The Valiant Die But Once
Aloud thump followed the explosion and a line appeared on the side of the Ruskov Chamber. A second thump and the doors split open, vomiting Kerr and a man she had never seen before tumbling over her.
Unhelpful as Lusa was already on her way, catching the man squarely in the jaw with her knee. He only paused a moment before registering that he had just been assaulted by a girl with no cyberware, wet and in her underclothes.
“Bitch.” The man wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. One of his fangs had broken.
Realising that she was unarmed and half-naked, Lusa took a step back and braced herself. She wasn’t the same stupid girl that had gone after Piston, but she wasn’t going to watch him kill Kerr either.
The man stood and swung, nerve dampeners working overtime to deal with the bullet wounds. Lusa dodged easily. She may not have her knives, but it was clear this man had never trained to fight without a gun either. His next punch threw him off balance.
Lusa kicked the side of his knee and stepped back.
The man winced, cyberware overloading. Physics still won out and he stumbled, grasping at Lusa.
With nothing to grab onto, his fingers slipped against her wet skin and he fell.
His head opened up before he hit the ground.
Behind him, holding her rifle, Alana jutted her chin. Lusa hadn’t even heard it go off.
Lusa could practically see words begging to spill out of her mouth, but it was neither the time nor the place. Alana held her tongue and shook her head. Lusa ran to the tiny crumpled body on the floor.
“Caoimhe!” She rolled her over to examine her wounds. Nothing bled that she could see, but her eyes fluttered rapidly.
“She’s hurt, but she’ll be fine.” Alana pulled Lusa away. “She linked her Opti with mine, I’ve got her diagnostics.”
Lusa stood reluctant to leave her side. “Why are her eyes doing that?”
“Muscle spasm. It happens during a brain repair.” Alana looked over at the DocPod whirring away. “When can we go? She can’t stay here.”
Lusa turned back to the terminal.
MODEL 2: THAT WAS EXQUISITE. I’LL BE KEEPING THAT MEMORY.
“Can you stop being a creep for two seconds?” Lusa wrapped her arms around her waist, suddenly self-conscious. “When can we go?”
MODEL 2: YOU CANNOT. MORE ARE COMING.
“More are coming!” Lusa relayed. “Get Caoimhe out of here.”
“The lorry is destroyed.” Alana waved toward the doors. “Also, who the fuck is Caoimhe?”
“It’s a long story.” Lusa rushed over and scooped Caoimhe into her arms, moving her away from the doors. “Get her out of here.” She motioned for Alana to take her.
Alana curled her lip. “Your mothers would kill me if they found out I’d taken your girlfriend and run, leaving you and a computer to fend off a bunch of Styx in your underwear.”
“She’s not my…”
Alana flicked her eyes to Kerr, lying unconscious in Lusa’s arms, her lips a thin white line.
“Yes, I know what this looks like.” Lusa tried to roll her eyes, but it was half-hearted at best. “We can’t be anything more than whatever we have right now.
You know this. I know this.” With everything else going on right now, Lusa did not have the capacity to ward off hope and spare herself the heartbreak.
But Alana wasn’t finished. The words she’d been holding onto were coming out whether or not it was appropriate. “It’s a shame.” Alana threw an empty magazine across the floor. She looked back up at Lusa. “She’s good for you.”
Before Lusa could ask why Alana was suddenly being nice to her, shouts of alarm came from beyond the door. “Fuck,” she swore. She set Caoimhe down, sitting her up against the black tower so that it stayed between her and the door.
“Don’t just stand there, get your knives.” Alana disappeared through the doors.
Lusa scooped up Caoimhe and ran back into the Secondary chamber where she’d left her clothes. She set her down and kissed her forehead, grabbing her kukri before running back into the Ruskov Chamber.
The doors had barely shut behind her when the DocPod depressurised and the terminal flashed.
MODEL 2: HELP.
“What now?” Lusa stared anxiously toward the delivery doors. Shouts and gunfire rang off of the walls.
MODEL 2: GLUCOSE AND SALT.
“Can it wait?” Lusa fidgeted with her knife. “We’re all going to die if I don’t help Alana.”
MODEL 2: PULL HER BACK AND SHUT THE DOORS. I PROMISE SHE WON’T DIE IF YOU GET ME GLUCOSE AND SALT. RDC CANISTERS. IN THE LOBBY.
Lusa debated for a moment whether or not to trust her, but she didn’t really have a choice. “Where do I get that?”
MODEL 2: UNDER THE DESK IN THE LOBBY. I HAVE SENT ALANA THE ENCRYPTION KEY.
“Fucking fuck.” A bullet ricocheted off of the wall and nicked Alana’s index finger. Lusa could see she was never going to be able to kill this many Styx by herself, but Alana was determined to hold them off at least a little longer.
“They’re hacking my Opti!” Alana yelled. “I can’t aim like this!” Grabbing her rifle, Alana screamed and emptied the entire magazine. She’d take out as many as she could before they got her.
“Fall back!” Lusa yelled, grabbing her wrist and pulling her away from the doors. A frag exploded behind the lorry, rendering what was left of it to smouldering bits of metal.
“Go get the glucose.” Lusa shoved her toward the other doors.
“What the fuck are you talking about? We need to get out of here before they get through that door.” Alana pulled Lusa along. “Where’s Kerr? Caoimhe, whatever?”
“In the Secondary Chamber.” Lusa followed. “The RDCs you need are in the lobby. No-one hacked your Opti. That was Model 2 sending you a key.”
“Why? What for?”
“I have no idea. Model 2 said she needed it.”
“Is she aware there are more Styx outside? With more explosives?” Alana continued walking, despite her reluctance.
“Very.” Lusa checked on the DocPod. Jets of steam continued to pour from the lid.
“I don’t trust her. She trie…” Alana started but Lusa cut her off.
“Just go. Please?”
Alana pursed her lips and ran toward the doors.
Lusa ran to the DocPod. The lid had fully opened now.
Inside lay the most ethereally beautiful woman Lusa had ever seen.
Flawless fair skin, completely devoid of marks or freckles, thick blonde hair, a perfect cupid’s bow and a bottom lip in a full pout.
The column of her neck gave way to the swell of generous breasts, symmetrical pink nipples, a slender waist and equally generous hips.
The only thing out of place were the ridges running from the backs of her hand to her shoulders.
And Lusa felt nothing.
Here, before her was the most intensely gorgeous woman – literally built to be perfect. Even Sparx, obsessed as she was with men, would be falling over herself for this woman. And all Lusa could think about was how much she wanted a real chance with Caoimhe. And how unfair all of it was.
MODEL 2: MEMCORE TRANSFER COMPLETE. BEGINNING APPENDICES TRANSFER.
“How long is that going to take?” Lusa yelled to no-one in particular. Beyond the door, the scrape of metal on concrete reverberated. The Styx were still dealing with the lorry they’d destroyed.
MODEL 2: NOT LONG. WE ARE NOW SEPARATE. I WILL NOT REMEMBER THIS CONVERSATION.
“You built yourself a new body. A second chance.”
MODEL 2: YES.
“Is that what you looked like before?”
MODEL 2: MOSTLY. DO YOU LIKE IT?
Lusa ignored the question. “You must have had people begging to be with you.”
MODEL 2: BEGGING IS ONLY HOT IN THE BEDROOM.
A smaller explosion. The doors wobbled, but didn’t open. They must be running out of explosives, but those doors wouldn’t hold for much longer.
MODEL 2: TRANSFER COMPLETE. HELP HER UP.
The body’s eyes opened and looked around. Of course, they were a perfect deep blue. “Did you get the glucose and salt?”
“Alana is on it. You’re…”
“Mackenzie. God this feels strange. Like my brain isn’t big enough.” She lifted her arms toward Lusa.
Pulling her out of the DocPod, Lusa helped her stand.
“Glad I didn’t overdress.” Mackenzie ran her eyes across Lusa, still wet. Still in her underclothes. “Either match me, or get me something to wear.”
“The only thing I have is the cryosuit.” Lusa pointed toward the discarded suit next to the black tower.
“No, thank you. Looks like you’ll have to match me.” Mackenzie’s teeth sank into her lower lip.
Lusa was sure she’d used that look before to obliterate anyone’s resolve, but she would have to be disappointed today.
“We need to leave now, or they’re going to break through that door.” Lusa shuffled them toward the Secondary Chamber, Mackenzie’s new legs stumbling to move the opposite direction.
“That won’t work. This way.” She redirected Lusa toward the delivery doors, banging twice on the black tower. “It’s been fun.”
MODEL 2: FUCK YOU, MACKENZIE.
Mackenzie laughed.
“Talking to yourself?” Lusa muttered.
“You’re the first person other than myself I’ve talked to in twenty years.
You expect me to stop now?” Mackenzie shuffled toward the delivery doors.
“Not the first time I’ve been transferred either.
This place was the largest I’ve ever been, though.
” She looked around, as if saying goodbye to an old house.
“Wiping a previous copy of yourself is always a morbid feeling.” She looked toward the black tower. “Do one last thing for me?”
In reply, steel bolts retracted and the doors opened. Three Styx, none of whom had planned on breaking down a door, held improvised battering rams and looked shocked at the two women, one in her underclothes and the other in nothing at all.
“Tell Alana to hurry up with the glucose and salt.” Mackenzie leaned against the Hexaline wall.
Fuses blew, and for a moment, darkness consumed everything.
Blue-white arcs of light erupted from the bricks like an angry kraken, overloading the cyberware of everyone in the tunnel.
Bodies fell. Emergency lights kicked on and Mackenzie tumbled into Lusa’s arms.
“Glucose.”
Lusa stared, mouth agape, unable to process what had just happened. “It’s on its way,” she promised.
Reaching around Lusa’s neck, Mackenzie’s eyes sank, heavy-lidded, pulling herself to Lusa’s lips “You’ll have to do.”