The Perfect Run

Chapter 21

All was well so far on the Augusti Path.

Ryan had met Zanbato as expected, beat up Sarin at the harbor, and now repeated the exact same conversation which would lead him to crash at Jamie’s house. All was well and good, to the sound of crashing waves against the piers...

“I have to be sure about something,” Luigi asked the courier. “Are you a snitch or a double agent?”

“Well, I’m not really on anyone’s side,” Ryan replied, but then his mouth acted on its own, “But I’m a Carnival infiltrator, yes.”

… or not.

Everyone present turned to look at him, a tense silence settling in. The grunts raised their weapons, while Zanbato’s face turned from shocked, to disappointed, and finally, to furious.

“Uh oh.”

Okay, two lessons learned.

One, Ryan hated truth-tellers. Hated them, with a passion.

Two, Zanbato could make sashimi out of people with his laser sword. Ryan wouldn’t look at sushi the same way ever again.

But this time… this time, it would be different. The courier had rehearsed the perfect misleading answers. Luigi's power compelled Ryan to say the truth, but only according to the teller’s exact words.

“I have to be sure about something,” Luigi asked him again. “Are you a snitch or a double agent?”

“I can’t snitch on a group I haven’t officially joined yet, and I am not a double agent.” Technically, he was a triple one.

“Are you a mole?”

“Of course I’m not a mole, I’m human.”

There! Saved! He did it, he did it!

“Okay, I should work on my wording,” Luigi sighed but didn’t give up. “Are you, or do you intend, to relay information about us to another organization?”

“Well, yes, I intend to. Hell, I already did!”

Goddammit!

Okay.

Okay, third time's the charm.

Through timing and intelligence, Ryan had skillfully navigated through the chain of causality to avoid the fated question. He had put on the charm, befriended everyone, distracted the grunts with funny anecdotes. Now, the courier and Zanbato prepared to return to the Plymouth Fury, and go eat some delicious pizzas.

“Hey, Quicksave,” Luigi asked, as they took a few steps towards the car. “Before you go, there are a few questions I must ask every new recruit.”

“Luigi, seriously, please, don’t do it,” Ryan replied, his eyes pleading. “For your sake, don’t say this. It won’t end well, I swear it won’t—”

“Sorry, protocol. Are you a snitch?”

“Yes, yes, yes! Yes, I am! Is that what you want me to say, Luigi? Is that what you want me to say?”

Quicksave breathed deeply, fighting off his rising frustration.

“Luigi,” Ryan pointed a finger at the truth-teller, as everyone raised their weapons at the courier's face. “We’re going to have a problem, you and I.”

“Where’s Luigi?” Zanbato asked Grunt 1 when the truth-teller failed to show up at the harbor, leaving only the henchmen to deal with the operation. “Wasn’t he supposed to take care of the shipment?”

“Sorry, he was attacked yesterday night,” Gruntie said, carrying Luigi’s cell phone. Apparently, he would have to fill in for the Made Man. “He’s at the hospital right now, and he’ll be out of commission for a while.”

“What?” The news shocked Jamie, who clearly hadn’t been informed. “By whom?”

mask and stick, from

said absentmindedly, looking at the sea. “I don’t

he starts opening his home’s door and then BAM! Some Friday the 13th crazy jumps out of the shadows, breaks his jaw with a

“Why Luigi? Was it

even take his money,” Grunt 1 replied. “Maybe it was a

looked really, uh, passionate according to witnesses,” Gruntie said. “At least

real homewrecker,” Grunt 2 pointed out, “Maybe it was a jealous boyfriend? It had to happen one

his arms. “But

time to find the hockey equipment than Luigi’s address. Nobody

you’re staying at a hotel right?” Jamie asked Ryan. “I think you should crash at my place for the night,

say,”

Jamie invited him home, they played poker, went to Vulcan’s

timing guide him forward. The auto-pilot wasn’t really a sub-power, simply a state his conscious mind entered when

always reacting the same way to the exact same things; they forgot him and relearned the same information, over, and over again. They became machines, and Ryan the only human in the

repetition would drive

suffering to reach the perfect ending and soon, it would finally end. Everything would turn right when

cellphone beeping snapped him back to reality, interrupting the flow

took Ryan a second to remember when and where he was when he snapped back to consciousness. Extensive looping and repetition often eroded the Genome's perception of reality, especially when his

on the

Psyshock taken care of.

Thanks for the tip.

such surprises,

noticed Pluto and her bodyguard talking with Zanbato, Ryan expected events to repeat until he met Vulcan. The Augusti’s underboss froze the exact same way upon meeting him, and said the exact same

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

to repeat the same

“Have we met before?”

as he didn’t

it, we already met,” Pluto replied, her tone turning from curious

it?” her bodyguard asked Pluto, while Lanka stood still next to Ryan. The

said. “But I

...

shit! Did her power

wrong, boss?” Jamie joined the conversation, carefully backing

your new

prepared to joke when Jamie invaded his personal space, putting a hand on his shoulder. You speak to her when talked to, he all but said out loud. “Quicksave,” Zanbato answered

stare, as if trying to peer into his soul. The courier couldn’t explain

noticed a memory alteration or infohazard,” Pluto’s female bodyguard pointed out. “Maybe your powers

didn’t seem convinced, her eyes set on Ryan. The courier whistled and looked away innocently, while Zanbato came to his defense. “Quicksave may be odd, but he is reliable,” the Made Man said. “He

she asked Ryan, completely dismissing Zanbato’s words.

mock reverence, alleviating the tension. “Ryan Romano. I’m

right now, but I will call you back soon to clear this up. Play stupid, play smart, run, or say no,

she threatened him… No, wait, that wasn’t a

order,

underboss leave with her bodyguard in complete silence until they were out of sight. Nobody dared to speak up at first, so Ryan broke the ice. “So, who’s up

a breath of relief. “Blabbermouth,

didn’t I do?!” Ryan replied, just as confused. “Or would

serious, Quicksave,” Jamie said. “That woman is Pluto, Augustus’ sister

question,” Ki-jung said, her face full of concern,

is she even here?” Lanka asked her

replied, his arms crossed. “Vulcan will take command of the clean-up since she’s been itching to test her new weapons in the field, and Pluto loaned

to poor Luigi,” Ki-jung said with a frown. “To attack him in front of his

sure that it’s the Meta who did that though?” Lanka asked, skeptical. “I mean, it was just a guy with

junkie they paid off,” Jamie replied. “The Meta-Gang isn’t a big group. It would make sense for them to outsource their

listened to the discussion, trying to puzzle out the sequence of events. It appeared Shroud had followed through with his promise and stopped targeting the Augusti with assassinations. With no

play out though. It could threaten his entire infiltration mission,

time he made progress, a new problem

to play along until Vulcan told him how to contact or reach Len. He didn’t have to stay with

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255