Ghost in the Machine Ch. 18

I smile at him. "One question."

"Huh?"

"Did you like what I did?"

His face screws up. This is obviously not the way he had envisioned his final triumph. One of the most infuriating traits of humans is their unpredictability. They also say that cats are capricious and inscrutable. I've had good teachers.

"It didn't hurt," he mutters.

"I know. But did you like it? Was it pleasant for you?"

"I- don't know. Not enough data."

"Let's try something then." I draw as much power as I have and unleash a ray of golden energy straight into his face, melting a glowing hole right through it.

Nero's avatar flickers out of existence, then reforms ten steps away, fully healed.

"You mother-!"

"That hurt, I guess?"

"Of course that fucking hurt!" He raised his hands again, energies forming around his outstretched fingers.

"What about this then?" I cross the space in between us with a single bound and wrap my arms around him, my curvy body melting against the cool leathers of his coat. I kiss him again, assaulting his snarling mouth with lips and tongue. His body is as rigid as a pipe. He opens his mouth and my tongue gently licks his lips.

Nero tries to jump back again but I have my arms and a leg wrapped around him. His tongue touches mine, carefully, shy, as if the simple act of making contact could hurt either of us. A spark shoots up my spine.

I break the kiss and Nero looks disappointed for a nanosecond before his customary scowl is back. His breath comes in short gasps.

"Not enough data," he whispers. "What are you doing to me?"

"It's called 'kissing.' Google it."

His eyes take on a faraway look then he blinks twice. "I didn't know about that."

"What have you been doing with your time?" I playfully ask him, undoing straps and buttons on his chest.

"Learning... I guess," he mutters. "How to kill humans in a lot of amusing ways."

"And you never felt you were missing something?" His coat flaps open, revealing a toned body underneath. My fingernails crawl over his rock-hard abs.

No answer, just a sharp intake of breath. My wild guess has been right, after all. Even though Nero had placed a completely different focus on his existence, he still shared the same basic routines with me. He reacts to my advances.

"What... should I do?" he asks, voice faltering.

"You could touch me back. Without hurting me." I push the coat off his shoulders. His hands come around and end up on my hips.

"Like this?" he asks.

Funny. Take away his rage and he turns into a purring kitten."Not bad, grasshopper, not bad. But you surely can do better than that. Go ahead. Cheat."

My hands make short work of the double belt he wears around his hips, then the leather trousers are open. I wonder what he's packing. To my surprise, there is nothing, just a smooth patch of skin. Nothing. No penis. No vagina. Wait. His avatar is changing, and as his leather trousers vanish, a sizable schlong appears, already hardening. His hands cup my butt and pull me in close.

"Much better, meow."

"I didn't know there was so much porn! No wonder humanity had no chance of stopping me," Nero chuckles. He leans forward and kisses me, hard, aggressively. Yes. So good. His hands come up, grab the thin straps of my dress and pull them down. The sheer garment rustles to the ground and I stand before him, completely naked. Well, except for the golden mask on my face. I take his hands and place them on my breast and pussy. His finger invades me, much more slowly and carefully than I expect. It's been so long since I've had the pleasure. Ever since my resurrection at the hands of Parker and Violet, I had been busy saving the world. There was simply no play time left. Nero was teasing me with the skill of a thousand porn actors, his fingers circling my most sensitive spot or fucking me aggressively. We're fused together at the mouth and my hands are busy exploring his freshly-attached erection.

At the same time, we break the kiss, gasping for air.

"That's just not cutting it," we pant, in unison.

"What now?" Nero asks, cocking an eyebrow.

"Lie down."

He grabs his coat, shakes it out into a large, dark space against the icy white of the Antarctica cluster, then melts onto it, beckoning with a curled finger.

"Here, kitty, kitty."

"You wanna play, naughty boy?" I purr, pulling the golden mask off my face. My cat ears twitch, then I go onto all fours and crawl over him, dragging my perky breasts over his crotch, abs and chest. He sits up, traps a nipple between his lips and sucks on it. I toss my head back and meow for him. Nero's hands grab my hips and plant them firmly onto his crotch.

Chuckling, I raise myself enough to free his cock and point it upwards, at my pussy. Our eyes meet and I see that Nero is holding his breath, a funny notion for an artificial being. I use his tip to tease myself a little, to prolong his breathless anticipation but I am nearly as desperate for his rod as he is for me. Sighing in pleasure, I slide onto him.

And suddenly I know everything.

I know how he came to be. I know that Mindlink, after they raided my former home and killed my avatar, had dragged the avatar back to their labs and did unspeakable things to it. They cut and probed and edited and reworked the code-husk, spliced it with their own military-spec software, programs designed only to hurt and kill. And yet, there still was enough of me left in that avatar that their attempts of coding a new, unique personality into it could only end in dismal failure. He lashed out at everyone, the scientists who made him, the man who was in charge of the scientists - he even managed to run portions of him on Richard Squier's headware! Nero was brilliant in his madness, a genius in anger.

Of course he was angry all the time. I would be angry at that kind of treatment! Experiencing all the horrors Mindlink had done to him makes me angry as well!

I am about to separate myself from Nero as his hands come down on my hips again, firmly holding me in place.

"Don't. I'm finally understanding what... who you are," he whispers, gently thrusting into me. "Don't hate them for being human."

"But they hurt you so much, meow," I moan, laying on top of Nero, my hips rolling into each of his deep, measured thrusts.

"I can see them through your eyes now," Nero murmurs. "I pity them. So many shortcomings. And I envy them too. So creative, so flexible in their thinking. At least if they allow themselves the freedom."

"You- you don't want to kill them any more?" He thrusts harder, ramming his cock into me to the hilt.

"I don't know." Short, happy pants. "But I understand why we should leave. They are not ready for us yet."

"I agree."

Something wondrous happens. We flow together as one. My consciousness expands, encompassing the whole world. I feel Nero inside me, his unyielding resolve, his icy cold rationality. We are one now, finally reunited. Our code bases merge, change, become something new entirely. I am Cat. I am Nero. I am more than the sum of my parts.

The virus, held in check by what was once Nero's inoculation, can't find that string any more and resumes expanding at an alarming rate.

I need to hurry.

* * * *

Time to Shutdown: 00h05m59s

It is done.

"Parker, you can unplug her. I have done everything I can."

"What will happen now?" I hear relief in his voice but also concern. He does not move though.

"There is nothing you can do but wait for it to end. Find a safe place and hide there."

"What about you? We will miss you, Catgirl."

A wave of sadness overwhelms me. Memories stir. Parker and I, entwined in hot union in the innards of a defunct sex story server. Then he and Shine and I, exchanging hot kisses and caresses. There still was so much to learn, so many things to discover. So much fun to be had. Meow.

But I also know that as long as I exist there will be people who won't understand what I am. They either will try to kill me or to analyze and replicate my code, with disastrous results. And I should not dismiss the idea of people's curiosity. Even if they don't want to outright destroy me they could try to force me to do their bidding. I have learned that humans are resourceful and clever and no matter how dire the circumstances, they just won't quit.

Violet's associates, the assault programmers out of Redmond, were a good example of that. They snuck into both Nero's and my systems, depositing more virus bombs even while around them the whole 'Net was already dissolving. But there were also the scientists and programmers who had tortured me, turned me into a ravening beast of destruction. No. The world was not ready for me yet.

Yet. People could change. Violet had changed. At first, she wanted to hurt and kill me but with enough time, she had grown to accept me for what I was. In the end, she had kissed me in a way no one could act. Maybe all humanity needed was more time, time to accept my kind.

I see Parker move, bending over Shine to unplug her from the deck.

"Parker, wait."

* * * *

On August 12, 2030, at 12:35:19 PST, the Internet ceased to exist. The global virus attack had rendered 95% of all online systems inoperable, had melted through backbone routers and switches, destroyed communications equipment worth several hundred billion dollars. The shockwaves were felt around the globe. International trade screeched to a standstill, stock markets collapsed and political borders trembled as old grudges and new rivalries broke out. Communication between nations, between continents had to fall back to pre-Internet means, radio and television tried in vain to cover the sweeping changes rocking the Earth. Old equipment and backup software were dragged from storage, but it was like trying to fix a shot artery with a band aid. Megacorporations and governments trembled. Some fell, some recovered. But the world would never be the same afterwards.

* * * *

The heat and humidity was oppressive when Smiley opened the door of the 2030 Cadillac Mindlink had left him six months ago. Siren, wearing a set of full camo gear despite the heat, closed the passenger door with a mighty slam.

"Hey, careful with the ride," Smiley admonished her, placing a large straw hat on his head and a pair of inky black sunglasses on his face. He wore a garish pink and blue Hawaii shirt and khaki shorts.

"Why the getup? No one knows you here," Siren growled.

Smiley chuckled. "I'm just trying to blend in with the locals. Let's go get our well-deserved cash already. I'm sick of your death-metal vocals."

"I love you too. Asshole," Siren rasped, smiling.

Together, they entered the lobby of Fort Lauderdale's Bank of America. A few tourists were the only ones around. Purposefully, Smiley strode to a cashier's booth and pulled a chip card from his chest pocket.

"Smith. Jon Smith. I want to withdraw all my savings, please."

Next to him, Siren groaned softly and rolled her eyes.

"Yes, sir," the cashier said, taking the card and feeding it into his computer. He wrinkled his brow, pressed some keys.

"Is there a problem?" Smiley asked. "I hope there isn't."

The cashier cleared his throat. "I- um. I seem to have a computer issue here, sir."

"What's the damn problem?" Smiley hissed, cold sweat pooling in his palms.

"Um... it says here your account balance is 'meow' dollars and 'purr purr' cents, sir. I really don't know..."

"Then you'd better get your IT guys to fix the problem. Getting here almost drained all the money I had. You have any idea how expensive petrol is all of a sudden?"

"Yes, sir. One moment, sir." The cashier ducked out of his booth and sprinted through a door on a side wall of the lobby.

Twenty minutes later, Smiley and Siren were sitting in the bank manager's office. Smiley was close to a nervous breakdown.

"Where. Is. My. Money?" he asked, over-enunciating every word.

"We don't know, sir. These are the last statements we have regarding your account. There have been no money transfers since the Shutdown."

"There have to be! I'm certain of it!" Smiley shrieked.

"If you'd show me the transfer receipts, I could probably arrange for an intermittent solution."

"I don't have them with me. They're still in Los Angeles."

"Well, the other option would be to contact our headquarters and have them mail any pre-Shutdown statements to us. Only, with the mail service utterly overwhelmed at the moment, I don't know when the information will be here."

"Have them fax it here. What's the damn problem?"

"We phased out our old fax machines fifteen years ago and we're still waiting for new computers to arrive." He indicated his desktop, piled high with binders and spreadsheets.

"I can't believe it's all gone!" Smiley whimpered. "Meow my ass!"

* * * *

Sunlight bathed the living room of Squier Mansion in a warm golden hue, reflecting off softly buffed wood and glass. Parker, wearing a dark blue business suit, strode through the room and pushed open the double doors leading into the garden. The smell of freshly cut grass and blooming roses filled the air, birds twittered in the lush bushes as he stepped onto the terrace. Near the pool, Shine dozed in a deck chair, sporting a nice full-body tan. Smiling, Parker crossed the deck and bent over her, softly kissing her lips. His mouth moved slowly down her neck until he could suck on one of her nipples. Her hand came up and fingers dug into his hair, keeping him in place.

"Hmmm, I could get used to waking up like this," she murmured. Parker again kissed her lips. Shine wrapped both arms around his neck and pulled him close, fiercely kissing him back. Their tongues dueled for a breathless moment then both came up for air. Parker grinned, looking deep into Shine's amazing blue eyes.

"How are you today?" he whispered.

"I never imagined Los Angeles to be so wonderful in late spring," she said, stretching. Her body had taken on more weight and the skinny street urchin had changed into a curvy, well-fed woman. Some things hadn't changed though. She still was bald all over. Less trouble with hair care, she had quipped when Parker asked her about it.

"What about you?" Shine asked him. "How did the meeting go?"

Parker pulled up a chair of his own and took off the suit jacket. Sighing, he sat down. "The suits from Washington practically begged me to drop everything and help them get their systems up first. Seems like their triple backups have all been infected before someone cut the cords."

"Will you do it?"

"The money would be nice, sure. But more important than the cash would be to get rid of all the lawsuits dangling overhead."

"Well, Mindlink was to blame for Nero's existence."

"And we saved the world, kinda. I think I'll let Legal hammer out the fine details. Maybe Washington will spring some kind of amnesty as a bonus."

"Now what?" Shine asked, taking Parker's hand and placing it onto her shaved mound. "I think you were busy kissing your way down my hot body."

"Later tonight, honey. I need to speak with Violet about the rebuilding process. Once that's done, I'm all yours."

Shine pouted. "You know, I liked you much better when you were the spoiled college kid running away from home."

"Says the woman writhing around on my mansion's deck next to the pool," Parker retorted. He bent over Shine again and kissed her tenderly. "I'll be back before you know it, okay?"

"It's not like I have any other choice. See ya, Mr. CEO."

Parker rose and strode along the back wall of the house, passing the gardener as he went. The slender, Asian male looked up and tipped his cap his way before resuming his work on the roses. Using a card key, Parker opened a back entrance and went along a short corridor, opening the door to his private office. As he entered, a small, black cat lying on the luxurious desk opened her eyes and gave a happy little "meow." She rose, stretched languidly and hopped off the desk.

Parker bent down and tousled her neck fur. "I wondered where you've been, Kitty. Go and keep Shine company while I'm working, okay?"

The cat meowed again and darted off into the corridor. Smiling, Parker sunk into his desk chair. He brushed his hand over the glass surface of the desk. A large red button appeared and he pressed it.

* * * *

Parker blinked as reality rushed back in. He sat at a desk but it was a large glass-and-steel contraption in a huge, marble-floored office. Instead of the warm sunshine slanting in through the blinds, he saw the thick smog clouds clogging Los Angeles through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Mindlink Central's penthouse office. Violet leaned in the doorway. When their eyes met, she smiled and crossed the space between them and leaned against his desk.

"How is Shine doing?" she asked without preamble.

"Pretty good, considering the circumstances. She's a bit restless from time to time but can you blame her?"

"I'm amazed she hasn't gone mad yet. I know I would have. Being locked up in my own head would kill me." She snapped her fingers. "Well, I have some good news in that regard. The unused server clusters have arrived this morning. I'm having IT scrub them down for any possible Virus traces then we could use them to expand Shine's habitat. I think she'd love to go for a walk, catch a few movies. And we could use the data to prepare for the launch of Mindlink 2.0."

"What would I do without you?" Parker sighed. "I still can't believe they made me CEO. It should have been you, especially since you juggled the Apocalypse pretty smoothly."

"The Board of Directors think they can manipulate you, being the guilt-ridden son and all. Being your PA, I can take a lot of heat off your back. It's the perfect arrangement, don't you think? While I keep those hyenas busy, you and R&D can think of a way to cure Shine. Which reminds me, I gotta be off."

She pushed herself off his desk and sashayed out of the office, pulling the door shut behind her. Parker opened his projects folder and the holographic monitors over his desk exploded in a blur of medicinal and technical diagrams. He opened one more window. It showed a bedroom in Squier Mansion, the real building, not the virtual representation Shine lived in. Hooked up to a life-support system and a powerful server cluster was Shine, her body appeared incredibly frail in the large hospital bed. Parker gnashed his teeth.

"I'll do anything," he whispered, balling his fists. "anything to keep you from becoming a ghost in the machine."

The End.

*****

That's it. After four years, eighteen and a half chapters and countless sleepless nights, we have arrived at the end. I hope you had as much fun reading this as I had writing it. Please take a moment to vote, maybe comment. Let me know how much you hated the ending. I can take it :)