We're All Human

Shut Up

Right, okay, our campaign of harassment is reaching a fever pitch, which is /hopefully/ going to distract them. They should be calling an update soon, and the second you hear a Wareware pick up a phone and say something, you steal the phone from them and make a contract. Relay any information. Ringo out.

"You don't have to come, either, Atai," Dante said over Skype.

"I'm coming," Atai said. She thought over to Panpan, who was in Chicago, risking her life and her freedom.

"It won't be pretty."

"Last time, I was only able to... I need to be there. For your sake and my own."

"Suit yourself, Atai. I'm going to make polite conversation with the receptionist, and then when the phone rings I'm going to make up for lost time."

Atai heard Dante walk into the building, heard the cheerful "Salut" of the receptionist.

"Hello, I was wondering if you could tell me about this place?" Dante said in a sort of forced cheerfulness totally disjoint from her usual husky delivery.

"It's the Église Des Nous-mêmes," the receptionist said.

"Of course, of course. Is this a Christian group?"

"No, no, nothing like that--"

"Good, good. It's not Muslim?"

"No."

"Ah, excellent! I have been looking to make a break with all the talk of Adam and his various decendents, understand?"

"Of course! In the Église, the only God to be worshiped is mankind, and mankind certainly did not mold itself out of dust!"

"Thank you for being so upfront about all this. It is refreshing, isn't it?"

"Yes, indeed."

"You seem agitated," Dante said, tipping her hand slightly, so slightly. But the risk was substantiated by the reward.

"I am, yes-- would you mind if I took a quick phone call?"

"Not at all," Dante said. The phone rang shortly thereafter, and the receptionist said brisquely into it "yes, yes, I agree."

Atai heard a dim scuffle, a muted yelp, a crack, and a thud. She hoped the other end of the line had heard nothing at all.

"Wareware, I offer you a contract. When you accept it, you will bear a total understanding of what makes up this Wareware. This will destroy your individuality and bind you to the collective will of us. I offer you nothing in exchange for this pact. Do you accept?" Dante said.

And it was done. Atai received a message from another Skype account-- the pre-agreed password signifying that the contract had succeeded. She hung up on Dante and called the new number.

"The Zero Node lives around here," Dante said. Her new voice was strange, nasally, and slightly accented. "I know his name, I know his address, and I know what to do."

Dante stayed on the line as she peeled out of the driveway in her new body's car. Atai could hear the buffeting wind going by, and while she wasn't an expert she estimated that they were going way too fast.

"Dante, are you--"

"I'm /fine/."

Atai got a message from Ringo that interrupted her train of thought.

"Alright, guys... news. Between our harassments and the apparently obvious disruption of the chain of command in Paris, they're... according to our Japanese people, they're updating yet again, which means we've upset them more than anyone has ever upset them before. It's rolling, but when you get to Node Zero's house you should be able to hear their phone go off five thousand fucking times, so. Have fun with that. Dante, make sure you get Angele's body to a safe place. I recommend flying back to the States, honestly, considering that you've probably broken at least a dozen laws. This is the kind of situation where getting tied up with the international police actually keeps you from getting physically dead. Ringo out."