Cold War Rune: A Virtual Reality novel (Rune Universe Book 2) by Hugo Huesca

Author:Hugo Huesca [Huesca, Hugo]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2017-04-14T06:00:00+00:00

Willis Shannon

Ricard Foyer

Patrick Glass

Lillian Buyer

Jennifer Wood

Calvin Miles

Kris Martinez

Bill Fields.

“Oh, shit.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Just ask nicely

What followed was a long talk between myself, Mai, and Walpurgis, with brief interventions by Francis while he piloted the Teddy to pick Derry up from the starter area back on Earth.

Our chat consisted mostly of each of us asking: “Wait, what?” a lot of times, followed with brief, garbled explanations that created more questions for everyone.

“I don’t understand it,” I told them. “If Martinez was a mole, she knew about the apartment in the first place… She could’ve delivered me to the CIL on a silver platter any time she wanted to… She lived there!”

Mai was skeptical. “You sure this intel is valid?”

“It was one of Caputi’s informants,” I told her.

“Never heard of her,” Mai said.

“Case in point.” said Walpurgis. “By the way, I don’t know about the intel’s veracity. I only retrieved it.”

“You sure?” Mai asked her. “No offense, but I read your file. There’s a… strange lack on useful information about you out there.”

“I lived an unremarkable life. You don’t get to be Rune’s top marksman while having a social life.” Walpurgis shrugged. “You’re saying I could be a mole, too?”

“You did shoot my boss back in the cargo bay.”

“It’s kind of a tradition with us.”

“Wait… Are you the girl who killed him?”

I briefly considered letting them fight, but I was tired of having to clean virtual blood from my ship. “People, stop. I trust Walpurgis, and I…” Well, I didn’t trust Derry to go get a carton of milk from the virtual store, but we had a partnership or something like that. “And Derry and I have an understanding. He certainly doesn’t seem to mind last year’s… clash with us. Can we put this behind us?”

“Besides,” Francis chimed in, “if Master Walpurgis wanted to betray us, I’d know it. I have memorized the entire crew’s psychosomatic signatures, so I know if they’re lying at any time.”

“What the fuck,” said Walpurgis.

“What the fuck,” said Mai. “AI aren’t supposed to do that.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying all along!” exclaimed Walpurgis.

“It’s only fair. You can trust me to use this information for good.”

I’m the captain of a crazy-cruise, I realized with dismay. This was the supposed team to face an evil overlord and rescue (or whatever. She’d probably would get pissed at me saying “rescue”) Irene?

We’re doomed.

“The prisoner is waking up,” Francis informed us. “He’ll regain full use of his motor controls in about five more minutes. I’d say you can start interrogating him in four.”

“Thanks, Skynet,” said Walpurgis. “I’ll do the questioning.”

“I think you’ll leave that to a trained professional, thank you very much,” Mai told her.

“Oh, so how high is your Intimidation skill, Miss Trained Professional?”

I tuned out of the discussion. I couldn’t care less who interrogated Jarred. I was thinking about Van and Mom.

Walpurgis had already called and left a message for them before we sat in the cabin to discuss our next move. I’d speak to them as soon as Van reached her own mindjack, which was hidden safely in Walpurgis’ place, wherever that was.

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