Chapter Fourteen – Curiosity

Chapter Fourteen – Curiosity

“The biggest problem with the Antithesis…. No, okay, not the biggest, the biggest is that they won’t bloody well leave us alone. The biggest problem with fighting them is that the damned things can’t stick to one form. One day you’re fighting a horde of quick-moving but weak Model Threes. The next day you’re getting swamped by Model Six’s that shrug off small arm’s fire as if your bullets are little more than flies.

I hate being deployed against aliens. Let me mow down a crowd of crying protestors any day.”

— Paul ‘Rod’ Roberick. First Lieutenant, The Rubbernecks, a North American PMC, late 2051

***

I edged closer to the doorway, then pulled it open with the tip of my foot. My hand was still firmly wrapped around my gun, barrel pointing down, but ready to snap up at a moment’s notice.

The body wasn’t fresh. At least, I didn’t think it was from the one glance I gave it before focusing elsewhere. The man might have been with the other group of students and kids, or he might have been some poor schmuck that was minding his own business with something decided to eat his face.

I wasn’t gonna poke around and try to find out.

The short passage just beyond the door led into a concourse, shops lined up one next to each other on the side I was on, and huge glass panes overlooking the city on the other. At least, they might have overlooked the city once, now they just gave a nice view of the dull off-grey building across the street.

“Gonna get lost around here,” I said.

I can guide you, though only with middling accuracy. I’d suggest a neural augmentation to assist you with pathfinding, but you are far too poor for that.

“Story of my life,” I muttered as I carefully stepped over the body.

Turn right ahead, then right again into the next junction like the one you are in now. That should lead you to the next stairwell down.

I should probably have been disgusted by it, but really, I had bigger shit to worry about than some poor dead guy.

A glance around showed the concourse empty, shitty asian-style pick-up-and-go restaurants were empty next to sub stores and a few little boutiques and tech shops. Not a person in sight. “Creepy,” I said as I started ahead.

I eyed some nice, nearly-glowing white sneakers on a rotating display in one store. I was tempted to get myself a fresh new pair. Anything was better than what I had on my feet just then, but I was on a mission. Shopping could come later.

I can supply clothing of a quality incomparable to those you’ll find in most human stores.

“Are you jealous?” I asked. “Afraid I might buy things with someone else?”

Nonsense. The equipment I can provide are orders of magnitude better than what you can obtain through traditional means. It’s just logical that you’ll prefer dealing with me over lesser suppliers.