Soul Hunter by Drew Briney

Author:Drew Briney
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Tags: science fiction, Sci-fi, thriller, technothriller
Published: 2020-04-15T04:00:00+00:00

6 || Something's Jumbled

SOMETHING’S JUMBLED

Abundant Error Codes are a Common Side Effect.

I’m completely surprised. I thought Vaya Sage’s appointment would take much longer than this. Even with the best technology taking mere minutes to run a scan, there’s still travel time, consultation, and advisory downtime. As I quickly calculate all of that, he apparently had zero waiting time or he didn’t bother with the consultation or downtime or some or all of the above. I’m betting on the latter.

He’s not outwardly fuming but I can read his subtle body language quite well. Clenched, yet restrained jaw. Slightly flushed cheeks, but no furrowed brow. His deliberate breathing tells me he’s trying to act casual, nonchalant. For someone like me, all of that reads like a flashing neon hologram spitting out sparkly fireworks.

I’d expect more discretion from him but this is a common side effect from brain scans so I cut him some slack. Non-blackmarket scans require sedation and client naps afterward. Of course, Vaya Sage wouldn’t risk a legal scan or sedation so his choice naturally influenced him to make the poor decision of leaving without standard precautions. I’m certain they advised him against flying home, especially given the abundant error codes that must have surfaced but as a blackmarket operation, medical policy enforcement would be as tight as noodle knots.

I’m laying on my bed dressed in nothing but the skimpiest, worn-thin shorts and T-shirt Ji Anna had to her name when I first took over her body. I slowly pull a sheet up to cover one of my legs as if I’m feeling compromised by my exposure. Of course, I leave most of one leg uncovered and the sheet pulls my shorts a little higher. Lots of women are oblivious about details like that so it’s a believable mistake. I watch his eyes briefly wander. He’s upset but neither is he beyond distractions. That’s helpful to know.

My hair is disheveled. I never bothered to dry or brush it or otherwise prepare to leave the castle. I wanted to look as raw and unassuming as I could when he arrived. I’m genuinely surprised so I don’t have to feign that like I rehearsed. I want him to bear no suspicion that I knew he’d be upset over whatever he learned from the brain scan.

In a word, I’m milking his attraction to this body for everything it’s worth without being over-the-top about it, all while pretending to be nothing but innocent. I know his brain is tender, possibly beyond repair so I’m playing to his more primeval instincts, creating a sympathetic foundation while preparing to twist his understandings a little more. I have a plan.

First, I need to know what he’s thinking and what he’s learned so I offer a cautious smile, one of those smiles that shows you’re happy to see someone while simultaneously recognizing something’s not quite right. “Hey, how—”

“Is it true you can’t trade bodies for a few months without losing some of your memories?”

I don the most perplexed

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