From: Leonie Winson <leo@reactant.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Story: Cats Eyes
Date: Sun, 29 Oct 1995 20:52:08 GMT

Hi

Here is a short story I have just finished writing.  I hope you enjoy 
reading it.  I would be grateful for any advice or comments yo have.
Contact me at leo@rectant.demon.co.uk

----------------

Raymond had been sitting at the bar when the women came in.  His gaze fixed 
firmly on the concoction in front of him.  He had just finished a 
simple search and retrieve job for one of his regular clients; nothing 
really complicated but nowadays anything wore down his resistance.  The 
continual mix of synthetic drugs and the bombardment he had taken from 
various security systems while on the matrix of Cyberspace was beginning to 
take its toll.  After the mess-up on his last big job it was not 
surprising that half his reflexes where fried and his nerves where 
stretched to paranoia level.  

He had not seen the women come in but his second sense, what was left of it, 
had picked up her presence as she neared the bar.  He didn't look up 
immediately as her shadow fell over him.  He had been expecting it for 
months, not her in particular, but someone like her.


"I've been expecting you" he stated with a nonchalance  he was quite proud 
of.  Now she had arrived he was almost relieved. 


The woman in front of him was incredibly beautiful.   Her body encased in 
reinforced leather that would no doubt withstand most conventional 
weaponry, while distracting any prospective attacker with the evocative 
form underneath.   However, it was her eyes that caught his attention.  
They were an incredible shade of green, cats eyes piercing him with a 
feline intelligence devoid of any human emotion.  He wondered idly if they 
were the real thing or just contacts.  Nowadays the real implants were 
not that expensive if you knew where to go. 

So this was how he was going to die.   He remained silent looking into her 
emotionless gaze.   As she had yet to speak he had no idea what her 
feelings were on the subject, not that he kidded himself that his death 
would worry her over much.  The silence began to get to him.  

"Well, what now.   Can I finish my drink or is this it?"  He had gone into a 
kind of numb state where he could no longer feel the terror that he was 
sure was lurking underneath.  

"A little paranoid aren't you although with your reputation I supposed you 
have to be."  Raymond remained silent, he felt as if his life 
was hanging by a thread.  They were sitting in a crowed bar but he had 
no illusions that any of his fellow patrons wouldmove a muscle to help 
him.

"I have a job that needs a little extra technical assistance.  You weren't 
my first choice but you have a reasonable reputation so I suppose you 
will have to do."  Her words came as a shock.  Raymond stared at her 
blankly. The woman's voice was cold with just a hint of distaste, but 
Raymond allowed himself a small sigh of relief at least she was talking to 
him now.  Assassins did not normally stop for an idle chat first.   Her
voice became terse at his lack of reaction.  "We can't talk here"

Suddenly the whole room shifted and he found himself seated in a luxurious 
suite. She was good he had to admit that.  He could feel the curtains of 
Cyberspace closing around him.  Even in his hey day he wasn't sure he 
could have linked with someone else's implants so quickly, transporting 
them both into the matrix before he realised what was happening.


He looked again at the women in front of him.  Her name was Lithe he didn't 
know how he knew, he just knew.  Lithe sat relaxed in a chair opposite 
him her expression one of mild amusement.  Raymond was still in a state 
of shock.  


"I need you to retrieve a little information for me.  Nothing too 
complicated I wouldn't want to stretch your skills too much."  Raymond 
was impressed that she managed to show  only a small trace of sarcasm.

"Where's your equipment?"  He almost winced at the eagerness in his voice.  
He hadn't even found out how much money she was offering it seemed 
unimportant when his life was in the balance.

"I have placed the console in your hand.  If you concentrate you should be 
able to feel it."   Raymond felt the metallic object in his hand and 
cursed himself for reacting like an amateur.  In reality they were 
still in the bar.  If anyone noticed anything strange about their 
behaviour no one would take any notice.  They would only vaguely wonder why 
such an exotic looking women as Lithe , was associating with a has been
like him.

Lithe quoted a sum that was more than generous taking his agreement for
granted.  Not that he could blame her. He nodded curtly.   Now he knew this 
was business he felt on more solid ground.   He relaxed his mind 
allowing the familiar paths to stretch out in front of him.   He should 
be in and out of the main matrix within a matter of minutes with enough 
money to pay off his current bill at the CyberPort and a flight out of here. 
 Some of the major factions on the CyberPort had recently  advised him to 
vacate  the premises as soon as possible, preferably on a one way 
ticket.


He was finished in a matter of minutes.   As Lithe had promised it had been 
a simple job.  He had only a moment to wonder with her skill why she 
could not have done it herself.  As he began to phase back he froze, he 
found himself back in the bar.  Lithe stood over him smiling coldly.

Once again he was trapped by her feline eyes. He saw his own torment 
reflected there. In a world of technology the laws of nature still applied, 
only the fittest survived.  She stalked like a cat, playing with her 
prey, until finally bored she went in for the kill!

--------

Until next time

Leonie

-- 
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| L J Winson    EMail leo@reactant.demon.co.uk                              
|Now Open URL at:  http://webzone1.co.uk/www/reactant 
|Reactive Writing.
|You don't have to write alone!
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