"Vee hi, how are you?"
I said hello to the girl who answered my call.
"How can someone who's half dead have a case?"
"Don't exaggerate. You have more than enough time to find a solution to your problem. And that's what I'm calling about--
"Uh-huh. Vic already told me you brought him an interesting girl with a burnt-out doll chip... and you said you didn't know where she was.
"I didn't know. The other thing is, it wasn't hard to find her. I wouldn't have looked, but Judy had a guilty conscience and decided to do one last favor for her ex-girlfriend.
"Okay. well, as I understood from Vic's words, there's nothing to take out, the chip of the doll burned through the rest of the chrome..."
"I'm not gonna argue with that, but it's not like you can't talk to her. I think she'll be able to tell you who did this to her, and it'll probably be..."
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. It would probably be whoever the actual customer is."
"Uh-huh, but that's not really why I'm calling.
"Uh-huh?
"Bestia gave me a time and place... to be exact, tomorrow at twenty-two forty-five you have to be in Postmortem. She's got a lot on her plate, so she won't be expecting you.
"Hmm?"
"She has some information, but it still needs to be verified. I think she thinks she'll have it done by tomorrow. And then she can pass it on to you."
"Will he? Did you say he will?"
"Yeah, uh. I already paid for the info, so don't blow it."
"David..."
"Vee... Let's make a deal, just shut up and don't blow it."
"Okay, uh. thank you."
"You're welcome..."
I cut the connection and leaned back in the chair I was sitting in. We'd had enough sleep, but it would be too dangerous to take orders now. And that opinion was shared not only by my girls, but also by Bestia and Regina, who had almost explicitly advised me to just live for myself for a month...
And now we all just don't know what to do...
"David, listen, uh. I have this project."
I cast a glance at Judy.
"Well, uh. if you want to help me. and the other girls can join in, more information to analyze..."
"I don't mind, but what's the project?"
"Well... I want to try recording two tracks of brayne and overlaying them one on top of the other."
I shrugged.
"I wouldn't mind giving it a try, it should be interesting, and setting up the equipment for such a recording could be very, very interesting."
"Uh-huh...
The Kiwi who was present at this conversation nodded.
"...and the software will need to be well worked out..."
"Thank you..."
Judy smiled openly at us and rushed into my arms, giving Kiwi a peck on the cheek on the way, much to the embarrassment of our rauner.
Putting my arms around her I enjoyed feeling Judy's ass.
"Ahem... David, if you don't stop, we're about to get into things a little different than discussing technical details..."
"Well, I'd look at that..."
Kiwi couldn't help but comment on what was going on.
"Well, that's fine with me too, maybe Kiwi would even join us, but..."
I kissed Judy on the nose and defiantly hid my hands behind the back of the chair I was sitting in.
"...I can see in your eyes that you are more interested in discussing the details of this project... so let's call the others, at least Lucy will be very useful to us, and Panam and Becca may offer unexpected solutions..."
"Okay..."
And Judy's eyes lit up, and a couple minutes later, girls pulled up from different parts of the apartment who had to explain exactly what was required of them...
We spent the whole day trying to figure out exactly what Judy had in mind. No, not the basic idea, but exactly how she planned to realize her idea in terms of the technical aspect, in terms of the software, and how she planned to bring it all together...
"Uh. why does it have to be so complicated?"
We all froze in surprise at Panam, even Becca, who was more just throwing around possible ideas, partly delusional, looked at her friend with indignation.
"Panam, what do you mean?"
"Well, why such complexity in synchronizing track recordings?"
"Do you know how to make all this easier?"
Judy looked at Panam with interest.
"Maybe. Don't swear."
"Don't drag it out..."
"Basilisk."
Becca was the first to understand what Panam meant and smiled happily and nodded her head. I got into the situation, but I had no time to say anything, because Becca decided to explain the genius of our mulatto's idea.
"The Basilisk has two pilots, one pilot controls the transport, the other the cannon. And in order for the control to be as coordinated as possible there is equipment for synchronization of pilots. Panam most likely proposes to use similar equipment to synchronize those who will record the brains."
"Hmmm..."
Judy tapped her lips thoughtfully with her index finger.
"You can make it a little easier..."
"Simpler?"
Everyone looked at me with surprise.
"Yes, take the synchronization software from Vasilisk and pour it on a special chip, as well as connect our connectors, for closer contact of our chrome. Of course this is only the first option, afterwards you can do with just a customized chip for recording..."
I drummed my fingers on the table.
"But in general... we should try, but first of all get the software and install it on the chip to optimize it for our situation, because I'm sure there's a lot of crap out there that just isn't needed for recording a break."
Until late in the evening we did nothing but solve the tasks set before us, which turned out to be very interesting. Of course, a couple of times we had to break for food, and I also had to cook it. But even so.
As I lay in bed, snuggled up with Judy, I realized that this was the kind of release we needed... not a job for someone, not a picnic, but a friendly sit-down to discuss a task of interest to everyone, when no deadlines needed to be met. Although I was a little overzealous about the picnics...
Yes, and picnics could well be combined with working on this task...
And in the morning, as I was making breakfast, the doorbell rang...
"I'll get it..."
Lucy walked to the door.
"What do you want here?"
Except that Lucy either didn't get an answer to her question, or the one who came spoke quietly enough.
"Judy! It's for you!"
"Just a second!"
Judy was in the bathroom at that moment, so she appeared not a second later, but about five minutes later, and Lucy was out of my sight the whole time. As I suspected, she was standing at the entrance and wouldn't let anyone inside the apartment. And I even began to have suspicions about the identity of the one who had come to visit us...
"What do you want?"
Judy's voice was slightly disgruntled.
"Okay, uh. come on in. but a word about my family or my friends."
There was a threat in the voice of my master of brans.
"...I will personally throw you out the window. Do you understand?"
Now I had no doubt about the identity of the person who'd come to visit, and when the door slammed shut and Judy and Parker walked into the kitchen, I wasn't surprised at all. In fact, I ignored her.
"So..."
Judy nodded to her guest on the couch and stood with her back to me, resting her luscious ass on the bar stool.
"I came to say thank you..."
And a silence descended on the kitchen, which Judy had to break.
"AND?"
"Judy. thank you for saving me. I don't know what would have happened to me if you hadn't pulled me out of the Clouds..."
"Once again, you choose to overlook the obvious. I didn't get you out, David did."
"I doubt he would have done it if you hadn't asked him to..."
"Probably wouldn't..."
Judy shrugged, like it was no big deal. Though if I remembered the look in her eyes when she asked me to save her ex... she might have gone after her. So she only seemed distant and disinterested in the conversation.
"...but do you really think I'd push him? If he'd said no, you'd still be where you were... at Dubman's and he'd keep raping you."
"That's what I'm talking about. We have to do something."
"We? Should we?"
"I was lucky this time..."
A sad chuckle could be heard in Parker's voice.
"...I was found early, was able to be pulled out and taken to a good reaper who was able to remove the implant. But who will be next? Dubman has to be stopped, or better yet, take over the Clouds..."
I could barely hold back a sad sigh.
"Well, let's say stopping Dubman. it's not that hard. I've already thought about it. The club would just finally be taken over by Maiko..."
"That bitch?! She's no better than that asshole! She won't do anything! She won't change! And Dubman. you realize you have to take out not only him, but the roof from the claws."
"Uh-huh...
Judy nodded her head understandingly.
"...well, let's say I agree..."
I noticed sparks of joy flash in Parker's eyes.
"...and who's gonna be in charge?"
"You and me."
Parker stood up and took a couple steps toward Judy and put her hand on her shoulder. I wanted to put my hand on her hip, but something in the way of emotion on my girl's face changed the direction of her hand.
"We? Parker, don't you get it? There is no us anymore. we ended when you broke my heart."
"But you're..."
"Yes, I asked David to save you, yes I left you a small sum of money to get you out of town. But that's just a token of all the good things that have happened between us. That's it."
"But Judy..."
"No, Parker, I'm not going anywhere with you. and besides. you just don't know what you're trying to do."
"So what's wrong with my plan?"
"Like, who in your plan would kill the roof? You? Or maybe me? О..."
Judy obviously grinning continued after a couple seconds.
"...surely David was supposed to do that? And what would have happened next? Oh, I'll go on, don't bother, you probably wanted to play on our relationship, get him to guard the Clouds. And when things stabilized, you'd just get rid of him and me and the girls ..."
"Not from you!"
"Yeah, yeah..."
Judy nodded, a mocking sneer in her voice.
"...surely you wouldn't betray me again. And surely you wouldn't want to be alone on the top of the Clouds."
"I don't..."
"Parker, are you gonna lie to coma?"
"I don't..."
"Anyway, if that's all you're here for, get out of here."
"I..."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it, I came to say thank you and also to try to play on the feelings you thought I had for you. I wanted to play on that and get a higher profile. You know, the usual, I wanted to take the heat with my own hands."
"You don't..."
"That's enough...now get out."
"This is..."
"Parker, you blew your chance that I decided to give you, and now there can't even be a friendly relationship between us..."
Parker stood up and walked out of the apartment. Judy followed her and slammed the door shut, returning already considerably more irritated...
"Shit... I gotta call Maiko. to warn her about this creature's ambitions."
Judy even kicked the couch, after which she turned on her toes and literally collapsed on it, after which her eyes lit up saying she was calling...