squeezed. Sensation disappeared in my lower body as I felt vertebrae crunching at the small of my back. I reared my head to try the headbutt with sonics trick again, but he tossed me to the side.
My legs wouldn’t move. I heaved myself over to his severed arm and grabbed it. I turned and swung wildly as he approached, but he seized the club and cast it away. I tried to fend him off, but he planted one foot on my chest and grabbed my metallic arm.
Grinning down at me, he said, “See how you like it.” With a wrenching twist, my prosthetic shoulder gave way, and he tore it loose without effort. For good measure, he brought his foot down on my chest, smashing more ribs and my sternum along with them. Blood sprayed from my mouth, and I knew then I had lost the fight.
He hit me, and bones broke. He hit me again, and more bones broke. I was dying, organs mashed, everything fading to a hazy gray. Cain rolled my husk over, and I felt his arm close over my face. He pulled me up and started to twist. My flesh gave way as he labored to remove my head.
I had one chance left. Only one thing remaining to save me.
Activate subrouti—
*
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Chapter 15: A Colossal Mistake
Archivist Cain, three weeks after the murder of Sid, stood in the highest tower of the Keritas corporate headquarters on planet Ethra as the recording he pulled from Sid’s mind finished. Daylight spilled in through the full-sized windows, illuminating the enormous and lavish office. The Vice President of the company, Saul Zimmer, folded his arms as the display burst into static at Sid’s death.
“Was it necessary to show all of it? I’m a very busy man. I didn’t need to see you manhandle and brutalize the poor fool.”
Cain turned, gesturing with his remaining hand at the damage on his body. “I wanted you to fully understand how difficult this was. I need a full repair and the return of my weapon systems.” Cain held one hand against his head, which had been hurting nonstop since his fight with Sid.
“Yes, yes, whatever.” The Vice President waved a hand. “I can’t believe that pipsqueak Archivist gave you more trouble than Ivan did.”
“Ivan
Zimmer shook his head. “No, no. There’s no profit to such a waste of time and resources. Their hiding place means nothing to us.”
“What about Ivan?” Cain asked, rubbing the healing puncture wounds on his chin. “Have they discovered anything yet?”
The Vice President of Keritas bared his teeth. “Some. Not enough to piece together the system those idiots Calloway and Trevors used before he smashed their heads and the records, but they’re getting closer.”
“Trevors couldn’t help?”
“Not so far.” Zimmer shrugged. “Surprised as I was to find out he’s been scurrying around our tunnels for so many years, I don’t know if he’ll be able to contribute. His brains are so scrambled from the trauma and years of malnutrition. The doctors are going to try some procedures to see if they can bring something of him back, but I don’t have much hope for it. And Calloway… we sent him off to parts unknown. He’s long gone.”
Cain clanged a fist off of his metal chest. “I don’t see why advanced bone density and muscle improvement is better than full mechanics.”
“Hah!” Zimmer laughed, throwing a gesture at the damaged Archivist. “You’re living proof, you moron! And don’t think for one second Ivan couldn’t peel off each layer of your metallic hide and eat the shavings for breakfast. You got him because of his idiotic compassion. Besides,” he jabbed a finger into Cain’s chest, “you think there’s a market for people, even soldiers, wanting to be a freak like you? How about they be just as strong and fast, nearly as indestructible, and still as pretty as the day their mothers expelled them? Which one do you think they’ll go for?”
The Archivist didn’t respond, accustomed to his main employer’s surly attitude. Zimmer continued his rant about the advantages of human appearance with unbelievable quality of augmentation. “Even the anti-aug idiots on the rim don’t know the difference until their skulls decorate the wallpaper!”
Cain felt a twinge behind his left eye, the one not damaged in his fight, and he frowned. An image suddenly came to mind of Zimmer smashing through the glass, shocked and terrified as he plummeted out of sight.
“Oh what’s the matter?” Zimmer said in a mock-worried tone. “Did I hurt the robot’s feelings? Pah.”
Still frowning, Cain ignored the insult. “So what are you going to do with Ivan? It’s not like you can keep him locked up forever.” Even as the words tumbled out of his mouth, Cain didn’t understand why he said them.
Zimmer’s face screwed up in a mixture of appall, condescension, and amusement. “What, are you serious? Did the itty-bitty Archivist you smashed up ring your bell too hard? Tell me: why can’t I leave that hulking brute locked in his cell with tubes in every orifice until the universe explodes? Who’s going to stop me?” He gave a sharp laugh. “Cain, one of these days I’m going to have to replace you with one of those
Cain pressed a fingertip to the side of his head. “Sorry, sir. It’s the… it’s the others. I didn’t realize Sid had taken another Archivist so soon, and their memories and thoughts are still not integrated.”
“
The Archivist’s mind buzzed with the presence of too many thoughts, some of them he couldn’t identify as his own. Zimmer continued on his next rant about how much Cain’s maintenance and functions cost against the tiny gains from the half-wit machine. Cain again saw in his mind the bloodied Vice President sailing into daylight with the trickle of broken glass behind him.
“What, you’re disagreeing? That’s rich. How many times—”
“No, it’s my head,” Cain interrupted, clenching his teeth, hearing a building laughter in his mind.
“You see, I was thinking the same thing! Your head’s about as useful as—”
“
“Boy, the pipsqueak actually did a pretty solid number on you, didn’t he? We should get you—”
Cain’s mind vanished into a sea of memories. He saw again the fight between Sid and Dana, every whirling motion and the threading on their clothing clear and crisp. He watched Sid’s conversation with Dr. Trevors, the
