Rising Tomorrow (Roc de Chere Book 1) by Mariana Morgan (essential reading txt) 📕

had been determined by research, genetic mutations only contributed to one’s potential for violence. Upbringing and personal choices could easily override genetics, leading to a rise of true monsters, regardless of how pure and innocent their genes were.

Wagner was such an example. His testosterone levels were probably dangerously elevated, but it had also been proven a long time ago that testosterone only facilitated violence and a lot of other factors played a crucial role. All in all, Wagner was a throwback to a barbaric era when men felt safe abusing women. The power he wielded provided him with protection from any and all consequences.

That left Gonzalez with only two viable choices. Kill the sonofabitch, or play by the psychopath’s rules in order to get close to destroy not only him but also his agenda. Which meant putting Eloise in harm’s way.

‘I’m sorry you found yourself in that situation,’ Gonzalez replied honestly. It wasn’t just the danger he had put Eloise in. Wagner had actually tried to turn it into a show to get under Gonzalez’s skin, maiming Eloise in the process. He couldn’t put his hands directly on Gonzalez, so he had done the next best thing. And he had damn near succeeded.

‘You’re sorry!?’ Eloise shouted in disbelief. ‘You’re sorry? That’s all you have to say? Sorry?’

‘Eloise, there isn’t much more that can be said. What is done is done,’ Rivas interjected. He was half expecting Gonzalez to shut him off, but his CO let him continue. ‘We are after dangerous people. You knew that. You knew what Wagner was capable off. We have told you that.

‘No matter the amount of planning, things do go wrong sometimes, and we often find ourselves needing to improvise. I know you feel absolutely betrayed, and I understand that. But there are millions of Leeches who go through that every day. We will never change the System if we play it safe. We need to make bold choices. Sometimes it means we have to lie, sometimes it means we have to take advantage of what we have, and that includes taking advantage of the people that have what we need. People like you.’

Eloise looked him right in the eye, feeling emptier than ever before. She had woken up feeling irrationally betrayed and used, and now, when they hadn’t even tried to deny it, the despair became frightfully rational. They hadn’t even tried to blame the back luck, or failing equipment or anything else. They just admitted that they had needed to use her, so they did. The happy days designing VRPs in the safety of her own home seemed so far away that a part of her was beginning to doubt whether they had ever happened.

‘And while you are feeling sorry for yourself,’ a sharper voice interjected, making Eloise flinch, for she had never noticed Ingram stepping into the room, ‘do imagine all the Leeches who go through that and worse. In fact, most of them go through it only once. Because the injuries you suffered would have killed you if Rivas hadn’t got you back to the Roc so fast. If you were one of those fate-forsaken Leeches you met in the slums, you would now be mutilated, bleeding out right on Wagner’s dining room floor while the psycho amused himself with you. And while it sucks to be used, you do make a bloody good puppet.’

Rivas stifled a gasp and shot Ingram a shocked look, but Gonzalez only nodded.

‘You might think we drugged you to do what you did, to say what you said, but we didn’t,’ Ingram continued. ‘Yes, we programmed certain responses into you that we decided Wagner needed to hear, but we didn’t have time for any hard conditioning. All you were given was a mild mind-altering agent that made you suggestible. When the time came, you said and did as your subconscious dictated, because you trusted it. And your subconscious trusted us.

‘You can whine and bitch all you want, but at the end of the day you played your role perfectly, and thanks to the wonders of nano-tech you’re back in one piece. So actually, let me take that back, you should stop whining and bitching and be grateful for just how much we do care. You’re not the only one suffering, cupcake.’

There was hardly any anger in Ingram’s voice, but the passion was strong, and Eloise goggled at the other woman as Ingram continued.

‘And you are in a truly unique situation to make a real difference. You are clever as fuck, you have a strong and healthy body that can absorb just about anything thrown at it and you have some damn unique skills. Look at the big picture for just one second, not only at your own spoilt comfort.’

‘You drugged me without my consent. Or knowledge!’ Eloise exploded when Ingram paused to catch her breath. ‘I don’t care if it only messed with me on a subconscious level. You have no idea what it feels like to say something and not know where it is coming from! To hear yourself say words you know will lead to your suffering or death, but there is nothing you can do to stop them!’

‘Actually,’ Ingram retorted, passion now verging on rage, ‘I know perfectly well. Half of the basic training I went though, I had more nano-hells than blood in my system. Hardly a day went by when the control over my body and mind wasn’t ripped away from me.’

Eloise blinked.

‘Why?’ she asked, morbid curiosity temporarily overshadowing her personal drama.

‘Training,’ Ingram replied briefly, hesitant to plunge into her own memories.

‘Why?’ Eloise insisted, her head cocked to the side, the analytical brain of a VR programmer automatically engaged. It was truly astounding how quickly she could calm down the moment she began thinking about something she could turn into VR code.

‘Tell her,’ Gonzalez said, giving Ingram’s arm a reassuring squeeze. ‘Tell her about PX-47 and Q9.’

Someone inhaled sharply and Ingram suspected it might have been her. Q9 had been officially