The Perfect Run

“No.”

Watching the Dynamis CEO’s face on his computer screen, Ryan scratched his cat’s ears. This G2 conference call wasn’t going well. “I think I misheard, Mr. Manada.”

“I said no,” Hector replied, the two using a secure channel to communicate. “No more Knockoffs. My agreement was with your predecessors, and their demise changes everything.”

“Certainly we can continue where they left off.”

“Listen to me, you little shit,” the CEO said, his calmness all but gone. “I know you met with the Augusti and hashed out a peace agreement. Psyshock brainwashed people on my staff, inside my house. Your people didn’t deliver and backstabbed me. So why should I honor my side of the bargain?”

How did he know about the meeting with Livia? Ryan had done his best to cover it up. Either the CEO had an advanced surveillance system, or plants among the Augusti. Perhaps both.

As for his reaction… Ryan thought the Dynamis/Meta-Gang alliance had collapsed in the past because Psyshock’s death ruined the brain-copying project, but he was mistaken. In truth, the brainjacker had initiated a slow, insidious takeover of Dynamis, brainwashing staff members and executives one by one. Psypsy’s demise had exposed his treachery, and made Hector Manada aware of the Meta-Gang’s true, nefarious intentions.

If only he hadn’t been greedy enough to hire them in the first place...

“Then I guess I will reveal the recordings of your discussions with the previous administration,” Ryan said, upon realizing he couldn’t maintain the old juice connection. “Because they kept recordings.”

Hector squinted. “Are you blackmailing me, Mr. Romano?”

“I prefer the term plata o plomo, Mr. Escobar.” Ryan always thought the CEO looked like a Colombian cartel leader.

“Then you’re firing blanks. A scandal will cost me less to cover-up than another knockoff delivery.”

“Then perhaps your competition—”

“We both know Augustus will never forgive the attacks on his territory, even if you submit to him. Your group signed its death warrant the moment you shook the hornet nest.”

That was why he had hired the Meta-Gang in the first place. They were the only Genomes mad enough to take on the Augusti in spite of the deadly consequences, except the Carnival. Still, Ryan had one last card up his sleeve. “Then I should reveal what’s inside your knockoffs. I’m sure your people will love buying a Psycho-in-a-can.”

Ryan had to give it to the man, he had a good poker face. But the courier could see the tension at the edge of his gaze. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“I know what you and your pet scalie keep in Lab Sixty-Six.”

“No, you don’t.”

Damn, he wasn’t biting. For all his faults, Hector Manada was cautious enough not to reveal truly incriminating information. Unlike Psyshock, he knew how to deal with bluffs. “Bloodstream.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Hector replied with a smug, punchable smile. “Do you have any proof?”

“I’ve analyzed the knockoffs,” Ryan lied. “I can publish the results.”

The CEO didn’t believe him, or at least not fully. But the courier could tell he had hit close to the mark. There was a link between the knockoffs and Bloodstream, as much as Ryan loathed to admit it.

“Many have tried to discredit our work, and yet we remain.” Hector Manada joined his hands. “Here’s my one and only offer, Mr. Romano. You keep the knockoffs, release my technicians, return my technology, and skip town within forty-eight hours without making waves. You will carry the secret of this agreement to your grave, and I will let you be. This experiment will have been a failed joint venture, but maybe we could make another deal in the future.”

Yeah, right. “And if I don’t file for bankruptcy?”

“Then I will answer with force,” Hector stated the obvious. “Enrique and Wyvern have been pestering me about sending Il Migliore to drive you out of Rust Town. My stamp of approval is the only thing standing between you, and annihilation.”

Gee, another big business threatening the government. It almost made Ryan want to become a socialist. “I’ll consider your offer.”

“Forty-eight hours, Mr. Romano. No more, no less.”

Ryan cut the communication, and Sarin entered the oval office soon afterward. “So?” she asked. “How did it go?”

“Everything is going according to plan,” Ryan said sinisterly, Eugène-Henry purring on his lap. Hector Manada had walked into a trap without even realizing it, and the courier had secured two days of non-interference. “Is everyone ready for the operation? We’re storming the mainframe or we’ll die trying.”

“Yeah, but there are new people at the Junkyard’s entrance. They fit the descriptions you gave us about that brainy guy and his robot daughter, so Gemini didn’t shoot them on sight.”

Alchemo had already reached New Rome? He must have dropped everything and left right after Ryan gave him the call. “Bring them to the hangar, Miss Vice-President.”

“Gotta ask, you’re sure of what you’re doing, right?” Hazmat Girl asked, a little worried. “I mean, even with our losses in manpower, we’ll run out of juice soon. You really don’t want to see the others when they’re missing their shot.”

Having lived with Bloodstream for years, Ryan had a pretty good idea how it would turn out.

rabbit plushie in a corridor. The terrible

outside!” the possessed toy asked, hopping in front of Ryan’s

the president, but the

play outside!” the plushie insisted, one of its

the promise of future destruction pacifying the beast of the end

1986 Fleetwood Bounder right next to the unused Mechron mech. Alchemo and the Doll stepped

precious equipment in the back!” Alchemo was still the same brass and steel cyborg with a brain-in-a-jar for a head and syringes for fingers. It took Ryan all his willpower to keep a straight face at the betrayer, as he grunted at Frank for carelessly handling

Tea, alias the Doll, had changed a little. She was still a lovely redhead dressed like the stereotypical country-girl, but she had covered her arms with synthetic skin, making her truly lifelike. If Ryan didn’t know her true nature, he might have

Ryan the

greeted the leader of the free world with a military salute.

the Doll moved in his direction. “Hey, Tea, long-time

the face with enough

wait, it’s okay!” Ryan calmed his bodyguards with a raised hand. “She’s my ex! She can do

is a former First Lady?” Frank asked, instantly calming down. “A damn fine country girl you found, Mr. President. It reminds me of my native Texas, and the good old

“No word for two years, and that’s all you have to say? Long-time

he massaged his cheek. He could have dodged with a time-stop, but a part

you deserved,” Alchemo

us. You always were a free-spirit, and that’s what I loved

receive a confused answer. As it turned out, he had referenced events erased in a previous loop, and something they

crushed him so much he

dreamed of, like visiting France, but she only remembered a fraction of their shared experiences. From her point of view,

burden

he left behind had cared. That the little time

said, not knowing what else to say.

couldn’t hold a grudge. “But you have a great many things to explain. What are you doing

pretending to be human,” Sarin snarled, the

even here is because I owe this biological waste of

Tea asked, a little fearful

snorted. “You got it

controls the USA,” Frank added. “We arrested our alien overlords and enslaved

of this great nation,” Ryan said. “Now I’m trying to find a cure for the Psycho condition… and to help a friend in

Doll immediately looked concerned, Ryan’s words only aroused

For old time’s sake.” Tea put her hands on her waist.

glanced at

replied, utterly

took a deep breath, and

sizable part of his workshop, from wetware computers, multicolored jars of questionable content, miniature brain-scanners… and a

tiny object drove to the edge of

toaster’s vocalizer mimicked Schwarzenegger’s Terminator

stares peering on his

when I got tired of watchin’ TV all day.” Unlike the others, there was no hint of reproach in the

probably reduces

out a click sound. “Damn, I missed you, man. I love life on the

glancing between the toaster and Ryan, completely at a loss of words. “What, you thought the plushie was my

was scraping the bottom of the barrel when he made me,” Toasty said as he drove out of the car and onto the bunker’s floor. “A lil’ bit of advice,

Sarin glanced down at Ryan’s creation with skepticism. “Why a

judged right now,” Toasty

settle in France,” Ryan explained, “my greatest anxiety was to wake up with a lot of bread... and no way to

a hand on her gas mask without

thing he did!” Braindead snapped, having held a grudge for years. “That dumbass equipped my gynoid construct for sex, and then left his dirty

the Doll replied, not

robot?” Sarin asked Ryan, finally putting the two and

end, after centuries of experimentation, Ryan discovered he was mostly attracted to human-shaped women. The courier wouldn’t say no to a new experience, like Darkling, but he clearly had a weakness for female Geniuses shorter

for what it

does it,”

scorpion war machine. “Could you upload my personality matrix into it? I mean, a giant robot is

my unlimited genius?” Alchemo asked Ryan, while the toaster

the courier replied dryly. “As

and his daughter exchanged a glance, their demeanor changing from angry to concerned. “Show me,” the

to the infirmary, changing the place from Psyshock’s brainwashing assembly line into a true medical block. His comatose friend slept on an operation table, hooked to a respirator located right next to Dynamis’

other patient in the room