Free Grey by Jon Armstrong Page A

things?" He laughed, winked toward his ever-present film crew, and then nudged the girl who had become absorbed with a tiny golden robot that lived in her navel. Seemingly annoyed that he hadn't gotten a big laugh, he said, "Hold this, spaceship!" and thrust his glass at her. After glancing at the hole in the Loop wall, he asked, "What were you thinking? First, it's illegal to go into the slubs. They are the enemy. The families are gonna fine us big for this. And second, they're all drugged-up savages down there. It's hell. There's no system, and there's not one good satin."
    Pointing at Gold Visor, I said, "He killed that woman!"
    "He did not!" He stood and stretched his back. "Besides she's one of those stupid bellybutton whores anyway. That's like so old!" Then he turned to the right, held his chin with a hand, as if trying to look philosophical or letting the camera soak up his profile. "What we're doing—and I'm saying this because you don't seem to be catching on—is we're talking about family. And we are a family. I'm the dad; you're the son. It's a natural thing for us to be at odds at times. It's how it goes with fathers and sons." He glanced at the girl. She nodded weakly. "And as I see it, the funny thing is, we're the same in so many ways. I know you don't see it, but I do."
    "Is she really ok?"
    "You used a fuckin' tranquilizer?" he asked the satin.
    "Sir!" Was he replied.
    "There!" said Father. "Anyway, my dad, Alexander Rivers, built RiverGroup—"
    "I've heard this a trillion times," I interrupted.
    "A trillion and one!" he screamed. "Anyway, Dad was a fuckin' genius. He invented the little box; he programmed it so it kept things secret and secure and just right, and soon, everyone had to have one. And low and behold, RiverGroup becomes so big the controlling families have to let us in. We're part of the system: we vote on the rules and kick ass when necessary. We're lard. Hard lard." Shaking his head sadly, he added, "He was so completely super-super smart! Do you even understand what he did?"
    I nodded, because I wanted him to stop. My head and spine were throbbing. "Where's my advisor?"
    "You don't need her! Be a man for once." Squinting, he paused. Then his eyes shot back and forth. "Right!" he said, snapping his fingers, "anyway, Dad invented a way to completely cloak something. You could send it from A and it arrived at B, but in the middle, it was gone. It was vanished. It literally did not exist. Or you could put whatever you needed in the box and no one but you could get it. No one. Ever. Completely and totally secure because until you looked inside, it didn't exist." He laughed. "I think about how crazy genius that was every single day." He waved to Ken and Xavid and asked, "Right? Dad was a super genius?" Ken gave two thumbs up. Xavid nodded vigorously, then pushed up his huge amber glasses. "So, there's money and power, and more money, and more power and then . . . and then came me!" Holding up his arms as if to the gods above, he screamed, "Then came Hiro Bruce Rivers!"
    His arms flopped to his sides. His head fell onto his chest. "I had to come along and fuck it all up. Even before the freeboot shot you, I had done a pretty good job of ruining the whole damn thing." He shook his head. "I'm the biggest idiot in the world!"
    "No, you're not!" said the girl, with her bottom lip sticking far out.
    "Thanks," said Father, coochie-cooing the girl's chin.
    Ken spoke up. "It's a difficult time. Very difficult time."
    "You've done exceptionally!" added Xavid.
    "You guys are too much," he said, exhaling a deep breath. "I wouldn't be here without you two!" He faced me and continued. "So anyway, Dad croaks. We have him cremated, sprinkle his ashes on a bunch of naked high school girls playing volleyball, and I take over. And since that instant—since that exact instant—everything went butt rocket." As an aside, he added, "All you can argue is how fast." Then he laughed at himself. "So, my fabulous,