a scientist’s robe. With your guidance and personal involvement, we could conquer the radiation and repopulate the planet. Maybe even conquer a couple more planets.
– I’ve already thought about it. I’m fine here. Besides, I don’t believe in the idea of universal happiness. And I’m certainly not meant for the common good.
– What are you meant for, Tamurach?
– I don’t know yet,» the dark witch shrugged her shoulders. – But I have a strong feeling that everything I do is right. Listen, what kind of outcome did you prophesize for yourself?
– It’s not an outcome. It’s more of an escape. I don’t know how to explain it. I’m just gonna disappear. And no age jokes,» Ruta tugged at Tamura’s robe sleeve, cutting off her smirk.
Smiling silently, Tamura winked at the blonde witch, clicked her tongue, and walked over to the food stand.
– Do you have any beer? – she asked, and, seeing the seller’s nod of approval, she asked: – How many in a pack? Six? Give me two packs.
She took both packs by the cardboard handles and left the food hall.
Tamura then took the elevator down to the armory and went to the individual compartment where her personal ammunition was stored. She placed the beer packs on the nightstand, removed her medical gown and put on a tight jumpsuit with various compartments and pockets over her finished black cobwebbed fine mesh. She placed two small Japanese kiridashi knives in the elbow loops, slipped two more kiridashi, already with displays on the handles, into the narrow pockets of her tight black carbon fiber boots and strapped on a back scabbard with a magnetic grip. Then she pulled a folded exoskeleton made up of strands of smart metal out of its case and leaned it against her neck just above her back. The exoskeleton immediately responded by extending its threads down her back, arms, and legs, remotely replicating the structure of a network of large blood vessels. At that moment, the red indicator on her belt lit up in the form of a horizontal strip of light, where the dark witch immediately attached the battery pack. The exoskeleton beeped approvingly and attracted to the main muscles of the mistress, strengthening and accelerating them several times.
Then Tamura pulled her katana out of the sharpening case and slung it over her back, the katana magnetized to the scabbard obediently. She strapped a double holster with pistols on each side to her belt and put on her goggles.
– Coven’s voice-assistance system welcomes you, Major Hogan,» the headset said, and a translucent splash screen of central control appeared on the goggles’ displays.
– Hello, Thomas.
– The temperature outside is nineteen degrees Celsius. Cloudy, no precipitation. Radiation levels are within normal limits. Do you have any instructions?
– No, Thomas. No,» replied the witch. – Hold on, Thomas.
– Yes, Major Hogan.
– Are you afraid of something, Thomas?
– I’m sorry, Major Hogan. The voice assistant doesn’t have the scripts to handle such deep feelings. Is there anything else I can do for you?
– No, Thomas. Stand down,» Tamura said, taking her beer, leaving the armory and heading for the receptionist.
– Major Hogan,“ she said to the witch, „I have an order for you. Fourteen pieces. Shurikens, I believe. – The receptionist picked up a plastic container containing fourteen four-pointed stars the size of a woman’s palm. Tamura took one out, examined it closely on both sides, and said:
– Do you know my home address? Send them there. All fourteen of them! I’ll count them! – And looking at the receptionist’s frightened face, she added: – I’m kidding. I can’t count. By the way, can I have a company bike? Mine’s a long way from here, and it’s not on autopilot. It won’t come by itself.
– Yeah, here’s the remote,» the receptionist pulled the handle of a pull-out shelf on the wall, pulled out a small keychain, and handed it to the witch. – A minute before you want to use the bike, press this button and it will come right to the remote.
– Grand merci,» Tamura smiled. – Can I make another order? I’d like a new pair of glasses. Model RS14. They should be in stock by now.
– I’ll do it. – The receptionist typed in the model. – I need an official request signed by the High Witch.
– You order and I’ll bring the request,» Tamura replied and left the armory.
A few minutes later, the dark witch knocked on the door of the IT department’s office and opened it uninvited, stepped inside and looked around: the office was a huge open room with desks around the perimeter, where the regular employees of the department worked. In the far corner of the room, an elderly IT manager sat behind glass partitions.
– Loyal priests of the great Cthulhu, the omnipresent and omnipotent god of the binary code, I bring you sacred gifts to placate you and your god!
– Hello, Major Hogan! – cheerfully greeted the witch the staff of the office, without leaving their desks.
The elderly leader came out of his office and went to the witch:
– You’re going to get us drunk,» he said with a big smile, taking both packs of beer.
– Don’t worry, Louis. You’re getting drunk without me. – She put one arm around him, giving him a friendly pat on the back, and inhaled loudly through her nostrils, closing her eyes, «I love coming here. The smell of rosin, alcohol, and thermal paste buries the pitiful remains of a shameful humanitarian in me. Why am I here? Can I ask you for some tin and solder? I’m doing some crafts at home, and unfortunately I’ve run out of the young radio amateur’s kit.
– Of course you can,» Louis answered, and after a moment he froze, closing his eyes. – It’s on me, isn’t it? Your insect.
– You’re so ignorant sometimes, Louis,» Tamura whispered and put her arms around the man’s neck. – It’s not an insect, it’s a spider. And it’s the most beautiful example of parallel evolution. When two creatures look about the same, again to a layman like you, but belong to completely different species. It’s like confusing a man with a lizard. The main difference, Louis, between a spider and an insect is the number of legs. Insects have six. And my little brother is not just a spider, but a mutated hybrid of three species of spider: spider, tick and scorpion, from each of which he has taken the best properties. The DNA of the spider and scorpion allows it to produce such sophisticated toxins that those bitten ask to be killed themselves or go mad with hallucinations. The tick and spider genes are able to sew a very thin and super strong web on my body. And the mutant only needs a small amount of warm-blooded blood as food. That’s from a tick, too. And the scorpion also gave Mitsu a gorgeous exterior, a small but still sting and claws that can easily bite through metal wire or human tendons, depending on the need. And he just sniffed you, Louie. Don’t worry. A primitive organism driven by instinct and curiosity. And it hasn’t been on you for a long time. – The witch opened her mouth, revealing a spider sitting on her tongue. – Listen, Louie, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something. Let’s go to your office.
Tamura entered the
