Chapter Thirteen

Macro couldn't even think in straight lines. His mind kept drifting to the updates DL had received. It wasn't simply the eeriness that surrounded Socket's probing into time and space that bothered him, but his mind had leapt to the assumption they could send something to her to remove her memories again. Of course, without something to store them on then it would be classified as murder. They had no idea Matrix was merely copying the files to her brain, which Macro felt was basically cloning her but that was a matter to worry over for a different day.

What bothered him the most was things no longer felt secure. He felt even less secure about the flickering dot that kept appearing just outside their radar, and his mind was reeling. Socket clearly must want the pachirisu back? She wouldn't happily leave her 'living computer' in the paws of a pirate?

He gnawed on a claw as he glanced over to Matrix's navigation screen. The ribombee was sat with his head resting on his arms, sprawled out before the screen and watching the red dot as it drifted off their radar yet again.

"Are we any closer to Binary City?" Macro asked.

"We're close," said Matrix. "But I'm apprehensive to let you leave with that other ship tailing us."

"Fire at it?"

"I'm not happy with that either, especially since the last time a ship followed us, it saved our hides."

DL made a thoughtful noise. "I do not recall that event."

"You were in your box," said Anchor.

"I see." She nodded slowly. "Then it would be unwise of me to offer advise on this situation."

"You have advice?" Macro asked, rather more surprised than he'd have liked to have sounded.

DL turned her head to look at him. "Oh yes. I'm equipped to plan out tactics to deal with complex situations."

"Oh really?" He narrowed his eyes slightly and let his paw drop to his lap. "Then go ahead. What's your advice?"

"Well... when you leave the ship, you always leave Matrix and Cookie on board. So if you were to disembark, then you'd be spread out. The ship would be able to be defended, and you two would be smaller targets. If someone were to plan an attack, they wouldn't be able to target all of you."

"Huh. I'd never thought of it like that."

"That surprises me, to be honest."

Macro flashed his canines in a scowl. "Is that a jab at my intelligence?"

He chose to ignore the snort that came from Anchor, instead keeping the pachirisu's oddly honest eyes locked on his.

"I am not equipped to calculate your intelligence," she said. "But it does seem like common sense to me."

"Well, maybe you've not noticed but Matrix isn't exactly the best at ship combat," said Macro. "He's my navigator. Anchor is the one who deals with combat."

He gestured a paw towards the granbull who merely shrugged.

"I do my best," he said.

"Then my next assessment," said DL, "is that you take Matrix or myself and leave Anchor to deal with the ship."

"No way!" Macro raised his paws and shook his head. "I know Matrix can kick tail if he wanted to, but like I said. He's my navigator. As for you, since Socket clearly wants to retrieve you, you stay on board."

"That isn't a bad thing," said DL. "I was made for Socket after all."

Macro let out a derisive snort. "You have so much to learn, DL."

"I am equipped with encyclopedias that cover ninety eight percent of System's history and biology," she said. "What makes you say I have a lot to learn?"

He raised an eyebrow and his jaw fell open slightly. Even Anchor's expression reflected his own. With a sigh, he ran a paw over his scar.

"If you're designed to be connected to BackDoor," he said, "then why did she feel the need to fill your head with encyclopedias?!"

"Convenience, I assume."

"This just solidifies my theory that you're a glorified toy." He let out a small growl. "Someone needs to kick that gothitelle from one end of System to the next."

"That is a rather violent solution," said DL.

"It was a metaphor."

"Then may I suggest a less violent one for you?"

Matrix chuckled and Macro shot him a glare. The ribombee diverted his attention back to the navigation screen and pushed himself back into his seat.

"I agree with DL," he said. "You two should just disembark and go looking for the next disk. If she's equipped to deal with complex situations, then maybe she can work out your weapons system?"

The pachirisu nodded. "That sounds like a sound solution to this dilemma."

Macro grit his teeth together and swiveled in his seat to face the windscreen. "Fine! Anchor, show her the ropes. Then we'll drop down into Binary. Matrix." He pointed a claw at the navigator. "Get us as close to the government facility as possible."

Matrix nodded and turned back to his screen, bringing up a smaller window to key in the co-ordinates. He let out a small 'huh' and gave the mawile a sideways glance.

"I believe," he began, "that this facility is actually a huge entertainment centre. Cinema screens, gaming arcades, clubs."

"So it's not offices?" Macro asked.

"It's not clear if they even exist, but if they do they're upstairs. I'll send the map to you and you'll see what I mean." His tiny paws flew across the holoscreen and Macro's computer beeped. "I used to go to Binary City a lot as a hatchling, and if I'm right then this is one of the places I used to frequent."

Macro brought the map up on his optical display and groaned. Matrix wasn't wrong. The facility was huge and contained a multiplex, gaming arcade and even a club or two. Even if he'd wanted to avoid guards at night, there were still going to be obstacles as soon as they stepped paw into the facility.

Anchor nudged him with an elbow. "Hey. Look on the bright side. At least you don't have to pick any locks."

...

Binary City was lit up with bright lights from street lamps to flashing neon signs over casinos and arcades. Music blared from doorways and hidden speakers, each one advertising each individual entertainment centre. Electric pokemon swarmed in the streets, moving from one attraction to the next, oblivious to the two space pirates. Macro nimbly dodged a flaafy clutching a large plush chinchou under one arm as he tried to keep up with his larger ampharos brother. The mawile felt static spread through his horn as it briefly brushed the flaafy's wool and he reached around to beat it away to no avail. It had already caused his thick, yellow fur to stand on end, making him look like a jolteon hybrid.

"Don't draw attention to yourself, Cap'n." The granbull's voice drew Macro's eye to him.

Anchor looked over the various signs and animated billboards and his muzzle crinkled slightly at the animation loop of a lopunny swinging a pair of nunchaku above the door to a combat centre. Seeing pokemon using weapons wasn't unusual given the current state of society, but seeing it shown so boldly, animated or not, was a blatant smack in the face to the government authorities who wanted to ban such things. Considering Binary City held a massive government facility made it unclear whether or not it was a rebellious attitude or mere pokemon type favoritism. After his experience with the electric army at the unnamed building they'd found DL, he was leaning towards the latter.

Yelps and flashes of electricity filled the combat centre and Macro thought he heard the tell-tale whoosh of a water laser firing.

The busy road ended at the entranceway to a huge towering building that spread out on either side to merge with the buildings around it. The top half was filled with small windows that suggested they were either office blocks or apartments. The bottom half's windows were filled with posters or replaced with animated billboards - the kind that let light in but didn't let light out and thus destroy the display. Either way, each poster made it clear what the stores contained. Games arcades, trading card arenas, casinos, combat tournament rooms, clubs, karaoke bars... the list went on.

But right beside the door stood a poster with red text contrasting over a yellow back ground. 'Binary City is a peaceful district. Leave all conflicts to the police force. Breaking this rule will result in a ten thousand credit fine.'

Anchor snorted. "Maybe this won't be as tough a job as I was fearing."

Despite the sign's 'reassurance', Macro still felt somewhat uneasy.

They slipped through the door past an overweight electivire enjoying a triple scoop ice cream cone and entered what could only be described as utter chaos. If they'd had any fear pokemon might target them and turn them in, it was swiftly washed away. Electric and normal type pokemon bustled in all directions, many unable to make up their minds where to visit first. Much to his surprise, a few other pokemon types flowed around the building, their large eyes taking in everything it had to offer, paying no heed to any other passers by. Stores displaying panels of the latest collectible cards were surrounded by hatchlings and adults alike. The shrill voice of a tiny eevee begging his jolteon father for the priciest promo card could be heard over the rumble of voices and Macro grit his teeth together. Those games had always gone over his head. Each new set was just another con to draw money out of the most adoring of fans. The fact they could be played on VR machines was an immense feat, and he caught the glimpse of one over the shoulders of a pack of elekid and pikachu watching their sentret friend while a pair of pom-pom oricorio cheered them on.

Macro found the nearest escalator and stood on the moving stairs, watching the crowd shrink below him. Modern electro-pop music boomed from a casino on his right and he let out an involuntary squeak. A holographic chansey waved at him from the doorway, waving a sign that said 'boost your chance with happy hour'. The music fizzled out and the egg-shaped pokemon closed her eyes and hopped from foot to foot before vanishing into thin air. He turned his back on the door and wound towards the next escalator. The obnoxious music started up again, this time with a different tune, and he caught sight of a holographic meowth tossing coins into the air. Once again, the same sign for 'happy hour' flashed above its head showering the pokemon with golden credits.

"This life doesn't appeal to me at all," Macro muttered to Anchor.

The pink bulldog pokemon nodded and folded his arms, watching the stores drift by. Neon lights flashed across his purple mohawk, tinting it with all the colours of the rainbow.

Macro distracted himself by bringing up the map, subtly so as not to draw attention to himself (although that wasn't exactly difficult since everyone else's attention was on the various amusements). The next disk was held in one of the smaller rooms, but it was difficult to work out what exactly they were. Once again, it was locked away. That was all it said. Locked away. No indication whether it was a safe or merely locked behind a door. The room it was located in was on the third floor. That meant they needed to ride up another escalator.

The second floor was filled with clubs which Macro felt was a bit unfair to those that didn't have the privilege of living in one of the upstairs luxury apartments and would likely be dragging themselves home after a night out.

The two space pirates faltered slightly before the next escalator. Very few pokemon were using it, and most of the ones that were came down from the one that ran parallel to it. Macro stepped aside as a furret shot past him to head up the stairs, laughing as she threw an apology at an electabuzz over her shoulder. The yellow and black mammal shook his head and leant against the wall of the glass elevator. He fixed the two space pirates with an amused smile and shrugged.

"Women, eh?" he said.

Anchor grunted with agreement and looked after the furret. "Aye."

"She'd forget her tail if it weren't attached." The large electric type frowned slightly and his eye drifted to Macro. "Do I know you?"

"Nope." Macro tugged at Anchor's paw and steered him towards the escalator. "We're new to this establishment."

"Huh." The electabuzz folded his arms and smirked. "Well, you should join us for a drink at Chatty Chatot's later. You seem like just her type."

Macro hid a grimace behind a smirk of his own and tugged Anchor after him with a mutter of 'maybe later'. Once they were out of the electabuzz's view, he let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully that stripy beast hadn't recognised him from a wanted poster.

He threw open the door at the top of the stairs and strolled out into open air. He blinked his violet eyes in amazement and stared aghast at a stretch of false grass dotted with round plastic tables each one sporting a vibrant sun umbrella. A pair of meowth and a skitty eyed them curiously then returned to their conversation as they enjoyed their tall, pink drinks. Macro stood aside once more as the furret rushed passed him again to return to her friend.

From the outside, he hadn't seen this balcony. That meant it must have been at the back of the building, hidden from view of the shopping and entertainment streets. His eye wandered to the buildings around them, all of which looked like apartment and office blocks. Although a few of them sported their own posters and bright, animated billboards. Shrill screams reached his ears, almost drowned out by the city noise, and he trotted over to the balcony edge and looked down into the streets. This area of the city was much more suburban and he spotted a group of electric type pokemon standing around a wide river that fed a lake perched in the entertainment centre's vibrant yet fake garden. A galvantula tugged on an electric web, dragging it out of the water with the help of his bipedal allies. The water dwellers held inside the net flailed and splashed as electricity coursed through their bodies, their vibrant, colourful fins waving in protest. Macro flinched and turned away, clearing his throat as he tried to dispel the wretched image.

Anchor's paw fell heavily on his shoulder and he briefly looked up at his large friend.

"Let's see where we're meant to be going then, hey?" he said.

He checked his map again and let out a small groan. The room was on this floor... that meant the disk was held in someone's apartment.

That meant this building didn't hold a single office room. Whoever was in charge of the disk both worked for Socket and lived in Binary City. He frowned slightly as he took in the various apartments and their communal garden. He could only have dreamt of being able to afford a place like this.

He strolled across the balcony, the fake grass soft on his paws like a carpet. Once they were out of ear shot of the three cat pokemon, he looked up at Anchor and shook his head.

"We need to get into one of these rooms," he said quietly.

Anchor's ears pricked up with surprise and he looked over at each of the clean, white, numbered doors. Some of them even had hanging baskets filled with silk or painted metal flowers. Real flowers hadn't grown in System for such a long time that owning real ones was a luxury even for the most wealthy of pokemon.

His map told him the disk was held in the sixth room along. He counted them as he passed and hesitated outside room number twenty six. So much for not needing to pick locks.

"Oi!"

Macro froze and glanced to the side. The voice had sounded oddly robotic. A deep hum of electricity rose to a crescendo and he spotted the metal squat sphere of a magnezone floating towards him with all the speed of a jet. A pack of magnemite and magneton bobbed along beside him and he drifted to a halt behind Macro and Anchor.

Living metal. One of few pokemon that looked like they'd been crafted by pokemon, but they weren't remotely androids. Like every other pokemon they had internal organs, although these consumed electricity rather than fruit or meat. They had no mouths to speak of, so all their vocalisations came from a hidden speaker on their bodies.

The magnezone narrowed his eyes and aimed his magnets forwards. They were much too big for an ordinary magnezone. Some enhancement he'd had... Macro felt a tug on the steel in his horn. He locked his legs and frowned back at the magnezone.

"What's your problem?" he growled.

"We've been alerted to two space pirates roaming the premises," the magnezone explained. "My records tell me it is you two. Hunter and one of his crew from Wildcard Gamma. We're to take you into custody."

Macro stifled a chuckle but a small smirk tugged at his lips. "So you're the fuzz? Except... not very fuzzy?"

The magnezone's eyes narrowed into slits and he increased the pull on his magnets. Macro felt his feet leave the floor and Anchor grabbed him around his waist before he flew into the floating police 'mon's grasp.

"There's no sense in resisting," the magnezone droned. "You're wanted dead or alive. Even if we just have to take your head, we will."

The surrounding magnemite and magneton span in the air, generating an electromagnetic field that almost pulled Anchor off his feet. Macro let out a shrill scream as it tugged on his horn, dragging him closer and closer to the magnezone.

These wretched electric types. His ground laser was useless against magnezone and its family. Their ability to levitate completely countered their weakness to it. He grit his teeth together and tried to catch Anchor with a glare.

"Do something!" he roared.

"If I let go of you, you'll be whisked away!" The granbull tightened his grip on the mawile's waist. "Although I'm a bit worried you're gonna get torn in two at this rate..."

The magnezone muttered something that to Macro was incoherent electronic babble and edged closer to him, grabbing his horn in his magnets. The mawile found himself tugged into the air, wrenching him clean from Anchor's grip. The pink bulldog cursed loudly and looked around for something to strike the hovering hunk of metal with. But there was nothing. At this height, Anchor couldn't even strike the magnezone with a fire fang. All he could do was watch helplessly as Macro was lifted away and the other magnet pokemon moved in to surround him, their bodies sparking maliciously.

...

Surge ducked behind the edge of the apartment housing, her laser clasped in one paw. The magnezone officer had lifted Macro off the ground, holding the flailing mawile two feet over Anchor's head. The poor granbull's body jerked as electricity coursed through him.

If the magnezone apprehended the space pirates then she wouldn't see a single credit. She pulled the laser towards her chest and watched the officers as they did her job for her. The police force, even though linked to Socket, were a separate entity from the Mayor's officials. She controlled soldiers, not the police. If Surge interfered, then it wouldn't go too heavily against her.

After all, she had been asked.

All she had to do was catch every single one of them in a blast. If she hit Macro, she hit the magnezone, and took out a chunk of the smaller magnets in the process.

She aimed her laser, keeping both eyes open and locking them on the frantic mawile. She'd heard every word the giant magnet pokemon had said. Dead or alive. They'd have pulled him apart to get the bounty if they had to, but fortunately it hadn't come to that. His long, yellow fur billowed around him, revealing his slim black legs as he frantically kicked at the magnezone. The sight made her feel sick to the stomach. She pressed a claw to the trigger and the trim of her laser lit up red. Dead or alive...

Her heat lurched into her throat and she shifted her aim, pushing hard on the trigger. A flash of red shot from it, lighting the white walls up with an orange glow. The laser seared through the magnemite and magneton before it engulfed the magnezone, melting his hull away. A deep, electronic screech filled the air and she pressed her paws over her ears, ducking back behind the wall. The magnezone crashed to the ground along with several of his crew, and the remaining smaller magnets buzzed as they shot blindly back through the door to the escalator or flocked over the balcony to the streets below.

Her mouth was dry as she looked back over her shoulder at the massacre. Macro stood beside the fallen magnezone, his violet eyes wide as he looked from the molten pokemon to the direction the attack had come from. She could even see his shoulders rising and falling as he tried to catch his breath. She flinched away from the sight and stuffed her laser back into her belt. Her heart was racing and she placed a paw to her chest, taking steady breaths to try and calm it.

She couldn't do it... she couldn't shoot him. Yet she'd so easily taken down the police officer. She let her head fall into her paws and screamed silently into her lap. Shoot the criminal, claim the bounty. It was a simple job. What had got into her?