Enid paused in the doorway of the Blue Moon Terrace. She could feel and hear the throbbing bass from behind the faux wooden doors. She reached out and pulled the handle. She was assaulted by the full force of far too many speakers. She hadn’t been a fully fledged dance club at just after noon. She shrugged. It turns out its just like they say, it’s always happy hour somewhere. The crowd inside was an eclectic mix of what she assumed were different gangs. She suddenly wished she’d gone with a different style then corporate suit but her hotel assigned assistant had gone full corporate on the clothing selections she’d purchased. She got a few strange looks as she made her way through the crowded club. She was starting to see that Charlie’s taste in music differed from hers because she found she liked the throbbing beat pulsing from the speaker stacks. She pushed her way through the crowd by the bar and motioned to the woman tending it. Her black hair was very much in the style Hazel had favored when she was younger. Shaved sides. The woman leaned close and had to almost shout to be heard.

“What can I get you?”

“Marco.”

The woman took a closer look at Enid.

“Uh not familiar with that drink.”

“Baller sent me. There are some corp thugs looking for him. I was hired to get him out of town.”

The woman looked her up and down again.

“You look like a corp thug.”

“I am, but I want him alive. They want him dead.”

The woman looked pained for a brief moment she pointed to a door.

“He’s in the back.”

Enid nodded and headed towards the door. She pushed it open and found herself face to face with the barrel of a pistol. She reacted quickly grabbing the wrist holding it and twisting it pushing the gun away from her and towards one of the concrete walls. There was a crack when the weapon discharged. The noise was lost in the music of the club. Enid’s next strike hit the person in the throat. Then she went for the knee. It had happened so fast she hadn’t even been able to see who her attacker was. By the end of it she was pointing the gun at its owner who she now saw was a thuggish looking chromed up brute with a shaved head. He was wearing what she used to call thug chic, black slacks, a tight black suit jacket and a white shirt of some description. He was holding his neck with one hand. He was turning a bit blue from lack of air. He had his other hand up as if telling her he was done. Enid looked up and saw another man huddled under a desk.

“Marco I presume?”

“Fuck fuck fuck! I had nothing to do with this!”

“Everyone says you did it. Get up.”

He slowly crawled out from under the desk his hands held high.

“Look we can negotiate. You’re that corpo chick Charlie was trying to buy the passes for. Look I’ll give you my share back. This was all my bro’s idea. He was like we can get double. Maybe even rob you!”

Enid shook her head.

“Old news. He gave them to some Lansing Corp security and they are there way here to, I assume, torture you for information then kill you.”

“Fuck!”

“Look just take the money and go! I gotta get out of here Fuck!”

Enid swung her foot in a back kick, and it slammed the door closed.

“Not gonna happen. You’re going to put this on.”

Enid pulled a holo-web necklace out of her pack and threw it at him. He caught it.

“What?”

“Put on the holo-web, it will make you look like someone else. Won’t be perfect but it will get you through the club. There’s a waiting hover-car. Charlie is in it, you’ll ride with him to Pleasure Dome 3. I will stay here and take your place and get my passes. You understand?”

“You…oh shit. Thank you so much!”

“We will discuss the shit you tried to pull on me later. Now go.”

Enid kicked the thug at her foot gently and offered her hand. He took it and she pulled him up. She offered him his gun.

“You should get outta here too. You don’t want any part of these guys.”

He took the gun and looked down at Enid.

“Lady, you are fucking amazing. Never seen anyone fight like that. Sounds like I woulda been in a bag soon if you hadn’t showed up. I…I owe you one.”

Enid motioned with her eyes and head.

“Get gone. And I may ask for you to return the favor.”

“You got it.”

He rushed out after Marco. Enid dusted her hands off. Sat in the chair behind the desk and put her feet up. She pulled her bolter out and tapped her knee with it waiting for the Lansing Security team to arrive. She didn’t have to wait long. She heard the music cut suddenly then angry yells, then gun shots then screams. She glanced down at her watch. She’d only beat them by fifteen minutes. The door was kicked open. No weapons fire came her way so she assumed they had wanted Marco alive. She pointed her gun at the point man. He had a fairly scary looking high caliber assault rifle.

“Drop it!”

“You first. Pretty sure mines going to get through your armor and yours isn’t going to get through mine.”

Enid saw in her minds eye him pointing and pulling the trigger. Her gift saved her life because she was able to get her energy round shield out before he pulled the trigger. Her bullet proof suit was shredded as her armor came to life in response to the threat. It had been enough to stop the small arms fire from pistols but was no match for magical armor. The spray of bullets exploded against the shield. She shot his weapon with her bolter. It went right through the rifle and into his cybernetic hand ripping it off and pinning the rifle and hand to the wall. He stumbled backwards. She called out.

“Want some more or can we talk?”

She could hear them speaking. It amused her that in nine hundred years the French language had barely changed and she could make out most of it. The one she had shot was wondering how she had moved so fast that she beat him to the draw. They were also scared of the fact she had a man portable energy shield. The overwhelming opinion of the group seemed to be that she could wipe the floor with them and that they either needed to retreat and wait for back up, or negotiate. She also heard them make a call to what seemed to be their HQ. She saw there in the cover of her blue energy shield for quite a long time before one reached her hands through show they were empty.

“Let’s talk?”

“Come inside, I won’t shoot unless you do first.”

The woman came in. She had her helmet off and her rifle was slung over her shoulder.

“You’re not Marco.”

“No, I’m not. You were given property he stole from me, then tried to sell me back. I want my property back and our business here will be concluded.”

“Those are Lansing property.”

“No, they’re not. You’re Corp is just trying to sneak people in. I’d rather they be destroyed then fall into anyone else’s hands. My employers are willing to pay you 500k to give us our property back, and look the other way. I figure that’s about what individually at least a years salary?”

“You’re bribing us?”

“I’d like to, it would be nice not to have to explain the loss of those passes. However, it’s a bribe, or I kill you all and take them back, or if I die trying then my cloaked ship will turn your APC and yourselves into crater. I’d take the bribe. It’s the least painful option.”

“Or we could just take you into custody. No way they blow up an asset with that much hardware.”

“I have a personal energy shield and armor piecing slugs. What do you have?”

The woman scratched her chin. Looked Enid up and down. Enid was doing her best to keep a calm, I’m in control demeanor. It came naturally to her after two thousand years at the top of the food chain.

“One point five.”

“Oh, we’re negotiating now?”

“This is going to be a hit to our ratings…will affect our bonus.”

“Well, how about I give you a video of the camp of gang-bangers getting erased and you can say you were too late passes got slagged? And seven-fifty.”

“One point two-five. And the video.”

“One, and the video. My final offer.”

The woman looked Enid up and down.

“Deal.”

Enid sent the video right away. The woman watched it blinked at Enid when the tank got turned into tinfoil. Then back at her men.

“Alright… I see you can back up your… uh promises.”

“Passes on the desk. You can stay there armed and once they are verified, I’ll hand over the cash..creds.”

The woman radioed to her men. One came in and put a plastic bag on the table with two plastic cards in it. Enid glanced at her holo-screen. Apollo had tracked them from the vehicle to the office and verified their authenticity. Enid put the black cred chits on the desk and took the cards the woman looked at them and verified their value.

“Pleasure doing business with you…. What was your name?”

“Jane Doe.”

The woman chuckled and walked out. Enid looked at her wristband. Pondering if she should call down the airstrike anyway but decided against it. She took the passes and put them in her pack and made her way outside. She watched the APC fade into the distance. People were standing around looking at the bar. She motioned to it.

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“Safe now folks. Sorry for the disturbance.”

She walked down the street now the only thing covering her was her Atlantean armor. Thankfully it just looked like a bodysuit to most. Her guns were quite visible for all to see now. She wasn’t the only person openly carrying firearms. But her pistol was definitely the biggest. Once she had some privacy she spoke.

“Apollo, take Bee home. Come back and get me. I’ll meet you by the back door.”

She heard him in her ear.

“Yes, Aunt Enid.”

“Thanks for the backup, guys.”

Enid took the time to get a lay of the land for this dome. It was like every ghetto she’d ever been too. Only it was a whole city. She had a few men and women cat call her but for the most part her stay was uneventful. She was starting to think it would stay that way until Apollo got back, then she saw Baller leaning against a wall and smoking a vape. He went pale as soon as he saw her. At that moment his sister came outside and did a double take when she saw Enid. Enid was slightly amused by it, though she felt for the pair. She had been responsible for the deaths of a lot of their friends. She heard baller whisper the word fuck. She stopped and looked at the pair.

“Believe it or not random chance. I had no idea where you were. But hey, its good. I can tell you Marco got out safely. Problem is dealt with. I hope that is some consolation for you. I know for you it was personal and I wish we could have done things differently.”

The siblings looked at each other. The girl stepped in front of Baller.

“Where the fuck is Marco then?”

“Probably sipping a beer in Pleasure Dome 3 and regaling vacationing college girls with tales of his exploits… I’ll ship him back in a week once things calm down.”

“I don’t believe you!”

Enid chuckled.

“I don’t have to prove anything to you kid. But.”

Enid tapped her wrist.

“Call Charlie.”

The phone beeped a few times and Charlie’s face appeared. She could see he was in his favorite tiki bar. He glanced behind him and looked like he was about to shower her with excuses. Enid held up her hand.

“Charlie. Don’t. I forgot to call you and tell you, I’m taking the fighter back. How is Marco settling in?”

Charlie’s face went from pale, to red, to its normal dark tanned complextion.

“He’s doing fine, see I was coming to get you I was, but we had an issue with his room…so.”

“Charlie, its fine. Is he there?”

“Yes…”

“Show me.”

Enid touched the corner of the display and made a gesture to expand it. There in plain view to the siblings and her was Marco having a margarita and flirting with a woman.

“Thanks Charlie. I’ll be back soon. What I am annoyed with is you haven’t found me that fucking hacker.”

Enid hung up before Charlie could give her more excuses. She looked at the siblings.

“Happy?”

The girl glared at where the hologram used to be.

“Fucker! Drinking while we’re patching together everyone. Cause of his bullshit.”

“That sounds like a family thing. My end of the bargain was kept. Again, sorry for your loss.”

Enid started to walk on and she felt a hand wrap around her wrist. She looked down and it was the girl.

“Don’t get many corpos keep their word to us.”

“I’m not corp. Never said I was, don’t think Charlie did either.”

The girl released Enid’s wrist and looked back at Baller.

“Really?”

“Yes, really. One of my daughters was murdered by a corp, the other is missing, I am assuming she’s in their custody. If you lot had just kept your word no one would have been hurt and I would already been in the corporate sector.”

“Our… friends died for nothing?”

“What?”

“Baller said you were corp and robbing corps is easy and fuck the corps… but you aren’t corp. You… You are just a good mother.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m a good mother. I let my daughters get hurt.”

“But you care. Ours ditched us with… its not important. You’re going after the corps.”

“Once I know my daughter is safe…or if she’s dead. Yes. The corporation, or corporations responsible will feel my wrath.”

“So you’re the good guy.”

Enid shook her head.

“No, I’m not. If they hadn’t come after my kids, I would have just done what I needed and moved on. This isn’t about any grand rebellion. This is revenge kid. Plain and simple.”

“But you feel bad about what happened to the gang. I can see it in your eyes.”

Enid shook her head.

“Okay, yes, true. Problem is the ones you don’t feel bad about. Living here, like this, you’ll find out what I mean kid. I gave you guys a million credits, take it, get off world, go somewhere else, start a new life. Get a new cooshy corporate job. Keep your hands clean. Baller, and Marco, they’re already in the life. You, you were born into it, but you’re what fifteen? Go do something else. I know their family but family is who you want close to you. Baller, he got a bunch of your friends killed, and Marco? I gave him an out and he took it like a calf to his mom’s tit.”

The girl looked back at Baller who was staring daggers at Enid. She looked to Enid. Enid could tell there was conflict going on inside those grey, still organic eyes. The girl had no chrome yet. Enid wondered how long it would be before she did.

“Good luck with whatever you’re fighting inside kid.”

Enid turned and started walking away. About ten minutes later the girl was beside her again. Out of breath. Enid glanced down at her.

“Did I forget something?”

“Take me with you. I’m a DAS.”

Enid looked her up and down. She still could discern no implants.

“You have no implants.”

“Don’t need em, I use… used a crown.”

“Crown?”

“You know, for direct data connection. Cheaper than a data port, you seriously never saw one?”

“Kid, I need the alpha passes modified, I need someone to get into the corporate sector computers, so we don’t get flagged by facial recognition.”

“Who do you think got the passes shipped to Marco?”

Enid stopped and looked the girl up and down. Her gift made it clear she wasn’t lying.

“And what is this going to cost me?”

“I want to join your crew. You got money, security…you…”

Enid blinked at the girl. She’d seen the body language before. In the mirror. She missed it before but… the girl wasn’t upset the gang was hurt and dead. She was relieved. Like she had been when her father was thought dead and buried.

“Deal. Hope you don’t mind tight spaces.”

“Wha?”

“The only ride I have is a starfighter. And it only has one seat. Doesn’t need a co-pilot. Where’s your kit. I can figure out a way to bring it.”

“It was in my van. It…didn’t survive.”

Enid nodded.

“I’ll buy you whatever you need, if you can do what you say, it will be worth every penny.”

“I can. But…like you have to get into the data feed.”

“How did you do it?”

“Marco took out…a hover-car I modified to drill into the rock and into the cable.”

“And the car is?”

“Was…one of the ones blown up.”

“Well shit.”

“It will take me two days tops if I have the tools, to repeat it.”

“No, the whole will still be there, we just need the tap, right?”

“Well, it might still be there. Its not easy to tap into fiber. And like, the weather might have already damaged the tap and they would have had to fix it, it’s the main line from the comm array.”

“How did you even know where to find it?”

“I broke into this dome’s mainframe. It had a complete layout of all datalinks on Titan. So nothing would get severed during construction.”

“And I bet that was all on your computer.”

“I have a backup of all my data. Its on data crystals.”

“Of course, you do. Only an idiot doesn’t back up their data.”

“Yes, and only a truly huge moron decides that a back up on the system net is safe.”

The pair had to climb a hundred-foot rusted ladder to reach the disused and forgotten vehicle airlock. Heat was being pumped threw it still, so it was a comfortable twenty-three Celsius. Enid sat down her legs dangling over the ledge that would have been surrounded by simulated ocean decades before. The girl joined her. She looked at the ladder.

“Saw that before, never thought I’d climb it. We all thought this thing was out of order.”

“Apparently it was built to last.”

“What are waiting for?”

Enid glanced back at the sealed airlock.

“Our ride.”

“I thought it was here.”

Enid laughed.

“No. No. He will be a few. He’s monitoring the Lansing Security guys. Make sure they don’t talk.”

“How can you be sure they won’t?”

“I can’t but this isn’t my real face so as long as I got the passes.”

“You could just take them out right?”

“Yes, but why? I got what I need. You’ll make sure the passes will get us through. And you’ll remove any facial rec flags for me right?”

“Ya, I guess.”

“So then what is the point of murdering six people?”

“You said you weren’t the good guy.”

“Ya, but I’m trying to turn a new leaf. Actually not kill people who talked to me. What is your name?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes and No. Your old name it doesn’t matter. You can be whomever you want now. You tell me the name I’ll make sure you have an ID and a backstopped history. But calling you kid, might be insulting when you say hit twenty.”

“I always wanted to be a Katarina. Short Kat.”

“Okay Katarina, Kat for short. What’s your new surname?”

“Katarina….Katarina Thomas.”

“Good name Katarina Thomas.”

“What is your name?”

“Today, I’m Sarah Young.”

“What’s your real name?”

“Well you didn’t tell me yours, why should I tell you mine?”

The newly named Kat looked at a set of whalebones in the distance.

“Only name I’ve ever had is Sparky. No idea what my parents called me.”

“Kat is a much better name.”

“My real name is Enid Aurelius.”

The color drained from Kat’s face as she stared at Enid for several moments in silence. It seemed Enid had broken her. Finally, her lips started to move. After a few more seconds she managed to create words again.

“As in Aurelius Corporation.”

“Yes. My daughter…was the CEO. She is the one that was murdered.”

“But you said you weren’t corp and she’s a…she’s a vampire.”

Enid smiled.

“Yes, yes she was. I turned her, about a hundred years after I gave birth to her.”

Kat almost fell off her perch. Enid caught her and pulled her close.

“Careful Kat. It’s a long way down.”

“You’re…are you going to eat me?”

Enid laughed.

“No, no I’m not. I don’t eat people. I drink blood…well usually drink blood. I’m mortal at the moment though, so the only thing you have to fear is that I may steal some of your French fries.”

Once Kat seemed more secure in her purchase on the ledge she squirmed backwards away from the edge and was still staring at Enid.

“You…vampires… Vampires are so fast… We… you.”

“Look we’re just like people. We’re not murdering monsters, I mean some are but some people are too. Relax, like I said before, if I meant for you to be dead you would be. If you want to go back I won’t blame you, of if you want passage off world I’ll pay for you to go anywhere and you’ll never have to see me again. Just think about not going back, you don’t have to…put up with what they made you do.”

Kat shook her head.

“No, no. You…don’t understand.”

Enid nodded.

“You’re right I can’t understand. But I know the look of relief you had when I said you could come with me. I had it when I was told my biological father had been killed.”

Kat quirked her head to the side. She had her arms wrapped around her knees.

“You thought I what? Had a perfect life?”

“I…”

“Look Kat. Sparky. It is not okay. It’s not your fault.”

Tears had started to form at the corner of Kat’s eyes.

“You understand.”

“Yes, I do. It’s complicated especially when it’s mixed up with family, love and people who were supposed to protect you. Kat. I will help you. I’m not the best person to do it, I traumatized you myself today, but I will find someone. You will be safe. I am going to ask you to help my daughter but once this is done, I’m getting you help.”

“How long…did it take?”

“You do not want to know. Suffice it to say, a very long time and a good therapist. No, a god-like therapist. Is that why you got lost in computers?”

Kat nodded.

“I got lost in hunting…vampires who broke the law. It’s how people cope. But it gets better. Its never alright, but it gets better.”

Kat moved slightly closer.

“You don’t seem like a vampire.”

“What were you expecting? The vampire from the Out for Blood series? Twilight?”

“Uh…what is Twilight.”

“Never mind. Look what you see in media…its sensationalized. The stupid religious nuts… Look its just not like that. Every vampire used to be human. Except for one and he’s long gone. Some are serial killers, some are saints. I’ve been accused of being both.”

Kat touched her where her collarbones met under her neck. She blinked at Enid again.

“You’re…you’re the Dark Mother then. Enid Aurelius…I saw the vid…oh oh…no.”

Enid sighed.

“Fuck you guys have that shit here too?”

“I…can’t believe this. I prayed I prayed to you to save me from them. Your story it says… Oh no. You really do understand you weren’t just saying that. I’m so sorry… I am not worthy I got in the way of you saving your daughter. Oh.”

Enid turned and knelled on the hardened alloy and put her hands on Kat’s shoulders.

“Kat. I’m just a normal human like you now. No god-like powers. No sword.”

“I can’t believe you answered my prayers.”

Enid sighed and let Kat clutch on to her. She could feel the girl’s body shaking with every sob. Enid held her close and patted her back as she would one of her daughters. They stayed that way until Apollo called. By the time she was able to move her lower legs fall to sleep. And she had stumbled and had to shake them out. She was glad the gravity generators in the area were not working properly because she would have fallen on her ass otherwise. She held out her hand.

“Come on Kat. Apollo’s here.”

Kat reached up her hand and looked at Enid with the same devotion Bee had. Enid smiled.

“Kid. Don’t put me on a pedestal. You’ll be disappointed.”