Page 46 of The Fall

Pulling a few things from her dresser, Kerr scurried back to the lav to change. “You know we wouldn’t kill Pinga, right?” she called. She returned wearing TacPants and a tattered grey crop. “Ready?”

Hoping that Lusa would say no so she could keep getting to know her better, Kerr was dismayed when Lusa held out her helmet.

“Let’s see if Chalice survived my sister.” The corner of Lusa’s upturned lip carried so much unspoken possibility that Kerr’s mind raced to fill. Why was she so desperate to impress her? Even if everything she wanted happened, Lusa would be gone by the end of the day. This entire fantasy she’d made up could only end poorly.

But Kerr couldn’t help it. She took the helmet and beamed.

Play Not With Feelings, For You May Win The Game

Kerr swatted her shoulder urgently several times. “Stop!” she yelled over the noise of the motorcycle.

Lusa turned. Kerr pointed at the door to the abandoned adult shop. It was damaged.

Lusa killed the engine and hopped off, not waiting for Kerr. Shards splashed and glinted in the morning sun – from the wrong direction. Whoever had broken the door had done it from the inside. Lusa unclipped the kukri from the base of her spine and leaned against the wall. She tilted her head toward the door.

Kerr raised an eyebrow.

Lusa rolled her eyes. “Throw something,” she mouthed.

Picking up a piece of glass, Kerr tossed it through the shattered door.

“Now hide!” Lusa hissed.

Kerr scrambled over to the other side of the door frame and waited, listening.

Nothing.

Either no-one was there, or they were smarter than to come running. Lusa entered the building carefully.

Filtering through the dust, Sunlight illuminated the array of fake appendages. Pools of blood had dried to the floor and against the walls, but those who had lost it were nowhere to be found. The doorway to the back room was significantly wider than it had been and the Hexaline that it had been made of now sat in a bloody pile of rubble.

“What the hell happened here?” Kerr stared in wide-eyed horror.

“Scan it,” Lusa ordered. Nanites would still be present in the blood, whether Kerr knew about them or not.

Kerr did as she was asked. “It’s not Chalice. I don’t know about Pinga.”

Lusa exhaled quickly, relieved. Kneeling to examine the rubble, it became obvious what had happened. “Pinga did this.”

“Pinga did this?” Kerr repeated. “How?”

Lusa stood up and put her kukri away. “You’re not the only ones who like to tinker with things. Tornit reprinted some of the gears in Pinga’s arm. Mom redid the hydraulics and added a higher Watt power source.”

Kerr scanned the doorway. “Then why would she let us take her?” Perhaps she thought Pinga hid behind it.

Lusa laughed. “Because she was trying to get into Chalice’s pants. Or yours. She’s not picky.” Pinga probably thought they were playing a kinky game.

Kerr blew out her cheeks. “That explains why you were so angry with her.”

“Someone showed up and Pinga went on a rampage.” Lusa kicked a chunk of rubble away.

“I’m glad we didn’t piss her off, then,” Kerr muttered.

“Oh, I doubt she was angry.” Lusa snorted at the way Kerr’s eyes widened. “This was probably fun for her,” Lusa explained. While she preferred grace and efficiency, Pinga hit things hard and repeatedly, like Sesi, but with reckless abandon. “Whoever cleaned this up had quite a job to do.”

“Do you think…” Kerr paused, “she killed Chalice?”

“Pinga’s into a lot of weird shit, but fucking corpses isn’t one of them.” Lusa surveyed the rest of the scene. Blood splatters and coagulated remnants of unidentifiable body parts among a veritable buffet of adult novelty products.