“Late.” Hayato snapped at me, her voice coming out too fast, in a rush. She was obviously getting antsy.

I nodded. “Traffic was slow.” I offered, as an explanation, although it didn’t satisfy her.

Hayato, like me, already had a layer of sweat on her forehead. A Shinai in one hand that she was still going through a slow, set of motions for.

“Sensei has you practicing super slow?”

“Yes.” She snapped out, and I could see her face shift between irritation, before blanking. “I would enjoy a spar.”

“Sure, want to do brawling, or Shinai?” I offered pointing at her blade.

She reddened and reacted instantly.

“Do not speak with such disrespect to the art of swordsmanship!”

“So you want to fight me with the Shinai?” I repeated and she pointed the blade at me.

I nodded, walking over and grabbing one off the rack. As I walked back I noticed Sensei watching us both, only once I stood across from Hayato did I shift into an actual stance.

If I remember right, she had seen me doing forms under Sensei’s eye before, but hadn’t seen me actually fight.

My Blades skill might not be as good as Street Brawler, but I wasn’t a slouch.

Especially since Parry, my second Blades Perk was perfect for this sort of thing.

Nodding we both understood the spar was on, and she charged.

Once more relying on her Keren to be able to adjust to any incoming change I just breathed in and out, and started parrying.

Swing after swing, I guided Hayato’s blade away from me. It wasn’t easy. I think I was actually better skilled when it came to pure blade work, but she was so damn fast.

Still, I kept her back. The clack of Shinai that she continued to hammer against me, never reached its target.

I was really really good at deflecting blades. Parry coming in clutch, completely negating Hayato’s speed and skill.

And she wasn’t happy.

“Stopthat!” She yelled, speaking so fast her words blended in together.

So I did. Pushing her back after another parry, I activated my Sandevistan.

Time stopped. The warmth spread from my neck, and I moved.

I could see the moment Hayato realized what had happened, her eyes widening, but her Keren only gave her the chance to realize what was happening before it was over.

With a flick of my wrists her Shinai was launched out of her hands, and mine was thrust just past her head.

I turned off my Sandy, feeling everything go back to normal, even as the uncomfortable warmth continued to hold across my neck.

“Wha-You got a Sandevistan! You should have told me!” She broke out of her surprise quickly slapping my Shinai away and poking me. “If I had known I would have held back less! So you chose a Sandevistan in the end?”

“I needed to get used to it. And the sooner I started. The more experience I would have.” I offered and she nodded.

“Good! Excellent! You have just become a useful sparring partner then! I need more practice against another using boosterware.” She nodded, hands on her hip and nodding with an imperious look.

Honestly it just made me want to pat her on the head and give her a cookie or something.

“Yeah. I could use more practice with the same. More Shinai work, or switch to fists?”

“Hmmph! I will strike you before I allow this spar to end.” She decided, turning and stomping over to her Shinai.

I nodded, and we got back to it.

—--

“I don’t want to talk to you.” She argued as I offered her a drink.

“C’mon don’t be like that. Defense is something I’m really good at with a blade.” I offered, but she refused to talk to me…

So I pressed the cold can against the side of her neck.

“Eeee!” She shrieked loud enough everyone in the hall jerked, and a man I noticed along the edges reached for a gun in his suit before calming as Hayato turned to glare at me. “Don't do that!”

“I don’t know. That was kinda cute. I’ll have to do that more now.” I decided and settled in beside her, popping the can of my soda as well.

“You! Utterly outrageous!” She snapped but grabbed the drink and popped it open to drink from.

“It’s your fault. I told you I was ambidextrous.”

“Outrageous!” She repeated, and I had to smile. I had made a crack about how I was better with two Shinai and she had demanded that I did so.

Hayato hadn’t done well after that.

“How is your Sandevistan? You didn’t use it again.” She asked, and I felt my fingers reach up to my neck. Chrome digits touching against the chrome. I felt a bit of the heat still there.

“I’m not really used to it yet. I feel like I burn myself each time.”

“Hmph. That is normal.” She offered and I nodded.

“I know, my ripper said the same, but it makes me uncomfortable.

Especially since when I used a maxdoc it went away, which meant it was some sort of injury.

“You will adapt, an-I have to leave.” She said, her speech cutting off for only a millisecond as she changed what she was saying. Her guard along the walls was already moving over as well.

“Sure. Chat with you later Hayato.”

“Motoko.” She agreed and then hurried away.

I rested for another minute just to cool off before rising up. Time to head home.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

—--

When I got home I made a meal and was humming a song, all while I was programming.

Hiromi had mentioned why I didn’t just remote control the Tachikoma, and I couldn’t deny it was a good idea.

While I wouldn’t always be as confident in controlling their bodies as they would eventually become. I could show them how to do things it might take a while to develop naturally.

So I was working on the control interface. It wasn’t simple tech, but I had the copy of the Minotaur system, and was basically copying Militech’s homework while changing it enough the teacher wouldn’t mind.

Progress was going pretty fast, as I was going through the code and setting it up. I finished eating, and even went and took a shower while I was working on it, just tapping away in my mental digital space as code flowed over my eyes.

Then, as I was drying off it was finished.

I looked over at the Tachikoma, and slipped the update for the control access, and then took it over.

I went to take a few steps and instead of moving it just sort of twitched and then fell flat.

Right. The Minotaur used a control crown to better handle the human to machine interface.

I sighed as I considered what to do. I could probably put one of those together? No, that sort of defeated the whole point of being able to use the Tachikoma stealthily.

I shrugged. I would just have to adapt the learning system to learning how to handle my own inputs now.

Not a huge deal, just another little thing I would need to work on… Unless I went and bought an off the shelf drone? No, I realized, it might help, but even then, it wouldn’t have the same control system. The Tachikoma’s unique design would make it a bit more complicated.

I shrugged, deciding to just open a new branch of the AI learning, for it to adapt to the new concept.

I looked at the laptop. It was doing an acceptable job of giving the Tachikoma the extra processing power it needed, but it was an issue that was going to become more and more of a problem.

Might need to actually go out and find some leads apart from Hiromi. Might lead to some fun gigs or something I guess.

I flopped onto the bed and continued working on the Tachikoma remote connection.

—--

The next morning I woke up and stretched. Ignoring the Tachikoma that was laying on my stomach I moved it over and set it on the ground as I left the room looking for breakfast.

“Motoko.”

“Oh hey Jun.” I muttered sleepily, as I stared at not just Jun but like. Four TC gonks all hanging out on the couch.

Eddies, drugs, and guns were all over the living room table, and I could tell from one look that Jun hadn’t slept yet.

I blinked at him, and he winced as he realized how it looked.

“I don’t want to know.” I decided and Jun looked relieved, and sort of broken at the words.

“Hey! It’s little Motoko!, heh! Haven’t seen you in a while, kid! Why don’t you come over here and say hello to Big bro Yuto!” He called out happily then turned to Jun. “When’re you going to finally bring her in eh Jun? She’s old enough now! Looking like a real woman already.”

“Never. Motoko doesn’t have much interest in this stuff.” He said, with a bit of a growl in his voice as a warning. “So drop it.” Jun snapped, and the man sort of flinched back at Jun’s tone.

“Hey, no worries Jun-chan, no worries. But Motoko, not into the Claws? When did this happen?” The man asked, waving his hands trying to keep Jun’s burning glare to calm down.

“Yuto.” He snapped, but calmed down after a second. “I told you Motoko was in a coma.”

“Yeah yeah, I remember just shit. She used to be the one pushing you into shit. Whenever I had trouble getting you involved, I’d just poke Little Motoko!” The man laughed uproariously at the joke.

Jun just rolled his eyes, but I noticed he was actually pretty comfortable with the guy.

I shrugged. None of my business. Wandering into the kitchen I threaded my chrome fingers through my hair, straightening it a bit as I pulled out a soda and started drinking it down.

Come to think of it, as I watched the men on the couch. I hadn’t seen Jun bring over friends much.

“Chooms of yours Jun-nii?” I asked and he looked back towards me, as did the boys.

“Oh shit, you really don’t remember eh Little Motoko? Come over here and sit down, Let big Bro Yuto see how much you’ve changed.”

I continued to sip my drink as I threw a look at Jun.

“Yuto was my best choom growing up, Motoko. We ran together when we were kids.”

“Hah! We still run together Jun-chan! Now that I’m out of the slammer!” He cheered and the boys around him cheered alongside him.

“Huh.” I muttered wandering over. This wasn’t entirely uninteresting.

“How long were you in jail?” I asked as I hopped over the couch settling in besides Jun.

“Three years, time served! More like time taken.” Yuto muttered darkly. “But I’m out now! Jun-chan is a Kamikaze! Bozo and dipshit are still just shit-muscle.”

“Hey! Fuck you Yuto!”

The other guy just flipped his choom off and they all laughed, even Jun.

Huh.

“Well boys and bitches, this was fun. Fuck I haven’t had a real drink since they locked me up.” Yuto offered with a tired grin as he stretched towards the ceiling.

“Heh. Fuckin’ hell Yuto, it was never the same without you.” One of the other guys mentioned with a grin.

Then Jun spoke. “Yuto. I’m glad you’re out.”

“Well shit Jun-chan you are going to get me crying if you keep that shit up. Although boys, there is something you can do for me, you know, as a favor to an old choom.”

The three boys all looked curious, and Yuto smiled. “Help me flatline the gonk fuck that stabbed me in the back and got me sent to the slammer eh?”

I watched on as the three boys all reacted. Jun didn’t say much. Just sort of frowning seriously, while the other two were a bit more argumentative.

“Fuck Yuto, we can’t do that shit.” One of them offered, and the other nodded along agreeing.

“Fuck you both then! No wonder you gonk fucks aren’t anything but lackeys still. Jun-Chan. Bro. I need this.”

“You know I can’t. Kisaru is high up. The whole reason you got pegged with it, was because he had the power to get out of it.” Jun said softly, uncomfortable at what he was saying.

“Exactly! He thinks he’s all that hot shit! Made me take the fall for the drugs! Just because I was carrying them to the fucking buyers! If the fucker had just kept his mouth shut, that’d be one thing, but he fucking squealed. You know he did!”

“Kisaru was cleared of that. Besides, Kisaru is a Lieutenant now. We are honor bound not to touch him. You know what happens if we do. They’ll kill you. Us.” Jun offered weakly.

Very weakly.

“Don’t fucking-No, you know what’s up. Jun. I’m calling in the favor. You owe me for this! You come with, I can get to Kisaru easy as shit and flatline that gonk.”

“Yuto.”

“You fucking owe me Jun! You don’t have a choice! So don’t be a bit-Fuck!” He squealed when I came up behind him and stuck my knife right into his trachea.

“If you’re dead, then Jun-nii won’t owe you shit. Can’t owe something to a corpse.” I explained simply.

The room went silent, and I was getting looks from everyone, but I wasn’t playing this game.

“Motoko.” Jun said, but I ignored him, because was about to be talked into stupid shit by a fucking gonk ass old friend.

Shit like this was how everything always went wrong.

“H-hey, Little Motoko, we don-” I jabbed a bit harder.

“You shush. Listen to me now. Jun is doing better, but his life doesn’t need this sort of shit. He is way too connected to the TC to go murder someone high up and not have some shit fall on his head. So no, Jun isn’t going to help you get revenge. If you ask him again, I will remove you from the entire situation. Permanently.”

“Motoko.” Jun muttered, but I noticed wasn’t actually trying to stop me.

“Do you understand Yuto?”

“Yeah, yeah I hear it.” He said a little strained. For a guy that went to jail he wasn’t really all that strong willed.

“Good. Jun, having chooms is good, but you aren’t allowed to ruin your life because of revenge. We both… We both had to put revenge behind us yeah?” I told him seriously, then I let go.

“Fuck. Holy shit.” Yuto muttered rubbing at his neck, checking for blood.

Which was silly, I didn’t want to cut him, so I didn’t.

“Then fuck was that?” He demanded, and I just stared at him blankly.

“A warning?” I answered truthfully wondering how that had somehow gone over the guys head. Deciding that my point was made I spun the knife on my fingers and then holstered it away before stretching out a bit. “Gonna do some more programming, have fun with your friends Jun… Just not too much fun.”

“Motoko. Go to your room.” Jun said grumpily and I nodded, yeah that sounded good.

I really wanted to do some work on my net hacks.

—--

I looked at the code as I did a final scan.

Overheat was a pretty common online hack. There were a few different versions. Some were a virus causing Cyberware to basically go crazy overclocking themselves, and some like this one, dumped a huge amount of junk data into the netrunners connection making their system overheat them and lag out at the same time.

The original one Yoko had given was pretty terrible. Large RAM cost, Slow upload rate, easily stalled out.

I needed a hack I could use on a netrunner so it had to be more than just a baseline hack.

So I had sat down and decided to improve on every aspect of the hack.

Reducing its size with a few alterations to the code. Massively lowering the RAM cost. I was pretty proud of that one.

Instead of sending a large packet of data over with the upload to lag the system, instead what this version did was alter some of the configuration settings of the enemy netrunner.

It caused their own system to fill with junk data on their own side. Much faster upload, much cheaper to do, and much more effective.

One small protocol alteration caused everything to come crashing down.

It was… Well it wasn’t amazing. I wouldn’t call it anything more than a middle of the road hack.

It wasn’t as powerful or effective as my Hell Flame hack.

But it was also much much smaller, and more focused.

And I could rapid fire the hack without nearly as many issues as Hell Flame gave me.

It was an easy go to hold out weapon. I stretched out satisfied as it finished and I installed it into my deck.

[HEAT Bullet Mk.01] Installed and looked like it would work just fine.

Stretching out I wandered back out of my room. The living room was still a mess. Empty cans, trash, and some what I think was leftover drugs?

Jesus Jun, this is way worse than my firearms mess.

I wandered around cleaning most of it, but leaving the drugs alone. Can’t say I was happy about it, but I was assuming the boys would be back to get their shit.

I finished cleaning up and decided to test out my new hack.

Down in the garage, sliding onto my Kusanagi, I hesitated. Forgetting something important. I had promised to be more careful.

So I sent out a text and when I got a response I smiled and gunned it. Heading out into the city towards my netrunning lair.