Allison found her mother, Aryna, Oozie and Vaedrick sharing a meal on a terrace. Well, Oozie was quietly munching on something under the table. Allison pulled a chair out and sat down with them. She kept her sunglasses and hat on. Her bikini was concealed by her sun robe and sarong. Her mother narrowed her eyes at Allison.

“I called you fifteen times, and you didn’t answer me. Finally, that woman, Morgan tells me you’re fine? Getting a spray tan?”

“Yea. Then I went to the public beach and had lunch with a friend and some people she met. My friend Hope is here from school.”

Aryna’s eyes lit up.

“Really? Oh, you should have invited me. I’ve been dying to get to know her. She seems so nice.”

Allison nodded.

“Yea, nice. Anyway mom, sorry for not answering. I was… getting you this.”

She offered the credit chit.

“Major Ghai told me to get whatever I wanted on it. You don’t have many summer clothes, so I thought… maybe you’d want to go shopping. Maybe go on one of the ring tours? Maybe take Vaedrick? If he’s allowed.”

“Major Ghai is here?”

Allison nodded.

“It kind of makes sense if Hope is here, she is his daughter. Well adopted daughter.”

Apiyo looked at the credit chit suspiciously.

“Did you really get it from him?”

Allison nodded.

“Yes, mom. He told me to tell you to go wild. Who knows? Maybe Aunt Maria sent it. I can’t read his mind.”

She waved her hand in annoyance. She looked at Vaedrick.

“I’m sorry, I promise, as soon as I can, I’ll be all yours. Anyways.”

Allison stood up.

“Gotta go, I promised I’d go hang with Hope again.”

Aryna stood up.

“May I come, sister?”

Allison motioned for Aryna to follow. Once they were away from Apiyo Allison spoke quietly.

“Uh, you can’t. I’m sorry sis. I can’t really explain but umm… its not that I don’t want you to come but you really do urm stick out. Especially in a bathing suit.”

Aryna blinked a few times.

“Are you in some sort of trouble? Should we tell your mother.”

Allison offered her hand. Aryna wrapped her fingers around it. The pair fell into the link. Allison shared the memory of Major Ghai giving her the assignment. Aryna released her hand.

“Oh, I see. I understand. I will keep your mother and Vaedrick occupied. Be careful. I do not understand why he gave your mother the credit chit however.”

Allison shrugged.

“It can’t be anything dangerous. No way the Military would put a planetary governor in danger knowingly. Just make sure she spends it all. Major Ghai was specific… and whatever it is, it was budgeted for.”

Aryna hugged Allison.

“You look good with a tan.”

Allison lifted her sunglasses. Aryna gasped when she saw blue eyes.

“They look good on you too. Go I will handle your mother.”

Aryna nudged Allison off. Allison waved. She sent a message to Hope asking where everyone was. She caught up to them at one of the arcades. Run by Winter Wolf of course. They had the most advanced thirtieth century experiences down to an original copy of Asteroids. They had ticket games as well. She leaned against the fighting game Edward was playing with Deacon. He did a double take. Deacon ko’d him when he was distracted and laughed.

“Sorry, I rushed off.”

Edward shrugged it off.

“Its cool. You want to play something.”

Allison shrugged.

“I don’t care, as long as we do it together.”

Edward grinned. He motioned to the shooting game. It was fairly simple, hit targets, get tickets. He stretched out his fingers before putting a token in and lifting up one of the pellet guns. He winked at her.

“Watch this.”

He shot several targets as they presented themselves. He blew on the end of the gun and slid it back into the bracket. Allison clapped.

“Wow, you’re amazing.”

Edward pointed at the gun.

“Why don’t you try?”

Allison shook her head she tapped her fingers on her palm. She kept up her act in case anyone from the Syndicate was watching.

“No, I don’t even know how to use one of those.”

Edward laughed.

“Come on, just try it, once.”

Allison made a show of sighing heavily. She made sure to hit at least four of the thirty targets. Even random chance would mean a novice shooter could do that. Edward started another round and leaned in close with her.

“You need to look down the sight. Not just point and shoot randomly.”

Allison let him guide her hands. She wasn’t about to complain about him being pressed against her. She realized she was not like her biological mother. Maria and Eyre had told her stories about Enid as they sat around after everyone else had gone to sleep. She was brilliant, she was fearless, but she could never swallow her pride. Especially where males were concerned. In this moment where the top scoring markswoman of SA Andromeda Combined Forces in this years marksmanship competition pretended to need help from a boy, Allison thanked her parents for teaching her humility. Because Edward was very happy to be pressed against her too and she liked that feeling. Hence Allison took her time shooting.

The group moved on to a concert that was scheduled for that afternoon. It was no one special to Allison who found she preferred music from before the Grey. The twins and Hope were almost disturbingly excited about it. The boys and Wendy not so much. The band was called Lemon Drop. She had vaguely heard of them. Allison realized quickly why the three girls were excited about the band as they had attracted a crowd of like-minded women. Once they started performing, Allison got into it. The beat was pulsing. She couldn’t help bouncing and dancing to it. The sound was infectious and even the boys started to get into it. The throbbing beat was helped by the fact they had the sound system set so loud it was shaking the whole building. She could feel it inside her.

The group of teenagers were on their way out of the venue as the concert ended. Allison’s ears were still ringing. They drifted away from the crowd and ended up at a vegan restaurant. This was totally not Allison’s style. She had always been a fan of meat. Likely because she was literally an apex predator by virtue of her birth. She went with it though because the group of teenagers were apparently socially conscious. She ordered a veggie platter and just grazed on that. Edward noticed she seemed less then happy with the restaurant selection.

“Allie, you don’t like it? We can order something else.”

Hope laughed across the table.

“Of course she doesn’t like it. Allie would be a carnivore if the school would let her.”

Edward got flustered.

“I’m sorry, I would have picked somewhere else…”

Allison kissed him on the cheek.

“Its fine. I like veggies. I just like meat too. Hope is exaggerating.”

After they finished eating they ended up at one of the many dance clubs that populated the dome’s entertainment district. Allison avoided alcohol. She was pretty sure that credit chit her mother was using as they sat there was going to be the trigger for whatever intelligence had planned and she wanted to make sure she had every wit about her. The file on this Syndicate especially the UK dome faction made it clear they did not mess around.

Edward leaned close to her as they relaxed after dancing. He spoke loudly.

“Hey Allie, everything alright? You seem a bit on edge. You want a drink?”

Allison shook her head.

“No thanks.”

He seemed a bit unsettled. She pulled him close and kissed him deeply. That seemed to keep him happy. She felt someone tapping her on the shoulder; She broke the kiss and looked up to see who it was. She recognized the man, he was muscular and on the larger side, and over six-feet tall, one of Edward’s father’s men. He leaned down.

“Mr. Carter wants to see you. Now.”

Stolen novel; please report.

Allison shook her head.

“Nah, I’m having fun.”

He wrapped his large fingers around the back of the bench seat.

“He insists.”

Edward stood up.

“Piss off, Wes, we’re having fun. Dad gave her the okay.”

Wes put his hand on Edward’s shoulder.

“Eddie, this is business. Sit down and have a drink. She and her friend will be back soon.”

Edward seemed pretty adamant that wasn’t going to happen based on his body language. Allison grabbed Edward’s wrist and pulled him to kiss him again.

“Its okay, Edward. I’ll go. No need for a scene.”

As they left the dance club Allison looked up at Wes and motioned to Hope.

“I don’t know what he wants me for, but she knows nothing, she’s just my roommate. A rich girl who wanted some excitement.”

Wes smiled.

“Mr. Carter asks for the both of you, he gets the both of you. Now move it. He said this was time sensitive.”

Allison sighed and started walking in the direction indicated. The same group of people who were in discussions away from the spouses and children were waiting in the hotel room when they arrived. On the desk there was a computer. Edward’s father saw them and grinned. He motioned with his hand.

“Come in girls. Come in.”

Allison glanced at Hope before entering the room proper. He addressed Allison.

“Fun night? Enjoying yourself? How sober are you?”

She nodded.

“Yea. Mr. Carter, what is this about? I haven’t done anything.”

He laughed.

“It’s nothing like that. You have a valuable set of skills. I had my girl look you up, Vector. And everyone thought you were a man. I can only imagine the damage you’re going to do once you get a data jack. Now, our organization has a lot of niches to fill. We discussed it, and we’re going to give you a chance to prove yourself. With a bonus of fifty thousand credits, if you can do one little favor for us.”

Allison looked around; She wondered exactly what that credit chit had been. Every one of the family heads looked extremely excited. Allison motioned to Hope.

“I guess. She should not be here though. She’s just a rich girl who came along for some cheap thrills.”

He smiled.

“No, she’s going to stay right there.”

He motioned at a chair. Hope sat in it with a small shrug. Allison sighed.

“What do you need me to do?”

He motioned at the waiting computer.

“It should be easy for you. Just a simple data theft. All you need to do is get into the transaction processing system for the Pleasure Dome, tell us who is using a credit chit and trace it back to its source, delete the data, then transfer the data you stole so my people on the outside can do their thing.”

Allison shook her head. She started tapping her fingers on her palm as she spoke.

“No way. Pleasure Dome security is way too good for that. It’s impossible. The financial systems are all encrypted with better the military grade encryption. Its why I still had to use an outside account. They’re also firewalled with killer ice that will fry the computer or a person if they try directly. And deleting it, worse than impossible the backups are air gapped to stop people from doing what you’re asking.”

She stopped tapping her palm.

“Also, fake registration duping an ident chit, I wouldn’t even get prison time, but breaking into financials. The corps do not mess around with that. I’d be lucky if I saw the outside of a cell before my sixtieth birthday. I’m sure you guys have someone better for this.”

Mr. Carter put his arm around Allison’s shoulders and leaned in close. He squeezed her shoulder tightly. She could smell the cigar on his breath still.

“Let me rephrase my request. You’re going to do it, or your rich friend here is going to have a swimming accident and drown, then I’m going to tell the System’s Alliance exactly what you’ve been up to Vector. So, you’re going to sit your ass down in that chair. You’re going to break into the financial system and you’re going to get us the data we want. Then, you’re going to show up at my daughter’s engagement party tomorrow on Edward’s arm looking beautiful and smiling. Time to enter the big leagues, Vector.”

He released Allison. She looked around the room, her eyes locked onto Hope who was intoxicated enough she was just smiling like an idiot. Her holo-tablet’s built in scanner had picked up three pistols. Ballistic resistant suits. If she could vamp out, she might be able to take out the muscle before they could hurt Hope. She looked at the computer. Of course, if she just did what they asked she’d be completing her mission and maybe they could get out of this sticky situation. Her mother should be fine. There were enough Alliance military here acting as security no one was going to get near her because of Aryna and Vaedrick. She sighed and sat down.

Allison tapped the link command on her AR HUD to let the outside specialist know she was ready for them. Allison wondered who they had hired. She hoped they were as good as Zebra. When she heard Zebra’s voice through her translator she almost fell out of her chair. She closed her eyes and whispered a prayer of thanks to whoever was listening.

“Hey Allison. I got you. Link up your holo-tablet to the computer and just pretend to be doing something on your AR HUD while I’m working. Shouldn’t take long.”

Allison did as Zebra requested. Mr. Carter came up behind her.

“What are you doing? Use the computer.”

Allison looked up at him.

“It has none of my attack daemons on it. I need to send them to it and my AR HUD has a better interface. You want me to do this without us getting caught or what? You don’t have to hover. I got this. I know what’s at stake.”

He backed off after the older woman who was another family head pulled him back. Allison loaded up one of her data infiltration training scenarios and started trying to complete it. Her motions would be the same if she was doing what the Syndicate thought she was doing, and her look of concentration would be real. Zebra continued speaking.

“Good, good. They have a data tap on the air gapped backups. These guys know what they’re doing. Your military buddies want to know how you’re doing. Are you good? Blink three times if something is wrong.”

Allison blinked three times. She typed, Civilian friend in danger, at the command prompt for her simulation. She quickly erased it with a swipe of her finger. Zebra didn’t speak for a few minutes, when she did, Allison wasn’t happy with the answer.

“Sorry, kid, they said proceed with mission. Protect them if you can, but mission has priority.”

Allison took a deep breath. She saw her mother’s face appear on the computer’s holo-screen. Her eyes went wide. The name and details were wrong. She was someone named Knife-Finger Teddy’s sister and she had a criminal record. The data was already transferred, along with a very invasive military grade attack daemon. The kind of thing that wasn’t supposed to exist but did. AI powered and undetectable. Allison stood up quickly. She had to get to her mother and Aryna at all costs. To warn them.

“Hope, we’re leaving.”

Allison looked at Edward’s father.

“It’s done. Keep the credits.”

She motioned with her fingers.

“Come on Hope, we need to go.”

The family heads for the UK Dome arm of the Syndicate were transfixed by the holo-screen of the computer. No one moved to stop the pair until Mr. Carter stood up and looked at them.

“Stop them.”

One of the goons got in their way. Allison wasn’t about to let him stop her. She punched him in the throat. Anywhere else would have been pointless his suit was armored, and he had subdermal plates under that according to her scanner. He clutched his neck gasping for air. She swung the door open and was greeted by woman aiming a gauss pistol at her. They were basically a small rail gun that fired six-inch armor piercing spikes, that usually flared out after they impaled you to make sure the damage was lethal. She held up her hands and backed away keeping Hope between her and the pistol.

“Okay, guess we’re not leaving.”

Wes kneeled down to check on the man Allison had disabled. He frowned and motioned to the woman who’d gotten in Allison’s path and her partner.

“Get him to the emergency clinic, now. She collapsed his windpipe.”

Wes stood up and moved out of the way. The family heads were talking amongst themselves. Wes pulled off his armored jacket, folded it neatly and hung it over the back of a chair. Then he unbuttoned his vest, folded it up and hung it on the chair. Finally, he unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled each up in turn. He closed his cybernetic fists. Edwards father called out.

“Not the face. I don’t want her bruised up for the party tomorrow.”

Wes nodded. He took a swing and hit Allison square in the abdomen. She doubled over in pain. Wes grabbed a fist full of her hair and lifted her head up.

“Tony has two kids. One on the way. All you had to do was listen to Mr. Carter.”

Wes grabbed the back of Allisons bathing suit and swung again. Then when she was doubled over he punched her in her lower back. Allison collapsed on all fours and gasped for breath. Wes reached down to pull her up, but Edward’s father spoke up.

“Enough. I think she understands now, and we don’t want any internal bleeding.”

Allison felt the pain subsiding quickly as the nanites isolated her pain receptors. Her AR HUD was flashing red. It was too late to avoid internal injuries; The punches had ruptured her kidney. Thankfully it was already healing. She wasn’t worried about being hurt. She was worried she was going to vamp out. She felt the vicious blood crazed monster inside of her threatening to come out. She held her side and looked up at Wes though she wasn’t seeing his face. Only his neck which the beast she was trying to keep leashed yearned to feel in its teeth ripping it apart. She couldn’t vamp out. Not like the Silwrath med-bay, not with Hope here. It would be a blood bath. She closed her eyes, took several deep breaths and she felt her fangs retreat for the time being.

Allison pulled herself up with the help of a corner of the bed and she stood unsteadily on her feet. Wes looked like he was eager to dish out more abuse. Allison pointed at him.

“If you hit me again, I am not responsible for what follows.”

Edward’s father actually looked impressed. He motioned for Wes to back down. Wes looked at him.

“Ed. She almost killed Tony.”

Ed nodded.

“And you hit her hard enough most men I know wouldn’t get up from it. Back off. We need her.”

Wes frowned but went about unrolling his sleeves. Ed motioned to the computer.

“What did you see here that spooked you? Don’t be shy.”

Allison looked at the screen.

“I saw her sitting with that girl… the Dark Mother’s daughter. She’s Aurelius. Whatever you’re going to do to us can’t be worse than what they can do. I want no part of this. They’re vampires, they can turn you and torture you forever, if they don’t turn you into a drooling idiot because it entertains them. We’re their food! We’re just a steak to them. That girl blew up a planet. So, kill us or let us go. I want to get as far away from Sol as possible. If you were smart, you’d do the same.”

The family heads spoke quietly before Ed turned to the two girls.

“No, you’re going to track the ship she’s on. She went for a tour of the rings.”

Allison blinked at him.

“Are you deaf?”

He raised his hand but then he shook his finger at her.

“Oh, you have a mouth on you girl. Spirit. I see why Edward likes you. Wes here, is going to take off his jacket, roll up his sleeves and he’s going to hit your friend here, starting with that attractive face of hers, and he’s going to continue until I have the transponder. Metal fists, cybernetic arms. She might survive if you get me the tracking info quickly.”

Allison was now heavily leaning towards starting a physical confrontation and hoping for the best. She tried a last ditch effort to prevent what for all intents and purposes was the worst possible outcome to this scenario.

“I’ll do it but if you hurt her, even move a stray strand of her hair I will trigger an alert and all that military security hanging around for the alien VIP’s will be on all of our heads in minutes. I’ve recorded everything and if I die… well let’s just say your faces will be all over the news. Or you can tell Wes to hit her, I try for your gun while he’s distracted, I shoot you in that very organic neck of yours, then we’ll see how the rest goes.”

Ed clapped loudly.

“Bravo, kid. As threats go, I’m impressed. A bit overconfident believing you can take me and there is no world I’ll believe you’re a killer.”

Allison narrowed her eyes. She wanted to make him regret those words, but he was right, she’d never taken a human life before. Tony had been a reaction anything here would be premeditated.

“You’re right. I’m not. But I’m not afraid of jail.”

He motioned to the computer.

“Location and tracking data, now. We’ll see about what happens after that.”

Allison sat down at the computer. Zebra had been monitoring the situation and had already gotten the data. Allison pretended to be working on pulling the information. She typed, Warn them. Tell System’s Alliance Fleet we need a rapid response fleet. If anything happens to me, pull my tablet’s data and burn the tablet. Zebra spoke.

“I got you. If we try to fake this data, they’ll clock it too fast. Best we can do is delay.”

Allison typed, Are we in their system? Did it work?

“Yes, we are and its singing like an African dome choir on a Sunday.”

Allison grabbed the sides of the computer she’d been provided with and smashed on the edge of the desk before anyone could react. She stood up and tossed the two halves on the floor.

“I got your data I know exactly where they are but Hope leaves before, I give it to you.”

Ed sighed.

“This is getting irksome.”

He motioned to Wes.

“Hit the girl till she gives us what we want.”

Allison shouted.

“Stop. You don’t understand. I encrypted the data and sent it off. I erased my holo-tablet. If Hope doesn’t make a call to our friend, she’ll burn the data. Even if you managed to find it and recover it, no way you decrypt it before it is useless.”

Ed wrapped his hands around Allison’s throat. She could feel pressure, but she could still breathe.

“You are a frustrating little thing, aren’t you. Wes let the girl go. Allie here is going to stay with us in fact, once this is all sorted she’s coming to UK Dome with us. Edward needs a loyal girlfriend. One who won’t cheat. One who won’t break his heart. One who will make him happy. A smart girl that will give me smart grandchildren. Will take some discipline and a strong hand, but my Edward has one of those. You’ll do all of that because the alternative is I kill her friend slowly while you watch.”

He held Allison’s throat. While he wasn’t actually hurting her, the implication was pretty clear. He eventually released her neck slapped her cheeks gently. He then put his hands on her shoulders. Allison knew that none of that would happen because there was no way she could just vanish without a trace.

“Let’s hope you can deliver.”