Polynya

The water trade, mizu shōbai, is the euphemism used exclusively for the nighttime entertainment business in Japan. This euphemism encompasses everything from hostess bars to cabarets, and while Kodai has businesses that fit under the general mizu shōbai umbrella, his most profitable subcategory is fūzoku, the sex industry. Soaplands, fashion health shops, pink salons, image clubs – sex is a cash cow, and it always will be, which is why Kodai is excited to deal with the competition.

Kodai and Rin now sit on two chairs in front of the holoscreen. The holoscreen broadcasts Tesla’s iNet feed. The humandroid is in the alley outside of N-Cats, walking casually up the street.

“In position, Rin,” she says, her voice coming out of a sleek rectangular speaker over the holoscreen.

Kodai smiles at Rin and returns his gaze to Tesla’s feed.

“Good,” Rin says, clearing his throat. “Stick to the plan.”

Tesla approaches the front door of N-Cats and is stopped by an older man in a black suit.

“Can I help you?” he asks warily.

“I’m here from Walliburton subsidiary, WallRep,” she says, flashing her humandroid ID.

“Subsidiary?” He studies her ID for a moment longer.

“Please, get your manager if you must,” she tells him.

The man fires off a message to the manager of N-Cats, who struts out a minute or so later. The man is in his early thirties and he is dressed in a tacky white suit, a black shirt, and a white tie. He chews on his toothpick for a moment as he looks her over.

“What is this about?” he finally asks, his voice scratchy and harsh.

“Are you the manager?”

“I am.”

“And how many humandroids do you employ?”

“Two – wait, what?”

“Routine maintenance check, WallRep.” Tesla hands the manager her humandroid ID.

“It doesn’t say anything here about WallRep,” he finally says. “Hey!”

Tesla’s right hand chops at the security guard’s throat and she uses her left to coldcock the manager in the face. The manager comes up, nose gushing blood, and by this point, she’s already behind him, dragging him inside the club.

“Who the fuck are you!?” the manager screams, snot and blood flying onto the floor.

She pushes him to his knees and takes a small device about the size of a Tic Tac box out of her pocket and places it against his temple. Once his iNet feed is overridden, she pulls his head back and slams it into the wall.

“Fuck!” Kodai says, punching his fist into his other hand as he watches the live feed. He glances at Rin. He had mixed feelings about allowing the pink salon’s manager to watch this, but he decided to allow it for two reasons: one, he wants Rin to know what he’s capable of; two, he wants Rin to be part of the crime in some way, in case he ever tries to rat him out.

He returns his attention to the holoscreen, watching as Tesla now drags the security guard in, who is still choking from the chop she gave him.

The humandroid tosses him on the ground next to the manager, wipes his iNet feed with her little Tic Tac box, brings her foot back and kicks him hard enough to shatter his jaw.

Rin winces at the sound and Kodai hisses at him, “Speak.”

“Good,” Rin says, his voice wavering, “um, continue forward.”

“Will do, Rin.” Tesla makes her way from the lobby to the main room of the establishment, and as she walks, she quickly unholsters her sidearm.

She stops behind a woman kneeling in front of a porker of a man.

The humandroid sex worker looks up at Tesla and suddenly stops sucking the man’s cock.

“Leave,” the sex worker tells him, pulling away.

“What?”

Tesla fires a shot from her weapon directly into the side of the humandroid’s metal skull.

The topless woman spills left, and as the man tries to pull his pants up to scramble away, Tesla steps over to the humandroid, presses her weapon into the woman’s shoulder and fires, so the bullet passes all the way through her body, shoulder to shoulder, and tears out the other side of her e-skin.

“Humandroids have unique points on their body where they can be neutralized,” Kodai whispers to Rin matter-of-factly. “Simply shooting their head off doesn’t always work.”

“Will … the others fight her?”

“Actually, I don’t know,” Kodai says. “From what I’ve read, humandroid sex workers have their violence governors adjusted, otherwise they may try to defend themselves if someone performs a deviant behavior they deem to be a threat.”

A naked brunette with her hair tied into two pigtails swings at Tesla.

“Does that answer your question? Tell Tesla to neutralize all humandroid targets.”

Rin clears his throat. “Neutralize all targets, Tesla.”

“Will do, Rin,” she says as the brunette comes in for another swing.

Tesla pistol-whips the woman and sends her stumbling backwards. She unloads the rest of her magazine into the nude droid, who keeps coming at her, crawling on the floor and dragging her lower body.

Tesla steps around her, places the bottom of her heel against the back of the woman’s neck and stomps. She stomps again and again, until the humandroid is twitching.