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- So, how's it going down there?
Panam asked the first question and we heard it as soon as we were on the shore and took off our masks. The shore in this place was gentle and we could just step out onto it. So we didn't have to make any extra effort.
- It's okay out there.
I shrugged.
- Normal? That's it? That's all you have to say?
Kiwi decided to take part in the conversation, by the way, the girls left Vic and Misty alone for a while, but judging by what I saw from the shore, it went almost unnoticed by them, because during our absence Misty had moved to Vic's lap and now she was rocking on them with her eyes closed, while Vic, putting his chin on her shoulder, was stroking her tummy.
- No, not all of it... there's a lot I could say about the synchronisation system for recording the brans and the emotions and memories that came over Judy when we were downstairs... it's an incredible feeling when someone talks about the town they grew up in and you hear the children's laughter, feel the echoes of emotion....
I shook my head.
- Also...
I looked around defiantly, stealthily, and, ostensibly satisfied that no one was listening, continued a half-tone lower.
- 'I've seen Judy's nursery...'
- What's it like?
Lucy joined the conversation, and Becca looked at me with interest.
- It's girly...
Judy lowered her gaze into the sand, while the other girls looked at me in shock. I could read the disbelief in their gaze, but from Judy, since we were still sonically attuned, I could feel the embarrassment. Just a sea of embarrassment.
- You... what do you mean about the girl's room?
Becca also decided to join the conversation.
- Wait, you were downstairs....
The other girls looked at her with shock.
- Well, they went inside one cabin, and also inside the Church, but I stayed outside, I didn't want to interfere with their braying. And I was in regular contact with you guys, so you know I tried to stay away from them. So yeah, I wonder what David means by a girls' room, too.
- Yeah that's what I mean...
I shrugged and sent the girls a copy of the fragment of what my optics had captured in the background, namely the moment we were in Judy's room.
- No...
Becca shook her head in shock and looked up at Judy.
- That's... unexpected...
Lucy was restrained enough not to vent her disbelief on her friend, just shock and a certain amount of confusion.
- My grandmother made this room for me and I just didn't want to offend her!
Judy couldn't stand everyone's attention and decided to start with a very weak excuse, especially in her emotion I could feel the shame of having to lie to her family.
- She's lying...
Gutting her, if I may put it that way. And she, shuddering, looks at me as a traitor to the motherland, but I just come up to her and hug her from the back. We're rid of the scuba gear, so there's nothing stopping me from doing that.
- Um... Lying?
Kiwi looks at me in surprise.
- We're still in tune with each other's emotions.
I shrug as if it's a given.
- All emotions?
- Mostly yes, but only the strongest ones affect us, or the ones she or I focus all our attention on.
- Hmm...so that's why you're there....
Becca nodded at the reservoir.
- ...were acting weird a couple of times. Like you lost your balance and your bearings....
- Yeah.
I nodded and bathed Judy in my love, which made her legs buckle a little.
- We found out about it and decided to show how much we love each other.....
The girls looked enviously at Judy, whose eyes were slightly unfocused from my new influx of emotion.
- ...and I think it won't be long before I get in sync with each of you and show you how much I love you.
- Mm-hmm.
The girls were now looking at Judy thoughtfully.
- I wonder...how much more vivid the sex will be in this state?
Panam asked this question, but it made all the girls think, and even Judy, having recovered a little after my sensuality prank, immediately went back into herself thinking about the new idea.
- We'll have to find out...
She grinned.
- We have to, but the next night is mine...
Lucy looked adamantly at Judy.
- 'But it's for science!
- And I've already waited too long already... enough! I want to be part of this family... You already consider me part of this family, but I want to have sex with David, I want to get even closer to him... if you want, I'll test this technology during sex myself.
- No...
Judy shook her head at Lucy's suggestion.
- 'You don't have anything to compare it to yet. You haven't had regular sex with David, so you simply can't adequately appreciate the sensations you'll be experiencing....
I sighed.
- Don't you think we've left Victor and Misty too long? I realise we...
I nodded at Judy, and Becca, as if to say who I was counting in that group of 'we' that included me.
- We've got a trial and all that, but you could have left them alone.
- Oh, come on.
Kiwi looked at them and waved her hand lightly.
- ...the last thing they need right now is our company. Victor had gotten Misty a little tipsy and had listened to her cry and complain a while ago, first about the injustice of Mama Wells. Then about the world itself... afterwards she told what a jerk Jackie was, that he cheated on her, though he tried not to show it, but she knew... saw him a couple of times with his skanks. Naturally she hadn't followed him, but she'd run into him a couple of times by chance in this town.....
Kiwi shrugged.
- ...It just seems like a big city. Then she moved on to talking about Victor, calling him an idiot and telling him that if he had been a little more persistent, she would have been with him long ago....
I see... anyway, Vic is leaking the news, Misty is now just enjoying the embrace of a loving man....
- Hmmm...
I took another look at the couple.
- It seems they'll be together after this meeting after all... and that's a good thing.
- Yeah...
All the girls agreed with me on that.
We walked towards the table and reassembled as a group.
- So?
Victor looked at Judy and me.
- How were the results?
- Well...
I shrugged.
- ...let Judy talk about that. It's her project, after all, and it's the right thing to do if she wants to talk about it.
Judy gave me a grateful nod.
- The technology's still a bit of a work in progress, but overall...
Then Judy told Victor what she was going to do, how we were helping her, and what she ended up doing.
- So you could feel each other's emotions?
- Yeah... and we still do, like right now David is bathing me in pride. He's proud of me and what I've done and that my idea has taken a big step forward.
Judy lowered her gaze into the table.
- And Judy washes me back with her embarrassment.
I smiled.
- 'Yeah... You could make a lot of money on emotional unity chips...'
Vic shook his head, but Judy just waved him off.
- We already have the money. Though you're right, we could make an unrealistic amount of money if we needed it. As it is... it's a hobby, David is going to modify game pods from the past into training pods....
- Really?
Victor looked at me in surprise.
- Yeah...
I nodded my head.
- ... It shouldn't be too difficult. Of course, the hardware will have to be adjusted a little bit in time, but the software will not have to be touched. Sliver already has a lot of information, but she....
I snapped my fingers a couple of times.
- Impersonalised... you just get knowledge that you still have to build up and translate into skills. And if you want to take those skills to the level of reflexes....
- That's right...
Vic nodded his head.
- ...and you want to use the capsule as an opportunity to learn real skills?
- Exactly. Although everything will have to be worked out and the first versions will be awfully uncomfortable and generally buggy....
- That's natural. Still, the first variants are rarely completely successful and I'm more than sure that when you get home and check all the data that you received during the dive you will find a lot of all kinds of errors.
- I can't argue with that....
Judy nodded in agreement with Vic's words.
- Will I be allowed to watch this braine?
Misty was distracted from her meditation and decided to take part in the conversation.
- Sure!
Judy was glad that Misty had decided to take part in part of the conversation. It was a big improvement since she had been mostly dragged into the conversation before. And here...
- Although first the material will have to be processed, cut out all the unnecessary, leave all the necessary, strengthen some emotions and muffle others ...
- And you'll do all this yourself?
- Of course.
Judy was even a little offended by such a question from Misty.
- I'm the Master of Braindance!
At that moment, I got a call from an unknown number. It sounded like one of the public phone exchanges.
- Speaking...
I was concentrating on the call, away from the girls and Vic.
- Martinez, I got Alvarez, and if you don't pay me--
- You've had enough of this, Parker...
I shook my head.
- ...I'm not such an idiot that I'm going to freak out at your words and forget that Judy's right next to me right now and....
- Did I say anything about Judy?
- Judy.
I kept talking out loud, but I made sure Parker didn't know I'd started talking to Judy.
- ...call your grandmother. I'm being told that some Alvarez woman is at Parker's--
- Hold on a second.
- Who's at your place?
- Oh, Judy didn't tell you about her grandmother? I guess you two aren't as close as you thought!
I could hear the mockery in Parker's voice.
- So Judy has a grandmother?
- Yes, and I took her hostage. And I want you to pay me a million eurobucks for her life, as well as give me Judy.
I blinked in surprise.
- David, Grandma answered and she's fine. She's at home and no one has come and visited her.....
I nodded to Judy.
- Well, you won't get Judy, but I'm willing to pay if her grandmother's life is at stake.
- You don't get to set the terms...
- And how do you propose we hand Judy over?
- You stun her and take her to a place I specify...there should be a chip with money next to it.
I sigh.
- You don't have a choice anyway, as she'll hate you either way. Either for not saving her grandmother or for selling her out.
- Okay...
I tried to make my voice as sad as possible.
- Where do you want Judy and the money delivered?
- I'll text you the address. And you have to come alone, I've hired good rangers and they'll make sure none of your gang interferes with the transfer....
- Okay.
The connection went dead. I didn't threaten her, because it's stupid to threaten someone who's taken a loved one hostage. It would only make him angrier.
- Judy issue with Parker must be solved, she demanded from me a million eurobucks and you, for the life and freedom of your grandmother ...
- But grandma's fine.
- This time. What about the next time?
Judy sighed.
- I guess the holiday is over?
Vic grinned sadly.
- 'Yes... sorry, but we have some urgent business to attend to.
- That's okay...
Vic looked fondly at Misty.
- ...We'll find a way to end this day together.....
- Mm-hmm.