Primeval fic: The Levels Beneath - Part 2
Oct. 29th, 2016 10:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
knitekatTitle: The Levels Beneath – Part 2
Author: knitekat
Word Count: ~3330 words out of 7858
Characters: Danny Quinn, Connor Temple, Abby Maitland, James Lester, Tom Ryan, OCs.
Rating: 18
Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible Pictures. Certainly not me. Writing for fun and will replace.
A/N: For my Primeval Bingo round 8 card prompt: Film Noir. Thanks go to Fififolle for the beta, all remaining mistakes are mine.
Warnings: OC death and slavery.
Part 1
Glossary
ARCs – Artificials, Replicants and Chimeras
Artificials – Genetically-altered and lab-created humans.
Biopunk – A sub genre of cyberpunk, but rather than cybernetics uses biological enhancements.
Bio-synth – Biological Synthesised. Any biological organisms bred and/or modified to perform a variety of technological functions, e.g. communicators, pistols, the tubes or ARCs, and 'programmed' to function for a single or limited number of owners.
Chimeras – Lab-created human-animal hybrids.
Coracrete – Material used in buildings. It is genetically-modified coral, which once grown to requirements, dies and becomes harder. Living Coracrete is red, orange, yellow or green. Dead Coracrete is white to start with, greying and crumbling with age.
CRA – Corporate Regulatory Authority – corporate watchdog.
Crazies – Nickname for the CRA by those who consider them crazy for thinking they can regulate the corporations.
Frank – Short for Frankenstein – semi-derogatory term for an Artificial.
Fringer - People who minimise their involvement with government/corporations. Socially marginalised and often involved in informal (grey and black) markets.
Organ-leggers – Criminals who kill others for spare parts.
Replicants – Clones.
Snout – (Police) Informant
SOCA – Serious and Organised Crime Agency
Part 1
I was moving fast when I slipped on a patch of fungus and almost fell, barely retaining my balance under the dead-weight of the girl. All I could hope was that she was still with me, especially as I was almost at one of the healers. Luckily, Abby was both the nearest healer and the one I trusted the most. Added to that, she also had formal training, before her boyfriend had persuaded her to avoid the authorities and move to Gallow's Drop.
I paused for a moment, using time the girl couldn't spare, to check we hadn't been followed before dashing across the courtyard, slick of water but strangely clear of vegetation. It took me a few moments to shift the girl enough to free a hand to knock on the door, before I peered into the gloom to check for anyone nearby. I almost jumped when I heard a faint squelching noise behind me and spun around, stepping back with a gasp when I found myself eye-to-eye with a somewhat blood-shot eye which bounced slightly on its stalk. I gave the heavily-modified scanner my most confident smile and had to hope Connor would let me inside when the scanner shot back into the wall with another squelch. I recalled from my previous visit that Connor was somewhat paranoid when it came to the authorities as well as for Abby and his own safety, and I knew he had been watching my approach for sometime. I could only hope that he trust me and that I had lost the replicants, otherwise, I knew he wouldn't let me inside.
I hadn't realised I'd been holding my breath until the door gave a hiss and retracted into the Coracrete walls. Connor waited for me just inside, his gaze flickering behind me before he stepped back to let me inside. I hurried towards Abby's work area, knowing Connor would remain at the sealed doorway to monitor the area until he was convinced that no-one had followed us and then he'd be checking his surveillance system just to be sure.
“Danny!” Abby pointed to the table I recalled sitting on when she'd treated a cut on my arm. “Put her there.”
I did so, swallowing as I saw the true extent of the damage to the girl's back. I had no idea if she would be able to survive such a devastating injury, even if she'd been in a fully-equipped state-of-the-art hospital rather than a DIY healer down in 'The Gloom'. “Abby?” I had to ask, I had to know.
Abby's blond-haired head was bowed over her patient but she spared me a look, her expression grim. “I'll do what I can, Danny.”
“Thanks,” I replied, knowing that was the best I could expect.
Abby frowned at the girl before cocking her head to one side and considering her.
“Abby?”
“Go and get Connor for me, Danny.” When I frowned, wondering what was going on, Abby looked up at me and almost growled, “Go!”
I nodded and did as she asked, and not just because she was the healer I trusted the most in Gallow's Drop. No, I had seen what happened to those who got on her bad side. I hadn't been the only one to wince in sympathy when she'd taken down a man twice her size with a well-aimed blow. He hadn't walked straight for several days.
I hurried towards Connor's workshop and paused in the doorway, my attention caught by the pulsating and slowly writhing tendrils which stretched across the ceiling and upper walls before continuing through holes in the walls. I hadn't seen so much light in all my time in Gallow's Drop, hell, I hadn't seen this much light even in 'The Shadowlands'. Connor could have made a fortune with his bio-synthing talents... except I knew he didn't trust the authorities.
“You weren't followed,” Connor informed me as he petted his scanner and I felt the blood-shot eye follow my every movement. He looked down at the scanner before asking me, “How's the girl?”
Fuck! I'd forgotten her in my amazement at Connor's invention. “Abby wants you.” Adding, “It sounded important,” when he didn't move.
Connor nodded and just when I thought he wasn't going to move, he suddenly dashed out, with me barely keeping on his heels as we crashed into Abby's treatment room. I felt ill-at-ease as I watched Abby treating the girl and, in a moment of impulse, I reached out and took her hand, to offer what comfort I could, even though I knew her chances were slim. “Shh, it'll be OK,” I whispered, knowing it was a lie.
“Stop! Please, stop!” The girl cried out, her hand tightening painfully hard around my own.
“Abby?” I looked up, hoping she had something for the girl's pain.
I couldn't help my curiosity when Abby nodded and retrieved a small box from a drawer. I craned my neck to look inside when she opened it and couldn't help my shiver at the small, pasty-white grub-like creature which lay in the slime the box contained. Abby lifted the squirming grub from the slime with a pair of wooden tweezers before she turned the girl's head and placed it on the back of her neck. I winced when I saw the grub raise its hind end before inserting its long tail into the girl's neck, that must have bloody hurt but the girl did nothing more than sigh when the grub's abdomen pulsed.
Abby looked up and smiled reassuring at my expression. “Just give the painkiller time to work.”
I was bloody thankful I had refused Abby's offer of a painkiller when she'd stitched my arm up, I wasn't sure I would have wanted that slimy grub sticking its tail into me, no matter how much it might have helped.
Still, I was thankful to the grub when the girl's grip loosened slightly and I could feel my fingers again. I nodded to Abby before turning my attention back to the girl, giving her an encouraging smile when I met her clear-blue eyes, even though the look in them was one I was far too familiar with. She was dying and she knew it. Still, she forced herself to speak, even though her words were halting, sometimes even inaudible, but the fact she was putting her last energy into them told me they were important. I held her hand tightly as her eyes glazed over and heard her final sigh before her hand relaxed in my grip. I looked up to meet Abby's sorrowful eyes and knew she'd done all she could. “Thanks for trying, Abby, no one could have done more.”
“So, what did she say?” Connor asked with a preoccupied expression, no doubt eager to get back to his tinkering.
“I didn't catch all of it,” I told him. “I think she said her name was Dawn and that we had to stop them before it was too late.”
“Stop who?” Abby asked as she retrieved her grub and popped it back into its box.
“And before what’s too late?” Connor added.
I shook my head. “I don't know, but my creds would be on that woman who was after her.”
“What woman?” Connor asked, already reaching for an interface.
“I don't know, I didn't see her face.” I paused for a moment before adding, “She was in command of a group of replicants.”
“Replicants?” Connor said sharply.
“Armed with bone-rifles?” Abby exchanged a glance with Connor, and it was obvious both knew what that meant.
Connor swore softly before turning his full attention on me. “Did they have any insignia? Any markings at all?”
“No.” I swore as I looked at the girl again. “But whoever it was wanted her dead.”
“Which doesn't make sense,” Abby murmured, her gaze on the girl's still body.
“Abs?” Connor asked.
“She's an ARC,” Abby informed us. “Who'd want to kill an artificial?”
Which was a bloody good question, who the hell would send carapace-armed, bone-rifle wielding replicants to hunt down one artificial? Most people would just buy a replacement if the bounty-hunters didn't drag it back home, and some would anyway, considering a runaway defective.
“She is?” Connor asked, a slow smile appearing on his face.
“Con?” Abby shot him a look, one I interpreted as he better have a good reason for his smile or he'd be on the couch.
“Don't you see, if she's an artificial she'll be copyrighted. All we need to do is check her genes and we'll be able to trace who created her...”
“And that might lead us to who killed her?” I asked.
“Maybe,” Connor allowed.
The next few hours passed slowly, I spent the time considering what to do next if – no, when Connor found out who had made Dawn. She might have been a bio-synth artificial, but she had been a person. Yes, put me down as a bloody bio-synth righter, but I had never understood how a mass murdering psycho could have more rights to life and his person than a corper's 'personal assistant' had just because he'd been born and she was merely a 'bloody frank' manufactured in some bio-synth facility.
I looked up from petting Molly when Connor almost bounced back into the room. “Connor?”
“Got her,” Connor cried. “Well, I think I have,” he added in a slightly more subdued tone.
“Con?” Abby asked.
“She not on the market yet and her copyright is missing, which is odd...”
Connor trailed off and I cursed, if Dawn lacked copyright it meant she was black-ops herself. Someone who was supposed to be not only untraceable to her owners but completely disposable... but then, Connor had said... “I thought you said you had her?”
“I do.” Connor grinned before yelping at Abby's well-aimed elbow jab. “Hey, no need to get physical.”
“Who made her, Connor.” Abby spoke slowly but purposely, in a tone which meant she meant business and the person she was talking to had better make sense soon. The last time I'd heard it, she'd put that guy on the floor clutching himself. From the way Connor stuttered, I assumed he remembered that too.
“Right.” Connor licked his lips and swallowed. “Some of her coding is similar to that in the chimera Felinx-2000 series, some to the artificial Geisha-Jane series and some to the artificial Diana combat models. All of them are manufactured by one corporation.”
I remembered who made the Diana model, I still had a bloody scar from an encounter with one of the beautiful but fucking deadly combat bio-synth soldiers. I know you crazies do too, but I'll tell you anyway – Prospero Industries. They were usually involved in energy manufacturing and medical research as well as bio-synth manufacturing... oh shit! Why the hell would a major corp like Prospero be operating in 'The Gloom' and the only answer I could come up with wasn't good. “I'm looking into...” I began.
Connor suddenly turned on me. “You're a cop?”
I shook my head. “Private eye, Con.” I shot him and Abby an apologetic look. “Sorry for lying to you but I had no choice.”
“Oh?” Abby's voice sounded dangerous.
I looked them both in the eye before I knew I better start explaining, keeping half-an-eye on Abby for I had no wish to be groaning on the floor, no matter how much I might deserve it. “Look, I usually live in 'The Shadowlands' but SOCA made me an offer I couldn't refuse – come down here and look into something for them, tell them who my client was or spend the next several years in the cubes. I couldn't give up my client.”
“Hmm,” Abby murmured, but I counted it as a win that she hadn't made a threatening move in my direction, at least, not yet.
“I didn't like lying to you,” I told them. “But I was looking into suspected organ-legging for SOCA.”
“Oh.” Abby's frown faded and I felt marginally safer.
“I overheard a rumour about the abandoned cannery on the north edge of Gallow's Drop, I was investigating it when I encountered Dawn and those replicants.”
Connor looked thoughtful. “It would probably be a good spot for it.”
“You know it?” I asked, if Connor did, his knowledge could be invaluable for my recce.
“Is that the place you were on about setting up in?” Abby asked. “The one I said was too far from people if I was to run a medical practice?”
Connor nodded. “It would have had lots of space if I'd gutted out all the conveyor belts, fridges and storage rooms.”
“Add a power source and it would be all they'd need to run an organ-legging business,” Abby said. “Do you think Dawn was in the wrong place at the wrong time?”
“Maybe,” I agreed. “But I don't believe in coincidences.”
“So you think Prospero is behind the organ-legging? But why would they be? Prospero sells bio-synth organs,” Abby informed me.
“I know.” Well, I hadn't but most corps had their sticky fingers in everything. “But...” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I don't know if they are, but someone had replicants running around Gallow's Drop armed with bone-rifles and wearing carapace-armour, which means either corporate or government involvement and since we know Dawn was created by Prospero...”
“Connor, you said she wasn't copyrighted?” Abby asked, continuing when Connor nodded, “Maybe she was stolen for corporate espionage, tried to escape and saw something she shouldn't have, that would explain what she's doing down here. They wouldn't need her alive to reverse engineer her codes.”
That was always possible, fuck, who am I kidding? The corporates fought tooth-and-nail over every scrap of cred they could squeeze from people. A spot of corporate espionage was normal, as was hiding a project in 'The Gloom' to keep it from other corporations' spying eyes. “Either way, a corporation is likely to be behind it.”
“So, now what?” Connor asked.
“Now, I recce that cannery and see what I can find out.” I really saw no other choice, it wasn't as if I could go to the authorities with my suspicions. Not when half of them were being paid from corporation pockets, and I had no idea which half.
“We're coming too,” Abby said, ignoring Connor's cry of dismay.
“It won't be safe,” I told her. “The organ-leggers won't hesitate to kill you.”
“Actually, they'd be more likely to try and take us alive and harvest our organs,” Connor added unhelpfully.
I really wish he hadn't reminded me of that, still, I wasn't going to risk Connor's or Abby's lives. “All the more reason for me to go in alone.” When Abby looked as if she'd disagree, I raised a hand. “Look, if I don't come back, you'll have to...” I trailed off, there wasn't much they could do if I didn't come back.
“I'm not going to sit here wondering who might disappear next when I could do something about it,” Abby told me. “We're coming.”
“Abby,” Connor started before stopping when Abby shot him a look.
“You won't be able to help anyone hurt, Danny, and unless you know bio-synth better than I think, you won't be able to track down who is responsible. You need our help.”
I knew Abby was right, but it didn't make knowing leading them into danger felt any better. “Fine, do you have any weapons?”
Connor nodded. “I designed a few things to protect us.”
“Good,” I smiled as another option occurred to me. “If a corporation is behind this, they might be interested in new bio-synth...”
“I'm not selling it to them,” Connor cried.
“I'm not on about selling it, I'm on about a way to get in and keep from getting killed if they capture us.” Abby frowned, obviously not liking my idea, so I asked her if she had a better idea.
“Not really,” Abby sounded reluctant, she looked at Connor before meeting my eyes. “I don't trust the authorities, Connor definitely doesn't, but what happens if we fail?”
“Who do you want to tell?” I asked as Connor almost yelled something mostly unintelligible except it was something about corrupt bastards.
”To cut a long story short, we decided – with much disagreement from Connor – that we did need to tell someone about what we'd discovered. None of us trust the authorities enough to leave it to them to deal with this organ-legging, but we don't want to let those responsible to get away with it either. In the end, this is the choice we made – if we don't use a specific password within 24 hours of recording this message, it will be automatically sent to the CRA. Mostly as even Connor agrees that you crazies don't like corpers and they don't like you.
Hopefully you crazies won't get to listen to my story and Connor will get to wipe this message. But... if you do, all I can ask is that you finish what we started. They can't be allowed to get away with murdering people, even if they are only Fringers to you.”
The recording clicked and buzzed before the recorder spat the glistening disc out and curled up on the desk bearing the name plate 'James Lester, Director, CRA'. The man seated behind the desk steepled his fingers and arched an elegant eyebrow at the black-carapace armoured soldier standing at parade-rest before his desk. “Opinions. Captain Ryan?”
“That this Danny Quinn likes the sound of his own voice, sir,” Ryan replied.
“Anything useful, captain?”
“Are you sure this is legitimate, sir?” Ryan asked.
“As opposed to?” Lester queried.
“A plant by the corporations,” Ryan suggested. “They would do anything to discredit us, sir.”
“I do know that, captain,” Lester almost snapped back before sighing softly. “However, my sources confirm that this Danny Quinn is a private investigator with a good reputation.” The disdain was clear in Lester's voice before he continued, “And if he has information which might connect even one corporation to organ-legging and other criminal activities, it is our duty to investigate.”
Ryan nodded. “I can have my team ready for insertion in half-an-hour, sir.”
“Excellent, do carry on, captain.”
“Sir.” Ryan saluted before pausing when Lester cleared his throat. “Sir?”
“If they're still alive, rescue Danny, Abby and Connor and bring them back here, under heavy guard. Try and capture at least one organ-legger alive and preferably in one piece. Secure any data you can and then burn what is left. Make it look accidental if you can, but destroy it.”
“Anything else, sir?” Ryan enquired in a tone which said he knew everything Lester was telling him.
“Apart from being ghosts?” Lester gave him a cold smile. “I don't believe so. Good luck, captain.”
Ryan saluted before leaving Lester to look out of his window at the city which surrounded him, his gaze drawn to the green top of Prospero's Coracrete tower. Knowing he might finally have gained an advantage over one of his foes, but only if he proceeded carefully. He shook his head, knowing there was no point thinking about that unless and until Ryan returned with evidence which connected Prospero with illegal activities, and even then, he knew better to think anyone of any consequence would be sacrificed. At best, he'd end up with a scapegoat thrown to the CRA to keep them quiet and the corporation would continue to run with only a minor line item mentioning the fine, even if the amount would fund the CRA for a year or more.
No, James Lester was a realist and knew it would take much more that one case of organ-legging to bring the corporates to heel. He was also a determined man and would succeed, even if it took all his life to do so. He clicked on his comm-link, “Ms Wickes, please bring through the information we have on Prospero.”
Part 1
Author: knitekat
Word Count: ~3330 words out of 7858
Characters: Danny Quinn, Connor Temple, Abby Maitland, James Lester, Tom Ryan, OCs.
Rating: 18
Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible Pictures. Certainly not me. Writing for fun and will replace.
A/N: For my Primeval Bingo round 8 card prompt: Film Noir. Thanks go to Fififolle for the beta, all remaining mistakes are mine.
Warnings: OC death and slavery.
Part 1
Glossary
ARCs – Artificials, Replicants and Chimeras
Artificials – Genetically-altered and lab-created humans.
Biopunk – A sub genre of cyberpunk, but rather than cybernetics uses biological enhancements.
Bio-synth – Biological Synthesised. Any biological organisms bred and/or modified to perform a variety of technological functions, e.g. communicators, pistols, the tubes or ARCs, and 'programmed' to function for a single or limited number of owners.
Chimeras – Lab-created human-animal hybrids.
Coracrete – Material used in buildings. It is genetically-modified coral, which once grown to requirements, dies and becomes harder. Living Coracrete is red, orange, yellow or green. Dead Coracrete is white to start with, greying and crumbling with age.
CRA – Corporate Regulatory Authority – corporate watchdog.
Crazies – Nickname for the CRA by those who consider them crazy for thinking they can regulate the corporations.
Frank – Short for Frankenstein – semi-derogatory term for an Artificial.
Fringer - People who minimise their involvement with government/corporations. Socially marginalised and often involved in informal (grey and black) markets.
Organ-leggers – Criminals who kill others for spare parts.
Replicants – Clones.
Snout – (Police) Informant
SOCA – Serious and Organised Crime Agency
Part 1
I was moving fast when I slipped on a patch of fungus and almost fell, barely retaining my balance under the dead-weight of the girl. All I could hope was that she was still with me, especially as I was almost at one of the healers. Luckily, Abby was both the nearest healer and the one I trusted the most. Added to that, she also had formal training, before her boyfriend had persuaded her to avoid the authorities and move to Gallow's Drop.
I paused for a moment, using time the girl couldn't spare, to check we hadn't been followed before dashing across the courtyard, slick of water but strangely clear of vegetation. It took me a few moments to shift the girl enough to free a hand to knock on the door, before I peered into the gloom to check for anyone nearby. I almost jumped when I heard a faint squelching noise behind me and spun around, stepping back with a gasp when I found myself eye-to-eye with a somewhat blood-shot eye which bounced slightly on its stalk. I gave the heavily-modified scanner my most confident smile and had to hope Connor would let me inside when the scanner shot back into the wall with another squelch. I recalled from my previous visit that Connor was somewhat paranoid when it came to the authorities as well as for Abby and his own safety, and I knew he had been watching my approach for sometime. I could only hope that he trust me and that I had lost the replicants, otherwise, I knew he wouldn't let me inside.
I hadn't realised I'd been holding my breath until the door gave a hiss and retracted into the Coracrete walls. Connor waited for me just inside, his gaze flickering behind me before he stepped back to let me inside. I hurried towards Abby's work area, knowing Connor would remain at the sealed doorway to monitor the area until he was convinced that no-one had followed us and then he'd be checking his surveillance system just to be sure.
“Danny!” Abby pointed to the table I recalled sitting on when she'd treated a cut on my arm. “Put her there.”
I did so, swallowing as I saw the true extent of the damage to the girl's back. I had no idea if she would be able to survive such a devastating injury, even if she'd been in a fully-equipped state-of-the-art hospital rather than a DIY healer down in 'The Gloom'. “Abby?” I had to ask, I had to know.
Abby's blond-haired head was bowed over her patient but she spared me a look, her expression grim. “I'll do what I can, Danny.”
“Thanks,” I replied, knowing that was the best I could expect.
Abby frowned at the girl before cocking her head to one side and considering her.
“Abby?”
“Go and get Connor for me, Danny.” When I frowned, wondering what was going on, Abby looked up at me and almost growled, “Go!”
I nodded and did as she asked, and not just because she was the healer I trusted the most in Gallow's Drop. No, I had seen what happened to those who got on her bad side. I hadn't been the only one to wince in sympathy when she'd taken down a man twice her size with a well-aimed blow. He hadn't walked straight for several days.
I hurried towards Connor's workshop and paused in the doorway, my attention caught by the pulsating and slowly writhing tendrils which stretched across the ceiling and upper walls before continuing through holes in the walls. I hadn't seen so much light in all my time in Gallow's Drop, hell, I hadn't seen this much light even in 'The Shadowlands'. Connor could have made a fortune with his bio-synthing talents... except I knew he didn't trust the authorities.
“You weren't followed,” Connor informed me as he petted his scanner and I felt the blood-shot eye follow my every movement. He looked down at the scanner before asking me, “How's the girl?”
Fuck! I'd forgotten her in my amazement at Connor's invention. “Abby wants you.” Adding, “It sounded important,” when he didn't move.
Connor nodded and just when I thought he wasn't going to move, he suddenly dashed out, with me barely keeping on his heels as we crashed into Abby's treatment room. I felt ill-at-ease as I watched Abby treating the girl and, in a moment of impulse, I reached out and took her hand, to offer what comfort I could, even though I knew her chances were slim. “Shh, it'll be OK,” I whispered, knowing it was a lie.
“Stop! Please, stop!” The girl cried out, her hand tightening painfully hard around my own.
“Abby?” I looked up, hoping she had something for the girl's pain.
I couldn't help my curiosity when Abby nodded and retrieved a small box from a drawer. I craned my neck to look inside when she opened it and couldn't help my shiver at the small, pasty-white grub-like creature which lay in the slime the box contained. Abby lifted the squirming grub from the slime with a pair of wooden tweezers before she turned the girl's head and placed it on the back of her neck. I winced when I saw the grub raise its hind end before inserting its long tail into the girl's neck, that must have bloody hurt but the girl did nothing more than sigh when the grub's abdomen pulsed.
Abby looked up and smiled reassuring at my expression. “Just give the painkiller time to work.”
I was bloody thankful I had refused Abby's offer of a painkiller when she'd stitched my arm up, I wasn't sure I would have wanted that slimy grub sticking its tail into me, no matter how much it might have helped.
Still, I was thankful to the grub when the girl's grip loosened slightly and I could feel my fingers again. I nodded to Abby before turning my attention back to the girl, giving her an encouraging smile when I met her clear-blue eyes, even though the look in them was one I was far too familiar with. She was dying and she knew it. Still, she forced herself to speak, even though her words were halting, sometimes even inaudible, but the fact she was putting her last energy into them told me they were important. I held her hand tightly as her eyes glazed over and heard her final sigh before her hand relaxed in my grip. I looked up to meet Abby's sorrowful eyes and knew she'd done all she could. “Thanks for trying, Abby, no one could have done more.”
“So, what did she say?” Connor asked with a preoccupied expression, no doubt eager to get back to his tinkering.
“I didn't catch all of it,” I told him. “I think she said her name was Dawn and that we had to stop them before it was too late.”
“Stop who?” Abby asked as she retrieved her grub and popped it back into its box.
“And before what’s too late?” Connor added.
I shook my head. “I don't know, but my creds would be on that woman who was after her.”
“What woman?” Connor asked, already reaching for an interface.
“I don't know, I didn't see her face.” I paused for a moment before adding, “She was in command of a group of replicants.”
“Replicants?” Connor said sharply.
“Armed with bone-rifles?” Abby exchanged a glance with Connor, and it was obvious both knew what that meant.
Connor swore softly before turning his full attention on me. “Did they have any insignia? Any markings at all?”
“No.” I swore as I looked at the girl again. “But whoever it was wanted her dead.”
“Which doesn't make sense,” Abby murmured, her gaze on the girl's still body.
“Abs?” Connor asked.
“She's an ARC,” Abby informed us. “Who'd want to kill an artificial?”
Which was a bloody good question, who the hell would send carapace-armed, bone-rifle wielding replicants to hunt down one artificial? Most people would just buy a replacement if the bounty-hunters didn't drag it back home, and some would anyway, considering a runaway defective.
“She is?” Connor asked, a slow smile appearing on his face.
“Con?” Abby shot him a look, one I interpreted as he better have a good reason for his smile or he'd be on the couch.
“Don't you see, if she's an artificial she'll be copyrighted. All we need to do is check her genes and we'll be able to trace who created her...”
“And that might lead us to who killed her?” I asked.
“Maybe,” Connor allowed.
***
The next few hours passed slowly, I spent the time considering what to do next if – no, when Connor found out who had made Dawn. She might have been a bio-synth artificial, but she had been a person. Yes, put me down as a bloody bio-synth righter, but I had never understood how a mass murdering psycho could have more rights to life and his person than a corper's 'personal assistant' had just because he'd been born and she was merely a 'bloody frank' manufactured in some bio-synth facility.
I looked up from petting Molly when Connor almost bounced back into the room. “Connor?”
“Got her,” Connor cried. “Well, I think I have,” he added in a slightly more subdued tone.
“Con?” Abby asked.
“She not on the market yet and her copyright is missing, which is odd...”
Connor trailed off and I cursed, if Dawn lacked copyright it meant she was black-ops herself. Someone who was supposed to be not only untraceable to her owners but completely disposable... but then, Connor had said... “I thought you said you had her?”
“I do.” Connor grinned before yelping at Abby's well-aimed elbow jab. “Hey, no need to get physical.”
“Who made her, Connor.” Abby spoke slowly but purposely, in a tone which meant she meant business and the person she was talking to had better make sense soon. The last time I'd heard it, she'd put that guy on the floor clutching himself. From the way Connor stuttered, I assumed he remembered that too.
“Right.” Connor licked his lips and swallowed. “Some of her coding is similar to that in the chimera Felinx-2000 series, some to the artificial Geisha-Jane series and some to the artificial Diana combat models. All of them are manufactured by one corporation.”
I remembered who made the Diana model, I still had a bloody scar from an encounter with one of the beautiful but fucking deadly combat bio-synth soldiers. I know you crazies do too, but I'll tell you anyway – Prospero Industries. They were usually involved in energy manufacturing and medical research as well as bio-synth manufacturing... oh shit! Why the hell would a major corp like Prospero be operating in 'The Gloom' and the only answer I could come up with wasn't good. “I'm looking into...” I began.
Connor suddenly turned on me. “You're a cop?”
I shook my head. “Private eye, Con.” I shot him and Abby an apologetic look. “Sorry for lying to you but I had no choice.”
“Oh?” Abby's voice sounded dangerous.
I looked them both in the eye before I knew I better start explaining, keeping half-an-eye on Abby for I had no wish to be groaning on the floor, no matter how much I might deserve it. “Look, I usually live in 'The Shadowlands' but SOCA made me an offer I couldn't refuse – come down here and look into something for them, tell them who my client was or spend the next several years in the cubes. I couldn't give up my client.”
“Hmm,” Abby murmured, but I counted it as a win that she hadn't made a threatening move in my direction, at least, not yet.
“I didn't like lying to you,” I told them. “But I was looking into suspected organ-legging for SOCA.”
“Oh.” Abby's frown faded and I felt marginally safer.
“I overheard a rumour about the abandoned cannery on the north edge of Gallow's Drop, I was investigating it when I encountered Dawn and those replicants.”
Connor looked thoughtful. “It would probably be a good spot for it.”
“You know it?” I asked, if Connor did, his knowledge could be invaluable for my recce.
“Is that the place you were on about setting up in?” Abby asked. “The one I said was too far from people if I was to run a medical practice?”
Connor nodded. “It would have had lots of space if I'd gutted out all the conveyor belts, fridges and storage rooms.”
“Add a power source and it would be all they'd need to run an organ-legging business,” Abby said. “Do you think Dawn was in the wrong place at the wrong time?”
“Maybe,” I agreed. “But I don't believe in coincidences.”
“So you think Prospero is behind the organ-legging? But why would they be? Prospero sells bio-synth organs,” Abby informed me.
“I know.” Well, I hadn't but most corps had their sticky fingers in everything. “But...” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I don't know if they are, but someone had replicants running around Gallow's Drop armed with bone-rifles and wearing carapace-armour, which means either corporate or government involvement and since we know Dawn was created by Prospero...”
“Connor, you said she wasn't copyrighted?” Abby asked, continuing when Connor nodded, “Maybe she was stolen for corporate espionage, tried to escape and saw something she shouldn't have, that would explain what she's doing down here. They wouldn't need her alive to reverse engineer her codes.”
That was always possible, fuck, who am I kidding? The corporates fought tooth-and-nail over every scrap of cred they could squeeze from people. A spot of corporate espionage was normal, as was hiding a project in 'The Gloom' to keep it from other corporations' spying eyes. “Either way, a corporation is likely to be behind it.”
“So, now what?” Connor asked.
“Now, I recce that cannery and see what I can find out.” I really saw no other choice, it wasn't as if I could go to the authorities with my suspicions. Not when half of them were being paid from corporation pockets, and I had no idea which half.
“We're coming too,” Abby said, ignoring Connor's cry of dismay.
“It won't be safe,” I told her. “The organ-leggers won't hesitate to kill you.”
“Actually, they'd be more likely to try and take us alive and harvest our organs,” Connor added unhelpfully.
I really wish he hadn't reminded me of that, still, I wasn't going to risk Connor's or Abby's lives. “All the more reason for me to go in alone.” When Abby looked as if she'd disagree, I raised a hand. “Look, if I don't come back, you'll have to...” I trailed off, there wasn't much they could do if I didn't come back.
“I'm not going to sit here wondering who might disappear next when I could do something about it,” Abby told me. “We're coming.”
“Abby,” Connor started before stopping when Abby shot him a look.
“You won't be able to help anyone hurt, Danny, and unless you know bio-synth better than I think, you won't be able to track down who is responsible. You need our help.”
I knew Abby was right, but it didn't make knowing leading them into danger felt any better. “Fine, do you have any weapons?”
Connor nodded. “I designed a few things to protect us.”
“Good,” I smiled as another option occurred to me. “If a corporation is behind this, they might be interested in new bio-synth...”
“I'm not selling it to them,” Connor cried.
“I'm not on about selling it, I'm on about a way to get in and keep from getting killed if they capture us.” Abby frowned, obviously not liking my idea, so I asked her if she had a better idea.
“Not really,” Abby sounded reluctant, she looked at Connor before meeting my eyes. “I don't trust the authorities, Connor definitely doesn't, but what happens if we fail?”
“Who do you want to tell?” I asked as Connor almost yelled something mostly unintelligible except it was something about corrupt bastards.
***
”To cut a long story short, we decided – with much disagreement from Connor – that we did need to tell someone about what we'd discovered. None of us trust the authorities enough to leave it to them to deal with this organ-legging, but we don't want to let those responsible to get away with it either. In the end, this is the choice we made – if we don't use a specific password within 24 hours of recording this message, it will be automatically sent to the CRA. Mostly as even Connor agrees that you crazies don't like corpers and they don't like you.
Hopefully you crazies won't get to listen to my story and Connor will get to wipe this message. But... if you do, all I can ask is that you finish what we started. They can't be allowed to get away with murdering people, even if they are only Fringers to you.”
The recording clicked and buzzed before the recorder spat the glistening disc out and curled up on the desk bearing the name plate 'James Lester, Director, CRA'. The man seated behind the desk steepled his fingers and arched an elegant eyebrow at the black-carapace armoured soldier standing at parade-rest before his desk. “Opinions. Captain Ryan?”
“That this Danny Quinn likes the sound of his own voice, sir,” Ryan replied.
“Anything useful, captain?”
“Are you sure this is legitimate, sir?” Ryan asked.
“As opposed to?” Lester queried.
“A plant by the corporations,” Ryan suggested. “They would do anything to discredit us, sir.”
“I do know that, captain,” Lester almost snapped back before sighing softly. “However, my sources confirm that this Danny Quinn is a private investigator with a good reputation.” The disdain was clear in Lester's voice before he continued, “And if he has information which might connect even one corporation to organ-legging and other criminal activities, it is our duty to investigate.”
Ryan nodded. “I can have my team ready for insertion in half-an-hour, sir.”
“Excellent, do carry on, captain.”
“Sir.” Ryan saluted before pausing when Lester cleared his throat. “Sir?”
“If they're still alive, rescue Danny, Abby and Connor and bring them back here, under heavy guard. Try and capture at least one organ-legger alive and preferably in one piece. Secure any data you can and then burn what is left. Make it look accidental if you can, but destroy it.”
“Anything else, sir?” Ryan enquired in a tone which said he knew everything Lester was telling him.
“Apart from being ghosts?” Lester gave him a cold smile. “I don't believe so. Good luck, captain.”
Ryan saluted before leaving Lester to look out of his window at the city which surrounded him, his gaze drawn to the green top of Prospero's Coracrete tower. Knowing he might finally have gained an advantage over one of his foes, but only if he proceeded carefully. He shook his head, knowing there was no point thinking about that unless and until Ryan returned with evidence which connected Prospero with illegal activities, and even then, he knew better to think anyone of any consequence would be sacrificed. At best, he'd end up with a scapegoat thrown to the CRA to keep them quiet and the corporation would continue to run with only a minor line item mentioning the fine, even if the amount would fund the CRA for a year or more.
No, James Lester was a realist and knew it would take much more that one case of organ-legging to bring the corporates to heel. He was also a determined man and would succeed, even if it took all his life to do so. He clicked on his comm-link, “Ms Wickes, please bring through the information we have on Prospero.”
Part 1
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Date: 2018-09-03 07:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-09-03 07:27 pm (UTC)Thanks for reading.