TEN

"Fascinating," Talia said, strutting her digital self around Jakob's home. The room in which the crew now stood was an odd blend of high-tech equipment and low-tech living. The man seemed only to care about function, letting form fall far by the wayside.

"Fascinating?" Jakob asked, already pulling out the various tools he would need for Eden's procedure. "You're the fascinating one." He looked to Kane. "Is she sentient?"

Talia's projection blinked momentarily, skipping and arriving right in Jakob's face.

"Yes, she is."

"Amazing. I would like to compliment you on your sophistication, but I fear I have already dug myself into too deep of a hole." He waved a calming hand. "Apologies."

"Keep climbing," Talia said with a smile. "Our friendship may yet be salvaged."

"I'm happy to hear that. Mister Fox here says you can run some key systems on his ship."

Jack was examining the various tools and devices in the room, curious as a cat. He looked up from the task only briefly. "It's just Jack," he said. "I'm no Mister."

"Very well," Jakob said, turning back to Talia. "Tell me, how do you get past the conn encryption. From what I understand—"

Arissa cleared her throat, then motioned to Eden.

"Maybe we host the technology expo after we save this girl's life?"

Eden raised nodded. "I second that motion."

"Right. Eden, would you mind taking a seat here?" Jakob patted an office chair, and once the girl took a seat in it, he spun it around and pressed one finger on the nape of her neck. "Now just hold it there." He grabbed an x-ray scanner-magnifier and peeked on the situation. After a second, he said, "No need to worry about this. But, might I suggest a little more concern about the front door? As in, could we get a few people on lookout duty? Just in case the owners arrive a day early."

"Owners?" Jack asked.

"The moment I found out Arissa was on-planet, I broke in to this little safe house. You didn't actually think I would invite the most advanced neural tracker on the market into my home, did you?" Jakob almost seemed insulted. Jack had thought exactly that, and suddenly felt stupid for it. His response was a lie.

"Of course that's not what I thought."

Jakob waited a minute for someone to take the initiative on guard duty.

"Well? I'd volunteer," he said. "but I'm kind of needed in here."

"We got it," Kane said, moving to the exit. "Talia can jack into the city's surveillance systems. If someone shows up, we'll be gone by they do."

"Very good," Jakob said. He pointed at a framed photo on one of the shelves. "There's a family photo. Maybe take that with you, so you know what you're looking for."

Talia and Kane followed his advice, then stepped outside. Jakob let out a sigh.

"Ok, good. Mister Eye gave me the creeps. Does he ever smile?"

"I'm sure he would," Jack said. "If you manage to dig that thing out of our girl's skull."

"Speaking of digging," Eden said. "Is there any chance of this whole process putting me in the grave?"

From his place behind Eden, Jakob shrugged as if he was about to say, "maybe." A look from Arissa caused him to adjust his answer. "Oh, no. You'll be fine."

"That doesn't sound very reassuring," Eden said, and Arissa stepped close.

"Eden, I know the idea is unnerving, but Jakob is incredible at what he does. That's why we're here. He's the best in the galaxy."

Jakob shook his head. "Oh, I wouldn't—"

"Don't be modest, Jakob." Arissa mixed a threatening look into her smile. Jakob got the hint.

"No, of course not. Thank you for the compliment. Shall we?"

Eden nodded in agreement, and Jakob guided her over to the couch.

"Ok. Just lay face down right here, dear."

"God dammit," Eden said.

"What?"

Jack perked up. "She doesn't like pet names. Just go with 'Eden' from now on."

Eden was already doing her best to get comfortable on the couch. "It's not that. I just pictured a hospital bed, or something sterile."

"Don't we all?" Jakob said, grabbing the first of many instruments. "Hold still, relax, and get ready for the pleasant feeling of a high-end nerve sleeper." Jakob held up the tool, pressed it into the nape of her neck, and a blue glow illuminated the nerves beneath Eden's skin."

"Wow," Eden said. "Completely numb."

"I told you it was pleasant." Jakob smiled.

"I'm also paralyzed."

Jakob shrugged. "Ups and downs. Here we go."

Jack looked away for the majority of the procedure. For all the blood, gore, and violence he had seen, tiny cuts and slices made his skin crawl. He would take a bullet over a scalpel any day. He hid his revulsion by feigning a renewed interest in Jakob's home, or whoever's it was.

"Will this leave a scar?" Eden asked, her voice half muffled by the couch cushions. Jakob looked to Arissa, searching for the correct answer. He seemed completely clueless as far as bedside manner went. Arissa quietly shook her head, and Jakob echoed the meaning.

"No."

"Ok," Eden said. "That's a yes. Great."

"You'll just have to wear your hair down," Jakob smiled but failed to get a rise out of Eden.

Once a laser-clean incision had been cut into Eden's neck, Jakob took out his scanner to confirm the location of the tracker. He watched via x-ray as the smooth, ovular device twitched, then changed shape, extending jagged limbs, embedding itself deeper into Eden's tissue.

"Ouch. Could you take it easy back there?"

"I'm afraid I can't take credit for that one. The device seems to have detected my tampering."

"Can you still get it out?"

Jakob glanced at Arissa again. She sternly nodded.

"Yes," he said. "Easily." He watched through the X-ray scanner as he inserted an extractor. As soon as he used the tool to grab a hold of the tracker, it dug deeper into Eden's muscle tissue. She flinched again.

"Doc!"

"I'm… actually not officially a doctor."

Jack chuckled at the blunder. Arissa buried her face in her hands. Jakob waved Jack over.

"Mister Fox, would you mind assisting me for a moment?"

Jack reluctantly moved towards the procedure, trying not to look. Jakob was frozen in place. He spoke softly. "If I release my grip, this will only get worse. Do you see that power cell over there? Could you grab it?"

Jack did, and Jakob silently nodded towards his extractor, telling Jack to touch the power terminals to the tool. Jack gave a horrified look. Even he knew that the voltage carried in those power cells could fry a human brain.

"Don't worry," Jakob said. "The device will absorb most of the shock. I'm counting on it."

"Wait, shock? What sho—"

Jack completed the circuit, sending a flash through the room and forcing a yell out of Eden. Before the girl could rip into the boys for the pain they had just caused her, Jakob spoke up.

"There. I knew it. Tracker motor skills were disabled by the surge. Removal should be easy, now." He delicately grasped the device with his extractor's pincers, and pulled it from the girl. Studying the tiny object, he said with relief, "my girl, you are officially free of your shackles."

The happy moment was cut short as the device soon started to buzz. The sound grew in volume and frequency until it sharply cut out.

"Oh dear," Jakob said.

"What?" Jack asked.

"Would you like to know the bad or worst first?"

"Ease us into it."

Jakob nodded. "Unfortunately, the device just wiped all stored information from its drive. I'm afraid we won't be solving any mysteries today."

"And?"

"And it used the heat energy from the wiping process to transmit a high-powered pulse. Before we tampered with it, anyone looking for the tracker could find it. Now they don't even have to be looking."

"Then it's time to leave," Arissa said.

"Yes," Jakob was already packing his things. "It's time to leave."

"So," Eden said, not getting up. "How long until I can move again?"