[Thursday September 10th, 2076; Citadel Game [Private], Matrix Host: SEAѤ67-∑2]
The wind whistled across the bleak moorland bringing the scent of autumn with it, but if Silk’s nearly nude form felt the chill she gave no sign as the silks of her persona rippled around her. Overhead, constellations never seen in the real world wheeled and danced as the host accepted data from Silk’s own network and spun it together to mesh with the Citadel’s own architecture.
The pattern was nearly complete…after six years… it had been too long but she was honest enough with herself to know that to try this sooner would have ended in disaster, no matter how much she wanted the truth behind the web she had unravelled.
Aria’s petite form appeared beside her unbidden “you could have done this on your own host you know? No need to use my resources so heavily”
“Yes, but who would look for it here in a game world rather than the files of an up and coming data broker?”
Aria conceded the point with a bow and a wink “So, you’ve found out who was responsible for Mother’s death, your mother, now what?”
“Find Monarch and find out why that bastard targeted one of his best teams for removal”
Aria looked uncharacteristically sad “You know they say ‘be careful what you wish for’, you may not like the answers that you find”
“True, but they would be better than no answers. I know running is dangerous, mum didn’t expect to live a long and happy life… but this wasn’t a stray bullet in a fire fight… she was executed, by her own bloody fixer. What part of the Pattern is that? We will dig him out of his hole and ask him some rather pointed questions. Once I’m satisfied we’ll dump him on the authorities and let them have their pound of flesh.”
“You don’t want to kill him then?”
“I’m not stupid, that won’t bring mum back and I think I will get more satisfaction from watching him rot, denied access to his power base…”
“Let’s get out of here… it’s cold!”
***
And so Silk reached out to Al, itinerant wonderer, and more importantly for her purposes, a nexus in the Pattern…his actions were so hard to predict, hopefully they would not see them coming.
<<Al, it’s Silk. I promised you a job in the near future and that time has come. I know you won’t like it but can you assemble your team and meet me in the Citadel? I would prefer face to face but you’re scattered across Europe and this needs to move quickly now. I am hoping you can get Isaint, Deckard and Robyn together for this. The Old One has told me some of what happened in London, I don’t know who you were working for or how you managed it but you make a formidable team>>
***
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