Callie sighed, flapping her arms, letting them fall to her sides in exhaustion.“What do you want me to ask it?I assume you’re going to threaten me or my mom or Sparx or something?”
Sesi’s eyebrows rose.She hadn’t expected it to be quite this easy, but she would take it.“I was going to pay you.Why?Do you enjoy being threatened?”a lewd twinkle in her eye.Sesi had to restrain herself from squealing with glee when Freckles’s face grew red.
Before Callie could process her feelings, Sesi stood.Her thick arms and wide stance made her appear a lot more menacing than her height would suggest.The plain white tank and TacPants combo also helped.She could probably derail a train with a disapproving look.Callie’s recovering brain did not need the extra stimulation.She looked away, though not before Sesi noticed.
“C’mon Freckles, I’ll take you home.We’ll go over specifics on the way.”
“What about Sparx?”
Sesi looked down at Sparx, still where she left her.“Siku will take care of her.She’s dealt with him before.”
Callie bit at her fingernails, eyes filled with worry.She didn’t really want to leave Sparx, unconscious in a cold, windowless room.Not that she would be able to defend her in this situation.
Sesi inhaled sharply.“It’s okay.I promise you she’s safe here.”It sounded more impatient than soothing and Sesi knew it.“Look, if we wanted to hurt her, we would have.”That still came off a lot less comforting than she had hoped it would.Freckles hadn’t yet blinked.
Sesi fished around in one of the pockets of her TacPants and found a protein bar.She placed it next to Sparx’s head.“For when she wakes up,” she said.
That seemed to have shown sufficient care for Sparx’s well-being that Freckles nodded and moved closer.
“Okay then.Follow me.”Sesi led her to another room.Dirt and filth coated the walls and it smelled of wet boots.“Through here.”She pointed to a wall with a large utility panel.
“What’s in there?”Callie asked.
“The access tunnels.All power, pipes and ports are in these tunnels.”
“And we’re going in there, why?”
“It’s the only way in or out of this place.If you decide to do more work for us beyond asking Model 21 a question, maybe I’ll explain more.”Sesi ducked her head and disappeared into the darkness.
Callie hesitated, but didn’t really have much choice, so she tentatively stepped through the panel.In the darkness, all she could see was Sesi’s torch attached to her belt.Some of the more advanced Optis could adjust for this sort of light level, but Sesi didn’t have one and Callie’s wasn’t the right model.
Sesi placed her hands on her shoulders and guided her away from the hole so she could replace the cover.Her brain struggled to reconcile Sesi’s current gentleness with being kidnapped and it led to some feelings she should definitely not be having right now.
“Stay close to me.It’ll be a few meters yet before we get to the functional emergency lighting.”
Callie followed the torch, swaying with Sesi’s hips.Fuck, Callie, get a hold of yourself.She dug her fingernails into her palms.
Sesi interrupted her thoughts.“We need you to ask Model 21 about a product called Lumijute.”
“The shibari rope they demoed at Binge?Why?”
Sesi sighed.It would be a long story and telling it would make her seem like she was trying to justify her actions.And while she had her reasons for doing what she did, Sesi did not justify her actions to anyone.“How much do you care about the human race?”she asked instead.
“What?”Callie frowned, but no-one could see it in the dark.“Are you a terrorist?Are you trying to break Model 21 free?”Panic rose in her voice.
“Absolutely not,” Sesi reassured her.“I’m just curious.How much do you care?Let's say someone said that you had to have a kid right now to continue the human race.”
“Are you a Natalist?”Callie squinted.
“No.Just answer the question.”
“I’m too old to have kids.”
Sesi’s voice grew an edge “That’s not an answer.”Callie’s heart palpitated.It ate at her that she liked the feeling.
Callie huffed, trying to turn attraction into annoyance.“No.”
“So, you don’t care enough to sacrifice your body.”It was a statement, not a question.
