tech: it consisted of massive transformations hidden behind perfect, seamless surfaces.
“Thank you, darling.”
Everett M's eyes went wide as Charlotte Villiers shook loose her skirt, let it fall, and stepped out of it. She unbuttoned her jacket and slid it off. Beneath she wore a leotard and fishnet tights. Her body was as lean and wiry as a whippet. From her bag she took a pair of light ballet pumps, kicked off her shoes, and pulled them on. Last of all she removed her hat, straightened the veil, and handed it to heralter. She kept her gloves on. Charlotte Villiers shook out her curling fair hair and glanced over at the control panel. Again, that glare of ice. “Charles. I said, safeties off.” A fingertip skimmed a switch. A light went from green to red. Entrance gates opened on either side of the exit portal, black holes in the white. Charlotte Villiers walked up to the gate on the right, moving as lightly and confidently as a hunting animal, her gun easy in her hand.
“Will you play, Mr. Singh?”
Everett M gave her a small bow and took his place in front of the left gate.
“Whenever you're ready.”
Charlotte Villiers smiled.
“Count us down, Charles.”
A thirty second clock appeared over the gate. Everett M looked down deep into himself, felt the depth of the Thryn technology inside him, touched it, woke it. Strength, speed, alertness gushed through him. He felt the weapon systems under his skin come to life. He willed away the tranquilizer darts, the concussion field. Live fire was live fire both ways. Nano-missiles and finger lasers online , he thought, and he felt them stir inside him.
The counter ticked down, twenty to ten to five. Klaxons blared. The gate was open. Everett M leaped forward. Beside him, Charlotte Villiers sprang like a pouncing cat.
When the first soldier sprang up straight in his face within two strides of the entry gate, Everett M knew this was not the same maze. He ducked under the targeting laser, pointed his fingers, and swept it across the machine. His own laser sliced the dummy into two smoking halves. Melted plastic dripped from burn line as the severed top half wavered and then fell to the floor. It hadn't even had time to pull its gun.
Cold gripped Everett M but he pushed on. The fingers lasers drew on the energy of his own body. Each shot drove the cold deeper into him.
The corridor doubled back on itself in a sharp S-shaped bend. An obvious and easy place to defend, with pop-up soldiers, one in each corner, covering the approaches and the angles. Running the mazes had taught Everett M to notice hairline cracks in the floor, the edges of the trapdoors and hatches from which the soldiers sprang. He edged carefully around the corner. Too far and the sensors would spot him and the soldier would pop up and shoot. It would not be paint they were firing this time.
He heard a muffled gunshot. That would be from the other maze. He didn't think it was the dummy soldier. A television-screen-sized area of the corridor wall blurred and turned into an image: Charlotte Villiers in her maze, pressed up like Everett M against the same corner. Her gun was pressed against her cheek, ready to swing on to the next target. Everett M didn't doubt that Charlotte Villiers was watching him on a similar screen.
But I can see things that you can't , Everett M thought. With his new Thryn sense, he looked into the hairline cracks in the floor and felt out the mechanisms in there, the ones he could see and the ones he could not see directly. He could sense how they were connected together and how they would operate. I see you now , Everett M thought, willing power into his finger lasers. He took a breath, then rolled. The soldiers at each end of the corridor came up, their guns swinging. He took their heads clean off, one with the left laser, the other with the right, before they could take aim. Again he heard gunfire, but he followed the roll through, underneath the arc of fire of the third
“Thank you, darling.”
Everett M's eyes went wide as Charlotte Villiers shook loose her skirt, let it fall, and stepped out of it. She unbuttoned her jacket and slid it off. Beneath she wore a leotard and fishnet tights. Her body was as lean and wiry as a whippet. From her bag she took a pair of light ballet pumps, kicked off her shoes, and pulled them on. Last of all she removed her hat, straightened the veil, and handed it to heralter. She kept her gloves on. Charlotte Villiers shook out her curling fair hair and glanced over at the control panel. Again, that glare of ice. “Charles. I said, safeties off.” A fingertip skimmed a switch. A light went from green to red. Entrance gates opened on either side of the exit portal, black holes in the white. Charlotte Villiers walked up to the gate on the right, moving as lightly and confidently as a hunting animal, her gun easy in her hand.
“Will you play, Mr. Singh?”
Everett M gave her a small bow and took his place in front of the left gate.
“Whenever you're ready.”
Charlotte Villiers smiled.
“Count us down, Charles.”
A thirty second clock appeared over the gate. Everett M looked down deep into himself, felt the depth of the Thryn technology inside him, touched it, woke it. Strength, speed, alertness gushed through him. He felt the weapon systems under his skin come to life. He willed away the tranquilizer darts, the concussion field. Live fire was live fire both ways. Nano-missiles and finger lasers online , he thought, and he felt them stir inside him.
The counter ticked down, twenty to ten to five. Klaxons blared. The gate was open. Everett M leaped forward. Beside him, Charlotte Villiers sprang like a pouncing cat.
When the first soldier sprang up straight in his face within two strides of the entry gate, Everett M knew this was not the same maze. He ducked under the targeting laser, pointed his fingers, and swept it across the machine. His own laser sliced the dummy into two smoking halves. Melted plastic dripped from burn line as the severed top half wavered and then fell to the floor. It hadn't even had time to pull its gun.
Cold gripped Everett M but he pushed on. The fingers lasers drew on the energy of his own body. Each shot drove the cold deeper into him.
The corridor doubled back on itself in a sharp S-shaped bend. An obvious and easy place to defend, with pop-up soldiers, one in each corner, covering the approaches and the angles. Running the mazes had taught Everett M to notice hairline cracks in the floor, the edges of the trapdoors and hatches from which the soldiers sprang. He edged carefully around the corner. Too far and the sensors would spot him and the soldier would pop up and shoot. It would not be paint they were firing this time.
He heard a muffled gunshot. That would be from the other maze. He didn't think it was the dummy soldier. A television-screen-sized area of the corridor wall blurred and turned into an image: Charlotte Villiers in her maze, pressed up like Everett M against the same corner. Her gun was pressed against her cheek, ready to swing on to the next target. Everett M didn't doubt that Charlotte Villiers was watching him on a similar screen.
But I can see things that you can't , Everett M thought. With his new Thryn sense, he looked into the hairline cracks in the floor and felt out the mechanisms in there, the ones he could see and the ones he could not see directly. He could sense how they were connected together and how they would operate. I see you now , Everett M thought, willing power into his finger lasers. He took a breath, then rolled. The soldiers at each end of the corridor came up, their guns swinging. He took their heads clean off, one with the left laser, the other with the right, before they could take aim. Again he heard gunfire, but he followed the roll through, underneath the arc of fire of the third
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