Trent huffed at that. "Priests aren't coded."
"I still need some verification that you are who you claim to be," she insisted.
"You really want me to strip in the lobby?" he joked, pulling at the collar of his shirt to reveal a few lines of scarred flesh on his back. It looked like those lines had been burned onto him. "You know what that is as well as everyone."
The woman relaxed, making it clear she did. "OutLink changed the uniforms?"
He chuckled. "Something like that. You think it's easy to keep your data from getting jacked walking around town with a blue popsicle?"
"You had problems?" She sounded a little too unconcerned.
"A little one. Just decided to take the long way around. Now, if you're satisfied?" His lifted brow made it clear he was tired of waiting.
The woman made a noise, and Trent's hand returned to Rissa's arm, leading her after the retreating footsteps. They went up another set of stairs and along a carpeted hallway before turning right. She knew it was the network access point before any of them spoke. Rissa could hear the hum of the electronics, and this place was familiar. A little too familiar.
"Ingénue?" the executive said. "If you'd like to step inside for the connection, your handler can wait here."
"No," Trent said. "Rules changed. The Ingénue is not allowed out of my sight."
"I see." The woman made another sound in the back of her throat, then spoke to someone else. "Turn those monitors."
While everyone scrambled to make sure nothing confidential was visible, Rissa stepped inside and knelt, pleased to find a soft cushion for her knees. The problem was how to expose her ports. Thankfully, the man beside her wasn't Sin. Rissa wasn't sure she could've handled him seeing her like this.
Taking a long, deep breath, she pushed back the hood and pulled what little hair she had left to the side. That exposed the different ports on her neck with minimal exposure. What came next was never pleasant. Even worse, Trent would be watching. Rissa tried to steel herself for the pain, but it only made her more nervous.
The technicians didn't even ask. A warm hand simply grabbed the base of her skull and slid the probe inside. She reminded herself to breathe normally, not to react, and it almost worked. She only stiffened at the invasion slightly. Returning to a relaxed pose, she closed her eyes and accepted the network's request. Her fingers rested against her knees, and her chin dropped to her chest, trying to hide her shame from the people she knew were watching.
Then it hit. The system in City Hall was much more advanced than most, and it ripped the data from her mind. Rissa clenched her jaw, her fingers digging into her own flesh. She was able to hold it, but only for a few seconds. Before she was even halfway through the download, the cold searing of her nerves became too much. She arched her back away from the port, seeking to evade that which was a part of her now. Clenching her teeth was her only defense against the scream that wanted out.
It didn't silence the sound though, only muffled it. Her eyes flew open, and she pressed her hands to her face, desperate to hide the tears welling in her eyes. Sucking in another long deep breath, she silenced herself, but she couldn't make her body relax. She couldn't stop the pain until the data was out. Pressing at her mind, she pushed at the link, forcing it to move as fast as possible, but it only increased the pain.
"Ingénue," a deep voice said. Then Trent's hands wrapped around hers.
"She's fine," the woman snapped. "They all do this."
"You doyourjob," Trent growled back, "and I'll domine. Ingénue?"
She nodded. Unfortunately, she couldn't do anything else. Her body was too fixated on trying to flee. Only her will stopped it, but Trent never let go of her hands, his fingers twining in hers.
"Seventy-three percent," she breathed, hoping to reassure him.
"Fuck," he whispered. "Hope you people pay through the nose for this shit, because she is."
The executive sighed. "She's a walking bot. This is probably the best thing she does all day."
"How sad is that," Trent agreed. "Where are we at, girl?"
"Eighty-two," Rissa mumbled.
His support helped. It didn't make it hurt less, but it made her feel less alone. The anger in his voice gave her justification for her own emotions even as the data cut at every one of her nerves. She blinked, feeling tears on her cheek, and took a long shuddering breath before pushing at the connection again. Her only comfort was the tiny packet hidden deep in the front of her mind. If they were so willing to hack at her brain, then she'd return the favor by hacking their precious illegal data.
At just over ninety percent, her body gave in to the pain. When she would have collapsed, Trent's hands held her, giving her stability. She looked up into his face, trying to memorize it, hoping to keep her thoughts distracted from the ice that had begun to run down to her legs. Just as the shards reached her knees, it stopped. Rissa gasped, collapsing into Trent's arms.
"The transfer is complete," she whispered.
"Unhook her," Trent demanded.
"Let me make sure," the woman said.
