Astel looked at her. “Zera, you are talking like a bad guy.”
She smiled at him. “Am I? Oh, dear.”
The gathered team members turned to watch as she was led outside by her boyfriend and off to the detention centre. She had planned for this, but that didn’t mean she had to like it.
She was stripped out of her funeral clothes and com, put into loose scrubs, and hauled to a medical facility under guard.
Base scans and tissue samples were taken. Zera wasn’t asked questions, so she didn’t have to provide answers. She did as she was told as her psyche relaxed. The last week had been leading up to this moment, and now, she was relaxing and letting herself be removed by tiny pieces.
She was brought back to a cell, and she sat against the wall and let her brain think of absolutely nothing for a few hours. She slid down the wall and curled up on her bunk, falling asleep with remarkable ease. Her conscience was clear, and her agenda was open. The rest of her life was going to start as soon as she got out of there. It would involve a little more public exposure, but she had never been afraid to show off.
“Researcher Zera, you are here in front of this tribunal to answer the charges of wanton and premeditated murder.”
She stood with her hands behind her back, and she lifted her head. “Six-zero-four-two-nine-seven-six. I am a registered bounty hunter with the state. The ashes were the remains of Mentor, and the doll maker is deactivated. Both were legal kills under the current program and peacekeeper guidelines for dealing with activated criminals.”
They looked at each other, and one of them typed in the number. She sat back and whistled. “She is a registered bounty hunter for activated criminals. She registered this capture a week ago. Wait, why didn’t we see this until now?”
Zera chuckled. “It only becomes visible with the number. Otherwise, you have to check under the nickname Hopper.”
The tribunal looked at her, and one of the men drummed his fingers on the desk. “This was a revenge killing.”
“It was removing a dangerous active from the general population before he killed more people. My sister may have been the catalyst to action, but she was not the initial issue that caused the bounty on their heads. There were other members of their organization that are still at large. You may want to look into them.”
She waited for half an hour while the other info was checked and verified. Her registration had been a joke between her and Dainty. It was an in-case-of-emergency registration. If one of the patrons got out of hand, she needed to be able to take them down. It was not information that she shared with the patrons.
She stood and occasionally made minor shifts to her shoulders.
One of the tribunals frowned. “Are the cuffs too tight?”
“No. I am used to them.”
“Do you get arrested a lot?” The female gave her a slight smile.
“No, mostly recreational confinement.”
The tribunal froze.
“So, it is true that you are an escort?” one of the men asked her.
“Of course. I had to get the authorization, the legal precedent set, and the right to service actives to ease the psychosis caused by lack of physical contact. Contact with me also offers power-boosting benefits that are reaping rewards for those that they save.”
The woman blinked and leaned forward. “What?”
“It is a fact that is on record. It is one of the reasons that Torun went from mid-range to team leader in a few months. He had more emotional equilibrium and was stronger, faster, and healthier. That is my active evolution. That and being able to hop in and out of the bodies of the willing. Sometimes, I can bring knowledge of how to use their active evolution with me.”
The shock on their faces made her smile. They started quizzing her, and she answered their questions for an hour. When they were finished, they said they would review her case and let her know their decision.
Zera was led out of the meeting room and past Torun. “You’re up, scooter.”
He smiled and shook his head. “That’s a good look for you. No bra?”
“Nope.”
Her guards were upset by the flirting, but they hauled her back to her cell.
She was in her cell for two hours, having a cup of coffee, when a figure filled the hall outside the cell.
“Hey, Zera. The researchers would like to see you in action.”
She grinned. “Why, Torun, I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“Fine. They want to see us in action. In the lab. On the record.”
“That’s pretty pervy. Why ever would they want that?”
“To see if you do what you said you do.” Torun grinned. “I have no objection.”
“You just want to fuck on camera. I know it is one of your fantasies.”
He shrugged. “So, humour me. My birthday is coming up.” He gave her a charming smile.
“So, just so we have ground rules, what do you want to do?”
“I thought we could start on the exam table and see where we go from there. Maybe you can cut loose a little.”
Zera smiled slowly. “How much?”
His eyes were glowing. “How much am I allowed to cut loose myself?”
“Well, these are your people, so it’s up to you what you show them. I am good with whatever.”
He nodded and unlocked her cell. “Hands for cuffs.”
She turned and presented her hands for the cuffs. He pressed them in tight, and she went on her toes as her body started to throb in anticipation.
He whispered in her ear, “Don’t get too hot too fast. They need a baseline.”
“Then don’t tighten the cuffs like that.”
“But I like them like that.” He chuckled.
“Yeah, that’s the problem.” She smiled. “Fine. You have to steer. I have been using this as a micro vacation, so I have no idea where we are.”
He grabbed her by her arm and directed
