Neo Static: The Permutation Particles Polka IV

Frank's fingers danced over the keyboard; he was coding as fast as his brain would let him. The laptop that Max had given him was way beyond the years that it should be from. But he didn't question where he had gotten it or how; he knew that didn't matter when you finally looked at the whole situation at hand. He keyed the mic.

"Aqua," he said. "You girls are in position?"

"Oh hell yeah," Aqua replied. She was knee-deep in water in a tunnel beneath a facility in some remote city. The transmission seemed to be coming from a billion light years away; there was heavy static and Frank's baritone voice was coming in tinny. It also didn't help matters that Suki, who was at a juncture box, was listening to a techno-trance track as loud as can be. "We're ready to kick the tires and start the fire, Old Man."

Suki gave Aqua the thumbs up.

Aqua didn't know where they were at the moment, just that Max had brought them here and told them to be here when the signal was given. She had given up trying to fathom just how many realities they were away from the prime. Or if there was even a prime and they were just part of an ongoing simulation.

"I'm sending you the code now," Frank stated.

"Got it," Aqua replied. She took the flash drive from her wrist device and handed it to Suki. "Here ya go, j-pop!"

"Thanks, Rhonda Rousey," Suki replied.