AuthorSME
patreon
TO Rewrite: B3 — 10. The AI Returns
🕑 Added 2024-09-17 22:42:35 +0000 UTCPoV:
1. Rachel (Our Lunar Hare!)
2. Fiona White (Our Little Fairy!)
--------------------
Pushing open the door to the café with a slight swing of her tail, the frigid Montana air hit Rachel in the face as she moved to step outside. Scarlet was right behind her, the vamp girl’s steps quieter than the storm of mumbles that swept the warm interior, the whispers of soldiers mixed with the steady hum of the temporary entertainment district.
However, she paused, ears twitching as her brother’s chair shot back and he jumped to his feet. “Rachel!”
A frown touched her mouth at the sharp and annoyed cadence she’d heard throughout her life; it essentially was his way of beating her over the head with a brick to tell her she was stupid. Half turning, she saw him already shaking his head, phone raised in one hand.
“Are you serious?” he barked, drawing every patron’s eye while gesturing at the cowgirl. “You didn’t even give the others a shot, and now you want to hire The Legend of Calamity Jane here on the spot?”
Rachel turned back slowly, her brain having to redirect from Astra next door as her eyes met her brother’s. She hadn’t expected this pushback, which meant she’d missed something important. It almost immediately smacked her in the face. This wasn’t just any drill sergeant she was hiring; he had to trust them to do everything possible to keep his wife alive.
Shit. I mean, she’s got the belly and brass for it, but…
Grace, who was still sitting at their table, ignored the outburst and raised a flask to her lips before pouring a generous amount of something—most likely alcohol—into her coffee. Her grin stretched across her face as she sat back to observe them from under the brim of her hat, sipping at her brew.
Nam waved his phone, having already done a quick search, no doubt.
“You know, one biographer said Calamity Jane’s true story is, ‘mostly an account of uneventful daily life interrupted by drinking binges. A rough and tumble tomboy trying to make it in a man’s world without any respect. She’s not some outlaw like people think. She was a gambler, a drunkard, and engaged in dangerous behavior for attention—by far one of the worst cowgirl role models in history.’ And this is who you want to train my wife?”
Grace grinned and threw one arm over the back of her chair, aiming a wink at him. “Ah, but they have heard of the calamitous cowgirl, for better or for worse. That’s a win, right? Look, ma, your little milk girl is famous!”
Rachel tilted her head, her gaze slipping back to Grace. “Love the spunk but not the time, Milky. Look, Nam, it’s not all about her historical account. Pop-culture plays a major role too.”
Nam groaned, sliding his hands through his hair in a nervous way that was unusual for her calm brother. “Rachel, I get you’re busy. I do. But do you even know if she’s done a Legend Quest—no, a normal Quest for that matter?”
Sighing and moving back inside for a moment to not let out any more heat, she turned to give her brother her full attention. “You’re right—this needs your sign-off, and while I’ve marked her for characteristics I approve of, that doesn’t mean you have. I get that.”
She cocked her hip, soldiers giving them sidelong glances, waiting to see how this interaction played out. “Take her to see Alexa and the skittish feather butt. Pick a few others to test out and see how she handles things in a Quest. And yes, at the strength I sense in her she’s at least done a few Quests. This is a test for her as much as it is for the rookies.”
Nam’s face softened a bit, though he still looked skeptical while crossing his arms. “And what happens if she fails my expectations—she’s drinking during the interview process?!”
Grace straightened her hat with a playful grin and tossed her flask to the side for it to vanish in a pulse of blue light. “Now, don’t y’all worry none, sugar,” she drawled. “I know I might seem like the mighty wild type, but I’m more dependable than a barn rooster at sunrise. And I don’t drink that much…” She paused, giving her coffee cup a light tap. “Most days, at least but I’ve got my reasons for it.”
Name gave her a stare that said she was full of it, prompting the head-shorter lady to cross her legs and throw a thoughtful glance her way.
“I mean, yeah, I’ve had a few rough-and-tumble days—cowgirl’s life ain’t for the faint-hearted; especially when you’re livin off the clothes on your back—but I’m all about hard work, not just the drinkin’ and partyin’ parts.” She shot Nam a cheeky grin. “Heck, I’m as modest as a cactus in bloom—rare, sure, but when it happens, folks remember her. Anyone with me… No? Well, guess I’m rarer than I thought!”
Rachel couldn’t help but chuckle at her personality quirk, no doubt using humor as a way to ease her own nerves; her muscles were tight, yet she did a good job at hiding it.
“It’s simple, Nam. If she fails your expectations, then you throw me the next target. For now, we just need a Legend, and considering our last visitor,” her eyes flicked toward the storm clouds, now nearly on top of them, “at least we know Grace is aware of the stakes. She knows what she’s getting into with Omen and handled it about as well as Cahira would have.”
“…The pirate? Not a high bar, Sis,” her brother grumbled.
“But don’t worry,” Rachel soothed, catching Scarlet’s own unsure frown, “I’ll do my personal evaluation with her later. I’m not looking for polished diamonds but coal caked in dirt—rough stones—capable of going under the pressure and heat to become stunning, pretty, and sharp little gems.”
Grace chose that moment to choke on her coffee, sputtering as Rachel’s ‘evaluation’ sank in and probably remembering how Aella had her trial by fire.
“Hey, I’m a quick learner. Whatever ya need, I’ll figure it out,” she coughed, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “Rough stones caked in dirt, huh? That’s what I’m here for—pressure and heat, right? Although, I prefer the hot days workin’ a ranch than the coal mines, if ya catch my drift.”
Rachel’s smirk only widened as her gaze swept across the café patrons and the soldiers nearby. They were murmuring amongst themselves and word of Omen’s recruitment would continue to spread. She turned on her heel and left.
“We’ll see how much ‘milk’ I can get from you, Cow Girl. I hope you can handle the chaos because wherever Omen goes, misfortune follows.”
Nam groaned again, clearly not ready to drop the conversation as she left, mumbling, “Fine. I’ll see how she does. But Rachel… Be careful with how you handle things going forward; people are already talking, and not everyone is as tough as you are.”
Entering the chilly night, Scarlet jogged to keep up with her longer stride, prompting her to slow down a little. Rachel could still hear Grace behind them, talking to Nam and trying to get a feel on what she was actually doing because she had no clue what they wanted from her; it was the promise of adventure that had drawn her from the rumors surrounding them.
Scarlet’s crimson irises peeled back the brick to watch Nam and Grace talk as they made it to the alley, leading to the rear of the establishment. “Do you really think she’s a good fit? She’s stronger than Aella, for sure, but not quite on Cahira’s level or near ours.”
Rachel chuckled under her breath. “She’ll be fine. Not everyone has gathered as much information as us on how to advance quickly or had our opportunities. Grace is a thrill seeker. She’s looking for a big adventure. She’ll fit in just fine.”
Scarlet raised an eyebrow, turning her focus to the opposite building. “She’s sure got a lot of…personality, I guess you could say. Not that that’s a bad thing! I like the whole dairy joke and cowgirl thing she has going on. I’m curious about her. It’s just, it’s hard to see her joining us on the last ‘adventure’ we had.”
Rachel’s ears twitched to the left, catching snippets of conversation from soldiers in a pub who saw Nia, Aella, and Alexa pass—whispers about her recent brawl with the bird lady were causing a stir, good and bad.
“That interaction with Relica proves she’s tougher than she feels because she hasn’t had the opportunity to push herself. There should be a lot of people like that which just need the right situation to prove their worth.”
Her gaze shifted toward the sky as she came to a stop at the deserted back alley. Flakes began to fall, the dark clouds bringing a white blanket to cover them. She could feel it in her stiff tail and ears; it wouldn’t be long until it grew heavy and multiple parties would be using it for their own ends—the USSR would be setting up for their operation, she could feel it.
“Besides,” Rachel smirked, following Scarlet’s narrow-eyed glare at the back entrance of the neighboring building where a big military man dressed in a grunt outfit exited, a smile on his face. “I’d rather deal with someone who knows the cost of failure. She’s seen Relica, acknowledged the Mystic Legendkin, and didn’t run. That counts for something.”
Scarlet nodded her blood exiting her body to fan over them like an umbrella, excluding the AI on purpose. “I guess… I just don’t want you to have to clean up another mess, like you’ve done with me. Speaking about messes. I can see past that disguise now, Astra. A doll with a lot of magical and ritual modifications on it, I assume. Why are you here?”
A bit harsh, Rachel internally sighed. I suppose what she really wants to ask is what her mother wants and to have her turn herself in. Or…is she thinking her mother is checking up on her and is annoyed at her not coming herself? It would be stupid if she did.
Standing tall, nearly even with the tip of Rachel’s ears, the big man clasped his hands behind his back as drones flew overhead, surveying the area. “Scarlet, well, aren’t you looking mighty now? I see Countess Elizabeth’s party did you well. I’m so sorry I missed it. But why the hostility? Has there been some upsets in your life recently? I can help!”
“I don’t want any help from you… Unless you can get my mother to turn herself in or at least talk to me.”
And, there it is.
“Woah. Let’s not get carried away,” Astra laughed. “I’m good but I’m not that good! What’s got you so on edge? Did you find out about the French deal I made with Charlemagne? To be fair, Jeanne didn’t approve. I’m here as a friend! I take it my gift was received by the good general, Rachel?”
So, he admits to working with the French to spy on us, she mused, hearing Nia squealing about new clothes with her two babysitters. Jeanne has a better poker face than I thought.
Rachel’s head tilted to the left, parsing through the threads of misfortune. There were many ways she’d envisioned this meeting going, yet so many ways it could come back to bite her in the tail. Adele might be listening. It would make sense that she’d want to hear her daughter speak again. Scarlet’s words were biting likely for that very reason. Until she had a way to free Astra, she had to play along, and misfortune somewhat agreed. There was a better outcome, but the chances of getting it were low.
Adding a smile, she heard the squeak of rats gathering around them; it wouldn’t be long until they had another guest. “I’ve had a few ‘gifts’ and messengers sent to deliver them recently. I was thinking about securing your services for a few tasks, but I know you only do jobs you’re interested in. So, since you’re here…I interest you. What have you been up to since disappearing in Miami?”
“Who is to say I’m on a job right now or that I’m not interested in being hired by the infamous Omen?” A sly smirk lifted the man’s mouth as he chewed his gum, side stepping her question. His vision flicked to Scarlet, likely to redirect. “I’ve heard you found your way into a lot of money, as well. How about you hire me, Scarlet? I do good work… Can I assume the information had to do with your bloody masquerade?”
Rachel’s expression tightened slightly, the weight of her previous interactions with Relica and the Scarlet Hand brought up a big question mark she wanted answered, and who better than the Scarlet Hand’s AI itself?
“Side stepping, Astra… Do you have any insights for me on Aurora?” The sparse, falling flakes began to stick to his military jacket, showing the work of a hard day. “You’ve worked with the Scarlet Hand before. Surely you know something juicy about that irritating succubus vampire?”
Astra’s gum bubble popped over his mouth as he studied her, the smile on his lips fading. “Aurora? Ooh. That’s gonna cost you, babe. That’s high-grade info… Very high, depending on how recent you want it but you’ve got the funds.”
She snorted, the rising snow swirling around them as the wind picked up; maybe Adele was looking for some extra money after her husband drained their account. “What could you possibly want from me? Money? You’re funny. No. You can hack into any bank you want, right? But…I have something you desire, don’t I?”
Astra’s brows furrowed, his confidence faltering for a moment while folding his arms and breathing out a visible, heavy puff of air. The snow was starting to pick up, his dark eyes narrowing before flicking to Scarlet, then back to her. The fanged girl kept her blood umbrella purposefully away from the AI, and Rachel’s smile grew at his reaction.
Adele thinks it’s Scarlet while Astra knows my true intention…freedom.
“Oh? Interesting counter I had not anticipated, which is…unusual for me. And how do you know what I desire?”
Before Rachel could answer, Scarlet spoke up from behind her. “You mean, he doesn’t know?” Her laughter did not cause the same foggy swirl of clouds around her as it did them, which was odd considering the puppet wasn’t alive, yet it did need to give off that appearance. “I thought you were the all-seeing hacker. We have our tricks too.”
Talking to your mother and not him is not going to help us, Rachel internally groaned, the hardly hidden anger and frustration clear as day. Cool it down.
Astra swallowed his gum and took out another piece to replace it, his tone far more calculating now. “What are you two playing at? Something feels…off since we last spoke,” he muttered, his usual smirk returning, though it was weaker now.
Rachel moved to bump shoulders with Scarlet, making her scowl falter and look away with a restrained, pouty growl. Her mother sending a puppet like Astra instead of herself must have felt rough for the fanged girl; Rachel could get that but they had to play this the right way.
“The fun little games we play. Let’s just say I know exactly what you want. It doesn’t matter how I know. I’m sure you’ve figured out that I have plenty of other sources of information to get such intel. However, the point is, you likely have access to something I want.”
Ears tilting forward, she gave him an enigmatic stare, hinting at something only he would know and his puppeteer would not. “Give me what I want, Astra, and I’ll give you what you want.”
Letting the silence stretch, it wasn’t long until he chuckled and pulled a slim file from seemingly nowhere out from behind his back. “If it’s what I most want, then I’ll need to do a little more homework before coming back to you with such confidence… Aurora is most on your mind, hmm? Interesting. Not what I expected.
“As it stands, here!” He handed the file forward with a wide grin. “I was hired to deliver this. Figured I’d hang around to see what you’d make of it and maybe to chat a little more. I don’t get a lot of fun interactions like this that catch me by surprise. Indulge where you can, I always say! Oh? Not interested?”
Rachel glanced at the folder but made no move to take it. “Mmm. Let me guess—more people crawling out of the woodwork, trying to throw in their support for Omen in order to save the world?” She didn’t need to look at it; she already knew the type of information it contained from his previous report.
Astra waved the folder slightly. “No need to be paranoid. A USSR mole I was hired to uncover. I’ve jammed the area, so they can’t hear us, by the way. Found him through some bank records. Low-level stuff, but hey, it’s a start.”
Rachel took the file without much interest, handing it over to Scarlet who peeled it open like a detective on a case. It wasn’t hard to see she didn’t want to interact with Astra if her mother wasn’t going to talk to her; it would be good to give the vampire a task to do to distract her. The fanged girl was dying to bite into more responsibility and prove herself.
Running around to find spies wasn’t that appealing to Rachel after the whole masquerade mystery; she had Aurora living in her brain rent free now because of that, knocking and snickering for attention. So, Scarlet could handle that side of things.
“I don’t have time to deal with that right now,” she brushed aside. “I’ll delegate that out. I have recruits, training, and promotional stuff to do. Also…the Crystal will open in two days at noon. That’s what I’m focusing on.”
“Two days… Wow. Sooner than I expected,” Astra shifted on his feet, sniffing the air and glancing toward the shadows behind them. His voice dropped, now almost playful. “I thought I smelled the plague. Black. Are you here to bid for my services? Omen makes a tough opponent so far. Rachel has what I most want! What do you have to offer?”
The gathering rats coalesced into dense shadows until a slender figure emerged. “Outbid? I’ve already paid my price, have I not?” Black asked, her low voice sharp but laced with amusement. “What do you know about White’s condition?”
Rachel barely contained her laughter as the distant sound of the displaced rats Black had traded places with; it was followed by Red’s grumbling complaints about Black sneaking off again and how she didn’t want to meet Green or Gray by herself.
Not bad, Black. Leveraging your info on him as an AI and being created by the Scarlet Hand, all while his puppet master watches… Information you’ve already given me, and using it as a threat to force him to answer you. It’s a play. As someone in the services business, he’s more of a rival than a friend, so…
The storm was starting to settle in as Astra tensed, mouth becoming a line as the conversation shifted. “Extortion, Black? Really?” He chuckled softly but there was no humor in his voice. “You’re pushing it but I do owe you.”
Rachel tilted her head, her smile cold. “You also owe me, Astra. You’ve been sneaking about acting like my friend. Shouldn’t you help a hare out so I can put my trust in you again?”
He exhaled loudly, the air between them thickening. “That is…fair. Fine. I’ll give you a tidbit,” he said slowly, pulling his gum from his mouth before tucking it into a wrapper to take out another flavor to replace it with. “To be honest, I don’t know how your glorious leader is doing. It’s bad, though. Very bad. Most of what I hear says she won’t make it back…period. One person saw a vision of her being taken captive into a Crystal, bound by ropes of death. I’m skeptical of ‘visions’ and ‘visionaries’ though on a personal note.”
Astra’s sharp eyes locked onto Black’s as the rat lady’s fingers tightened into a fist. “And White’s strong. Potentially as strong as Rachel, which is how Fable survived falling out with the Scarlet Hand with her leadership. White’s picking up the slack of some members of your organization. I’m sure you know the culprits. They may even burn bridges to stop their internal panic.”
Rachel took note of the way his clothes shifted, the military garb overlaid with potentially some kind of nanite technology by the sounds they produced. Black’s dry smirk grew as Astra transformed into a dark-haired, female nurse with a crooked smile on her face.
“White will make it back. And don’t be so dramatic, Astra. If you’re on Fable’s side. I’m on your side,” she said with a flick of her bald tail. “You’re friendly, right? You’re here to provide all the information needed to help this operation move smoothly.”
Astra’s new persona looked bored, her voice laced with sarcasm while popping a sour gum bubbly into her mouth. “Sure. Sure. Whatever. I know how it is. What should you look out for, Scarlet?”
The vampire girl glanced up as her name was called.
“Huh?”
“You’re going to be investigating, right? Rachel’s clearly not invested until there’s a fight,” she droned. “Look there. Forces are moving, recruits are being tested—new people, new faces, no big background checks because…you know, they can’t. You should keep your big red eyes open. Some of those ‘volunteers’ have less-than-innocent intentions.”
Rachel’s mind raced, processing the implications. Fable and Omen had indeed made enemies across the globe, and this Crystal opening would be the perfect stage for some of those people to make a move.
“We’ve got our admirers, true,” Rachel said, her eyes gleaming. “I’m not worried about a few bad apples.”
“Maybe you should be,” Astra shot back, her tone more serious now as she put her hands on her hips to stare up at her. “Luck and misfortune only holds out for so long, even for you, Rachel. There are other powerful forces at work that would like nothing more than for you and this Crystal to destroy each other.
“Let me make this clear, the Scarlet Hand put in a lot of work to make sure a Crystal attack in Colombia, South America captured a set of twins. They want to keep them off Earth. Period. Even the Scarlet Hand is working behind the scenes to help you on this one.”
The wind howled, scattering snow across the ground as Rachel crossed her arms and locked eyes with the smaller woman. “Oh, that’s old news. You’re slacking. I’ve already been told about these fearsome twins by Relica herself. She was right next door and you didn’t notice? And I don’t rely on luck anyway,” she said quietly, her voice steady. “I make my own destiny.”
Astra blinked, shaking her head to rid herself of the thickening snowflakes. “Relica met with you? Well…that’s, huh. She shouldn’t be anywhere near here,” the nurse hummed, cupping her chin while staring at the ground. “So many unexpected things when it comes to you, Rachel. It is fun to see the differences that shatter everyone’s expected outcome of things when you’re involved…”
She paused, head tiling while likely running countless calculations on the spot. “Maybe you are a mold breaker that cannot be put in a box. Well, now that pleasantries are over! I have a few more tasks to complete. By the way,” she winked, backing away and becoming a tad more livelier.
“I just got notified they checked out that special earring you gave the military in Miami, and under Barb’s credentials. Congrats on finally getting them back. Also, that split-tailed cat around your parents is scaring everyone away! Where did you find her? Nevermind. I’ll find out. See you around, ladies.”
Rachel watched her go with a furrowed brow, Black taking out her journal to write something in it and Scarlet flipping through sheets of papers, looking for connections; the fanged girl was zeroed in.
Zoe is a mystery. I bet she is terrifying people if the cat can make marchionesses of Hell run and Yseress skittish. So much gunpowder is lying around this city… And I can be the fire starter. I’m loving it!
Her grin returned, hearing Barbara making calls for all the Legends, Myths, Mystics, and any other changed person who answered the call to gather for the big speech, one she was supposed to be a part of.
Grace is meeting Nia and the girls. They should be at the speech, which will be good.
Getting ahead of the rat woman, Rachel’s eclipse-like eyes darted to her. “Let me guess, Green and Gray want to put on a bit of a show while testing me to see if the hype is real?”
Black put on a small smile from under her hood, and Scarlet’s blood extended to include her. “Green is an executive in Fable. She didn’t quite take your offer to poach us well. It’s compounding, but I believe she’s looking for some way to let loose a little and blow off steam as well.”
Throwing her arms high overhead for her bridged fingers to barely touch her pointed ears, a snicker shook Rachel’s chest. “Good. I’m warmed up now—and what is that timing?”
Nia!
Her glow faded as her Lunar Pool went from 109% to 59%, and the moon was now covered by the blanket of white.
“Huh! What?! You told me to make White! I did good, so don’t yell at me! I got some clothes, was feeling full and good, and so I made him! Bite my tail! Grrr!”
Okay. Someone is hyped up on something. What did you eat?
“Bghragh! No! Pfft! Idiot. Fatass! Dummy head! I’m totally not on glitter! It’s not like it was sparkly or…sweet, and melted in my mouth like hot honey… Okay it was a glitter dress! Pinch my ears!”
And now we know someone has a reaction to glitter. We’ll keep something on hand for when we need aggressive Nia.
“Grarrrr! I’m totally fine! Why is this shoe so…big! Oh. The buns can fill it in for me—bunny slippers! Major! I have bun slippers! Aurelia and Coral slippers—I’m not matching! Hahaha! I’m not matching! They’re going to put me in bunny jail! You’ll never catch me, coppers! She’s got a rope, Major! Run for it!”
Scarlet and Black looked at her drained smile, totally oblivious to the chaos that her little bun was all about. “I think Nia’s been watching some adult anime on your account, Scarlet. Let’s go collect her before the rabid bunny gets hogtied by Omen’s new trainer. Then, we’re off to give a national speech for everyone who is interested about Omen, and a short one it will be.”
* — * — *
Peering through the window of their private jet as they passed over UK airspace, Fiona squinted as the sunlight lowered in its orange glory. Ahead of them were colossal branches, stretching out even above where they were in the jet, flying under the canopy.
Anthony and Cahira were at their own windows, their eyes on the giant tree that overshadowed London. On the other hand, Selvaria was lying down in the center, a young teenage dragon girl, drained of most of her water so they could fly.
“Ugh. My stomach… I’m literally dying. Help. I see light. Wow,” Selvaria hummed, glancing toward the window as they flew between two of the building-sized glowing fruits of the tree. “Cool. I want to explore and eat one of the fruits… Big juicy fruit… Do you think it would give me superpowers? Maybe I could do solar blasts… I could own Rachel.”
Fiona tried not to pay her delusional ravings much mind; she was super dehydrated at the moment. From what she’d read, the World Tree blocked out much of the sun throughout the day, only for the giant yellow fruits to radiate solar radiation down on the population to act as a light source and provide heat. The pilots were careful to keep away from them due to the energy they released.
Anthony reached down to pat the leviathan on the shoulder with a strained laugh, yawning and checking his phone. “That’s the spirit, Selv. This certainly is something to wake up to but maybe you should work on your speed first… Dammit. We missed Rachel’s big speech last night… The headlines are kind of wild.”
Cahira peeked over her seat, scratched her chest and adjusted her red tank top. “Eh? The lady hare be causing a stir, huh? Haha. I’d expect nothin’ less of the terrifying lass! So, we’ve got a few days before our goods be ready to load on mi humble boat. What do ya say for stoppin’ by a local pub to up the spirits…and maybe find a little company, hmm?” she asked, winking at Fiona. “I hear they’ve got little people places openin’ all ‘round the UK. Maybe we’ll catch a rumor?”
“Maybe later,” Fiona said with a forced laugh. “I’m not sure if I’m ready for that…but exploring that tree. That looks really…amazing. I want to do a fly-by! It’s why we’re here in London right now, isn’t it? Is that cool, Anthony?” she asked, floating over to him and giving her cutest smile.
Anthony rubbed the back of his neck, puffing out his cheeks and looking somewhat distracted while looking to the west—to Ireland. “It could be a good distraction. We have several hours, though. Rachel won’t be up to get the report until 7 p.m. at the earliest, and that means… 2 a.m. for us, and it’s 6 p.m. right now. Umm. Yeah. Just go up real fast above us. We still need to check into the country.”
“Okay! As soon as we land. I’ll check out that fruit up there and report back on what I find!”
She fluttered back to the window as they began to descend. In truth, she was trying to distract herself from what was happening back home. Nora, Mom, Dad…please be okay. I’m coming. Just hold on a bit longer.
------------------
Comments
Opala
🐇🦇🤖🐀
Andy
Thanks for the chapter.
