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“Are you okay there? You’re staring off into space.”

Tyoma snapped out of his reverie and looked at Lev. “Sorry, I was just wondering exactly what you have in mind with me?”

“Ah, so you missed everything I just told the general? I’m giving you to him as insurance that the card we gave him is the correct one. Surely you can be of some assistance in testing it.”

Tyoma kept examining and discarding each of his code worms in turn; with his own mind meshed with Lev’s virtual reality, each worm would do as much damage to himself as it would to the others. He reached the last worm, one meant to infect a firewall’s defenses, corroding them subtly in a manner that should eventually render the firewall useless without setting off any alarms. But what use is that in this situation?

He found himself nodding, and Lev seemed to take this as an affirmation and went back to speaking with General Andreykin. Tyoma focused on one of Lev’s cerulean eyes and concentrated on trying to reach his body’s wireless interface outside in the real world. Sweat trickled from his hairline and he felt his face flush with exertion. At first he wasn’t sure if he had managed it, but he tried ordering a scan of nearby wireless connections and was relieved when he began seeing responses. His nose began to itch, threatening to break his focus, so he strained his mind further to maintain the tenuous link to his physical body. The list of available wireless signals lined the right side of his vision. With tremendous effort he picked out the name Andreykin from the list and activated the backdoor feed he’d inserted earlier in the day. One more task; don’t lose it now! He heard a voice speaking to him, but he forcefully ignored it and reached through the tunnel to the cache of worms. Two more heartbeats and he found the one he wanted and activated it, then allowed himself to collapse back into his virtual self, panting and shaking with exertion.

“What the hell is going on with you, Artyom?” Lev said, a suspicious look on Peter O’Toole’s face.

“A panic attack, most likely,” General Andreykin said with a sneer. “He knows he’ll pay for all his smart ass remarks.”

Tyoma got his breathing under control and nodded. “I’m not used to such treatment. I’ll do whatever you need, and then please let me go home.” He knew it was just his imagination, but he felt the worm digging away at his own firewall. I’ll need to replace it once I get a chance, he thought. If I ever do get a chance. It felt like nothing more than spite to wreck Lev’s firewall; Tyoma could see no practical use for his actions.

Lev had turned back to the general. “So, how do you want to do this?”

The general screwed up his mouth in thought for a few seconds. “Keep him locked someplace safe for a few hours. I’ll send a team to collect him once I’m ready.”

“Very good,” Lev said and stood up. “I’ll pass instructions to my brother, and…‌well, I suppose if all goes as it should, we won’t be needing to see each other for quite some time, eh general?”

General Andreykin glared at Lev. “Let’s hope not.”

Moscow

Sunday, June 8, 2138

6:03 p.m. MSK

Tavik drained his teacup and placed it on the chipped saucer on the table. Vasya was seated across from him, sipping his own tea, which he’d freshened up with a splash of vodka. Tavik looked over at Bunny, still seated on the couch playing with the cat.

“Your tea’s getting cold, Bunny,” he said.

Bunny ignored him and went on stroking his slab of a hand across the cat’s fur.

“Dammit!” Tavik said. “Where the hell is he? It’s been an hour at least.” He had sold Vasya a yarn about them needing to help Georgy do some work down the block.

“More tea?” Vasya said.

Tavik shook his head.

“How about a game of chess?” the old man asked. They had played a few times during visits with Georgy, and as senile as Tavik considered the man to be, he had to admit the man played a mean game of chess.

“Yeah, sure. Why the hell not?”

Vasya shuffled off and returned a minute later with a wooden board and bag with pieces. He began placing the white pieces on his own side of the board.

Tavik grinned. “Yeah, you go ahead and take white, you old codger. I’m gonna wipe the board with you this time.” He quickly set up the black pieces.

With a shaky hand, Vasya moved his king pawn up two squares.

“Same move every time, old man,” Tavik said. He’d always replied by advancing his own king pawn two squares, but this time he pushed it ahead only a single space. “Heh! Viktor showed me a new defense. What do you say to that?”

Vasya shrugged. “Nothing new about the French Defense.” He moved his queen pawn up two.

“It’s new to me,” Tavik muttered. He was about to move his own queen pawn when he heard a light snapping sound.

“Oops.”

Tavik froze with his hand hovering over his pawn. He’d never heard Bunny speak before, hadn’t even known the man could speak. He swiveled toward the couch.

“Aw, fuck, Bunny! How could you do that?”

Bunny had a puzzled look on his face. The cat dangled from his enormous fist, its neck clearly broken. Bunny’s face crinkled as he said, “Uh oh.” He reached out his other hand to pet the cat’s head.

“Oh!” Vasya cried and leapt from his chair, his arms outstretched toward the cat. “Oh, oh!”

Tavik jumped up to intercept Uncle Vasya but missed. “Bunny, no!”

He saw the confused look on Bunny’s face transform to rage as the old man’s hands tried to tug the cat away from him. Bunny blasted up from the couch and slammed an open palm up under Vasya’s chin with all his brute strength. Vasya flew across the room, smashed into the wall, and slumped like a rag onto the carpet.

Tavik clapped his hands to his head. “Ah, Bunny! Is there anyone you won’t kill today?”

Bunny retrieved the dead cat from the floor where he’d dropped it and sat back down on the couch.

Tavik scurried over to Vasya and knelt down to feel for a pulse in his neck. Nothing. Tavik shook his head and stood up again. “At this rate Zoya’s never going to marry me.” He glared at Bunny. The cat was splayed across Bunny’s lap. The huge man was stroking the poor thing’s fur. Tears ran down Bunny’s face.

“You’re unbelievable,” Tavik said. “You’re perfectly content to murder people, but you fall to pieces over an animal.” He walked back to the table and looked at the chess set. No more games with Uncle Vasya.

His wireless beeped. It was Boris, so he accepted the link. «Is she here?»

«Nah, boss. It’s some…‌some guy. He wants to speak with you.»

«What are you talking about? What guy?»

Even via the mind link Boris gave the impression of being nervous. «Boss, I don’t know. This guy comes right up on my wireless and I didn’t even give him permission. He was just there all of a sudden. I never knew anyone could do that.»

«Huh,» Tavik said. «Maybe it’s the general. I bet they could do it, but why call you instead of me directly?»

«No idea. Should I give him your number when he calls back?»

Tavik thought for a few seconds. «No. If this guy doesn’t have my number, fuck him. Keep watching for the girl.»

«Yes, boss.» The link broke.

Tavik nearly leapt out of his skin as a strange voice appeared in his head: «What name do you have besides ‘boss’?»