thought it was lightning. But it wasn’t. When he looked, he saw the swarm of botflies. They had all awakened at once. They were all recording.
“This is fucking disgusting,” Javier said.
They were in the belly of the beast. It was just him and Amy; she didn’t want Xavier to see anything disturbing inside, and the others had no real desire to go in. Javier could understand why. The place was dark and wet and smelly, but not in a pleasantly vaginal way. More like a really specific vision of Hell kind of way. He could see why humans would only send puppet vN for the job. No one would agree to staying underwater in the thing for any length of time. It was clearly muscle tissue, though what facility had printers of this scale was unknown to Javier. Maybe a hospital. He didn’t like to think about it. He hated hospitals.
Plus, the whole thing was streaked through with cancer.
“I think it ties everything together,” Amy said.
“Like a nice rug,” Javier said.
She stuck her tongue out at him. He stuck his out at her. “I’m serious,” she said. “Whoever made this would have had to print out big sheets, and those are hard to keep together. I mean, there would be rejection. But if you’re designing a tumour at the same time, one that’s uniquely suited to the tissue…” She trailed off. She did that when she was having an idea.
“But where did it come from?” he asked. “I mean, there was big money behind this.”
“It could be anyone,” Amy said. Her fingers traced the black veins of disease riddling the tissue. “The bone is open source. So is the dazzle pattern. Anybody could print those. It’s the muscle, and the tumour, that’s proprietary.”
Of course, she was already researching. Javier wondered why she’d even invited him along.
“But why not just send a real sub?”
Amy flicked the muscle with her fingers. It shivered a little. “I’m more interested in where they got the puppet vN. I don’t really know much about them. The island says the records have been buried. All that’s left are press releases.”
“What about the skin?” he asked. “Is it vN leather?”
She nodded. “It’s yours, actually. Your clade’s. Photosynthetic, but with viruses added to skim out protein from the water. There’s a gel medium on the surface; it acts like flypaper, but for plankton. Reduces drag, too.”
“Ooh, fancy.” He laced his fingers behind his head. “So we’re looking at some serious designers, here. People with the kind of money and expertise to build a boutique submersible that’s just couture enough to be real fucking ugly.”
She smiled. “Yes. Just because it’s sophisticated doesn’t mean it has to be pretty. Though it’s an interesting combination, vN skin with organic tissue.” Her brow furrowed. “The use of your clade’s skin – at least, the use of it as a base – might be some kind of personal threat.”
“Oh, come on.”
“I’m just trying to consider all the possibilities–”
“ Querida. I’ve pissed some people off in my time, but I don’t have enemies .”
She blinked. “We all have enemies, Javier.”
He had a feeling he knew where this was going.
“He was wrong, you know,” she said. “The puppet.”
“I know.”
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you, or your children.”
“Xavier’s yours, too, you know.”
Amy lay her palm flat over the twitching muscle. “Yes,” she said quietly. “I know. That’s why I’m not going to let anybody hurt him. Or you.”
Javier didn’t like the look in her eyes. He’d seen it before. When Portia was wearing her face.
“This doesn’t have to get bad,” he said. “You don’t have to hunt these people down, or anything. You don’t have to strike back.”
She turned to him. In the dark, her eyes seemed to glow. “They came to our home,” she said. “Where your children sleep.”
Our children, he wanted to say, but didn’t. “You don’t even know who they
“This is fucking disgusting,” Javier said.
They were in the belly of the beast. It was just him and Amy; she didn’t want Xavier to see anything disturbing inside, and the others had no real desire to go in. Javier could understand why. The place was dark and wet and smelly, but not in a pleasantly vaginal way. More like a really specific vision of Hell kind of way. He could see why humans would only send puppet vN for the job. No one would agree to staying underwater in the thing for any length of time. It was clearly muscle tissue, though what facility had printers of this scale was unknown to Javier. Maybe a hospital. He didn’t like to think about it. He hated hospitals.
Plus, the whole thing was streaked through with cancer.
“I think it ties everything together,” Amy said.
“Like a nice rug,” Javier said.
She stuck her tongue out at him. He stuck his out at her. “I’m serious,” she said. “Whoever made this would have had to print out big sheets, and those are hard to keep together. I mean, there would be rejection. But if you’re designing a tumour at the same time, one that’s uniquely suited to the tissue…” She trailed off. She did that when she was having an idea.
“But where did it come from?” he asked. “I mean, there was big money behind this.”
“It could be anyone,” Amy said. Her fingers traced the black veins of disease riddling the tissue. “The bone is open source. So is the dazzle pattern. Anybody could print those. It’s the muscle, and the tumour, that’s proprietary.”
Of course, she was already researching. Javier wondered why she’d even invited him along.
“But why not just send a real sub?”
Amy flicked the muscle with her fingers. It shivered a little. “I’m more interested in where they got the puppet vN. I don’t really know much about them. The island says the records have been buried. All that’s left are press releases.”
“What about the skin?” he asked. “Is it vN leather?”
She nodded. “It’s yours, actually. Your clade’s. Photosynthetic, but with viruses added to skim out protein from the water. There’s a gel medium on the surface; it acts like flypaper, but for plankton. Reduces drag, too.”
“Ooh, fancy.” He laced his fingers behind his head. “So we’re looking at some serious designers, here. People with the kind of money and expertise to build a boutique submersible that’s just couture enough to be real fucking ugly.”
She smiled. “Yes. Just because it’s sophisticated doesn’t mean it has to be pretty. Though it’s an interesting combination, vN skin with organic tissue.” Her brow furrowed. “The use of your clade’s skin – at least, the use of it as a base – might be some kind of personal threat.”
“Oh, come on.”
“I’m just trying to consider all the possibilities–”
“ Querida. I’ve pissed some people off in my time, but I don’t have enemies .”
She blinked. “We all have enemies, Javier.”
He had a feeling he knew where this was going.
“He was wrong, you know,” she said. “The puppet.”
“I know.”
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you, or your children.”
“Xavier’s yours, too, you know.”
Amy lay her palm flat over the twitching muscle. “Yes,” she said quietly. “I know. That’s why I’m not going to let anybody hurt him. Or you.”
Javier didn’t like the look in her eyes. He’d seen it before. When Portia was wearing her face.
“This doesn’t have to get bad,” he said. “You don’t have to hunt these people down, or anything. You don’t have to strike back.”
She turned to him. In the dark, her eyes seemed to glow. “They came to our home,” she said. “Where your children sleep.”
Our children, he wanted to say, but didn’t. “You don’t even know who they
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