Dumbest Girl Alive
I took ten Advils today, I've got bruises on my thighs
Plus I gave away my brain, I'm the dumbest girl alive
I've got lightning in my veins, walk around like Frankenstein
I did science on my face, I'm the dumbest girl alive
“Dumbest Girl Alive” - 100 Gecs
Panam is not one to do something stupid, I kept reminding myself. Most likely, she’s out somewhere creating a plan with Mitch and Carol, or maybe she’s detailing the Thorton. The thoughts were buzzing around in my head like pesky mosquitoes. My merc instincts were in full motion as I swiftly crept along the edges of trailers and tents, Judy fast behind. I kept my right hand over the pistol in my holster, just in case I needed to use it. Before Judy and I left, I had attached a silencer; just in case. Judy was carrying a pistol as well, carefully looking around each corner before we hurried to our next hiding spot. The thing is, I hadn’t any clue where to find Panam. I was unconscious during my arrival to the Technomancer’s camp and hadn’t had a proper chance to fully scope the space out. Thankfully, there was some kind of formulaic layout to the camp; residential tents in one area, the main common area that was mostly empty space, with the merchants and medical tents in another. There were lowkey security outposts surrounding the entire place, too.
I nodded in the direction of the vehicle tents, choosing to remain fixated on the idea that Panam was likely tinkering with her truck, or even adding some tweaks to the Basilisk. We peeked in some of the tents as we crouched by, they were dark and vacant. Dim work lights were peeking out from under the largest tent, the one where the Panzer was likely parked. I quietly approached the entrance and peeked around the corner.
I sighed in relief.
Panam was standing by a workstation while she was typing something into a data pad. She was fully dressed in her usual attire, and it seemed likely she hadn’t even stepped foot in our trailer since we arrived here.
“Pan!” I whispered as I brought myself up from a stealth position.
Judy and I hurried over to Panam as she snapped her glance over to us, slightly frightened by our sudden entrance.
“Jesus Christ V, you nearly made me shit myself.” Panam laughed.
Her smile quickly faded when she saw Judy and my facial expressions.
“...What’s going on?” She inquired.
“We gotta leave, like as soon as possible.” Judy said in a hurried breath.
“Wha-” Panam started to say, but was cut off by Nate strolling on out from behind the Basilisk.
“Leaving so soon?” He asked with a mocking tonality.
He looked at me and smirked, tilting his head to the side with faux confusion. What a fucking prick, I thought.
“Yeah, I think it’s prob’ly best if I try my luck elsewhere. But thanks, ya know, for tryin’, or whatever.” I huffed at him.
Nate’s smirk faded into a scowl as he looked at me, then at Judy, and then at Panam. I reached down for my pistol.
“Wait, V, what’s going on? This is the best deal you’re gonna get, I don’t understand.” Panam asked.
“This fuckin’ asshole should be the one explainin’ this to you. He’s out here electrocuting his own choombas.” Judy snapped, placing her hands on her hips.
Nate furrowed his brows and shook his head, a look of actual confusion on his face. The confusion appeared genuine, I noticed.
“Wait a sec, what’s this about electrocuting?” He asked, his voice pitched higher with worry.
Judy, Panam, and I exchanged a look before I brought my attention back over to Nate. The look of confusion he wore was now one of worry.
“Seriously, I have no clue what you’re talkin’ about right now!” His words almost sounded like a plea.
“Me neither, V, can you fill us in?” Panam inquired, a frustration masking her question.
Judy looked at me as if to say, “just tell them”. I sighed and looked down, realizing Nate most likely hadn’t any clue he was living among people that perform human sacrifices.
“Uh…Nate, you might wanna take a seat for this.” I mumbled.
“Christ, can you just spit it out already? Look, I’m sorry for scaring you guys earlier, I was just following orders! I really was never gonna even hurt you!” Nate’s voice was becoming desperate.
I raised my hand up to hush his blabbering.
“Judy and I saw a bunch of your guys doing some weird ritual with a big machine. At the end, a guy jacked himself into the rig and got his insides zapped, okay? You smell any weird smoke earlier? That was one of your chooms being roasted in a cremation chamber. So, either, you explain to us what’s going on, or I fuck around and find out elsewhere. Either way, deals off. Don’t wanna be doin’ any kinda business with this shit.”
Nate and Panam’s eyes widened. Panam looked at me, mouth open as if to say something, but bit her tongue and glared at Nate. She approached him and pressed a finger into his chest, slightly pushing him back a step.
“What the FUCK, Nate?” Panam hissed.
Nate backed up, holding his hands up as he looked fearfully at the Aldecaldo leader.
“Listen, Pan, I have no idea what that’s about, I swear!” He whimpered.
“I think he’s tellin’ the truth.” Judy remarked.
I looked at Nate, examining his facial expressions and body language. If there was anything I had learned in my years of interrogating people, it was when to know if someone was genuine or not. He seemed actually shocked, hurt, and scared. He really doesn’t know anything, I realized.
“Panam, back off. Judy’s right.” I said as I approached Panam.
Panam looked at me, and then rolled her eyes as she backed away before folding her arms across her chest. I could tell she was just as ready to be done with this place as we were. Nate relaxed a bit and then made eye contact with me.
“Explain exactly what you saw.” He asked bluntly.
With a sigh, Judy and I explained the details to Nate and Panam. Following the information, Nate began to pace back and forth anxiously, while Panam looked away as if she were carefully calculating her next move. After some time she brought her gaze back over to Judy and I, a certain determination glimmered in her eyes.
“Whatever is happening here, we can’t give up on our chance to help you, V.” Panam declared.
Her righteous tonality was one only a gonk would dare try to argue with. However, I knew that staying here wouldn’t be in our best interest. I pondered her statement, knowing well enough she was right to want to follow through with the deal. I needed to figure this relic shit out, and fast. I wasn’t sure how much longer I had before my condition would start its inevitable disintegration.
I took a deep breath, “I don’t think we should give up that chance either… But I also don’t think it’s safe for the Aldecaldos to be here any longer than we need to. There are families…children…we can’t risk losin’ anyone else…” I replied meekly.
“We can’t risk losing YOU, V.” Panam shot back.
I looked at the Aldecaldo leader fearfully, not because I was worried about the potential cult situation, but because I wasn’t sure what her intentions were. She had clearly decided something, but what that something was, I didn’t know. Judy held onto my arm, bringing my attention over to her. I looked down into her eyes to see a look of fear and impatience. I knew she was scared to lose me, and I knew she knew I was most likely going to put myself in danger if I stayed. My nature would get the better of me, and she knew I would likely jump at any chance to insert myself in investigative affairs. I broke eye contact so as to no longer feel her worry any longer. Her care and concern for me was like looking into a mirror and seeing the reality of my own fate. A fate of a likely death, a death that I was much closer to than I was not.
“What’s your plan?” I asked Panam, more so as a statement than a question.
I uttered the words to the Aldecaldo but fixed my gaze back to Judy, trying to hold a confidence in my eyes for her, but mostly for the both of us.
“Well, one thing’s for certain. We’re blowing up Kang Tao and getting your ass over to Pablo. But in the meantime,” Panam grabbed Nate’s shoulder, suddenly bringing the anxious mess back to reality, “We’re gettin’ the fuck out of here. Sorry, Nate.”
Nate gaped at Panam, a certain vulnerability in his expression with the knowing he would soon be left to deal with this alone.
Nate raised his hands in a sort of defeat, looking at each of us desperately.
“You can’t just leave me with this!” He pleaded.
“And why shouldn’t we? How does this have anything to do with us, exactly?” Panam tested.
Nate stuttered, “I-I mean I guess you’re right. I just- I don’t know how to even deal with this.”
A thought entered my head. I smirked.
“Give us back the Basilisk, and we’ll help.” I said slyly.
Panam grinned at me, a silent applause for my quick thinking. Meanwhile, Judy huffed and crossed her arms across her chest.
“Just what the hell do you think you’re doin’, V?” She hissed under her breath.
I grabbed her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
“Just trust me on this.” I whispered.
Nate looked at his feet for a moment and nodded.
“OK. Okay. Fair deal. But this means you’re helping take down K.T. too, right?” He muttered.
Panam and I exchanged a look and nodded.
“Alright folks, take a seat. Let me lay down the plan.” Panam directed.
I may very well be the dumbest girl alive, I thought to myself as I was realizing the hell of a shit storm that was about to ensue.