Chapter Thirty-Four - Something''s Dirty Down In CleanTown


    Chapter Thirty-Four - Something''s Dirty Down In CleanTown


    Laundering materials and equipment has, strangely, become exponentially more complex, even as crime has mounted and become far more common. Thats because of technology like this. A simple RFID tag, no bigger than a grain of sand, can be hidden in nearly any piece of equipment and will allow you to track it across a city.


    --Securatek Demonstration, 2031


    ***


    No one wants to talk? I asked the silent room. I looked around, but all I found were grown men and women in baggy uniforms who didnt want to meet my gaze. They were still fondling their guns though.


    Honestly, this whole thing could go pretty damned poorly. I was probably mostly bullet-proof, but there were two dozen of them to one of me, and if they piled on, it would get messy.


    Okay, I said.


    I stood up from the chair, then flung it aside. It crashed to the ground with a bang, and I saw half the room jump at the noise.


    Reaching down, I plucked a grenade from one of my pockets and placed it on the booths table right in front of the three masked morons. Who came up with your plan? I asked.


    None of them answered, but their eyes gave them away. Two of them glanced to the side and I turned, following their gaze to the end of the room where a man was standing next to the sound system. He was a middle aged guy, balding, a bit sweaty, and holding onto a large beer with white-knuckled fingers.


    I touched the grenade Id placed on the table. If any of you three moves, this goes off, I said.


    Then I carefully put my Trench Maker away.


    The tension in the room relaxed a hair, at least until I drew my sword.


    The Void Terminus didn''t look like much when it wasnt active. There wasnt a blade on it. Instead, the entire shaft was a long rod with a sort of cap on the end. It almost looked like a tool rather than a weapon.


    I walked slowly across the room, hoping that no one would try anything funny, then I stopped before the guy. You the boss? I asked.


    Thats Robert Brigadeiro. Hes the manager of this buildings janitorial unit.


    Robert swallowed, but he was quick to get his shit together. Im the manager, yes, he said. I dont know what youre doing here, Miss Samurai. We have nothing to do with you. Were just the cleaning staff.


    Well it looks like you, or at least some of your buddies here, cleaned out my clinic upstairs. Im a little annoyed about it, to be honest. And I want to know where my limbs ended up. Those were meant to help people, you know.


    Im sure I have no idea what youre talking about, he said. Were just cleaning staff, thats all.


    Uh-huh. You wont mind if I have my AI check your augs then? Just to be sure?


    Robert was sweating bullets and blinking fast. He wiped the back of his hand across his face. I... I dont know. I mean. No. I dont want that.


    Robert looked a little fidgety. The most weve done is carry things around, maybe dispose of bodies for the other groups above.


    I couldnt decide what to do about Robert and his pals, so I just kept an eye on the lot of them and hoped that me standing there would spook them into behaving while I dumped the problem on someone else. Myalis, what do I do? I subvocalized.


    In an ideal world, you could contact the authorities about this. You may not be legally beholden to any laws, but the Janitors are. Do you want me to call the police? Theyre bound to answer.


    I shrugged. Screw it. Sure, call them in. I cant imagine theyll be happy about this either, but maybe itll send out the right kind of warning.


    Understood. Message sent. Their response time for this area is thirty-seven minutes.


    How far are they? I asked. That amount of time didnt make sense.


    The police force I contacted is the nearest. Theyre stationed on the topmost floors of this building.


    Thats an elevator ride away, I said.


    They only respond to calls like this in force. It may take time for them to armour up and prepare. Im not excusing them. This level of inefficiency is impressive only in its scope.


    Tell them to send a token force down first, dammit. Ive got these idiots cowed, I think. I glanced at the Broom Closets entrance as two more Janitors in Ventrat costumes came in, then moved towards the booth in the corner, but kept glancing my way.


    I moved towards them, then crossed my arms near the booth for a moment.


    Care to tell me where my stuff is now? I asked.


    One of the two newcomers actually spoke up, some younger guy with a bit of hair on his chin. We sent it off, he said.


    Sent it off where? To who?


    Whom.


    I rolled my eyes which the idiots in front of me couldnt see, but which Myalis would no doubt notice.


    The service dock for trucks on the bottom floor. We loaded it into a self-driving truck and it took off, the guy said.


    Fucking hell, I muttered.


    How hard would it be for someone to have the stuff switch trucks? Id be able to track things eventually, once the prosthetics got used, theyd probably leave a mark, or be recognizable, but until then?


    I''m going to need to ask for help, I muttered.


    I had someone in mind, someone whod probably enjoy it if I owed them a small favour and who Id been meaning to test out. It was worth a try.


    ***