“Information.” The sign said. It said it in big bold sigils, in the technomancer’s script. Angles and lines. Like bird tracks left in the snow copied out and painted wide across the wall of the narrow reception room where Yi Cao and the girls waited while Zihan was inside.

The script twisted in Yi Cao’s brain like living things as the technomancer’s pill did its work of translation.

“Free Information” it read beneath, in smaller script, like the marks left by chicks scrambling beneath the wings of a larger hen.

“Did you know? The Scions of Bin-Yakad have amicable contacts with one hundred and thirty seven guilds, agencies, and organizations across all six rocks, their constituent stations and the four affiliated worlds?”

“Did you know,” it went on, “The ports of Aarrppaa station see over a hundred liners a day coming and going between the gates?”

“Did you know that the Scions of Bin-Yakad are capable of representing your interests without notifying the Governor of your intentions?”

“Did you know…”

The flier went on, and on, and on, until the bottom where it called on all “discerning citizens” to subscribe to the “SB database” for all of their “virtual queries” and visit their office on any of the six rocks for “more discreet services.”

Yi Cao didn’t really read most of it. He stood in front of the flier with one hand on the stone at his neck and one on the pistol at his belt, listening once more to the Ki moving sluggishly through his channels.

This was, according to Zihan, their last stop for the day. “An information broker.” He’d told the girls when they left the gun dealer and re-entered the cuboid market with stalls and tables on every wall, floor, and ceiling around a single entrance that gaped like an open wound at the center of one of the walls, people trickling in and out like ants.

Bealtiel had crossed her arms over her chest and given him a look. “You know we aren’t really guides?” She asked. “I’ve only been here for a year.”

Kalemal bumped her with a hip and smiled when the tattooed girl gave her a frown. “I’ve been here longer.” She told Zihan. “I can show you a place.”

It took some walking to get there, to an entirely different concourse, through the bustling sphere of a terminal and down a side channel until they finally found the sign hanging upside down from the floor masquerading as a ceiling above them.

“The Scions of Bin-Yakad”

“Information”

A receptionist had met them in the carpeted room that waited behind their strange technomancer’s doors, and when Yi Cao had moved to follow Zihan back with her, he’d told Yi Cao to wait. “Keep an eye on the girls.” He told him with a small smile. “Keep them company.”

The smile, Yi Cao noted, as he often did, never touched the Young Master’s eyes.

Yi Cao pulled absently at the Ki in his channels in an attempt to start the cutting process that would extend his channels microscopically through his limbs. He’d tried allowing it to build inside him while he stood in front of the sign, waiting, but he still felt his cultivation shiver while spots swam in front of his eyes from Ki deprivation.

“I am getting some very strange readings from your biometrics.” The pistol told him through the clip now attached to his ear. “If this is an emergency, violence is definitely the solution. In fact, even if it is not, shooting something would definitely make you feel better. It would make me feel better. It’s been hours since you played with me.”

Yi Cao relaxed his grip on the stone at his neck and forced himself to take a breath.

The spots faded and the Ki in his channels returned to their normal, unimpressive, levels while his hand tightened around the pistol.

“If this is an emergency situation we should kill something.” The pistol said again.

Yi Cao closed his eyes as the Ki in his channels calmed. “Shut up Bo Bo.” He muttered.

“Shutting up now.” The gun said with a sigh.

Behind him, one of the girls busted out laughing at something and Yi Cao glanced back to find Bealtiel folded over in laughter while Kalemal fought with something in her hair.

“It’s not that funny.” The blonde girl said in frustration.

Bealtiel covered her face as her laughter redoubled and Kalemal gave an exasperated smile. Even Yi Cao felt himself smiling in response to the girl’s laughter.

“Oh fine.” Kalemal replied. “Laugh it off then. See if I care.”

“What’s the joke?” Yi Cao asked.

“Oh, nothing.” Bealtiel straightened. She gave a short laugh and wiped the tears running from her eyes on one tattooed arm. “Nothing you’d understand.” Her face was bright red from the laughter. Something Yi Cao had never seen before. He wondered if it was an augment.

Yi Cao turned back to the information poster he’d been staring at during his attempted cultivation.

“Learning anything over there?” Kalemal demanded of him. “Or are you just trying to avoid us?”

Yi Cao ran a finger over the script cut into his source then let his hand drop. “Learning.” he said. “Always learning.” He said. He fought with he scowl on his face, then turned to face the girls.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

They were distracting, just, in all the wrong ways.

Kalemal raised an eyebrow as Yi Cao’s eyes finally left her chest and he felt his face flush despite himself. This time, though, he didn’t look away.

She finished whatever she was doing with her hair and straightened, shaking her chest a little as she did so. “Growing bold, aren’t we?” The girl asked with a wink.

That did cause Yi Cao to look away. He scowled, and pulled his eyes back while she grinned at the minor victory between them.

“What’s Sairoobye?” He asked her.

“Sairoobye?” She asked.

“Sairoobye.” He said again. “You asked for it when we were at the store.”

Kalemal frowned. “Bastard still owes me a hundred C’s for putting that pistol in my name.” She said. “Slippery pisser, that master of yours.”

“Wait.” Bealtiel looked between Yi Cao and Kalemal for a moment. “Master?”

Yi Cao snorted and walked over to a chair on the wall perpendicular to the girls.

“Yes, master.” Kalemal said. “What did you think they were? Butt buddies or something?”

“Well. I thought. Brothers maybe?” Bealtiel looked at Yi Cao speculatively. “It sort of explains why he treats you like shit.”

“I’m sworn to him.” Yi Cao said, sitting. He leaned forward on his knees and scowled. Feeling oddly defensive despite the way he’d been forced into his oath. “He doesn’t treat me like shit.” He said. “He got me a pistol, didn’t he?”

“A pistol you didn’t want.” Bealtile pointed out.

Yi Cao’s hand inched up to the source, but he pulled it down again, refused to dwell on the sabotaged gift as he looked away.

“Sairoobye.” He said again, re-focusing on Kalemal, or parts of her anyways. It took an effort to pull his eyes from what he couldn’t, and probably wouldn’t ever, touch. Tiny symmetrical panels glimmered in tawny eyes, only half visible against her corneas in the reception room’s lights. “The proprietor seemed to think that it was important, but I’ve never heard of the stuff.”

Kalemal sighed. She tilted her head towards him and did something. Something with her hair that started her ponytail flowing like it was caught in some stream.

“What do you think this is for?” She asked him, gesturing up to her hair. It coiled around itself then lifted above her to sway like a candle flame of burnished gold.

Yi Cao watched her hair sway hypnotically before he shook his head. “It’s magic.” He said.

Mal snorted. “Magic.” She said. “It’s tech. Just dumb tech. Filaments in my hair that let me move it around. Play with it.” Her hair spread around her revealing black wires intermingled with the golden strands, came back together and knotted itself into a ponytail again. “This.” She said. “This control? It isn’t natural. It takes a long time to get good at it. To control it.” The ponytail twisted into a braid, undid itself. “It’s like controlling the individual muscles of your hand, or the chemical processes in your guts. The unaugmented mind can handle it, but only slowly. One augment at a time. I’ve heard of some people who took on too many all at once and wound up spending the rest of their life just focusing on keeping their heart beating, or their arm from ripping them in half. It’s scary stuff. You see it sometimes. You can get an AI to run it sometimes, but then the augment isn’t really you, and what’s the point after that?”

Yi Cao watched the braid tie itself.

“Why do it at all?” He asked.

Kalemal raised an eyebrow. “Do you think Inscrypti are the only ones who can become immortal?” She asked him.

The braid finished and wavered for a moment before beginning to undo itself. She reached up and ran a finger through a few of the strands where they’d become to entangled to separate. “We have our own sciences.” She said. “Sciences that aren’t limited by what star you were born under, or monster you swore your first born too under a red moon. Anyone can replace their flesh with augments. It’s just expensive, and taxing, if you haven’t spent the time building up the mental pathways. Dangerous.”

“And Sairoobye?” He asked.

“It’s an accelerant.” Bealtiel replied.

“It’s a supplement.” Kalemal added. “A… serum, or an elixir. You drink it and the cellular machines move up into your brain to help it grow the pathways you need in order to operate, this,” She waved at her hair, “faster than you would doing normal exercises with the implants.” She touched her shoulders where two clips extended from her flesh like jewelry. “Apparently the Kispuhru make an imitation that’s good enough.”

“So… it’s a cultivation pill?” Yi Cao asked.

Bealtiel smiled. “Something like that.”

“And the immortality?” Yi Cao asked.

Kalemal sighed. “Supposedly it’s the whole point. When the world flooded, its one of the ways the survivors tried to… keep going I guess. Replace their flesh with gears. Walk beneath the waves. That’s the story anyways.”

“So… You’re going to live forever?” Yi Cao asked. “If you can get Sairoobye?”

“If I can get Sairoobye, or the alternative, or just get good.” Kalemal replied. “Replace my organs, my limbs, my flesh.” She looked at her hand and let her hair drop. “If I can survive the augments.” She looked away.

“Most of us are just trying to get along.” Bealtiel told him.

“Most of us.” Kalemal agreed.

Yi Cao studied his hands in the silence that followed. Eventually he glanced at the door before looking up at the two girls in front of him.

“He can’t keep paying you, you know.” He told them.

Kalemal jerked to glare at him. “What do you mean?”

Yi Cao found a ragged edge along one of his fingernails and picked at it halfheartedly. “We aren’t wealthy.” He said. “He can’t afford, whatever you’re charging… for your services… at night.”

“He’s certainly spending credits like he can afford us.” Bealtiel pointed out.

Yi Cao curled his fingers into his hand and looked up at the girls. “But he isn’t making any credits.” He said. “If he keeps spending like this, we’re going to get stuck here.”

“How much is he paying you?” Kalemal asked.

Yi Cao made a face. “It doesn’t matter.” He said. “Our situation is… unique. An inscrypti thing. Cultivation stuff you wouldn’t understand. Money doesn’t come into it.” He looked back down at his hand then glanced up at Kalemal. “You shouldn’t stay with-”

The door opened with a hiss as Zihan stepped out.

“-him.” Yi Cao finished.

Kalemal shot to her feet and bounced towards him. “Zihan, baby.” She said, wrapping herself around him while the door closed on its own. “Yi Cao was just telling me you might not be good for the money you still owe me and that we ought to leave.”

“Was he now?” Zihan raised an eyebrow in Yi Cao’s direction. Yi Cao grimaced and looked away then he mustered his courage and met the Young Master’s cool gaze with a scowl of his own.

“Well.” Zihan looked down at the girl wrapped around his arm. “Did he convince you?”

Kalemal pursed her lips as Bealtiel stood and approached them.

“I don’t know pretty boy. Depends on whether you plan on paying me the hundred C’s or not.”

Bealtiel wrapped herself around Zihan’s other arm and smiled up at him when he glanced in her direction.

“Find the information you were looking for?” She asked.

He grinned. “I did.” He answered her. “And more.”

“What were you looking for?” Yi Cao asked.

Zihan gave him a cool look, but Kalemal put a finger to his chin and turned him in her direction.

“Zihan darling.” She told him. “You haven’t answered my question.”

“You didn’t ask one.” Zihan replied, ice in his tone. He flicked her finger off his face and she grimaced. “However.” He said, tone warming. “How about I pay you in advance for another night instead. Both of you.” He glanced in Bealtiel’s direction and the girl smiled.

“Sure.” Kalemal said. “Sure. Perfect baby doll, but I’m going to charge a little extra, if you don’t mind, for the time you want us when we’re not in bed.” She showed her teeth then looked across at Bealtiel. “You should do the same.”

Bealtiel said nothing and looked away.

Zihan wrapped a hand around both their waists and pulled them towards the door. “How about I buy you lunch, and you can charge whatever you want once you’ve heard my more interesting demands.” He turned to Yi Cao as they approached the door.

“Coming?” he asked.

As if he had a choice.