"And I will be the thorn in your side."
Unity waits.
It can sence the conflict at Kama, can feel the amused confusion of Ms Haven, hear in a vague distance Kendric's on going debate with himself.
They are all occupied.
Reality moves.
Mr Slayer sits at the table, ignoring the still body. He knows it is only a matter of time before the human's biochemistry gives into the drug and he dies. Everything is set. All it needs is the final player on the scene.
He feels a shift in the reality of things. Suddenly there is a fresh shape in the corner. The silent appearence surprises him. It is not a fold in any form he recognises. May be the man's analysis of the suits abilities was more accurate that they had realised. Cetainly given the number of experienced Ops that had vanished in the wild goose chase after the Exerter it was capable.
Which is why, of course, he had decided to turn the tables and bring the suit to him."Andi I assume." He states.
The suit does not respond.
"The scum is there you can have him if you want. But I want the technology behind that suit in exchange."
The suit lifts out a data crystal and spins it over the table.
"It won't do you any good." The voice is vaguely electronic and guite flat, almost as if the occupent of the suit is having to exert some great control.
Mr Slayer picks it up, dropping it quickly into the waiting lap top.
As he runs his eyes over the data it contains, reality folds itself round the huddled mass on the floor and then it is quietly gone.
Mr Slayer scrolls down the screen.His brow furrowing with annoyance. "This is garbage!"
"It is the technology."
"This would never work."
"Correct."
Mr Slayer's head dnaps up at the acknowledgement. He stares at the suit before him. "Then how......"
"I am not just technology." Unity teases.
The 'suit' looks at him. An expresion in the eye.
Mr Slayer frowns.
No power suit ever had that much control.
Hell most stormers never manage that much control.
He reaches out his consiousness to call on the escort just out side the door, but there is nothng there. It confuses him. How could that have happened? It is almost as if the world beyound the door no longer exists. But that is impossible the only one who can pull that soert of reality control is....
His brain rebells against drawing the obvious conclusion.
Here must be some other reason, he needs to buy time, keep the thing talking until Teeth gets back and then they can take this thing. And then all thier questions will be answered.
"I would have thought you would have more sense than to put yourself into danger for him." He taunts, gesturing to the now empty bit of floor. "After all he did try to kill you."
"He was a good excuse." It actually shrugs. "Besides I'm not is any danger." The suit responds confidently.
Mr Slayer looks at him. "Any minute now my secutity escort will be through that door."
The suit shakes its head. The confidence of the responce makes it all too clear that the man in the suit is in some way responsible for the lack of escort. "But even if they did, all it would do is get them killed."
"You are very confident for one so young."
The faceplate twists into a smile.
Mr Slayer just stares at him. There is no way the metal can move like this. Just what is this thing capable of. He has to keep it talking. "If this is useless, and the man is unimportant to you. Why did you bother coming here? Why take that risk."
"To prick your consience to see if you have any left."
Slayer looks at him questioningly. Now as much intrequed as consious of the need to buy himself time. "Prick away."
"Why did you do it?"
The question surprises him.
"Do what?"
"Sell out the Ebons."
Mr slayer frowns. What does this thing care about Ebons. Andi is notorious for his hatered of Ebb powers. Why should he care what happens to them. His train of thought is suddenly derailed by an even more pertinant question. How doe he know?
"Why do you care, you are human?"
The suits face twists into a smile. "Now that is where you are wrong."
Mr Slayer frowns, there is something knowing about the phrase. How much does he know? Could he have uncovered the Core project notes? So much went missing when the Exeter vanished, but they were never sure how much was stolen and how much was destroyed.
"Besides. Race is irrelevent, as you are all to well aware. They are people. They have lives, dreams and you sold them out to that bastard that calls himself Teeth. I want to know why."
Mr Slayer shakes his head.
"You would never understand."
Unity steps forward fully into the light, the sharp reflection of the bulb from its surface scattering patches of brilliance into the dark shadows.
"Try me."
Mr Slayer shakes his head. "It's all irrelevent. All this everything you are doing. It is not like you can change anything any way. I saved this world and it is me that stops it from decaying."
Unity shakes his head. "You flatter your self."
"With out me this world would still be waring itself into non existance."
"That's just one of the lies." It states.
Mr Slayer frowns.
"I know who you are. I know where you came from." Unity whispers softly. "I know what white earth is. I know all about you."
Unity pauses just long enough for Slayer to respond.
He deliberatly does not. But it takes all that he is. His mind races, How could he know something that only the smallest number of people have access to. How could he be aware of that which Mr Slayer has hidden even from himself. A panic fills him, a sensation he has not felt for a long time, not since....
"Like I said before I am not technology, I am reality."
Mr Slayer frowns at him. The word reality dragging him back to the current situation.
"I am Mercari and all the clues were there and you for all your spies missed it. And I can not let you do what you are doing to the ebons. They are sentient being with a right to thier own futures, not ones written by you and Teeth."
Mr Slayer speaks, drawing strength from the mention of his ally, recalling Teeths words so long ago when the deal was first made. "You are just one man. What can you do? He explained it to me, even if you make a difference here there are thousands of worlds waiting for us out there. Just look at the way this place accepted us. There are so many more just waiting to be rippened and picked."
"And I will follow you to each and every one and be the thorn in your side."And he can too.
Unity smiles. "You are waiting for back up. It isn't comming. Now I could do something dumb and destroy you but that would not help me, and more innocents would be hurt in the power struggle. I'll bide my time for now. Consider this a warning. Dump teeth. Change what is happening to the Ebons. Or I will be back."
Then reality shifts and the shape is gone.
Mr Slayer thumps the table in fustraction and the door bursts open.
He turns his anger on the two security. "Where were you?"
Blood hits the wall.
The surviving gusrad trembles slightly in his body armour.
"Get me Teeth."