they'll stab you in the back the first chance they get. Don't worry, I've got it covered."
A fierce woman pushed Manik aside and glared at Kyra over the ReadyNet. "Sergeant Sarin, I'm Manana Masih, head of space operations for WeaverCorp. You are ordered to lay low. You're threatening everything we're working on down here."
Kyra sighed and looked at her half-empty bottle of scotch. "Fine, you twisted my arm. I won't move from this chair. You fucking geniuses can sort it all out."
Kyra closed her ReadyNet connection and stared at the screen in front of her. The newsreader blathered on about some crisis in the radioactive wilds of Japan. Kyra took another swig of her drink.
The story on the screen changed, and video from the WeaverCorp headquarters appeared.
"Hey, there's those motherfuckers now," Kyra said. "Volume up."
The screen cranked up the sound. "We're here, waiting for the imminent arrival of Darshan Kant, CEO of WeaverCorp and a notorious recluse. Mr Kant hasn't been seen in public for over a decade and...wait, here he comes now."
A small car pulled to the front of the building and a thin man got out, leaning on a cane. Two figures ran from the headquarters to meet him.
The camera focused in, and Kyra recognised them at once. "That's Manik and Manana. Zoom in."
The screen focused and zoomed on the three people, showing them in close-up. Kyra smiled at Manik's funny little walk, and then scowled at Manana's efficient swishing.
Manik and Manana helped Darshan Kant up the steps of the building. He missed a step and almost fell, leaning on Manik and Manana.
Kyra giggled. "Heh, funny stuff. Screen, rewind ten seconds and replay."
The screen complied, sending the three people back down to the car, and then replaying their ascent of the stairs. This time, when Darshan Kant fell, Kyra barked a laugh.
She was about to let it go, but somewhere in her inebriated brain, an alarm sounded. "Screen, rewind five seconds and pause."
Kyra accessed her ReadyNet and fumbled for the right command. She found it after a moment and pressed the semi-sober button. The ReadyNet did its best to compensate for her drunkenness, countering the rotating room in her mind. On reflection, Kyra decided she might be more than tipsy. She focused on the screen. "Alright, slow motion."
The screen played the moment for a third time. Darshan stumbled, Manik and Manana caught him. Kyra spotted it at once - a tell-tale bulge in the back of Manana's suit. She had a gun. What exactly was some office executive doing with heavy artillery?
Kyra tried to call Manik.
The connection flashed after a moment: Call Denied .
"Come on, Manik," Kyra said, trying again.
"In here!" The shout dragged Kyra back to her surroundings.
"For fuck's sake. Can't those assholes give me three minutes?" Kyra said, scrambling to her feet.
She felt wobbly. Semi-sober could correct some things, but it couldn't do much for her balance. She spotted a door on the far side of the room and stumbled for it. Throwing herself through it, she closed it behind her. She had no idea if the mercs had seen her.
She looked around the large room she'd entered. Rows of chairs filled the room, all facing the far wall. The entire wall was a giant window, overlooking Earth. The massive, blue-green orb transfixed Kyra for a moment. She spotted an open airlock on the right side of the window. She took one step towards it before she realised she wasn't wearing her suit.
Kyra backed up to the door and listened to it.
"It was just the news, Curt, you twat."
"No, there was someone in here. Check the screen logs."
She heard the sounds of weapons being prepared on the other side of the door.
Kyra glanced around and spotted a bar on the left side of the room. A hundred metres of chairs and tables were between her and the bar. Kyra ran for it, dodging between chairs.
She heard the door open behind her before she was close to the bar. Grabbing a chair, she wheeled and glared at the two
A fierce woman pushed Manik aside and glared at Kyra over the ReadyNet. "Sergeant Sarin, I'm Manana Masih, head of space operations for WeaverCorp. You are ordered to lay low. You're threatening everything we're working on down here."
Kyra sighed and looked at her half-empty bottle of scotch. "Fine, you twisted my arm. I won't move from this chair. You fucking geniuses can sort it all out."
Kyra closed her ReadyNet connection and stared at the screen in front of her. The newsreader blathered on about some crisis in the radioactive wilds of Japan. Kyra took another swig of her drink.
The story on the screen changed, and video from the WeaverCorp headquarters appeared.
"Hey, there's those motherfuckers now," Kyra said. "Volume up."
The screen cranked up the sound. "We're here, waiting for the imminent arrival of Darshan Kant, CEO of WeaverCorp and a notorious recluse. Mr Kant hasn't been seen in public for over a decade and...wait, here he comes now."
A small car pulled to the front of the building and a thin man got out, leaning on a cane. Two figures ran from the headquarters to meet him.
The camera focused in, and Kyra recognised them at once. "That's Manik and Manana. Zoom in."
The screen focused and zoomed on the three people, showing them in close-up. Kyra smiled at Manik's funny little walk, and then scowled at Manana's efficient swishing.
Manik and Manana helped Darshan Kant up the steps of the building. He missed a step and almost fell, leaning on Manik and Manana.
Kyra giggled. "Heh, funny stuff. Screen, rewind ten seconds and replay."
The screen complied, sending the three people back down to the car, and then replaying their ascent of the stairs. This time, when Darshan Kant fell, Kyra barked a laugh.
She was about to let it go, but somewhere in her inebriated brain, an alarm sounded. "Screen, rewind five seconds and pause."
Kyra accessed her ReadyNet and fumbled for the right command. She found it after a moment and pressed the semi-sober button. The ReadyNet did its best to compensate for her drunkenness, countering the rotating room in her mind. On reflection, Kyra decided she might be more than tipsy. She focused on the screen. "Alright, slow motion."
The screen played the moment for a third time. Darshan stumbled, Manik and Manana caught him. Kyra spotted it at once - a tell-tale bulge in the back of Manana's suit. She had a gun. What exactly was some office executive doing with heavy artillery?
Kyra tried to call Manik.
The connection flashed after a moment: Call Denied .
"Come on, Manik," Kyra said, trying again.
"In here!" The shout dragged Kyra back to her surroundings.
"For fuck's sake. Can't those assholes give me three minutes?" Kyra said, scrambling to her feet.
She felt wobbly. Semi-sober could correct some things, but it couldn't do much for her balance. She spotted a door on the far side of the room and stumbled for it. Throwing herself through it, she closed it behind her. She had no idea if the mercs had seen her.
She looked around the large room she'd entered. Rows of chairs filled the room, all facing the far wall. The entire wall was a giant window, overlooking Earth. The massive, blue-green orb transfixed Kyra for a moment. She spotted an open airlock on the right side of the window. She took one step towards it before she realised she wasn't wearing her suit.
Kyra backed up to the door and listened to it.
"It was just the news, Curt, you twat."
"No, there was someone in here. Check the screen logs."
She heard the sounds of weapons being prepared on the other side of the door.
Kyra glanced around and spotted a bar on the left side of the room. A hundred metres of chairs and tables were between her and the bar. Kyra ran for it, dodging between chairs.
She heard the door open behind her before she was close to the bar. Grabbing a chair, she wheeled and glared at the two
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