Regers scowled. Another bot? Not too bright. Wooden grip to the hands. Slight stiff movements to the legs. Probably another of Mathias’s fucking mechnos. Or maybe a defective prototype.
Dez held up a shaky hand. “Nothing, Balsen. Just a little under the weather.”
“We’re taking CEO Yadley to the cafeteria to get a little hot soup,” Regers explained. “It works wonders, just as Granny always said.”
The security guard’s frown deepened. “Yeah, well the cafeteria’s back the other way.”
“We know, just giving Mr. Yadley a bit of leg exercise. He seems to have stiffened up all of a sudden. Wanted to work out the kinks.” Regers smiled. He hustled Dez along like an errant calf. “No fast ones, you dipshit fucking toad,” he hissed. “It’s you who’ll get clipped, not us. Me and my men can blast our way out of here, if we have to.”
“You don’t even have rifles,” Dez gasped.
“Your men do. And easier than apples to get one of those pistols off them. Think I can’t do it? Watch. Been in this business long enough.”
Dez sagged. He nodded his head in despair, a defeated man. “Brutes.” He mumbled under his breath.
“You got that right.” Regers tipped his head in salute. “Pipe down. We’re going on a little walk out of here.” He cast Dez a menacing look.
They exited the glass foyer without mishap. Across the busy street they shepherded Dez down another side street away from the hubbub. They merged into the crowd and for a brief moment, Regers gusted a relieved breath. Despite his bravado, even his nerves had a limit. Now that the worst was over, the rest would be easy. Provided his accomplices on Xaromar didn’t do something stupid and fuck up what was essentially a simple operation from here on in.
Even as he pondered this, Regers wondered how many of these munchkins running about the streets like headless chickens, were bots. Wouldn’t surprise him if Cyber Corp had unleashed an army of them—testing them out on the streets, ready to take over the planet.
The magno tram, Blue Line C1, approached, hovering a foot off the ground. Its blue, aerodynamic housing, capable of high speeds through the city, was low noise, economical. Regers marveled at the efficiency. The reinforced fiberglass doors slid back, admitting new citizens, disgorging others. Regers and crew piled in, taking seats at the back of the car, two on either side of Dez. He tried to mouth some words but Deakes silenced him with fingers digging into his side.
No words were spoken. A couple of route changes got them out of the city and on to some abandoned lots on the east end of town where Regers had told Creib and Jennings to meet them with Xaromar. Regers had deliberately picked an out-of-the-way spot, far from their dropoff. Helped throw off snoopers.
The tram door opened at a penultimate station. Dez tried to make a run for it but Deakes flung himself forth and kidney-punched him good, dragging him back to the seat. “There, there, little birdie has frisky wings.” Two middle-aged female passengers in nearby seats blinked in owlish astonishment and Deakes graced them with an open-faced grin. While Dez doubled over, groaning, Deakes patted Dez on the back, shaking his head and clucking like a bird. “Escaped mental patient from the institute,” Deakes explained. He flashed the old ID from his transpo job out of the grey coveralls he still wore. “We have our orders to use excessive force.” He growled between his teeth.
“Yes, seems our patient’s learning though.” Regers leaned back in his seat, exhaling a confident breath. Not long now. He nodded in approval as Deakes and Vincent kept a close eye on Dez.
Last stop was Portmouth on the Red C Line. The train slowed up with a metallic hum. They exited the tram, cleared the station and headed toward a row of stark, cinder block warehouses. Regers radioed ahead to Creib. Within minutes Xaromar arched out of the sky, a dull grey-black blob with curved prow and blue glow flaring from its lateral impulse jets.
“You know this scheme of yours is never going to work,” Dez rasped.
Regers shrugged. “Looks as if it is, Dez. What I want to know is why didn’t Mathias fill you in on his plans, you being his senior scientist and all?”
Dez snarled, wiping his puffed, sweating face. “Even to his senior staff, Mathias is protective of his secrets. He tells me only what he wants me to know.”
“Is that right?”
“So many schemes in the man’s mind. Makes one’s head spin. The man’s ruthless. Twice I’ve thought of turning tail like Hresh did, getting out while I could, but I’m scared to death of what he’d do. Now I’m in charge of the company in his absence. A strange irony.”
The ship landed on an open space upon the tarmac amidst bins and crates of metal tubing. Regers’ and the others’ hair tousled in the wind kicked up by the ship’s thrusters. They approached the opening cargo door.
Dez’s jaw dropped as he saw his fate, then looked at the crazy gleam in Regers’ eyes. “What happened to you out there in The Dim Zone? You’re not the same person I remember some weeks ago in our offices.”
Regers, a man beyond caring, conscience or principle, gave a bare-toothed grin. “Let’s just say I’ve gone far beyond fear, Dez. Beyond what you might call ‘sane’ in this so-called real world you think you live in.”
The cargo door closed and they marched Dez to the bridge as the ship lifted off for orbit around Phallanor.
Regers spoke in a cheery voice, “Everybody, meet Dez, acting CEO of Cyber Corp.” He swept an arm toward the wide-eyed scientist. “Dez, meet Jennings—aka Jiminy, engineer and navigator, and that there’s Creib in charge of piloting. Deakes, Ramra and Vincent you already know.”
Dez pursed his lips.
