Short Stories

Julian

"Are you in?"

"Shut up."

"Are you in?!"

"Damn you! Yes, I'm in!"

"Well, hurry it up."

"Yo, you wanna dive yourself? 'Cause I could just pull my brain line now, pack it up and go."

"No! You know I can't synchro-dive! Julian would track my brain line instantly. You know how good he is."

"Best cyber hit man this side of the abyss-matrix, they say. Of course, 'they' are a bunch of cowards. You must have pissed off some really rich people if this guy is after you."

"So, that's your roundabout way of asking what I did?"

"By all means, monologue. Nothing could keep out distractions more than that."

"I invaded a hacker/kill system passed a firewall so thick I thought dynamite wouldn't crack it. Took me three months to think of the right codes and another six weeks to run them."

"For what?"

"What else? Money. The cash I got for cracking their ice bought me enough powerball to last me a year. If I'd gotten the chance to spend it."

"Who hired you?"

"Dunno. The whole thing was done over an encrypted connection. Even if I could trace it, my client didn't stay connected long enough to get a brain pattern to scan."

"Smart guy."

"Yeah, no shit."

"Wait, it took you how long to get through that firewall?"

"About four and a half months total."

"Damn. The only computer systems with that kind of protections-"

"And the criminal contacts to hire a guy like Julian."

"Shit..."

"Yeah. Mobius Unlimited. You getting why I'm freakin out? I hear their tendrils reach so far out they even control the abyss-matrix."

"That's so much bullshit, it made my image flicker. The abyss-matrix is a free zone, impossible to navigate even with a controlling program. I don't care how much Julian thinks he's hot shit, no one can navigate the abyss-matrix."

"Any other widely known facts you'd like to tell me?"

"Fuck you, then. I'll leave you jacked in for Julian to find. Grow the fuck up. Hey, I think I found something."

"What?"

"I'm slipping in and out of my data stream. Order up some power ball."

"I could use a few hits myself."

"Thought you couldn't log in?"

"I'll log in long enough to get a hit."

"Fuckin addict..."

*click

"Hey, Jackson! Send up some toys!"

"Whut kind there, chief?"

"Send up some balls. Good ones this time!"

"Ya got it. Yo, Lyie! Get your tail in here!"

*click

"This file is crap..."

"Huh?"

"The file, asshole. It's blank. Not worth shit. No brain scan, no facial scan, fingerprints, retina pattern, nada. It's like he's a fuckin myth."

"Oh, so Mr. Cyber Ninja can't find a little scrap of information."

"Why not quit your fucking bitching and get in here and help me. I'm gonna use your line as a tether to swing across the abyss-matrix."

"Hell no!"

"You'll jack in for drugs but not to save your own worthless life? Get your ass in here before I send a net wide broadcast of your location. Your line is just to keep me from getting lost. My line will cloud yours."

"I swear to Christ, if you get me killed..."

*click

"You gents order some powerball?"

"We're both jacked in. Just set us up will ya?"

"That you Grey?"

"Yeah, Lyie. Been awhile, huh?"

"You know some barmaid?"

"I come here sometimes."

"A world class cyber assassin is after you and you run to the place where you're often seen. Good job."

"Hmph! Well, I can tell you for sure he's never here. You disappear for months without a single blip on the 'boards and you come here sniffing around. You're not getting anywhere near my bed tonight."

"Just be sweet and hook us up to the power ball, ok? We're trying to get some info and I can't just disconnect."

"What's so damn important that I have to be your personal maid 'bot for you two?"

"Grey's helping me cross the abyss-matrix. Don't worry your narrow little head about it."

"You're new friend is obnoxious, Grey."

"Whatever saves my neck, Lyie."

"I was never interested in your neck. That connected ok?"

"Perfect. My data stream is solid now."

"What kind of key jockey needs drugs to stay in his data stream?"

"A damn good one, chicken head. Now shut up! I think I got a brain pattern!"

"Man, I owe you big time..."

"You're not kidding. I've got a brain eater virus with me. Keep me grounded and I can implant it and kill him."

"You two will find that difficult considering I am not jacked in."

"That's it, bar-bot. Get out or I'll throw you out!"

"Impossible since the toxin I laced the power ball with has also locked you in."

"Lyie, what the fu-"

"Please refrain from using profanities in a lady's presence. Even in these modern times, be respectful."

"There's no way you can keep us from jacking out!"

"Grey, have you tried to jack out?"

"You two surfers are likely so seldom disconnected, I doubt you're too upset about being locked in."

"Lyie... Why?"

"About now you should be finding it difficult to speak. I will use the blessed cessation of your blather to explain. I am Julian. The charming Lyie caught a sudden, non-lethal illness. Because I abhor collateral damage, she'll be back in a few days. You two, however, won't be so lucky. You got too nosey, Grey. Mobius Unlimited not only wants you dead, they want you gone. By now you should be feeling a tingling sensation at the base of your skulls, like tiny teeth chewing on your brainstem. After this feeling fades, black liquid will begin to seep from your orifices. That would be what the contaminate has done to your internal organs. That will be the last thing you see before your optic nerve or circuits fuse and melt as well. The toxin will reduce all living and non-living cells to junk. Not even a single DNA marker will remain.

"You will only feel pain for 10.238 minutes, then your nerve endings will be gone. After that, you will feel no pain as you pass on. I am no sadist, so I'll be on my way."

*click

"Jackson?"

"Yah, Lyie."

"It's done. You can drop cover."

"Excellent work, Julian. But Mobius Unlimited won't pay you extra for the other one."

"He must be wanted somewhere for something. I've got a few cells. I'm sure they'll fetch me some credits."

"That policy will get you bankrupt, girl."

"We'll see. I'll be down in five."

"Taxi will be waiting. I'll meet you down there."

*click