Chapter 15
The hallway before us was a different world from the level above.
The walls were smooth, pale gray stone rather than windows, and the walls were lined with open doorways into various shops and restaurants.
There was no chaos on this level, but there was a pair of enforcers passing by at the same moment Lyra opened the door.
The pair—very alert—both glanced our way and stopped.
One held out his hand—the hand not currently holding a stun stick. “Identifications.”
Tell Lyra not to?—
Too late. Lyra pressed the tip of her own stun stick against his chest. The problem was, there was no zap.
She depleted the weapon’s charge breaking the lock.
The officer looked down confused but the pair rebounded near-instantly, raising their own sticks.
Lyra, still in front of me, knocked away the first stick with the same maneuver she’d used before, but that had left her vulnerable to the second sentry, who zapped her before she could move.
Her body went rigid, and she collapsed. As she fell, I jumped over her body and plowed into the pair.
I slammed both into the far wall before either could stun me.
We were so close that if one stunned me, the charge could just as likely go through me and into them.
One tried to push me away, but instead, I grabbed each of their heads and slammed them together.
They both went down—not knocked out—so I punched each while they were down.
Did I fight like a nice guy? Hell no, but nice guys don’t fight.
With both unconscious, I slung Lyra over my shoulder. She was completely out of it. I bent down and grabbed one of the stun sticks. I would’ve taken both, but my hands were full.
“All right, Byte. A little help here.”
Based on her size and the length of the charge, Lyra will remain incapacitated for three minutes and sixteen seconds. You look conspicuous carrying her—I recommend you leave her.
“We’re not leaving her.” I started jogging through the large hallway in the opposite direction of the spaceport, constantly scanning for enforcers.
I knew it was just a matter of minutes, if not seconds, before another pair would come through.
It was less busy on this level, but there were still plenty of people, and they looked at me suspiciously.
“She drank too much on the flight here,” I said to one woman who looked like she was about to accost me.
But the enforcers are looking for us, not her.
“They were looking for me. After seeing her with me, you can guarantee they want to take her in for questioning now, too.”
She is expendable. We are not.
My step faltered. “I better not hear you say anything like that ever again. Any friend of mine is not expendable. Now, get us somewhere safe.” I was panting—I wasn’t used to running, let alone carrying that much extra weight. Lyra groaned, and her muscles flexed. “Hang in there,” I said.
I believe now is a good time to mention that I scanned the data on Lyra’s armlet.
“How’d you—never mind. Tell me about it when we’re safe.”
The ability to wirelessly access systems was included in my latest patch. One of the items I scanned was the location of the moon faction’s sanctuary. I believe that is the safest location for us on this moon.
“Then let’s go.”
You are going in the wrong direction.
I stopped and turned around.
But I calculate the threat of enforcers to be nearly sixty percent less if you continue the original route. I have recalibrated the route.
I grumbled and turned back around.
Lyra patted my back. “Put me down. I can walk now, I think.”
With how weak her voice sounded, I doubted that, but I wasn’t going to carry a woman against her will. It couldn’t have been comfortable for her when I was jogging; not to mention, Byte was right about one thing: carrying her made us stand out like a zebra in a horse pen.
I set her down as gently as I could. She was wobbly, and I kept an arm around her waist.
“I almost forgot how much those stun sticks hurt,” she said.
“They’re not easy to forget,” I agreed.
“You’ve been stunned before?”
I gave a dry chuckle. “Three times. I was sort of a punk when I was a kid.”
“You were very lucky you weren’t disappeared.”
“You could say that again.” I’d lost most of my friends from that age. I glanced behind us. “You think you can walk?”
She took a wobbly step. “Maybe with a little help, just for a bit?”
“I’ve got you.” I let her set the pace. It was slower than when I was carrying her, and I was half-tempted to toss her over my shoulder again. But I wasn’t a caveman.
Enter the shop on your left. They have a lift to the lower levels.
“I thought we were already in the lower levels,” I quipped before tugging Lyra with me. “This way.”
We entered a department store that was playing piano music too loudly. We walked through the shoes section and past the cosmetics counter with a cloying smell of too many perfumes. I noticed the elevator ahead with a sign that read, Clothing—Level 2, Home Goods—Level 3, and I veered us toward it.
Select Level 3.
“They number their levels here backward since they continually build downward. I never get used to that,” Lyra said, then asked as we stepped into the elevator where the music was even louder. “Where are we going, anyway?”
“We’re going to see your buddies,” I replied.
She was strong enough now that she pulled away. “My buddies?”
I spoke quietly. “You know, the moon faction?”
She frowned. “How do you know about them?”
I tapped my temple.
Since her expression didn’t change, that didn’t seem to answer her question. “There’s a lot you haven’t told me about your amp.”
I shrugged. “There’s a lot it hasn’t told me.”
You have not asked.
The elevator opened. The music was still loud, but at least it didn’t have perfume that tickled my nose.
This level contained 3D-printed furniture—everything that wasn’t fabric was of the same composite bamboo-like texture of everything that came out of mass production 3D printers.
The fabrics were colorful—more colorful than any I’d seen in Dreswick, but that could’ve been because I’d never seen a piece of new furniture in my life.
“Where to now?” I asked Byte.
Head to the restrooms and go through the door marked Staff Only. At this time, there should be no one in the breakroom.
When I noticed Lyra watching me, I scanned the space, found the right area, and nodded in that direction. We hustled to the door. Lyra eyed it. “Another janitorial closet?”
“Breakroom,” I said, glancing around to make sure no one was looking before I opened the door and stepped through.
It was a short hallway that opened up to an empty room, just like Byte had said.
Two tables sat in the center. Against the wall was a counter, which I cut over to and grabbed a handful of nut packs from a bowl.
I stuffed them in my pocket, grabbed another handful, stuffed them in my other pocket, and opened a pack to dump it in my mouth.
When I turned back, Lyra was eying me funny. “Hungry?”
I finished chewing and swallowed. “Starving.” I drank a glass of water before asking Byte, “Where do we go now?”
I thought taking the exit would be self-explanatory.
“I meant after that.”
I will guide you.
“Are you sure your amp knows the way?” Lyra asked.
“Are the coordinates you got for the moon faction current?”
Her brow furrowed. “Yes, of course.”
“Then yeah, it knows the way.”
At the end of the breakroom was an emergency exit. I’d expected alarms to sound, but evidently, bosses on Solace Moon didn’t have to worry as much about their employees running away during the day. Then again, the jobs here didn’t look as hazardous to their health.
Byte guided us through hallways, turning and backtracking whenever it picked up the sounds of either enforcers or drones nearby. I was starting to like Byte guiding us, until it brought us to a tram.
“We can’t take that. They always have cameras, and if there are enforcers at the next stop, we’ll be cornered.” Lyra said exactly what I was thinking.
I will access the tram’s camera system. If I identify any risks, we will take an earlier stop.
“Sure, unless that stop is also crawling with enforcers.”
Drones are a far likelier risk in these tunnels. Solace Station Security invests most of their budget in surveillance and monitoring solutions.
“That’s not reassuring.”
“Please tell me your amp’s not going to get us killed,” Lyra said as we approached the tram.
“My amp’s not going to get us killed.” I hope.
There were only about a dozen people at the station.
It was midday and not during a rush hour of any sort, which didn’t help us blend in.
We entered the tram, careful to keep our faces down and toward each other as if we were whispering sweet-nothings or whatever it was that newlyweds in love did.
I had to admit, the closeness did feel nice.
I’ve piggybacked the camera system. The enforcers from the spaceport are still two levels above us. It appears they plan to cover one level at a time. Humans are neither efficient nor intelligent.
“I’m a human,” I pointed out.
I rest my case.
“Are you arguing with your amp?” Lyra asked softly.
“No, it’s just being annoying.”
I rest my case. Again. Take stop 218. That is the next stop in case you are confused.
I glanced at Lyra and nodded toward the door. As we shuffled toward it, I said, “Was that you being snarky?”
“What?” Lyra asked, then shook her head when she realized I wasn’t talking to her.
I upgraded my communications processes and am testing new styles to determine the most effective style.
“Trust me, it’s not an improvement.”