Avarice Is Overreaching
Hold on.” Kerr whispered. “I’m tapping into your monocle so I can see.”
Lusa nodded and Kerr started the connection. The resolution wasn’t as good as her Opti, but it was clear enough what was happening. Cinder was selling them out.
The smaller of the two Styx lay a pistol-shaped object on the Hexcel table.
It must have been heavy, because it made a much deeper thump than its size would indicate.
Cinder picked it up, turning it this way and that.
He aimed it at the larger Styx, who appeared unbothered by the lack of firearms safety.
“Can you fix it?” The larger of the two Styx did the talking.
Cinder showed the pistol to the two men at his side, but didn’t let go of the gun. “What’s wrong with it?”
“It’s incomplete.”
“How so?” Cinder snaked his finger around the trigger.
The Styx only smiled. Cinder pointed the weapon at him and fired. Nothing happened.
“We found a cache of them. None of them work.”
Cinder didn’t ask where he’d found them.
There was only one place they’d be. Model 21 specialised in arms, meaning it would have been one of NovAITech’s skunkworks.
Humans would assemble the arms and test them, but no-one knew or questioned how they worked.
The large model AIs engineered and built everything.
And Model 21 was gone.
“What’s it supposed to do?” Cinder brought the scope to his eye.
“The printout says it’s an energy weapon of some sort.
“And you want us to fix these for you? Just hand you arms so that you can keep killing us? How fucking stupid do you think we are?” Cinder tossed the pistol on the table where it clattered heavily.
“Oh, Cinder.” The larger Styx smiled, showing off his disturbing fangs. “No-one thinks the Chargers are stupid. We think you’re weak.”
The men at Cinder’s side clutched the handles of their pistols, but they knew better than to speak. Kerr recognised them. Servo and Cog. Fuckups that took weeks to find the Junkpile. “If we’re so weak, what does that say about you? You’ve been trying to take over for years.”
“A waste of effort.” The larger Styx straightened his TacWeave vest. “You’re dying out.”
Cinder scoffed at the nonsense. “We’re growing every day, Dimitri.”
“Only because you take in whatever skezzed out garbage shows up on your doorstep. Do you really have the resources to save all of them? How many of them survive your detox?” Dimitri stretched. He was getting bored of the verbal sparring.
As was Cinder. “What’s your actual offer?”
“A merger.”
“Fuck you, Dimitri.”
“Are you still hung up on the trafficking? I thought with Chalice gone, you’d be over it.” Dimitri sat on the corner of the desk, like he was staking a claim.
“You’ve yet to produce any evidence that you took care of her.”
Lusa’s eyes locked with Kerr. She’d heard it too. Had Cinder sent the Styx after Chalice? What did that mean for Pinga? But there was no proof that they were dead. Lusa clenched her jaw.
“They’re in the old vault. There’s no way in or out for either her or Kerr.”
Kerr frowned. What the fuck was he on about? She was right here. Unless they thought Pinga was her?
“Without proof, I’m not making any moves. This conversation is over.” Cinder stood dismissively, the chair scraping along the concrete.
Neither of the Styx moved. “Oh, I know. You need to wait the appropriate period of time and then choose a new leader. A shame that we don’t have all the time in the world to waste.”
Cinder waved Dimitri away. “Shut the fuck up, or spit it out.”
“What if I guaranteed your takeover?”
“Planning on sending me foot soldiers to strong-arm anyone who doesn’t back me?” Cinder sneered. “Chargers don’t work like that. Most of them are ex SecTac. They’ll swarm your men for even suggesting it.”
“Perish the thought.” Dimitri examined his fingernails. “You don’t need more violence down here. In fact, I’m offering the opposite.”
Cinder narrowed his eyes. “Go on.”
“One latest gen DocPod. With expanded port capabilities. It can do whatever you want. Rapid detox for trash that shows up on your doorstep. Regrow your goons’ limbs.
” He motioned to Servo and Cog. “Even give you a great set of tits if you want.” Dimitri blew Cinder a kiss. “They’d look fantastic on you.”
Cinder looked away in disgust. Dimitri grinned. “I don’t think you understand what these models can truly do.” He leaned on the desk. “I caught a Harpy spy last week. She resisted everything.” Dimitri sounded almost proud of her. “Until we put her in the DocPod.”
Cinder looked bored. “You can remove and cauterise limbs without one.”
“Your imagination is far too small.” Something about Dimitri’s smile with the fangs sickened Kerr. She could tell Lusa saw it too. “Women always want to look younger. So, we obliged. And then we gave her to the men.”
Even Cinder looked horrified at the implication. “You’re a sick fuck.” Cinder turned to his men. They shrugged, the unspoken made clear. Power was worth it. “Not until the waiting period is over,” Cinder cautioned. “How would this merger work?”
Dimitri’s grin grew wider.
“Joint rule. Ten year minimum. As co-leader, you and Masho can hash out succession formalities after that.”
“And how do I know I won’t end up with a knife in my back?”
“Because no-one uses knives anymore.”
“Cute.” Cinder raised his middle finger. “But seriously.”
“Seriously Cinder, I don’t fucking know. How did you make it this far without figuring out your own protection?” Dimitri rose. “If you don’t want to play the game, I’ll find someone who does.”
Cinder’s men drew their weapons. He held his hand out to put them at ease. “Find whoever you want. Do you know how many Chargers wound up here after fleeing the Harpies?”
“We had nothing to do with their internal spat” Dimitri scowled. “We only took their turf because they lost so many people. A lesson you might heed when Chalice fails to show. We can wait while you fight amongst yourselves, or back the winner before it gets that far.”
“You also took over the trafficking everyone hated them for.” Cinder snarled. “You wouldn’t have had the support from the district if they’d known. Our people won’t trust you.”
“Your people won’t or you won’t?” Dimitri ran his tongue across the point of a fang. “We can always use force.”
Cinder’s men looked to him before going for their weapons this time. “Fuck off. We have more people than you.”
“More Chem addicted rejects held together with old tech and spare parts. You’d lose and you know it.
” Dimitri locked eyes with Cinder for a moment before trying a different tack.
“You’re right, though. We don’t want to spare the men.
So, ping us the coords of the biggest objectors the next time you send them out. ”
Cinder sat stone still for an uncomfortable amount of time. “The DocPod first. I’m not doing anything without guarantees.”
Dimitri reached out his hand, but Cinder didn’t take it. “You’re not betraying anyone. You’re saving them.” His Opti flashed and Dimitri looked off into space. “It’ll be in a white lorry, number 341 at the docks.”
“I can’t order anyone anywhere until the waiting period is up.” Cinder seemed to be questioning his decision already, but it had already been made.
“Then send me a list of objectors. They’ll be welcomed into the harem.” Dimitri smiled sickeningly. “At least the ones too Chem-soaked to do anything else will be useful to you now.”
Cinder stood, steeling his resolve. He’d crossed his Rubicon. Now, he would commit, or die. It was him who held his hand out this time. “Useful to us.”
Kerr watched Lusa reel. One hand at the hilt of her kukri, the other anchoring her stomach. “What are you doing?” she hissed, but Lusa didn’t respond.
“The DocPod is already loaded and on the way.” Dimitri took his hand. “Send your men to collect it the day after next.”
Cinder laughed and squeezed as he shook Dimitri’s hand. “You don’t get to tell me what to do on my turf. And after this merger, you’ll still be under me, you snivelling shite.”
Dimitri chuckled. “Power looks good on you, Cinder.
Along with his smaller associate, Dimitri left the office. Kerr caught the flash of a blade just before it sprouted from Dimitri’s throat.
“Fuck, Lusa!” Kerr slammed the steel door shut, trapping Cinder and his two men in the office. When she turned around, the other Styx lay dead on the concrete. Wherever his arm was, it was no longer attached. “What did you do that for?”
Lusa stared, shocked. “Didn’t you hear what they were going to do to you?”
Of course she’d heard. But why would Lusa care? She knew where Pinga was. Kerr was a means to an end. At least, she thought she was, until this stunning woman came out of nowhere and murdered two men before she’d had a chance to think about how to get out of here.
Kerr’s heart threatened to burst through her sternum, and for a brief moment, her mind flashed suggestions of taking Lusa right then and there. The steel door to her face took care of those thoughts, knocking the back of her head against the wall.
Kerr’s Opti flashed static and the connection severed. A third blow to the side of her head landed as she fell to the wet concrete floor, three figures converging on Lusa before everything went dark.