Project Cypher

*V2 (CH 1) - Chapter 24 - Bookstore

11:00, 07-16-01, Suburbs

The bookstore is largely empty at this early hour with the computer café full to the brim with the usual customers and the skipping summer school students. At a forgotten counter sits a gray-haired woman in black sneakers, jeans, and a black tee-shirt that reads, "You touch it, you buy it." Which was the unspoken rule of the bookstore, if you read any book or comic more than five minutes, it's yours. And pity the fool who tried to not comply with the unspoken iron fist rule. After the first two incidents involving painful and most embarrassing body pins on the floor, the customers swiftly learned and spread the unspoken rule of the store amongst the community and the new customers.

Below the counter is a cute teddy bear in a butler suit playing a random shooting RPG game. Mr. Wilkins cackles evilly as he PPK's noobs and anyone within range. #017 yawns tiredly after last night's last-minute cleanup. #017's black sneaker shoe soles rustle against the floor before she reaches into the bright red colored chip bag for another handful of cheese flavored chips. The minutes trickle by as she chews and swallows until her licks the last crumb out of her hand.

The somewhat germaphobe that she was, #017 reaches under the counter and grabs a hand wipe to clean her hand with. Finished, #017 reaches under the counter and unwraps a candy bar. Without hesitation, she begins to eat the candy bar. Mr. Wilkins without glancing up from his game, disapprovingly retorts, "That's pure sugar!"

#017 talks through a mouth full of chocolate. "Yeah, but it may the last one I'll ever eat, Mr. Wilkins," she mumbled back. Mr. Wilkins sighs but relents in the face of his girls pleading puppy dog eyes. "So, how did the piggy backing go?" #017 asked as they wait to be picked up.

Mr. Wilkins proudly puffs out his chest. "Easy-peasy, I'm much more superior than any banking system. I just transferred the illegal funds out and turned them into coins, before transferring to an untraceable account and depositing them into a Swiss account and safely setting up payment to be transferred to our chosen charities," Mr. Wilkins said as #017 hides her smile at the pause. "Though I might have had a bit of trouble with a hacker, not to worry, I ensured that his systems won't work for a very long time," Mr. Wilkins cackled darkly to himself.

#017 reaches down and playfully tugs on the teddy bears ear in response. Mr. Wilkins ears twitch unhappily before #017 let's go. #017 returns to her bag of chips as the door twinkles. #017 glances over as her face grows stiff at seeing the beauty sashaying in expensive heels and dress. The woman pauses dramatically before the counter before removing her sunglasses and stylishly flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Hello, Victoria, how are you?" The woman purred happily.

#017 stiffly replies, "Hello, Giselle. I see that you're still alive. It's a shame really, I was under the impression you were dead."

Giselle flutters her eyelashes playfully and says, "You know me, I have more than nine lives." #017 eyebrows go up in speculative reply as Giselle continues, "Anyhow, I love what you've done for yourself. You're a billionaire who lives in a small home and runs a bookstore for fun. If you don't want the money, I want it, because I can assure you it will be put to better use."

#017 stuffs a chip into her mouth and doesn't reply. #017 munches noisily to the vast aggravation of Giselle. "Fine. As I was saying, I am here on official business. The organization would like for Victoria Starr to join the Black Woods Academy, but more specifically as a cover to protect a single objective, a young seventeen-year-old Esper known as Albert Cross," Giselle dramatically said.

#017 purposefully stuffs another handful of chips into her mouth as Giselle's face darkens with irritation. Giselle takes a deep breath to steady herself, before saying, "We are pleading with you, Victoria. Your father, Atlas for all his terrible actions, truly did his best to protect the world from harm. If wasn't for him, the entire world's governments would have fallen during the mass panic and humanity would have fallen into God knows whose hands. And believe me, when I say this, not all members of the alternative evolutionary groups bear us goodwill."