Chapter 654: Test Drive (1/2)
Darsi returned to the HiveHive after dropping off the linked storage drives with trustworthy allies that would go through everything and then give them a detailed report. Initially, the thought process of the Bottom Feeders was to study it themselves. However, it had been Dex who wondered if the drive were a trap of some sort.
”Is this really your first time?” Darsi smiled sexily into the pillow.
”You know it is.” He pushed down harder, making Darsi sigh happily.
”The hell are you two doing up there?” Thumper popped her head into the loft area, fully expecting to find the two of them in a compromising position. But, instead, both were fully clothed while Dex massaged Darsi's shoulders. ”Oh... never mind then.”
Dex frowned when Thumper went back down the stairs and started rummaging through his kitchen. ”Can I ask you a question, Darsi?”
The blond nodded while covering a yawn. ”Yep... Don't stop with my backrub, though. Those drives were really heavy; I may have strained myself.”
Dex rolled his eyes, although quite slim, her shoulders and arms were well muscled. ”Why is it Fucking Da Vinci, and not Da Vinci?”
Darsi's lazy smile widened when she peeked over her shoulder at him. ”All hackers everywhere have agreed that it's always Fucking Da Vinci. We're a petty group that gets pissed when someone one-ups us.”
”You polled all hackers? Impressive work... No one asked me.”
”I'm sure it was when you were under house arrest.” Darsi pointed to her shoulders and sunk her head back onto the pillow.
Dex paused the massage when his HUD buzzed; a moment later, Nova's pretty face popped up in front of him. ”Hey... Move down to the 5th floor yet?”
Nova nodded in reply. ”You busy, Dex?”
”Yes, he is. We're doing some partner bonding.” Darsi's muffled answer came from the comfort of Dex's pillow.
Dex shook his head in denial. ”Not really. What's going on?”
”That hacker friend of yours, Kenji? He disappeared.”
”Kenji?” Dex frowned at the mention of the familiar name. Kendal was colluding with Gladis Corp. ”Did he Casper?”
Darsi popped her head up long enough to comment. ”Maybe he got nabbed by Yuli's people. We did take them for six mil before you left his calling card.”
Nova forced a smile and continued. Quicksilver made it her habit to intrude whenever she tried to talk to Dex. ”Nabbed in broad daylight, black SUV, no plates.”
Dex whistled but couldn't find enough sympathy to feel bad. His friend Saul hadn't deserved what he got either. ”Thanks for passing it on.”
”No problem. Visit me later? I'm going to start a long dive in the morning.”
”Sure. How long?”
”Maybe a month or so.”
”Big money, I bet... Cya later.” Dex waved and shut off the HUD. Infiltrator work seemed boring to him, although admittedly, he didn't know much about it.
Darsi sat up slowly, smiling lazily at the young hacker. ”Looks like we have all the components we need to build the T-6.”
Dex smiled at the mention of the project. He'd been keeping tabs on the ordered parts, so he was aware that they could finally get started. ”We building it in the nest?”
Darsi stood up and stretched her arms overhead. She considered the question while tieing her hair up in a ponytail. The next was the central common area of the Bottom Feeders. When the Hive had been a missile silo, it was the launching platform back in the day. ”Yeah. Seems like the best place.”
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”Looks like an old distributor cap from the classic combustion engines.” Dex had placed seven sets NTIs (Neural Transfer Interface) on the floor next to him. As with the Tandem jumper, he spliced the 12-Line NTIs from the Brandish pods into 6-Line NTIs for the T-6. That meant that each jumper would be utilizing seven lines. The overload would be used by Syntax to create an encrypted communication and feedback loop.