Shadowrun Legends: Night's Pawn by Tom Dowd

Author:Tom Dowd [Dowd, Tom]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Catalyst Game Labs
Published: 2016-05-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

The Rapier’s Touch bucked for a moment in a sudden gust of crosswind and then responded to Gordani’s stabilizing commands. Chase found his mind endlessly preoccupied with his forthcoming encounters in Denver when he should have been mulling over Cara’s problems instead.

Cara Villiers was in her own world, too, tuned out from the interior of the LAV and intent only on the music and accompanying video feed from her simdeck. Chase had been casual about trying to get a look, but he was reassured to see that the simchip in the deck was yet another commercial one, a recording by her old friends L’Infâme. He watched Cara occasionally during the trip north, but she continued to stare blankly at the cabin’s far wall. Every so often her left hand twitched. Mostly, though, Chase thought about Denver.

Only when Gordani’s voice awakened him from a light doze did Chase realize he must have fallen asleep. “Make sure you’re strapped in good. We’re coming within sensor range of the Aztlan-Pueblo border units and may have to do some jockeying.”

“Roger.” Chase leaned over and visually checked Cara’s straps. They seemed tight enough; he’d helped her fasten them when they’d left the temporary camp just before dawn. She’d thanked him, but hadn’t said much else.

Blanchard’s voice came over the headset. “I’ve got high-band sensor echoes in the foothills, bearing four-seven degrees, about seven klicks.”

“Read that,” Gordani responded. “Freid?”

Chase glanced over at the mage, whose back was to him, and caught her nod. “On my way.” She shifted in the chair, rotated it toward her console, and visibly relaxed. Her eyes closed and her breathing slowed.

Chase watched her monitors and the terrain that her astral form was presumably now flying over. She’d tried to explain what the world looked like from astral space, but he still couldn’t picture it. Try to imagine the world as if the only light was the light that came from within, she’d said. The more alive something was, the more light it gave. Imagine that texture was emotive, and not tactile. Imagine that physical presence was defined by how close it was to its natural form. The more refined, the more manufactured, the less tangible—

“Confirm definite KS-band radar sweep,” said Blanchard. “The signals are getting stronger, so either we’re in an area where the reflections happen to be focusing, or the chopper’s moving this way.”

“Roger,” Gordani replied. “Prepare to jam. Wait for my word.”

Chase carefully reached out to touch Cara’s leg. Startled, she jumped and turned to him wide-eyed.

“There may be problems. You might want to jack out.”

She blinked rapidly, then reached up to pull the cable from the datajack. Her eyes focused on him. “What? Did you say something?”

“There may be problems.”

She nodded and quickly stuffed the simdeck and cable into her bag. Blanchard’s voice came again as Chase helped her stow the bag under the seat.

“I’ve got a second active source almost directly ahead. Suggest you alter course to three-two-seven,” said Blanchard.

Chase felt the T-bird change its heading before Gordani replied.

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