OVER THE SILVER SKY TO THE WORLD OF NEVER : Part 80 - Man On A Mission.

Ah yes it's the beloved institution of marriage, the first expensive step on the road to your inevitable divorce. What I've done here is taken the "21 rules every marriage should follow" and reduced them down to one. DON'T GET MARRIED. Marriage is very expensive but that's nothing to how much the divorce will cost you. Even an entirely amicable divorce without lawyers costs a huge amount. Marriage is a legally binding contract. The only contract you will ever sign without reading it, unless you're a moron or do everything over the internet. There's no list of terms and conditions appended to that marriage contract either. Sooner or later the small print will bite you on the ass. It's not all bad news for men though. Despite the media myths, on average a divorced man is about 30% better off after a divorce. On average the woman is around 20% worse off. Having gone through a divorce I couldn't believe that either, but the numbers don't lie. And in my own case I suppose I am much better off than I would have been had I remained married. If you leave out the scented candles, scatter cushions and pleasant smells in the bathroom (I'm talking about bath bombs and lotions, get your mind out of the gutter). Another weird statistic is that in the western world if the wife does more than 65% of the house work you are certain to end up divorced. We will now proceed into the nonsense.

(The copyright to this image is the property of Power of Positivity.)

"Now before I activate this wrist device, what do you promise not to do?" Hermes requested.
Jake was in a fully justified sulk. There was no way he could physically beat himself up. Anything he smashed up would be either self repairing or repaired by maintenance droids. He needed to vent. Beating himself up mentally and emotionally wasn't producing the right results. That was the reason he'd been arguing constantly with Hermes. He took a deep calming breath. Thought back to those hours spent with Raven, sitting cross legged contemplating existence.
"I promise not to rip Grundel's head off." He stated sulkily.
"And what else?"
"I will not rip all of his pipes out and strangle him with them, or tear his limbs off one by one."
Hermes still wasn't getting what he desired.
"Come on. You know there's more."
Jake snapped.
"Look I could still kick the crap out of him even after all this. I'm not bound to keep my promises."
"But you will. You're a man of honor. A weirdly self contradictory moral code will keep you in check. As long as there are no loopholes. So what did we decide during our discussion?"
Left hand on his heart and the right one raised, Jake reeled it off in a bored monotone.
"I promise I will not rush in and start my rampage. I will allow Grundel ample opportunity to explain why Pip has gone AWOL. Based on his information I will then formulate my strategy to find Pip and carry out the rest of my mission."
"Well done." Hermes soothed.
"But if I don't like what he says I can still go on my Archer style rampage."
"Of course you can. I'll even let you shit in his mouth."
"Sweet. Let's get on with this. I've got an itch I need to scratch and a boil I need to lance."

The transfer was as unnoticeable as before. Like stepping from one room into another, which was essentially what he'd done. Only he'd needed a bit of a detour. It was a limitation of the wrist device. Why hadn't they given it a name? Dumbass robots. First they had to exit the dome, then reenter as he'd done the first time he'd met Grundel. This did not improve his mood. Delay after delay were wearing away at his resolve not to explode all over the surrounding area in an incandescent rage. He'd been angry before. Never like this though. In the past it had been a deeply suppressed inner turmoil he'd blamed for his brain tumor. His soda can had been vigorously shaken by recent events, it was nearing the time when the tab had to be opened. There was no telling who or what would get drenched. Finally he was in Grundel's office. The machine of flesh looked up at him with horror and surprise.

"Jake? I've been expecting you." Grundel spluttered.
"No you haven't." The pseudo hero retorted. "Pip has got my wrist device. Without that, how the fuck was I supposed to get here?" He stomped towards the desk where Spagthorpe was seated.
His friend and protector spoke.
"Remember what you promised Jake. Let's keep this civil. For now. I'm upset to."
Grundel stood up and stepped back. Keeping the desk and as much distance between him and Jake as possible.
"I misspoke." He wheedled. "I was about to contact you regarding this turn of events, I assure you. Pip does appear to have gone off script somewhat."
"You're telling me. Why do you think that was? She gets a visitor and the same night she incapacitates Hermes and goes all freestyle. Do you think they could be connected in any way?" Sarcasm dripping from every word.
The automaton continued circling his desk to avoid Jake.
"Yes I do believe so. However that visitor as you call them wasn't me I promise. I was aware that information would be passed to Pip regarding certain matters I am not at liberty to reveal." Jake feinted a lunge over the intervening protective barrier. Grundel squeaked. "Even if you were to try to beat it out of me. I know the gist. I don't know the full details. If it was my doing would I have brought her here? I could have told her all she needed to know at Daisy's."
"Makes sense." Hermes added. "He's just as stirred up as you are. Only he's holding it in better."
Jake picked up a chair and smashed it down on the floor. It didn't do any real damage. It made him feel marginally better.
"Balls. Great big hairy balls." He unwound his tightly coiled spring. Picked up the chair and then sat on it. "Sorry Grundel. Not entirely your fault. It's mine. Can you tell me who or what contacted Pip?"
Still pretty jumpy the robot made real took his seat. Leaning back in it as he shuffled it a few more centimeters from danger.
"That's precisely what I was trying to find out when you charged in. Daisy was the one who arranged it. I had no reason to expect anything untoward. I don't think she did either. You see this Jean-Pierre fellow has muddled the timeline. Brought things into play we were unaware of. I have an idea who it might have been. I suspect you won't like it."
On the brink of creating carnage for the last half hour or so Jake didn't care about that.
"Tell me."
Grundel tapped and stroked his screen and keyboard.
"I think it may well have been Angelique. In trying to track down a source I've discovered that it didn't originate from inside the city. It didn't originate from outside the city either. The only entities I know of that would be capable of doing anything like this are those associated with Geochronometric Arrays."
That contradicted a few things he'd been told.
"How is that possible? As I understood it Angelique can't manifest to anyone she isn't bonded with. I know I was nearby, but Pip shouldn't have been able to see or hear her."
"That's true. This wouldn't have been a physical manifestation though. I imagine Angelique was able to use our simulation software." Grundel cleared his throat. "There is one other possibility. It's such a low probability it scarcely needs mentioning. I'm being over pessimistic I'm sure."
"Hit me with it." Jake commanded. Grundel recoiled. "I mean tell me what this highly unlikely possibility is."
"Oh. I see. As I say it's not a strong possibility." The prevarication made Jake raise his eyebrows threateningly. "It could be the Ashenram. They are masters of quantum engineering and biological agents that either kill or subvert the wills of people."
That was one very disturbing remote possibility. He ran it through his head.
"No. Doxy wasn't fully under his sway until recently but she didn't show any signs of it. Pip was very uncommunicative. Not like her at all. I'm not saying we discard the notion. We should still keep it in mind going forward. Besides there'd be traces of whatever would have been used on her. It's possible she was blackmailed or coerced into doing what she did. Again, it doesn't fit. Incidentally do you have any idea why Pip and I aren't affected by that Ashenram cock sucker?"
"No. Daisy is working on that now. Her people originated in The Never. Well they've been there for over fifteen thousand years. Descendants of the first human global civilization that was wiped out by the end of the last ice age. Their science went down a more biological route than we who followed. If anyone can find a counter agent it's Daisy."
Jake thrust his hands deep into his coat pockets. Something cold and metallic brushed his fingers. He pulled it out. Curiously turning the squat tube he'd found in the prison armory what felt like years ago now.
"Any idea what this is?" He tossed it to Grundel who instinctively dodged out of the way before sheepishly picking it up from the floor. He gave it a cursory examination.
"No idea. If you leave it with me I can put it through the full gamut of tests we have available."
The reluctant adventurer considered that briefly.
"I'll take it back thanks. It intrigues me. I'm not even sure I want to find out what it is. It'll most likely be something commonplace and intrinsically useless without several hundred additional parts. Once again, sorry for barging in. I was angry at my own failure to protect Pip. I've been taking it out on you. Back to the hypothesis. We believe Angelique manifested herself to Pip. That she is the source of whatever was used to disable Hermes and I suspect myself. My own limited knowledge of Angelique leads me to the conclusion that she didn't tell Pip to do what she did. It doesn't fit with how she works. I'm sure that Angelique knew what Pip would do with the tool or tools she was given, but she didn't direct her. What do you think Grundel? You to Hermes."
The biot based intelligence answered first.
"It fits. Angelique knows what's going to happen even with the narrative being put out of synch. While she can't intervene directly except in exceptional circumstances she can give little nudges."
"I concur." Grundel added. "We can't say what Angelique said or did. We can speculate for all we're worth... I have an idea." His fingers flashed over the keyboard and virtual screen. "The transition device should have recorded everything it transported down to the last electron. Let me see if I can access the data it will have sent to the servers. That will take some time I'm afraid. I can't risk revealing myself or Pip for that matter."
Grundel rolled the cylindrical thing back to Jake who put it back in his coat pocket.
"I'll head out after her then. I'm thinking she headed to Port Bristol from here. Can't think of anywhere else she might go. Whatever has made her take off it has to be to do with Lady Margaret or Doxy."
Grundel didn't look up. His digits dancing all over the place at an unnerving speed.
"Pip is in good health and hasn't reached Port Bristol yet. Daisy managed to stick a tracer on her. There's been a lull in the fighting. You showing up will only set it off again. Right now they have automated defense systems scanning everywhere."
"Well then I should get after her to warn her. She could get hurt."
"Very unlikely. The systems will recognize her signature. As they'll do yours. Those multiple chain gun turrets would shred you instantly. Anyone near you would be seriously injured at the least. We went ov.. Ah but then we wiped that from your memory." Grundel advised.
"Son of a bitch. So all I can do is wait here then."
"That's not entirely necessary. You can return to your apartment. I will keep you updated on any developments as soon as I know of them."
"No." Jake replied. "I'd have bugger all to do except hang around. I need to be doing something or I'll explode." An idea bubbled up from somewhere. It could be worth a try. "Actually I might go back. Is there any way you can turn one of those simulations into Port Bristol? I've thought of something."
Still glued to his screens Grundel replied immediately.
"It's done. The holographic suite nearest your apartment is now an exact copy of the settlement. Am I permitted to know the nature of your idea?"
Smirking a bit too much as he stood up, Jake couldn't resist.
"No. I'm going to try something I was told was impossible. I keep forgetting that I've been receiving explanations for idiots. I assume they're correct only to discover there are caveats. Like Angelique being unable to manifest to anyone not bonded and these wrist devices only being able to get you into and out of the city. There are work rounds. I think I'll try to fathom this one out myself."
"As you wish. I've called the elevator it will get you back much quicker."
Knowing Pip was safe had eased his mind. Finally doing something that might be constructive had raised his spirits from rock bottom. What niggled was Grundel accepting his refusal without any reaction one way or the other. With one look back to check, no absolutely no reaction whatsoever, Jake stepped into the transparent elevator.
"So what we up to boss?" Hermes asked eagerly.
"I'm hoping to come up with something resembling a plan. I keep forgetting I know one of the foremost experts on cybernetics and robotics."
"Who?" His pal asked.
"You, ya loon. I'm betting there are things you can hack and subvert for us."
"Oh yeah. Thank God for that. For a moment there I was getting jealous."