Cyber Witch

Chapter 9.2 - Favorite Shock Jock

"Hmm, I made a promise to you. When we are done here, what say we go find your friends?"

A smile broke onto my face — everything was going my way. "Yeah. And if it's okay, could we take a detour to visit someone else, too? He is only a few days away."

"I suppose so. Who?"

"Flint. He was my handler when I was in the Cyber Assault Force and the closest thing I ever had to a father. We didn't part on the best of terms." As a career marine, Flint considered my departure as a kind of desertion, but didn't stop me from running away. His disappointment left a hole in my heart that I hoped to refill.

I posted a reply: Avia: Lael, I would love to see you and Damon again! Hope you are both good. Send me your coordinates.

After Zach arranged to refuel with a short man in blue overalls in the docking bay, we queued up for the immigration and customs control. But screening was lax, no more than pressing your thumb against a biometric scanner and waiting for the green light. A bored guard in a white shirt leaned against a nearby wall, tapping intently at his com-viewer.

"John Brown and Laura Green, huh?" Zach muttered, viewing our fake names on a small display panel as we passed through the rounded security gate. "Colorful names."

Almost on reflex upon docking, I had hacked into the security system to create false identities and spoofed the facial recognition cameras so that they ignored us. Then I downloaded the station schematic into my cybernetics, marking potential escape routes. I've done this so many times before.

Inside the expansive gamma arrival hall, an array of gambling machines immediately assaulted us with flickering colors and lively animations. Holograms floating above, circling the tall, domed ceiling, advertised all sorts of wares, from mundane to exotic. Small shops, cafes, and open-air bars lined the perimeter. This whole place was intended to separate travelers from their money.

The wandering crowds varied from scruffy miners, sharp-dressed traders, casual tourists, to plain-dressed emigrants on their way to new worlds. Moving closer to Zach as we weaved through the people, I took up his hand, interlacing fingers, to avoid becoming separated.

"Ever hack one of these?" Zach asked, pointing to a gambling machine as we walked by.

"When I was desperate for money," I answered. "But I had to be careful. They are monitored, and winning too much attracted the wrong kind of attention. I preferred stealing from your expense account."

Zach let out a chuckle. "You know, you were a pain in the arse back then, Avia."

"Yeah," I answered, grinning. "That part was fun." Oh, how our relationship had changed.

Following directions displayed on Zach's com-viewer, he motioned ahead. "This way."

As we walked, I checked the local info-web, the station security network, and almost every private network I could think of for threats, finding none. There was no Sol Federation presence in this remote solar system, and Omni-Tech was limited to a small trading office. The local security was tight, though, with a fairly sophisticated AI checking public areas. Unruly visitors were quickly handled. It's not that they were concerned with the people's safety, rather disruptions were bad for business.

Likewise, the casino and, shall we say, the adult entertainment facilities, also had tight private security monitoring for the same reasons. Station regulations prohibited routine facial recognition or biometric scanning, excepting those on official watch lists. Like me. Although, most used it to identify big-spending VIP customers, and thus cater to them.

Periodically, we passed roving android or human station assistants, as they were called, eager to help visitors find their way. But they also doubled as local police, openly carrying stunner guns and wrist restraint cuffs.