Zendyne | Page 7

future life.
***
Eventually, Lee would need to talk to Lilith again, and now, with the resources of Zendyne lost to him, that meant loading her back into a doll.
He knew there was a surplus Artemis 9300 unit on sale in the employee mall. The 9300 project had been the first opportunity Lee ever had to give serious creative input, instead of simply implementing the visions of more experienced engineers, and the resulting design held a place in his affections that wasn��t entirely due to its sculpted features and lithe curves.
There was an awkward moment as he trailed an acquaintance through the security doors, muttering something about his swipe card not working properly, and then he was at the sales counter.
"Uh, I forgot to bring my ID today, and I was wondering if I could still buy the Artemis 9300."
"I��m sorry, sir. We only offer the employee discount to staff members in possession of a valid Zendyne ID. If you come back with your card tomorrow, we��d be happy to process your order."
"The thing is, I��m in a bit of a hurry. How much is the employee discount?"
The store assistant raised a supercilious eyebrow and took a long look at the doll before returning his attention to Lee. "Twenty percent."
"No problem, I��ll pay the difference. Could you have it delivered?"
"We just charge the prices you see."
"So you won��t let me pay the difference?"
"I wish I could oblige, sir, but there��s nothing in our rulebook that would allow me to do that."
Lee didn��t even try to keep the contempt out of his voice. "Thank God I sold my stock."
And then, to his mortification, Xia Lin was there, smiling as if she was pleased to have found him. Or at least, as if she was pleased to have found him in an embarrassing situation. "I see you are shopping for a souvenir, Lee. Or perhaps a substitute for a real woman?"
Xia Lin��s haughty stare left him in no doubt about which woman she meant. Lee met her gaze for a moment, then let his eyes drop, taking in her trim figure for one last time. She looked good enough to set him wondering if things might somehow have been different between them, but Lee couldn��t afford to go there. He tugged at his collar, wishing they wouldn��t keep these places so damn hot. "Um, just looking for something to remind me of happier times. I think the Artemis unit might make an interesting piece of sculpture." He could tell she wasn��t buying it, but he plunged on regardless. "Unfortunately, your store no longer wants my business, so I��ll just be on my way."
"Wait." She placed a gloved hand on his elbow, making it impossible for him to leave without pulling away rudely. "Unlike you, I have not forgotten my card. I shall purchase it for you."
"There��s really no need," he began, but she was already placing the order.
"Do you offer overnight delivery?" she asked.
"Of course, Madam."
"Good. Because my friend will be making alternative living arrangements tomorrow, won��t you, Lee?"
"I��m sorry?"
"Your apartment is leased through the Zendyne Accommodation Office," she said. "You hadn��t forgotten, I hope."
Instead of replying, he fished a credit chip out of his pocket and offered it to her.
Xia Lin ignored it. "There is no need to reimburse me. Think of it as ... whatever you will." She shot him a final glance that he found completely unfathomable and then turned away, heading for the clothing section.
2
The new client was right on time. Stranger appreciated that. The day had turned hot and humid, and he hated hanging around, waiting for the right person to come along for him to kill.
Stranger pretended to be distracted and looking elsewhere as his target bustled through the apartment building��s revolving doors. The rentacop came within a couple of meters, close enough for Stranger to see he was smiling, as if this was the end of a good day.
A lot of Stranger��s clients looked that way, up to the point where he introduced himself.
According to Back Office, this guy had been on duty when his employer was gravely inconvenienced by a Zendyne love doll. In Stranger��s world, allowing such a thing to happen would have counted as an inexcusable breach of professional propriety, but the rentacop was mainstream and completely unembarrassed. On the contrary, he seemed pleased and proud, which made sense once you knew that Zendyne had bought his discretion with a place on the gravy train �� right up there in the first class section, with all the trimmings.
Stranger had risen from the mainstream long ago, and his human memories were mostly faded and burnt out. A few raw scraps remained, though. Enough to tell him how golden a deal like this would be: a slice of real luck, and an end to crawling between