Buckner,_M_M_-_Hyperthought by Hyperthought

Author:Hyperthought
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-10-16T05:39:29+00:00

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12 You've Slept Long Enough

HOW DID SHE do that? How did Merida disguise herself as the gentle Hamad? Did she use holographic projections, hypnotism, hallucinogenic drugs? Or plain old-fashioned stage make-up? I don't know. Once burned, twice burned, how many times would it take me to wise up? Still, Hamad had helped me coax Jin back to consciousness. I'm not sure I could have done it without him—her. Hamad had seemed so caring and sincere—was that a lie, or did Merida really have a gentler side? Mes dieux, but she kept me off-balance.

Two days passed, and I heard no news. The light-strips in my cell glowed constantly, so I had to use my own circadian body rhythms to track time. Uncle Qués had taught me that trick, back when we were kids together in the Paris tunnels. It required an eye-popping ton of concentration, but what else did I have to do?

The three musketeers brought food and bathing towels. They carried my chamber pot in and out. But cybergoons don't say much, have you noticed? With no one to talk to, I fell into a funk.

Merida had used me. I'd done what she wanted, brought Jin out of the coma. I didn't regret that. But now what? I'd served my purpose. Maybe she would wait to see if Jin had really recovered. She might need me again if he relapsed. Otherwise, what would she want with a cheeky, out-of-work tour guide? She said I lacked the strength of character to commit murder. On the other hand, her character seemed plenty freakin' strong. Gloomy thoughts.

Motivating thoughts. I'm not a girl who wants to die young. That second night during dinner, I used my best sleight of hand to evade the surveillance cameras and hide a plastic chopstick up my kimono sleeve. Time was definitely not on my side, so I took up my position at once, nonchalantly crouching against the wall. When the cybernurse opened my cell door to retrieve the dinner tray, I sprang.

One well-aimed jab of my chopstick into its infrared transceiver port, and the little machine succumbed. I dashed into the corridor. Thank the Laws, Jin's door was not locked. He lay in a doze on the bed, restrained by the leather straps and guarded only by another little cybernurse. Alarm bells rang.

I took out the second nurse with a quick chopstick jab and began clawing at Jin's straps. Releasing the buckles seemed to take long agonizing minutes, but when I starting yanking at the wires connected to Jin's body, he woke up and shrieked in pain.

I hesitated. Those alarms were still clanging. The guards would be on top of me in seconds. I had to act. So I grasped the drip tube connected to his neck port and tore it free in one swift pull. Blood spurted from his neck, and I grabbed up a knot of bedsheet to press against the wound. Jin was moaning and weakly pushing my hand away. Crimson blood soaked through the sheet.

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