Free Versim by Curtis Hox

she was still being recruited across the Consortium branches for her interfacing skills. She had a top-notch intellect package, and the EA Intelligence Office had won the contest for Krista Cole. She could have been a specialist like Hark, a repo like Tripp, or any other of the top jobs. She could have been a Sersavant cognohacker and dipped her mind into the boggling science of how the Vs were generated. Krista and Pizer weren’t that different. They had even shared a few drinks once, before she’d become a bleedover inspector and fell among the Spinners.
    Now they were on opposite ends of things. Pizer’s life was dedicated to unleashing the impossible in the rendered Mindworlds, Krista’s to reigning it in when it bled over into reality. But today they both had the same desire: making sure Collides was under their control.
    “You’re involving yourself because you have to,” Pizer said. “You Spinners always have an ulterior motive. I know about yours.”
    Krista paused to consider how much to tell him. The currency that kept order in a world where humans could turn narrative into reality was clandestine intelligence over the technologies that made it happen. The Coles were as deep in the industry as any family, and Hark had mucked things up a few weeks ago and put her most important operation in jeopardy.
    Pizer must have seen the look of annoyance. “Does your brother know about the library in Collides ?”
    “No, of course not.”
    “You should tell him to get out before it’s too late.”
    “Too late?”
    Pizer moved in close. And for the first time, she could see how he’d aged. The anti-senescence treatments usually worked wonders, but Sersavants always aged faster than they should. “It’s bigger than you think. EA has been manipulating him from the beginning for this big show.”
    “EA? I know you’re running Miesha. That means the Voxyprog’s involved. But EA? I would have heard something.”
    “Miesha’s talented, and bold,” he said. “She’s been behind the project from the start. Miesha came up with the idea of snagging Hark for her own reasons, convinced EA to snare him with that silly contract, and then waited years for her plans to come to fruition. She wants Hark for her big plans, and now she’s got him.”
    “That means you’re directly allowing Ervé Wrighter to taint the entire V.”
    “Taint?” He smiled wickedly because he obviously wanted her to know they both considered that a silly concept. “Would it matter to you if it flipped?”
    She knew it wouldn’t matter. They could turn it into a flaming hellhole, so long as her operation was protected. “Not at all.”
    “I didn’t think so. Tell Harken to get out. Ervé will still have his twisted world. The personal vendetta narrative doesn’t have to play. Tell him. Before it’s too late. My gift to you. Miesha will have to accept it.”
    “I will.”
    Two other high-ranking Voxyprog officials walked by. Pizer stiffened.
    “Have you enjoyed your time, Inspector Cole?” he asked, his voice now formal and critical. His eyes roamed everywhere but to Krista.
    “Almost done here.”
    He stood still, while his eyes moved, almost as if they were unconsciously scanning the room. The other officials paused, pretending not to be interested, then continued on their way.
    Krista edged closer to the shrine. “One thing to do.” She brandished the piece of paper, then tossed it as far as she could. It hit the shrine, fell, and landed among the hundreds that had been dropped there today. “I’m done.”
    She grinned.  
    Pizer turned his head, as if he could melt the paper by just looking at it.  
    The soldiers glared. But none of them intervened.  
    “Ballsy,” Pizer said.
    “Shrine prayers are sacrosanct,” she reminded him.
    “No one will remove that request before it’s been scanned and processed. Our host is traditional. She listens to all prayers in the quiet of her dreams. Some she even answers.”
    “I hope