ShadowTech

Chapter 3

1: Ryann

Ryann

She’d come a long way. From a childhood on her parents’ farm, hours of school-work alternating with tough manual labour, she’d joined Kaiahive, keen to prove herself. They’d latched onto her empathy, tweaking her lattice and training her as a tracker. She’d worked hard, rising to become a second, under Cathal Lasko’s command.

And then it had all gone wrong. She’d fought for her life, and she’d been forced to kill. She’d learnt secrets that terrorised her. She’d escaped a company that wanted her dead, had led a crew of outlaws as far as she could take them. She’d done deals with underworld crime bosses. She’d stolen ancient‌—‌no, Ancient‌—‌treasure.

And now, Ryann was in Enapoli, the planet’s first city. Kaiahive upheld it as an exemplar of a peaceful, perfect society. Technology, specifically the lattice, brought the citizens of Enapoli together, everyone connected, nobody forgotten.

And, like everything Kaiahive touched, it had its dark side. While the heart of Enapoli gleamed, the detritus spun to the edges, congregating in areas true Enapolians didn’t mention, areas they ignored.

Which meant fugitives like Ryann and Keelin could hide out, even this close to the company’s facilities.

It helped that, with a large chunk of the funds she’d already secured, Ryann was able to afford hacks for their lattices. She’d been dubious, but the false idents held up. After arriving in the city ten days ago, they’d yet to be accosted by company agents.

But the edges of Enapoli, especially over to the west, scared Ryann, and Donte’s Club was no exception. But this was the location for the meeting. This was where she’d come face to face with The Bear.

Keelin had offered to go in, but Ryann knew that wouldn’t work. Even with her hooded cloak concealing her altered features, and gloves to hide her hands, Keelin still stood out.

So Ryann entered the club alone, smiling at the bouncers before pushing through the doors. The bass pounded, and lights strobed‌—‌she turned off her lens filters, knowing the auto-adjust would struggle. She also knew she’d be ripped off at the counter, and would pay over the odds at the bar.

She kept to the edges, felt eyes watching. Her clothes‌—‌black, tight things that left little to the imagination‌—‌might’ve been fashionable, but they needed the right body and the right attitude to pull them off.

The club was crowded. People stood in shadows, or sat in darkened booths. On the floor, bodies writhed and jerked to the music. The air hung heavy with an assault of aromas‌—‌alcohol, smoke, perfume, and sweat. Hands brushed Ryann as she passed, some innocent, others squeezing. She gave no reaction, and ignored the twisting of her stomach.

She focused on traces. Most of the club-goers had limited lattices‌—‌basic company starters, without upgrades. A few were dark, either lattices switched off or never implanted. And others were enhanced and upgraded. The flavour of the traces varied too‌—‌many excited and intoxicated, others serious, a few angry and violent.

The girl behind the bar‌—‌she looked like a kid pretending to be an adult, but could easily have been in her twenties, the whole demeanour an act‌—‌charged her two-fifty for a plasti-glass of luke-warm water. Ryann paid with credit-slip, pre-paid, because a place like Donte’s wouldn’t take majors. Credit-slips were harder to trace.

Ryann stepped away from the bar, her back to the wall. She took a sip of her drink, the liquid splashing against her lip. The vibrations in her hand could’ve been down to the thumping of the music.

Through the slashing lights, Ryann studied the room, taking her time. She took another three sips before she spotted the one they called The Bear, seated in a large alcove. He wasn’t alone, but sat with four others, two male and two female. They all held glasses and leaned in as if engaged in animated discussion. But they watched the room, alert for trouble.

Ryann approached, hoping the tremors she felt in her legs weren’t visible. Her target glanced up, one bushy eyebrow raised in interest.

“Are you The Bear?” she asked.

The man’s companions turned to her, looking her up and down. They sneered.

The Bear studied Ryann with narrowed eyes. When he spoke, his thick beard barely moved. “You must be Fox.”

Ryann nodded. The name seemed to fit, when she’d come up with it. She had strong memories of her father cursing the animals while begrudgingly admiring them. They were the underdogs, forced into the shadows, and hard to catch. They relied on cunning over strength.

Keelin was the strength in their partnership, and Ryann was the cunning.

The Bear leaned on the table, forearms bulging. “You’re Kaiahive,” he said.

She shook her head. “I got out.”

“They don’t let people leave.”

“I never said I went with their blessing.”

She focused. The Bear’s lattice buzzed with activity. He glanced behind her, eyes glazing as he sussed‌—‌either with the girl, or with the bouncer who stood at the end of the bar.

Of the other four at the table, both women and one of the men had active lattices, the other man’s being dormant. But they were weak, hadn’t been upgraded for some time.

That didn’t make them any less dangerous, though.

“So they’re after you,” The Bear said.

“Yes.” There was no point denying it.

“And you come to me? I’m no fan of the company. You bring them to my door, I can’t be held responsible for what happens.”

“They don’t know I’m here.”

“You think? Your pal outside keeping a good watch?”

So they’d seen her arrive with Keelin. That was to be expected.

She sussed.

“We can take care of ourselves,” she told The Bear.

“That so? Your pal looks tough‌—‌large, at least. But you? City girl, right? Studied hard, pleased the instructors. Worked your way up the company ladder. Probably used that skinny body a few times, told yourself the means justified the end. And now you’re in here, acting like you belong.”

“I don’t belong here.”

“Then why come?”

“We arranged a meeting.”

“And when I suggested Donte’s, you agreed without hesitation. Tells me you reckon you’re tougher than you look. Or you don’t have a clue about this place. Reckon this is your first time in the dregs, isn’t it? City girl’s never gone past the outer circuit, have you? Never gone into the gloom, where the big bad bear hides out.”

It wasn’t worth telling The Bear how wrong he was. “I’m here, though,” she said. “I’m seeking information. When we spoke, you said you could help.”

“Stuck-up city girl comes to the dregs when she wants something. That what’s going on here?”

“If you want to see it that way.”

“Company girl wants to pick my brains?”

“I told you‌—‌I’m not with the company now.”

He leaned over the table. “Tell me, why should I listen to you?”

“I can pay.”

He sat back, creaking his chair. The four around the table relaxed too, but they still kept their hands in their laps, close to weapons.

“You can pay,” The Bear said slowly.

“That’s what I said.”

“And why should I trust your word? Why should I trust anything coming from the company?”

“What about your lattice?”

The Bear’s eyes hardened. His trace flared, and he glanced over her shoulder again.

Ryann swallowed, realising her mistake. A man like The Bear looked for strength, not antagonism. He had a reputation to protect. He couldn’t let a slight go unpunished.

She focused, sensing how bodies shifted, how they formed an arc around the alcove. No, around her and The Bear‌—‌an audience for the entertainment.

Dance and drink might satisfy some, but many needed violence to make the night complete.

The Bear’s companions shifted, and the clicks of weapons being readied cut across the music.

“You’re intruding on my solitude,” The Bear said.

“I apologise.” Ryann took a step back, closer to the bystanders. “I only wanted information.”

The Bear snorted. “Looks like you’ve found something different.”

His eyes moved left, then right. His companions sat straighter. They lifted their hands, revealing three Prebens and one long, sharp knife.

Ryann sussed, as her heart pounded and her skin grew cold.