Machete Girl Issue 8.4 Cyberpunk Short Stories

52 DATASTREAM
patched over, but the smaller ones
moment you hit the emergency stop
were untouched.
Any other day of the week if I walked
button the lift makes a phone call to
Two of the Mark’s goons
into a job like this one I’d walk straight
the security office or reception desk
were waiting for us at the elevator.
on out again, wouldn’t even wave
and you find yourself talking to the air
They were the scary type of personal
goodbye. And yet here I was.
while they ask you what the problem is.
security with the shaved heads and
Some even have security cameras in-
the tattoos. Mao’s feed showed them
Lieutenant Stephen Mao said jump and
stalled. If the mark’s upgrades included
turn towards the door and tense up.
I paused just long enough to ask how
a well-hidden camera, we were dead
I couldn’t see a weapon of any kind
high.
already.
yet, but Mao probably couldn’t get the
Tachi and I crossed the street.
That last thought didn’t help.
drone in any closer without alerting
I took a deep breath at the doors and
them.
walked into the lobby. At this time of
I slipped my Tech Specs over
Which gave me an idea.
night, there was no receptionist at the
my eyes and set them to magnify. Un-
front desk, only an outdated robotic
like Tachi, my augmented vision came
I slipped my pistol from its
vending machine advertising a million
with a battery life.
holster and began screwing the sound
different ways to distract yourself dur-
suppressor onto the barrel.
ing your stay. The sort of thing a bunch
My powered screwdriver had the lift’s
of fliers used to do in ages past. The
control panel open in a few seconds
“Hey Mao, can you use the
barely contained noise of the nightclub
and I managed to wedge it into the
drone to get the guard’s attention
next door conjured images of cavorting
tamper-switch, hopefully before
before we open the door?”
German backpackers and other good
security was notified. With that open I
times inside.
began splicing wires and hooking them
“I can.”
up to a wireless router the size of a
I hit the button for the lift and it opened
matchbook.
Through the control, our
straight away. It was little more than a
installed router gave me I brought the
box of once-polished steel. While Tachi
The fibre-optic line the lift used to
elevator right up to the top floor and
got the lift going I keyed into the tech’s
inform the building’s maintenance of
held the door closed. As Mao moved
frequency.
its status gave me a back way into
the drone into position I saw the guards
the card reader and the other system,
exchange fleeting glances. They’d seen
“How’s it look?”
which turned out to be a fingerprint
the numbers count up to the top, but
scanner. With the install finished I
now nothing was happening.
Mao’s voice replied over the
sticky-tacked the router to the inside
cybervoip. “The target doesn’t have
of the panel and screwed the faceplate
Then Mao positioned the drone right
many lights on so we’ve switched
back into place.
above one of their heads and detached
most of the drones over to night vision.
it from the ceiling.
Target appears to be working quietly on
“We have control of the eleva-
a laptop in his office.”
tor”. I reported.
With a smirk, I opened the doors. Just
as they parted we heard the unfortu-
“Gimmie the floor plan.”
“Good.” Mao didn’t bother to conceal
nate guard release the first of a long
the relief in his voice. “Get to the pent-
line of expletives. His partner turned to
MACHETE GIRL ISSUE 8.4
“Coming up…there”
I accepted the picture message
and organised the display so it
sat in the corner of my vision. Then
I checked out the lift’s control panel.
Every building’s system is different, if
you bring a lift to an emergency stop in
some buildings you’ll be lucky to be out
house floor, I’ll patch you into the feed
from the drones”.
The Penthouse floor was not
a fancy as that word normally suggests.
The fittings were okay but the
carpet had seen better days. A strip
of maroon separated the plaster wall
panels, the more obvious cracks were
help him just as Tachi and I stepped
out with our pistols up. I sighted up on
the guy without the robot ant crawling
down his back and tapped two rounds
into his face. He toppled like a felled
tree. Beside me, Tachi silenced the
panicking one. And he joined his friend
face down on the musty carpet.
by next morning. In others, the