AZU-1: Lifehack (29 page)

“
Then whoever triggered it
did it as just a plain old attack. It was on purpose.” Parker
said.

“
Which would mean a hostile
country, or terrorists.. the mystery group could be working for...
it doesn’t make a lot of sense...”

“
They didn’t do it. They
maybe developed it, but Erebus was the one who triggered it.” Regan
said, staring a hole into the table, grinding her teeth.

Alisia looked at Regan. “But why? What
motive?”

Regan looked up at Alisia. “Motive? You
saw the mall.. what he did to that person in the warehouse office,
controlling that first zombie.. He’s a fucking madman, that’s his
motive.”

Erebus sat in his cell, pondering
recent events. Somehow, despite his own genius, both Lancer and
AZU-1 had found his hideout. He could have stayed hidden from AZU-1
probably, but since Lancer had taken all his toys, boat included,
he needed a ride back to mainland. What else was he expected to do,
swim?

Fucking Lancer. Sure, he took advantage
of the position they put him in, and he essentially ignored the
projects they wanted, in favor of his own fun, but they were taking
things way too personal. They wouldn’t have hesitated in the
slightest to kill him on sight. At least AZU-1 was squeaky clean
enough to play by the rules. Still, they could have put him in a
nicer room.

Enough of this shit. He groped the
inner side of his upper arm gently with his fingers. Where the hell
is it? Finally he found the lump he was looking for. He held the
lump between finger and thumb, and squeezed. It hurt. He should
have put it under tougher skin. The lump popped inside his skin,
dumping its payload. The skin still hurt, it was sure to
bruise.

“
Fly, my pretties, fly!” he
whispered to the spot where the lump had been.

“
So, you killed my brother.”
Regan’s voice came out.

Erebus looked up to see Regan standing
on the other side of the bars.

“
Hello Miss Grier. I killed
a lot of people, so there’s a good chance.”

“
Harold Grier. He was in
Autar. He worked with nanites in AutarLabs”

“
Doesn’t ring a
bell.”

“
So, he didn’t work with
you?”

“
I wasn’t there very lo-
Oh.. I see.. you want to know if he had anything to do with the
fall, right?”

“
Well?”

“
Not that I know
of.”

It was a minor relief to Regan, even if
Erebus didn’t seem positive about it. “But the fact still remains,”
Regan said, aiming her P90 at him, “You still killed my
brother.”

Erebus hadn’t accounted for this. These
military folks are trained to follow rules, but Regan was a
civilian. “You mean you don’t want to see me go to trial, and all
that?”

“
Why? So you can become a
celebrity on the news? Buy a year or two of time, maybe get
acquitted? Maybe thrown in a looney farm and eat free on tax
dollars?”

This was not good. Come on, think,
Jonathan, think. Leverage. He needed leverage. “News celebrity, hm?
Like you?”

Regan narrowed her eyes a
bit.

“
I caught you on the news
just the other day, “ Erebus said, “Coming out of the mall
incident. Big hero. It looks like I hurt your feelings.” He paused,
but Regan did nothing. “You rely on the Major sometimes, don’t
you?” He watched as Regan’s breathing betrayed her. Aha. That hug
outside the mall... “You’re.... close to her, aren’t
you?”

Regan tensed. “You shut up about her.”
Her grip on the P90 tightened, and she adjusted her aim.

Oops, maybe that was the wrong nerve to
hit. “Ah, if you blow my head off now, you go to jail instead of
me. Murdering a murderer is still murder, hm?”

Regan considered giving him a flesh
wound instead, just to make a point. “It’s a small price to pay to
see you dead.”

“
Really? You’re so impatient
for an execution that you’d go to jail and be separated from your
.... little friend?”

Regan began to hate the manipulative
little bastard on a whole new level. In some ways, it just gave her
more reason to pull the trigger. So she did. Bits of cement rained
down on Erebus’ head from where Regan had fired a single round near
the barred window. A guard ran up from around the corner, rifle
ready.

“
At ease, soldier,” Regan
said, “Seems I had a little accidental discharge.” The guard sized
up the situation and gave Regan a little nod before leaving. Regan
was expecting a little bit of satisfaction, but after she left, it
was Erebus who was smiling.

~~~~~

Chapter 42: Stupid Lesbian

~~~~~

Alisia walked out of the Airlmb onto
the base’s top deck. It was a warm evening, and the sun was just
reaching that part of the sunset which did its best to mimic her
hair.

Regan was not far off, sitting on one
of the knee-height walls near the edge of the roof. She was facing
away, towards the sunset, just enjoying the evening and trying to
get Erebus out of her head for a while. A six pack sat nestled in
her jacket on the ground, the first of which was now in Regan’s
hand.

Alisia felt social, so she wandered
over. Before she spoke, Regan picked another can off the pack and
held it out for Alisia.

“
Hey love. Brew?” Regan’s
face was relaxed and happy. It was nice to see.

“
Love, huh?” Alisia gave
Regan an odd look as she accepted the can and sat down. She matched
the softness Regan spoke with, but not the happiness. “You actually
love me, don’t you?”

“
Yup.” Regan confirmed with
gentle cheer.

Alisia looked at Regan with a bit of
surprise. “That.. doesn’t bother you?”

“
Nope. Why should it? You’re
great.”

Alisia chuckled a little “Uh, because I
don’t love you?”

“
You love me.” Regan said
with quiet confidence.

“
I do?”

“
Yup. You’re just straight
is all.”

Alisia sighed. “And that doesn’t bother
you?”

“
Hmm,” Regan paused,
sounding less happy, but still relaxed. “Nothin’ to be done about
that...” She leaned back and looked into the sunset, trying not to
look at Alisia.

Alisia felt Regan’s serenity slowly
cracking, and felt guilty. “You... you still think I’m gonna give
in, dontcha?” She smiled at Regan, who looked up with a little
smile. Her eyes were glistening, and it made Alisia think. She
looked down into her lap, and the open beer that sat there. “It...
“ Alisia took a deep breath. “It hurts me when you cry.”

Regan’s eyes widened a little, and as
if by cue, a built up tear escaped. It rolled down the side of
Regan’s face away from Alisia’s view. “Cry...?”

Alisia gripped the edge of the wall,
and stared hard into the beer can. “I’ve heard you. I... I’ve seen
you. And on the beach, I felt you. It feels like hell. I don’t know
what to do about it. It just hurts.”

They were quiet for a moment that went
on forever, when a footstep was heard from the airlimb. They both
knew Parker wasn’t around; it had to be Kris.

“
No...” Regan whispered. “I
can’t deal with her now. Make her go away, do something.” The
whisper trembled. She was terrified.

Alisia did the only and first thing
that came to her mind. She leaned over, and kissed
Regan.

Regan’s eyes widened again, and as
Alisia’s hand touched her cheek. Regan closed her eyes and kissed
back. Alisia felt the wetness of the tear on Regan’s cheek. And the
warmth and softness of her lips.

Regan’s mind was instantly numb. She
was enslaved by blinding bliss. It could have been a second, or an
hour, but eventually Alisia’s lips drew away. The cold of the air
touching where Alisia’s lips had been felt cruel by
comparison.

“
She’s gone.” Alisia said
quietly.

Regan was still leaned in, eyes closed.
“Huh?”

“
Kris. She’s
gone.”

Regan began to slide back into reality.
“Oh....? Oh...” She opened her eyes and was transfixed on Alisia’s
lips. Did that really happen? Alisia read Regan’s face and looked
away, concentrating very hard on taking a drink of her beer. But
that wouldn’t save her for long. She had to think of something to
say. Regan was still staring at her, stunned. She put down her beer
and stared hard into it.

“
It... it didn’t mean
anything. It.... it got Kris to leave us alone, didn’t
it?”

Regan was silent.

“
Don’t go thinking I’m gonna
go lez on you.” Alisia said it with defensive spite, still denying
Regan’s stare.

Regan was silent.

“
Say something,
dammit!”

“
.....wow...”

“
Aren’t you listening? It
didn’t mean anything!”

Regan spoke softer than the breeze “You
all but admitted you love me.... and then you kissed
me..”

Alisia exploded. “It’s not like that,
and you know it!”

Regan maintained her gentle voice.
“Don’t care right now..!” She got up, and slowly ambled back to the
airlimb.

Alisia watched Regan disappear into the
airlimb, and stared for a moment. Alisia stood, quietly.

.....

“
Stupid fucking lesbian!”
Alisia threw her half empty beer off the building with all her
might. A trail of flying, foaming beer streaked across the sunset
behind it.

She watched it land in the grass far
below with a snarl on her face, and was disappointed that the very
earth didn’t shatter by the impact. A glint of light could be seen
as the can’s remaining payload ensured a headache in the morning
for a handful of grass.

“
Stupid, stupid stupid.”
Alisia muttered. ‘Kiss her’? Was that the only way to keep Kris
away from Regan? She could have walked over and talked to Kris,
even ordered her away, but no, the first thing that had to pop into
her head was a god damned kiss. Since when was it her job to
protect Regan from Kris anyway? None of her business. Fucking
stupid.

Alisia looked at her hand. It was cold
where she had touched Regan’s tear. Maybe it was her job to protect
her. She looked down. Regan had forgotten her jacket and the four
remaining beers. Alisia picked them up. The jacket kind of smelt
like her.

Alisia wandered back in, kicking
herself all the while. She stopped by Regan’s door and dropped the
jacket. She was going to take the beer to the fridge in the mess,
but Alisia decided she wanted a couple. She knocked on Regan’s
door.

It was a short moment before the door
slid open. Regan still had that stupid, blissful look on her face,
which lit up at the sight of Alisia.

Alisia kicked the jacket on the floor
into Regan’s room.

“
I’m taking two beers.” She
handed the other two to Regan. “Drink these, get buzzed, and go to
sleep.”

Alisia walked away for a couple steps.
“And don’t come into my room in the middle of the
night.”

Alisia walked away for a couple steps.
“And would it kill you to actually wear your clothes?” She said,
glaring at the jacket.

Alisia walked away for a couple steps.
“And you’d better have something decent to wear for when we have to
talk to press. I’m getting you some goddam pants at least.
Fatigues.”

Alisia walked away for a couple steps.
“And stop thinking about kissing me!”

Regan beamed a smile that would burn
the sun. Alisia grunted in disgust and stormed to her own room.
Regan went back to her bed, now with two fresh beers, and held
Alisia’s old dog tags tight.

Kris slithered into the base club booth
across from Parker, surprising him. “Well, I failed.
Happy?”

“
Huh?”

At that moment, the waitress came by to
take an order from Kris.

“
Oh,” Parker said, “What do
you want, Kris? I’ll buy.”

Kris reflexed to her usual teasing
attitude. “Oh, I don’t know, something hard.”

The waitress did her best to ignore it,
and Parker rolled his eyes.

“
Fine,” Kris said, “uh,
house white, I guess.”

Parker touched his finger to his stein
and looked at the waitress. “May as well bring another of these,
too.” The waitress left.

“
Hey, it could have been
worse. I could have ordered a ‘screaming orgasm’, ‘sex on the
beach’, or a ‘long hard screw against the wall’.”

Parker shook his head slowly with a
smirk. “So, what am I supposed to be happy about you failing
at?”

“
Ugh.” Kris leaned back.
“Regan. I just saw her and the Major making out. Not to mention
whatever they did on that beach.”

Parker looked a little stunned.
“Really? The Major gave in? No....”

“
Looks like it. By now I bet
they’re... hmm.”

The both of them slipped into their
imaginations for a moment, when the waitress arrived with the
order. She left, and Parker took up a new topic. “So.. what about
us?”