A dozen or two missile launches later, the trap Nicole set finally showed itself working. First the mine launcher and a countermeasure dropper on the Camara stopped working, then one of the turrets fell off and, finally, engine array plasma torches choked and coughed several times, switching off. Few more missile launches later, Camara finally stopped. Surprisingly, the vessel hull still held together nicely, showing nothing but dents and scratches. Nicole could only wonder what is the hull plating made of, but not like it really mattered now. With gunnery and all three engines inactive, the Camara could be easily towed away. Several minutes after Camara was disabled an Interloper gunship arrived at the scene and dropped a boarding party. Five Lane Hacker Assassins jumped out of its dock and started process of boarding the ship. Once they cut through the hull they thrown plasma shock grenades and swiftly disappeared inside. Several hours later John started to regain consciousness. First thing he felt was a smell of flowers. Then he started to see colors - multiple different colors. It took a while for him to process the image - a green clearing full of flowers everywhere around him - and a faint voice...
- Are you awake?
- Ever seen plasma grenades exploding? They are full of colors and sounds. I think I even heard a violin.
Surprisingly, young man flexed lazily and turned to another side. He did not look hurt or scared, most possibly not yet catching up with the situation. A distant voice became more clear as it appeared to belong to a women in a black evening dress standing next to John. She had a holo-tablet in her hand that showed multiple readings. She turned to John and a light deflected by a beautiful diamond collie blinded him for a second.
- Your pulse is rising, your blood pressure is stable. You will feel better in a moment.
- Hell no. In a moment I will feel like I almost missed a date and then arrived in a torn and burnt clothes.
He sighed, trying to find a more comfortable position. Yet another slightly weird thing followed, his pulse did not stop at 60 or 70, nor at 120, jumping to somewhere around 200-ish. It looked like there was something wrong with young man's vitals as the pulse jumped to 240, with stun grenade explosion after-effects starting to swiftly disappear on holo-tablet readings, before returning to 200-ish few minutes later.
- This is not exactly fair, you know, or was I expected to dress up properly prior to the fight?
The women tapped her holo-tablet several times. John's torn space suit was instantly replaced by a black smoking.
- I promised you a date, John. Lane Hackers do not break their promises. Though the circumstances might not be the ones you expected.
- Just wondering, this is not some kind of illusion, is it? Looks way too pretty, you know. - Would you prefer something less pretty?
She tapped her tablet again and suddenly the sunny clearing disappeared replaced by a grim interrogation cell with a steel table, straps and a lamp.
- I don't think so.
The dark room then faded away and John's found himself sitting in front of Nicole at the table in one of the most famous restaurants on Manhattan, The Golden Alley. A number of patrons were sitting around the restaurant and a slight jazz-like performance was heard from the stage.
- That's slightly disappointing. Could at least have used your ties to get us on some real resort planet. So you are planning to feed me imaginary food, too? I doubt I am to be objecting too much, though, right? This is still better than no date.
- John, you are really bad at this. You should always start a first date from a compliment not yammer. For instance you should compliment how brilliantly obvious yet irresistible was the trap I set for you. Wine maybe?
He starred at the offered wine suspiciously, even sniffed it secretly, checking how real it was and then starred at Nicole again.
- A compliment... Well, you have eyes and most probably a necklace, though I am not entirely sure. So this is how you do dates?
- Cabernet Sauvignon 816', not really the finest quality. The good thing about a direct hypno-tainment band interface is that when it comes to taste it modulates inflicted experience to resemble the one stored in your memory. So if I you remember a taste of one from 810' crops, it will taste like that one from your memories.
Nicole took a bottle and poured wine to her glass.
- So I can imagine literally anything? That's nice. Though I am wondering what I will be drinking for real.
Young man chuckled, finding it slightly amusing, and picked up the glass. Looks like he was not exactly familiar with hypno-tainment bands.
- For real you will not be drinking anything. Though in strict mode simulation the multi-injector on the chair on which you are lying can put any substance from the available array in your bloodstream. Right now we are trying to stabilize your pulse. I don't want you to die yet and we still did not figure out what is making your pulse so high.
- Right, what? Why don't you stop messing with the heart-rate-whatsoever, please? I might be ruining the mood a bit, but what are you trying to do, again?
He shrugged and sipped the wine. This simple action resulted in another short spike of heart rate.
- Tastes like... Hell, I am not even sure what does it taste like.
- What I am trying to do? I am having a conversation with you. Let me ask you a question...
***
- Why did you even come?
She sipped from the glass of wine. She took the tablet afterwards and withdrew all administered substances.
- Because, why not? I mean, what would you even do, kill me? I did not have anything better planned and I ran after every skirt, so...
- Do you know what is your mistake?
John's heart rate spiked again and once more stabilized at 200. Somehow, it did not affect the young man too much, other than him looking slightly blushed. It almost driven Nicole unsure about what vital range are normal for her guest.
- Impress me. Being born?
- Overconfidence. For years you have been defying every possible authority, whether it was Liberty Rogue warlord or Liberty Navy admiral. While being mostly harmless you earned yourself a reputation of almost impossible to kill nuisance. People should be aware that it's as fake as illusion of safety Mr Cody enjoyed for years. In other words you earned yourself a fate to be an example.
- Of all the examples, you picked up... err... How do I say that. What do you expect the possible effect for viewers to be?
He put on a curious face and decided to eat a napkin for experiment, just for the fun of taking a knife and fork to cut it properly.
- It's classic message of power. On Rogue level of sophistication it is just a simple "do not mess with us". For more intelligent individuals it is a reminder that should we choose to nobody is safe from us no matter what technique or precautions he takes.
- Do you know...
He gulped, swallowing a napkin piece and going silent for few seconds to check the effects.
- ...what is your mistake?
- Please entertain me.
She sipped wine once more and put it away listening carefully.
- Your napkins taste all the same with your wine. That's clearly a mistake. But not the only one.
He grinned and ate up what was left of the illusion of paper.
- You grew to like and overrate me. The power demonstrations are done on something worth demonstrating said power on. For most of the less intelligent individuals I am but a minor annoyance. Most intelligent are simply ignoring the fact of my existence. I do not even possess a valuable equipment to become a robbery of the week. So what do you think the viewers reaction will be, if anyone will even bother to check?
- They will know that women are vengeful. Regardless, the target audience of this show will definitely appreciate the outcome. I do like you, John, but I killed people I liked before. And I haven't decided yet whether death or humiliation will make a better effect. What do you think?
- No idea, really. I honestly think neither will work, but do impress me with your plan. Might as well tell me who is that audience?
- Oh, you are so silly, John. Of course the audience are the Lane Hackers. How you could miss that?
- So, wait a moment. You caught me to please no one but the Lane Hackers themselves?
- Indeed, and to remind certain individuals to think twice before they move to back-stab me. But still you have not answered my question. What will work better, your death or utter humiliation? Or maybe there is a different solution? Impress me with your intellect, John.
***
Young man starred at her, still looking a bit surprised, then he sighed and expressed disappointment.
- Honestly, I expected more of you. Just to prevent your men from backstabbing you? If that is a show for Lane Hackers why would I even care?
- Your brave attempts at showing how you don't care whether you will live or not neither convince nor impress me. You also fail to understand that I am not here to entertain you, but it is rather the other way round. And I just satisfied my vanity by gloating over your capture and triumphing over you. If you cannot say anything interesting it is time for you to go to sleep...
- Look, you just said, you have "your men, potentially backstabbing you" kind of a problem. I am clearly not here to lecture you, lovely, but how do you think filming that pretty show solves it? And what are my reasons to help you make me an example?
He starred at Nicole around again, not looking as scared as he possibly should.
- Besides, do you think I never was at this kind of situation before?
It seemed like he calmed down after hearing Nicole's threats.
- What can I say John? You have mistaken the sky with its reflection on a lake surface. It already happened. I do not need your cooperation. Nobody will see the logs from this interrogation. It's over.
- Have your fun then, lovely? We'll continue our talk after you start to feel yourself entertained enough?
He crossed his hands, waiting for whatever was to happen next. Either there was something more to it, or he had no self-preservation instinct at all. Nicole laughed gently, took her tablet and prepared a doping dose to be injected.
- Maybe. But not today. Goodbye John.
- Oh, can I have some imaginary food or maybe nice music while you are at it?
Nicole tapped her tablet and suddenly disappeared without a word after her hypno-tainment band was disconnected. While sedatives were building up in his bloodstream John was feeling more and more dizzy. The sedatives had to build up a triple dose before finally knocking him down despite his enhancements. When he had woken up over 16 hours later he was sitting in his cockpit. Camara scanners reported location near a lane somewhere in New York system. A CNN drone was flying outside a cockpit glass. The first thing young man did was taping something on the console and making the armor plates move and cover the cockpit glass and all of the portholes. Next he checked the cargo bay and scanned his own ship to assess if everything that should be there was on its place and what should not be there wasn't. Upon inspection John found a closed envelope. When he opened it he found a note with a communication frequency and five words. The note slowly changed color and then finally burned in a reaction with oxygen. John quickly copied the memorized frequency.
