There was always high security at the pod ports, even in the tourist zones, in First Quadrant. They analysed everything as you went through the system, trying to sift out trouble. Nervous flyers had been picked out by body sensors, even arrested on suspicion of sabotage just for exuding fear pheromones

It was a combination of paranoia that grew naturally from the endless wars, but also from the way bots had been developed more for war than for peace, more as weapons against people than as tools to help people. The way bots saw it,  people had become the problem, and bots were their judge.

Bots were rubbish at psychology. Not fair, Vic corrected herself. The programmers had been, what, insensitive? Linear? So the self-refining software had entrenched that lack of subtlety and sophistication. If the bots were in government, which they wanted to be, they would have outlawed Quadrant 2 and started an extra war on that flank. They just didn't trust people.

Vic had bypassed the first layer of encryption and was into the 'staff canteen'. She'd ordered a tray full of synth stuff with her digitally-pilfered staff card, hoping to pick up some information at  one of the hand-absorb feed stands tucked around the walls at intervals.

It was such relief when her hands sank into the the gel that she momentarily closed her eyes. Looking round, she realised there was no chat from others arriving, and all looked suddenly vague as they reached into their dish. She withdrew her hands swiftly, before she absorbed too much. Were they feeding the staff neuro-twisters through the nutrigel? Either they were onto her, or they were drugging everyone. Either way, she'd have to go somewhere else for the gossip. 

It was much harder to get a pass for staff toilets, but after a while with a bit of creativity she did it, only to find that here too staff were isolated into single booths accessed directly from open corridors. Again, no communication without being observed. Nothing like the retro ladies' lounge in Gus' favourite tourist pub, she sighed, where entire life-stories were swapped between strangers during fleeting sessions of make-up repair... if they had been strangers. What if she hadn't been the only agent in there? Hmmm. 

"Well, since I'm here I might as well make use of it!" As she stepped into the water closet, she heard the hum of a door gliding open and someone else exited a booth nearby with a dazed look on their face, smelling faintly of, what was that? Ugh. Yes. Anaesthetic spray ! She'd recently applied it when dealing with her false tooth. So were they neuro-dumbing at every opportunity?

What was more compelling was the face: tiny, nay dainty, and with such great big blue eyes. Vic turned and followed Leonora for a minute, realised her fiancée didn't have a plan, or had forgotten it, and bundled her into a doorway not a second too soon. An armed officer, a total bot, marched past with a guy in leathers with a bloodied nose, limping but keeping his chin up. He had the air of a man being guarded, protected rather than detained.

The shock to Leonora of being bundled into what turned out to be a cupboard was somewhat countermanded by relief at the identity of the bundler. In her dazed state, Leo wasn't sure whether to fight or fling herself into Vic's arms. But Vic wasn't even looking at her beloved.

Following Vic's line of sight, Leo saw him for the first time. It was like a slap in the face for Leonora. Her jaw tightened as she pulled herself together. "We'll argue later," she said.

"Do you know him?"

"That's Mucus alright. Mucus, Hexus, whatever you want to call him. He was Gus' warder when I worked on, well, thing, and I can tell you they were allergic to each other."

"Wait, what, warder?" This was something Vic had never imagined. He was always so smug in his dealings with her, Vic never thought for a moment that Gus had a history like that. "Gus was a prisoner? "

"How did you not know? He was always saying only a few more years to be free."

"I thought he was joking about retirement," said Vic lamely. Darn it. She'd been so busy resenting him, she'd never looked right at him.

"Well, now you know, what difference does it make?"

"Not sure, but maybe some."

First, Vic realised she'd been freed by a prisoner. Weird. Did it even count! Clearly he would have been jealous. Had he resented her enough to stop her getting free, and set her up for prison for life? He was a mean...

"Vic? How long are you planning to stay in this cupboard? "

*****

Coordinated now, they jumped into the ether, detecting the storage bay for the Harley using the tracker Vic had placed on it at the handover. Surprise surprise!  Far from being impounded as evidence, it was actually valet parked in a private part of the pod zone.

"So what's this guy up to then? "

"Look, Leo, " Vic said, " it's not straightforward. He's playing a crooked game. Firstly, the tracker is still on the bike. Do you think he doesn't know that? He was my boss' boss, knows all the tricks. We need to be careful.  Why did he suddenly appear where we were? He could be reeling us in."

"Oh but you know, if he doesn't know we're trailing him, if he feels secure, he could have left the data where you put it! Where better. "

"Ah well," Vic coughed, and they both laughed. 

"Oh I wouldn't think he'd swallow something in such high demand. It would be so, er, awkward if they decided to extract it...  while he was still alive...No. It's on the bike."

"Unless someone's already taken it. Where did he get those injuries?" Leo wondered.

"Well, he was riding in the dark with no lights down a steep cliff side through a hairpin bend. He could have just fallen off. We need to see that bike."

The two women made their way through quiet corridors to the parking area where the bike was stored. At this point, Leonora used her people skills with the valet service while Vic, reversing her coat to the dark side again, slid between vehicles and across a wide floor to drop down beside the Harley. When she heard voices  getting closer, Vic , who never panicked, jumped and jolted the bike. She froze, watching it teeter from side to side. 

"Did you hear something?"

"Over there."

No! This couldn't happen! I, we're getting married tomorrow! Vic grabbed the frame and ran her her hand under the secret panel. How could you open it without kicking it? 

They were getting nearer. She tried again, but no luck. Exasperated, she dived behind the nearest car. 

"Nothing here, apart from this woman."

The weapon was at her frontal lobe. A true scientist.

Vic prayed Leo would have the sense to run.

*****