Two days before, the Ysoki transhuman researcher named Kib died. Less than a full day after, the android Keira was under arrest. Right in the middle of a philosophical crisis about humanity and the above, an Android kills an A.I. expert.
Like clockwork.
The streets were crowded, groups of AAF supporters screaming about cospiracies that the other side of the barricade would hardly believe.
The man we should definitely call N0N3 stood right there, wielding a huge tablet projecting annoying words of freedom for all the Androids in the galaxy in A.R.
Nothing particularly fun in pretending to be on the AAF side, not that bad neither, considering he was the source of that chaos.
Unnerved and wary, the Abadar officiers flanked the Absalom street militia to avoid incidents, the worst ones at least.
A woman was heavily burned by a colored fire, a couple of lashunta teens were caught in a fight and now they stood near a Trauma Team with bloods spilling from their facea and disgusting wounds.
Not so bad, in the end, really.
A seemingly young Android smiled at N0N3. Androids smile, after all.
Keira used to smile as well. He tried to divert the attention on other 'droids, but couldn't do much without heavy risk. The game started, he couldn't stop it to save her. Maybe, a couple of years before he could have...
"Stop it! Not now!" had to say to himself. Mind travels fast and Keira was gone. She had the chance, now Triune decided to put her in the wrong place at the right time.
At least, she would have been safe in the special prison, waiting for the trial. The lawyer felt quite right andthere at that point in time, the Absalom court's decision wouldn't have been relevant. At the time of the actual sentence, the game would have been over.
"Please stand back!" said an Abadar knight to a mass of enraged youngsters who were probably there just for the sake of spreading chaos. Poor Worlds...
Things would have changed. He did something great. As any other worldchanging decision, it's been tough. That Ysoki was damn cool, smart, brilliant. Her theories were just... Oh for the love of Triune. That was genius.
She basically sentenced herself to death.
"Not now, late to repent" he had to repeat to himself. "You did it Buddy. You did it right."
Someone started to push behind and that lead to a violent reaction of the militia, insanely charging the crowd. N0N3 could hear the Abadar guards trying to stop 'em, knowing that would have lead to a much different night...
Chaos exploded, he had to leave. Suddenly turned right into small road connecting to the giant red lights parade, curiously near to the ASPD. He was good at staying unnoticed and his father always told him he had a knack for that. Sometimes, it felt kinda difficult to recall his face. Gift or damnation, that became his signature feature and, much later, his job.
Now he had to stay away from the brawl, no need to get arrested by a random policeman.
The secret commlink rang. It was her. Quickly answered. "Sup?"
"Troubles."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean troubles. We must meet."
"Streets blocked, I'm..."
"Come at my place. Fast." Click.
Fuck.
***
It took a bunch of minutes to get to her damn place. If it wasn't for the great view on the Sfarfinders' Spire, that apartment was just too creepy for any being: too high for his tastes, too cold to relax. It was a fake. Like her. "And me."
"Sup?" said N0N3, with the same tone he had on the phone.
The woman stood in front of him, a nameless bodyguard standing like a statue.
"She's there."
So simple sentence, so difficult to accept.
She is there, god damn it. Keira was there!
"Calm down. Take a deep bre... Relax."
"We must do something. Now." He tried to stay as calm as he could.
The wonderful woman closed her eyes. She used to do on the verge of terrible choices. "No."
"What?" N0N3 took a step forward. The bodyguard did the same, but N0N3 suddenly looked him in the eyes. "Touch me and they'll need a century to understand what happened to your body."
She smiled and with a delicate head move, told her soldier to stand back. He bited his own lips, but had to obey.
"I'm going." Said N0N3.
She suddenly turned cold as the white walls of her apartment. "You don't"
"You can't..."
She smiled, something resembling a demon in her glance. "I can do whatever I want," said. Before he could say anything, she pulled out the smallest computer he had ever seen. Typed something. "You could have done it differently when you had the chance."
It couldn't be. For Triune's sake. That's why. "It wasn't misfortune, right?" He told, now he was the demon. "You did this. You decided Keira would have been the sacrificial lamb." Pause. Relax. "You, ominous bitch." Fail.
She didn't budge. "Whatever." Typed something more. Someone called her. "Yes? Yes. Do it."
Then, everything happened in a single glimpse.
N0N3 ran against her.
The bodyguard stopped him. Well, he tried. Three moves: left shoulder, mouth and left leg exploded. "I told you" said N0N3 to anyone in particular when grabbed her by her throat and lifted her. "Tell'em to stop."
She was suffocating, but found the strength to show him the screen.
9... 8... 7...
"Stop it!" His grab on her throat produced a horrific noise and weird twist of her neck.
3... 2...
"Stop it!" N0N3 pushed her away. She landed on a glass table, destroying it. Started vomiting blood and bile.
He grabbed the Comm. "Stop it now or I'll kill you all!"
Zero.
Black screen. The sound of an explosion came from the PD.
He closed his eyes. She was right. Relaxing.
Turned to her. Her mouth covered in blood, probably half paralysed for the momentary pressure. "She's gone," said.
N0N3 closed his eyes again. His father used to tell him one more thing. As he had the knack of being invisible, he had the knack to keep all promises.
"I'll kill you all." Stepped against her, raised her up. One move... Not now. "You'll die last." She couldn't speak, but she cried.
N0N3 ran out. He rushed through the streets, inhuman speed, silent, invisible. As he ran like hell, he understood, everything.
He's still loving Keira. More than ever.
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