Chapter 52
Geraldo turned the meta deck around in his hands, his fingers tracing the chrome lines before he slid the deck over his face and turned it on.
“You're not Gabriela.” A voice said behind him.
Geraldo turned. Soma’s avatar was standing behind him. “Clearly. My name is Geraldo.”
“I know who you are. What do you want?”
Geraldo took the pack of cigarettes out and frowned when he saw he only had one left. He put it between his lips, cupped his hands over it, and lit it.
“Is Gabriela alive?”
“I don’t know.” Soma admitted.
“So they haven't found her body yet?”
Soma shook his head.
“Who do you work for, Soma?” Geraldo let the smoke trail through his nostrils.
“I think you are misjudging this situation if you think you can interrogate me, Detective.”
“This isn't an interrogation, and I am not a detective anymore.” Geraldo tapped his cigarette before he brought it back to his lips.
“Then what is it?” Soma floated closser.
“A collaboration.”
Soma chuckled. “I highly doubt you have anything worthy for me to collaborate with, detective.”
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“I have proof that Gabriela couldn't have killed Conners.” Geraldo smiled and exhaled, blowing smoke through Soma’s corporeal body.
“You have my attention.” Soma floated closer.
Geraldo pulled out the original data tape and showed it to Soma. “Do you know what this is? It's Gabriela’s memory recording. The only copy left.”
“Clever.” Soma mused. “And what do you intend to do with it?”
“I am going to give it to you.” Geraldo handed it over to Soma, as if the digital specter could reach out and take it. “But I want Tanya Wedges scrubbed from it, can you do that?”
“Easily.”
“I want you to put this on every data stack you can find. I want the world to know what Gabriela really did.”
“Why?”
“Too many innocent people have died over all of this. I’m trying to save at least one person.”
“Gabriela?”
“No, Dallis Sean. Taurus is making sure he takes the fall for what she did. This will clear his name.”
“I never thought of you as altruistic.” Soma admitted.
Geraldo laughed. “You don’t even know me.”
“I know more than you think.”
“Maybe you do.” Geraldo said with a small chuckle. “And you’re right, I’m not altruistic.I have a hunch that whoever did this can't explain how Gabriela killed Conners and hacked Taurus at the same time. It's a paradox, and something they don't want.”
Geraldo transferred the data tape over to Soma. They stood there for a moment while they waited for the data to transfer, neither one of them speaking.
“Before you go, Soma,” Geraldo said. “I want to know what you saw in the ether, when you went as deep as you did?”
“You saw that, did you?” The sound of amusement was unmistakable in Soma’s voice.
Geraldo shrugged. “I guess I am a bit of a voyeur. So spill it. What was down there?”
“I-” Soma paused. “I don’t know. I think it was God.”
Geraldo smiled. “So, that's where that bastard has been hiding all this time. Next time you see him, send him my way. He and I have some things to discuss.”
“You don’t believe me?” Soma floated away.
“After the weekend I have had, I'll believe anything, kid.”
A message popped up on Geraldo’s HUD, telling him that the transfer was completed.
“If I do this, Geraldo. It will start a war.” Soma warned him
Geraldo took one last drag of his cigarette before he flicked over the dam wall. “They already started the war, Soma. I’m just escalating it.”
The End of Book One.