Page 62 of Remnants: Disruption
“Great,” I say, feeling like my chest couldn’t get any more hollow.
Kronos tilts his head, his eyes sparkling with a nearly fluorescent blue.
“Why are you still doing this, Arya? What do you hope to gain from finding out why these people were killed? Would catching the killer bring you relief?”
It feels as though the note in my breast pocket warms at the question.
“Because it doesn’t make sense,” I say, looking down at the symbol. “These symbols block my abilities.”
Kronos’ eyes widen.
“It was my understanding that nothing could stop your abilities.”
I meet his eyes again. There’s no malice in his words. Nothing to indicate he means anything but what he says.
But it was the way he said it.
As though it were an undeniable fact.
“Thank you for the information, Kronos,” I say, standing. “I’ll take up one of the booths with the unimportant crowd. I could use some noise.”
Kronos doesn’t say anything, but he gives me a small nod.
Sound hits me like a tidal wave when I cross over the boundary again. It’s a formless cacophony, but it soothes at whatever is starting to grow at the center of my chest.
A chair at the bar itself clears as I pass and I slide onto it. The bartender glances over at me and gives me a quick smile. I return it and watch her serve two others before returning to me.
“What can I get you?” she asks, voice kind but louder to handle the noise.
“Just a mule please,” I say, and she hurries off.
After a few seconds, the drink is slid toward me. She gives me a wink and hustles off before I can even pull out my phone to pay. Glancing down at the drink, I see the tab paid for by the house with a number scrolled tidily on it.
The bartender doesn’t look back as I give her another once over. She’s cute, but probably younger than me. Still, she’s at least a Remnant, too.
I slide the number into my jacket and put the tablet down on the table alongside the folder. The macabre photos in the paper format aren’t exactly table appropriate, but no one seems to care when I start to review the notes.
It’s only after another drink and another flirting wink from the bartender that I finally get to the notes from yesterday.
Blackwood was a security advisor to someone within DAEMON’s AI department. There’s nothing about his history or resume publicly available.
Below the scrawl is a printed clipping from an online headline. It only half-mentions Malachi by last name alongside a new artificial intelligence from DAEMON.
Anders’ relationship to DAEMON is uncertain, but I just got her bank statements, and she received one payout that does match the data signature for DAEMON’s HR department.
And, dutifully, below the note is the very same bank statement. The numbers are gibberish, but the relevance is meaningful.
The next clipping is the hierarchy list from RISE, which looks to be updated through early yesterday.
1. Darkrend - alive, possible
2. Bloody Mary - alive, no evidence of involvement
3. The Dark One - alive, not connected
4. Omen - alive, possible
5. Gargantuan - alive, last sighting in the Steel Empire
