What Happened in Strasbourg

Chapter fifteen: The yacht

The next morning I woke up with my computer lying on the foot of my bed -- with a cleaned screen, no virus, and no "non-approved browser" either. I'd still been upset the night before when I thought about how much money I'd paid, and how little time I'd actually been able to spend on the dark web. But maybe, I thought, I'd learned all I needed to -- Strasbourg had been the location of a chemical weapon attack against the former CEO of Mir-Tek, and Acheron, for some reason, had thought this needed to be covered up. Some reason that I knew, but wouldn't let myself accept.

How could Paul Landry himself have it in him to plan a murder? Weren't psychopaths supposed to be cold, calculating, and detached? Paul Landry was anything but that. He was always grinning, laughing, putting an actor's level of emotion into whatever he said, showing everyone just how dedicated he was to making their lives better. But maybe this wasn't him being down to earth and genuine, like all his customers (including me) had grown to believe. Maybe it was all a performance. But how was I supposed to know? I'd never seen him act any different. I felt like a cruel irrational person when I let myself imagine him as a killer, even an indirect one.

After my mom had exorcised Trench from my computer, the weeks went on almost the same as in the summers that had come before. I spent my days lying in my room, window shopping for antiques and old clothes online, trying to draw in my sketchbook if my numb hands would let me, and teaching my old dog, Ginger, new tricks. Every week Acheron made billions more dollars, surpassing one true government after another, but I was at a loss. What could I possibly do about it? What could I say without falling out of favor with my family and the majority of people in my town? I'd tried to do a little more research on Eryngo, but almost no search results came up. The sites that did exist, constantly showed error messages, or kicked me off after a few seconds like a mechanical bull. Accessory to murder or not, Eryngo had clearly tried to hide any signs of its existence, after defuncting. Or maybe AIMA had been the one to hide them.

. . .

That day was the cloudiest and coldest it had been in weeks, the type of day that only shows up to remind me that there is such a thing as autumn and winter. It had been exactly three weeks since I'd read the report.

I picked up my phone and saw a couple more texts from Ava saying she was bored,and asking if we could hang out soon. I knew she didn't have many people to talk to at home. Like me, she was an only child and her parents were probably working overtime at AIMA, shutting down all online "anti-corporate activity" for good.

If I tried questioning Acheron's strict internet moderation out loud around her, she'd no doubt tell me how justified they were. The words Imogen had said to me back in her flat stuck in my mind. Why do you think this is such a Great Time to be an Acheron apologist?

But it didn't really matter did it? Letting a corporation get in the way of a friendship was the last thing I wanted to do, and it was already happening more than I could've thought. I was scared that if I went out and talked with one of my friends I'd say something I'd regret. I'd make myself seem like somebody ruled only by paranoia and false reports. But I also knew now that I couldn't isolate myself forever.

"I'm free this afternoon," Ava texted.

"I am too."

. . .

A soft mist fell from the sky. The clouds were low and the color of smoke, but there was no thunder. As I made my way towards the part of town where Ava lived I realized just how long it had been since I'd seen Imogen. There was so much I wanted to say that couldn't be safely communicated through texts. I decided on the way to Ava's apartment I'd stop by the pet store where she worked. It didn't close until some time in the middle of the evening, and Ava and I hadn't decided on a definite time, so I was in no hurry and decided to take the long way there.