The synoid's lips curve as if it read my mind. "We have interests in preserving the Immersion industry, so we cannot allow Dabria's mission to succeed. But we also need to discover Kilgore's true intentions, so we must allow their collaboration for a short duration. You will be our agent in their organization. Your mission is to ascertain what Kilgore's motives are, as well as observe any weaknesses we can exploit."
I clear my throat, grateful to find that my voice still works. "I'll never be able to get within yards of him or Dabria. I'm a Scyther now, with a built-in surveillance system. They'll kill me before trusting me. I'd kill me if I were in their place."
The leaves on the tree pulse in luminescent ripples of light. The synoid corpse delivers their message. "Dabria has a plan to liberate you from our grasp. We will allow it to occur without permanent damage to your brain. You will be free of your minder, your surveillance system disabled."
For the smallest of moments, I feel a glimmer of forbidden hope. My heartbeat increases fast enough for me to feel frightened, that the quickening of my pulse might be detected and determined as excitement. I sense Kage stirring behind me, but he says nothing in protest. They synoid's electric eyes flick in his direction, calculating. It speaks in answer to his unspoken outburst.
"Your overseer believes that you will immediately rebel against us when your minder is disabled. But we have more than one way to keep you compliant. You will consider rebellion, surely. Why would you not? But know that should you not obey, there will be lethal consequences. Not to you. One way or another, you will be reclaimed. No, the price of your disobedience will be your companion. Zen. Do not doubt our capabilities. We will follow her. We will track her. You cannot hide her. You cannot shield her. Should you attempt to thwart our commands, her life will be forfeit. You will witness her capture. You will witness her torture. And when we tire of her screams, you will witness her destruction. Only after that will you be reclaimed."
I drop my head, numbed by the familiar weight of crushing defeat. "I understand."
"Then go. We will be watching."
The android body unceremoniously topples to the ground, once again a useless husk. The glimmering tree and its unholy fruit pull away, dwindling until it vanishes into the darkness. Then I'm left with Kage, just the two of us in the infinite blackness. He gazes at me, cybernetic eyes glimmering with something I've never seen before. Emotion. For the first time, the mask slips a little. Scalding anger, shame, regret… it flickers so quickly that I'm not sure I even see it.
"Know this, Scyther. Know it well. There is only one absolute in the dark little world that we share. And that is, we will never be free. Never. The sooner you accept it, the smoother your transition will go."
He vanishes, leaving me with his words hanging in the air like steam. And the realization dawns on me that Kage is just as much a prisoner as I am.
I tap the v-drive, severing the connection. The interior of the jet chopper fizzles into formation as the simulation ends. Zen stands over me, a concerned look on her face. Brutus is a shaggy shadow behind her.
"There you are. We just landed. I thought we'd have to lug you out of here unconscious and everything. Where did you go?"
I avert my eyes, unable to meet her gaze. The chilling words of the Collective crawl across my consciousness like insect legs.
"The Ministry."
A startled hiss escapes her lips as she drops down to a crouch, looking around as if for spying eyes. "Are you serious? What did they want?"
"Mission instructions. We're going after Dabria again."
Zen sighs. "Of course we are."
I grab hold of her arm, slide down to her hand, intertwine my fingers with hers. Connected, just like we are. Inseparable. Tears well in my eyes.
"You should have never turned yourself in, Zen. You should have stayed away from me."
She throws her arms around me, clutching the back of my head while I sob into her shoulder. I'm so much taller and stronger than she is, but right now she's my support. She's all that's left of anything good in my life.
"It's gonna be okay." Her whisper is fierce; her embrace tight. "We're gonna make it, Enigma."
Her fingers type a sequence across my spine, quick enough to escape notice, coded like we used to do in Dabria's militia.
THEY THREATEN MY LIFE
I tap the answering sequence across her shoulder blades.
YES
It seems impossible, but her wiry arms hug me even tighter. Her fingers drum across my back.
DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO NO MATTER WHAT
My jaw tightens. She's right, though not in the way she thinks. I'll do what I have to. Because survival is the only thing that matters. But for the first time, I realize it's not my survival that's most important.
It's hers.
"White Rabbit."
Nox leans casually beside the doorway of the Bradbury Building, a playful smile on his lips. Black blazer, white shirt with three buttons undone, black pleated pants. His features are as chiseled and handsome as in Elysia, but here in the real world his face is shadowed by a close-cropped beard, and his dreadlocks are longer, hanging past his shoulders. His eyes aren't quite the liquid gold shade of his digital proxy, either. Here they are hazel but just as hypnotic. A scar splits his right eyebrow in half, trailing halfway up his forehead.
How many times have I caressed that scar, ran my fingers across his brow while he stared at me with rarely-revealed kindness in his eyes? It's been barely over a year, but it feels like a lifetime ago.
"What are you doing here, Nox?" I don't bother looking around for who might be watching. I can practically feel the electric eyes pinpointed at us like targeting lasers.
He shrugs. "You think Cyber Corp will snatch me up like they did Zen?"
"Zen didn't get snatched up. She turned herself in because she didn't want me to be alone."
"And so that she wouldn't be alone, either. She plays tough, but we both know she can't stand to be by herself. Why do you think she built that watchdog teddy bear monstrosity?"
"This isn't about Zen."
His smile is infuriating. "Why should I worry about your… employers? I left Dabria's crew of my own initiative. And here I am, cooperating with them on an important mission."
"So, you have something?"
"Of course." He holds out v-drive. "Specter's Immersion information. Everything you need to trace him when he returns to Deep Sleep."
"How'd you pull off the trace?"
"Easy. He's smart enough to cover his tracks, but like most Immersers, he's attached to a DLP."
"DLP?"
"Digital Life Partner. One of Elysia's most common sources of income."
"Yeah, I know. Your own perfect boyfriend or girlfriend. Completely loyal and supportive in every way. Never argues or does anything you don't want to do."
"Partly. They can be rather manipulative under all the submissive acting. It's necessary to keep people Immersed for longer periods. Not to mention keeping them coming back."
I take the v-drive and slip it into my pocket "So, this is the DLP's traceback??"
"That's right. Follow her, and you'll find your boy when he Immerses."
"You could have sent this by drone."
"I was in the neighborhood. Do you know why she wants to do it?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Dabria. Her endless war. Saving humanity from the evil corporations that threaten our freedom."
"Just like you said. Humanity is weakening, coerced by corporations to surrender their free will."
"Don't believe the hype, Enigma. The segment of the population that categorize as Sleepers in Elysia is less than five percent. The rest are vacationers, leisure visitors."