Psycho-pass Opening 2 Novels & Stories

A few seconds to find that flicker of Sophia. A few seconds to exploit the instability. He pressed his palm flat on the biometric pad. The metal warmed under his skin, and a cold wire slid against the back of his neck. “Maya,” he murmured again, “I’m not letting him take me from you.” Her lips parted, trembling. “Don’t… risk… your… mind…” He smiled weakly. “Too late for that.” Twenty-three seconds. The neural link interface unfolded like a blooming mechanical flower, thin metal petals spreading to reveal the injection node.

First deviation from the pattern. She sets the tray down and she is more agitated than usual, the movements less controlled, and I watch her and I think, something happened. Outside. Something changed and she is reacting to it. She picks up yesterday's water bottle. Turns toward the door. And something falls from her pocket. Small. She does not hear it over the sound of her own movement. She goes. The door closes. I wait. Thirty seconds. Then I cross the room. On the floor near the door is a receipt.

She gripped the chamber’s frame, knuckles white. “This can’t be real,” she whispered. “This cannot be real.” She looked around, breath sharp, panic rising. Why was her chamber open? Who opened it? Was she meant to be in it? Had they already used her? Had she already… changed? A soft beep behind her made her whirl around. One of the screens flickered to life on its own. Lines of text appeared, one at a time. REBIRTH PROTOCOL: PHASE TWO COMMENCED PRIMARY CARRIER STATUS: UNKNOWN

Data streamed across the screen in structured lines—clean, organized, flawless. Too flawless. “There’s no breach,” the assistant said after a moment, scanning the results again. “No external access. No unauthorized entry points. Everything is secure.” Juniper didn’t respond. Her eyes remained fixed on the screen. “Run it again.” The assistant hesitated. “Director, the result won’t change—” “Run it again.” “…Yes.” The system reset. Another scan. Same result. “Still nothing,” the assistant confirmed quietly. Juniper stepped forward.

Especially recent ones. I took a peep from her window, she was nowhere in sight. I quickly but silently went to the keypad and let my watch scan the number buttons. It flashed blue rays on four different buttons. Four numbers. Her passcode. Now I just had to know which number came first. I registered the numbers on the watch and after loading in seconds, it arranged them in their numerical order. I typed them in and her door clicked open. Bull’s eye! This watch had cost a fortune and it finally paid off , I did not regret the millions I spent on it.

My terminal needs to rapidly return to the server hub and analyze the raw surveillance frames to harvest the physical evidence that will fully clear Chika’s name before the pack council. The exact microsecond my boots clear the sector, Chika pulls his personal data pad from his tunic, his eyes locking onto several high-priority media alerts showing his frame standing in close proximity to Ronan Blackwell. The paparazzi spy had captured our profiles from multiple deceptive angles, including a highly manipulated low-light frame that makes it appear as though our lips are locked in an intimate, forbidden kiss.

He leant up against the wall, one foot pushed up against the wall, with his arms folded in discontent. Watching the expensive town car pull up, he checked his watch, two weeks and twenty minutes late, he thought as he saw the passenger door open. It was some big, built guy in a black suit with slicked back black hair. He was a little surprised when he stepped to the back door and opened it.

"How about you come to my hotel room tonight? I’ve booked the penthouse in Gardenia." I try not to say anything I’ll regret, just like when I agreed to make a deal with this Psycho. If I have other choices, I will not even consider asking for his help. However, my options are limited. And giving him what he wants is the price I have to pay for this deal. He can have my body, but from hereon, I will have my freedom. "I understand. I’ll see you tonight," I say before getting inside the car waiting for me.

"You're in no condition to talk about work, let alone go to work." He sounded as serious as he was unyielding. The next second, he took Cheryl's phone and effortlessly unlocked it. He was stunned for a few seconds at first, for he realized her passcode hadn't changed. She was still using his birthday as his passcode. When he first learned that she'd used his birthday as her phone passcode, he'd been surprised. He'd jokingly wondered if she was harboring a secret crush on him, and he remembered she hadn't denied nor admitted to that conjecture.

I check the inbox again and there it is already opened. Subject: Hot—For Your Eyes Only. I don’t need to guess. Gabby warned me that something was coming. I glance around the office to make sure I’m alone before clicking it. Images load onto the screen. All of Damian and Sophia. Kissing. Touching. All over each other. Gabby told me it was staged, and she told me Damian was drugged but I can’t stop the aching thought that hits me like a punch to the chest: That should be me in his arms.