Chapter 90

"So, how's it going down there?"

Panam asked the first question and we heard it as soon as we were on the shore and took off our masks. It was a good thing that the shore in this place was gentle and we could just step out onto it. So we did not have to make any additional efforts.

"It's fine there..."

I shrugged.

"Is that okay? That's it? That's all you have to say?"

Kiwi decided to take part in the conversation, by the way, the girls left Vic and Misty alone for a while, but judging by what I saw from the shore, it went almost unnoticed by them, because during our absence Misty had managed to move to Vic's lap and now she closed her eyes and rocked on them, while Vic, putting his chin on her shoulder, stroked her tummy.

"No, not all of it... I have a lot to say about the synchronization system for recording the brans and the emotions and memories that came over Judy when we were downstairs... it's an incredible experience to hear someone talk about the town they grew up in, and to hear children's laughter, to feel the echoes of emotion..."

I shook my head.

"Also."

I looked around defiantly and, ostensibly convinced that no one was listening, continued a half-tone lower.

"I saw Judy's nursery..."

"What's she like?"

Lucy joined in the conversation too, and Becca looked at me with interest.

"She's girly..."

Judy lowered her gaze into the sand, while the other girls looked at me in shock. There was disbelief in their gazes, but from Judy, since we were still dressed, I could feel the embarrassment. Just a sea of embarrassment.

"You... what do you mean by girl's room?"

Becca also decided to participate in the conversation.

"Wait, you were downstairs..."

The other girls looked at her with shock.

"Well, they swam inside one cabin and also inside the Church, but I stayed outside, I didn't want to interfere with their braynes. And I was always talking to you guys, so you know I tried to stay away from them. So yeah, I wonder what David means by the girls' room, too."

"Yes, I do."

I shrugged and sent the girls a copy of what my optics had captured in the background, which was the moment we were in Judy's room.

"Uh, no..."

Becca shook her head with shock and looked up at Judy.

"It's, uh. unexpected."

Lucy was restrained enough not to spout disbelief at her friend, only shock and a certain amount of confusion.

"This room was made for me by my grandmother and I just didn't want to offend her!"

Judy couldn't stand everyone's attention and decided to start with a very weak excuse, especially in her emotion I sensed shame at having to lie to her family.

"She's lying..."

I give her up, if I may say so. And she shuddered and looked at me like a traitor to her homeland, but I just walked over to her and hugged her from behind. We'd already gotten rid of the scuba gear, so there was nothing to stop me from doing that.

"Uh... Lying?"

Kiwi looks at me in surprise.

"We are still in tune and therefore feel each other's emotions."

I shrugged as if it was a matter of course.

"All emotion?"

"Mostly yes, but only the strongest ones affect us, or the ones she or I focus all our attention on."

"Uh, uh. so that's why you're in there."

Becca nodded at the reservoir.

"...acted weird a couple times. Like they lost their balance and their bearings in space."

"Yeah..."

I nodded and bathed Judy in my love, which made her legs buckle slightly.

"We found out about it and decided to show how much we love each other..."

The girls looked enviously at Judy, whose eyes were slightly unfocused from the new influx of my emotions.

"...and I think I will soon be in sync with each of you and show you how much I love you."

"Uh-huh...

The girls were now looking at Judy thoughtfully.

"I wonder...how much more vivid would sex be in this state?"

Panam asked this question, but it made all the girls think, and even Judy, having recovered a little from my feelings, immediately went back to thinking about the new thought.

"That's something to figure out..."

She grinned.

"I have to, but the next night is my, uh."

Lucy looked adamantly at Judy.

"But it's for the sake of science!"

"And I've waited too long already. enough! I want to be part of this family. I want to have sex with David, I want to get closer to him. if you want me to test this technology during sex, I'll do it myself."

"No..."

Judy shook her head at such a suggestion from Lucy.

"You don't have anything to compare it to yet. You haven't had regular sex with David, so you just can't adequately evaluate the sensations you're going to experience..."

I sighed.

"Don't you think we left Victor and Misty too long? I realize we, uh."

I nodded at Judy, and Becca as if to say who I was counting in this group of "we" that included me.

"We have a trial and everything. but you don't have to leave them alone."

"Come on..."

Kiwi looked at them and waved her hand lightly.

"...the last thing they need right now is our company. Victor got Misty a little tipsy and listened to her cry and complain for a while, first about the injustice of Mama Wells. Then the world itself. afterward she'd tell him what a jerk Jackie was, that he'd cheated on her, though he tried not to show it, but she'd known she'd seen him a couple times with his broads. Naturally she didn't follow him, but she'd meet him a couple times in this town by chance ..."

Kiwi shrugged.

"...it just seems like a big city. Then she moved on to talking about Victor, calling him an idiot and telling him that if he'd been a little more persistent, she'd have been with him a long time ago..."

Okay... Anyway, Vic is swooning over the news, Misty is just enjoying the embrace of a loving man...

"Hmmm..."

I gave the couple another glance around.

"It seems like they will be together after this meeting after all... and that's a good thing."

"Yeah..."

All the girls agreed with me on that.

We walked to the side of the table and reassembled as a group.

"So?"

Victor looked at Judy and me.

"How are the results?"

"Well..."

I shrugged.

"...let Judy talk about it. It's her project and it's the right thing to do, if she wants to talk about it."

Judy gave me a grateful nod.

"The technology is still a bit unfinished, but overall..."

Then Judy told Victor what she was going to do, how we had helped her, and what had happened in the end.

"I mean. you felt each other's emotions?"

"Uh-huh. and we still do, like right now David is bathing me in a sense of pride. He's proud of me and what I've done and that my idea has taken a big step forward.

Judy lowered her gaze to the table.

"And Judy washes me back with my embarrassment."

I smiled.

"Yeah. You could make a lot of money off of emotional bonding chips..."

Vic shook his head, but Judy only waved him away.

"We already have the money. Although you're right, we could make an unrealistic amount of money if we needed it. But as it is. it's a hobby, David's going to modify game pods from the past into training pods..."

"Seriously?"

Victor looked at me in surprise.

"Uh-huh...

I nodded my head.

"...in theory it should not be very complicated. Naturally, the hardware will have to be adjusted a bit over time, but the software will not have to be touched. The sliver already has a lot of information, but it's..."

I snapped my fingers a couple times.

"Impersonalized... you just get knowledge that you have to build up into skills. And if you want to beat these skills to the level of reflexes..."

"That's right..."

Vic nodded his head.

"...And you want to use the capsule as an opportunity to gain real skills?"

"Exactly. Although everything will still have to be worked out and the first variants will be terribly uncomfortable and generally buggy..."

"That's natural. However, the first variants are rarely completely successful and I am more than sure that when you get home and check all the data that you received during the dive you will find a lot of all kinds of mistakes."

"You can't argue with that..."

Judy nodded, agreeing with Vic's words.

"Would it be possible for me to watch this braine?"

Misty was distracted from her meditation deciding to take part in the conversation.

"Of course!"

Judy was glad that Misty had decided to participate in part of the conversation. It was a big improvement, since she'd mostly been dragged into the conversation before. And here...

"Although first the material will have to be processed, cut out all the superfluous, leave everything necessary, intensify some emotions and muted others..."

"And you're gonna do all this on your own?"

"Of course!"

Judy was even slightly offended at such a question from Misty.

"I'm a master of Braindance!"

At that moment, I got a call from an unknown number. It sounded like one of the public telephone exchanges.

"Listening..."

I focused on the conversation away from the conversation with the girls and Vic.

"Marnies, I've got Alvarez, and if you don't pay me."

"You've had it up to here, Parker..."

I shook my head.

"...I'm not such an idiot as to be frightened by your words and forget that Judy is now beside me and ..."

"Did I say anything about Judy?"

"Judy..."

I didn't disconnect from the conversation spoke aloud, but made sure Parker didn't know I'd started talking to Judy.

"...call your grandmother. I'm told some guy named Alvarez is at Parker's house."

"Just a second."

"And who do you have?"

"О... and Judy didn't tell you she had a grandmother? I guess you two aren't as close as you thought!"

You could hear the mockery in Parker's voice.

"So Judy has a grandmother?"

"Yes, and I took her hostage. And I want you to pay me a million eurobucks for her life, and I want Judy back."

I blinked in surprise.

"David, Grandma responded and she's fine. She is at home and no one has come and visited her..."

I nodded to Judy.

"Well, you won't get Judy, but I'm willing to pay if her grandmother's life is at stake."

"You don't get to set the terms..."

"And how do you envision Judy's transfer?"

"You're gonna stun her and deliver her instead of where I say. there should be a money chip next to her."

I sighed.

"You don't have a choice anyway, as she'll hate you either way. Either for not saving her grandmother or for selling her out."

"Okay..."

I tried to make my voice as sad as possible.

"Where do you want Judy and the money delivered?"

"I'll text you the address. And you have to come alone, I've hired good rangers and they'll make sure none of your gang interferes with the transfer..."

"Okay..."

The connection was broken. I didn't threaten her, because it's stupid to threaten someone who has taken a loved one hostage. It would only make him angry.

"Judy the Parker issue must be resolved, she has demanded a million eurobucks from me and you, for your grandmother's life and freedom..."

"But grandma's fine..."

"This time. What about the next time?"

Judy sighed.

"I guess the vacation's over, huh?"

Vic grinned sadly.

"Yeah, uh. I'm sorry, but we have an emergency."

"Nothing..."

Vic looked affectionately at Misty.

"...we'll find a way to end this day together..."

"Uh-huh...