Nights in Punktown: A Trio of Dark Science Fiction Stories (The Jeffrey Thomas Chapbook Series 2) by Jeffrey Thomas

Author:Jeffrey Thomas [Thomas, Jeffrey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-07-29T06:00:00+00:00

Part 8

When the floating holographic light changed to indicate it was safe to use the crosswalk, Matheus walked toward the JavaJunky in front of which this Jane had agreed to meet him. He was seemingly alone, but a half hour ago he had sent two of his people ahead of him. Gabriel Herrera dos Santos – the snitch who had alerted him about the traitorous Hugo, eager to further prove his value to the gang leader – sat at a table inside JavaJunky, near the window, with a handgun in his pocket. A more seasoned gang member, Bruno Pereira da Silva, stood out on the sidewalk not far from the door to JavaJunky, pretending to chat with someone on his wrist comp (this one, too, stolen from the home of Antonio dos Santos da Silva). In reality, his wrist comp and Matheus’ were currently linked so Bruno could monitor the deal.

Idling at the curb directly in front of the coffee shop, hovering above the pavement, was a black limo with black-tinted windows. Matheus had been told to look for this vehicle, and he walked toward it warily. It looked like something out of a syndy movie.

Inside the hoverlimo, in the back seat, Djane watched Matheus cross the street and said to Popov through the screen that separated the front seat from the passenger area, “That’s him – that’s Matt. He told me he’d be wearing a shiny green jacket and yellow running pants.”

“Great,” said Popov. “He’s coming from Segundo Inferno...did you see that?”

“Coming from Whatty-What?”

“It’s one of the worst of the worst slums in Punktown, Miss Klimenko.”

“Oh yeah? It does look like quite the mountain of shit, over there. Never heard of it...I’ve never been to this part of Punktown before.”

“And for good reason. We shouldn’t be here now.”

“Just keep your opinions to yourself and keep an eye on this kid.” The young man in the metallic green jacket had almost reached them. “I’m going to let him in.”

Matheus leaned down and rapped lightly on a passenger window, grinning to disguise his ill-ease. He wore a backpack with Part 3 of Ex nihilo in it, and a pistol was hidden in his rear waistband. “Hello?” he called through the opaque window.

Djane appraised his appearance. He was in his early twenties, with short curly black hair and a wall of bright teeth. He had a holographic tattoo of a teardrop that rolled from the corner of his right eye down his cheek in a continuous animated loop, and a holographic tattoo across the front of his throat that was seemingly a deep gash pouring an animated flow of blood. She found these embellishments tacky but weirdly attractive at the same time, enhancing his more natural attributes: high cheekbones, full sexy lips, and droopy-lidded soulless eyes.

She touched a keypad on the armrest beside her and the window went from black to clear. Smiling out at him, she said, “Well hi, Matt. I’m Jane.”

Matheus was surprised. The girl was a girl, and just as young as she’d sounded despite the voice filter.

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