7 – Memories

Addie watched as Tony used the torch to cut through the metal floor in the van's cargo bay. JJ had to dial down the gain on her retinal implants so all she saw was a bright blue flare of fire where the metal was being cut, which made it hard to tell exactly what he was doing. "How can you even see what's happening?"

"I can see fine."

"All I see is the fire!"

"Well, my left eye has better filtering than your implants."

"Oh. Makes sense, I guess." Addie left him to it, wandering over to the drink machine to buy herself a strawberry soda. They'd been working on the van for most of the afternoon, or at least that's what Tony would say. In actuality, he'd been the one doing the work while Addie kept him company. It wasn't that he wouldn't let her get her hands dirty; it was more like she didn't know what to do, and it was just easier for him to do things than to explain it all to her. Addie didn't mind. She wasn't really interested in cars or modding them out, but she enjoyed chatting and watching Tony work.

So far, he'd pulled the seats, removed the old upholstery and stuffing, and fitted them with custom-printed, aftermarket gel-foam cushions and "breathable" fabric covers. Addie had thoroughly approved of the upgrade. The van's seats were now the most comfortable places to sit in the warehouse.

After that, he'd begun working on their "smuggling" compartment. He'd cut out the storage box that he'd earlier welded to the middle of the cargo bay, and now he was cutting away the floor, so he could put in a different storage box that had a false bottom and a second compartment that would sit beneath the van's floorboards. He'd had to shift the location a bit forward to avoid the rear axle and electric motor. Luckily, the battery sat forward, under the driver's compartment, so there was plenty of space.

Addie had wondered if it would be obvious to anyone looking under the van, but that was the trick; Tony had ordered the compartment from a custom fabricator who'd made it look exactly like a second battery bank. Moreover, it was wired to generate a field that would fool scanners—theoretically.

Soda in hand, Addie walked over to the smuggling compartment, still sitting in the crate at the back of the van. The top of the crate was open, so she could see the metal compartment. Looking inside, she saw where the false bottom would go and where the secret compartment began. Frowning, she said, "Are you sure she'll be able to fit in there?"

The torch sputtered out, and Tony looked up from his work. "Huh?"

"I was asking if you're sure she'll fit in there."

"I can fit inside, so, yeah, I hope so."

"You crawled in there?"

"Yep." The torch started up again, and Addie sighed, moving to sit on their old cargo box. She sipped her soda, occasionally watching Tony work and scanning her City Net page the rest of the time. She hadn't been posting as regularly as she ought to, but she was still gaining followers. Her content might be less frequent, but it was always good. She'd only recently uploaded footage of their job at Takumi Stack—her Cold Mary series.

That one had taken a load of editing, but she was proud of the finished work. It cast Cold Mary as the victim she was, and exposed the harsh realities of living in a stack under the "protection" of corporate security. Naturally, that wasn't what sold the series or gained her followers. No, that was all due to her flashy edits showing Tony in action, and exposing Cold Mary's legitimately frightening Dust attacks. Addie was careful not to reveal her own Dust talents; she wasn't ready for everyone to know her business where that was concerned.

Metal clanged as a hunk of the floorboard fell through and hit the cement. As the torch sputtered out, Tony looked up, smiling. "Glad that part's done."

"You're in a good mood."

"Why wouldn't I be?" he asked, crawling to the edge of the van's cargo bay and swinging his legs out so he could sit on the edge. "I get to work on our van, and I've got you for company. What more could I want?"

"Careful, mister. That's how people end up getting kisses."

"Don't make threats if you're not going to carry through with them."

Addie looked at him more closely, wondering if she ought to stand up and go over there to kiss his grease-smeared face. His hands were dirty, his shirt was soaked through with sweat, and she honestly thought he was sexier than ever. She scooted toward the edge of the metal cargo box, contemplating her avenue of attack, but then he stood and walked over to the table where he kept most of his tools, and the moment was gone.

"Gonna do some grinding. Gotta smooth out those cuts before I drop in the new box."

"Maybe I'll do some shopping. I haven't been back to the old neighborhood in a while, and I'd like to pay Madeline a visit."

"The bookshop lady?"

"Yeah."

Tony turned, holding a disc grinder in one hand. He was smiling, totally unbothered by her announcement. "How about we meet up for dinner later?"

"Seriously?" Addie hopped to her feet, pleased by his suggestion. Tony tended to enjoy takeout a lot more than eating out.

"Yeah, why not? We gotta enjoy this time together, Ads. Never know what's around the corner." He spoke lightly, but something about his cheerful demeanor coupled with the fatalistic phrase made her uneasy, and she tilted her head, looking at him quizzically as she approached.

"Something you need to tell me?"

He shook his head, his smile unmoved by the question as she gripped the sides of his damp T-shirt and looked up into his silver eye. "Nah." He leaned forward, closing the distance between them, and Addie took the bait, standing on her tiptoes to reach his lips with hers. He started to move his hands toward her backside, but she let go of his shirt and grabbed his arms, pushing his hands back.

"Don't get me all dirty," she murmured, nibbling at his lower lip. Tony kissed her back, and she felt her body responding, felt the heat flushing her cheeks, and her heart speeding up. She took a step back, pulling away. He smiled, licked his lips, and then tapped his chin.

"You've got something right here."

Addie groaned and rubbed the back of her hand on the spot. "Did I get it?"

He nodded. "Just a little grease."

Addie walked over to the sani-gel dispenser on this work table and squeezed some into her palm. As she rubbed her hands together, she said, "Message me when you're finishing up?"

"Yep, I'll pick you up when everything's put together."

"Okay." She stared for a moment, watching his face, but his demeanor didn't crack. He continued to smile at her, and when she grabbed her coat and slowly turned to walk toward the open bay door, he climbed into the van without another comment. "I'm gonna walk until the AutoCab finds me," she announced, pulling her coat on.

"Be careful," he called, voice muffled by the van's cargo box.

"I will." She zipped up her coat as she stepped out into the early winter air. "JJ, did you order a cab?"

"Yes, but only a moment ago, when you said you'd be waiting for it to find you."

"That's fine." Addie glanced at her mini-map, smiling as she saw her little dot moving away from Tony's. She did not doubt that he and Nora would be keeping an eye on her as she moved through the city. It didn't bother her; in fact, she found it comforting. She wasn't exactly fearful about walking around on her own—not with her needler tucked inside her waistband and her Dust abilities ready whenever she needed them. Still, it was nice to know she was never alone; she always had Tony looking out for her.

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The commercial district where they lived wasn't busy as far as traffic went, but lots of larger vehicles passed by, their big brakes hissing and chirping as the drivers pushed to meet deadlines. JJ did a good job of filtering noises that would have been irritating or even painful, though, so she was unbothered. She made good time, walking briskly, to keep warm in the chilly air. By the time her AutoCab pulled up beside the curb, she'd put several city blocks behind her.

JJ directed the cab to Madeline's shop, and Addie sat back, peering out the window to watch the people as the vehicle got moving. She felt good in that moment—happy and content, conscious of the challenges she and Tony had to face, but not particularly anxious about them. It was a good feeling.

She'd never been one to feel stress about money, and she recognized her luck in that regard. Her dad's shop had always provided for them, even during tough times. He'd never put any pressure on her to support herself either, which was, again, lucky for her. That said, she'd had plenty of other things that kept her up at night. Lately, those had mostly revolved around upcoming jobs or—a specter always hanging over her—Tony's troubled past.

She and Tony were facing that looming threat now, though, and it felt like things were moving in the right direction. Their application for metro visas had been approved, and they'd be doing their first job outside the district soon. Tony wasn't worried about being caught smuggling, so Addie wasn't letting herself worry about it, either. Katz's job wasn't a big deal; it was really just a tiny stepping stone on the way to scoping out Cross Corp, but it was Addie's first move outside the Blast, and so it was significant for that reason, if nothing else. It meant things were getting real.

She supposed that was a silly thing to think; things had been real for a while now. How many life and death situations had she and Tony been in over the last few months? How many people had she killed? She felt a funny dip in the pit of her stomach at the thought. Her breath hitched in her throat for a heartbeat before she recovered and pushed it out between pursed lips, rubbing her suddenly clammy palms on the knees of her jeans. She didn't think that thought very often, and it had sort of snuck up on her.

Addie had come to grips with her actions, of course. She'd cried in the shower, she'd cried trying to fall asleep, and she'd even cried in Tony's arms, letting him comfort her and explain that she only felt that way because she was a good person. It was a simple, trite thing to say, but it worked. She knew she wasn't bad, but sometimes she surely worried that she wasn't good anymore. Unable to know for herself, she'd decided to trust Tony and her dad, who thought the world of her. She felt their love, and how could things be bad with a feeling like that?

"Heh," she whispered, clicking her tongue. How'd she go down that line of thinking again? "JJ, put on some music, please. Something popular from the Blast."

She'd been listening to music more and more since upgrading her audio implants. The software they came with and the soundstages they could mimic were incredible. JJ could make it sound like she was in a concert arena or inside an intimate club setting. "This is Violet Dragons—a synth-punk band who got their start performing free concerts in the vacant lot outside the skeletons."

Addie didn't love the music that came on, but she pictured herself standing around, swaying with her friends as they cheered on the local band. She saw the giant girders of the unfinished buildings in the night sky, and she heard the howls of the dust-afflicted in the distance. Against that backdrop, the band's angry lyrics and aggressive riffs were appropriate, and she could understand their following.

She listened to two songs before the cab pulled up to the curb and announced they'd reached her destination. Addie slid out of the back seat and stood on the sidewalk, turning slowly to take in Boxer Avenue. Her favorite shops looked small and dim, listless and dull, compared to the images in her mind's eye. Was it the time of day? Was it the fact that it wasn't Boxer Day? She tended to do that, she supposed—remember things in their best light.

She turned to the nearby building and approached the little inset stoop. She stepped up, pulled the door open, and smiled as the familiar bell rang. "Welcome in," said a drowsy-sounding voice. Addie looked toward the counter and smiled as she saw Madeline there, leaning over an ancient-looking book. The storekeeper yawned and carefully turned the page before looking up.

"Hey," Addie said, waving.

"Oh, hey!" Madeline's smile was huge as she closed the book. "Addie! It's been a long time, kid. What's it been? A month? Two? I hated that you and your dad moved out of the neighborhood, but like I told him, I could understand." She waved her over. "Come on! Talk to me."

Addie stepped up to the counter, leaning an elbow on it as she looked around happily. "I wanted to come sooner, but things have been so busy, and, even though we're still in the Blast, you know how annoying traffic is and…" Addie trailed off, not wanting to bring up the fact that every time she thought about the shop, she also thought about Zane and how that, more than anything else, was why she hadn't been making her usual visit or two every week.

Madeline chuckled, waving a hand. "Don't worry, sweetie. I get it. We all get caught up in our little lives. I want you to know I've been keeping up with you, however! I've been on that City Net page of yours, reading your stories. I never had any idea things got like that in the stacks! It makes me really appreciate our little neighborhood here, you know?"

Addie smiled, a tiny burst of excitement quickening her breath as Madeline brought up her page. "I know, right? I don't ever want to work for a corp like that, but that's not even how half of those people wound up living in the stacks. They take a little help—a loan or a discount on rent—and the next thing they know, they owe the company and have to work for them to pay down that debt. All the corpos do that stuff!"

Madeline leaned closer, nodding as she spoke in a hushed tone. "Honey, didn't I tell you I watched your story? I believe you! Goodness, it really made me think about how we judge the people who live in those stacks. I mean, the ones closer to home, too—the ones who have corporate housing provided by Boxer."

Addie nodded. "Yeah. It makes me wonder how many corpo suits start out with good intentions. I think it breaks people down: sell this thing for a break on your rent, get this information for a bonus on your paycheck, and so on, until it's just the way they think." Addie frowned, suddenly very aware of the pressure of her needler against her hip. "I think that's the way people are. We can get used to a lot of things, even bad ones."

Madeline clasped her hands together, inhaling deeply. "My gosh, Addie! I feel like I'm in one of your vids. I love the way you talk! Are you recording right now?"

Addie snorted, shaken from her brief reverie by Madeline's silliness. "No! I'm serious, though. I've seen some things…"

Madeline put her hand over Addie's on the countertop. "I know, sweetie. I told you: I watch your page. You've shown a lot of us things that nobody else would. That vid about the Dust at Royal Breeze? I mean, sure, we all knew Echelon was moving in there, but we didn't know why. I don't know how you found all that out, but it was so eye-opening."

"Well, jeez, Madeline! I didn't come down here so you could build up my ego, but I won't complain. It feels nice to know somebody's appreciating my work."

"Hush!" Madeline laughed. "I'm getting old, but I know how the City Net works. I can see those follower and view counts! You're getting noticed! I think your reporting will do some good."

"Thank you." Addie sighed happily and waved a hand, dismissing the topic. "Now, let's quit talking about me. What about you? How's the shop been doing? I was hoping to see if maybe I could finally afford one of your paperbacks."

"Oh?" Madeline arched an eyebrow. "Don't tease me, now. Are you really going to start collecting?"

Addie nodded. "I've always wanted to! You know that. It's just, well, they aren't cheap, and I didn't have my own space…"

"Wait there." Madeline walked out from behind the counter and deeper into her shop, past the little reading area and over to her bookshelves. "I've got just the thing for you!" she called. "Came in a week or so back. It's really kind of a strange book, but I think you like science fiction, right? Aha!" Her voice got louder as she returned. "Yeah, this is by Ursula K. Le Guin. You know her, right?"

Addie looked eagerly toward the book in Madeline's hands as she approached. She couldn't see it clearly yet, but it was primarily black with art that looked white—ice maybe—covering the lower half. "Yes! She was an influential author in the, um, nineteen-seventies, I think?"

Madeline nodded. "That's mostly right. This one's called The Left Hand of Darkness." She held the book in one, white-gloved hand, and offered another glove to Addie. Addie took it and slipped it on, then took the book as Madeline handed it over. She turned it left and right, smiling as she took in the art—some kind of icy planet in the blackness of space.

"Is it good?"

"It's good, yes, but you have to give it a chance to grow on you. It really made me think."

"How much is it?"

Madeline smiled. "This one's on the house, but only if you promise to buy more."

Addie shook her head. "Madeline! I can't! I know how much some of these cost!"

The older woman laughed, waving her hand. "First of all, I got that one for fifty bits on an estate auction. Sure, I'm listing it for two-fifty, but I'm happy to give it to you, Addie. You remind me of the good old days around here, and I feel like it's the least I can do for you. You know, I really love watching your vids. Let's just say I'm paying you back a little for all the entertainment you've given me."

Addie felt her eyes getting moist as she listened to her old friend—her mom's old friend—gush. She held the book out to the side as she squeezed her into a hug with her free arm. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, sweetie. Now let's put that in a case for you before you drop it. Do you have spare gloves at home? I can give you some so you can read it without damaging the pages."

Addie nodded, sniffing as she followed her over to the counter. "Do you think I could hang out and read for a while? I've got a little time to kill before I have to meet someone for dinner."

"Of course, of course." Madeline pulled off her glove. "Here, just use this for now, and I'll get your case ready for when you leave." She motioned toward the reading area in her shop. "Go on and sit down. I'll make you something warm to drink."

"Okay." Addie set the book down and pulled the other glove on, then she picked it up again and wandered over to one of the overstuffed reading chairs near the back wall. As she sank into it, she said, "JJ, I'm gonna be reading for a while. Keep an eye on my messages in case I zone out and miss an alert." As JJ assured her that he would, Addie carefully opened the book, turned past the first few pages, and began to read.

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