The Unsung Frame, page 24
part #2 of The Synth Crisis Series
Lur hopped up off the couch and clapped her hands. Dhata had never seen her as happy as she was now. The Unsung had made their move, and Dhata wondered what would come of it. Would Conrad Hurt get exposed and arrested, or would there be more of a worldwide panic? Whatever came of it, he decided that it wasn’t his problem. For the two weeks he planned to stay on the farm, he would not allow himself to care.
He got up from his seat and took her into his arms, and hugged her closely as he listened to the reporter rifle off a series of questions to Isaiah Parker. “I consider this closure,” he said before kissing her on the top of her head. “We’ve played our part in collecting real evidence. Now the people in the shadows can take over.”
“People in the shadows who hired us,” she said, and he could hear the smile in her voice.
“Yeah, who would’ve thought that after all this time, our quest for justice would have such a reward?”
“There was something else I didn’t tell you,” she said, stepping away, but she held his hand and pulled him after her as she walked over to the window.
“What happened?” he said.
“I spoke to Robert about my father, and explained what we did to get away. He told me that the encryption on my phone would make it impossible for them to trace, so I made a call back home.”
Dhata was stunned; he didn’t know what to think. Lur loved her father, but it seemed like such a reckless thing to do. Don Jose was powerful, and could hire an army of cyphers to track down his daughter and bring her home. Not to mention her betrothed, Carlos Ruiz, a man who was obsessed with Lur and was set to inherit the Don’s empire once they were married.
It was a phone call that could mean pressure from external Cuban sources. Local gangsters could be bought to capture her the way they had caught Dhata a year before. Then they would be back to square one, watching their backs at every turn. He shook his head, upset, but afraid of what he would say. He and Lur never argued, and he didn’t want to start doing it now.
“Ay, you look so upset, mi vida. I did the checks and balances, okay? I would not have reached out to Papa if it meant more trouble for you. I called him and spoke to Marisol, and she recognized my voice. She put me through to Papa, and we talked for two hours. He is not upset, but he does miss his princesa. I told him maybe one day I’ll visit, but Don Ruiz can’t be there.”
“Did you tell him that son of a bitch sicced his hools on you? That he frightened you so much, that you had to risk your life at a black market option to change your implant chip?” Dhata said.
“I did, and he wasn’t happy. He told me Ruiz was doing other things. That man always wanted to be my father, Dhata, but he underestimated Papa. He’s been plotting behind my father’s back, but my father’s men are loyal. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”
“What, they killed that dude?” Dhata said, and Lur nodded slowly with a wicked smile.
“I can go home now, as Lurita Diaz, and Papa has promised never to try and marry me off again. It feels good, Dhata, knowing that I am my father’s daughter again, and Hiro says that he can reprogram the implant so that I am no longer Fabiana Lopez.”
“What about immigration? Hiro did all that work to make Fabiana legal,” Dhata said.
“Hiro loves me,” she said. “Do you not think that he would do this again … for Lur?”
Dhata laughed. She was so cocky, but what she said wasn’t far from the truth. Hiroshi would do just about anything she asked, and would happily hack the worldwide database to give her a US citizenship.
They sat on the couch watching television as the news spread like wildfire about Isaiah Parker’s interview. It was a quiet day, a peaceful day, away from the politics and the pressures of the city. He put his arm around her, and she inched in close, reaching up to touch his frowning lips with her fingertip.
“I do hope that this world will be okay,” he said.
“Well, humans are survivors, and now at least we know the synths will be fine,” she said.
“Yeah, they have The Unsung.”
“No, mi vida, they have you, and that is why I know that they will be okay.”
‡Glossary‡
Skiptracer – A bounty hunter and private investigator that works exclusively for the police
Cypher – What used to be known as a “hacker”
John – Police officer (A play on the French pronunciation of Gendarme)
Mary – A prostitute
Hool – A criminal or thug (The word hooligan shortened into street slang)
Grid – Computer matrix (This is a very generic term used interchangeably with “cyberspace”)
Synth – Synthetic person or Android – a sentient machine built to look and act the way a human being does.
Snoop – Detective
Global Network – The Internet according to the world of Dhata Mays
Virtual Village (ViVi) – A small world inside the global network, accessed through virtual reality
SAR – Spatial Augmented Reality
ICL – Internal Contact Lens – Built into the eyes of most human beings, the ICL is used to access personal computers and sync with external SAR units
Augment – Objects that seem real but are projected in three dimensions by an SAR
Rack – A powerful piece of computer hardware that grants access to the Grid
Fomeal – Government-issued meat substitute
Hume – A derogatory term for humans
Zeppelin – A hovering fortress used in war for bombing
‡About the Author‡
GREG DRAGON brings a fresh perspective to fiction by telling human stories of life, love and relationships in a science fiction setting. This unconventional author spins his celestial scenes from an imagination nurtured from being an avid reader himself. His exposure to multiple cultures, multiple religions, martial arts, and travel lends a unique dynamic to his stories.
See Greg’s author page at gregdragon.com or keep up with his latest books and appearances through email.
Greg Dragon, The Unsung Frame
