flowers and thorns

- 3 -

Two weeks have now passed since I almost ran into my pursuer, and nothing else has happened. On the one hand this is good, because they don't have any solid clues about me, but on the other hand it is also bad, because I haven't found any further information. Not on the internet, not on the Darknet, not on police files. It's surprisingly easy to get a uniform and get into the archives. At least for me. But nonetheless, floating in the void increasingly worries me. How could they find me? How did they know I was at the club when they have no information about my appearance?
Of course, the obvious solution would be to get me another identity. In hindsight, I shouldn't have been revealing my nickname everywhere either. But that would be too easy. Running away is for cowards, and if there's one thing I got from my father, it's pride.
»Seriously now, how are we supposed to remember all this? That's way too much material for one exam.«, Ruby grumbles from the side opposite me. We're in the university library and we both have the thick DSM-5 books in front of us.
I shift my gaze to her, away from the window. Somehow, I've managed to fall into my thoughts again. But with my memory gift, I worry less about the school stuff, more about my own life. »Well, I guess we don't have a choice.«
All I hear is an annoyed groan before she puts her head back between her sides. For the past week, at least, she's been quiet about the Tyrone thing.
I need to get some help. I need someone tech-savvy, someone who can get me access beyond the darknet. I may know a bit about hacking myself - however, that relates specifically to the electronic devices of my world. I haven't had a chance to get to know the ones on this one well enough.
After all, it's not exactly conceivable that I just walk into a company and let myself be taken to the computer genius. I can do a lot, but I can't be too conspicuous. There's no way to kidnap and force someone. It's just not my thing. I don't want to be one of the bad guys, I certainly don't want to be the monster that my world sees, and apparently soon this world in me, if I'm not watching.
I have to find them. What happens next, I don't know yet, but I have to find them. Of course, a trap would also be a reasonable option. I could just run them into my net. But then I would have to disappear, and the more they, all of them, know about me, the worse my chances are of living on undiscovered for a long time.
As I stare out the window for a few more minutes, it is a sunny, warm autumn day, a smile creeps on my face. I have a plan.

The next morning, I'm on my way to the biggest tech company in town. Portland Company is one of the world's largest and most research-intensive companies in the field of mobile life and technology, from computers to cars to astonishingly advanced wristwatches. I'm sure I'll find the person I need right here.
Once again, I straightaway the blazer and pull together the smooth blond ponytail that doesn't even reach up to my shoulder. I miss my original appearance. For too long I've been living in the body I've made up for this world. Maybe it's time for me to be myself for one night. But first we'll see how good my acting is. I totter in a pencil skirt and on black high heels in the tall glass building. A few glances are thrown at me, others are hectically trying to be on time.
I'm surprised I haven't come up with this glorious idea before. Of course, it's going to take a lot of time and most of all it's going to be mentally stressful, but it's going to be necessary and it's going to be a huge advantage for me.
With the dribbling laptop clamped under my arm, I hurry to the reception. Fortunately for me, there is a middle-aged man there who immediately gives me his full attention. »What can I do for you?«
»Please forgive me for barging in at such a hectic hour, but just as I was about to finish a very important project this morning.. Oh God, it took me almost two months of work! Just then, well, I got a glass over it. It doesn't work anymore, the USB-stick on which I stored everything was connected to it and it's not even registered anymore. Please, please, tell me you can help me! That's-«
»Calm down, please, lady. We have a couple of specialists here who know about that sort of thing. Provided, of course, and I'm sorry to hold it against you like this; you pay for it.«, he smiles at me pityingly before typing something on his computer. Due to the volume in the hall, I can barely understand a word he is saying to me.
»Oh, that's no problem, really. I, I am so grateful that you can help me. Others have told me it's impossible. I've already checked three shops this morning, but they all turned me down. And this is my job we're talking about! How fortunate that I came to you.«, I say as desperately as I can, and apparently it works. After the man gives me a few more cheering words, I'm escorted by a staff member to the elevator, which takes me two floors down to the IT department. Why this is in the basement I don't know, but I'm guessing they want to better protect their sanctuaries from possible attack.
»Miss Sallow will be right with you. Please take a seat until then.«, the man in the suit points to a couple of empty chairs right next to the elevator. After I sit down on it with my unfortunately actually destroyed laptop, it disappears in the elevator.
One drawback to being a god, by the way, is a code of honor. We mustn't lie. Never. And when we do, we're the ones who have to prove ourselves for a very long time and are looked at askance from then on. And when I say a very long time, that's what I mean. After all, we are almost immortal, with a few exceptions, of course. Anyways, no one wants to be humiliated like that. To my chagrin, I don't think that was anywhere near a significant reason for my parents' condescending nature towards me. Be that as it may; I also forbid myself to lie. It's that pesky pride thing again. Accordingly, I was forced to drag my psychology homework onto my USB stick and destroy both. The good thing is the gods are still allowed not to always tell the complete truth. So, it was easy for me to hide my second USB stick, which is safe at home. And from that point of view, it's also about my job, after all, it's what people aspire to after graduation, isn't it? And so far it's been my plan to do the same.
There's a blonde coming around the corner. She wears a rather tight-fitting, modern, light blue dress and wears oval-shaped glasses, which in my opinion is not quite as suitable for her actually beautiful face. She looks young, can't be much older than me – or at least the person I pretend to be. Admittedly, this may be considered a lie somewhere – but strictly speaking, no one asks me if I really am, so I don't see it as a lie, but as a detour described earlier.
»What's the problem?« Her voice sounds friendly, but her up-to-the-fly smile shows me that she is absolutely not happy with helping any clumsy ladies with their problem.
»You must be Miss Sallow, good morning.« I'm politely holding my hand out, and she shakes for a moment. Then she suggests to me to follow her until we arrive in a small office. The walls are white, just a few pictures having anything to do with wireless networks or microchips are hanging on the wall. It looks bald.
I secretly lock the door behind me and put the key in, just to be on the safe side. She doesn't seem to be getting it, but that's no wonder, because I've been catching the sound waves of the act. Slowly I sit opposite her and push the wet laptop towards her. Her pity shoots her right in the eye, not for me, but for the good technical thing. Fortunately, it's even a Portland Company model. I wonder if they'd let me in, would it be made by another firm.
»Let me guess, there is something really important on it, isn't it?«, she raises her eyebrow reproachfully and takes my laptop in her hands. »I can't do anything until it's dry. Put it into a bag with rice and come here later. Or not at all, because usually it is not my job to repair things.«
Then I guess I'll have to get to the point sooner than I originally hoped. It doesn't take me even a second to stop the camera in the room by a short circuit. Yes, I have refined Zeus' gift. »It's a good thing I'm not really here for that – so yes, but I'll get the thing repaired myself.« I'm confident of getting up and going to her. Her computer's on, perfect.
She swallows quietly, but inconspicuously. She pretends to be deeply relaxed, but I feel the adrenaline inside her that I'm causing to pour out. »Then why did you come? Do you have another problem, with your mobile phone perhaps?«
»That'd be nice.«, I'll stand next to her and take a look through the room. Several awards on the wall make me grin. It's going really well. »Four times in a row, employee of the month. Either you sleep with your boss, or you're really good.« My gaze lowers to her eyes, penetrating. »I hope for the latter.«
Surprisingly, Miss Sallow suddenly pulls out a gun. It must have been hidden under the desk. Oh, no, I know exactly where this is going. And I really wanted to avoid the big panic. »Leave now, or I'll shoot!« she is more or less self-confident. The gun in her hand is shaking, which doesn't stop her from pointing it at my chest. Internally, I'm already preparing to catch the sound one more time. It's always interesting to see how sensitive humans are to supernatural, as they call it, creatures. It starts with a quiet premonition and finally turns into a panic rush of adrenaline. »Listen, Miss. I don't want to hurt you, really. But if you shoot, you just get yourself-«
The gun is sounding. The loud bang is so shielded right now. She looks terrified of herself. I'm sighing. The bullet bounces off me and falls to the ground. It feels like nothing more than being flicked by someone. »Fear.«
While she looks back and forth, stunned, between me, the gun, and the bullet on the floor, I sit down on her desk next to the computer and let my legs dangle. »But-.. But that's-.. That's impossible.« Eyes wide, she looks at me. Three more shots. They all bounce off. No one outside the room gets anything. She looks even more incredulously at the door, which is locked, and registers that no one is coming, and she's not getting out. Her blue eyes narrowed to slits that originated somewhere between fear, confusion maybe a little anger. »What have you done to them?« She puts the gun down, but has her hands closed around it so tightly that her knuckles stand out white.
»Nothing. I'm not a monster. I'm just shielding the sound waves.«
She's swallowing, obviously a little louder this time. She doesn't believe I'm not a monster. I can't say if she doesn't trust me about her colleagues either.
»Listen to me, Miss Sallow. It's very simple. You're going to help me with something you're going to pull on that USB-stick«, I'm throwing her an unlabelled, inconspicuous stick, my third USB stick and made on Earth 15, working here as well after me manipulating it a little, »I'll pay you, make everything look like nothing happened, and the two of us are even. You walk out of this room healthy and squeal, and if you don't tell anyone about it, nothing bad will happen to your son. Have we understood each other?« I look deep into her eyes as she's finally thrown out of the way. It is the truth that nothing will happen to her son if she does what I want – at least nothing she could blame me for. Right now, I'm thankful that people so often have pictures of their families standing around at work.
That I wouldn't hurt her son or her either if she didn't consent makes this a half-truth. The plan continues down a path of success, as she now nods slowly and inserts the blank flash drive, whose name I've changed to an X so she can't find any tracks. »What should I do?«
»Oh, it's really very simple. I want you to hack into the FBI, CIA, and any other government collection programs of personal data on the world and load it onto the flash drive.«
She looks up at me in disbelief. »I-I'm supposed to what, please?«
»Think of your son.«
»B-but you can't. No hundreds of USB sticks have that much storage.«
»Miss, just do it. Trust me, I just need this one. And don't forget that I'm particularly interested in DNA, fingerprints, and criminal records.«

The following week, I can't close my eyes at night. I took a non-internet-enabled laptop with me when I bought a new one as the Ally as Ruby knows me, and I've been learning everything about all 7. 8 billion people on this planet in every spare minute. It's very convenient to have a photographic memory that you can turn on and off as you like. And if you're a god on top of that, you can be sure it'll stay in there, flawless.
Yeah, I know, it seems weird. I can teleport, regulate sound waves, be bulletproof, change my appearance and have a photographic memory whenever I need it. And there are lots of things more that I am able to do. It has all to do with my gift, which is hard to put into one word, and if I were someone else, I'd probably be afraid of myself, too.