They moved through frozen people in a massive food court encircled by dozens of high end restaurants and cafes. “I apologize for disappointing you. And though you didn’t get to ask, I’ll gladly carry out the favor.”
“We’ve never met!” Faye moved as she was guided. “I don’t want to sound rude, but I’d never go anywhere stray military androids are roaming around. You keep speaking like we did meet, except you said my bruises would be worse, which would mean you’re speaking about the future.”
“Breathe, child.” Langley led Faye out of the food court and into the mall beyond. They passed the base of brass-railed escalators which led to glass balconies in front of the most expensive of shops on three levels. “Cherish every breath you take as a blessing.”
Faye paused for a moment and ended up behind Langley. She gazed at the quill-like fins emerging from the android’s shoulder blades.
“I do wish I had wings.” Langley wiggled her back and the fins moved almost like small pinions. “I’ll protect you as long as I can. It’s hard to explain how I know, but you need to turn to my teammates for protection, not me. They’re safe today.”
“What type of a team do you work with?” Faye gazed at the crowds of frozen people and furrowed her brow at the piles of people at the end of every escalator. “You said this was a mass hack, right? Do you fight criminals?”
“I’m with Homeland Defense.” Langley trotted up to a frozen woman with a small chihuahua trapped in her arms. She pet the worried dog, which barked at first but soon licked her metal fingers. “Don’t worry, little one. Your master will let you down in a bit.” She turned back to Faye as they resumed walking. “We’re supposed to be here as security for the literature convention upstairs.”
“Should I go home?” Faye wrapped her arms around herself and peered out beyond the crowds to spotless glass doors with brass handles.
“You could leave.” Langley extended a hand toward the distant doorway. “I wouldn’t recommend it because whoever is behind this mass hack might be around, and I’d bet they aren’t friendly. I’m not sure what you’ll choose, but I do know whichever you choose puts you in danger.”
“If I go home, I’d be alone with roving hackers all over.” Faye slouched with her arms around herself. “And if I stay with you, I’ll be front and center as your team searches out these dangerous people.”
Langley nodded. She blurted out a sound but stopped herself from saying anything.
“I’d rather stay with you.” Faye reached out to hold Langley’s hand. “You’re military and your team works for the government.”
“Let’s meet them, then.” Langley led Faye up an escalator and helped her step over the quartet of middle-aged shoppers laying at the top of the device’s third floor exit. “We agreed the convention center fountain would be our rally point if something went wrong.”
“Why would government agents be present at a convention?” Faye squeezed Langley’s hand.
“A literary convention,” Langley said. “Rich people who collect borderline illegal material. Actual information printed on pages, able to be read without risk of someone tapping into your hardware. It’s the most dangerous thing you could possibly possess. We were here at the request of the convention center’s insurance agency. But it turns out someone may have criminal intent.”
The third flood featured an array of glass doors which separated the mall from the convention center. Beyond the clear barriers was a cavernous lobby filled with paralyzed people in suits and fine dresses. Their paths maneuvered around multitudes of wide stairwells built over arches that led off to small rooms for meetings or private displays. A fountain made of many levels stood more than fifty feet tall in the midst of all their frozen activity, and its waters still poured.
“It’s so strange to not hear anything,” Faye said. “The mall and convention center are always noisy. This feels dead.” Her attention drifted as she set eyes on the distant fountain when they crossed through the glass doors.
“You see it, too?” Langley stepped ahead of Faye and puffed her arms out to shield the girl.
A young man in a hooded sweatshirt and baggy pants sat cross-legged at the bottom rim of the fountain. His back was turned to the pair, but his tablet had a moving screen. That in itself was nothing curious, as many devices were left to run without human intervention. His tablet, however, sometimes had the silhouette of fingers across the bottom. His head craned a little to confirm as he patched into what looked like a view from a remote drone.
“Is that one of the hackers?” Faye cupped her hands over her mouth the second she caught the echo of her voice in the cavernous lobby.
The young man burst up and spun around to face the pair. He stuffed the tablet into his loose hoodie pocket and fumbled with both hands longer than it should have taken to put something away.
“Get down!” Langley shoved Faye to the ground and pressed her for a split second to ensure she’d stay on the floor. She twirled around to face the suspect.
The young man’s face was hidden by a cloth bandana and a reflective visor. However, the focus of his aim was clear in his body language as he drew a pistol from his baggy pocket.
***
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