AfterLife™

Chapter 8

Luckily this power plant is in the middle of freaking nowhere. Whoever thought I'd find revenge in the rural village of Somerset, Massachusetts?

My heart is pounding with adrenaline.

Sure, I've deactivated my wristband so that AG can't track me. And I'm smart enough to leave a very illegal duplicate activated at home. That way, it looks like I'm working like a dutiful citizen.

If they find me out here, I'm flicking toast in so many ways. They'll give me an automatic deduction of three points for illegally concealing my whereabouts. That means I lose my job, my apartment, and my access to most venues. Not to mention, I'd take Paul down with me.

Hell, scratch that. AlphaGalaxy would probably turn both of us into Zeros for me spying on a secret corporate facility. Sure, there'd be a show trial.

And then buh-bye.

As long as my dummy wristband shows them I'm slaving away at my work, no problem.

Drones don't regularly patrol the sticks this far away from electric stations where they can refuel. Also the Q6 signal is weak and unreliable, which makes them disoriented. 

My research has shown me the station doesn't have the staff for tight human patrols. AG probably figures a few dozen elite Steeltoes is sufficient security to guard a place no one knows or cares about.

If the security here thinks the crappy signal will affect the Fly, they're wrong. Last night's research has taught me this baby will broadcast in a warzone full of blazing laser fire or during a natural disaster such as a hurricane or volcanic eruption.

It should manage a warehouse.

Hidden on the edge of a dense forest, the former power plant spreads across a site larger than ten football arenas. The main complex looks like a huge twentieth century warehouse with tall, thin stacks and twin cooling towers from the old days.

Once a traditional power station, every square inch is now covered in solar panels with dozens of sun farms surrounding it. Offshore wind farms provide an additional renewable power source, enough to service all the local households and more.

To any casual observer, it looks for all the world like a normal renewable energy plant. Some fancy PR executive probably opened it with some lame statement. "Hooray! At AG we love the environment! Look at us!"

Yeah, I smell bullshit.

It may look responsible, but I pulled Brayton's public accounts. Only one human works there along with a handful of robots and digital assistants.

Yet somehow they barely manage to turn a profit. Even with a small army of Steeltoes guarding the place, that's pushing it.

What do they need all that energy for?

"Well, we're about to find out," I say to the Fly. "Work your magic, buddy."

Before activating the Fly, I've projected a transparent green screen onto my body using my holojector. Most people use this crazy tech to superimpose an attractive avatar on themselves.

Boom, insta-hottie!

With a teensy little adjustment, I'm using it to render myself invisible. No one can tell who's in control of the Fly in case anyone intercepts the footage.

"Take that, ass-hats!"

With the press of a button, the Fly buzzes to life. It darts around like a hummingbird on speed before coming to a rest on my dashboard. After scurrying along the surface, it takes off again.