Chapter Fifty-Two - Collar and Leash

“Why? Why can’t we just be kind to each other? Is that too damned much to ask for?

Just a shred of decency? A bit of empathy?

Every damned religion is about making themselves look good and everyone else look like madmen. Every country does the same damned thing. We split into parties and degrade each other, always whipped on by some greedy fuck who just wants to make himself a tiny bit more powerful.

Why? It’s just hurting people. It’s just looking at your fellow man like they’re not even worth being considered human anymore?

Can’t we just be kind to each other? Fuck! It’s not even hard!

Just put yourself in their shoes. A kid could do it! Stop thinking that everyone is an enemy, just because they’re a little bit different. Stop putting money before the lives of your neighbours. Stop being a cunt even though it’s the only thing you know.

I didn’t want it to come to this, damnit!”

--Final Words of the Senate Bomber, 2028

***

“My arm’s asleep,” I complained idly.

“I can move,” Lucy said, though she didn’t actually make any effort to move.

We were both on that fancy bed, sprawled out and enjoying the luxuriant comfort of brand new PJs. Lucy was tucked into my side, where she fit snugly, and we had thick sheets over us, the fancy self-warming kind that were just shy of uncomfortably warm.

I yawned, but even though I was tired and it was getting late, I wasn’t really ready to sleep. I just wanted to cuddle, to recharge because the next day was going to be troublesome.

“Nah, don’t,” I said. I pulled Lucy a bit closer into my side, numb arm be damned.

Lucy made a content little noise and turned onto her side, one arm wrapping itself around my torso even as she put her head on my shoulder. “Sleepy?”

“Nah,” I lied. “Thinking too much.”

“About?”

“Tomorrow,” I said. “We need to get you some more protection stuff. Just in case.”

“I’ll be fine,” Lucy said. “I’m hardly anyone’s priority. My role is to be the pretty eye-candy.”

“Yeah, but you’re my eye-candy, and I want you intact.”

Lucy chuckled, and I was distracted for a moment by the sensation against my side of her restrained laughter. “You’re like a kitten that doesn’t want to share.”

“Exactly.”

“So, do I get crazy armour too? Because I’ll be pretty disappointed if I don’t get to wear that dress.”

I hummed and leaned my head down so that I could press my cheek over her head. “Maybe not something so clunky,” I said. “We need... something so that you can carry that gun on you.”

“That dress doesn’t exactly have pockets,” Lucy said.

“A thigh strap, maybe?” I said, then I considered Lucy’s thighs with a strap around it. It was a nice mental image to have. “Something so that you can grab your gun in a hurry.”

“If I have to wear a thigh strap, you have to wear a leash,” Lucy said.

“A leash,” I repeated.

“With a little bell,” Lucy added.

I huffed. “I’m not going to wear a leash.”

“Fine, just a collar then.”

“I’m also not going to wear a collar,” I replied. “But... maybe you wouldn’t look bad with one.”

“I wouldn’t look bad in anything,” Lucy said, which was an entirely fair statement to make. “Well, nevermind, I’ll order one online later.”

“Are you serious?” I asked.

“You only want that thigh holster thing so that you have an excuse to ogle my legs.”

“They’re very nice legs,” I said.

“And I’ll get a leash so that I can parade you around the room. And it’ll give me something to grab onto. In the absence of any other clothes, I mean.”

I shook my head. “Pervert.”

“Just a little,” Lucy said. She hugged me closer, and I wrapped an arm around her back.

If you don’t mind me intruding in this rather intimate moment, then I do have some suggestions.

I closed my eyes, but nodded for Myalis to go on.

Disregarding the purchase of a collar and leash for the moment. There are several options that could help keep Lucy safe. Protective screens, security drones, shield emitters, and a host of more offensive options. Many of these are quite obvious though.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

I hummed for her to go on.

Seeing as how you may have other, larger purchases in mind for the near future, I would suggest something a little less expensive. From the general use Vanguard catalogue, there is a single-use personal teleportation device. It is the only such item in that catalogue, and requires that an arrival location be set, somewhere where the teleported can land regardless of the situation from which they were pulled. The device itself can take many forms. In this case I would suggest a piece of jewelry.

Lucy would like that, and it did sound like a decent idea. If things went crooked, which they might, having an eject button that would immediately pull Lucy out of danger and place her somewhere safe would be awesome. Maybe the drop-off point could be right here, over the bed. A soft landing, and she could check out the kittens and make sure things were safe here while I took care of whatever triggered the teleportation device.

The device can trigger based on vital signs, on a manual trigger from you, or it can be set to trigger at my discretion, for example in the case of an immediate threat that neither you nor Lucy can perceive.

I quirked an eyebrow at that.

The time it takes for you to twitch a muscle can feel like relative years to an AI such as myself. I could trigger a teleportation device, enter all the relevant parameters, and have Lucy be beyond the range of any trouble in the time it takes for the bullet of the average handgun pressed up against her skin to exit the barrel.

I blinked. Sometimes Myalis was a little scary. Then again, she was scary while being protective of Lucy, which I was super okay with.

I sent her a text. “Thanks. I’ll take it. Lucy needs new augs too.”

That can be arranged quite easily. Her own are laughably out of date, even by the Earth standards. They were also riddled with viruses, spyware, and several backdoors that were either datamining her, or using her aug’s processing power to mine cryptographic currencies.

“Were?” I sent.

Obviously, I could not risk cross-contamination with your own augmentations and equipment, so I removed any such interference. The children’s equipment was likewise cleaned when I had a moment to spare. Though her equipment, even with better software, is still terribly inefficient. Your own is an order of magnitude better, but still lags behind compared to what I wish you had.

I nodded before sending another text. “Thanks. <3 I’ll spend a few points on my own augs, too. Get you some more breathing room.”

Myalis and her help was... basically more than half the reason I was a threat as a samurai. Sure, I could shoot some CEO, but Myalis transferring the contents of their bank accounts to some charities was a lot more devastating for a company.

You’re very welcome, Catherine. Now, you should consider sleeping. Your day tomorrow is likely going to require a lot of energy to get through.

I shook my head. “Lucy’s still awake,” I texted.

She is not.

Blinking, I stretched my head to the side. Lucy had a hand bawled into a fist next to her mouth and was squeezed into my side in a way that I couldn’t imagine being all that comfortable. Still, she was breathing softly, eyes shut against the soft light from above the four-poster.

I glanced over to the smart-light above, closed my meat eye because staring at a light was stupid, and flicked over to my cyberwarfare tools.

Using those to turn off a light without speaking up might have been overkill, but it worked, so I was hardly going to complain.

Lucy muttered something in her sleep, so I snuggled around to hug her better, then I pulled up the blankets until they were tucked in just under her neck.

It wouldn't last. Lucy moved in her sleep. I’d been woken up by enough kicks to the shin to know that much about her.

I kissed Lucy on the forehead, and she mumbled something before making a kiss noise right back at me. I couldn’t help a chuckle. “Good night, Lucy,” I said. “And good night, Myalis.”

Goodnight, Catherine. Sleep well.

***