Chapter Eight

Macro had read over Socket's plan so many times he'd lost count, and it made less and less sense with each read. He stuffed his computer back into his pouch and fastened it back around his waist as he left his bedroom. Lunch time had long since passed and a quick check of the time told him Cookie would have dinner ready soon.

Three different voices came from the cockpit, including the flat, lifeless voice of Download Database. Macro reminded himself of the commands Surge had sent him, many of which were engraved in his mind after his obsessive reading. Some were completely useless to him, such as the ones to connect her to BackDoor or the other individual components that made up the artificial mob scouring System's furthest most remote corners.

Amongst the list of commands was the password that would force her to tell him why she was created, and it was the first one that sprung to mind as soon as he spotted her leaning against the wooden crate, her blank eyes fixed on Anchor as he told her what each of the controls on the dashboard did.

"The password is 'back door'." Macro's voice drew all three pairs of eyes towards him.

"That is correct." Download Database turned so she was fully facing him. "What do you want to know?"

"How did you get that information, Cap'n?" Anchor asked.

"I hired a hacker." Macro turned back to Download Database, but he could see Anchor's confused and questioning look out of the corner of his eye. "Don't worry yourself, Anchor. You'll still get paid. Now, tell me, Download Databse. Why were you created?" He knew. He knew exactly why, but some part of him hoped deeply that Surge was pulling his leg.

The pachirisu continued to face him, but she wasn't seeing him. Her eyes had gone elsewhere, searching through the endless amounts of information stored inside her head.

"Download Database was created as an information receiver for the project BackDoor. It is meant to accompany Socket to keep her up to date on progress as dimensional gateways are discovered and opened across System."

Drat. Surge had been right.

His head felt fuzzy and he let it flop into his paw. Matrix and Anchor sat on his peripheral vision, their mouths agape.

"Dimensional gateways?" Matrix asked, rather too confidently.

"Is this pachirisu trolling you?" Anchor asked. "Did you use the wrong password or something?"

"No." Macro rubbed at his temples. "What she's said is true. Like I said, I hired someone to find out for me, and I just wanted to check everything she'd told me was fact."

"Of course it's true," said Download Database. "I am programmed not to lie."

"Then if Socket is doing this," said Matrix, "what does it mean for System?"

"She's looking for humans," said Macro.

Anchor roared with laughter. "Humans don't exist!"

"I'm aware of that," Macro scoffed. "This pachirisu is apparently a prototype. Socket wants to make more of them, but using pokemon isn't ethical, or efficient, because in order to loop around 'murder', they have to keep their personalities alive. All of hers are stored on disks."

"That's barbaric," said Anchor.

"It is, but at least she can get them back." Macro folded his arms and leant back against the door frame. "Not exactly efficient since it could ruin Socket's plans. If they were destroyed, she wouldn't be able to, and the risk of losing her would be removed."

"And humans aren't pokemon." Matrix wound his antenna in his paw. "So destroying their personalities doesn't count as murder, as our laws wouldn't apply to them."

"Exactly."

"So let me get this straight." Anchor scratched the base of his mohawk. "Socket honestly thinks humans exist somewhere, and is tearing open dimensional gates - which, believe me, I think is a load of guano - in an attempt to find something that allows her to bypass our laws?"

"Yup."

"What do you think?" Anchor turned his seat to face him. "You don't believe in humans, do you?"

"Of course not! It's all legends and myths."

"Incorrect." Download Database looked at each of them in turn. "My database contains facts on human existence and activity in System."

"Facts?" Macro sneered. "Where did you get these 'facts'?"

"All historical documentation held within System," she said. "I can even get online to cross reference if desired, but the facts are there."

"Historical documentation..." Macro chuckled and scratched his scar. "You mean books? That's no proof, sweetheart. There's no physical evidence of humans ever existing in System. No fossils, no photographs. Nothing."

"All humans were transformed into pokemon," she explained. "Then they were all sent back to their own world through the Fracture that engulfed Seed City. Only one remained in System at the time. He could switch back and forth between a talonflame and human at will."

"Yeh? Then where is the physical proof?"

"There is none. It is believed if he passed away, he did so in the form of a talonflame."

"Exactly." Macro kicked himself back from the wall and turned towards the kitchen. "Hatchling stories. Legends and myths."

"Incorrect. My sources count it as valid information."

"Okay, let's say humans did exist." His words were laced with a growl. "Why does she want them, exactly?"

"To expand BackDoor's reach."

"And what is BackDoor doing? Because I don't imagine this all comes to an end once humans are found."

"I cannot answer that," she said. "That information is not accessible to me."

Macro blinked. Well, that was convenient. A nice little cover up for Socket should Download Database fall into the wrong paws.

"So she doesn't even give you a reason for stealing your personality," he said flatly. "She did all this to you... and doesn't even bother to give you access to her reasoning?"

"My existence is to serve and to obtain information from BackDoor on demand."

"Face facts, pachirisu!" He rounded on her, lowering his nose to hers. "Socket had your personality wrenched out on the basis of chasing down some legend because she wants to bypass her own stinking laws!"

She didn't even step back or blink, returning his stare with a blank, chocolate brown one that almost chilled him.

"Why don't you feel anything?!" he roared. "You're in a stolen body yet you just don't care!"

"You're angry. That's detrimental to your own wellbeing." The pachirisu diverted her gaze to the doorway and her eyes grew distant. "Searching for calming suggestions."

Macro threw his arms in the air and marched from the room. "Forget it! I'm gonna get some dinner. I'll be in the kitchen if anyone needs me."

"That is a good idea," said Download Database. "The slow burning nutrients injected into me for transportation are running low. I should eat also."

Macro felt his fur bristle down his back. He refrained from looking back as the pachirisu's light, heavily-furred footsteps followed him across the corridor to the large kitchen.

Cookie waddled from an open cupboard to the stove and froze, staring at Macro over his shoulder. His round face lit up and his tongue poked out between his teeth.

"I saved you some breakfast and lunch and put the two together!"

"Fantastic." Macro fell into a seat and flinched as Download Database climbed into Matrix's usual seat opposite him. "What is it?"

"Chocolate chip pancakes and fruit coolie with payapa and tanga berry sandwiches." The slurpuff dropped a plate before him and stood back with a huge smile.

Macro's heart soared and he grabbed his knife and fork to dig in.

"This is what you eat?" Download Database's voice froze him and he glanced up at her with a frown. "This is not a healthy balanced meal. Pancakes and coolie are high in sugar and the berries have been fried to within an inch of their life."

"So?" Macro growled.

"You are meant to have a good balance of vitamins and carbohydrates for the body to function at optimal efficiency. Fresh berries are much healthier than those that are cooked. Even stewed berries are healthier than fried. If you want to cook them first, steaming is the best method as it locks in more vitamins. Throw it away. I shall make you a healthy meal."

She rose to her feet and moved over to the stove where she promptly moved Cookie's steaming pan of stewing berries and sugar.

"Wait!" Cookie waddled over to her with his paws outstretched. "Leave it alone! This is my kitchen!"

She stared down at him over the steaming pan. "Your cooking skills are inefficient. Allow me to show you."

Cookie stamped his foot and his eyes filled with tears. "But I love cooking! I'm a professional chef!"

"You are young."

"You can be a professional at fourteen!"

"Professionals make more than just sweets."

Macro kept one eye on the squabbling pokemon as he stuffed a forkful of pancakes into his mouth. A small smile played at his lips and he lifted his plate to head back into the cockpit, leaving their bickering voices behind. At least she'd be entertained and out of his way for a while.

...

Socket waited patiently as the dialing tone rang out from her holographic computer screen. After the third ring, the familiar face of a delphox appeared on screen - or what one would assume was a delphox amongst the thick cloud of smoke that surrounded most of his features.

"Good afternoon, Detective Tracer," she said.

"What is it, Mayor Socket?" he asked, somewhat boredly.

"I have a favor to ask of you," she said. "It's too confidential to go into details, but I am under the impression you have a mercenary working for you?"

"Yes, I do." He blew out a stream of yet more smoke and flicked the remains of his cigar off the screen. "It's the easiest way to track down space pirates."

"Quite the chameleon, I understand?"

"She gets the job done." He paused as he lit up another cigar. "Is this favor from me or her?"

"I would like her contact details," said Socket. "I think a mercenary is exactly what I need right now."

"Given recent developments, I'm guessing you want Hunter round up quickly?"

"You catch on quick."

"I'm not exactly one to sniff at forty K, Madam Mayor."

She pursed her red lips together and rested her chin on her steepled fingers. "Can you do this favor for me, or not?"

"If you're taking my merc off me to round him up, I want a cut of the price," he said. "Surge and I have a deal. Every bounty she earns from rounding up pirates gets split forty/sixty. She gets the bigger cut, otherwise she walks."

"Tell me, Mister Fox. Why would she stay working with you if she could get one hundred percent?"

"You see, there's a little thing called 'team work'." Tracer blew out another cloud of smoke that completely obscured everything except the tips of his ears. "She isn't the only one rounding up pirates. We all get a cut, and she gets the bigger one."

"Very well. Will you send her my way?" Her voice was calm, but her eyes remained hard.

The delphox wafted some of the smoke away to clear the screen and leant back in his seat, keeping his amber eyes on her.

"Do I get a cut?" he asked.

"That is up to... Surge, is it?"

He nodded.

"Well. It's not up to me," she finished.

He was silent for a moment, not taking his eyes off her.

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" he asked.

Socket shook her head slowly.

"Very well," he said. "I'll send you her contact details."

The video cut out, and almost immediately the program beeped, bringing up a string of numbers followed by the name 'Surge'. As she keyed them in, she cast a quick glance over her shoulder at the chingling.

"How are you getting on there, Tweak?" she asked.

"Oh, I think I'm nearly done!" His cheerful voice rang off the walls. "Every bit of sensitive information concerning BackDoor is now blocked from Download Database's access."

"Good. Any wiser on who our little hacker was?" She stared at the string of numbers and tapped her claws on her desk.

Tweak chuckled, his bell grating in his throat. "Whoever it was did a good job, but they're not better than me. I've traced it right back to their phone number. Want me to read it out to you?"

Socket's lips pulled up into a smirk. "Definitely."