Chapter 187 B4. 2.3 – The Tech Experts

Euphonia… That was the name of the mysterious Adumbrae mentioned by the real Cecilia before. Auron had also uttered her name. She seemed to be famous among Adumbrae such that Cecilia and Auron expected Red Hood to know her. This yet-unseen Adumbrae used her powers to piece together monster and human parts, and give them life—Cecilia was one of her creations. Euphonia also supplied the PCM’s anti-Adumbrae weapons.

“What do you mean by Euphonia’s orders?” Deen asked.

[News of my death reached Euphonia, a very powerful Adumbrae. Have I told you that she had given me a new existence? I used to be a normal human with a not-very-normal brain.]

“She’s like Dr. Frankenstein,” I said. “And you’re Frankenstein’s monster.”

[I object to the label of a monster, but I am Euphonia’s creation. I owe her a lot, let’s just say. Rather difficult to put a price on almost-resurrection.]

“She wants you back to repay your debt,” Deen said.

“That sounds annoying,” I said. “Thankfully, banks can’t do that. We bring our monetary debts to the grave.”

“Not exactly,” Deen said in an annoying tone. Perhaps I only found it annoying because she was trying to correct me. “Outstanding debts are taken from the decedent’s estate.”

“Through probate proceedings, I know.” I kept the edge from my voice. “But if there’s any excess, then that’s a write-off. The kids don’t inherit the debt. Anyway, Cecilia doesn’t have kids.”

[I consider my inventions as my children. But they can’t pay my ballooning debt on my behalf—the new body will be on my tab. Like most problems, I’ll push worrying about it to the future.] The laptop screen flickered, the text glowing dimmer. [Where was I?]

“We were talking about Euphonia and Auron,” Deen said, folding her arms across her chest.

“Uh, I think we need to plug in the computer.” I brought the laptop back to my study table. Deen didn’t do anything beyond giving me a disapproving stare. I rolled my eyes at her. “There you go, Cecilia. Continue your story.” I really loved info dumps. I did draw a line if the exposition becomes so heavy that it was boring gibberish, especially in sci-fi movies.

Also, I took note that the USB drive didn’t have infinite energy. A sort of weakness for USB Cecilia. Could she transfer consciousness into other computers, or only specific ones?

[Feels better. I can think more clearly.] Cecilia then unknowingly answered my question. [This special flash drive given to Auron is another of Euphonia’s creations. We can count it as a part of Euphonia because her flesh is inside it.]

“That’s why it can hold your mind and power this laptop?” I asked.

[Precisely. I’m not an artificial intelligence program. I’d rather not delve into spirituality, but the explanation that your feeble minds can comprehend is that my soul is stored inside.]

“Feeble minds?” Deen huffed. “We’re not the ones who died. It sounds like this isn’t your first time.”

[Survival is the basest of instincts. My elevated mental faculties stray far from survival. It’s not a very good outcome, I must admit. Such is the price of being smarter than the average person like you.]

“You’re insulting—” Deen started to say.

“The computer in that underground base must also have part of Euphonia,” I loudly said. Being offended by a stupid computer-soul whatever was stupid. Being offended in general was stupid; that meant caring about others I shouldn’t care about.

[Correct.]

“That’s why you can, uh, live in there or something. Same as this USB.” Assuming Cecilia was telling the truth, and it seemed that she was, she couldn’t infect other computers like some kind of virus. We could really kill Cecilia for good by destroying this USB.

“The BID now has the computer with Euphonia’s flesh,” said Deen. “Is there a copy of you still inside there?”

[The Adumbrae flesh therein should’ve shriveled and decayed after my soul, essence, whatever you term you want to use, has left it. I know what you’re thinking—this is the only remaining copy of my memories. You are correct. It should make you feel better about our situation, with asymmetrical bargaining, my position being lower.]

“We won’t hesitate to put an end to you,” said Deen, “if you try to endanger us or others.”

“This USB thingy…” I said. “Euphonia must’ve given this to Auron in San Diego. Would explain his odd choice to return to La Esperanza, with BID agents in the city.”

[Provide me with materials, and I’ll make another flash drive similar in appearance to my current vessel. I have some capabilities despite my diminished state.]

“You plan for us to give a fake USB to Auron?” Deen shot me a questioning look. She didn’t need to voice her concern.

“Auron won’t figure out the ruse,” I said, delighted that I was able to use a fun-sounding word such as ‘ruse’. “But Euphonia definitely will.”

[She will.] Cecilia displayed only impassive text, but I pictured her crazily cackling.

“You don’t see the problem in that?” I asked. “When we met with Auron, he mentioned something like the PCM’s existence depends on this USB thingy. We thought that this was super important data about your research that they couldn’t replicate, or like a blueprint for a machine—we were wrong. Auron was really worried about making Euphonia angry.”

[Correct again, dear. But fret not. Euphonia’s anger will be directed at Auron. She’ll assume that we conspired, he and I, to escape my debt.]

“Auron will point to us,” Deen said.

[Eventually. Auron will not readily point to you because he shouldn’t have asked others to do his job. Eventually, he’ll admit it to Euphonia if there is no other choice. Eventually, Euphonia will believe him.]

“Then we’re screwed,” I said. “We have to get Kelsey back from Red Hood. We don’t want to be up against another powerful Adumbrae while at it.”

[I see no problem.]

“You don’t?” Deen leaned forward and wagged her finger at the screen. “Euphonia will—! What?” Another line of text appeared before she could finish her sentence.

[By then, you’ll be fighting for your freedom from those who chained you with artificial Cores. You’ll be on the run. Euphonia will merely be another on your tail. On our tail. I’ll be with you.]

Deen threw her hands up in exasperation. “You’re just saying that one problem is the same as more problems! The goal should be not to have problems.”

“I have to agree with Deen on this one.”

[If you want a more nuanced plan, continue my idea to reconnect with Red Hood. Use Myra and Kelsey’s sisterly connection. Perhaps Red Hood may keep Euphonia at bay.]

“What can you do for us?” I asked. “We’re going to help you get your freedom, and you—”

[I will help you attain yours.]

“Yeah. But what kind of specific help?” I pressed.

Being a hacker sounded fun, but the accompanying hassle wasn’t appealing, now that I knew about it. We were too unprepared to take on Euphonia or start our mini revolt against Dario. Doing both at the same time was insanity.

Allying with Red Hood wasn’t really helpful because I was freaking Red Hood, and I didn’t have an army of Adumbrae minions. Most importantly, I wanted to maintain my normal life as much as possible. The day would come I’d have to abandon it. However, I wanted to delay it as much as possible.

[My powerful brain is at your service, dears.]

A cooperative Cecilia was unsettling. “Can you make your own version of Euphonia’s anti-Adumbrae weapon? Turn her own invention against her or something?”

[Sourcing the materials will be a challenge, but I can whip up a less powerful version with whatever we can gather. I’ve been planning for a year for this eventuality.]

“What else can you copy?” I asked. “I doubt you can make monsters like—”

“Erind! We’re not doing human experiments.”

“I’m just brainstorming ideas. Something useful. Not like copying the pills that Euphonia made would do us any good against Adumbrae. What else can we—?”

The laptop flashed again. The letters of the next sentence were all capitalized. [I MADE THOSE!]

I snapped my fingers, a new idea brewing in my fabulous and cute head. “The PCM is distributing pills. What are those for?”

[They lessen the chances of seeding.] USB Cecilia repeated what the real one told us minutes before I ate her. [Magnitudes more effective than the pills doled out by the government during Adumbrae attacks. We took over the distribution network of illicit drugs throughout the city and flooded it with our own, actually helpful substances. Call it a social service. An act of charity. This is what it means to be the Protectors of the City.]

“Nice advertising there,” I said. “But can you make it more potent. It can help… Kelsey.” I gave Deen a sidelong glance. It went without saying that I’d try the pills myself if they really worked.

[Most definitely. I have laboratories stashed elsewhere that Auron himself isn’t aware of. I’ll stuff you full of pills that your stomach will burst.]

“Speaking of pills,” Deen said, still looking at me. “The group that gave us the artificial Cores also provides us with pills to develop and strengthen our powers.” She gestured to me, handing me the lead of making a fake story.

I couldn’t admit that I was an Adumbrae-Corebring hybrid, and that Dario’s pills not only strengthened my Corebring side but also suppressed the Adumbrae part. “We don’t want you to remove our artificial Cores just yet,” I said. “Assuming you can do it.”

[Don’t doubt me because I don’t doubt myself. And you should trust me because I’m smarter than you.]

I snorted. USB Cecilia was as annoying as the real one. “I don’t think smartness has anything to do with trusting you or not.”

[You don’t want to forfeit your powers because of the dangers pressing from all sides. If you can provide me with a sample, I can make a better pill to amplify your Core’s output. What’s more, I can combine elements of this pill with my creation. A much-improved seeding-suppression drug!]

Deen nodded, her eyes widening. I knew right then she was on board with the mention of a possible cure for me. “But what about Auron… and Euphonia?”

[Delay meeting Auron. Concoct an excuse to not hand over the flash drive yet. He won’t immediately think you’ve become enemies. There’ll be more delays after you eventually give it to him. Then he’ll pass it on to Euphonia. Then Euphonia will discover the trickery and return to Auron. Every step of the way, time will be bought.]

“And what’ll we do with that time?” I asked. “Contact Red Hood? But I don’t think we can find her.”

“She’ll be hiding,” Deen said, “given the number of BID agents in the city. Corebrings have even come.”

[Corebrings, you say?] The screen pulsed with a dull green light. USB Cecilia was probably thinking. After half a minute, words appeared again. [We have to leave the city. My laboratories are outside. A spare body, I must obtain. We’ll find allies, bastards who owe me a favor, and whoever else wants to join our cause.]

“Oh, it’s our cause now?” Deen still acted bitchy, but her brooding expression showed her already planning. I’d even say that she wanted me to be cured more than I did.

[We’ll be in this together! An alliance for the ages. History books will repeat our journey as we fight to save humanity.]

“Calm down a bit there,” I said. We should keep in mind that Cecilia hadn’t achieved actual success. “Don’t forget that we hate you for what you did to Kelsey and Myra.”

[In turn, Myra Fletcher killed several PCM members.]

“We don’t condone what Myra did,” Deen said. “We also don’t believe that you cared for your colleagues who died.”

[Don’t call them my colleagues. That implies they are on the same level as me.]  

“And you were going to offer Myra to Red Hood,” I chimed in. “Don’t give us that crap about reuniting sisters. You know that the Adumbrae is in control of Kelsey. She wouldn’t care about Myra as her sister. You were offering Myra’s body with the Core attached to it.” The real Cecilia actually offered to reunite the sisters because Deen was there during that fateful meeting.

[Quit harping on that. I died while doing it. Shouldn’t that be enough of a punishment? Be satisfied with it, and let’s move forward with our next step. You’ll all change your tune once I make you stronger. I’ll save Kelsey. I’ll save both of you.]

“Bold claims,” I said. “What’s the next step?”

[We need to reach Barstow. I have a laboratory there with a spare body. It won’t last long, unlike the vessel that Euphonia can provide. But it’ll have to do until we meet the Tea Party.]

“The Tea Party?” I had heard this name before. Where? “A bunch of British guys? Like, the London chapter of the PCM or something?”

“They’re a gang in Las Vegas that engages in illegal augmentation,” Deen said. “They also sell their wares in Marsh Row.”

I remember now! We bought stuff at Marsh Row to scatter at the docks. Dario planned to pretend that the Tea Party was behind the attack on the 2Ms’ base. But that didn’t really work out because of my bombastic appearance as a giant werewolf.

If I recalled correctly, Purple Mohawk, the asshole who kidnapped me and Deen, also mentioned the Tea Party. They were the rivals of the 2Ms.

[They’re not strictly my friends; I don’t have any. But they might be friendly to me once I offered them Euphonia’s technology. With their help, I can make a more stable body. The world will be my oyster!]

“It sounds like it just benefits you,” I said.

[Once I have my body, I can easily aid you. Barstow. And then, Las Vegas.]

“Guess we have to leave then?” I turned to Deen with a raised brow. Talk about coincidence. This must mean that I was really the main character for such a connection to emerge. “We didn’t really plan on doing so…”

“But it’s probably for the best,” she said, probably thinking the same thing as me. “The city is too dangerous.”

[Auron will look for you. This is the first challenge.]

“We’ll think about—” I froze, hearing the door outside open. I hurriedly pulled the USB and closed the laptop. “Mom’s here,” I told Deen.