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“Techie, I need access to the block’s cameras,” Ma-Ma’s voice was deceptively sweet in Techie’s ear. “You know you’ll get a nice treat if you do this for me.”
Techie whimpered and twisted away from the sound. He didn’t like Ma-Ma’s voice. It was bad. That voice lied, seeming nice and soothing and sweet until he didn’t do what it said and then Ma-Ma hurt him. He reached for his spool of wire, nervously twisting the strand around itself until Ma-Ma snatched the wire away.
“No, Techie!” She scolded, making Techie flinch. “You can’t have your wire until you do this for me, do you understand?”
Techie screwed his eyes shut, hearing the soft whirring sounds his new eyes made as they attempted to adjust to the darkness, and rubbed his hands against his face. “I d-don’t want to, Ma-Ma.” He said quietly.
“Quiet hands!” Ma-Ma snapped. Techie immediately slammed his hands down onto the computer desk. A trained response. “I just want to see what’s happening in the block. What’s wrong with that? It won’t hurt anyone. And then you can play with your wire, okay? I just need you to do this for me, you’re so talented with computers. That’s why I let you stay here, you know. Who else would want you?”
He knew she was right. This really was the only place he was welcome or safe. Anyone else would have thrown him out years ago, Ma-Ma was extremely fond of reminding him. No one else would have kept him after the time he had refused to cut the lights to an entire level to throw off a rival gang, or the time he had missed an intrusion into his system at a critical point, which had gotten six of Ma-Ma’s men killed. Stupid, stupid, stupid. After that, Ma-Ma had to punish him by taking his eyes. He was lucky he was so talented, she told him. After what he had done, she should have killed him. Instead, she gifted him with new eyes, better eyes. They let him see in the dark and could overlay information onto his vision. He felt guilty and selfish for wishing he still had his old ones.
Ma-Ma’s voice was soft and sweet again. “I don’t want to have to punish you, Techie. If you help me, you’ll be good and helpful! You want to be good, don’t you? You want to make me happy?”
Techie did want to be good. When he was good, he got to eat things that didn’t make him gag. When he was good, he got to hold his wire and make as many things from it as he wanted, and Ma-Ma made sure he got more wire when he ran out. Sometimes he even got to watch TV. And Ma-Ma was so nice when he was good.
But if she could watch all the cameras… Techie was afraid of what might happen. He was afraid there would be more fighting. Innocent people died when there was fighting. His family had been among them, victims of a turf war between The Judged and the Red Dragons. Ma-Ma had taken him in after that, even though he had been nothing but ungrateful. He still missed them.
“Techie!” He was snapped out of his thoughts by Ma-Ma’s voice. She had moved over to the shelf where he kept his wire figures, and was holding one of his trees. “Every minute you aren’t working on getting me access to those cameras, I’m going to bend one of the limbs on this until it snaps, do you hear me?”
“N-no!” Techie blurted in panic. “I’ll do it, just… just don’t hurt my figures! Please, Ma-Ma!” They were the only thing Ma-Ma let him keep; he couldn’t bear to see one of them destroyed.
Ma-Ma smiled dangerously. “I don’t hear typing, Techie.”
Techie turned in his chair and began working feverishly. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, he reasoned with himself. Maybe this would prevent fighting, if Ma-Ma knew exactly where the other gangs were so fewer innocent people would be hurt. She wouldn’t want to have to take in any more orphans, after all. The one she had was trouble enough.
Within a few hours, Techie had set up access to all the camera feeds in the block.
“Good job, Techie, sweetie!” Ma-Ma purred. “Such a good boy! Wouldn’t you like your wire back now?”
He would very much like his wire back. He reached for it, but Ma-Ma pulled it back.
“Use your words, Techie! Don’t just grab!”
“Please, may I have?”
“Have what? Complete sentences.”
“May I… have my wire back, please?” Techie managed at last.
“Good job! Yes, you may.” Ma-Ma said, giving it back to him. He immediately clutched it to his chest. “Come here, honey,” she invited. Techie stumbled forward and Ma-Ma enveloped him in a tight hug. He sagged against her with a contented sigh, enjoying the affection.
“You know I only do this because I love you, right Techie?” Ma-Ma whispered in his ear.
“I know, Ma-Ma.”