it be for the last time? She looked at the piece of metal. No, she didn't feel like putting it back on for some time.
Off then came the tight suit too. She had to peel it from her skin, sweat soaked.
I deffinatley need a shower.
She dressed, her bike leathers, returned to outside and asked where there was somewhere she could clean up. An attendent showed her to a bathroom.
This special hospital was fully equipped.
The shower revitalised her body. Relaxing some of the tension that had stiffened it. A hot shower for once.
She stayed under the stream until her the skin on her fingers began to wrinkle.
The bathroom was full of steam.
No Towel.
Later, the bin full of paper hand towels and toilet paper.
Priss went back outside, dressed. She wished they'd been fresh clothes. Her body felt like her mind again. She was told that Sylia had regained consciousness. Nigel was already with her, moved out of the operating room into a private one.
Sylia was reclining on some pillows. Her arm suspended beside her.
Any other time Priss would have found that very amusing and not wished her a speedy recovery. Nigel was on the other side of the bed.
"Priss." the silver haired women said.
"Hey. How are you feeling?"
"After being shot and had my arm pulled out of its socket, not too bad."
"Heard anything about Linna's condition?" it was hard to say the words.
Both of them shook their head.
"She'll be well looked after Priss. I'm assured that these are some of the best Doctors in the country."
"That's not going to have made this night have not happened."
Sylia sighed. "You're tired Priss. I'm tired. We all need rest and to go forward from where we are tomorrow."
Priss sneered and left the room. No, your games made this happen, and me responsible for wanting to back Linna up. Linna, trying to hard to be a superhero. Sylia just takes advantage of her.
She returned to her chair in the waiting room and quickly fell into an exhausted sleep.
+++===+++
The surgeons worked all the remaining hours of the night on Linna, stabilising her condition but she was still critical. She had lost a considerable amount of blood and the concussive force of the explosion had caused damage all along her left side. They didn't know whether brain damage had been caused.
They did know she was lucky to be alive.
They moved her into an intensive care unit.
After one day recuperating in the hostpital Sylia was released. Priss saw her talking to an old chinese man before they left and returned to her city dwelling. Priss had wanted to stay and wait on Linna but she was dragged away, not having the energy to resist.
A guest room was made up and Priss crashed. Like the time, not so long ago, a week, when Linna had looked after her she slept for twelve hours without twitching a muscle.
Her appetite came back and she ate voraciously putting away whatever Herderson came up with.
The next day, now Wednesday her body sought of felt balanced. Mentally she was still on a downer. She couldn't concencrate. She didn't want to think at all. The stage of shock had been left behind replaced with the stagnating pool of depression.
Her moping around the building lead her down to The Pit. As soon as she stepped into the room she felt a chill.
"Priss! I'm glad that you're OK. I haven't seen you since you all..." Macky let himself trail off. He'd been by the consoles and alterted by the sounds of the doors opening looked to see who had arrived.
Priss grunted in response. She walked over to the glass and looked down at the simulator.
"Um. So, how's Linna?"
"Alive."
Macky shutup. He went back to his concoles. On one was the tape that had been stolen from Genom. Wires were plugged into it.
"What's that?" Priss pointed.
"This is what you went after. Nene brought it in. I haven't seen her since then. She was really upset. I don't think she's even gone back to work, I keep trying to call her. She wont answer her home phone either or reply to my mail."
What could you expect? A young innocent/niave girl witnissing death, could have been killed herself, knowing some of her friends were seriously hurt and all for what? A box. She'll probably have nightmares for the rest of her life.
"What's on it?"
"Don't know yet. It's heavily enctypted. I've been trying to break it for days but with little progress. Even with all this equipment and power it could take..."
"Why?"
"Because Genom..."
Priss cut him off again, "Why are you even trying? What does it matter?" she left. Wishing there was a door that wasn't automatic so she could slam it shut.
Not that it was his fault. He was just being used like the rest of us.
Priss got the rest of her stuff, Linna's keys and didn't bother to say by. Her bike was out the front and she started it up, hopped on and rode away.
+++===+++
To Linna's apartment.
The street out front had been repaired. The objects of violence gone. Not even a shard of broken glass. Everything removed and cleaned up by a squad of boomers.
Standing in front of the door keys in hand Priss felt uncomfortble. Like walking into someones grave. She's not dead she reminded herself. And I've been here before so its not an invasion of privacy.
The door opened. She walked in. It was still.
Into a gym bag she stuffed as many clothes as she could. She noticed on the bedside table the photos of her, both face down but there none-the-less. Even then, she'd cared, or hadn't stopped but couldn't face it. They went into the bag too. Sylia would make sure Linna stayed at her place for a while first before allowing her to return home.
A photo of her parents. When she was here last, in the very bed she was standing beside she had not really looked aft the other photos. Personal things photos are. The parents went into the bag as well.
If they only knew what happened to their daughter...
Next the lounge. Looking for anything important that Linna might need. If so it went into the bag.
The light of the answering machine was flashing.
Hestitantly she reached out and pressed the play button.
Calls from work and home. Home becoming increasingly worried. You and me both.
Priss didn't know Linna's parents number. She looked around but didn't find anything. Maybe her cell phone, but that was back at Sylia's.
Well, she was going back there anyway. Along the way she'd make a stopover.
+++===+++
Misei started when she saw Priss at Reception.
Priss walked up to her, "You're Linna's friend?"
"Who are you, what do you want? I know your type, up to no good." Misei accussed. She'd only seen Price twice before, the last a few days ago. Inside Reception of her company she felt safe enough to be on the offensive.
"Linna's had an accident."
"What have you done to her?"
"I don't know how long she'll be away from work for," if she ever returns at all, Priss didn't add, "so I'm letting you know. Tell your boss or whatever."
Priss walked away wanting to get out of the building as quickly as she could.
Misei ran after her, "Wait! What happend? Where is she?"
Priss didn't know where Linna was actually. Not where in the city. Somewhere secretive.
"In a hospital. Being looked after."
Priss left Misei standing, wondering what had just happened.
+++===+++
She didn't know why but Priss decided to check on Nene as well. This kind of initiative was alien to her. She called the ADP reception after trying Nene's direct lines. She wasn't in.
Priss drove over to the other side of town to Nene's place. There was as door bell, rang it. Nothing. She banged on the door.
"Nene, its Priss. Open up. I know that you're in there." she stopped to listen. Waited for about half a minute. "If you don't open up I'm going to knock the door in. You know I can do it. You've got till the count of three!"
The door didn't look too solid. A hip and shoulder pushed off from the other side of the hall would knock it open.
"One."
Still nothing. Priss braced herself against the wall.
"Two."
"Ok. Here I come, three!"
In two steps she was against the door and through as the door opened. Under her own momentum she piled forward and crashed into a table.
The room was dark. Slits of light showing through the gaps in the window blind.
Priss rubbed her shin where she had banged it against the leg of the table.
"Nene?"
The door closed.
Priss could make out a solid form near the door. "Why didn't you open it?" she growled, "Or answer your calls?"
"Because I don't want to end up like the others!" Nene stepped into some half-light. She looked like a ghost, a small ghost. Her face shrunk, underneath the eyes puffy and bloodshot.
"Sylia and Linna are all right."
"But they wont be! Neither will we."
The way Nene was speaking was beginning to freak Priss out. The tone of her voice, the way she looked.
"Have you been in here all these days?"
"I can't go you. You should go out either. You shouldn't have come here."
"Nene, what are you going on about?"
"Genom!" Nene shrieked, "They know it was us. They know we've got their tape. They killed those other people who took it. They're going to come after us, they'll find us and then they'll kill us! We're all doing to die."
She's completely lost it.
Priss grabbed Nene be the shoulders and shook, "Get a grip on yourself. No one's after us, no one is going to kill you."
"Yes they are! I've been in Genom's system and they are looking for us. This isn't like with the boomers, we've got something important and they want it back."
If that were true. Then they were in serious trouble. Linna, Sylia too injured. Nene still, or in shock again.
"They've never found us before and they're not going to either."
Nene burst into tears, "I saw Sylia kills someone! Not a boomer. A person. A person Priss, a human being, she killed a person!" the horror of the sequence replayed in her mind. A single swift stroke of her blade cleanly cutting through the Genom soldiers armour, front and behind, from side to side at waist level, cutting him in half. The two separate parts of the body falling to the floor with a waterfall of gore.
Priss slapped Nene hard across the face.
"Shut up! Just shut up."
How the hell was she suppose to deal with this? Nene's hysterics would work on her own anxiety. She needed something, anything to calm Nene down, "Don't you think Sylia knows this? I bet she's..."
"You believe her?" Nene was incredulous, "She got us into this mess, she nearly got us all killed!"
Nene fell to the floor in a heab sobbing when Priss raised her hand a second time.
"Get some clothes and what ever else you need together."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"Yes you damn well are. You're coming with me."
"Noooo..."
Priss dragged Nene up by the arm. She looked her hard in the eye, holding her jaw so she wouldn't look away.
"I'm going to take you somewhere," the plan that had just jumped into her head, if she could really call it that was the replacement to her intention of taking Nene back to Sylia's on the back of her bike, "and it's not Sylia's. If you're even a little right then that would be suicide."
"Where?" little girl lost.
"Just get your stuff." Somewhere I hope is safe and Genom doesn't visit.
+++===+++
Kaneda was at a loss.
Someone else, just as confused but with working vocal cords asked; "You want us to look after you two?"
Priss nodded, "I can pay well. I don't know how long for, maybe one or two weeks."
"We ain't babysitters you know."
Priss let the gym bag off her should drop. She walked over to the speaker and grabbed the front of his shirt, "We ain't babies either little man."
Finally Kaneda put his thought together. "Whoa whoa," he broke the two apart.
Priss had arrived about ten minutes previously having tracked the gang down by first going to the carpark where she'd first met them and asking around. They had to be close by the car park, no one would go out of their way to hang out their there. There were plenty of car parks in the city for a gang to take over for an afternoon.
She had been on the receiving end of hoots and whistles as her bike chugged into the gangs 'compound', a bunch of delerict pre-quake apartment buildings surrounding a cracked concrete courtyard with a fountain not working.
Bikes were parked all around the edge of the courtyard. Kaneda's was unmistakable. Faces appeared out of windows. Kaneda's 'Lieutenants' came out.
"What do you want?"
"Where's Kaneda?"
"What you want him for?"
"Want me to bust up your face again?"
They took her, Nene in tow, to Kaneda and here she was back in the present.
"Settle, both of you. I'm in charge here remember. I make the decisions."
Priss had something to say about that but kept it inside. She was asking for help and it wouldn't do to piss Kaneda off. "So, can we stay?"
Kaneda shrugged, "Like my man said, we are not babysitters. You said you'd pay and I'm sure we can accomodate that, space being at a premium at it is,"
"Don't jerk my chain." classes Priss coming back, "And no extortion either. I can give you a couple of K right now," her life savings from stashed all about her trailer, "and we'll take it from there."
Whistles at the amount of money.
"You must be in some kind of trouble, and your friend, she's cute, who is she?" Kaneda rubbed his chin.
"A friend." Priss was hoping that he'd not recognise Nene from the call she'd made from her bike, Nene in her uniform, "We just want to be out of sight for some time."
"Police or Yak trouble?"
"Neither of those."
A raised eyebrow. God she hated that.
"I don't know if I like the sound of that. And I want to know. That's a prerequisite if we're going to have guests."
"Genom."
Laughter from someone, "Why do you want to hide from those jerks? Dint a boomer or something?"
"Haha, maybe they're the Knigh Sabres!"
Glad they're laughing. Too bad it wasn't a laughing matter.
"I've told you who but I'm not going to tell why. If you do your job and keep us," she pointed to Nene, "especially her away from eyes then everybody will come out of this fine."
Kaneda gazed at Priss intently. Something was there he should know about. What? But he was swaye by his gang's attitude- Genom wasn't a problem to them. They didn't care about boomers and hardly any came into this part of town. It'll be a piece of cake. Easy money.
"Do you want a grand tour of le hotel kaneda?"
+++===+++
Priss left Nene in the hands of the gang, with instructions to keep an eye on her but to give her space. She was really strung out.
She left a quick message to one of her band members, "Got some business to take care of. Could be a while."
Linna's parents.
She returned to Sylia's, parked a block away and came in through the back.
Henderson met her on the way in, "Mistress Priss. Why on earth are you coming in this way?"
"Because I'd rather not be seen."
"Is entering the Silky Doll that bad?" the old man's attempt at a joke.
"When it can be fatal to ones heartbeat- yes."
Henderson had no idea what that meant, "Will you be staying?"
"No. Just getting some stuff and then I'll leave the same way."
"As you wish." A strange girl.
Priss went down to The Pit. Linna's clothes were gone. Macky was still there working on the tape. Getting nowhere. She asked him where the clothes were. Henderson had washed them. She went back upstairs.
Founder Henderson, asked about the clothes, Linna's phone. Got it.
I'll try later, tonight. Don't want to spend too much time here.
She was getting paranoid.
She went to Sylia's room. Knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
"Priss."
"Well, come in. I wasn't expecting you Priss. Not for some time anyway."
"How can you be so calm? Or are you just resigned to your fate?"
"Priss, I don't know what you are babbling about."
"Don't partronise me!" she stabbed out with her finger, "Do you think Genom's going to take this lying down? It's not boomers this time, plenty to go around there. If what we have was important enough for them to kill for, important enough for you to send us on that suicide mission-"
"I went on that mission as well, I came worse off than you did! I don't see any wounds on your pretty frame!" Sylia shouted back.
"I went to Nene's and she knows that Genom is going to come after us. And there's nothing we can do about it."
Sylia stopped what she was about to say, considered.
Priss felt her eyes widening, "You didn't know, didn't think that Genom would." the realisation hit her like a thunderbolt, "You stupid fucking whore! You're going to get us all killed!"
"Now listen," Sylia started, "it can't be as bad as that..."
Priss would have nothing of it, "And I thought you actually knew what you were doing. Linna, Nene, they trusted you. I went along to make sure they were going to be Ok. I put up with your need-to-know shit for them. But now... now you've stepped into something far deeper than you can handle and it's going to fall on all our heads!"
"Priss..."
Priss wouldn't give her the time of day any longer, "You're insane Sylia. Completely insane!"
+++ 30 +++
This was meant to be the 'end' of the previous chapters, a happy ending but as it extended I thought I might have to move that onto the next one, but then when Nene threw her hysterics any hope of a conclusion went out the window. And Nene is right, ending it now would leave a big thread waving in the wind. Kaneda just fell into place too, an unexpected but good piece of foreshadowing. Title changed to the single from Billy Idol's Cyberpunk CD, from a lyric from another song on that CD which will still be a 'end' type chapter. I'll be getting back to the Priss/Linna stuff when this thread is closed so instead you'll have to put up with some Nene and Sylia.