Jason drops through the maintenance hatch into the tunnel system.
He’s hungry and thirsty. He’s also scared, but not out of his wits - not yet. He dare not show that, though. He starts jogging down the railway tunnel, orienting himself from memory.
“Okay, miss intelligence analysis. Make yourself useful.”
Soldiers didn’t immediately enter the room when you disabled - her.
“Your jealousy is showing. If you have so much trouble with her name, how about Ms. X?”
I don’t think she’s content being just an ex. I think–
“You’re stalling. Do you have something or not?”
Very well. After you disabled Byrne, you’d expect an armed response. Soldiers, or somebody, dispatched to a secure room where a prisoner had just escaped. I recall cameras, but perhaps they weren’t feeding the SVR. For example, the TALOS was one of Sidorov’s designs, clearly. Perhaps that male voice giving orders was Sidorov after all.
“Okay, so if he’s alive, he’s working with SVR?”
Yes, and with enough authority to run things his own way.
“It would probably take a hypergenius to unravel this nanotech,” concurs Jason. “Someone like that, who worked with Dr. Chin and thus at least passingly familiar with Byron Quill’s tech, would make a good fit.”
It thus seems unlikely that they’ll mobilize the regular army to chase you down here. Sidorov won’t want to lose face by letting a prize such as yourself get away, only to be captured by the Russian Ground Forces.
“He’ll send–”
A shot rings out, and Jason throws himself to the side, instinctively.
“T’was a warning shot,” comes a cheerful lilting voice. “The next one won’t be.”
By all the saints and martyrs, the Mirror mutters.
Jason turns to see Jenny Byrne, expertly aiming a pistol at him. She’s got a second one in her other hand.
“I see our relationship has entered choppy waters,” he quips with a forced grin.
“I’m afraid I must insist that you return,” Jenny says firmly.
Jason laughs. “Come now, after all the–”
A second shot rings out, and Jason feels the passage of the bullet near his head.
“I misspoke. Two warning shots,” Jenny announces.
She’s not bluffing, the Mirror concurs.
“Well I am,” Jason mutters under his breath. “S’all I’ve got.”
I hope you’re better at it than I remember.
Loudly, Jason calls out. “The nano-reactor is spiked. I saw to that. You won’t get anything valuable out of me at that location.”
“That’s the boss’s problem, not mine,” Jenny says.
“But I thought you were the one with the interest. ‘A new career as a researcher into nanotechnology’, wasn’t it? Isn’t Sidorov building toys like TALOS, while you’re the one doing the interesting work?”
He can see her face waver for just a moment. Then her resolve stiffens, as does her grip on the pistol. “None of your honeyed blandishments, Mr. Quill. Now come peacefully.”
Jason feels he can push just a bit more. He goes for broke. “Surely you’ve made some kind of breakthrough, even with what little you were able to obtain.”
Her eyes light up. Jackpot.
“Well, since you asked so nicely, I’ll explain. Just so you don’t get any wild ideas about escaping en route, you understand.”
Jenny pulls at the edges of her top.
Don’t you dare look at her– the Mirror shouts urgently.
But what the girl reveals isn’t anything salacious or private. Instead, Jason can see some kind of silvery patch embedded on her skin. Fine silver lines radiate away from it in all directions.
“кукла. The Poppet system. It’s not your full nanobot suite, admittedly, but it allows me to access experiences, knowledge, even muscle memory. It’ll be the new generation of RNA transcoding technology, allowing anyone to be an agent, a soldier, anything they need.”
Jenny hefts the pistol in her off hand by way of demonstration - the one in her dominant hand stays firmly fixed on Jason. “You see? Right now I’ve got the skills of a tracker, a shooter, and a soldier loaded. I can keep up with someone like you, m’dear. What took you a lifetime of experience can be accessed by me in seconds.”
Jason starts walking toward Jenny, hands in the air. He’s on borrowed time, and isn’t going to take chances. “And by Sidorov’s private army, one assumes.”
“Naturally.”
“And then he’s done with you?” Jason asks innocently.
“What do you mean?” Jenny snaps.
“Well, there’s no more nano-reactor, is there. The software spike was permanent. Which means my usefulness as a research subject is nil.” Jason is babbling, making up this scheme as he goes. But what else does he have? “My usefulness as a researcher, though, is invaluable. It’s my father’s tech, and I’m its sole user. And despite the impressiveness of Poppet, I’m a hypergenius, and I don’t think you can replicate that.”
Jenny’s voice is angry. “He’d never replace me. I’ve done everything for him!”
Ask her about Zeldovich.
“And was he so gracious with Zeldovich?”
Jenny’s mouth forms an O. “How did you know about that?”
Jason taps the side of his head and winks. “My passenger, remember?”
Jenny’s shoulder sag. “Of course, I should have known. Sidorov, Doctor Chin’s loyal lieutenant. The daughter would be expected to know of her father’s associates.”
Hands still in the air, Jason tries his most brazen bluff yet. It’s either that or engage in hand to hand once he’s close enough, and the odds are good he’ll take at least one bullet in the process. “You know, if the only thing keeping you at Sidorov’s side is nanotechnology, maybe there’s someone who can make you a better offer?”
Wait. What are you doing?
Jenny is silent. Jason feels himself holding his breath, and forces himself to breathe. He’ll need oxygen if this is the moment a fight happens.
“What guarantee do I have that you’d make good, and not just run away again, Mr. Jason Quill?” the girl asks at last.
Jason shrugs, charm turned up to full again. “You’ve got the guns. And if you can’t keep me corralled, you know your Poppet system isn’t all you say it is. Call this a job interview. If your system can outmatch any escape attempt I might make, I’d say you’re worth hiring.”
The gun on Jason doesn’t waver, but Jenny’s mouth curls into a sly smile. “And I expect I’d be working… under you, Mr. Quill?”
Do not flirt with her. Do not dare flirt with her. I will find a way to kill you. I swear before Lei Shen, god of thunder and retribution, I will find a way.
Jason’s smile is dazzling. “We’ll negotiate specifics once we both know each other a little better, how about that?”
Jenny pouts a bit, but her smile is back momentarily. “Such a tease. Then how about we find ourselves a comfortable military railcar?”
“And head to Vnukovo International Airport? Just the three of us?”
Jenny nods. “Sidorov has a plane bound for Mongolia. Very hush-hush. But it’s got absolute clearance to fly anywhere. I propose that I get you on board, and we’ll follow your plan from then on?”
Jenny gestures with the guns. Jason realizes she’s not going to relent one whit in her watchfulness.
Jason shrugs. “I was going to say ladies first, but under the circumstances I’ll let protocol slide.”
