“I’m sure there are more than one morgue in Inglewood. Care to tell me more?” DB asked.
Bunny shook her head. “I don’t know more. It was on me when I died.”
Calling up another window and searched for morgues. Why he was doing this was beyond him. Two hits came up. Grayson's and Inglewood Cemetery Mortuary. He checked their websites. Both conservative and used words like “time of sorrow” and “bereaved”. He would have to call them. Before he did that, he ordered a home delivery of a bottle of Tequila. The good stuff.
He opened yet another window and started a search on the Janus Coin. Only 3 million hits. Frag, he was going to spend hours on research. Janus turned out to be some Roman deity. Two faced and the keeper of gates. DB shook his head. It didn’t sound like something that would be worth the time Bunny was putting into this.
Bunny wandered around the apartment, picking up items and smiled at them. She’d put them back where they were found and move to the next one.
DB frowned. He shifted his view of the world. Bunny looked odd. Most people were a shifting conglomeration of colors or black dead spots if they had cyberwear. Bunny was a solid red color. Fine black cracks were everywhere on her. They ran into her clothes as if they were a part of her. He exhaled in a controlled breath. What the frag was she.
The commlink chimed signaling the package had been delivered. DB went to the door and picked up the box. He went back to the bar and opened it. He poured her a drink and went back to his research on the Janus Coin. There had to be more too it then what she was telling him.
“Bunny, why do you want this coin?” he asked. He watched her carefully. She didn’t seem to be upset or concerned by his question.
“Janus is considered the God of Gateways because he can see both the future and the past.” She seemed almost distracted.
He was going to ask her more, but one of his windows flashed at him. It was a chat from Grayson’s Morgue, asking if he need any help. DB put on his best I’m at my wits end charm.
“Yes, I’m looking to see if there have been any Jane Does brought in to your location.”
The autobot spun for a second and replied, “There are no Jane Does at this time.”
DB groaned and tried again. “Within the last seven days have you gotten any females delivered that looked like this?” He uploaded a picture of Bunny.
The icon spun for several more seconds then said, “Please hold.”
DB would have smiled, but it would spoil the effect he was going for. A smartly dressed man came on the line. “I understand you have a question about one of our clients.”
“You have her? Thank God.” DB looked relieved. “I’ve been looking for my cousin for a week.”
“No, I’m sorry, your cousin is no longer with us.”
“What? Where did she go?” DB asked, his voice rising.
The man looked concerned. “Sir, please she’s be picked up by family, two days ago.”
DB poured it on, “Family? Are you sure? Because we’ve been looking for her.”
“Yes,” he paused while accessing some data. “She was signed for by a Kelan Rogers.”
DB held back his excitement, still playing the part of a grieving family member. “Two days ago? Are you sure?”
“I assure you, our records are quite accurate.” He seemed worried that something might be wrong. “If I can assist you…” He trailed off.
“No, thank you. Kelan is quite a scatterbrain. I’ll try him now.” DB cut the connection before any more questions could be asked.
DB turned to Bunny and asked, “Do you know a Kelan Rogers?” while doing a search on the name.
Bunny seemed to be dazed, as she replied. “Yes, Bunny had a brother named Kelan. They weren’t very close.”
Three hits came up on the Kelan Rogers. A college student going to Seattle Central, a decker who worked odd jobs according to his web site, and a project manager for a construction company. Two chances of being wrong. “Bunny, I need more. Is your brother in college, a decker, or a corporate stooge?"
“I’m sure he’s proudly serving his corporate masters.” She seemed to be wilting before his eyes.
“Frag.” DB studied her. “Do you need to nap? You’re looking pretty…” He trailed off. In the past few hours she’s gone from robust to looking pale.
He looked at her astrally again. She was still red, but the fine black cracks where growing. She was struggling.
“I’m okay, but you’d better hurry.” She answered.
“Okay. I'm gonna need the name Kelan would recognize as yours. I'm assuming he didn't call you Bunny like those of us that knew you"
Bunny took a deep breath and exhales slowly. "You can tell him 'Bulrushes and Laurels' he'll know it's me then."
“I need as much info on Kelan as you can give me. If I'm going to get this coin back from him, I need to build up a dossier on him.”
She shook her head, “I don't know Kelan, I know Bunny...”
DB stood up quickly. The leather backed chair rocked. “I thought you were Bunny. If not who and what are you.”
“I thought you was smarter than that...” Bunny smiled sadly. “I was Bunny, but you killed her. Now I'm without a host.”
“And what was Bunny before you inhabited her?” DB demanded.
“A master of guns, she could shoot an apple off your head blindfolded.”
“Was the original host a willing vessel or you forcibly taking them over? How do I know you won't just use this coin to inhabit me?”
“All magic has a price. Do you fear being powerful? Do you want things just out of your grasp? I can make that happen for you.”
“Of course, I don't fear being powerful. I fear losing myself. Of Losing control.” DB answered. “Yes, you may be able to make that happen, but as you said, all magic has a price. I'm not sure I'm willing to pay your price. Right now, your fee is just the acquisition of the coin. But how much is the next payment?”
She leans in towards you, "I know what you are. Do you think they're going to let you be free? I can help you."
DB sighed. “This may take a bit. How much time do we have?”
“A day, maybe less. I should have come to you sooner, but I thought someone would find me.” Bunny said.
DB spun up his comm unit, and dialed Cypher. “Hey Cypher, I’ve got a rush job for you.”
Cypher’s icon looked him impassively. “Sure, I’ve got some time.”
DB sent him the little bit of data he gathered on Kelan. “I need a dossier on this man.”
Cypher looked thoughtful for a second. “3K and two hours.”
DB glanced at Bunny. "This better be worth the cost." Sent him the payment.
Bunny shook her head. “I don’t know more. It was on me when I died.”
Calling up another window and searched for morgues. Why he was doing this was beyond him. Two hits came up. Grayson's and Inglewood Cemetery Mortuary. He checked their websites. Both conservative and used words like “time of sorrow” and “bereaved”. He would have to call them. Before he did that, he ordered a home delivery of a bottle of Tequila. The good stuff.
He opened yet another window and started a search on the Janus Coin. Only 3 million hits. Frag, he was going to spend hours on research. Janus turned out to be some Roman deity. Two faced and the keeper of gates. DB shook his head. It didn’t sound like something that would be worth the time Bunny was putting into this.
Bunny wandered around the apartment, picking up items and smiled at them. She’d put them back where they were found and move to the next one.
DB frowned. He shifted his view of the world. Bunny looked odd. Most people were a shifting conglomeration of colors or black dead spots if they had cyberwear. Bunny was a solid red color. Fine black cracks were everywhere on her. They ran into her clothes as if they were a part of her. He exhaled in a controlled breath. What the frag was she.
The commlink chimed signaling the package had been delivered. DB went to the door and picked up the box. He went back to the bar and opened it. He poured her a drink and went back to his research on the Janus Coin. There had to be more too it then what she was telling him.
“Bunny, why do you want this coin?” he asked. He watched her carefully. She didn’t seem to be upset or concerned by his question.
“Janus is considered the God of Gateways because he can see both the future and the past.” She seemed almost distracted.
He was going to ask her more, but one of his windows flashed at him. It was a chat from Grayson’s Morgue, asking if he need any help. DB put on his best I’m at my wits end charm.
“Yes, I’m looking to see if there have been any Jane Does brought in to your location.”
The autobot spun for a second and replied, “There are no Jane Does at this time.”
DB groaned and tried again. “Within the last seven days have you gotten any females delivered that looked like this?” He uploaded a picture of Bunny.
The icon spun for several more seconds then said, “Please hold.”
DB would have smiled, but it would spoil the effect he was going for. A smartly dressed man came on the line. “I understand you have a question about one of our clients.”
“You have her? Thank God.” DB looked relieved. “I’ve been looking for my cousin for a week.”
“No, I’m sorry, your cousin is no longer with us.”
“What? Where did she go?” DB asked, his voice rising.
The man looked concerned. “Sir, please she’s be picked up by family, two days ago.”
DB poured it on, “Family? Are you sure? Because we’ve been looking for her.”
“Yes,” he paused while accessing some data. “She was signed for by a Kelan Rogers.”
DB held back his excitement, still playing the part of a grieving family member. “Two days ago? Are you sure?”
“I assure you, our records are quite accurate.” He seemed worried that something might be wrong. “If I can assist you…” He trailed off.
“No, thank you. Kelan is quite a scatterbrain. I’ll try him now.” DB cut the connection before any more questions could be asked.
DB turned to Bunny and asked, “Do you know a Kelan Rogers?” while doing a search on the name.
Bunny seemed to be dazed, as she replied. “Yes, Bunny had a brother named Kelan. They weren’t very close.”
Three hits came up on the Kelan Rogers. A college student going to Seattle Central, a decker who worked odd jobs according to his web site, and a project manager for a construction company. Two chances of being wrong. “Bunny, I need more. Is your brother in college, a decker, or a corporate stooge?"
“I’m sure he’s proudly serving his corporate masters.” She seemed to be wilting before his eyes.
“Frag.” DB studied her. “Do you need to nap? You’re looking pretty…” He trailed off. In the past few hours she’s gone from robust to looking pale.
He looked at her astrally again. She was still red, but the fine black cracks where growing. She was struggling.
“I’m okay, but you’d better hurry.” She answered.
“Okay. I'm gonna need the name Kelan would recognize as yours. I'm assuming he didn't call you Bunny like those of us that knew you"
Bunny took a deep breath and exhales slowly. "You can tell him 'Bulrushes and Laurels' he'll know it's me then."
“I need as much info on Kelan as you can give me. If I'm going to get this coin back from him, I need to build up a dossier on him.”
She shook her head, “I don't know Kelan, I know Bunny...”
DB stood up quickly. The leather backed chair rocked. “I thought you were Bunny. If not who and what are you.”
“I thought you was smarter than that...” Bunny smiled sadly. “I was Bunny, but you killed her. Now I'm without a host.”
“And what was Bunny before you inhabited her?” DB demanded.
“A master of guns, she could shoot an apple off your head blindfolded.”
“Was the original host a willing vessel or you forcibly taking them over? How do I know you won't just use this coin to inhabit me?”
“All magic has a price. Do you fear being powerful? Do you want things just out of your grasp? I can make that happen for you.”
“Of course, I don't fear being powerful. I fear losing myself. Of Losing control.” DB answered. “Yes, you may be able to make that happen, but as you said, all magic has a price. I'm not sure I'm willing to pay your price. Right now, your fee is just the acquisition of the coin. But how much is the next payment?”
She leans in towards you, "I know what you are. Do you think they're going to let you be free? I can help you."
DB sighed. “This may take a bit. How much time do we have?”
“A day, maybe less. I should have come to you sooner, but I thought someone would find me.” Bunny said.
DB spun up his comm unit, and dialed Cypher. “Hey Cypher, I’ve got a rush job for you.”
Cypher’s icon looked him impassively. “Sure, I’ve got some time.”
DB sent him the little bit of data he gathered on Kelan. “I need a dossier on this man.”
Cypher looked thoughtful for a second. “3K and two hours.”
DB glanced at Bunny. "This better be worth the cost." Sent him the payment.
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