I was driving home, thinking about the name. Dakota Thea.
Was she that one that hacked Tia back into an avatar? Did she know my predecessor, or was the name just a coincidence?
I'd asked Demi long ago for a list of all Dakotas in existence, but when it came to living people, well, what passes for living here, she'd merely replied "All denizens named Dakota have maximized their privacy settings. I cannot divulge their information."
Did it matter that it might make figuring out the zombie source harder? Somehow, Demi didn't care.
She had her priorities, and stopping the zombies was more important than cutting them off at the source. More important... to the point that Demi never actively helped me in my "source investigations".
It was fucking suspicious.
But now, it felt like something was sliding into place... a little click in my head, getting both a first and last name... a clue that-
"Hi Nixed!"
"!" I jerked the controls as I overreacted to the sudden appearance of a voice at my ear. When you're going the simulated equivalent of a bloody lot of kilometers per second, that meant I barrel-rolled around in the air until my panic subsided.
The barrel roll reaction had two purposes, one was to disrupt anyone aiming a gun at my head and the second was to drop my Fujin into my hand to aim at my surprise visitor-
"Tia?! What the hell are you doing here?" I asked loudly as my simulated heart wound down.
"Well, you are technically driving library property. And since the car happens to be a portable interface terminal, I thought you might like some company!" she giggled.
"Next time send me a text or something," I put away my gun and focused on getting us back to the express lane.
"I tried, but it turns out you aren't stored on the user server, and Demiurge was very clear that she would not disturb you with a message during your 'alone time,' unless there was an emergency," Tia explained, miming quotes with her tiny dragon hands.
I rolled my eyes. In my coat, I could feel that the Excisor had come a bit loose during the roll, so I pulled it out and set it on the passenger seat.
My eyes were drawn to the token on it. The last bullet. The one I hadn't needed to fire.
The gun was still unlocked.
"Hey, uh... Tia. You wouldn't happen to know if my boss is watching me?" I asked tentatively.
"Hmm... nope! She seems to be avoiding your immediate radius. Should I deliver a message?" she replied, ever helpful.
"No! No. Just stick close, I guess...s...s..."
Pangolins.
It was time for those overclock consequences to kick in.
As far as consequences went, I could feel this one wasn't the worst.
Everything got all slow for me. A second ticked by like an hour.
I could feel my SIS fragmenting.
My right hand touched the opposite door. Then the back window.
A memory popped up, unbidden.
I was in a rat-dive of a bar. There was a big old Canadian flag on the wall.
"How'reyanow?" some hickish fop with a crew cut and a face that looked constipated asked me.
For some reason, I was trying to be polite. "Good and you?" I replied.
"Oh, can't complain. That accent, uh. You a Yank?" he continued.
I took a blink, checking his public data. Guessed the male part correctly. The only thing in his bio was "11 inches."
"Fuck DeeCee," I replied.
"Good answer, good answer, uh, sir? Ma'am?" He smiled at me.
I was drunk. He was kindof cute. I remembered I was waiting for someone but still... "For eleven inches, I can be whatever you want," I grinned.
"Oh, um, that's a mighty fine proposition if'n you're a girl, but I can't truck it if you're a fella," his smile became a bit more nervous.
What was he a Luddite? Didn't he check my profile? He clearly had one of his own...
I took a second look. His profile data was all linked to his phone. Not even a hint of cybernetics on him.
"You're a Mennonite," I said.
"Well, yes," he said. "Just on my roamin'. Seeing what's out there before I decide to stay or go."
"With all respect, I'm neither and both. You can take it or leave it," I shrugged. As awkward as all this was, I felt more on the 'neither' side of my genderfluidity.
"Ah. Guessin' I'll leave it then," he pulled a quick hand up for a shake.
I shook his hand, letting the awkward moment pass by sipping my drink. A hard cider. Apple and pear and a hint of cherry.
He made himself scarce.
That was when she sat next to me.
A tall, afric woman with hair like puffy neon-blue clouds and hot-pink eyes.
"Dobryy vecher," she greeted.
"You must be Harmony," I acknowledged, turning to face her. "Good to finally meet you in the real. I've never met a black Russian before."
"I get that a lot," she said in a perfect West California accent. "I've heard good things about you. Helping out the locals against the invasives."
"I think I'm ready for some international hunting though," I replied. "Got a ticket for me?"
"Depends. Have you hit your quota?" she asked.
I slid her a chip. "It's all there. All one-hundred requested, and a few targets of opportunity."
She slotted it into the port in her palm. I waited as she did a short neuro-dive to check the data. It was all legit. Three years of work to escape the hellhole this continent was becoming.
"You've done well," she said as soon as she was out. She took a sip of her drink. A clear martini with slices of cherry along the rim. "One more hunt, in occupied Toronto. Short timeline, only three days. I will have you in Moscow by next week."
"That wasn't the deal!" I said.
"This is a target of opportunity. Make good on it, and you'll get a nice bonus to go with your ticket." She slid over the chip I'd given her, along with a card that would contain my usual rate.
"Fine," I glowered. "Show me the deets."
"Nothing on digital. You get word of mouth only," she leaned in. She started to whisper a name-
I jerked back to reality in front of my apartment. Tia was humming to herself, sitting on the steering wheel like a dragon-shaped bobble head.
"How long was I out?" I asked.
"About four hours of real-time," she said. "I took the liberty of engaging the auto-pilot for you, and asking Demiurge where you live."
"She responded to you?" I stretched. It wasn't necessary, but it made me feel human.
"I told them it was an emergency, but she said it was not. Still gave me your address though." She hummed some more.
I looked at the Excisor.
It was still unlocked.
Perhaps there was one more good deed I could do today.