NOVEL NEXT Book 2 - Epilogue
Atraxia stepped lightly out of her aircraft as it settled onto the roof of the megastructure. Well, lightly for her, for anyone else, it would have been considered heavy. She took a moment to look around at the view. It wasn't every day that she came to this building and ended up so high above the New Denver skyline.
"On me, neutralize any security personnel he has and then secure the next three floors, along with the elevator. I don't want anyone to disturb us while we're having our little chat." She ordered the squad of heavily armored agents that had come along with her.
Atraxia would need to thank Devko for telling her about this, even if she wasn't going to do quite what the young woman hoped she would. Oh, yes, telling her where G1gl3Myte was right then and what he was doing was very valuable information in her book. If she could help young Trace out of his situation, then she would. However, she also wouldn't be going out of her way to perform any favors for him.
There was something unnerving about the boy. She had felt it the first time they had met, and it had only grown stronger since then. It was the same with Devko, though to a lesser extent. It was as though they were both infected with the same thing. Only Trace embraced it, while Devko, as a mender, was acting far more cautiously.
That might have even made some sense if Atraxia wasn't inhabiting an android body and unable to detect those sorts of things.
Her agents spread out over the roof, several of them approaching the door that would lead them inside. They held their weapons at the ready as they opened it and went through their normal sweeping tactics. After ensuring the inside was safe, Atraxia followed them to the stairs and down a level.
They descended another couple of floors to the level where she found G1gl3Myte performing some maintenance on his throat while watching some camera screens.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
"Well…" She said, coming up behind him, his hands stopping their work as furious eyes turned to meet hers. "This is a rare occurrence. When was the last time you and I stood across from each other like this?"
"Ten- No, fifteen years ago in Ontario, during the last joint corporation summit." An angry voice said through the speakers overhead.
Her brow rose in surprise as she began to laugh. "He made you that angry, huh?" Atraxia stepped closer and looked at the screens he had been watching. They showed Trace sprawled out on the floor next to a bloody body. "Looks like we just missed some excitement."
G1gl3Myte glanced at the screens and cursed. "How is that boy even still moving?"
"He's different," She replied. "But this is about us, not him." She turned off all the screens but one. She did still want to keep an eye on him, just not be distracted by whatever Trace was going to do. "Do you have any idea how long you and I have been playing our games now?"
G1gl3Myte refocused on fixing the damage he had done to his throat, ignoring her question for the moment. Only when he was able to talk normally several minutes later did he finally respond.
"Not really," He answered, unusually serious. "My memories from back then are hazy at best. I suppose I could tell you the timeframe as I know it, but those early days no longer have any meaning for me."
"It's strange. I've heard that from others like us before," Atraxia said softly, walking over to the large window and looking out over the city below. "I suppose it helps keep things fresh when your mind has problems retaining memories beyond a hundred years. The new nutrient mixes help with that particular problem though. Either way, I've never had that issue. I still remember how we met, just like it was yesterday. I've never forgotten a single thing pertaining to our shared history."
G1gl3Myte stared at her for several long moments, before sighing, his voice modulator whining softly, a sign he hadn't quite gotten the fix right. "Kadreen Thermiod, what are you doing here? Why did you come here today?"
She met his stare, and sigh, with one of her own. "Because something is calling me, and it is telling me to bring you with me, David."