Chapter 11: Arch In My Covenant Part 3
"Hey, Homegirl." Jessica met Valerie with a rough embrace, squeezing leather before they casually strolled outside the game shop.
"How long have you been here?"
"Thirteen minutes and five seconds," said Jessica.
"Hehe. And how many steps have you taken since getting here, weirdo?"
Jessica glanced left then right. "Nobody cares."
"Something relevant. What have you been up to?" Both women started down the aisle, oblivious to every set of eyes and ads against the white polish.
"Besides delivering?"
"You still working at that Tacquera?" Like Jessica, Valerie had an automatic penchant to utter foreign and loan words with their original accent, at least any term with origins in Spanish.
"Tacquizza," Jessica corrected.
"Anything new?"
Her head bobbed to thoughts of her second life: David, Goliath, the cracked algorithm, then the info she received from Ghost Wire. "I did run into a weird guy before coming here," she said.
"Like you weird or get-away-from-me weird?"
"Don't know. He lives in my complex, and I ended up buying his coffee."
"Then you'd better find out what kind of weird."
"Well, I surmised that he's one of those Neo-zareans."
Valerie's glossy lip revealed teeth. "So, he's get-away-from-me weird."
"Eh, labels only work for one thing, and that's the Order of Operations."
"Here's your order of operating, girl: scan 'em, then bag 'em, dump 'em, then you've got the fourth operation: rinse and repeat... or is that five?"
Jessica's cheeks puffed. "I don't wanna know what that means, what kinda nasty shit you do on a Friday night."
"You know what it means!"
"Nope."
"I'll spell it out for you..."
Jessica covered her ears. "Shuffle, Babel!" A violin loop massaged her eardrums, escalating with the arrival mellow drum beat. "Lalalalala!" she recited, as Valerie lurched to grab her wireless earbuds.
"Get them to... and make the... then work it like... see how... on your knees..."
"Ich hšre deine Teufelsrede nicht!" She removed her hands from her ears and caught Valerie staring at the red advertisement. It was the AEF ad from earlier. When the red light faded, Valerie turned around with a sober gaze and mouthed something.
Jessica removed an earbud. "What?"
"I said, what do you think they do once they're in space?"
"Who?"
"The humans who get recruited by that Azarean pieceÑwhatever, the Regime."
Jessica shrugged. "Explore? Build space stations, like on Saturn? I know some of them to go to the Mars colony." She recalled her own suspicions, some of which she confirmed at the tail end of high school. Of course, she wasn't going to tell her friend that a trillion-credit corporation puppeteered the government.
"But they don't all stay within our solar system," Valerie continued.
"And you know this how?"
"Meh, that's just how I imagine it. 'A galaxy awaits.' Nova cluster ain't exactly a galaxy."
"Why so curious all of a sudden?"
"I'm a curious cat, okay? Whatcha listening to?" Valerie grabbed the bud from Jessica's fingers and placed it in her ear:
They both listened to The Verve's Bitter Sweet Symphony.
"Not bad," said Valerie.
Jessica's eye cocked. "Sorry, it's not Androgynous Vision."
"Don't even try and compare any of your old man shit to them!"
Valerie stomped towards the nearby Hotter Topic. On the other side of the window stood a mannequin. Valerie directed Jessica's attention to the modeled shirt. Four feminine figures in leather, posed in black and white.
"They certainly have a look that works," Jessica admitted.
"I know, right?" Valerie pointed to the far left; a thin, blonde-haired individual with hair like knives, a biker hat, and collared vest. "Jamie looks tough but is actually a sweetheart."
"Sure, he looks a bit intimidating."
"How do you know it's a he?"
"I justÑ"
"What do you think about Carol?" Valerie pointed to the next member, a short brunette in a hoodie, stream-like hair flowing beneath taped eyes
"She's got a shy cuteness to her."
"How do you know it's a she?"
Jessica glared. "Principal of association. Shut up!"
Valerie laughed and shrugged. "No one knows!"
"Well, alright then!" She sauntered off.
"Where you going?"
"New Ellipsiderme Skin Crme gets rid of rashes and all transmitted surface infections. Side-effects include mild melting..." Another advertisement accompanied Jessica and Valerie's down the spiral escalators.
"So, what have you been up to?" Jessica resumed.
"I've actually decided to do social working while I work on my... degree."
"Still a Nursing major?"
"Si. Although, I haven't worked like this and done school at the same time, so we'll see how it goes."
"That's cool. I think it's manageable."
"A bitch though, you know?"
"I do know."
Valerie poked her friend's arms. "You going to school now, Jessie?"
"I keep myself busy, Homegirl."
"Uhuh..."
"Ttstststs." A primal noise disabled their conversation on the first floor, as they turned their heads and noticed a pair of passing catcallers. Two dudes in slick jackets, torn jeans, and sunglasses to complement strange, velvet pompadours.
Valerie glared. "You think that's supposed to get you laid or something?"
"It's Azarean for 'Damn girl, let me take you out'," one of them said sardonically.
"It's actually not," said Jessica.
"Well, it should be," said the second catcaller, "because I could experiment with those curves from dusk till dawn."
Jess was paralyzed by the sudden dose of cringe. Valerie thus stepped forward.
"I heard men were caught up in Azarean experiments, but I didn't know they were making fuckboys! Tell your moms I'll see them again soon!"
The first caller jerked back. "What?"
"I'll tell you the dirty details next time you talk with a dick in your mouth, pendejo!"
"Whatever, brah." The two boys walked away, attempting to act casual.
When Valerie turned around. "What?"
"You always go for the moms," Jess giggled.
"'Vas con lo que sirve'. My mom taught me that."
"She must've been pretty cool."
"YeaÑ"
After two rings, Jessica checked her watch, and Valerie checked her phone. "She wants to meet at Tokyo Town," said Jessica, reading the message.
"I see that. Guess that means we're having sushi."
"I'm okay with that."
"Of course, you are!"