good?”
“Yes and no,” he smiled. “In truth the Agent was seemingly benign, with little to no security to it—but when I destroyed it—some sort of other program triggered and it followed me back here. The hacker noticed the blood trail leading to this room.”
Oh.
That was bad.
He held up his right hand and an animated keyboard appeared beneath his fingers and he reached up to an animated AR window. “I’ve been able to infiltrate their equipment and I’ve locked the outer doors.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You did what?”
“They can’t get out that way.”
“And the authorities can’t get in.”
He nodded. “I know. I sent a message via KE to the locals—PPC—telling them a KE security agent was inside and working on delivering the criminals. They’ll keep the corner surrounded until everything is secured inside.”
Oh good grief. “Kazuma—you’re losing a lot of blood—”
“Which is why I need you. I can’t concentrate on too many things right now—or I’ll fade—lose consciousness. So I’m going to have to let go of the door when they hack it. I’ll be semi-conscious and that’s all I’ll need to work. You’re gonna have to stall them. Use my hidden gun holster and let them take the Colt.”
I was about to protest.
“They’ll think they’ve disarmed you. I’ll need you to hide Hitori’s commlink—I don’t want them to find it. There’s a storage compartment to the right of the panel. Put it in there and I’ll lock it.”
Uh huh. As I watched and listened to him I was starting to get a suspicion I didn’t like. “Kazuma—does KE have a monitor on you? I mean—will they sense your vitals and send a wagon?”
“They do have a tag—but it can’t read me right now.” He smiled. “My commlink is in the pocket of my jacket. You’ll need to pull it out.”
Ah! So he did have an external commlink. I moved to his jacket and fished inside the pockets, finding it hidden inside the inner breast pocket. It was a Novatech model as well, slim line.
It wasn’t on.
I looked back at him. He smiled. “Turn it on.”
My suspicions came to an ugly head just then. This kid was accessing the PAN as well as the Matrix—or at least a small part of it with no commlink. I moved back and sat hard on my ass. “Kazuma—are you—?”
His eyebrows arched up.
Something started banging loudly on the door. I jumped, not expecting it.
“They’ve started hacking the door,” he said.
It sounded more like they were banging on it.
He wasn’t going to answer me. And if it was true, and Kazuma Tetsu was a Technomancer, could I blame him for being quiet? Given the current climate? He worked for a powerful mega-corps, for crying out loud. If they even had a slight bug up their butt that someone in their security department could do what he could, he’d vanish from the registry of the living so fast even Naomi wouldn’t remember him.
The banging continued as I did what Kazuma suggested. Two pushes on the panel by his head and the bag and gear fit just inside. I replaced the panel and watched as Kazuma’s physical left hand came up and typed again on an invisible keyboard.
I heard the click. I also heard the whine from the door as well.
Shit.
I placed the commlink in his hand and he held onto it. And I knew if I still had his sister’s ‘link on I’d see his ID flash up in an AR window. I removed the hidden holster from Kazuma and placed it on my own waist—it barely fit. I was a bit wider than my elven friend. The Fichetti fit easily into the hidden seam of my coat as I slipped it back on.
“I found their IDs,” Kazuma said softly as I put his coat back on him as well. “The ork’s name is Harold Burton—limited enhancements; cyber-eyes, right arm, and an artificial heart. He’s blind in his right eye—has a down payment on a new eye.”
I was impressed—this guy was hacking into their actual records—not spoofed ones.
“The human is Sylvester Van.
“Yes and no,” he smiled. “In truth the Agent was seemingly benign, with little to no security to it—but when I destroyed it—some sort of other program triggered and it followed me back here. The hacker noticed the blood trail leading to this room.”
Oh.
That was bad.
He held up his right hand and an animated keyboard appeared beneath his fingers and he reached up to an animated AR window. “I’ve been able to infiltrate their equipment and I’ve locked the outer doors.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You did what?”
“They can’t get out that way.”
“And the authorities can’t get in.”
He nodded. “I know. I sent a message via KE to the locals—PPC—telling them a KE security agent was inside and working on delivering the criminals. They’ll keep the corner surrounded until everything is secured inside.”
Oh good grief. “Kazuma—you’re losing a lot of blood—”
“Which is why I need you. I can’t concentrate on too many things right now—or I’ll fade—lose consciousness. So I’m going to have to let go of the door when they hack it. I’ll be semi-conscious and that’s all I’ll need to work. You’re gonna have to stall them. Use my hidden gun holster and let them take the Colt.”
I was about to protest.
“They’ll think they’ve disarmed you. I’ll need you to hide Hitori’s commlink—I don’t want them to find it. There’s a storage compartment to the right of the panel. Put it in there and I’ll lock it.”
Uh huh. As I watched and listened to him I was starting to get a suspicion I didn’t like. “Kazuma—does KE have a monitor on you? I mean—will they sense your vitals and send a wagon?”
“They do have a tag—but it can’t read me right now.” He smiled. “My commlink is in the pocket of my jacket. You’ll need to pull it out.”
Ah! So he did have an external commlink. I moved to his jacket and fished inside the pockets, finding it hidden inside the inner breast pocket. It was a Novatech model as well, slim line.
It wasn’t on.
I looked back at him. He smiled. “Turn it on.”
My suspicions came to an ugly head just then. This kid was accessing the PAN as well as the Matrix—or at least a small part of it with no commlink. I moved back and sat hard on my ass. “Kazuma—are you—?”
His eyebrows arched up.
Something started banging loudly on the door. I jumped, not expecting it.
“They’ve started hacking the door,” he said.
It sounded more like they were banging on it.
He wasn’t going to answer me. And if it was true, and Kazuma Tetsu was a Technomancer, could I blame him for being quiet? Given the current climate? He worked for a powerful mega-corps, for crying out loud. If they even had a slight bug up their butt that someone in their security department could do what he could, he’d vanish from the registry of the living so fast even Naomi wouldn’t remember him.
The banging continued as I did what Kazuma suggested. Two pushes on the panel by his head and the bag and gear fit just inside. I replaced the panel and watched as Kazuma’s physical left hand came up and typed again on an invisible keyboard.
I heard the click. I also heard the whine from the door as well.
Shit.
I placed the commlink in his hand and he held onto it. And I knew if I still had his sister’s ‘link on I’d see his ID flash up in an AR window. I removed the hidden holster from Kazuma and placed it on my own waist—it barely fit. I was a bit wider than my elven friend. The Fichetti fit easily into the hidden seam of my coat as I slipped it back on.
“I found their IDs,” Kazuma said softly as I put his coat back on him as well. “The ork’s name is Harold Burton—limited enhancements; cyber-eyes, right arm, and an artificial heart. He’s blind in his right eye—has a down payment on a new eye.”
I was impressed—this guy was hacking into their actual records—not spoofed ones.
“The human is Sylvester Van.
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