Soulwalker (5 page)

“What about us?” Corman asked

“What?” The Monitor sounded displeased.

“What about us… errr, sir,” Corman said.

“Better. Assignments will be given out tomorrow. Tarris, because of the four kills, will have a while longer to recover. Dismissed.”

Corman still grumbled as the troopers exited the room. “Who did you have to sleep with to get that job? Must have been someone who didn’t have any expectations, huh?” He chuckled to himself.

Tarris snapped. She grabbed his shirt and shoved him up against the wall. “You son of a whore! Enough of this, or I’ll let someone else do the talking. You understand me?”

“I’m not afraid of her.” He sounded unconcerned, but Tarris knew better.

“Well, you should be.” Tarris let Rya seep to the surface and allowed her menace to ripple along her skin. “Feel that?” she whispered. “This is her nice mood. You don’t want to see her pissed.”

“Enough!” the Monitor announced forcefully. “Corman, return now. Waite, go home.”

Tarris left the room, donned her disguise, and exited the building into the light rain. The weather perfectly matched her emotions: angry and depressed. She didn’t take cover as she walked home, and the body suit stiffened. The damp cloth stuck to her, wrapped around the mechanical legs, and slowed her momentum. When would the day end?

*   *   *

To her surprise, the next morning Administrator Derille managed to convince everyone that his family members were indeed dead. It must have been his political experience in bald-face lying that helped him.

A day later, Tarris received a mysterious package and inside was a small electronic device. That night, she took a call from the Administrator who explained the function of the device and that he was using one on his phone line to talk to her. He told her six of these devices had been made before production had been closed down by the Council. After all, it did them no good for people to be able to block their monitoring of all communication.

So in her hand she held the Silencer, the first of many such small gifts from Maken Derille. The meeting after the supposed kills went as well as she could have expected, but she knew the lack of bodies would cause some concern despite Derille’s explanations on that point. Government departments, and especially the Council, liked to have evidence of anything they had asked for, even if it was a body or two in the closet. Maybe it originated a hundred years ago when bureaucratic red tape ran riot through the government. Gradually, they tried to reverse the trend by making paperwork disappear into thin air. Still, there were some things that could never be taken on the word of a politician, not even one as highly ranked as Administrator Derille.

From that moment on, Tarris suspected she was being watched, her total loyalty now in question. She knew the Council members were content to use her power while it suited them, but she also knew her actions were under scrutiny. Her only sanctuary now was within the four walls of her apartment.

Whether she liked it or not her actions had forced her to take sides.

“Tarris? Hello?” Darmen said.

“Huh?” Tarris blinked rapidly as her mind returned to the present.

“Watch it there, child. You nearly walked into a tree.”

“Oh, sorry.” She tried to push the memory back into its compartment. She could see that Darmen was curious, but she couldn’t divulge what her thoughts were about.

“Too much serious thought for such a nice day.” He chuckled at her incredulous look. “It was all there on your face, dear. It wasn’t too hard to figure out.”

“So much for hiding my feelings,” she muttered.

In a mock whisper he replied, “Don’t worry, Tarris, I won’t tell anyone.”

She seriously doubted that he really had any idea what she had been thinking, but she was content to let the matter rest. She sighed deeply as she tried to marshal her rampaging thoughts. What had brought this up now? Today was for enjoying the warmth of the holographic sun and leaving her troubles behind her for a few hours.

She detoured to a small metallic receptacle on the grass verge. She scanned her wrist and waited for the dispenser to give her two metallic flasks. She shook them gently before she activated the button on the side. “There you go.” She handed one over to Darmen while she drank from the second container.

“Thank you, child.”

The flask went cold as the chemical reaction in the reservoir lining had the desired effect. The cool liquid was welcome as their walk continued along the shaded pathway. Birdsong could be heard from a nearby tree. Of course, it wasn’t a real bird but an animatronic one. No one was allowed to keep live pets anymore. There was so little left of the old days after the Food Riots of fifty-three and the Oxygen War of sixty-seven, even affecting nature and the environment. Thousands of species had been starved into extinction, while many thousands more struggled to gain a foothold and flourish. It was happening even now, but it was a slow process.

That was when the world stood at the brink and stepped back. A world governing body, the Union, was formed to repair the damage done. Massive tree planting took place as they tried to replace the earth’s lungs. It took many years before they could finally breathe a sigh of relief but it had been done. In the meantime, scientists manipulated the atmosphere to bring rain to regions that had none. Large tracts of land were converted for planting food and raising animals. It had taken near extermination for the world to realize what was really important. Tarris hoped they didn’t forget that lesson too soon.

“So, Tarris, what sort of work do you do that allows you to go for an idle walk?”

“Computer input, what else?” she lied.

“I’m sure you could find something else if you wish to change your profession.” Darmen seemed genuinely interested in her welfare.

“I don’t really care one way or the other. It’s a job and it pays the bills.” She looked at her friend walking beside her. “And what about you?”

“Me? Well, as luck would have it, I repair them, my dear.”

“Then what are you doing here?” She gave him a friendly smile as she asked the question to take the sting out of the inquiry.

“Sometimes I just appreciate here more than my job.”

“And you still have a job? You have a very understanding boss.” Tarris wished for a boss like that.

“You’re looking at him,” he said straight-faced.

“You’re the boss?”

“Don’t believe everything you see, Tarris.” She looked at him with new eyes. He certainly didn’t look like an executive. Then again, she didn’t look like an assassin either.

“Amazing. Do I know the company?”

“Computronics. But shhh, don’t tell anyone.” He grinned at her.

“Holy hell!” She was standing next to the boss of one of the largest computer companies in the world. “I… I…”

“Tarris, now listen to me.” Darmen stopped and put his hands on her shoulders. “I’m still the same man as I was last week. I don’t want to lose the friendship we have. It’s nice to be treated as a man and not an icon.”

Tarris looked into those eyes of gray to see the old man from the park. She really did like him. He was a free spirit who sought freedom in a city, and a job, that allowed very little. “Darmen, I couldn’t care less if you were from the Council itself or a lowly rubbish collector. You’re a nice man, and I’m glad to call you friend.” Friend… yeah, he was a nice friend.

“I feel the same, my dear. I always look forward to your visits. I hope that won’t change.” Uncertainty filled those eyes, and she could see that he was wondering if he had driven her away with his revelation.

She lifted her hand to touch his cheek. “No it won’t… my friend.” She had a friend, and a friend who wanted nothing from her but her company. For all of her life everyone she came in contact with wanted something, all except him.

“I wanted to give you something, but I wasn’t sure how to do it. Now you know who I am, and it’ll be easier.”

“I don’t want anything from you—”

Darmen held up his hand to stop her words. “It’s something we’ve been working on, and I’d like you to have it. If it will make it easier to accept, think of it as an experiment. You’re testing out a new piece of equipment for us. How about that?”

“Testing new technology, huh?” One dark eyebrow rose as Darmen presented a brightly wrapped box to her. “Funny looking official red tape,” she said. He stood idly by as she unwrapped the present and opened the box. “Errr… okay.” She had no idea what the small electronic box was.

“It’s for finding bugs, monitoring devices, homing signals, and such. The ultimate bug detector.”

Tarris laughed. “A bug detector? I hope you’re not going to call it that.”

“Well, its official title is SFGD-13279A, but somehow I don’t think that will convince people to buy it, do you?”

“Errr… I don’t think so.”

“We’re working on something a bit more… snappy.”

“I don’t know what to say, Darmen.” Tarris looked at him. “Darmen? Is that your real name?”

“No, but I’d like you to call me that. It’s a name especially for you.”

“For me?” Tarris could see he was smitten with her. “You’re not making a pass at me are you?”

Shyly, he looked at her. “Maybe.”

“Look, Darmen…”

“Okay, enough said.”

She reached for him. “You are a very special man, Darmen, but it would never work. I think you know that.”

“Yeah I know, dammit.”

“We have a very special friendship, and I will work very hard at protecting that.” She meant that, especially considering he was the only real friend she had. The crestfallen look on his face tore at her. “Tell you what. How about we meet back here in a few days, and we’ll organize dinner. Does that sound good?”

Darmen smiled. “Yes… yes it does. I’m sorry, Tarris. It was just a foolish old man’s dream, you know?”

“I’m flattered, Darmen, I really am. And I don’t think you’re foolish. My life is sort of… complicated at the moment, so I don’t have much of a social life. I do look forward to these walks though. Why do you think I come here so often?”

“Oh… ohhh.”

She knew she had said something right when his smile widened to a grin. They were two lonely people in search of company for a short while.

“Now, tell me about this box,” she said.

*   *   *

Tarris hadn’t intended to be in the park for such a long time, but she and Darmen got talking and the hours had flown by. Now at home, she was paying for it. Her upper back was sore from supporting the body suit, and she was sunburned. Not only did the holographic sun give light and warmth, but it also delivered those ultraviolet rays that her skin had an aversion to.

She found a small aerosol bottle and sprayed herself with it. The chemical mist solidified into a fine layer over her skin. By tomorrow morning, the sunburn would be a distant memory.

She gave the medipatch under her skin a gentle tap to release enough painkiller to dull the nagging ache. It was so easy these days to dull whatever ailed you. One patch to sleep, one patch to kill the pain, one patch for this and one patch for that. All of life’s challenges were solved with a touch of the skin.

She studied the small present from Darmen. It was such a sweet thought, given without expectation of receiving something in return. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that she already had one, courtesy of Administrator Derille, so a second one was superfluous. Maybe she would take it with her when she visited this mediprac, then she could say she had used it without feeling guilty.

She placed the electronic bug in her hiding place, along with the other devices, while she contemplated what the meeting with the mediprac would reveal. Would there be a chance of recovery? Would there even be a chance to try? Would she give up her dream to walk again if this avenue failed? The last question was something she really didn’t want to face. To accept that this was how she would be for the rest of her life was depressing, and as long as she didn’t make that decision, there was always hope. So she made none, as usual, and convinced herself that it was not time to give up just yet. She always reached that conclusion, because without hope, she was lost.

However, the mediprac was going to have to wait. The big operation tomorrow night took precedence over her life, and she had a feeling she was going to need all her wits about her for this one. She sighed as she wheeled herself into her bathroom to perform one of life’s major obstacles, at least for her.

Chapter 3

Tarris stared off into space while her dinner reconstituted itself. Her skin had been dutifully scrubbed clean, and her damp hair hung limply down her back. It had been a long day, and she was bone tired. Despite her apartment being full of things to keep her occupied, none of them appealed to her. In resignation she retired for the night right after dinner and let the medicated drug claim her and drag her down to somnolence.

“Tarris! Stop! Stop it! You’re killing him!”

The words barely touched her consciousness as Rya pounded in her head. Waves of energy sprung from her and spread out like rippled water. Parson was within the grip of her power, and she wasn’t letting him go anytime soon.

“Tarris!” She no longer feared her educator. Tarris had been growing away from the Institute, and her departure was imminent. They had tried everything to entice her to stay, but as far as she was concerned, all they were worried about was their loss of control of their most precious asset. There was no fairness here, so she had no choice but to dispense her own brand of justice. Parson was slowly losing his battle with her and was within seconds of losing his life.

One moment Tarris had been consumed by the anger and need for revenge that she and Rya had for this boy. She fed Rya’s need just as Rya fed hers, leaving her a nuclear explosion waiting to happen. Her next recollection was the fall down the stairs, her body twisted, broken, and in pain with each collision of flesh against rock. The agony was slowly swallowing her whole as it tore away every defense she had to protect herself. When blessed unconsciousness came, she was grateful.