extract_8001_messagelog-hardcache200009

networkIdent:[ACCESS DENIED]

SenderID || [ACCESS DENIED] – This is not what we talked about. What in the hell is happening over there? I was told we had re-established full security protocols! One of your fucking pets almost killed me!

SenderID || [ACCESS DENIED] – We've had a malware assault – critical asset containment breach from the main armoury. Phalanxes 1 through 3 secured. 5 through 6 liquidated. 7 through 9 unaccounted for. 10 through 15 secured.

SenderID || [ACCESS DENIED] – Who could even do something like that?

SenderID || [ACCESS DENIED] – We suspect there are elements working against us within AmpCore hierarchy, trying to expose us to further their own standing. Only corporate elements could attempt something on this scale.

SenderID || [ACCESS DENIED] – Jesus. When were you going to tell me this?

SenderID || [ACCESS DENIED] – Until now it was only a suspicion.

SenderID || [ACCESS DENIED] – The suspicion nearly got a troop of AmpCore agents murdered. You people need to get a grip on this before our sponsors start asking questions.

SenderID || [ACCESS DENIED] – And the asset?

SenderID || [ACCESS DENIED] – Your precious asset is intact, don't worry. How long depends on you. No more escapes; no more 'breaches', understand? Or I'm done.

SenderID || [ACCESS DENIED] – Don't make threats. We will secure the situation. In the meantime, continue your assignment.

SenderID || [ACCESS DENIED] – The malware – any suspects?

SenderID || [ACCESS DENIED] – We suspect a combination, but Code & Vector and Skiltron are most likely candidates given their specialisations. We have counter elements tracing the source of the hack, but keep your eyes open.

SenderID || [ACCESS DENIED] – I will, but we don't have a lot of time.

SenderID || [ACCESS DENIED] – Our backers are already working towards an accelerated timeline. Just do your job. We'll be in touch soon.

extract_terminated

*

Piper didn't want to go back.

She yearned to go racing out into the city, wraiths be damned, to find Arden, find Kirk, find her mother and finally get some answers.

A couple of loner wraiths on the docks had been bad enough, but seeing a full pack of them out there, feeling the accusation in those broken, bleeding minds, was something altogether different. Piper didn't want to let them in. She didn't want to know what a bunch of dead machines wanted with her. She just wanted it to stop.

There wouldn't be much chance of that if she couldn't figure out what they were after in the first place. Odiye wasn't taking no for an answer this time, though. She could see the fight had shaken him. Seeing so many of the machines that were supposed to be dead tearing apart the corporate district had dented his world badly.

Silver linings, she thought grimly as she watched the response team from AmpCore sifting through the wreckage of the battle. Black clad guards with their long rifles patrolled in front of shining corporate cordons, laconic loudspeakers warning bystanders to keep their distance at risk of hefty fines from the corporate legal teams. Within the perimeter technicians and AmpCore agents moved, data pads blinking, amplifiers glowing softly.

At least she'd proved she could defend herself outside of the constraints of the academy. A sense of security came with that. She knew now that she'd never again be that girl who'd been cornered, helpless at the hands of some crazed machine.

If she took nothing else out of this place, that alone might just be worth it.

It didn't seem to have given Toran a lot of comfort. The Skiltron kid was furious. She could feel it quite literally fizzling in the air around him as his implants snarled and snapped at the world. The emergency response team kept their distance as best they could, but he'd been on them like a hawk since they arrived, berating them, snarling orders with such viciousness that even the AmpCore agents accompanying them had given him a wide berth.

"You think he's okay?" she asked Odiye quietly as they watched his tirade.

Odiye nodded. "He will be. I think... well, I think he felt safe here, so close to the academy. He's Skiltron, his father is an executive. He's used to feeling secure."

"Nothing like getting your world turned upside down, eh?"

He gave a rueful smile. "I suppose you'd know something about that."

"What about Ferra?" Piper inclined her to where Ferra stood, an expression of disgust on her face as she watched the security personnel gather up the codewraith corpses. Their mangled metal hulks disappeared into matte grey coffins, sealed from prying eyes.

"What about her?"

"That all seemed very... personal."

"Not my place." Odiye cast her an apologetic glance. "Let's just count ourselves lucky she was there with us."

"Fair enough." Piper folded her arms tight and leaning against the bonnet of the replacement AmpCore cruiser that had been brought for them. The original vehicle was in the process of being delicately turned back over by two stern-faced operatives from Wayfinder and Ness-Net. Its mangled structure swivelled in the air until it was deposited gently right-side-up.

Her gaze lingered on Ferra, unease gnawing at her. The girl was frightening, no two ways about it. She hoped not to find herself on the receiving end of that rage any time soon.

A moment later, someone she was actually glad to see came walking out of the carnage. Arrow's face was a blend of horror and curiosity as they stepped out of the cordon, glancing left and right as they went. Holly followed close behind them, amplifier still in her hand.

"What's the damage?" Piper asked when the pair reached them, trying to sound cheery.

Arrow shook their head, looking back over their shoulder. "I've never seen anything like it. Twelve codewraiths. Actual living wraiths, in the heart of Hadrian."

"Yeah, seems like I'm a real shit magnet," Piper muttered ruffling her hair with both hands.

"It's not your fault, Piper," Holly said.

"I never said it was my fault," she replied quickly. "But those wraiths were there for me – that's pretty obvious."

Holly's mouth twisted into a thoughtful grimace. "Before they attacked, they were waiting for something. It was like they were sending out some kind of signal. I could feel it." Her amplifier twitched, and with a swift motion she stuffed it into its sheath, as though the act would slam the book shut on the incident.

"Yeah, I felt it, too," Piper confirmed, tapping her temple with one finger. "Right here."

"Did they... say anything? Did they communicate?"

Her stomach turned with worry. Did she really want to admit what she'd felt? To admit the connection, admit the voice in her head?

"Just a lot of code-noise," she said eventually, shaking her head. "A lot of... anger. A lot of pain. It's hard to describe."

"Well, whatever their goal was, they blew it," Arrow replied. Exhaling deeply, they placed a hand on Piper's shoulder. "I'm glad you're alright."

"Thanks." Piper smiled and nudged Odiye with her elbow. "I had a lot of help."

A bashful expression flickered over his face and he shrugged, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets. Straightening up, Odiye motioned towards the car with a nod.

"We should probably get back to the academy," he said.

"What about the others?"

Holly shook her head, glancing back at Toran and Ferra. "They'll come when they're ready."

"Then let's get out of here," Arrow said, walking around to the driver's side door and tugging it open. "I think we could all use a drink."

*

Piper didn't expect it, but as the academy came into sight again, its sensor grid shimmering in readiness to receive them, she felt a surge of relief and slumped against the seat with a sigh. Alongside her in the back, Holly leaned her head wearily on the window, the cuts on her face already erased by the work of the responding AIP.

In the driver's seat, Arrow kept a tight grip on the steering wheel with one hand, the other drumming fingers against their thigh. Alongside them in the front, Odiye hummed the tune of a song Piper didn't recognise them.

Behind them two more cars sandwiched an unmarked black truck, a bulky hauler with reinforced axle-work to carry the mass of a dozen dead codewraiths

Toran and Ferra brought up the rear in a car of their own. Toran had been the last to walk away from the scene, only leaving a handful of un-implanted technicians behind to collect the remaining forensic evidence. It seemed like the pair didn't want to let the dead machines out of their sight.

They passed through the security field. Piper felt the tremor as her implants connected to it, the ocean of AmpCore's data briefly visible as though glimpsed through a window. They glided inside, through the tunnels, coiling down and down through the world until they reached the academy again. Security personal scurried back and forth, and she saw several grim-faced operatives talking animatedly near the academy entrance.

"Word's out," Arrow murmured.

Piper pushed up in her seat, peering out through the cruiser's tinted windows. Amongst the hurricane of movement, she spotted a larger truck pulling in, similar in design to the riot vans the local police used, but plastered with Skiltron logos.

It's flank opened and to her surprise, she saw half a dozen corporate security personnel spill out, then three more being carried along on a-grav stretchers. Her eyes widened. Even from this distance she could see the fist size dents in the armour of the injured troopers.

A furious AmpCore operative descended the steps after them.

"Looks like this isn't all about us," she said quietly, reaching forward and tapping Odiye's shoulder. "Look over there. Isn't that Demir?"

Odiye followed her pointing finger, eyes narrowing as he peered at the group. After a moment. "I believe it is."

"The hell happened to them?" Holly murmured, shuffling over in the back seat to get a better look. "Demir looks pissed."

"What else is new?" Arrow interjected as they swung the car to the right towards the main garage. The van disappeared from view, replaced by the arched walls and ceiling of the AmpCore vehicle lot. Rows of identical cruisers lined the walls.

"Probably above our pay grade," Odiye said as the car slid into its bay. "Maybe we can ask Toran when he's finished being on the warpath."

"Maybe." Piper clenched her hands into fists, rubbing her eyes as the exertions caught up with her in a rush. Safe within AmpCore's walls, she relaxed, and realised just how tired she was. "Someone said something about a drink?"

"Absolutely." Arrow cut the engine and clambered out of the cruiser. They turned as the others exited, looking them over. "I think Toran's going to handle the debrief. Take a beat; get yourselves cleaned up, then meet me at our usual place. Drinks on me."

"Now there's an offer." Holly trudged past, clapping Arrow on the shoulder with a grin. "I'll be there soon."

*

Piper was lured by the faint sound of music.

Normally the only sound in their training room was the low burble of corporate adverts and the explosive noise of the AmpCore students wielding their power.

This time as she approached, she could hear the faint thump of a bass speaker and some kind of electronic synth sizzling over the top of it. She took a moment, reaching out with her implants to locate the source, but whatever it was, it wasn't linked into the academy network.

She eventually found it in the form of an apocalyptically old-fashioned music player, set up on one of the tables. It was an ungainly thing – a bulky cube flanked by two matching speakers. LED displays blinked on its front, and she could see actual buttons built into the front casing, along with a thin dark slot. The subwoofer thumped softly to fill the room.

A CD player,

The others were already waiting – Holly, Odyie, Toran and even Ferra – lounging in a loose semi-circle around the music player, smokey tumblers in hand. She could see Arrow moving between them, pouring something out of a large glass decanter.

"Piper," Odiye called when he spotted her, raising his glass. With his other hand he spun an empty chair into place beside him to join the circle. "Join us."

Piper gave them a slightly awkward wave as other heads turned. Arrow beckoned her, scooping up a fresh glass from the table. Walking through middle of the gathering, she accepted a drink, examining the gold-coloured liquid curiously. She gave an experimental sniff and the aroma of apples filled her nostrils.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Cider," Arrow replied, a smug smile sliding across their face. "Home-brewed."

"What, here?"

"Mhm."

"With fresh apples?"

They laughed. "God no. Its synth substitute, but it tastes about right." Arrow gestured for her to drink. "Try it."

"I'll vouch for it," Holly piped up, taking a gulp to prove her point.

Piper shrugged, and took a sip. It was crisp and dry, and icy cold. She didn't consider herself much of a drinker – mostly because she couldn't afford it – but compared to most of the stuff she'd tried, it was delicious.

Tipping an imaginary cap to Arrow, she moved around to examine the CD player more closely. "And where on Earth did you find this relic?"

Arrow smirked. "I have a friend – runs an antiques shop out just off the Alpha-1 Northbound. He keeps a few things aside for me from time to time."

"You a collector?"

"More an enthusiast." A shrug. "I like to see how things used to work. And see how they've changed. Like... I don't know, joining dots."

"Everybody has a hobby." Taking another sip of cider, Piper eased herself down into the chair beside Odiye, letting out a satisfied sigh. While she hadn't been injured in any meaningful way, her body was pockmarked with scrapes, scratches and bruises. It felt good to relax, even if she knew it couldn't last.

"What about you?" Odiye asked, reaching over to clink his glass against hers. "What does Piper Russell do in her spare time?"

Piper snorted. "What spare time?"

"I meant before you came here."

"So did I." She gave him a wry smile; took another gulp of cider.

Holly shifted awkwardly in her seat, glass clasped in both hands. "That bad?"

"Not a lot of leisure time on the docks." She sighed. "You're either in a corp sponsored academy learning what they want you to learn, or you're working an apprenticeship in some cog-spinning grift-mill. When you're not doing that, you're sleeping."

"Sounds like you traded up," Toran chuckled.

Piper flicked him a middle finger. "Bite me."

"Perhaps you should come back to the Sharks some time," Ferra interjected. "You seemed to enjoy it."

"Oh sure, until you tried to kill me."

"If I'd wanted you dead, you'd be dead." Then her expression shifted a little, that ever-present front of arrogance cracking. "I'll admit I may have been a little ... harsh."

"Miracles never cease," Arrow muttered, earning themselves a black look.

"Examples need to be made sometimes," Ferra snapped. "That being said, you didn't back down from me, which proves you're not a coward. And with the-," there was a pause as the words seemed to clog her throat. "Today, in the street, you handled yourself well. I believe you have potential."

Piper didn't quite know what to say to that. "Err... thanks?"

"I can teach you to duel properly," she continued. "It seems like a past-time you'd be well suited too."

"I..." She glanced at Odiye. He shrugged – unhelpfully. Looking back to Ferra she raised her glass. "Thanks. I'll think about it."

"Are we going to talk about the wraiths?" Arrow after moment. "About codewraiths running free in the middle of Hadrian? What in the hell was that? How does that happen?"

"That's billion crypt question isn't it?" Holly muttered. "How do that many of them get over the water and that close to the heart without anyone spotting them?"

"They didn't cross the water," Odiye said, shaking his head.

"But how else-,"

"I don't know, but it is impossible for them to have come from Hadrian South. Even if they could somehow swim the water – which they can't – there are a thousand checkpoints, security personnel and dock barriers, and the bridge has not reported any breaches for years. They came from somewhere else. Somewhere closer to home."

Piper felt the air around them snarl and twist suddenly, and her head snapped towards the source. Ferra's body was wound tight, her implants pulsing angrily, a grim expression on her face.

"Who could be so stupid," Ferra hissed, closing her eyes for a moment.

"Fer'," Toran said quietly. "You don't have to be here if you don't want to. We don't have to talk about this."

"I'm okay." Ferra opened her eyes and smiled at him, not the vicious, sly sneer that Piper was used to seeing, but a genuine expression of feeling. The twinge of her churning implants receded.

She leaned back, swivelling her seat and slinging her feet onto Toran's lap. The glass rose to her lips and half the glass of home-made cider disappeared down her throat. Piper had an awful lot of questions bubbling in the back of her mind about whatever history Ferra had with the codewraiths that made her react so violently.

Questions for another time though.

"Toran?" she said, turning her stare on him.

"Yeah?"

"Got anything to say?"

"About the wraiths?"

He glared at her. "Piper, I know it might be hard to believe," Toran replied. "But Skiltron aren't the bad guys. At least not this time."

"You don't know that for sure," Odiye interjected. "What did you actually find out from your father, before all this?"

Toran's face pinched with discomfort. "Internally, there's nothing – no task logs or order receipts for the firewalls locking up the information on the Russells. Certainly nothing about the secret manufacture of codewraiths, if that's what you're all driving at." He swallowed a mouthful of cider, breathing deep and shaking his head. "My father made some enquiries but it's a dead end as far as our records show."

"So where does that leave you?" Holly asked.

"Most likely option is that someone from another corporation bootlegged our tech to cover their own asses."

"Like who?"

"A few come to mind." He looked Holly in the eye. "Your friends at Gammaton are head of the pack."

"Excuse me?"

"There aren't a lot of people in Hadrian with the resources and the brass balls to try something like that."

"And it's impossible that someone inside Skiltron could keep a secret from your father? He's one executive. He doesn't run the whole damned company."

Toran's eyes narrowed. "Would suit you just fine to paint Skiltron as the ones behind it, wouldn't you? It would suit everybody – every jealous tech corp snapping at our heels."

"Toran," Ferra said, giving him a gentle kick. "You have to admit it's possible."

He glanced at her in frustration, but seeing the earnest look on her face, his expression softened. Raking a hand through his hair, he leaned back in his seat, giving Holly a nod. "Sorry. I'm not accusing you of anything, but from the information I can get, this isn't coming out of Skiltron. Believe me, I'd want to know if someone in my company was stupid enough to start screwing around with those things again."

"At least we're all alive to keep looking," Piper put in, raising her voice just enough to pull the attention of the group. "It's been a shitty day for everybody, and I don't think we're going to figure any of this out tonight."

"I'll drink to that." Odiye lifted his glass; Arrow and Holly followed suite. After a moment, Ferra and Toran joined them – a small toast that cut through some of the tension in the air.

"Whatever's going on," Toran muttered. "There's no hiding it anymore. Those wraiths are here, and they're staying under my authority. Nobody else goes near them – nobody that I don't trust."

Piper blinked. "You can do that?"

He tipped his glass to her with a nasty smile. "All you need is the right connections, Piper. Stick around and maybe you'll make some of your own."

||