Read Online Chrono Inquisitor (Gods Be Damned) by Rien Reigns - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rien Reigns
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assumed.” He’s said it with only the faintest, almost undetectable, hint of fear.
“Exactly!” The sudden exclamation caused more of a jolt in Paxton than the previous attempts. “First rule of reaping, don’t ever assume. Suspect, but don’t assume. Now, let’s get down to business.”
Finished with my game and to put Paxton at a little more ease, I took off the gauntlets and put them away. “I suspect you’re not a Corrupter, but I’d hate to assume and be proven wrong later on. So, are you? A Corrupter, that is, just so we’re absolutely clear”
Anticipating that Paxton would blurt out a programmed ‘no’ response, I held up my hand. “Before you answer, I highly recommend you be forthright, because by the time we’re done, I will know, one way, or another.”
“No, I ain’t no Corrupter,” Paxton replied, and I detected a note of pride in the way he said it. “I ain’t a hacker, and I can’t even pay my normal debts, how the fuck would I be able to pay for a procedure of that magnitude?”
“You’d be surprised how many people become Corrupters because they’re in over their heads in debt. You said you had a family, how much do you pay in premiums?”
For the first time I saw that Paxton had an old physical CerA interface implanted in his wrist, because he began to fiddle with it.
Damn, he is a poor ass mother fucker, I thought.
“No need playing with yourself,” I said, interrupting him stroking his interface. “I have the figures already.”
“So then why’d you ask?”
Instead of answering him, I said, “Do you know any Corrupters?”
He shook his head. “Yeah right, it’s not like people go around bragging about that shit.”
“Some do.”
“Not anyone I’ve come across.”
“Do you know where to go if you wanted an alteration done?”
Paxton got to his feet and circled around to the back of the steel chair. “It’s a nifty little trick you got going with this room.”
“Excuse me,” I said.
“The constant rotation. Making it difficult to track the direction we’re going in. I can’t physically tell myself, but I know what’s going on.”
“Really?” I asked. “How so?”
Paxton told me how he’d come to his discovery, how just a minute ago, when he had appeared to be getting the figures of his premium debts on his CerA, he’d noticed that he was temporarily cut off from the aether. When he then attempted to determine the direction we were heading in, using the built in compass of his CerA, he realized that something was off and came to the conclusion that the room was rotating.
The boy had some brains after all. Needed some training, but nothing I couldn’t fix.
I was impressed. Not once in the history of the pip had anyone ever had the gall to stand up from that chair without being commanded to do so, and as far as I knew, no one had ever discovered the room rotation.
“I got some notions, but nothing solid,” Paxton said, answering my question about getting an alteration done.
I positioned my chair back into the reclining position and placed my hands behind my head. “Let’s hear them then.”
He shook his head. “Not until I have your word that you’re actually going to help me.”
“My CerA and Mnemosyne distinctly recalls you saying, and I quote, ‘I’ll do anything you want.’”
“Yeah, well, I recall you saying not to be so hasty with such a decision.”
I smiled. “That’s not exactly what I said. Are your bitches not working properly?”
“Ha ha, you’re pretty funny. I had no idea you were a comedian as well as a plumber.”
I beckoned him to sit back down. “Do you want my help or not?”
“Yeah, but if you turn me over to the cops, you’re just signing my death warrant. You might as well just kill me.”
“I’m not going to kill you. And I’m not turning you over to anyone. So sit down and relax.”
“Then what was that shit back in the bar about arresting me? And what the hell is this thing doing
“Exactly!” The sudden exclamation caused more of a jolt in Paxton than the previous attempts. “First rule of reaping, don’t ever assume. Suspect, but don’t assume. Now, let’s get down to business.”
Finished with my game and to put Paxton at a little more ease, I took off the gauntlets and put them away. “I suspect you’re not a Corrupter, but I’d hate to assume and be proven wrong later on. So, are you? A Corrupter, that is, just so we’re absolutely clear”
Anticipating that Paxton would blurt out a programmed ‘no’ response, I held up my hand. “Before you answer, I highly recommend you be forthright, because by the time we’re done, I will know, one way, or another.”
“No, I ain’t no Corrupter,” Paxton replied, and I detected a note of pride in the way he said it. “I ain’t a hacker, and I can’t even pay my normal debts, how the fuck would I be able to pay for a procedure of that magnitude?”
“You’d be surprised how many people become Corrupters because they’re in over their heads in debt. You said you had a family, how much do you pay in premiums?”
For the first time I saw that Paxton had an old physical CerA interface implanted in his wrist, because he began to fiddle with it.
Damn, he is a poor ass mother fucker, I thought.
“No need playing with yourself,” I said, interrupting him stroking his interface. “I have the figures already.”
“So then why’d you ask?”
Instead of answering him, I said, “Do you know any Corrupters?”
He shook his head. “Yeah right, it’s not like people go around bragging about that shit.”
“Some do.”
“Not anyone I’ve come across.”
“Do you know where to go if you wanted an alteration done?”
Paxton got to his feet and circled around to the back of the steel chair. “It’s a nifty little trick you got going with this room.”
“Excuse me,” I said.
“The constant rotation. Making it difficult to track the direction we’re going in. I can’t physically tell myself, but I know what’s going on.”
“Really?” I asked. “How so?”
Paxton told me how he’d come to his discovery, how just a minute ago, when he had appeared to be getting the figures of his premium debts on his CerA, he’d noticed that he was temporarily cut off from the aether. When he then attempted to determine the direction we were heading in, using the built in compass of his CerA, he realized that something was off and came to the conclusion that the room was rotating.
The boy had some brains after all. Needed some training, but nothing I couldn’t fix.
I was impressed. Not once in the history of the pip had anyone ever had the gall to stand up from that chair without being commanded to do so, and as far as I knew, no one had ever discovered the room rotation.
“I got some notions, but nothing solid,” Paxton said, answering my question about getting an alteration done.
I positioned my chair back into the reclining position and placed my hands behind my head. “Let’s hear them then.”
He shook his head. “Not until I have your word that you’re actually going to help me.”
“My CerA and Mnemosyne distinctly recalls you saying, and I quote, ‘I’ll do anything you want.’”
“Yeah, well, I recall you saying not to be so hasty with such a decision.”
I smiled. “That’s not exactly what I said. Are your bitches not working properly?”
“Ha ha, you’re pretty funny. I had no idea you were a comedian as well as a plumber.”
I beckoned him to sit back down. “Do you want my help or not?”
“Yeah, but if you turn me over to the cops, you’re just signing my death warrant. You might as well just kill me.”
“I’m not going to kill you. And I’m not turning you over to anyone. So sit down and relax.”
“Then what was that shit back in the bar about arresting me? And what the hell is this thing doing
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