Phoenix - the Insilico tales - chapter 19 - "The Choice Revisited"
(originally posted 8/26/2011)
......18 June, 2481.......
Jenn Torrence stalked around the Reaktor, an annoyed look on her face. She strode to the bar, and demanded Genya's attention. She pulled him over, whispered something in his ear, then he protested aloud "What did I do?"
Jenn leaned in close again, and whispered something else, to which Genya replied again aloud "Dead?"
Phoenix' eyes flew open wide. Her mind reeled. No. Not again. This will NOT happen again. Something snapped in Phoenix. She walked toward Genya and stood very close to him. But her condition and skills put her in absolutely no position to take on the entire IPS on their home turf. She would try, but she would fail. She needed an ace card, and she needed it fast. Her mind whirled. Genya was the most popular man in the city as far as she could tell. If she could get a recording of his arrest out and publicize it, she could save his life. She hurriedly cleared out her small terminal cache memory space, and connected a data line to a datastick in her thigh compartment. She could record maybe 20 minutes that way, but if it came to resistance, she would be arrested and searched as well. The data had to get in safe hands immediately. Phoenix could think of only one way.
Phee hurled an encrypted broadband transmission request with the maximum power output she could manage, casting about wildly, transmitting for the address of L'Ario Arai, the resistance leader she'd encountered soon after Cait was taken away. L'Ario had attempted to recruit Phee into an anticorporate cell group, but Phoenix had refused. Incredibly, the connection came up, the keys were exchanged, and the channel opened.
"Lario - no time to explain. Can I stream data to you for later recall? Genya may be in trouble."
"is it debugged?"
"It's from my terminal access buffer - it's clean as of this morning. It's a sensory stream from me - audio and visual"
"alright - send it"
A scene from inside Reaktor comes into view. Captain Jenn is making the rounds in the room, randomly terrorizing people. The point of view is very close to Genya, scanning the room.
"How many IPS in the Reaktor club - estimate?"
Phoenix panned the room, "I only see Jenn"
"ok - i will be arriving in a moment"
Arriving?! A rogue droid walking in to a packed club with IPS officers inside?! "be careful - I don't want you to wind up dead."
"Thank you - I hope that wont happen."
L'Ario strode into Reaktor with a slight, confident grin, back straight, sapphire eyes scanning the crowd. Phoenix gaped in amazement that L'Ario had exposed herself in public to attack by the IPS based only on her request. L'Ario stood ready to offer herself as a distraction if anyone took action against Genya, and Phoenix stood bodyguard. To see the android walk brazenly in to a public place in Gemini, through the lens of fear as Dawn still hot in her mind, evoked an absolutely visceral reaction. Phoenix - despite having rejected L'Ario and her ideals, had called out, offering absolutely nothing in return, and L'Ario risked her life based on that one thing and nothing else. Phoenix was absolutely stunned.
The cyborg and the droid stood watch together for hours, watching each others' backs and communicating constantly. Roahm arrived, and she and Jenn seemed satisfied to turn their attention to Vissy. When Genya was finally safely away, Phoenix surveilled the Ant so that L'Ario could make her exit. They made their way to the West, not saying a word, but sharing everything in a signal so outwardly entropic it would have seemed like static.
It was a deciding moment. For better or for worse, Phoenix evaluated the variables, and chose an optimal solution.
"You came when I needed you, and I had given you nothing. You've earned my loyalty. I'm in. I actually do love the people in Tokuma. And it feels really good to stand shoulder to shoulder with them as the only force in Insilico that can say they've bitten a piece away from Gemini. But tonight demonstrated that I can't play by the rules and protect the people I love."
A few minutes passed as L'Ario communicated with her superiors.
"You're in. Congrats."
Phoenix felt a surge of fear. "...another secret to keep..."
"Yes - it is the opposite of the Corporations. Keep that in mind."
"My life is a patchwork quilt of compromises. Who'll notice one more?"
......18 June, 2481.......
Jenn Torrence stalked around the Reaktor, an annoyed look on her face. She strode to the bar, and demanded Genya's attention. She pulled him over, whispered something in his ear, then he protested aloud "What did I do?"
Jenn leaned in close again, and whispered something else, to which Genya replied again aloud "Dead?"
Phoenix' eyes flew open wide. Her mind reeled. No. Not again. This will NOT happen again. Something snapped in Phoenix. She walked toward Genya and stood very close to him. But her condition and skills put her in absolutely no position to take on the entire IPS on their home turf. She would try, but she would fail. She needed an ace card, and she needed it fast. Her mind whirled. Genya was the most popular man in the city as far as she could tell. If she could get a recording of his arrest out and publicize it, she could save his life. She hurriedly cleared out her small terminal cache memory space, and connected a data line to a datastick in her thigh compartment. She could record maybe 20 minutes that way, but if it came to resistance, she would be arrested and searched as well. The data had to get in safe hands immediately. Phoenix could think of only one way.
Phee hurled an encrypted broadband transmission request with the maximum power output she could manage, casting about wildly, transmitting for the address of L'Ario Arai, the resistance leader she'd encountered soon after Cait was taken away. L'Ario had attempted to recruit Phee into an anticorporate cell group, but Phoenix had refused. Incredibly, the connection came up, the keys were exchanged, and the channel opened.
"Lario - no time to explain. Can I stream data to you for later recall? Genya may be in trouble."
"is it debugged?"
"It's from my terminal access buffer - it's clean as of this morning. It's a sensory stream from me - audio and visual"
"alright - send it"
A scene from inside Reaktor comes into view. Captain Jenn is making the rounds in the room, randomly terrorizing people. The point of view is very close to Genya, scanning the room.
"How many IPS in the Reaktor club - estimate?"
Phoenix panned the room, "I only see Jenn"
"ok - i will be arriving in a moment"
Arriving?! A rogue droid walking in to a packed club with IPS officers inside?! "be careful - I don't want you to wind up dead."
"Thank you - I hope that wont happen."
L'Ario strode into Reaktor with a slight, confident grin, back straight, sapphire eyes scanning the crowd. Phoenix gaped in amazement that L'Ario had exposed herself in public to attack by the IPS based only on her request. L'Ario stood ready to offer herself as a distraction if anyone took action against Genya, and Phoenix stood bodyguard. To see the android walk brazenly in to a public place in Gemini, through the lens of fear as Dawn still hot in her mind, evoked an absolutely visceral reaction. Phoenix - despite having rejected L'Ario and her ideals, had called out, offering absolutely nothing in return, and L'Ario risked her life based on that one thing and nothing else. Phoenix was absolutely stunned.
The cyborg and the droid stood watch together for hours, watching each others' backs and communicating constantly. Roahm arrived, and she and Jenn seemed satisfied to turn their attention to Vissy. When Genya was finally safely away, Phoenix surveilled the Ant so that L'Ario could make her exit. They made their way to the West, not saying a word, but sharing everything in a signal so outwardly entropic it would have seemed like static.
It was a deciding moment. For better or for worse, Phoenix evaluated the variables, and chose an optimal solution.
"You came when I needed you, and I had given you nothing. You've earned my loyalty. I'm in. I actually do love the people in Tokuma. And it feels really good to stand shoulder to shoulder with them as the only force in Insilico that can say they've bitten a piece away from Gemini. But tonight demonstrated that I can't play by the rules and protect the people I love."
A few minutes passed as L'Ario communicated with her superiors.
"You're in. Congrats."
Phoenix felt a surge of fear. "...another secret to keep..."
"Yes - it is the opposite of the Corporations. Keep that in mind."
"My life is a patchwork quilt of compromises. Who'll notice one more?"
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