CHAPTER 4
Istill don’t know how the layout of Phantoms actually fits into the station.
I don’t know how it’s possible that I’m sitting in a room in Phantoms, watching Sirin and Tiffy interrogate Agan through a shimmery window.
Is it a portal? Or is it real?
“If we weren’t on the station, I’d have already taken him apart tentacle by tentacle.” Kita sits on one side of me, her tentacles coiled up, her mouth twisted in disgust. “I don’t know how my uncle can be in the same room as him right now.”
“She just moved into his place,” Feather sits behind Kita, giving her a neck massage that doesn’t seem to be helping. “If he kills your brother, he doesn't get to enjoy it.”
Grumbling, Kita agrees, and I just watch and wait.
“It’s like a crime show,” Peach says, curling her legs underneath her and scowling at the screen. “But you know all the characters are real.”
“And there’s no popcorn.” Feather says, “Though, I’m sure we could ask the bot for some.”
“I’m not really in a popcorn mood.” I say softly and then we all go silent, because Agan gets loud.
“There aren’t any laws on this station that prohibit it.”
Tiffy snorts and Sirin briefly closes his eyes. If he was religious, I might think he was praying for guidance.
“Even if that was true—and it’s not—you know it’s wrong. Why else would you have used me as a threat, instead of telling the facilities personnel that you were being wrongfully detained?”
“I told them you’d be mad because they were screwing up.”
The look Sirin and Tiffy exchange tells me just how much they believe that.
“Wow,” Feather says, coming around to sit on the floor at my feet. “Your brother is not a good liar.”
“There are plenty of people willing to entertain those lies.” Kita says.
Sirin lets out a frustrated breath. “Filming others with the intent to distribute said footage has always been a crime.”
“Okay so, what, this is my first offense, I didn’t know any better. I get a fine?”
“No.”
Agan actually flinches. “No?”
“We’ve seen the files.” Tiffy says. “This is your first offense, but it’s also your twenty-second.”
“You went through my personal data storage? That’s a violation of my privacy, I could sue you.”
Sirin nods and I don’t like the way Agan smiles at the gesture.
“You could,” Sirin says. “But we’re not the ones you have to answer to.”
“You run the station, who else could I possibly…”
Phantom flickers in the corner and I see their smile, bright and blue.
“You recorded footage inside Phantom’s jurisdiction,” The translation has a hard time with that last word, “and of Phantom’s employees.
The station laws make it clear that they get to decide how to punish you for their portion of your offenses.
After which time, the station’s punishments can be meted out. ”
All the color drains from again and Peach makes a startled sound. “I didn’t know you could do that!”
“Me either,” I say, staring at him. I’ve never seen Kita go transparent.
Kita shudders. “Believe me, it’s not something we do on purpose.”
“No.” Agan says, his voice finally filled with panic. “They are the ones that gave consent.”
“If we bring them in, will they tell us that?”
“It’s part of their job. The consent is implied.”
“No it’s not.” Phantom speaks and Agan clamps his mouth shut. Or maybe Phantom clamps it shut for him.
“I wish he was the only one who felt that way.” Feather says, looking ill.
“How many hours of footage does he have that actually has his victims in them?” Phantom asks.
Tiffy checks the comm data. “Almost three thousand hours.”
“Jesus,” Feather says softly. “That doesn’t count the hours when you weren’t home… Holy fuck.”
Murmurs of agreement come from the other two, but I can’t find it in me to comment.
“Three thousand hours is more than a hundred days. We’ll round up and give him double, just for good measure. Three hundred days in a view tube should be enough… To start.” Phantom flicks their hand and Agan’s shirt tears away before he’s sucked into a tube that’s barely big enough for him.
Kita makes a retching sound and covers her face with her tentacles. “I do not need to see any of this part.”
But Feather, Peach and I watch wide eyed, as some invisible force inside that tube shove his tentacles up and away, exposing him fully.
“He can see how it feels to be watched every minute of the day. Privacy doesn’t matter, does it?”
Agan doesn’t get to answer. The tube drops through the floor.
A second screen forms on the wall, showing us where that tube went. In the center of one of the most populated rooms of the club, the tube sits beneath a sign that says something like “peep me.”
I’d have to ask Phantom what it actually means.
The portal closes and I rest my hand on Kita’s tentacle. “It’s over.”
Still peeks out before she trusts that she’s not going to see anything she doesn’t want to.
“When he’s finished with my punishment, he can face yours.” Phantom looks at Sirin, their face is almost fully formed… enough that they can raise one brow-like shape. “I assume you have plans?”
“Not yet. I knew you’d give me plenty of time to come up with options.”
The wall between us and them dissolves, making me pretty sure it wasn’t real to begin with, and they turn to us.
Tiffy looks at Feather and blushes before excusing himself.
“One of your friends?” Kita asks softly.
“I don’t think so.” She looks confused. “But I do need to get going.”
Peach says goodbye too, and they both hurry out the door we came in through. Kita sticks around just long enough to remind Sirin that he has to tell her parents what’s happened before they leave.
And then, Sirin and I are alone with Phantom again.
“The two of you have had a lot happen in the last few days.” They lean on the table and their body merges into it.
“We have.” When Sirin wraps his tentacles around me, it feels almost as though he wants to protect me from Phantom… but that’s ridiculous.
“Agan has been abusing your connection anywhere and everywhere he can,” they say.
“I had a feeling that was the case. I’m not sure how I’ll be able to find out who he did what too. “
“Here’s a list.” Phantom touches Sirin’s comm and lines scroll down the screen.
“It looks like I have a very long list of people to apologize to.”
“You do. Better get to it.”