'No thanks, Mother Superior. I don't drink while I'm working.'
Beatrice made the connection even as Shoal drew her sword, and she threw herself sideways off her chair. An Investigator's only work was killing. The sword blade whistled through the air where she'd been a moment before, and Beatrice hit the ground rolling. She surged up onto her feet again and flailed out wildly with her bottle. The wine shot out of the narrow neck in a solid jet that hit the Investigator right in her eyes, blinding her for a moment. Shoal lashed out with her sword anyway, but Beatrice had moved again. She brought the bottle down on Shoal's head as hard as she could. It didn't break, but the Investigator slumped to one knee under the force of the blow, shaking her head. Beatrice hit her again, putting all her strength into it, and this time the bottle shattered on the Investigator's skull. Shoal fell forward and Beatrice turned and ran, still holding the jagged bottle in her hand. She ran, though she hadn't a clue where safety lay anymore. Shoal's orders had to have come from very high up, to risk upsetting the Sisterhood, which meant she had no friends here on Technos III. She'd offended practically everyone at one time or another. No. She still had one friend; with influence if not power. Toby Shreck. She sprinted down the hill toward the factory complex and the ceremony. If she could put out a plea for protection on live holo coverage, the Wolfes would have to protect her or face the entire Sisterhood's wrath. Beatrice ran on, pushing herself as hard as she could, the wine she'd already drunk swimming heavily in her head and stomach. And she tried not to hear the pursuing feet of the Investigator, not all that far behind.
Jack Random, Ruby Journey, and Alexander Storm moved silently through a newly cut tunnel, deep beneath the surface of Technos III. Up above, on the jagged metal surface, the Rejects had launched a surprise attack against those guards not attending the ceremony, to keep them occupied while Random's small party slipped unnoticed past the factory's outer defenses. The tunnel ran deep, undercutting Wolfe and rebel trenches alike, to emerge beyond the innermost of the circles of hell, inside the factory's perimeter. The Wolfe forces would detect the new tunnel soon enough once the attack was over, but by then Random and his force would be inside the factory, the tunnel collapsed behind them. In theory.
'I don't like this,' said Storm. 'I really don't like this. The Wolfe technicians must have spotted us by now. The guards could be down here any minute.'
'Not so long as the Rejects are keeping them busy,' said Random. 'And I do wish you'd stop complaining, Alex. You're starting to sound like my fourth wife, may she rest in peace.'
'She's dead?' said Ruby.
'No,' said Random. 'Just wishful thinking.'
'I warned you about her, too,' said Storm. 'You didn't listen to me then, either. This scheme is crazy, Jack! It can't work!'
'You say that about all my plans.'
'And I'm usually right.'
Random sighed. 'Look, forget all the if's and maybes, it's really very simple. The Rejects keep the troops busy, and while everyone else is occupied with the ceremony, and the force Screen is down for the broadcast, we slip in and free the clone workers and get them out before anybody notices. What could go wrong?'
'I've made a list,' said Storm. 'But I don't suppose you want to see it.'
'Hold your noise,' said Ruby. 'Or I'll hold it for you. You're getting too loud, Storm. Someone might hear you.'
'Who?' said Storm. 'According to the master planner here, no one's around to hear us.'
'There's always the chance some guard hasn't read the script and is hanging about where he shouldn't be,' said Random. 'Just because it's a really good plan doesn't mean there can't be… complications. Did you really never like my plans, Alex?'
'No I bloody didn't. They were always needlessly complex and extremely dangerous, especially for the poor sods who had to carry them out.'
'I never asked my men to do anything I wasn't willing to do myself, and you know it. Hell, I lead those undercover teams as often as not. Anyway, if my plans were that bad, why did you keep volunteering to go along with me?'
'I was younger then. And you were my friend.'
Random stopped and looked back. Ruby stopped, too, and instinctively moved in close beside Random as he studied his old friend thoughtfully. Storm looked almost defiant, the dim lighting putting shadows in his face. Or perhaps they'd been there for some time. For a moment. Random thought he was looking at a completely different person, someone he really didn't know at all. And, in a moment of insight, he wondered if that was how Storm saw him these days.
'You were my friend?' he said slowly. 'As in used to be, but not anymore?'
Storm met his gaze squarely. 'I don't know. I used to think I understood you, but you've changed, Jack. Look at you. You're younger, stronger, faster. It's not natural. I can't even follow the way you think anymore. What are you becoming, Jack?'
'Myself,' said Random. 'As I used to be. I'm back in my prime again. A second chance, to get things right this time. I'm sorry, Alex; I've grown young again while you're still old. That's what this is really about, isn't it? I'm the hero again, and you've been left behind. But none of that changes how I feel about you. It doesn't mean that I don't need you anymore. I just need you in different ways these days. Stay with me, Alex. Please. You remind me of who I used to be.'
'And you remind me of who I used to be,' said Storm. 'A man I can't be anymore. Go on. Jack. You lead and I'll follow. Just like I always have.'
'Oh, spare me,' said Ruby. 'Any more of this old comrades stuff and I'll puke over both of you. Can we get on? We are on a schedule, remember?'
'Ruby, dear heart, you have no sentiment in you at all,' said Random, turning away to take up the lead again.
'Damn right,' said Ruby. 'It gets in the way of more important things. Like killing and loot. Now, get your ancient ass moving, Storm, or I'll kick it up around your ears.'
Storm sniffed, but set off after Random. 'You'll be old yourself one day, my girl.'
'I very much doubt it,' said Ruby. 'And I am not your girl.'
'That's for sure,' said Random.
Mother Superior Beatrice ran across the uneven metal plain, her heavy robes flapping about her. She was boiling alive in the summer heat, and her breath was jerking painfully in her straining lungs, but she didn't dare slow down. Investigator Shoal couldn't be far behind her. There was fighting on the east side of the factory, another rebel attack by the look of it, which meant she couldn't get to the ceremony directly, as she'd planned. She'd have to enter the factory through the minor west gate and make her way through the complex to the east gate and the ceremony. That might actually be for the better. Shoal would be bound to catch her on foot eventually, but she might just be able to lose the Investigator in the complex's warren of corridors. She forced more strength into her legs and headed for the west gate.
Most of the guards were gone, called away to the ceremony or the rebel attack, but three Jesuit commandos in their dark formal gowns and hoods were guarding the entrance. They were dark and menacing figures, with guns and swords on their hips, but Beatrice didn't give a damn. Having an Investigator on your tail concentrates the mind wonderfully as to what's really important. Stark terror will do that to you. She stumbled to a halt before the Jesuits and held up a shaking hand to forestall their questions as she tried desperately to get her breath back. Since they hadn't started shooting the moment they recognized her, presumably they didn't know about the execution order on her head. And she couldn't tell them and hope for protection. They'd just assume that if an Investigator was after her, she must be guilty of something. Jesuits believed everyone was guilty of something.
'Someone's after me,' she said finally. 'Must be a rebel. You hold him off while I go inside for help.'
'Hold it,' said the most senior of the Jesuits. 'We have our orders. While the Screen's down, no one gets in or out of the factory. No exceptions.'
'But he's right behind me! He'll kill me!'
'Should have thought about that before you started treating rebels in your hospital,' said the Jesuit. 'Whatever's going on here, I've no doubt you brought it on yourself. If you like, we could take you into protective custody. I'm sure we could find a nice cell for you, until the Cardinal could get around to seeing you.'
'Oh, hell,' said Beatrice. 'I haven't got time for this shit.'
She kicked the senior Jesuit square in the nuts and brandished the broken bottle in the faces of the other
