Page 113 of Tapeworld Induction

“Restrain her, will you?”

“You can’t do this to us!” Talia wrestled as Jewel forcibly sat her down and tied her arms to the chair. “Stop this!”

Jewel raised a hand, threatening to slap her if she didn’t stop moving.

“Release her,” Dylan told them. “She doesn’t know shit.”

Astrid’s eyes lit up. “Oh, is that so, Miss ChainMail?” She turned to Jewel. “Leave us.”

Dylan looked at Talia, wrists ziptied to the chair. Her eyes were wet and red, lips shaped in apology. In response, Dylan gave her what she hoped was a reassuring nod.

The bitch-in-chief leaned against a wall, next to a painting – a New Impressionist rendition of a pastoral scene, with a dark and glassy tower looming in the distance, looking out of place. The Seat of the First Kingdom. A new tower erected in London, rising far higher than the Shard.

Astrid’s eyes darted between her and Talia. Sweat gathered on her forehead. The calm and composure from when Dylan met her in the gallery was gone.

“Did your show not go as you expected?” Dylan fished. “What happened to your volunteer?”

“Oh, Nicholas? He’s fine… He eats meat, you wouldn’t like him. What I want to know is how this happened.” She waved at them. “You two squirrelling into my private event.”

“I told you already. I’m just curious for cool tech. I heard you were going to have some cool shit to show.”

Astrid sighed. “I hate it when people lie to me. The question is what do I do with you now…” She tapped her fingers on one hand, the series of big white-gold rings adorning them dancing. “Oh, I know…” She grabbed a box from a large cupboard. “I could give you a ride on the Sleeper!” There was a glee in her voice that both terrified Dylan and made her want to punch her.

Astrid knelt down, putting her face right next to Dylan’s. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Since you’re so excited about new tech?” A smile to light a fire plastered on her face, her voice sibilant and shrill.

That turned Dylan’s insides. Astrid was disgusting.

Astrid went to the door, opening it a crack and calling out. “Jewel, fetch me another Crypterra Sleeper. I’m taking both of them in.” She shook her head. “And before you say anything, yes, I’ve thought of the implications! Now, you dumb piece of meat!”

Dylan heard Jewel shuffle away, muttering something inaudible. She exchanged a glance with Talia, who was visibly shaken. They’d both seen what happened to Isaak when he was under the influence of the device.

Fear gripped her.

“Did you know my father was interested in the human psyche?” Astrid lifted the helmet out of the plain white cardboard box, and began taking the device out of the foam and plastic packaging. It looked ready to go on sale.

“Why the fuck would I know that?” Dylan shouted. “Just stop. You don’t know who you’re dealing with—”

“Oh, shut up!”

Astrid backhanded her across the face, rings like a knuckle-duster. Dylan’s skin sang in pain.

“I know precisely who you are, Dylan Colt.” There was so much implied in how she spat out her full name. “What your parents did… We have so much to thank them for.”

“Like the agreement between the Revolt and the Tech Kings?” Dylan retorted. “That benefitted you, huh?”

Astrid laughed. “That’s far from the biggest achievement of your merry band of green earthers.” She lifted the Crypterra Sleeper above Talia’s head.

Talia struggled to get out from under her. “Get off me, bitch!”

Dylan jumped up and tried to grab the device. They wrestled for it.

Astrid’s pupils went red as she bared her teeth. The metallic sound of gears and motorised servos came from her arms, and one shove from Astrid slammed Dylan to the floor.

“You’re modded?” All of her years training with the Apocalypse Revolt had taught her that there was little she could do against strength-enhancing bio-mods.

Jewel rushed in at the sound of the commotion. She grabbed Dylan and held her down.

“Fucking VEGANS!” Astrid forced herself onto Talia’s lap, hiking up her black silk dress, and revealing a whole garden tattooed on her legs. Vines and plant leaves were popular among the people of the Apocalypse Revolt. She must have been one herself, just like Dylan’s parents. And somewhere along the way, after the Dark Year, after the compromises made with the technofeudalists, Astrid had lost her belief in the struggle, and joined up with the enemy. Earth traitor.