To Be A Warrior

Chapter 5: Bodysnatchers

"We're going to the disused factory on the horizon, aren't we? The one with the glowering windows, and the tendrils of ivy that look like veins, and the smokestacks that look like devil horns against the full moon?" Peter grimaces at his own description. "Honestly, Sam, couldn't you have found a creepier setting?"

"Kind of reminds me of that mental hospital we visited once," I say, looking at Peter. "Remember?"

"Yeah, but we didn't really 'visit' it. You ran there because you were hallucinating, and I chased you down."

"Glad you did. It was... one hell of a trip."

"Well, you are chasing a V-Type tonight instead of a drugged-out Runner Five," Sam says, cutting our banter short. "So, you know, abject terror is probably the appropriate emotion. We tracked down one of the ones you and Jody washed away from London, Five."

My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "That was fast. It's only been like, three days."

"Well, I've been looking nonstop."

Ah, yes, it makes sense now. Him throwing himself into his work, trying to distract himself from the pain. I've done it enough times to recognize it.

"Cams show it went to ground here," He continues. "It's only got half a head, so it shouldn't be too hard to catch."

"Even a partially disassembled V-Type is dangerous, Mr. Yao," Janine snaps, her brows furrowing together. "Never forget that. Dr. Meyers, Runner Five, Peter, you will draw it to me, and I will disable it with this."

She holds up a metal canister, and Peter tilts his head to the side in confusion.

"I don't think bashing the last bit of its head in is really going to do much to stop it."

"We're going to spray it with liquid nitrogen," Maxine states. "We managed to track down one canister. And it'll freeze the V-Type. Then we can shatter it, put the parts in deep freeze, and then send them off to Veronica."

"Oh. She got in touch, did she?"

"Not in touch... exactly."

"She sent us an email over Roufflenet asking us to capture a V-Type for her to study," I say, and he makes a face.

"I don't want to be that guy, but do we really know it's her?"

"The message said she calculated there was an 87% chance we'd doubt her identity, so she included some personal information only she could know. It was all spot on."

"The message was from Miss McShell," Janine says. "I'm quite confident of it. But we must capture that V-Type before it leaves the facility. Come on. There's the east gate. Run."

We speed up just a bit. I don't like this whole idea of trying to get up close and personal with a V-Type. I hate that Veronica wants us to do this. I mean, since she's A.N.N.I.E. now, technically, I don't understand why she doesn't have her little robot minions get it for her, or make the Glass Protocol do it.

I wonder if she's called it off.  I mean, she said she couldn't get rid of Bad A.N.N.I.E., but she's hived off sections of her so they can't rejoin and take over. Maybe she was able to. Maybe I don't have to worry about an unkillable hybrid thing coming after me.

I doubt it, since visions I've had about the Glass Protocol haven't all happened yet. I can't remember details. So much has happened that it becomes hard to keep track of what and who and when.

But I remember the fear. I remember A.N.N.I.E. saying the Glass Protocol would toy with me, like a cat would with a mouse. I've had cats. I know how they are with their prey. It's not pretty.