"Dammit." Alice kicked the leather bench in frustration. "We had him - we had the son of a bitch. And now we're running away empty handed, and Lynch has blown up another three cities."

"It wasn't for nothing Alice. Dimitri convinced a higher-up in Tokyo while we were hacking away - reports say a couple hundred thousand got clear of the blast."

"Out of fifty million! It's a rounding error Robert. And now our only hope of getting a second shot at shutting him down is working with that cyborg psycho bitch."

"Alice!" Robert whispered fiercely, "Keep your voice down. It's a small plane."

"So what if she hears? We lost Robert. We built a fucking engine for armageddon and handed Lynch the keys. If Weizza wants to kill me, she can do it. Maybe I deserve it."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation.

"What do you want?" Alice spat.

The door opened. Oliver poked his head in. "The Lady Weizza requests your presence for tea."

"We don't want tea." Alice replied bluntly.

Oliver recoiled as if struck. "Please madame," he pleaded, "I do not wish to displease her."

"C'mon Alice, what's the harm? We're not accomplishing anything raking over our failures. Let's go see what she has to say."

Oliver looked hopefully at Alice, trembling like a kicked puppy.

"Fine. Lead on."

Oliver beamed and escorted them back to the conference table in the main cabin. Weizza sipped tea and stared into the middle distance. She did not look up when they arrived. Ba Kuang sat next to her, cleaning his pistol.

"Sit," she proclaimed.

Robert took a chair. Alice stared at Weizza for a moment then shrugged and sat down.

"I am reviewing today's events. You should hear them for yourselves. This was broadcast moments ago."

A display telescoped up from one end of the table to play the video. Lynch's torso filled the screen.

"Greetings. My name is Aden Lynch. I am the man responsible for the destruction of your cities.

"I know it has been a trying few days. Many of us have lost friends and family, homes and cultural landmarks. It has not been easy for any of us, least of all for me.

"I take no pleasure in this destruction, but it is a necessary step. Our world has been sinking, slowly but surely, into the swamp. The twin specters of corruption and consumerism have led us to a culture of decay.

"Our world is dying, and we are too ambivalent to save it or plan for our escape. We are drowning in a river of our own effluent, and not a man is trying to shut off the tap. Until today.

"I hereby declare myself Earth's sovereign, effective immediately. I give each government 48 hours to recognize my rule. Those that join me will share in a new age of prosperity. Any that do not will be swiftly ground to dirt.

"If you wish to curry favor with the new administration, you may help me in a man hunt. Anyone who brings me Alice Yang or Robert Angstrom will be rewarded handsomely. I will accept them dead or alive."

Headshots of Alice and Robert filled the screen.

"I bid you farewell, my citizens."

The screen clicked off and dropped back into the table.

"Where did this run?" Alice asked.

"Everywhere," Weizza responded. "All platforms, all languages. You are now world famous. This complicates matters. The Hungarians do not know who you are, but they will figure it out. I need to get us airborne before that happens. The question I need to answer is where we should fly.

"I inspected the damage Robert inflicted on the Petbe communications board. While the core module is intact, one of the support chips is not. Without it, the board will not function. To reconnect to Petbe, we must find or make that chip. I do not know where to look. So tell me Alice, are you still useful to me?"

Alice thought to the knife still in her pocket. The table was wide enough the lunge would be awkward. And Ba Kuang already had a gun in his hands.

Robert broke the silence. "I know someone. Runs a prototyping fab in Oregon. He could make the part, if you have the schematic."

Weizza looked to Robert, as if noticing him for the first time. "And this man, would he turn you in to Lynch?"

"Probably," Robert admitted, "but he doesn't need to know its me. He's been taking under the table contracts for years; he's not picky about his customers. You'll need to meet his price though."

"That will not be a problem. Good. Robert, you will continue to enjoy my protection. What about you Alice?" Weizza stared severely at her.

"You don't intimidate me Weizza. I know more about Petbe than anyone alive. Anyone you have access to anyway. You need my expertise. Let's cut the crap and get out of here."

Weizza smiled. "I like you Alice." Her gaze unfocused and eyes darted rapidly. "It is the general. He is mobilizing troops to the airport. We must act."

Weizza and Ba Kuang brought a pair of white suitcases to the exit door and flung it open. A pair of police officers chatted not far from the craft.

"Greetings gentleman," Weizza declared, opening a hatch on the first case. A swarm of small gliders spilled out, catching their attention. They looked up as the bullets took them between the eyes.

Ba Kuang worked the second case, releasing more of the robotic spiders. They scurried off in the direction of the gate, disappearing into the darkness. Moments later the night lit up with flashes of light and the sounds of explosions.

Weizza resealed the plane hatch. "The enemy is engaged. Prepare for takeoff."