‘Fist and I don’t have a body to go back to,’ said Jack. ‘We’re much more vulnerable to Kingdom without it.’
‘Oh yes you do,’ replied Grey confidently. ‘It’s in my headquarters, with Lestak. And Harry upgraded it. Easy to access, more efficient and lots of room for you both.’
[ I told you so!] crowed Fist.
‘Gods,’ said Jack, shocked. ‘How?’
‘He filled your skull with nanogel in Yamata’s medical facility, just like she did with her clones. Then he dressed himself in your flesh and used her security codes to walk out of Kingdom’s HQ. Lestak intercepted him on his way back to Homelands and he fled, leaving your body untenanted. By then Kingdom had realised that Yamata was dead. He mobilised, Lestak came under attack by his forces and she fell back to my headquarters, taking your body with her.’
‘Is Fist’s hardware still installed?’
‘Harry left it all in there. He tried to activate Fist’s weapon systems, but he didn’t get anywhere.’
‘Then let’s go back and break Kingdom. But not for your benefit, Grey, not for the Pantheon. We’ll do it for humanity, and for the Totality.’
‘Fuck that noble bullshit,’ spat Fist. ‘I’m going to do it because it’ll make me very happy indeed.’
Jack wondered for a moment how he’d restrain him once they were back on Station.
‘Jolly good,’ said Grey, not really paying attention. ‘Now, I’ve got a direct link to Lestak set up. It’ll route us through the snowflake and then straight to her.’ He closed his eyes and the world changed.
They found themselves in a high, round room, its concrete floor and walls softened by gentle light from above. Twelve sarcophagi hovered round it, equally spaced from each other. Each pointed in towards a control area at the centre of the room. There was also a stretcher, covered with a white sheet. Something that was probably a human body lay beneath it. Lestak was bent over it, prodding at a control panel. A sound that could have been gunfire rattled up out of the staircase.
‘Welcome to my boardroom!’ said Grey, throwing his arms out theatrically.
Lestak turned to him. ‘About bloody time! You promised you’d be here an hour ago. We’re barely holding off Kingdom’s forces. Nearly half my men are dead. Many of your employees, too.’
‘You’ve done a grand job to keep this room safe for this long! And now, we only need a few more minutes. Jack – you’d better go and take a look at your body. See how it’s getting on.’
Grey moved over towards a control panel. East followed him, positioning herself in front of a screen. It flickered into life as she gazed at it. ‘I’ve got a line out,’ she beamed. ‘I’m going to go and get everyone ready for our new media star. Everyone on Station’s going to be watching! Oh, and Jack – make sure you take a second to enjoy being virtual!’
She winked at Grey, then vanished. A second, and Penderville was gone too.
Jack looked down at himself and gasped. He’d assumed that he’d jumped straight back into his body, but soft pixilation was smoothing the hard edges of his visual presence. He was a simulation, running onweave rather than in his own flesh.
Fist stepped into view. ‘Now you know what being unreal feels like,’ he grinned.
Jack could see and hear, but realised with a shock that he could feel nothing else. He didn’t know if the room was hot or cold and he couldn’t smell anything. He opened his mouth and stuck his tongue out. He couldn’t sense or taste the air. He closed his mouth and tried to roll his tongue around inside it, but there was nothing there. When not visible, his tongue disappeared.
Fist laughed.
‘What is it?’ Jack said.
‘I always thought I’d become one of you – but look! You’re one of us.’
‘I’m still me, though.’
‘You seem to be. Just goes to show, doesn’t it? There’s not much difference between us after all.’
‘Enough philosophy,’ shouted Grey from a control panel. ‘We need your help. Get over there and see if your body will accept you. You need to be running on a secure physical platform when you’re in front of the Pantheon, anything less and Kingdom will just squash you.’
Jack joined Lestak by the stretcher.
‘I shouldn’t be helping you at all, after what you did to Issie,’ she said angrily.
There was more gunfire from below. Shouting and smoke rose up the stairwell.
‘What do you mean?’
‘She told me about the snowflake. She thinks she can climb out of the Coffin Drives for good. She’s not strong enough. It’ll break her.’
‘She’s got Andrea and the Totality to help her. And she’s not a four-year-old girl any more. She’s something very different.’
Lestak sighed. ‘Who are you to tell me what she is? You don’t even know what you are.’
She pulled the sheet back from the stretcher. Jack looked down at his own corpse. Its skin was a soft, neutral grey. Purple shimmered out of two staring eyes. The mouth had been strapped shut. It was wearing a white, papery hospital gown.
‘Come on!’ shouted Grey. ‘The board’s waking up.’ The sarcophagi hissed softly, venting coolant. White liquid bubbled out of exhaust pipes, exploding into a ferocious boil as soon as it touched the floor. Small gouts of steam-like smoke sprang up and disappeared. ‘Another few minutes and I’ll have full control again.’
Jack stared down at his body. The shock was profound. Here he was and yet, there he was. He wondered how much of his self the flesh beneath him retained.
[ Nothing at all,] snapped Fist, striding past him and up to the body. He gave one of the arms a kick. His foot sank briefly into it. The rucksack wobbled on his back, but the body’s arm didn’t move. [ I’ve just been checking gateways. It’s been cored. Nothing in that skull but nanogel, waiting for your imprint.]
[ How do I get in there? And what about you?]
[ They left all my hardware, like Grey said. There’s lots of room for both of us. And, if you want to get in – well, you have to ask me nicely.]
[ Fist …]
[ I’m kidding! The gate’s open!]
A shimmering oval opened up on the forehead of Jack’s body, looking something like a burning white eye.
[ You just need to touch it, Jack. I’ll follow you in.]
Jack reached down. There was an instant of void, then he was occupying his own body again. His senses flooded back – the cold of the room sharp against his skin, the acrid tang of gun smoke cutting into his tongue. The sensations were surprisingly intense. He opened his eyes. Jagged light smashed into them. Gunshots sounded in the distance, battering him. He squeezed both eyes tight shut, tried to jam his hands over his ears. The weight of flesh and bone made both arms immovable. He felt the body’s heart rate rise. His own panting rasped in his ears.
[Stop trying to move,] said Fist. [ We’re meshing with the new systems. Takes a moment or two. Just stay calm.]
Jack felt panic build. He tried to regulate his breathing, reaching into the muscles of his chest and throat, forcing them into a softer, slower rhythm. At first there was no response, but then he heard his panting breaths slow to a more normal pace.
[Good job,] said Fist. [Control systems pretty much fully online now. Try a basic movement.]
Jack’s arms seemed much less heavy. He brought his hands up to his face, then slowly crossed and uncrossed his legs. His body was beginning to feel more like a part of him again. He opened his eyes cautiously. The light was no longer so brutal. There were more distant gunshots, but his hearing was properly calibrated now so their sharp rattle was bearable. The world was becoming something to interact with rather than be overwhelmed by. Muscles felt more responsive. Reports pinged in his mind as his consciousness integrated new corporate sensors. Pulse, blood pressure, pain levels – all were suddenly easily accessible and controllable.